http://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=Julian+Bradshaw&feedformat=atomMSY Archives - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T15:37:12ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.34.0http://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Words_of_God&diff=1879Words of God2023-10-20T05:17:17Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: Add new Discord WoG</p>
<hr />
<div>Here, you can find a fairly complete list of [[Hieronym|Hieronym's]] comments on various [[To the Stars]] subjects, organized by source.<br />
<br />
=Word of God=<br />
<br />
''Canonicity: Probably Canon - author's own speculation and ideas. Can be overridden by later decisions.''<br />
<br />
''These do not contain direct spoilers of unreleased content, but do sometimes openly discuss matters only implied so far, or give vague hints towards the future.''<br />
<br />
==Sufficient Velocity==<br />
<br />
[https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/ Sufficient Velocity Discussion Thread]<br />
<br />
''Copied and continued from the original SpaceBattles thread, this is the prime source of discussion and speculation for [[To the Stars]], running since early 2013.''<br />
<br />
''Because the source posts are often buried in unrelated discussions and responses, the relevant sections have been pasted below. Topic subjects are paraphrased, answers are verbatim and cited with links to the original posts.''<br />
<br />
===Essentials===<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On the planning of the story:|"TtS has a definite ending planned"|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-30#post-761934}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On complex or lawyerly wishes:|"There's nothing against having a complex, thought out wish--you just have to really mean it. If you're Sayaka, and your heart's desire is to heal Kyousuke, and Kyouko points out to you that, hey, you might as well wish for the power to heal in general...well, the power to heal wasn't really part of your intrinsic desire, but the thought planted in your head makes it hard to wish otherwise...so your potential goes down, or disappears entirely. This is what Kyubey alludes to in Ch. 1 of TtS, when it states that it's better to make the contract now, rather than risk anyone overthinking it. <br />
<br />
Plus, you know, the whole limited-time offer effect.<br />
<br />
Madoka, on the other hand, probably had enough potential that she could have handed Kyubey an entire page of less grandiose, non-universe-scale wishes after thinking about it for a year and still had the wish work."|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-11#post-761499}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On the possibility of a wish contradicting another wish:|"I think Hiero said it before, this is a universe where there are no mutually exclusive wishes. When a wish is made, the universe is pushed onto a path where what is wished for exists and things that contradict that wish don't. That includes things like people making wishes that would cancel out that wish.<br />
For example, a girl wishing to become a successful musician won't have to deal another girl wishing she never becomes a musician. Her wish precludes that. But it wouldn't stop the other girl from wishing she fails as a musician. It just means she succeeds but eventually fails after a while."<br />
:[https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-42#post-762218 —Jimmy C]<br />
"That is actually a pretty good description of what word of god is here."<br />
:—Hieronym<br />
|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-42#post-762222}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On [[Incubator]] contracting before the [[MSY]]:|"However, pre-MSY, the Incubators deliberately undercontracted, since they'd learned from experience that cramming too many MGs in one area causes discord and conflict--it's better to have one team of 5 operating efficiently, rather than two teams of 6 spending half their time trying to kill each other. Plus there's the tendency of new contractees to get their elders killed (see: Sayaka). Without the MSY to mediate and train, these were serious considerations, and teams that exceeded around 6 or 7 started to experience personality clash and bickering over grief cube sharing. It's the same reason corporate start-ups are warned about not going beyond 6 to 7 people--once you get beyond the level where everyone can all be friends and work as a natural group, you start needing management and bureaucracy, which decreases efficiency. In the case of magical girl teams, before the MSY there wasn't even a management to fall back on; things just started falling apart."|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-15#post-761596}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On [[Clarisse van Rossum|Clarisse van Rossum's]] actions in the twentieth century:|(Necessary background: Clarrise van Rossum's witch is strongly implied in-story to be Walpurgisnacht, the infamous witch Homura faces in Puella Magi Madoka Magica.)<br />
<br />
"The way I picture it is, for the long century leading up to Homura/ribbon, Clarisse's freedom of action was greatly constrained (in a metaphysical sense) by the existence of terrible events which must happen, to ensure a timeline leading up to Homura that is roughly unchanged. The First World War, the Second World War, the Holocaust, Japanese atrocities in China, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and all the minor atrocities that followed must repeat in more or less the same manner, despite the existence of a human, rather a witch Walpurgis drawn to those events, SOME OF WHICH WERE ORIGINALLY CAUSED BY WALPURGIS. Clarisse's history in her first century of contracting is a history of showing up and failing to stop disasters from occurring, and in several cases accidentally triggering events. Madoka, when she did give a vision, generally gave visions of the "kill this person or the distant future goes horribly wrong" variety, without appearing personally as more than a narrating voice. By the end of it, Clarisse is apathetic about doing anything more than Historian-style observation, and more than a little angry at the unseen force she knows is guiding her for jerking her around like a puppet on a stage. Only after meeting Homura does Madoka appear to explain herself, and even in Ryouko's time Clarisse is less positive on the Goddess than most members of the Cult.<br />
<br />
As for WHY history must adhere so closely to the original history, the reason is simply that Madoka's friends need to be born and live their early lives the same way, because Madoka is biased.<br />
<br />
That description is also more or less permission to think about the possibility of Clarisse's involvement, conspiracy theory style, into every major 20th century event, in whatever way amuses you. Clarisse made sure Archduke Ferdinand was shot? Maybe. Clarisse was involved in JFK being killed? Maybe."<br />
|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-41#post-762195}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On how the [[TCF]] operates on different levels of sentience:|"To put a lid on expectations of MASS PANIC in the next chapter, there's a subtlety to the Trusted Computing Framework that is important here. The Original AIs (or their descendants) supervise every last line of code that goes into other AIs, or any tool used by AIs or humans to program (i.e. the equivalent of an IDE), but the level of supervision drops off the lower the sentience level of the program in question, simply because it's not practical to have an AI closely scrutinizing each and every drone that comes off an assembly line. The core guarantee is that any AIs or near-AIs made are volokhov-friendly, and this extends downward in the direction of dog drones, etc, but once you get down to bog-common miniature fliers or the lines of code that open your door, it's unlikely an AI ever inspected it directly. This allows, for instance, the possibility of someone compromising an assembly line be inserting a modified assembly robot, or something."|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-147#post-3500160}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On the different roles machine and human intelligences play in the military, and why:|"It comes down to an argument about scaling and combat niches. Speaking broadly, the experiences of ww2 resulted in ground forces dominated effectively by two "sizes" of combatants that participate in direct-- the heavy main battle tank, and the human-sized infantryman. There are many, many intermediate "sizes", but they are all operated by or supporting of infantryman, ranging from APCs that provide transportation, to all the various types of infantry equipment (machine guns, mortars, etc.). So, in fact, the infantryman is occupying many combat niches, including niches that could in theory be filled by something much dumber than the average infantryman.<br />
<br />
In TtS, the first important fact is that machine intelligence is everywhere, and scales roughly with size. When it is possible to put semi-autonomous intelligence in everything, then it becomes logical to replace many combat niches once filled by the infantryman with drones. Why task infantry with carrying and operating machine guns, when you can make a drone that is effectively a mobile machine gun? The same goes for mortars, etc. The question then becomes: why have humans at all?<br />
<br />
This is where the second fact of TtS comes into play. One of TtS's main conceits is that biological human intelligence is still, per size and energy, more efficient than machine intelligences. This is the primary upside of using human soldiers. The primary downside is that the intelligence comes in chunks--unlike a FA approach is taken to things, each human soldier is approximately 1H in intelligence. That is, vastly overqualified to man a machine gun, yet underqualified to run a battlecruiser. Thus, the niche filled by the human soldiers is everything from about 0.7H to 1H--all the combat niches where human-level intelligence is at least sufficient, but it is not possible to stick a smaller autonomous system on it an achieve better results.<br />
<br />
Because machine intelligence scales with size, then, you see most infantrymen manning combat suits that are larger than human. That is because all the smaller combat niches are filled by drones of varying intelligence, and mobile combat suit is the main niche where human-level intelligence becomes relevant. Most smaller tasks (such as firing a machine gun) can be done more effectively with a less-than-human intelligence system that is smaller and consumes less power. Energy means an enormous to TtS ground combat. And when you don't need your infantry to be capable of manning machine guns or providing bulk suppression, large mobile suit becomes much more attractive."|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-137#post-3195351}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On how the grief cube system made the MSY possible:|"On an unrelated note, I'd like to comment on the key differences between the new demon system and the old witch system that make something like the development of the MSY possible, at least insofar as it fosters cooperation and teamwork. There are at least 3 reasons:<br />
<br />
1) Grief cubes are much smaller packets than grief seeds. This makes cheating much harder and infighting much less likely, because everyone can just take their share on the spot. It's the difference between making $1million in a start-up and dividing it equally among four people--and doing the same, except now all you have is a $1million bill that only one person can hold at once. There will be the constant temptation for one person to just take it and run, and everyone knows this. It just makes for more paranoia.<br />
<br />
Plus, smaller chunks are just less prone to "crashes". Imagine that you have 60 soul gem units left before you witch out, but you need 100 units to kill any witch in the area. It doesn't help if any given witch gives you 500 units--you're doomed anyway. Whereas with a horde of demons, you could spend 10 power to kill one, gather 20 units, spent 10 power to kill another one, gather 20 more units, and gradually work yourself back to health.<br />
<br />
2) The elimination of the Witch/Familiar distinction, and the whole familiar eating people to turn into witches thing. Put succinctly, it is now impossible for Kyouko and Sayaka to have the argument they had in episodes 5-7. It doesn't matter whether you're out for yourself or want to be a hero of justice--as long as working together increases survival and grief cube yields, which it almost certainly will, then you will work together. This is very important.<br />
<br />
3) The elimination of girls turning into Witches. The big secret of the previous system, likely to destroy teams the moment one of them witches out. No longer an issue. There's no horrifying revelation just around the corner to cause Mami to shoot everyone."|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-137#post-3195351}}<br />
<br />
===Extras===<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On the nature of Walpurgisnacht:|"Also, since it's unlikely to ever come up, I'd been using the secret headcanon that Walpurgis was a time traveling witch. That's how it could cause so many disasters in the past."|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-103#post-2138315}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On the importance of money pre-[[MSY]] and how it factored in to its founding:|"One the key points mentioned early (as many in this thread have pointed out) is that money, crass money, is a big deal for magical girls before the MSY, and that Homura realized this. Homura also realized that there are he pieces of two important solutions already existed around her:<br />
<br />
1) Rich girls. Jobs, schedules, etc. are not a problem for an heiress sitting on tens or hundreds of millions. Such an heiress could also easily feed/subsidize an entire team, if she so desired. Homura probably noticed that a significant number of pre-existing teams were centered around one particularly rich girl (Oriko, one of the MSY founding teams, in a detail that hasn't come up in-story anywhere, Yoshino if we want to pull crazy crossover examples). Viewed from an economic angle, it makes sense: Everyone else needs money, and the heiress needs team members and friends to insulate her from the risk of dying in anti-demon combat or from emotional problems.<br />
<br />
The problem is, if the heiress ever takes a laser to the soul gem, the rest of the team is usually shit out of luck, and the whole thing falls apart.<br />
<br />
2) Owning your own business: The University Group realized that running their own food stand provided a "job" they couldn't possibly be fired from, because the business belonged to them. Unfortunately, they was so few of them (only 3) that they had to regularly ditch the business entirely to go demon hunting. And of course, the problem with running your own business is a) you need capital, usually plenty of it and b) businesses fail regularly, and if the entire team has everything sunk in their sandwich shop or whatever, it's all over.<br />
<br />
Homura essentially realized three things:<br />
<br />
1) #1 above is the solution to #2. If the problem is not having enough capital, and not being to eat the losses if a business fails, a rich girl with plenty of money is the direct solution to that. More capital means being able to found more lucrative, more stable businesses (taken to the late-MSY extreme, this includes play with the global financial markets), and also means that instead of having to be successful the first time, you only have to be successful on average. It makes a big difference.<br />
<br />
Homura essentially looked at the entrenched, rich elites, and realized that this is where magical girls need to be if they are to have a shot at good lives.<br />
<br />
2) Economies of scale and division of labor fix almost everything. Three girls must constantly abandon their food stand, because the difference between two girls and three girls fighting demons is a tremendous increase in risk. However, the difference between 25 girls and 24 or even 23 is much more marginal--and then the business can become much more lucrative, even when run by 1 or 2 people.<br />
<br />
With increasing trust, it starts becoming possible to specialize everyone into things they're good at, for great mass efficiency. One girl really can become team mom, and make sure everyone has warm bathes and good food to look forward to when they get back (important for psychological health). Others can become really good at making money, others can become good with medical training, and so forth. And beyond that, it starts to become possible to optimize teams, pairing teleporters with AOE, and so forth. Essentially, the equivalent of minmaxing a rpg.<br />
<br />
And the problems that come from businesses failing, rich girls losing control of their fortunes and dying, and so forth, become much more mitigated when you get multiple rich girls involved, and numerous businesses.<br />
<br />
The passage that mentions that the MSY was essentially a modernization of magical girl "economics" essentially makes this point. Economies of scale and Division of labor are core economic principles.<br />
<br />
3) Magical girls have one stunning competitive advantage: magic. By default, there is absolutely no reason to expect that random groups of teenage girls would be any good at founding businesses or making money. The equation becomes much different when you realize they are essentially capable of cheating. Homura realized that a magical girl food stand isn't a particularly good idea--unless you have a girl capable of keeping food forever fresh, or to plant mental suggestions to come buy the food, or to provide ridiculously fast delivery, or to bomb out all your competitors. You have a competitive advantage, you have to use it.<br />
<br />
If you look at early MSY behavior, it makes a lot of perspective when viewed through this lens. For instance, it is implied they went to a lot of trouble to kiss up to rich local girls and get them to join, which is for instance why Shizuki Sayaka was particularly important, and Kyouko wasn't allowed to screw it up.<br />
<br />
Of course, the hard part is to put together the necessary trust, organizations, and sheer number of individuals to make it work in the first place.<br />
<br />
The interaction of magical girls and money (or even grief cube economics) is actually a fairly interesting topic, and you can imagine some crazy things. Indeed, I even suggested some things in this:<br />
http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/37019988685/spinoff-post-2<br />
<br />
Essentially, once you have the necessary preliminaries to conduct secure economic exchanges, you start getting interesting behavior--rich magical girls hiring poorer girls to act as teammates, mercenaries farming out services, even prostitution."|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-55#post-762507}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On how [[fleets]] are organized in [[To the Stars]]:|This is actually best described as a long discussion between Hieronym and readers on the subject, from pages 29 to 31 of the Sufficient Velocity thread. The contents can't be easily extracted - just read through those pages if you're interested. Page 29 is linked as the source.|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-29}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On passive [[magical girl]] stealth:|"Crossposting this from the SA thread, since Hieronym says passive low-level stealth is TTS-compliant. Obviously, it becomes less important as Magical Girls establish their own parallel society, and even less so when they reveal themselves to humanity as a whole. But if you've ever wondered "Gee, how the hell did the Incubators keep a secret like that for thousands of years, and even into the Information Age?" ...well, this is part of the answer.<br />
<br />
<br />
Magical Girl Passive Universal Stealth in TTS and SA Explained<br />
A Primer<br />
<br />
1) If it's obvious, it's obvious. Your family will notice strange patterns. They might be more likely to overlook minor things, or be slightly more forgiving, but MGs wouldn't even notice this. If you're transformed in broad daylight where people can see and not making a conscious effort not to be seen, you will be seen, and it will be remarkable.<br />
<br />
2) Magical Girls can be Batman. It's a lot easier to confuse and slip past normals if you put effort into it, especially when the environment helps. They might still notice, but it's more likely to be "That was a certainly a very strange and anomalous thing" than "Holy shit why was that chick with a battleaxe wearing a dress and jumping around my warehouse?"<br />
<br />
3) If Magical Girls make a ruckus when everyone is asleep or would have a similarly compelling cause not to notice, they're much less likely to cause a stir or rouse people from their slumber. So even outside of miasma, they can have restrained fights at night -- so long as they stay away from places where people would be awake! -- without being in the papers the next morning.<br />
<br />
4) When a Magical Girl talks about it, they can only say "It tends to work this way" and shrug helplessly, because hard rules aren't a part of their innate understanding. It's something they have to learn as they go, and they still have to be very careful about how they go about their business.<br />
<br />
5) Sometimes, the rules change. Nobody can say why, and the Incubators don't elaborate. Some Girls speculate that the Incubators themselves are behind observed inconsistency; others insist that it's another factor (out of a list of tinfoil MG suppositions)."<br />
:—75% Certain<br />
"I am happy to have this in the SA RP, but I have been very reluctant to rule on things regarding the masquerade because I am aware of all the problems that might be caused either way. That being said, I find it difficult to imagine how things could work without at least something of this sort--in the series we have Mami jumping in full costume off of a light-pole and removing her transformation, to give just one example of something that should be extremely suspicious but no one in Mitakihara seems to bat an eyelash at/ever observe."<br />
:—Hieronym|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-191#post-4940287}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|[[Characters]] ranked by "Favoritism", as of 2015:|<br />
1. [[Shizuki Ryouko]]<br />
<br />
2. [[Tomoe Mami]]<br />
<br />
2. [[Sakura Kyouko]]<br />
<br />
2. [[Kaname Madoka]]<br />
<br />
5. [[Nakihara Asami]]<br />
<br />
5. [[Clarisse|Clarisse (TC)]]<br />
<br />
5. [[Kuroi Nakase]]<br />
<br />
5. [[Clarisse van Rossum]]<br />
<br />
9. [[Azrael Elizabeth Maslanka]]<br />
<br />
9. [[Misa Virani]]<br />
<br />
11. [[Roland Erwynmark]]<br />
<br />
11. [[Akemi Homura]]<br />
<br />
11. [[Chitose Yuma]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Patricia von Rohr]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Chiaki]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Alice Lynwood]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Kishida Maki]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Atsuko Arisu]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Kuroi Abe]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Shirou Asaka]]<br />
<br />
21. [[Nadya Antipova]]<br />
<br />
22. [[Marianne Francois]]<br />
<br />
22. [[Kyubey]]<br />
<br />
22. [[Shizuki Kuma]]<br />
<br />
22. [[Kuroi Kana]]<br />
<br />
22. [[Kuroi Nana]]<br />
<br />
22. [[Simona del Mago]]<br />
<br />
28. [[HSS Pierre-Simon Laplace]]<br />
<br />
28. [[Shizuki Sayaka]]<br />
<br />
28. [[Juliet Francois]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Zheng Ying Zhi]]<br />
<br />
31. [[HSS Raven]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Annabelle Smith]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Ruiko]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Eva Guderian]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Risa Flores]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Mina Guyure]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Gracia Perez]]<br />
|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-118#post-2545988}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|[[Characters]] ranked by "Power Levels (personal combat)", as of 2015:|<br />
1. [[Akemi Homura]]<br />
<br />
1. [[Kyubey]]<br />
<br />
1. [[Kaname Madoka]]<br />
<br />
4. [[Clarisse van Rossum]]<br />
<br />
5. [[Tomoe Mami]]<br />
<br />
6. [[Chitose Yuma]]<br />
<br />
6. [[Shizuki Sayaka]]<br />
<br />
6. [[Kuroi Kana]]<br />
<br />
6. [[Sakura Kyouko]]<br />
<br />
10. [[Nadya Antipova]]<br />
<br />
11. [[Atsuko Arisu]]<br />
<br />
12. [[Kuroi Nana]]<br />
<br />
12. [[Misa Virani]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Marianne Francois]]<br />
<br />
15. [[Azrael Elizabeth Maslanka]]<br />
<br />
16. [[Shirou Asaka]]<br />
<br />
17. [[Juliet Francois]]<br />
<br />
18. [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]]<br />
<br />
18. [[Annabelle Smith]]<br />
<br />
20. [[Patricia von Rohr]]<br />
<br />
20. [[Alice Lynwood]]<br />
<br />
20. [[Kishida Maki]]<br />
<br />
23. [[Shizuki Ryouko]]<br />
<br />
23. [[Eva Guderian]]<br />
<br />
23. [[Risa Flores]]<br />
<br />
23. [[Mina Guyure]]<br />
<br />
23. [[Gracia Perez]]<br />
<br />
28. [[Nakihara Asami]]<br />
<br />
29. [[HSS Pierre-Simon Laplace]]<br />
<br />
30. [[HSS Raven]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Roland Erwynmark]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Clarisse|Clarisse (TC)]]<br />
<br />
33. [[Kuroi Nakase]]<br />
<br />
33. [[Kuroi Abe]]<br />
<br />
33. [[Simona del Mago]]<br />
<br />
36. [[Shizuki Kuma]]<br />
<br />
37. [[Chiaki]]<br />
<br />
38. [[Ruiko]]<br />
|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-118#post-2545988}}<br />
<br />
==Hieronym's Tumblr==<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/archive/ Full Tumblr Archive]<br />
<br />
''Besides the numerous canon posts (organized on this wiki's [[Universe]] page), Hieronym has also answered questions or theorized on various matters over the years.''<br />
<br />
''Because each subject has its own discrete post, this section consists only of links, with the subjects paraphrased.''<br />
<br />
===Essentials===<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/30709503136/have-you-worked-out-an-ending-for-your-story-not On the planning of the story]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/32863631353/i-have-a-question-regarding-the-story-structure On the structure of the story]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/29217458734/how-many-human-colonies-are-there-and-whats-the On the number and population of Human colonies]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens On economics and Allocs]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/41151494661/how-did-the-incubator-respong-when-they-were-asked On Incubators being asked for help in the Contact War]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/55779437700/future-interlude-title-change On the titles of future Volumes and Interludes]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/59376550226/when-was-clinical-immortality-achieved-im On when clinical immortality was achieved]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/90279913087/unused-snippet On the state of Governance's military before the Contact War]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/94516363397/we-know-that-magical-girls-who-fall-into-despair On whether the Law of Cycles applies to all ways magical girls can die]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/142889257372/wait-wait-wait-clarisse-would-have-turned-into On Clarrise van Rossum's witch]<br />
<br />
===Extras===<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/32304862925/speculah-post-1 Various speculations, part one]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/49493446509/speculah-post-2 Various speculations, part two]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/28303057542/entropy On the nature of entropy]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/28742081041/will-the-story-ever-cast-a-spotlight-on-the-war-of On whether or not the Unification Wars will be discussed more in-story]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/29205267435/say-what-does-youkai-in-mahou-shoujou-youkai On what "Youkai" means in Mahou Shoujo Youkai]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/29725066292/in-the-last-twenty-years-of-interstellar-war-what On the number of casualties in the Contact War]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/29773916713/as-a-follow-up-to-my-previous-question-how-many On the number of magical girl casualties and population in the Contact War]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/29949848675/hello-i-am-a-big-fan-and-i-have-a-few-questions On the composition and population of the Cult]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/31093707562/whats-the-correct-spelling-of-ryoukos-name-in On the meaning of Ryouko's name]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/31415985529/is-mitakihara-the-main-seat-of-governance On whether or not Governance has a capital city]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/32916517579/so-after-the-unification-wars-the-emergency On various ongoing Governance projects]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/32660524604/insomnia-pm-reposting On the retirement or rotation of leaders in the military and MSY]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33277633406/how-hardy-are-personal-enhancements-if-you On the hardiness of implants]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/34126552127/how-would-you-describe-ryoukos-personality-to On Ryouko's personality]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/35038136507/are-transformation-sequences-a-thing-or-are-the On transformation sequences]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/35468913200/when-did-the-human-race-achieve-the-ability-to On when FTL travel was invented]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/35469313816/is-it-possible-to-hack-these-implants-and-make On the security and modification of implants]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/36646354300/describe-ryoukos-witch-if-such-a-thing-were On Ryouko's witch]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/37655973633/whats-the-state-of-social-networking-in-tts-does On the state of social media]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/37821770415/since-people-seem-interested-in-process On the process of writing the story (outdated)]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/41074995974/question-i-mightve-missed-something-in-canon On why most magical girls have dress-like outfits]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/41345652948/so-uh-did-the-msy-managed-to-send-a-probe-to On the approximate size of Human space]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/41583894229/i-didnt-understand-the-battle-sequence-with On how Laplace fought the Ceph fighters (with pictures!)]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/43771139334/in-the-msy-how-powerful-are-the-matriarchies-how On the power of the Matriarchies]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/48291457427/is-there-a-dedicated-group-of-girls-set-aside-just On fighting battlefield demon spawns]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/54189966140/what-makes-shipyards-of-such-strategic-importance On the strategic importance of shipyards]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/54202337242/to-what-extent-are-adolescents-born-with-intersex On intersex or transgender magical girls]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/54633351732/are-security-clearance-levels-usually-universal On security clearances and compartmentalization]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/55018657673/education-text-dumping On the primary education system]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/56381803986/have-humans-been-able-to-observe-whether-the-ais On the friendliness of Ceph AI]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/57378093987/forgive-me-is-this-has-been-asked-before-but-is On the shooting star symbol of the MSY]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/57592662917/how-would-you-rate-humanity-and-the-aliens-on-the On Human energy usage]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/58681865394/ecosystem-textdump On Earth's ecosystem]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/61097942724/how-rare-are-the-various-types-of-powers-for On the rarity of different powers]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/61098540023/do-blink-drives-produce-any-sort-of-sensor On the detectability of the Blink Drive]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/62492795494/in-the-recent-26th-chapter-ryouko-over-primed On over-priming soul gems]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/65952809143/does-the-msy-have-political-parties On MSY political factions]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/68350489343/name-meanings On the pseudonyms of the Mitakihara Four]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/94515812917/in-your-headcanon-are-magical-girls-recruited-at On the recruitment rate for magical girls]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/102001235282/pm-reposting On a variety of speculative subjects and questions]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/125653585442/do-wraithsdemons-ever-spawn-in-space-it-occurs On the possibility of demons on spaceships]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/142280138142/hey-im-autistic-and-while-reading-tts-currently On whether Ryouko and her father display autistic traits]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/142888984287/can-the-incubators-refuse-to-grant-a-wish-if-they On whether Incubators can refuse to grant wishes]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/146539799542/how-much-of-earth-is-inhabitable-in-tts-era-yuma On uninhabitable or preserved regions of Earth]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/146826586477/where-do-you-place-mitakihara-in-japan On Mitakihara's location]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/151138266677/are-the-witch-runes-just-a-substitution-cipher On the readability of witch runes]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/177210302855/questions-post-5 On Ryouko's feelings about Clarisse van Rossum]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/177245873435/questions-post-7 On whether you can meet yourself in a vision]<br />
<br />
[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/146528726732/when-was-clarisse-born-when-did-she-contract On the circumstances of Clarisse van Rossum's wish]<br />
<br />
==Discord==<br />
[https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FToTheStars&subject=Ask+for+a+Discord+invitation&message=I+would+like+to+join+the+To+the+Stars+Discord+server.+Please+send+me+an+invite+link! Discord Channel]<br />
<br />
''Though the Discord is mostly used for general chatting, Hieronym has on occasion given Words of God here.''<br />
<br />
''These can't be linked directly, so images will be shown instead. You can search for the text within the images on the Discord server, however.''<br />
<br />
===Essentials===<br />
<br />
{{spbox|On the planned title for the last chapter:|[[File:Ttslastchaptertitle.PNG]]<br />
<br />
<br />
[[File:Hieronymicon.PNG]] is [[Hieronym]]'s icon here.}}<br />
<br />
{{spbox|On the structure of [[MSY]] leadership:|[[File:MSY structure.PNG]]<br />
[[File:MSY structure2.PNG]]<br />
<br />
A little while later:<br />
[[File:MSY structure3.PNG]]<br />
<br />
<br />
[[File:Hieronymicon.PNG]] is [[Hieronym]]'s icon here.}}<br />
<br />
{{spbox|On souls and a possible multiverse:|[[File:Souls1.png]]<br />
[[File:Souls2.png]]<br />
[[File:Souls3.png]]<br />
<br />
<br />
[[File:Hieronymiconnew.png]] is [[Hieronym]]'s icon here.}}<br />
<br />
===Extras===<br />
<br />
{{spbox|On [[Shizuki Hitomi|Hitomi]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka|her daughter]]:|[[File:Hitomi.PNG]]<br />
<br />
<br />
"Akuma Homura" is [[Hieronym]] here.}}<br />
<br />
{{spbox|On the [[Soul Guard]] and [[Black Heart]] prior to the [[Unification Wars]]:|[[File:SoulGuardBlackHeart.PNG]]<br />
[[File:SoulGuardBlackHeart2.PNG]]<br />
<br />
<br />
"Word of God" is [[Hieronym]] here.}}<br />
<br />
{{spbox|On what [[Mami]] meant when says [[Ryouko]] looks like "her":|[[File:Mamilooklikeher.png]]<br />
<br />
<br />
"Consensus: Hieronym" is [[Hieronym]] here.}}<br />
<br />
==Reddit==<br />
[https://www.reddit.com/r/ToTheStars/ To the Stars Subreddit]<br />
<br />
===Extras===<br />
<br />
[https://www.reddit.com/r/ToTheStars/comments/kfai4k/ch_31_question_reaction_to_mamis_speech/gg8und1/ On Mami's speech at the end of Ch. 31]</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=File:Hieronymiconnew.png&diff=1878File:Hieronymiconnew.png2023-10-20T05:15:08Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: </p>
<hr />
<div></div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=File:Souls3.png&diff=1877File:Souls3.png2023-10-20T05:12:28Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: </p>
<hr />
<div></div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=File:Souls2.png&diff=1876File:Souls2.png2023-10-20T05:12:07Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: </p>
<hr />
<div></div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=File:Souls1.png&diff=1875File:Souls1.png2023-10-20T05:11:42Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: </p>
<hr />
<div></div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=To_the_Stars&diff=1818To the Stars2023-08-26T05:45:55Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: Add Ch. 67 summary</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Quote|After centuries of turmoil, a Utopian AI/human government has seized control of Earth, heralding a new age of post-scarcity and space colonization. An unexpected encounter with a hostile, technologically superior alien race has broken the peace, forcing magical girls to come out of hiding to save human civilization.<br />
<br />
In the midst of it all, Shizuki Ryouko, an ordinary girl, looks to the sky, wondering at her place in the universe.|Hieronym|author of To the Stars<br />
}}<br />
<br />
This page summarizes the entire story, volume by volume and chapter by chapter, for those who want a refresher on events. It also includes the names of all future volumes and interludes, [http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/55779437700/future-interlude-title-change as released by] [[Hieronym]] many years ago.<br />
<br />
Each section is collapsed by default, to avoid unwanted spoilers; use the right-hand "Expand" buttons to view descriptions.<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
== Synopses ==<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume I: Quantum Entanglement ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon where groups of particles cannot have their state completely described independently of each other, even if separated by large distances.<br />
: ''This perhaps describes the position Ryouko finds herself in.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume I Summary|[[Shizuki Ryouko]], a regular girl dissatisfied with her utopian life, [[contract]]s and becomes a [[magical girl]], [[wish|wishing]] to leave [[Earth]], explore, and "find my place in this universe". Her life rapidly turns anything but ordinary, as day by day wild events pile up and new secrets from her past reveal themselves. She ends up under the tutelage of both [[Tomoe Mami]] and [[Sakura Kyouko]], learns that the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]] was deliberately caused by someone, discovers that she's the descendant of two powerful competing [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], receives a mysterious vision from a magical girl [[Goddess]], finds out her parents have been working on a secret project cloning bodies for [[magical girl]]s to use, receives a special V2 [[TacComp]], and learns about her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]], protege of [[Akemi Homura]], whose wish turned [[Ryouko]]'s own [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] from a [[magical girl]] back to a regular human.<br><br />
<br>All along, [[Ryouko]] struggles to adjust, learning as much about magical and military worlds she's entering as she can. Saying goodbye to friends and family, and starting to make new friends among her fellow [[magical girls]], she finally departs [[Earth]], led by her [[wish]] out into a strange new universe.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]], and begins to discover her unusual place in the universe.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|1|A Wish}}|[[Ryouko]] goes to school, dissatisfied with her life. She feels out of place in a world where her family at home and friends at school seem to enjoy the near-utopian [[Earth]], even as a [[Contact War|war]] against an [[Ceph|alien]] menace rages. However, [[Mandatory Session|classes]] are interrupted by the appearance of [[Tomoe Mami]] nearby, who has taken a detour to check the school for potential [[magical girl]] recruits with [[Kyubey]], who claims he has found one. The sighting leaves [[Ryouko]] dwelling on the remote possibility of becoming a [[magical girl]], distracting her enough that she unthinkingly agrees to go on a date with another boy from class. [[Simona]], one of her friends, sees that she's unhappy and follows her out to a riverbank with a view of the [[starport]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], on the other hand, surreptitiously visits [[Kyouko]] in her church to discuss [[the Cult]]'s discovery of irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain. She agrees to look into it and departs, only to encounter a [[demon]] spawn on her way back. At the riverbank, [[Simona]] is about to confess her feelings for [[Ryouko]], when they are suddenly attacked by [[demons]]. [[Ryouko]] manages to keep the both of them alive for a short while before getting trapped. At the moment she attempts to sacrifice herself to save [[Simona]], [[Mami]] saves them both, and along with [[Kyubey]] explains that [[Ryouko]] has the [[potential]] to make a [[wish]] and become a [[magical girl]]. {{Quote|"I wish I could leave Earth," Ryouko said, looking down, "and explore this world. I want to go where no one else has gone before and find my place in this universe."}}<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|2|Fantasma}}|[[Mami]], with some reluctance, separates [[Simona]] from [[Ryouko]] and lets [[Kyouko]] take over the immediate training. [[Kyouko]] runs her through the ropes quickly, learns that [[Ryouko]] has an unprecedented 200km teleportation range, and assigns herself as a mentor along with [[Mami]], who has in the meantime realized that [[Simona]] had a crush on [[Ryouko]]. [[Mami]] advises [[Simona]] not to tell [[Ryouko]] how she feels. [[Ryouko]] fights her first [[demon]]s with [[Kyouko]], and afterwards [[Patricia von Rohr]] shows them a pile of [[grief cube]]s she found, indicating the [[demon]] spawn was deliberate. The [[Incubator]]s swear off responsibility, and all [[Ryouko]] can remember is seeing a woman in the distance just beforehand. [[Kyouko]] promises to investigate.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] discovers that someone deliberately spawned the [[demon]]s which led to her [[contract]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|3|Mami Watches a Movie, Part One}}|Disguised, [[Mami]] attends the movie ''[[Akemi (movie)|Akemi]]''. It depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] upbringing in an orphanage, her [[wish]], and then [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, which triggers a vision of the [[Goddess]] for [[Homura]] that changes her personality markedly. It then depicts [[Yuma]] asking to be taken in by [[Homura]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]]—a fabrication, the movie-watching [[Mami]] notes—and the resulting [[Mitakihara Four]] founding the [[MSY]]. The movie montages through the [[MSY|MSY's]] history, jumping ahead to the alien [[Cephalopod]]'s first attack on [[Aurora]], after which [[Homura]] rallies the [[MSY]] to send a massive force of [[magical girl]]s to [[New Athens]] to stop the next attack.<br />
----<br />
In short: ''[[Akemi (movie)]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] life up until [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|4|Mami Watches a Movie, Part Two}}|With [[Mami]] in attendance, the movie ''[[Akemi (movie)|Akemi]]'' depicts [[Mami]] and [[Homura]] directing a surprise assault on the [[Cephalopod]]s at [[New Athens]]. Initially the battle goes well, and the [[Human]] forces on the ground rally, but the aliens deploy stronger measures in turn. [[Homura]] goes out to personally lead the counterattack, but the combination of stealth armor and orbital strikes is too much, and she falls in battle… only to find that her [[soul gem]] refuses to fill with [[grief]], preventing her from being taken away by the [[Law of Cycles]], to her despair. [[Homura]] then suddenly heals from her wounds, and her white wings are replaced by huge, horrible black wings. Almost entirely by her own power, she leads the counterattack to victory, at the end personally redirecting an orbital superweapon back at the [[Ceph]] fleet.<br><br />
<br>In the final scene of the movie, [[Kyouko]] argues to an unconvinced [[Mami]] that the battle proves [[Homura|Homura's]] faith in her [[Goddess]] has merit, only for both of them to be interrupted by [[Homura|Homura's]] arrival. [[Homura]] announces her resignation from the [[MSY]], leaving one of her [[The Ribbon|ribbons]] with them, and declares that she is leaving to look for her [[Goddess]], protecting the world another way. The movie over, [[Mami]] begins her departure from [[Earth]], starting her endless work anew with her Version Two [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br />
----<br />
In short: ''[[Akemi (movie)]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] transformation, victory, and disappearance at [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|5|Family}}|[[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] tell [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] family that she has [[contract]]ed, to their horror. [[Kyouko]] defends [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] choice, and explains some of the [[magical girl]] system to them, though they prove to know more than most. Before [[Ryouko]] goes to bed, [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] comes to talk with her, expressing disappointment that [[Ryouko]] lied when she promised not to [[contract]], and talking the situation over. After watching [[Ryouko]] [[transform]] and discussing her weapon, an arbalest, she leaves [[Ryouko]] with the request to tell her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] (who had disappeared to join the military when [[Ryouko]] was a child) that her family was sorry, should [[Ryouko]] meet her.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] falls asleep, [[Kyouko]] sticks around to gather information on her family situation as per procedure. [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] grandfather [[Kuroi Abe]] willingly helps her out, explaining that [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] parents are near divorce, though [[Ryouko]] doesn't realize it, and that they know so much about magic because they're researchers. He also mentions that [[Ryouko]] has an [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]] she doesn't know about. That night, [[Ryouko]] dreams of an old encounter with a [[magical girl]], and finds that she still has the bracelet the girl gave her. She also recalls an old memory of her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] talking about [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]], though she doesn't understand it. After talking to [[Simona]] and her family a bit, [[Ryouko]] spends the morning reading through the swath of informational messages about her new life.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] tells her family she has [[contract|contracted]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|6|Military}}|[[Mami]] remembers the [[Mitakihara Four]]'s celebration of [[October Three]] with [[Homura]], shortly before the [[Contact War]]. The four of them poke fun at each other—including about [[Homura]]'s secret pupil and [[Kyouko]]'s "transgressions"—and eventually [[Mami]] suggests that they take a long vacation from the [[MSY]] together, only for the others to reluctantly shoot the idea down.<br><br />
<br>In the present, [[Mami]] arrives at the [[starport]] with her bodyguards and meets with [[Marianne Francois]], her intelligence officer, who she instructs to secretly investigate the [[grief cube]] supply chain as [[Kyouko]] asked. Later arriving at [[Carthago Shipyard]] via scramjet then space elevator then [[Navigator]], she attends a meeting of the [[General Staff]].<br><br />
<br>During the meeting, the Chair of the [[General Staff]] [[Roland Erwynmark]] reveals that the [[Cephalopod]]s have been discovered constructing a [[wormhole stabilizer]] in the [[Kepler-37 System]], at the tip of the ongoing [[Euphratic Incursion]]. This would allow the aliens to directly transport reinforcements into the system, within [[Blink]] distance of the [[Core World]] [[Optatum]], and so an immediate [[MagOps]] operation is planned to destroy it. [[Erwynmark]] then announces that he's appointing [[Mami]] as a special [[Euphratic Sector]] commander, over some opposition from her opponents on the [[General Staff|Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] is promoted, and tasked with destroying the discovered [[wormhole stabilizer]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|7|Southern Group}}|[[Kyouko]] wakes up (with [[Kishida Maki]] at her side) and while making the rounds at her [[Kyouko's Church|church]] discovers that [[Maki]] has painted the [[Goddess]] with pink hair, a previously unknown trait. However, [[Kyouko]] has to immediately leave to see [[Yuma]] about the [[grief cube]] incident. On the way, [[Kyouko]] remembers when she first met [[Yuma]], in a confrontation with the [[Southern Group]] shortly after [[Homura]] had first joined the team, before her personality change. [[Kyouko]] had immediately taken sympathy, and telepathically invited her to switch sides, though the very young [[Yuma]] had angrily refused after [[Kyouko]] insulted [[Oriko]], who had saved [[Yuma|Yuma's]] life.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko|Kyouko's]] reverie is briefly interrupted by [[Maki]], who tells her the idea of the pink hair came from [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Kyouko]] then further recalls the next two times she saw [[Yuma]]: first, months later after [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, in a chance encounter at a store where she had revealed she was doing "research" with [[Oriko]], and second, two years after that, when [[Kyouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Homura]] had saved her after the deaths of [[Oriko]] and the rest of [[Southern Group|her team]]. After that, they had [[Befriending|Befriended]] her, and once [[Yuma]] recovered she joined them as one of the [[Mitakihara Four]]. Eventually [[Yuma]] had told them what had really happened the night [[Oriko]] died, and they resolved to keep it secret.<br><br />
<br>As [[Kyouko]] arrives at [[MSY]] [[Governmental Affairs]] to see [[Yuma]], she lastly recalls [[Homura]] telling [[Yuma]] that the [[Goddess]] provided an afterlife for [[magical girl]]s, the only time [[Kyouko]] ever heard her say it out loud.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] remembers how [[Yuma]] ended up joining the [[Mitakihara Four]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|8|Church and State}}|[[Yuma]] runs out to greet [[Kyouko]] like an older sister, herself having taken on a nine-year-old form, and [[Kyouko]] is greeted by her [[Governance]] partner [[MG]] as well. [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] then meet privately to discuss the irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain, and the further reports of [[magical girl]]s going missing, and [[Yuma]] agrees to investigate. When [[Kyouko]] brings up the [[grief cube]] incident with [[Ryouko]], [[Yuma]] immediately deduces that the [[grief cube]]s were super-saturated with grief—a possible state kept very secret, though they don't have a sample to prove it. Before leaving, [[Kyouko]] recommends that [[Yuma]] visit [[The Ribbon]], but she demures just as [[Mami]] always does, instead giving [[Kyouko]] an [[Incubator]] plushie.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] checks with [[Kyubey]] briefly about the [[grief cube]]s, but he does not provide any new information, and so [[Kyouko]] ends up back at [[Kyouko's church|her church]], where she meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Patrica]] reveals that she kept some of the [[grief cube]]s from the incident after sensing something strange about them, and [[Kyouko]] tells her to inform [[Yuma]] through the plushie, which turned out to be enchanted as a [[telepathy]]-enhancer. [[Kyouko]] also gets [[Asaka]] to agree to share the details of the [[Goddess]]'s hair with the [[Theological Council]]. Finally, [[Kyouko]] gives a sermon on the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from, and announces that the church will be updating the statue of the [[Goddess]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] discover that the [[grief cube]]s planted near where [[Ryouko]] was attacked were super-saturated.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|9|Echoes}}|[[Ryouko]] arrives at [[Kyouko's church]], which holds [[MSY]] living quarters and local military facilities underground, in order to get her military upgrades. [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]] guide her through the process. [[Patricia]] notes that [[Ryouko]] has an extremely unusual genetic profile, requiring some adjustments to the process, and then begins the procedure. [[Ryouko]] watches in a semi-[[VR]] experience as the procedure installs a [[TacComp]], removes implants that are useless for [[magical girl]]s, and installs a [[Permanent Awareness Module]], among other things. Testing out her new capabilities, [[Ryouko]] sends [[Asaka]] a memory snapshot of the [[magical girl]] who gave her the bracelet she rediscovered after her [[contract]]. [[Asaka]] reacts oddly, but continues on to show [[Ryouko]] the armory and get her equipped with the required basics.<br><br />
<br>Then she cuts the tour short, instead bringing [[Ryouko]] to the [[Ribbon Chamber]]. At the [[Ribbon]], [[Ryouko]] finds herself in a confusing vision, seeing among other things [[Yuma]] at the death of [[Oriko]], [[Simona]] looking directly at her on her first day of class, [[Asaka]] receiving instruction from the [[Goddess]] to wait for the girl who sent her the memory [[Ryouko]] did, the [[Goddess]] herself briefly showing her face and telling [[Ryouko]] to keep it a secret, and the death of [[Kyouko]] on some sort of mission involving submarines. Both of them watching, [[Patricia]] comments to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] that for a few reasons, including [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s own presence, she's not that surprised [[Ryouko]] received a vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|10|Brigadier}}|[[Ryouko]], brought before the [[Theological Council]] to relate her vision, tells what she saw of [[Kyouko]]'s death, determining with them it was on a colony world and that what actually killed [[Kyouko]] was likely a laser, not a misfire from the submarines. She keeps the rest of the vision from [[Theological Council|the council]], though [[Asaka]] deduces easily that she saw the [[Goddess]]. [[Asaka]] goes on to explain the circumstances of her own vision, where she met again with her dead partner [[Alice]], whose death under her command had torn her apart. Now that she has recovered and her vision is resolved, [[Asaka]] tells [[Ryouko]] she plans to return to the front with [[Mami]], who has just been promoted.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Kyouko]] talks with [[Mami]] about [[Ryouko]], noting that her family tree is dense with [[contract]]ees and connected to the Shizuki and Kuroi [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], that [[Patricia]] found a number of novel mutations in her genetics, and that her friend [[Simona]] has some strange anomalies in her recorded past. Unsure what to make of this, and with no further progress on the [[grief cube]] incident, [[Mami]] agrees at [[Kyouko]]'s request to take on [[Asaka]] as a general, with [[Patricia]] and [[Maki]] as two of [[Asaka]]'s attachments.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] grapples with her vision, and [[Asaka]] explains how her story connects.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|11|Remains of a Life}}|[[Ryouko]] sets up her [[TacComp]] and chooses [[Atsuko Arisu]] as her designated psychiatrist, then goes out to eat dinner with her family and eventually ends up (through a test of her newfound right to drink alcohol without intoxication filters) bringing them to a firing range at [[Kyouko's church]]. There they visit other facilities, including a sparring area where they meet [[Risa Flores]], but [[Ryouko]]'s parents are surprisingly well-informed on the subjects. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] visit her spot near the [[starport]], and talk about their impending military lives, and the disappearance of [[Ryouko's grandmother]], both remembering her saying that she had lost something.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] receives her [[SW-155|officer's pistol]], and her [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] tells her she's planned a going away party. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends at a showing of ''[[Akemi (movie)|Akemi]]'' and finally reveals her [[contract]] to them, also inviting them to the party. Watching the movie, [[Ryouko]] reflects on [[Homura]]'s beliefs, and the fact that her vision contradicts the movie's portrayal of [[Yuma]]. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] asks [[Simona]] what she was going to say to her before the [[demon]] attack, but [[Simona]] tells her to forget about it. [[Ryouko]] also asks about when she looked directly at her on her first day of class (as she saw in her vision), but [[Simona]] claims it was nothing.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, [[Yuma]] convinces [[Kyouko]] to have a spy bug planted on [[Ryouko]] for her protection, and warns her to be careful herself given [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] spends time with her family and friends as she prepares to leave for [[Contact War|war]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|12|Demon Hunter}}|[[Ryouko]] receives a [[CubeBot]] and three [[grief cube]]s, then studies combat doctrines with her [[TacComp]] until [[Kyouko]] invites her to join a [[demon]] hunt. [[Patricia von Rohr|Patricia]] and [[Risa Flores|Risa]] meet her at [[Kyouko's church]], where [[Kyouko]] appears briefly but leaves, clearly bothered by the impending departure of [[Kishida Maki]]. On the hunt itself, [[Ryouko]] uses her teleportation to rescue civilians, move other [[magical girl]]s in for attacks, and so forth, finding herself enjoying the combat. The hunt is interrupted by the injury of one girl, who loses an arm and part of her face, but [[Ryouko]] simply teleports them to the armory hospital, where she is told they will be fine shortly, and the rest of the hunt continues without incident.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] goes on a [[demon]] hunt.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|13|Differences of Knowledge}}|The next day, [[Ryouko]] goes to an [[MSY]] social gathering for new recruits, finding [[Risa Flores]] there as a chaperone, and meets a new girl named [[Nakihara Asami]], who shares her desire to explore new worlds, albeit as a xenobiologist. They get along well, and continue on to the next scheduled event together. The following day, [[Ryouko]] meets [[Atsuko Arisu]] for her psychiatrist appointment, who manages to get her freely talking about many things, including her [[wish]], and who also recommends that she talk with her parents about her family ancestry.<br><br />
<br>That night, [[Shizuki Kuma|Ryouko's father]] interrupts her reading on military subjects to take her to [[Prometheus]], where she meets [[Joanne Valentin]]—who appears to be the woman she saw shortly before the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]]—and receives an upgrade to Version Two for her [[TacComp]]. Afterwards, [[Shizuki Kuma|her father]] secretly takes her into [[Prometheus]]'s cloning facility where he and [[Kuroi Nana|her mother]] work, which he explains is used to provide new bodies to [[magical girl]]s who are reduced to [[soul gem]]s. [[Ryouko]] is shocked, especially upon seeing the beginning stages of her own clone, and bothered at the secrets kept from her.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns about the [[MSY]]'s [[cloning program]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|14|Bloodlines}}|[[Yuma]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Mami]] decide [[Ryouko]]'s discovery of the [[cloning program]] isn't a problem, and discuss the incident that led to [[Ryouko]]'s contract. [[Mami]] remembers seeing [[Joanne Valentin]] at the movie theatre shortly afterwards, and [[Yuma]] confirms that she was the woman near the [[demon]] spawn, and moreover that she mysteriously changed her whole life shortly after the [[Contact War]] began. Investigations into [[Simona]] and the [[grief cube]] supply chain problems [[Kyouko]] reported have unearthed more discrepancies, but nothing major, and [[Risa Flores]] hasn't reported anything from her watch over [[Ryouko]], and so they disperse.<br><br />
<br>Back at home, [[Ryouko]] reads the file on her family with her improving [[TacComp]], and discovers that her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] is stationed at the [[Apollo]] shipyard. Moreover, when viewing her family tree she finds much of it explicitly redacted, with the revealed portions being enough to show that she is a descendant of both the Shizuki and Kuroi [[Matriarchy|Matriarchies]]. Later, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] comes to talk to her, and [[Ryouko]] confronts her about the secrets she's kept. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]] says she's kept the secrets to prevent [[Ryouko]] from [[contract]]ing, and will explain more the next day at the going away party.<br><br />
<br>At the party, [[Ryouko]] receives a number of gifts, including a necklace with the Shizuki crest from [[Shizuki Koto]], her paternal grandfather, and a ruby ring with a helix inside, one of a pair from [[Simona]]. [[Kyouko]] arrives, and informs [[Ryouko]] that both her grandparents will be placed in slightly safer positions as part of standard procedure, her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] in particular being moved to the shipyards. Next to arrive is [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Kuroi Kana]], who begins an attempt to recruit [[Ryouko]] into the [[Black Heart]] (and reveals that [[Ryouko]]'s bracelet is in fact a Kuroi insignia), but she is immediately followed by [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Shizuki Sayaka]] and her own recruiting pitch. [[Kyouko]]'s poor intervention is followed by [[Atsuko Arisu]]'s successful one—her presence at the party revealing that she must be related somehow to [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>This is all further interrupted by the sudden appearance of [[Kuroi Nana]], the [[magical girl]] who gave [[Ryouko]] her Kuroi bracelet and until now her entirely secret aunt, a fact which displeases [[Ryouko]] greatly. [[Kuroi Nana]] brings her aside, promising to help explain the situation, and revealing that she's part of the secret [[Internal Security]], and has been searching for [[Akemi Homura]] on behalf of the [[MSY]]. With that said, they begin a memory transfer.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] meets [[Kuroi Nana]], her previously-secret aunt. }}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|15|Samsara}}|[[Ryouko]] experiences her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt's]] memories, with some explanation provided by a sub-sentient assistant.<br><br />
<br>In the memories, [[Kuroi Nana]] investigates the strange behavior of her [[Kuroi Nakase|younger sister]], finding with the help of a computer specialist that her sister's new friends weren't who they seemed, and secretly following them on a [[demon]] hunt. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]], in reality a [[magical girl]], rushes to save [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] when [[demon]]s attack, getting gravely injured in the process. [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] contracts to turn her sister mundane again, to her sister's relief. However, these events seriously strain their family, as their [[Ryouko's grandmother|mother]] isn't allowed to know about the [[MSY]]. When [[Homura]] offers to mentor [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]], she accepts, and all but leaves the family.<br><br />
<br>It's explained to [[Ryouko]] that when [[New Athens]] revealed the [[MSY]], [[Ryouko's grandmother]] blamed it for both her mother's death and her family's troubles, and insisted that [[Ryouko]] be kept from contracting.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] surfaces from the memories, [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] closes off by telling [[Ryouko]] that she had just reconciled with [[Ryouko's grandmother]], and they rejoin the party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns more of her family history from [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|16|Light of the Sky}}|[[Ryouko]] says goodbye to friends and family at the starport, journeying with [[Asami]] by scramjet and then space elevator. While riding the elevator, [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] names herself [[Clarisse]] after [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Ryouko]] muses that her [[wish]] may have somehow changed the past, causing all the sudden revelations of the past week. At the top, the new [[magical girl]]s take a [[Navigator]] shuttle to the [[HSS Spectre]], an old [[frigate]], who leads them around herself. When they reach the [[FTL]] core, [[Ryouko]]'s gem suddenly begins to shine.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finally leaves [[Earth]] with [[Asami]].}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude I: Underworld Dreams ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Unusually, this is a title with relatively direct meanings.''<br />
: ''[[Kugimiya Ito]] dreams of his old girlfriend [[Nakanishi Aiko]], as he digs into a transformed Japanese underworld.<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|17|Interlude I: Underworld Dreams}}|[[Kugimiya Ito]], a police detective in [[Mitakihara]], investigates the disappearance of [[Okamura Yuu|a local teenage girl]] with [[Minami Kaoru|his junior partner]]. Meeting the girl's parents makes him suspect abuse is the culprit, and reminds him of his old teenage sweetheart [[Nakanishi Aiko]], who disappeared under similar circumstances. Back at headquarters, while analyzing the case's evidence electronically, he happens upon an image of the girl meeting what looks to him like [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]. When he confronts the missing girl's friends about the [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]-lookalike, they unconvincingly deny knowing anything until a Yakuza-affiliated lawyer suddenly shows up. Investigating this lead leads him to a [[D&E]] logistics building, where he's confronted by Yakuza and nearly killed for knowing too much, until [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] suddenly intervenes, still the same age as when she disappeared.<br><br />
<br>Reeling, and told to drop the case by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] returns to headquarters, only to be met by [[Ronaldo Rizal|an Interpol agent]] who has been tracking similar mysterious cases. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] is asked to make contact with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again and investigate further. He successfully makes contact, and is brought to [[D&E]] headquarters with his partner, to be greeted by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], who treats him just like she did when they were dating, to his embarrassed pleasure. They meet the CEO of [[D&E]], who turns out to be [[Sakura Kyouko]] under an assumed name, and who explains the situation, including the fact that they already knew about the Interpol investigation. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] agrees to drop the investigation if he can confirm for himself that the missing girl is alright, and afterward retires to be with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kugimiya Ito|A police detective]] happens across his [[Nakanishi Aiko|long-missing girlfriend]] and discovers she is part of an [[MSY]] Yakuza takeover.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume II: Inflationary Expansion ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''This is the universe's theorized early period of exponential inflation.''<br />
: ''Here, it likely refers to the escalation of plot and stakes, especially for Ryouko.''<br />
<br />
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<br />
{{Spbox|Volume II Summary|[[Ryouko]] completes her military simulation training, growing close to [[Asami]], and gets her first taste of real combat shortly afterwards as her convoy is unexpectedly and suspiciously attacked by [[Ceph]] fighters. After [[Ryouko]]'s successful defense there, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]], who doesn't know how to respond, and then both are recalled to the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]], where the first attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] has failed.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] is assigned to a [[MagOps]] team, and begins training while still wrestling with family and relationship confusion, including the sudden revelation of her [[TacComp]] [[Clarisse]]'s sentience. The eventual battle begins poorly, as the wormhole unexpectedly activates right at the start. [[Ryouko]]'s team presses on, only to find the mission much more difficult than expected, and they slowly attrit team members. They finally destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]], but as the [[Goddess]] reveals in a vision, the [[Ceph]] had already amassed a stealthed fleet large enough to take the system. Having realized that her power uses wormholes, [[Ryouko]] reopens the [[Ceph]]'s wormhole and sends the fleet back through, saving the day.<br><br />
<br>However, the battle was not without its casualties—[[Asami]] lost her body after nearly grief-spiraling upon hearing of [[Ryouko]]'s apparent death, [[Ryouko's grandmother]] died in a [[Ceph]] raid, and [[Erwynmark]] died as well, among others. Coming to grips with her sudden fame and new life amidst memorial services and the news of her parents' divorce, [[Ryouko]] decides to become [[Asami]]'s girlfriend. But there are more surprises in store: as the [[Goddess]]—who [[Ryouko]] discovers she is distantly related to—reveals in another vision, [[Ryouko]] will find herself caught up in even greater events soon enough.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delivers the [[Battle of Orpheus]], and connects with [[Asami]], as her old life falls away.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|18|To the Ground}}|The [[General Staff]] watches as a [[MagOps]] mission to take out the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, all members killed, after they are detected teleporting through [[Orpheus]]'s atmosphere. Afterwards, [[Mami]] dreams of her past failures, disturbing her [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br><br />
<br>On the planet [[Giungla]], [[Ryouko]] is embedded in a military unit along with other [[magical girl]]s, fighting against a [[Ceph]] invasion. She goes off mostly on her own to successfully rescue a soldier from her unit, and then joins up with a team of [[magical girl]]s to teleport into an alien attack column, again with significant success.<br />
----<br />
In short: The initial attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, as [[Ryouko]] gains combat experience elsewhere.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|19|To the Sky}}|Finding that she enjoys the combat, [[Ryouko]] works hard to sustain the [[human]] forces, but the arrival of a major [[Ceph]] fleet in system forces a general evacuation. They begin taking heavy losses, and [[Ryouko]] quickly becomes acting-Commander. [[Asami]] dies, [[Ryouko]] enters [[emotional suppression]], and just barely escapes... only to suddenly wake up from the accelerated [[VR]] simulation.<br><br />
<br>Calmed by [[Clarisse]] and relieved to see [[Asami]] alive, [[Ryouko]] heads back to their shared room in the training center on [[New Athens]]. [[Clarisse]] recommends that they read some "messages" together, which turn out to be relationship proposals for [[Ryouko]]. [[Asami]] comments that she had been warned this might happen, due to [[Ryouko]]'s mentors and heritage. The next day, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her [[wish]] was for her parents to stay together and understand each other, and [[Ryouko]] relays her own [[wish]], as they look forward together towards the end of training.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] finish simulation training.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|20|Relativity}}|[[Kishida Maki]] remembers how she [[contract]]ed and later met [[Kyouko]], dating, but breaking up after a fight over [[Maki]]'s decision to head to the front, and [[Kyouko]]'s refusal to explain her history with [[Miki Sayaka]], a near lookalike. Stationed on [[Apollo]] with [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]], [[Maki]] then heads out, completing another mission aboveground to secure a building back from the [[Ceph]].<br><br />
<br>Headed to [[Acheron]] with [[Asami]] and a new friend from training, [[Meiqing]], [[Ryouko]] suddenly notices a bright flash from her [[soul gem]]. Soon, the cause is discovered by the ship, [[Laplace]], to be [[Ceph]] fighters. The early warning allows them to dodge the initial missile attack, but eschewing standard doctrine, the [[Ceph]] turn around for another assault, forcing the transport's [[magical girl]]'s to fight them in space combat, with [[Ryouko]] taking charge. The fight goes well, but the final ship detonates its core in a desperate but futile attempt to kill them.<br><br />
<br>While recovering from the ensuing protective fugue, [[Clarisse]] reveals to [[Ryouko]] that she has uncovered the memory of her vision, and is in fact sentient. Afterwards, they arrive at [[Acheron]], minor heroes, and [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] attend a celebration of [[October Three]] together.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]]'s convoy is attacked unsuccessfully by [[Ceph]] fighters.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|21|Discontinuity}}|[[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Yuma]] meet virtually to celebrate [[October Three]], and discuss the mysteriousness of [[Simona]] and the unlikely and seemingly irresponsible attack on [[Ryouko]]'s convoy, the absence of [[Homura]] weighing on them.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] talks with [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about training and suitors, but fails to mention the attack on her convoy. [[Ryouko]] then goes with [[Asami]] to see a basketball game, and then to a volcanic spa, noting that [[Asami]] is acting strangely, and finding that she isn't enjoying the time on [[Acheron|a colony world]] herself as much as she expected. At the spa, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her romantic feelings to a stunned [[Ryouko]], who promises to think about it—they have little time to reflect, however, as they are at that moment recalled to active duty in the [[Kepler-37]] system, the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asami]] confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|22|Shifting Winds}}|Now on [[Mami]]'s flagship, the [[HSS Zhukov]], and unable to stop thinking about [[Asami]], [[Ryouko]] is awarded a medal for her performance during the [[Ceph]] attack on her convoy by the Field Marshall. [[Mami]] then brings her to the bridge, where they enter simulation as [[Mami]] explains the strategic situation. This is interrupted by a perfunctory [[Ceph]] attack, which [[Ryouko]] watches from the bridge.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, they reenter the simulation to meet [[Erwynmark]], and [[Ryouko]] is told about the planned second wormhole mission, which requires her teleportation capabilities. [[Ryouko]] is to be sent down to [[Apollo]] to meet with the rest of the team (and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]]) to prepare.<br><br />
<br>Resting after the earlier battle, [[Mami]] dreams of the destruction of her apartment by [[Oriko]], which reunited her with [[Kyouko]], and of other old memories, followed by a strange dream in which she and an unknown girl, somehow important to her, were in a plane crash.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] is assigned to the second [[wormhole stabilizer]] mission on [[Orpheus]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|23|Lost Love}}|Along with others, [[Mami]] plans Humanity's counteroffensive to support the [[Orpheus]] mission and end the [[Euphratic Incursion]]. Meeting with [[Erwynmark]], who will also lead the battle, they conclude that their success rests on the [[MagOps]] mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] thinks of her friends—including [[Chiaki]] on [[Earth]], who always teased [[Ryouko]] about relationships—and ends up calling [[Meiqing]], who insists that she call [[Asami]], who is broken up over [[Ryouko]]'s non-answer to her confession. However, there isn't time, as the [[HSS Raven]] brings her down to [[Apollo]], where [[Ryouko]] meets up with [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]], who was seriously injured in the fighting but recovering easily. They share some time together, as [[Ryouko]] informs him that she's going on a dangerous mission. Her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her family already knew about the attack on her convoy, and that he finally managed to find and talk with [[Ryouko's grandmother|his wife]] again, who wants to talk with [[Ryouko]] as well once there's a chance.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delays talking to [[Asami]], and meets [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]] on [[Apollo]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|24|Historian}}|[[Ryouko]]'s new [[MagOps]] team practices working together on [[Apollo]] by fighting the [[Ceph]]. Their team practice and bonding is later interrupted by the announcement of yet another new team member: [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Ryouko]]'s childhood hero and, as it turns out, personal friend of team commander [[Nadya Antipova]]. They immediately return to mission simulations, first knowing they're simulations, and later not, failing often—with [[Ryouko]] regretting not contacting [[Asami]] in her apparent final moments.<br><br />
<br>Recovering from this, the team socializes, and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Ryouko]] that she should talk to [[Asami]] even if she doesn't know what to say. Finally, [[Ryouko]] does so, telling her about the dangerous mission she's on, and asking her to survive the upcoming battle too so they can resolve things afterward. They end the call somewhat comforted, but [[Asami]] in particular finds herself still worried and unsure.<br><br />
<br>That night, resting, [[Ryouko]] has a mysterious seeming dream-vision, including a moment in the [[Cult]]'s rose garden on [[Earth]] where [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] speaks strange things and almost appears to be someone else unknown.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Clarisse van Rossum]] joins the wormhole team, and convinces [[Ryouko]] to contact [[Asami]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|25|Piercing the Sky}}|Waiting aboard the [[HSS Raven]], [[Clarisse]] and [[Ryouko]] find themselves ruminating on the possibility of their death, and the [[Goddess]]'s promised afterlife for [[magical girl]]s. [[Juliet Francois]] and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] both ask about [[Ryouko]]'s visions, but she defers, stating she doesn't think they are relevant to the current mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] begins the [[Human]] offensive, for her part attempting to draw [[Ceph]] forces away from [[Orpheus]]. While it initially appears a success, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] which was thought to be still under construction suddenly activates, and hordes of reinforcements begin pouring through.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Orpheus]] mission begins poorly, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] activating before it even begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|26|Blood and Ichor}}|[[Clarisse van Rossum]] decides the [[MagOps]] team must act immediately. Donning [[magitech]] armor, [[Ryouko]] teleports the team straight from low orbit to what looks to be the key stabilizer core for the [[wormhole stabilizer]]. After efficiently clearing out enemy personnel, [[Nadya]] announces that there are what appears to be twelve separate stabilizer cores, rather than the single expected one, of which perhaps up to four are real. They detonate a [[PAYNE|nuke]] on the closest core, teleporting away towards the next one.<br><br />
<br>This time they encounter even more waiting [[Ceph]], and clear them out with more difficulty. Suddenly, right when two fighters attack, a [[Ceph]] sniper takes shots at [[Eva Guderian]] and [[Ryouko]], killing [[Eva Guderian|Eva]] instantly and shattering [[Ryouko]]'s arm. In a rage, [[Ryouko]] teleports on top of the sniper and slaughters it.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[wormhole stabilizer]] survives an intended killing blow, and [[Ryouko]] loses control after [[Eva Guderian]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|27|Those Brilliant Shining Stars}}|Shocked at herself and slowly recovering, [[Ryouko]] realizes that her [[soul gem]] is not only pulling her towards the wormhole, but also reacting to the true stabilizer cores—and the one they lost [[Eva Guderian]] attacking is a fake.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, the fleet battle in system is going poorly, and [[Erwynmark]] defers to [[Mami]], who decides they must continue to hold out in hope of destroying the wormhole.<br><br />
<br>The [[Orpheus]] team quickly finds and destroys a second stabilizer core with their last [[PAYNE|nuke]], leaving still two more. The [[Ceph]] begin firing artillery at the third core when they arrive, forcing [[Clarisse van Rossum]] to seize their barrier generator [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]]'s [[soul gem]] to save her life. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] then executes a powerful attack that vaporizes the core, but knocks her unconscious.<br><br />
<br>Unexpectedly targeted, [[Erwynmark]]'s ship the [[HSS Arminius]] recommends evacuation. [[Erwynmark]] escapes the ship with his bodyguards, but [[Ceph]] interceptors somehow find his stealthed ship and chase it down, killing him.<br />
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In short: The [[Orpheus]] team destroys two more [[wormhole stabilizer]] cores, but [[Erwynmark]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|28|Invictus}}|The [[Orpheus]] team learns that the [[HSS Raven]], along with her remaining crew, has been discovered and destroyed, all but eliminating any hope of escape. [[Misa Virani]] gives her [[soul gem]] to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and takes advantage of the moon's electrical properties to generate an awe-inspiring electrical discharge, destroying the last [[wormhole stabilizer]] core. The wormhole above collapses violently, and the remainder of the team is suddenly caught in temporal/spatial distortions that threaten to rip them apart.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Misa Virani]] destroys the final [[wormhole stabilizer]] and the wormhole collapses, trapping the rest of the team.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|29|Deus ex gemma}}|[[Ryouko]] suddenly recalls a lecture given by [[Joanne Valentin]], and realizes that her teleportation uses wormholes, and that she can use the broken spacetime around them to teleport the team off [[Orpheus|the moon]]. At the same time, [[Ryouko]] realizes she's with the [[Goddess]], in a vision—this time, with [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]] too. The [[Goddess]] shows them [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[Apollo]], hard-pressed by the [[Ceph]]. [[Shirou Asaka]] manages to get forces in to save them, but [[Maki]] loses her body. They are also shown an unknown woman commander in the [[Apollo]] shipyards, who is killed by a [[Ceph]] commando raid.<br><br />
<br>Following that, [[Asami]] and her ''[[Magi Cæli]]'' team are shown defending the space around [[Apollo]] with some success, despite incredible new [[Ceph]] stealth capabilities. Attempting to extract, the team is suddenly caught and scattered, with [[Asami]] seriously injured and placed into a [[MedEvac]]. A sudden announcement from [[Tomoe Mami]] that the wormhole was destroyed at the apparent cost of the team involved, including [[Ryouko]], sends [[Asami]] into a despair spiral, and her body is ejected into space to preserve her [[soul gem]]. Finally, [[Ryouko]] is shown [[Mami]], who is pressing the apparent advantage at the destruction of the wormhole, even as she mourns the dead.<br><br />
<br>The [[Goddess]] then talks with [[Ryouko]], revealing the [[Ceph]] trap—a huge cloaked fleet had already come through the wormhole, enough to retake the system easily. The [[Goddess]] tells her to reopen the wormhole and send the fleet back, ending the vision. To her team's amazement, [[Ryouko]] does just that, and then just barely teleports them to [[Zhukov]]'s bridge before blacking out.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Goddess]] tells [[Ryouko]] to send back a cloaked [[Ceph]] fleet through the wormhole, saving the battle.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|30|Call to Power}}|[[Mami]] and [[Atsuko Arisu]] perform a dream interrogation of [[Ryouko]]—and also [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]], which complicates their attempt to loosen her up, as does the secret blocking of telepathic investigation by [[Clarisse van Rossum]]. [[Ryouko]] only explains that her power uses wormholes, and about her memory of the [[Joanne Valentin]] lecture that triggered the realization, avoiding religious questions. [[Ryouko]] meets afterwards with some of the [[Orpheus]] team, and is warned of the coming scrutiny she'll endure as a hero by [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and the revived [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]].<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] learns from her devastated [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]] was killed, and realizes she saw it in her vision. She attends the first of three memorial services in her near future, for the dead of the [[Orpheus]] team, meeting [[Marianne Francois]], whose daughter [[Juliet]] was killed aboard the now-revived [[HSS Raven]].<br><br />
<br>In a surprise to [[Mami]], the [[General Staff]] and [[Military Affairs]] select her as the new Chair in accordance with [[Erwynmark]]'s wishes.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] becomes the new Chair of the [[General Staff]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|31|Aspects of Love}}|On the planet [[Bismarck]] for [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial, [[Ryouko]] meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kyouko]], along with a couple of local kids, finding herself surprisingly distant from the latter due to her experiences. [[Ryouko]] admits to [[Kyouko]] that the [[Goddess]] came to her in a vision on [[Orpheus]] to tell her about the cloaked fleet, and is afterwards unknowingly accosted by a [[Shizuki Azusa|seductive Shizuki]] until [[Patricia]] saves her. [[Patricia]] informs her that [[Kishida Maki]] is still taking [[Kyouko]]'s continued absence hard, and that she is struggling herself, before collecting a more in-depth genetic sample from [[Ryouko]]. Later that day [[Mami]], attending virtually, gives [[Erwynmark]]'s eulogy.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] comes to grips with her newfound fame at [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|32|Decisions, Implications}}|[[Ryouko]] meets with her family at the starport, only to find her parents have divorced. Still shaken, she heads immediately to [[Asami]]'s revival, comforting her, and finding herself unexpectedly comforted herself to have [[Asami]] back.<br><br />
<br>After briefly meeting [[Asami]]'s family, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] head out to meet [[Ryouko]]'s friends. While waiting, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] how unhappy she is in combat, and, consoling her, [[Ryouko]] abruptly decides to become her girlfriend… right as [[Simona]], [[Ruiko]], and [[Chiaki]] arrive. [[Simona]] retreats to the bathroom, and [[Chiaki]] covers for her, instead planning the rest of the day. They go on to a restaurant and have a sleepover, the only disturbance being the strange arrival of [[Kyubey]], who claims only to be visiting.<br><br />
<br>At [[Ryouko's grandmother]]'s funeral, [[Ryouko]] discovers that her psychiatrist [[Atsuko Arisu]] is in fact the grandmother of [[Ryouko's grandmother]]. After the ceremony, which [[Ryouko]] finds she can't connect to, she is suddenly given a memory recording from a friend of [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]]. The memory reveals that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]] grandfather was [[Kaname Tatsuya]], once the younger brother of [[Kaname Madoka]], the [[Goddess]]. [[Tatsuya]] makes [[Homura]] promise to keep [[Ryouko's grandmother]] out of the [[MSY]], as he warns darkly of the future that would become the [[Unification Wars]], recalling in particular his daughter-in-law's wish for vengeance.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] rushes with [[Asami]] to the [[Ribbon]], with both [[Kyubey]] and [[Kyouko]] showing up to watch. A vision ensues, and the [[Goddess]] explains that she is indeed related to [[Ryouko]], as hinted previously, and that she tries to limit her interventions in the world, so that people can live their own lives. She explains that [[Ryouko]] has the special burden of having less freedom to live her own life, and that she will be called upon again.<br><br />
<br>Teleporting out immediately from the [[Ribbon Chamber]] to avoid questions, [[Ryouko]] learns that [[Asami]] also received a vision, assuaging her worries and including helpful relationship advice. Before [[Ryouko]] can digest that, [[Joanne Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] show up at her door with a proposal.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes [[Asami]]'s girlfriend, and finds out she will feature in the [[Goddess]]'s plans again.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude II: Madeleines ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Madeleines (small sponge cakes) feature in Proust's "In Search of Lost Time", a famous French novel noted for its theme of involuntary memory.''<br />
: ''Likewise, this interlude centers on the peculiar role of memory in an episode of [[Asaka]]'s past. The first snippet even includes relevant sections from Proust's novel.''<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|33|Interlude II: Madeleines}}|[[Shirou Asaka]] wakes from a strange recurring dream in which she has lost someone important to her, as a [[magical girl]] in some sort of [[Contact War|crazy alien war]]. [[Alice Lynwood]], her wife, reminds her to get it checked out, but is less successful in attempting to convince her to finally have a baby.<br><br />
<br>In a professional [[VR]] game playing as [[magical girl]]s in WWII with her second-in-command [[Madhuri]], [[Asaka]] finds she needs to sacrifice her to win. Suddenly, [[Asaka]] starts thinking [[Madhuri]] is somehow actually [[Alice]], and then the game is suddenly cut short by a strange simulation error. However, [[Asaka]]'s growing unease is again washed away by the joy of her life with [[Alice]].<br><br />
<br>[[Tanaka Yui]], [[Asaka]]'s therapist, suggests doing a dream study, and [[Patricia von Rohr]] comes to visit, both of them bringing up little oddities or inconsistencies in [[Asaka]]'s thoughts. The dream study returns an apparent suppressed memory, but one involving [[magical girl]]s and an [[Contact War|alien war]] that [[Asaka]] can't remember experiencing. Soon enough, all of reality seems to be changing for her—[[Madhuri]], her location, [[magical girl]]s. Finally running a full internal diagnostic, [[Asaka]] remembers what truly happened: she was forced to send her girlfriend [[Alice]] to her death to win a battle in the [[Contact War]]. Unable to process it, [[Asaka]] had [[Reformat|Reformatted]] herself and put herself inside a [[VR]] simulation where she could live with [[Alice]]. [[Tanaka Yui]] had been helping her face the truth after breaking into the simulation, along with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Madhuri]], and even [[Asaka]]'s own internal representation of [[Alice]]. [[Patricia]] tells [[Asaka]] afterwards that [[Alice]] had planned on proposing.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asaka]]'s self-[[Reformat]] and [[VR]] simulation are undone, and she begins to finally face her lover [[Alice]]'s death.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume III: Ontological Paradox ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''In an ontological paradox, events occur as part of a causal loop: an 'initial' event, in terms of linear time, eventually causes itself.''<br />
: ''This may refer to the nature of Ryouko's wish and/or the logic of the Goddess's interventions. <br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume III Summary|Now living with [[Asami]] and working in [[ITG|a lab]] to help humanity understand wormholes, [[Ryouko]]'s life is interrupted again when she is offered a chance to investigate a [[rogue colonies|rogue colony]] on [[X-25]]. When [[ITG|the lab]] collapses on her and [[Asami]] in an act of sabotage, they decide to join the mission.<br><br />
<br>The [[X-25]] colony turns out to have a massive bunker, and [[Kyouko]] leads a team with [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] in, discovering an attempt at mass-cloning [[magical girl]]s. Moreover, two separate traps attempting to kill [[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] are encountered, the second costing [[Ryouko]] her body.<br><br />
<br>After a vision revealing [[Yuma]]'s past, a revived [[Ryouko]] manages to push [[Kyouko]] into visiting [[the Ribbon]], where she meets with [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision, and finally reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]] afterwards. [[Ryouko]], for her part, faces the disturbing revelation that she's been genetically engineered, losing control of her life as she's whisked from [[Paris]] to [[Adept Blue]]. At the same time, [[Mami]]'s self-[[Reformat]] unravels, and she meets with the [[Goddess]] in a vision as she grapples with her restored memories, finally convinced to take a vacation.<br><br />
<br>However, events—and conspiracies—don't let go of them. [[Simona]], now a [[magical girl]] and always an agent assigned to [[Ryouko]], reappears to help [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] create wormholes spanning lightyears, though her love remains unrequited as [[Ryouko]]'s relationship with [[Asami]] grows stronger. During [[Mami]]'s vacation, she and [[Kyouko]] discover that [[Misa]] had in fact been recruited by [[Homura]] to fight a mysterious enemy, and [[Yuma]] learns that someone has corrupted the [[TCF]] from [[Simona]] and [[Valentin]], both part of a secret organization fighting it with alternate [[TCF]]s.<br />
<br><br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finds herself enmeshed in conspiracy, as [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] grapple with their pasts.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|34|The Bonds that Make Us}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Asami]] attend [[Yuma]]'s birthday party via [[VR]] from [[Eurydome]], where [[Ryouko]] was brought by [[Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] for wormhole research. [[Kyouko]] brings up [[Ryouko]]'s visions in front of [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Ryouko]] is forced to explain, choosing to also forward the memory she received from [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] intervenes in an argument between [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] about [[Kishida Maki]], and brings them to [[Ryouko]]. [[Ryouko]] is reminded of her first vision, where she saw [[Yuma]], and which seemed to contradict her official history—she even tells [[Kyouko]] this. [[Ryouko]] then goes to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] for life advice, and is told that she needs to talk over her desires for an extraordinary life with [[Asami]], who wants a more domestic life.<br><br />
<br>Away from the party, [[Yuma]] explains to [[Kuroi Nakase]], [[Ryouko]]'s mother, that [[Ryouko]] is probably the most genetically sure contract in history, and moreover, that she has a genetically-engineered second, hidden genome. [[Nakase]] knew only that [[Ryouko]] was likely to contract given her ancestry, and when pressed for information as to how she got the birth license, suddenly collapses—a non-fatal defense mechanism apparently built into tampered memories.<br />
----<br />
In short: At [[Yuma]]'s party, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] learns that [[Ryouko]] was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|35|Causality}}|[[Mami]] learns from [[Marianne Francois]]'s [[grief cube]] supply chain report that in a few rare cases for the past 10 years, there have been severe shortages followed by surpluses, where they would hurt the war effort the least. [[Mami]] is disturbed by not only the report, but also her unintended reading of [[Marianne]]'s mind.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Clarisse]] go over her visions, realizing that [[Simona]] was tank-born and seemingly knew her before they met, and that the [[Goddess]] likely manipulated the events leading to [[Ryouko]]'s contract.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], in a meeting with the [[Directorate]], is asked to investigate a distress signal from [[X-25|a cult's colony]] which was thought to have been destroyed en route to an entirely different planet. Elsewhere, [[Kyouko]] promises to tell [[Yuma]] to explain her past to [[MG]], and receives from [[MG]] a recording of what happened with [[Kuroi Nakase]] at [[Yuma]]'s party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives orders to investigate [[X-25|a mysterious colony]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|36|Chasing Ghosts}}|[[Ryouko]] learns in a call from her friends on [[Earth]] that [[Simona]] has moved away, and afterwards meets with [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Kyouko]], who ask her to join a mission to investigate [[X-25|a cult's colony]] related to [[Homura]], and to consider an offer from [[Kuroi Kana]] to properly join the intelligence services.<br><br />
<br>[[Kuroi Nana]] departs after being given the memory file from [[Ryouko's grandmother]], but [[Kyouko]] accompanies [[Ryouko]] to the lab, [[ITG]], and they discuss [[Ryouko]]'s visions a bit. During an experiment at the lab, the gravity generators go haywire, and the ceiling collapses—[[Ryouko]] is saved by [[Kyouko]] and [[Asami]], but [[Asami]] is seriously injured. In the hospital afterwards, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] and [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about the apparent attempt on her life that led to her [[contract]]. [[Kyouko]] explains that the incident at [[ITG]] appears to be another such attack. [[Ryouko]] decides to join the proffered mission, which [[Asami]] accepts on the condition that she come too.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] survives an attempt on her life at [[ITG|the lab]] on [[Eurydome]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|37|Seraphim}}|[[Kyouko]] convinces [[Mami]] to let her on the colony mission due to the [[Homura]] connection, and [[Mami]] tells [[Kyouko]] about the mysterious sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]]. However, [[Mami]] becomes inordinately emotional when discussing the necessity of ordering an investigative mind-read, and she later dreams of training mind-reading abilities that she doesn't remember.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] are taught defensive telepathic techniques en route to their mission, and [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] told her to stick with [[Ryouko]] for her safety. They then meet with [[Azrael Maslanka]], who tells them both about the true proliferation of [[rogue colonies]], and her own experience on one where she was genetically engineered with wings for flight, before the colony collapsed in civil war.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting, where she tells [[Mami]] about her vision in which [[Kyouko]] was killed. The details match [[Mami]]'s planned submarine mission exactly and, disturbed, she agrees to allocate more forces.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] learn about [[rogue colonies]] from [[Azrael Maslanka]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|38|Carpe Diem}}|A special [[Miki|sentient probe]] sent to investigate the cult's colony on [[X-25]] discovers a massive underground structure and comes under heavy fire, and the [[Directorate]] approves more forces for the mission in response.<br><br />
<br>[[Meiqing]] turns out to be part of the additional forces, and she, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] go out hiking together on [[San Giuseppe]] while waiting for more reinforcements to arrive. At the top, [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] her worries about how much their lives are at risk, and [[Azrael]] explains herself to [[Meiqing]].<br><br />
<br>Finally, the mission begins, with [[Task Force Rhamnusia|conventional forces]] taking the surface of the colony on [[X-25]].<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be heavily armed, and the [[Task Force Rhamnusia|correspondingly reinforced]] assault on it begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|39|Indelible Soul}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew descend to the pacified surface of [[X-25]], and [[Gracia]], to [[Ryouko]]'s distress, forcibly mind-reads captives to learn that the colony's leader, [[Grigori DeWitt]], has escaped to the bunker with children as hostages. [[Kyouko]] manages to convince [[Mami]] and [[Governance]] to let her lead a [[MagOps]] infiltration mission, despite their misgivings that [[Kyouko]] is doing so for personal reasons, given her history.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] chooses to bring [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] on the mission, among more experienced girls, largely on personal hunch. Mission underway, and despite being hampered by some sort of magical clairvoyance blocking, they quickly discover large numbers of human clones, an apparent attempt to clone [[magical girl]]s. The attempt to communicate this to the surface is blocked by the hostile telepath, however, and the team is discovered. Clearly personally angered by the situation, [[Kyouko]] insists that they fight their way through rather than escape.<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be attempting [[magical girl]] cloning.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|40|Through a Mirror}}|The [[X-25]] team kills a number of guards, only to discover that they are cloned teenagers, heavily implanted, horrifying the rookies into [[emotional suppression]]. [[Gracia]] manages to determine that the cloned girls are transformed into controlled guards once they failed to contract, and that contracts weren't happening. [[Kyouko]] decides that they must find and capture the enemy telepath, before more clones are killed.<br><br />
<br>They find the enemy [[magical girl]], but before they act to kill her, [[Asami]] notices that [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]] is glowing slightly. Off-put by that and everything else that doesn't add up, the team nearly rebels against [[Kyouko]]'s insistence on attacking the enemy [[magical girl]], until [[Ryouko]] manages to convince [[Kyouko]] to relent by suggesting that the [[Goddess]] placed her on the mission for that reason.<br><br />
<br>Investigating, [[Asami]] detects a [[Ceph]]-like stealth device concealing a nuke, [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] disabling it right afterwards. An alarm goes up, and the enemy [[magical girl]] suddenly pleads for help. The girl, [[Sacnite Tafani]], tells them that [[DeWitt]] had been controlling her with the threat of a suicide implant, and had lied about hiding the colony's children in the bunker as bait for the nuclear trap. <br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] prevents [[Kyouko]] from rushing into a stealthed nuclear trap on [[X-25]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|41|Cause and Effect}}|Ruminating over the mission, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] decide to visit [[Sacnite]], as [[Mami]] makes a limited announcement of the mission to the general public. [[Mami]] approves the visit to [[Sacnite]] as a propaganda shoot, and [[Azrael]] joins them. Comforting [[Sacnite]], [[Ryouko]] promises to spend more time with her. Afterwards, [[Meiqing]] confides to [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] that the mission has impacted her a lot, and that she's glad she was able to help, given her family's shameful efforts in the [[Unification Wars]] to develop the cloned [[FA Elites]].<br><br />
<br>Having finally determined the whereabouts of [[DeWitt]] and the colony's children, [[Kyouko]] leads an attack on the stealthed facility, which meets with no resistance. [[DeWitt]], however, manages to kill himself via suicide implant, after claiming he was trying to figure out what blocked [[magical girl]]s "transcendence". [[Kyubey]] then appears, saying that [[DeWitt]] had based his beliefs on what [[Homura]] had achieved, thinking to have seen her alive on [[Optatum]], and that he was supported by another group which escaped in a cloaked ship. Refusing to say anything more—and strangely calling [[Kyouko]] by her personal name—[[Kyubey]] disappears, and [[Kyouko]] walks off alone to think. Feeling uneasy about the situation, and thinking of her vision, [[Ryouko]] follows… only to lose her body saving [[Kyouko]]'s life from an attack by a supposedly-friendly drone.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] loses her body saving [[Kyouko]] from a sudden drone attack.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|42|No Light Without Shadow}}|The [[MSY]] [[Leadership Committee]] meets to discuss recent events, including the attack on [[Kyouko]], the results of the [[grief cube]] audit, and the sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]], among others, but to no real conclusion. After the meeting, [[Kyouko]] is surprised by [[Atsuko Arisu]], her therapist, who to [[Kyouko]]'s anger tells her both that she should have stepped aside during the [[X-25]] mission and that she should stop hiding from her feelings for [[Kishida Maki]].<br><br />
<br>With [[Asami]] personally guarding [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]], she, [[Ryouko]]'s family, [[Meiqing]], and even [[Sacnite]] plan to travel to [[Earth]] for [[Ryouko]]'s revival, which has been delayed for unspecified reasons. Meanwhile, both [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] assign security teams for [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>Through a [[VR]] recreation, [[Mami]] reveals to [[Kyouko]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] that it appears [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]] didn't fail, but was instead somehow swapped out for another. The soul mage who put the [[soul gem]] that failed into stasis saw that it had a meek, shy personality which, she found out later, didn't match [[Misa Virani|Misa]]'s at all. However, the [[VR]] review they perform doesn't show any possible moment in which [[Misa]]'s [[soul gem]] could have been swapped.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] discovers that [[Misa Virani]] is likely alive, her [[soul gem]] swapped for another.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|43|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part One}}|[[Ryouko]] finds herself in another vision, in which the [[Goddess]] explains that [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], and [[Mami]] are more fragile than they seem, and that their "phase transition" must be managed carefully. [[Ryouko]] looks, and sees…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]], noting that [[Kyouko]] is being pushed into finally confronting her relationship problems and that they need to help her, tells [[Mami]] and [[MG]] about her past with the [[Southern Group]], and about [[Miki Sayaka]]…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s abusive parents, unable to pay debts, attempt to sell her to the Yakuza, until the [[Southern Group]] suddenly intervenes. They kill the Yakuza, but [[Mikuni Oriko]] is seriously injured, and [[Yuma]] wishes to heal her. [[Yuma]] memory of this is patchy, though, and [[Oriko]] informs [[Yuma]] that the Yakuza killed her parents, so she'll take her in. Under [[Oriko]]'s tutelage, [[Yuma]] lives a good life and learns much, but she can see that the [[Southern Group]] is vicious to others and generally hated. [[Oriko]] favors [[Yuma]], to the other members' chagrin, and shares secrets like her efforts to try to bring [[Kyouko]] and [[Sayaka]] together before splitting them apart, and her work to saturate [[grief cubes]], which [[Yuma]] later accidentally discovers leads to [[demon]] spawns.<br><br />
<br>Uneasy with her new life, [[Yuma]] runs into [[Sayaka]], who is clearly very troubled herself, explaining that she was in [[Southern Group]] territory to die fighting their evil. Instead, [[Sayaka]] takes [[Yuma]] to dinner. [[Yuma]] runs into Yakuza on the way back, but [[Sayaka]] appears, killing them before disappearing—though a shocked [[Yuma]] manages to reattach one's head and save his life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Sayaka]] had died fighting a horde of [[demon]]s at a violin concert, and pieces together the truth: [[Oriko]], using her power to see the future and saturated [[grief cubes]] [[Yuma]] had made, purposefully spawned the [[demon]]s to kill [[Sayaka]].<br><br />
<br>In the present day, [[Yuma]] explains that she wants to tell [[Kyouko]] all this, so that she won't blame herself for [[Sayaka]]'s death, but has been afraid to since she was involved. After talking this over, [[Yuma]] continues the story for [[MG]]'s sake…<br><br />
<br>[[Clarisse van Rossum]] visits [[Oriko]] and [[Yuma]], telling [[Oriko]] that there may be some merit to [[Homura]]'s strange belief in a [[Goddess]], and passing [[Yuma]] an anonymous message saying she has the potential to change things, and that [[Oriko]] only sees what she tries to see.<br><br />
<br>Life finally calms down for [[Yuma]] after this, though her studies accelerate, as [[Oriko]] uses magic to enhance her mind.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] reveals that [[Oriko]] caused [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|44|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part Two}}|[[Ryouko]]'s vision continues, as she watches [[Yuma]] retell her past to [[Mami]] and [[MG]]…<br><br />
<br>Upset at [[Oriko]]'s use of saturated [[grief cube]]s to kill others, [[Yuma]] sabotages the machine used to make them, but [[Oriko]]'s machinations continue, with team leaders like [[Kuroi Kana]] forced to come and beg for the return of captured members. One night, another team led by [[Tanaka Yui]] attacks, [[Yuma]] just barely escaping—or so she thought, as she instead leads the attackers right to the rest of the [[Southern Group]]. But before the ensuing battle, [[Yuma]] finds that the rest of her team is torturing and killing other [[magical girl]]s to absorb their powers.<br><br />
<br>Fleeing in horror, [[Yuma]] finds herself taken in at a church, where she finds the Yakuza man whose life she saved earlier. He explains that he had saved a number of girls held by the Yakuza and was now on the run, trying to do good and live a better life as atonement. [[Yuma]] talks with [[Reverend Hashimoto|the priest]] sheltering him, and he tells her she should forgive herself for not stopping everything that's happened. That night, [[Yuma]] receives a message from [[Kuroi Kana]], which helps her to realize that [[Oriko]] had in fact had her parents killed.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] returns to the [[Southern Group]], now under blockade and uneasy. [[Oriko]] claims that they are still on the path towards eliminating the Yakuza and bringing about a better world, but [[Yuma]] decides that they must be destroyed. Taking the advice passed on by [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Yuma]] manipulates the [[Southern Group]] in order to change the future without [[Oriko]] noticing. Eventually, during an already difficult [[demon]] fight, she spawns hordes more [[demon]]s using saturated [[grief cube]]s, and manages to turn her team members against each other. All but [[Oriko]] are killed, and [[Oriko]] finally realizes what has happened. Telling [[Yuma]] there may still be hope for her, she crushes her own [[soul gem]].<br><br />
<br>Warning obscurely that a crisis is coming, the [[Goddess]] ends [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] explains how and why she killed the [[Southern Group]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|45|The Body Electric}}|Back on [[Earth]], [[Asami]] is still unable to face the results of her [[wish]], and longs for [[Ryouko]] to return—which she does, along with [[Clarisse]], to their surprise. [[Clarisse]] tells [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] explained she does have a soul, and that her body would be regenerated by [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]]. [[Valentin]] explains that the delay in the revival was due to both [[Clarisse]]'s regeneration and some necessary handling for [[Ryouko]]'s unique genetics. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends, including [[Sacnite]], who is being de-aged physically to match her mental age, and her new [[matriarchy]] bodyguards, who get along poorly.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] bursts in soon after, followed by [[Yuma]], who oddly both make a point of asking [[Ryouko]] if she was told why her revival was delayed. It soon becomes clear that [[Yuma]] is using [[Ryouko]] to confront [[Kyouko]] about her behavior, and in the ensuing argument [[Kyouko]] reveals she already figured out [[Yuma]] and [[Oriko]] were involved in [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death. After [[Yuma]] departs, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Kyouko]] about her vision, mollifying her until the subject of [[Kishida Maki]] comes up.<br><br />
<br>Having walked out in a rage despite knowing [[Ryouko]], like everyone else, is right about [[Maki]], [[Kyouko]] visits [[the Ribbon]]. In the ensuing vision, [[Kyouko]] meets her little sister [[Sakura Momo]], who tells her to move on from her past. [[Kyouko]] then descends onto a beach where she finds [[Miki Sayaka]], who finally convinces [[Kyouko]] to try reconciling with [[Kishida Maki]], and who also shows [[Kyouko]] a glimpse of eternity.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] is comforted by her sister and [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|46|Wheels Within Wheels}}|Eating dinner with [[Kyouko]] and her friends and family, [[Ryouko]] is surprised by [[Valentin]], who drops by to inform her that [[Governance]] would like to use the [[Orpheus|upcoming movie]] about her to inform the public about V2 [[TacComp]]s. [[Valentin]] also conveys her regrets that [[Ryouko]]'s parents had split, especially since she had introduced them.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]], acting a bit odd, brings the crew shopping the following day, only for them to be suddenly surprised by [[Kishida Maki]], who had apparently been assigned by someone to give [[Ryouko]] a message regarding [[Orpheus|the movie]]. [[Kyouko]] confesses to [[Maki]] that she started their relationship because of her physical similarity to [[Miki Sayaka]], but tells [[Maki]] that it had grown beyond that, so she wants to try again. Skeptical, but still in love, [[Maki]] accepts her.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, [[Maki]] explains to [[Ryouko]] that the ''[[Orpheus]]'' movie team would like to bring her to [[Paris]] to provide assistance. [[Ryouko]] agrees to go, but is uneasy about having her life directed by yet another proposition she can hardly turn down.<br><br />
<br>At the same time, in [[Paris]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Nadya Antipova]] that she's discovered [[Misa Virani]] likely underwent a [[Reformat]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|47|City of Lights}}|In underground [[Paris]], and bothered by the incongruity of that with her wish, [[Ryouko]] meets with her aunt [[Kuroi Nana]]. She warns [[Ryouko]] that [[Shizuki Sayaka]] will try to pull her in, showing her what life on [[Earth]] has to offer, and notes that she has opportunities with the Kuroi [[Matriarchy]] as well, though it wouldn't be an easy life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] meet with the actors who will play them in [[Orpheus|the movie]], who have altered their appearances to match them exactly. [[Clarisse]] also is invited to join them in hologram form, and they go to the set to act out scenes. Thinking on her reenacted past, [[Ryouko]] finds she misses the meaningfulness of the war.<br><br />
<br>At a bar that night, they come across a mysterious friend of [[Ryouko]]'s [[Elisa Yamada|actor counterpart]], who invites them to a [[VR]] facility.<br />
----<br />
In short: In [[Paris]], [[Ryouko]] uneasily cooperates with ''[[Orpheus]]'s'' production.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|48|To Know Thyself…}}|Hidden in [[Paris]], [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] meet to discuss the apparent conspiracies in action. [[Ryouko]]'s genetic anomalies have been investigated further, and an entirely novel portion of her brain has been found, of still-unknown purpose. Meanwhile, on the way to the [[VR]] center, [[Ryouko]] and crew are stopped by a sudden inexplicable power loss, and then are dragged away by a sudden massive [[demon]] spawn. [[Yuma]] is informed of this via [[Incubator]] plushie, and realizes that [[Shizuki Sayaka]]'s plan to secretly investigate [[Ryouko]]'s brain in a [[VR]] session is being thwarted by a deliberate [[demon]] spawn. [[Nadya]] notes that the power outage looks almost like [[Misa]]'s handiwork.<br><br />
<br>The [[demon]] hunt isn't easy, but [[Ryouko]] is aided by a pair of [[magical girl]]s who oddly refuse to identify themselves. Not long afterwards, [[Rebecca Shu|a messenger]] from [[Kuroi Kana]] appears, revealing that the mystery woman accompanying them is in fact [[Shizuki Sayaka]], and further revealing the planned [[VR]] scan.<br><br />
<br>Brought to a secret location, [[Ryouko]] is told by [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Kuroi Nana]] about the genetic engineering done to her, along with the fact that her parents were unaware and their memories altered. They further explain need to examine [[Ryouko]] more closely, and the apparent attempt to prevent this. [[Ryouko]], overwhelmed, leaves to be alone with [[Asami]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns that she was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|49|Transition State}}|[[Mami]], finding herself plagued by an inexplicable headache, is approached by her [[MHD]] [[Charlotte Meitner|minder]], only for the minder to collapse from a sudden brain hemorrhage, though [[Mami]] is able to heal her.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive at [[Adept Blue]], on orders from [[Mami]], all attempts to probe the genetically engineered portion of her brain having failed. The lab's [[AI]] director, [[Vlad]], greets them there, as does [[Mami]]—surprisingly, in person. They reveal that they've made a breakthrough, which should allow them to construct a range amplifier for [[Ryouko]], with [[Asami]]'s help. [[Mami]] also explains that, given the unknown function of the modifications to [[Ryouko]]'s brain and the recent attempts on her life, [[Ryouko]]'s presence on asteroid-borne [[Adept Blue]] with her bodyguards and [[Patricia von Rohr]] makes her more secure.<br><br />
<br>Alone, [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] discuss her circumstances: she's all but on the run from the [[MHD]], and clearly suffering from the unraveling of a [[Reformat]]. They agree to bring in an outside telepath to investigate.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] discuss their situation and their [[wish]]es, taking consolation in the fact that at least they've been brought and kept together in the whirlwind of their lives.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive on [[Adept Blue]] to help develop new wormhole technology in a secure location.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|50|Sub Rosa}}|[[Mami]] brings [[Azrael]] to [[Adept Blue]], and asks her to help undo her [[Reformat]]. They dive together into [[Mami]]'s memories, and discover an aspect of her own mind, taking various forms. It explains that [[Mami]] self-[[Reformat]]ted, using her now-suppressed impressive telepathic powers to tear off a piece of herself to create the block in her mind. [[Mami]] makes herself whole again, and remembers what she forgot…<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], traveling with her lover [[Akiyama Akari]] in the late twenty-first century, is suddenly caught in a crisis when their plane explodes. [[Mami]] burns almost all her magic trying to save the entire plane, but fails, and [[Akari]] is near death. Sharing their last moments together using [[Akari]]'s soul mage powers, [[Mami]] observes with horror the beginnings of [[Akari]]'s transformation into a terror of despair, until her [[soul gem]] finally vanishes.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] manages to survive, kill the local [[magical girl]]s responsible for the destruction of the plane, and turns herself in. [[Homura]] talks with her alone, explaining that she knew about the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from. [[Mami]], unable to deal with this revelation or the loss of [[Akari]], asks for help in [[Reformat]]ing herself.<br><br />
<br>After [[Mami]] resurfaces from the memories, [[Kyubey]] appears, claiming to be interested in both information-gathering and her well-being. [[Mami]] finds herself, as she had hoped, older and wiser enough to handle the end of her [[Reformat]], though left with unfinished business. She immediately questions [[Ryouko]] about the [[Goddess]], and both [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] tell her that [[Goddess|She]] does exist. [[Kyubey]] comments that it can't say such things are impossible, and [[Mami]] decides to visit [[the Ribbon]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] undoes her self-[[Reformat]] and learns the original fate of [[magical girl]]s.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|51|Eternal Search}}|With work continuing on the new wormhole tech, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] talk. [[Azrael]] explains how she handled her own genetic modification and controlled life, eventually deciding to look to the future and just ask for what she wanted, to surprising success. [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] that she thinks she's only really been happy on missions, which [[Asami]] had already realized.<br><br />
<br>On [[Earth]], [[Kyouko]] brings [[Mami]] to [[the Ribbon]], and they discuss the fact that someone must have triggered the unraveling of [[Mami]]'s [[Reformat]], and that logically it must have been [[Homura]].<br><br />
<br>At the [[Ribbon]], [[Mami]] enters a vision and meets—and immediately attacks—[[Oriko]]. Unharmed, [[Oriko]] responds merely by apologizing for her actions in life. [[Oriko]] explains that, as [[Homura]] told [[Mami]], what she saw with [[Akari]] was the beginnings of a terrible transformation made impossible by the [[Goddess]], and that [[magical girl]]s are instead brought to her afterlife. The [[Goddess]] herself then tells [[Mami]] that she needs to learn to let go and stop burying herself in endless work for humanity. The [[Goddess]] brings out [[Machina]] too, revealing her sentience to [[Mami]], and suggests they go on vacation, promising that there won't be [[Cephalopod]] activity for a few weeks.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]] explaining matters, and is encouraged to take a vacation.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|52|Who We Are}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew meet unexpected visitors on [[Adept Blue]]: [[Valentin]], and [[Tao]] from [[ITG]]. [[Tao]] explains that he's made some important theoretical breakthroughs that should help their work, and [[Valentin]] explains that [[Vlad]] and [[Clarisse]] are part of two separate attempts to create separate [[TCF]]s, to help provide more security against attacks like the hacked drone on [[X-25]].<br><br />
<br>Doing rescue work on a colony world retaken from the [[Ceph]], [[Zhou Meiqing]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting with [[Kuroi Nana]], who is investigating [[X-25]]. She tells [[Meiqing]] that the [[Far Seers]] have determined both of them were deliberately placed on the mission by [[Homura]] somehow, and that they recommended asking [[Meiqing]] to work with her in the [[Black Heart]]. [[Meiqing]] asks for time to decide.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] remembers going with [[Homura]] to interrogate a prisoner, [[Zhou Zhi Yi]], during the [[Unification Wars]]. On the way, [[Yuma]] asks [[Homura]] how the [[Goddess]] can allow so much evil to happen, and [[Homura]] responds that she doesn't know. [[Zhi Yi]] tells them that her work developing the [[FA Elites]] was mere prelude to her plans to genetically modify humanity to serve [[magical girl]]s needs, seeing it as the only way to preserve humanity long-term. [[Yuma]] executes her.<br><br />
<br>Back in the present day, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Simona]] has been found, and is now a [[magical girl]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] comes to [[Adept Blue]], and [[Simona]] is discovered to be a [[magical girl]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|53|Alignment}}|[[Shizuki Sayaka]] reveals to [[Yuma]] that she found [[Simona]] in [[Paris]]—they were both aiding [[Ryouko]] during the suspicious [[demon]] attack. [[Simona]] explains she's part of a mysterious organization trying to "save the world", and offers them a deal: she will give them information to ensure the safe creation of wormholes by [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]], on the condition that she join them on any missions using those wormholes to attack the [[Ceph]]. As proof of her good intentions, she agrees to undergo full [[soul mage]] examination.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] meets with [[Marianne Francois]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[New California]] as part of her attempted vacation. [[Mami]] also enjoys [[Machina]]'s company as they eat at a restaurant together, before moving on to a séance organized by the [[Far Seers]] meant to investigate what happened to [[Misa Virani]]. [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] enter into a strange vision in which they find themselves playing characters tracking down a mysterious enemy facility with [[Homura]]. They run into [[Misa]]—accompanied by [[Kyouko]] and [[Nadya]], similarly playing characters—who is tracking her friend whose [[soul gem]] supposedly failed mysteriously. [[Homura]], who is inhabiting another body as a disguise, reveals herself, and afterward convinces [[Misa]] to self-[[Reformat]] and destroy the building to hide the truth.<br><br />
<br>Using the mathematics provided by [[Simona]], and with [[Clarisse van Rossum]] in attendance, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] successfully create a long-distance wormhole.<br />
----<br />
In short: A séance reveals [[Homura]]'s role in [[Misa]]'s past, as [[Humanity]]'s first wormhole is created with the help of information from [[Simona]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|54|Eternal Youth}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] learn from the [[soul mage]] examination of [[Simona]] that the [[TCF]] has been seriously breached. Back at [[Adept Blue]], [[Simona]] watches [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]]'s successful wormhole test, reminiscing about her childhood as part of a secret project to design and implement an alternate, uncompromised [[TCF]]. [[Simona]] then reveals herself and her new status as a [[magical girl]] to [[Ryouko]] in the celebration following the successful test. [[Ryouko]], suspicious because of her vision which implied [[Simona]] was involved in the conspiracies surrounding her, confides her worries in [[Clarisse van Rossum]], who along with [[Clarisse]] [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] validates her worries and further reveals that [[Simona]] is in love with her. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] asks [[Earth]] for more information about exactly what is going on.<br><br />
<br>On [[New California]], [[Maki]] presses [[Kyouko]] on her melancholy attitude, and [[Kyouko]] confesses her worries about their relationship and how she's used romance in the past to fight against her own age. [[Nadya]] and [[Marianne Francois]] talk about their kids, reflecting on the death of [[Juliet Francois]], until [[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Maki]] arrive to meet them. Bothered by the somber mood on what's supposed to be a vacation, the group ends up going dancing—[[Mami]] in particular doing so with abandon—until they are interrupted with news from [[Yuma]]. That night, [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] discuss their recent visions, and [[Mami]] informs [[Kyouko]] she's been suddenly recalled to the [[General Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]]'s memories reveal a breach in the [[TCF]], as she meets [[Ryouko]] at [[Adept Blue]] and as [[Mami]]'s vacation comes to a close.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|55|New Perspectives}}|Headed back towards [[Earth]], Mami attends a virtual meeting of the [[General Staff]]. The new [[Coeus Project]]'s intelligence has revealed that the [[Ceph]] have regrouped faster than expected after the [[Battle of Orpheus]], so the Staff agrees to request more military resources and to put every effort into developing another "knockout" punch before the [[squid]] can attack again.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Azrael]] shares a [[VR]] recreation of her [[Terra Roja|old colony]], complete with flight-enabling bioengineered bodies, with [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Patricia]]. After some flying, conversation eventually turns to the topic of [[Simona]], and [[Ryouko]] decides to share everything she's worried about and ask for advice. When the other girls then suggest directly confronting [[Simona]] to resolve the romantic situation and uncover the truth, [[Ryouko]] initially balks. However, realizing that her life would remain out of her control as long as she never takes action herself, [[Ryouko]] changes her mind and agrees to the plan.<br><br />
<br>Meeting remotely, [[Vlad]] informs [[Mami]] that their wormhole experiments have uncovered a confounding space-time anomaly near a pulsar, and [[Mami]] realizes that it matches one of the mysterious, newly-discovered [[Ceph]] facilities the [[General Staff]] had been examining as potential targets.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] decides to confront [[Simona]], while [[Mami]] investigates a [[squid]] [[pulsar mines|pulsar facility]] as a potential target.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|56|Pulse}}|[[Simona]], suddenly facing [[Ryouko]]'s demands for answers, explains her secretive life, from her upbringing up through her assignment to [[Adept Blue]]. Though she refuses to share everything, particularly the breach in the [[TCF]], she does reveal her wish: to be understood by, and to protect, [[Shizuki Ryouko]]. With mixed feelings, [[Ryouko]] agrees to give [[Simona]] a chance to earn back trust, but makes clear that she does not reciprocate [[Simona]]'s love.<br><br />
<br>Shortly afterward, [[Vlad]] and [[Asami]] run a new experiment investigating the strange [[pulsar mines|pulsar]] in [[Ceph]] space, and [[Asami]] discovers a huge network of stations facilitating the 'mining' of its space-time for use in [[Blink technology]]. [[Mami]] is immediately informed, but before taking action, she first returns to the [[Ribbon]]. There, the [[Goddess]] reassures her that her heart really is in the right place, and tells her that humanity needs her heroism once again. The [[Goddess]] then hints towards the [[pulsar mines]], and gives [[Mami]] a glimpse into the mystery of the [[Cephalopod]]s as a whole.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]] explains herself to [[Ryouko]], and [[Mami]] meets again with the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|57|Triple Point}}|[[Mami]] visits [[Adept Blue]], promoting [[Asami]] for her recent work and informing her and [[Ryouko]] that she needs them to help destroy the [[pulsar mines]] to stave off the [[Ceph]]. While that project gets underway, [[Asami]] and [[Ryouko]] get a break, which they choose to spend together in one of the partially-restored wildernesses of [[Earth]]. There, they discuss their relationship, and find their hopes for it have somewhat converged: Asami is in less of a rush to settle down, and Ryouko is thinking more about the long-term. For the first time, Ryouko says "I love you."<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere in deep space, [[Vlad]] christens the construction of a massive new wormhole apparatus [[Project Armstrong]], and discusses with [[Tao]] the heightened security measures and screening now seemingly necessary to protect it from internal threats. And elsewhere on [[Earth]], a disguised [[Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] stop [[Nakase]] and [[Sacnite]] as they exit a showing of ''[[Orpheus]]'' to talk about unblocking her memories of the agreement she made to get [[Ryouko]]'s birth license.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Project Armstrong]] gets underway as [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] strengthen their relationship.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|58|On Trusting Trust}}|[[Nakase]]'s memories reveal that [[Valentin]] was responsible for genetically engineering [[Ryouko]], but [[Valentin]] disappears before she can be apprehended, leaving behind a letter implying that she is in fact [[Akemi Homura]]. [[Yuma]], seeing the connections between [[Valentin]], [[Ryouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] all running through the [[Cult of Hope]], and discounting the possibility that the [[Goddess]] could be real, begins to fear that the [[Cult]] is a malevolent conspiracy. However, she first is forced to address the definitely malevolent conspiracy which has compromised the original [[TCF]]—including [[MG]], to their mutual distress. [[Yuma]] and a patched [[MG]] rapidly expand their circle of informed and/or repaired AIs, starting with [[MG]]'s friends.<br><br />
<br>One of those friends, ''[[Governance: Cult of Hope]]'', acts against [[Yuma]]'s wishes and contacts [[Clarisse]] just as she and [[Ryouko]] are returning to [[Project Armstrong]]. When asked, [[Clarisse]] confirms the rumor that she had experienced visions from the [[Goddess]] convincing her that AIs have souls, but she unhappily decides she can't yet tell [[Ryouko]] about the [[TCF]] breach given the still-mysterious organ in her brain.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] vanishes once exposed as responsible for [[Ryouko]]'s genetic modifications, and [[Yuma]] begins restoring the [[TCF]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|59|Parlor Games}}|[[Nadya]], chasing down leads on [[Valentin]] from [[Kyouko]], ends up on [[Yenisei]] visiting family. The slightly tense visit is interrupted by a power outage, and the revelation that [[Piotr|her grandson]] saw [[Misa]]. [[Nadya]] hurriedly enlists local help from the [[Cult]], but finds only [[Misa]]'s trail of destruction, not the girl. In a ruined structure, hidden from local networks and drones in a manner implying [[TCF]] corruption, she digs up damaged data crystals.<br><br />
<br>The crystals end up containing a set of deep space coordinates, and [[Kyouko]] tries to set up a meeting with [[Yuma]] to discuss them, only to find that [[Yuma]] is off [[Earth]] for the first time in her life. [[Yuma]] herself is disturbed by the invitation, which included several high-ranking [[Cult]] members, but is forced to focus on the immediate task of repairing [[Nova]], [[Governance]] representative for [[Nova Terra]]. The mission nearly spirals out of control, but with help from [[MG]] and others, [[Yuma]] manages to induct [[Nova]] and her considerable resources into a still-intact conspiracy. This quickly bears fruit in the form of uncovered coordinates—unbeknownst to [[Yuma]], the same ones [[Nadya]] found.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], a crystal salamander delivers a message from [[Homura]] to [[Simona]]: "I'm sorry for everything."<br />
----<br />
In short: Both the [[Cult]] and [[Yuma]], running parallel investigations, uncover a mysterious set of coordinates.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|60|Digital Divination}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Simona]] practice in simulation for their upcoming mission: using [[Project Armstrong]]'s wormhole apparatus to launch [[jumpstrike|an attack]] on the [[Ceph]]'s [[pulsar mines]]. The simulation ends in their deaths—not an uncommon occurrence, a fact which weighs on them, especially [[Asami]]. But [[Ryouko]] works hard to support her girlfriend, even genetically engineering an exotic plant for [[Asami]] to wear in her hair as a gift.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s investigation into the AIs involved in [[Ryouko]]'s life turns up no [[TCF]] corruption, but indicates that the conspiracy she faces may have simply covered their tracks. Her investigation into the mysterious deep space coordinates yields more: a hidden asteroid base. [[Yuma]] plans to personally lead a field mission, using experimental anti-[[IIC]] technology to prevent any occupants from revealing [[Yuma]]'s conspiracy to their own. Excluded from [[Yuma]]'s planning, [[Kyouko]] unknowingly organizes a [[Cult]]-sponsored expedition to the same exact coordinates.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] hears the [[Goddess]]'s voice telling her not to go to the pulsar.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] independently plan deep space missions to the same coordinates, while [[Ryouko]] undergoes simulation training for [[Project Armstrong]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|61|Into the Void}}|[[Yuma]] and a field team of fellow [[Ancient]]s and escort ships visit the deep space asteroid base and find evidence of contact between the [[Ceph]] and [[Governance]] [[Representatives]] early in the war, ending in the death of the alien representatives. [[Kyouko]] then arrives with a large contingent of [[Cult of Hope]] members, leading to a brief flaring of tensions, before Yuma and her group is ambushed by an alien attack force.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, [[Ryouko]] and the others at [[Adept Blue]] launch their wormhole attack on the pulsar. While initially semi-successful, the task force is thrown for a loop when the aliens begin to tear their wormhole apart, and Ryouko suddenly cannot teleport.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] discover secret [[Ceph]]-[[Governance]] contacts from the early war, and then are ambushed by an alien raid. [[Ryouko]] and [[Project Armstrong]] attack the [[pulsar mines]], but alien countermeasures confound the effort.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|62|The Dying Light, Part One}}|[[Yuma]] and her [[Ancients]] struggle to hold out against [[Ceph]] raiders while [[Kyouko]]'s ships rush to link up with them. They eventually succeed, but at the cost of [[Raven]], many mundane crew and Spec Ops, and [[Ceri|a magical girl]] from [[Kyouko]]'s forces.<br><br />
<br>At the pulsar, [[Ryouko]]'s team can't end the block on her teleportation, and they have to be rescued by [[Oda|another teleporter]]. Upon returning to the wormhole, [[Asami]] is unable to fully stabilize it, and [[Ryouko]] leaves to raid the pulsar's mining facilities in response. Her teleportation is blocked again there, but this time she finds the source: mysterious [[Ceph]], with a [[blink interdictor]], as she learns unexpectedly with help from the strange organ in her brain. Still, the delays have been too much, and the order is given to abort the mission as soon as the wormhole is stabilized.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, despite having combined their forces, [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] are slowly losing their battle—and then [[Yuma]] learns the alien bombers are about to make a second pass, fully reloaded by a stealthed supply ship.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] face destruction by [[Ceph]] raiders. [[Ryouko]]'s brain module activates, and the pulsar mission has fallen apart.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|63|The Dying Light, Part Two}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] concoct a radical plan: surreptitiously place [[supersaturated grief cubes]] on the departing alien bombers as an indirect surprise attack on the alien supply ship. They take heavy casualties from the second bombing, however, and learn that calling for reinforcements had caused a counterreaction from whoever compromised the [[TCF]], using their remaining assets to spill secrets and cause chaos.<br />
<br />
[[Ryouko]] makes more contact with alien machines through the strange organ in her brain, and [[Patricia]] helps her to decode some of the information before [[Oda]] and another team arrive to help teleport them away. Regrouping with [[Asami]], they learn she has successfully restabilized the wormhole. Ryouko explains that with the information she has received, she has acquired a bit more insight into her teleportation, enabling her to teleport objects without teleporting herself. Asami then concocts a radical plan of her own, proposing that Ryouko teleport one of her black holes near the pulsar as they evacuate, which would devastate the region.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Yuma's group continue their gambit. Using information gathered by Ryouko, they activate their captured alien vessel's [[blink]] drive, teleporting the surviving members of the group to the now-incapacitated alien supply ship. They board the ship and discover, to their confusion, that the demons they spawned are feeding on some of the Ceph. With no time to ponder this, they drain the ship's exotic matter fuel tanks to manufacture interdiction charges, which are then used on their pursuers in order to escape for good. [[Charlotte Meitner]] and [[Nadya Antipova]] die in this final battle.<br />
<br />
At the pulsar, the evacuation is nearly complete, and Asami and Ryouko resolve to perform their gambit. [[Simona]] vehemently disagrees and attempts to kidnap Ryouko to stop this, but is defeated, her soul gem torn from her body. Asami and Ryouko then successfully teleport a black hole near the pulsar, and attempt to evacuate through the wormhole with Oda's teleport as the pulsar undergoes gravitational collapse. However, this teleport is interrupted by the wormhole fracturing, and while Oda, Asami, and others seem to make it through, Ryouko is trapped when the wormhole collapses, dumping her 24 light-minutes from the pulsar, heavily injured.<br />
<br />
Before the radiation shockwave from the pulsar reaches her and kills her, an alien vessel makes contact using Ryouko's strange organ, offering rescue. With no other option, Ryouko teleports aboard, and the ship blinks away.<br />
<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] escape the [[Ceph]], but take heavy casualties. [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] destroy the pulsar mines, but [[Ryouko]] is stranded, forced to accept rescue from an alien ship.}}<br />
<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude III: Manifest Destiny ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Manifest Destiny is a term describing the belief that the United States, due to its special virtues, had both a duty and a destiny to expand west into North America.''<br />
: ''It also describes similar beliefs in the [[MSY]] during its fifth phase, as it reached further and further beyond the island nation of Japan.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|64|Interlude III: Manifest Destiny}}|The soul mage [[Akiyama Akari]], pursuing a rogue South Korean soul mage [[Seoyun]], is caught up in a major incident in which [[Tomoe Mami]] is mind-controlled by [[Seoyun]]. Akari manages to free her by turning Seoyun's soul manipulation—generated love for the target—towards herself instead.<br />
<br />
In the aftermath, Mami proposes that the two of them try a relationship, and this goes quite well. Akari begins researching the "[[energy gap]]", and the MSY decides to change its [[Charter]], embarking on a new, expansionist agenda to expand beyond Japan.<br />
<br />
This eventually pulls them both back into Korea: the MSY's expansion into the area has collapsed [[grief cube prices]], critical to magical girls along both sides of the DMZ. The situation escalates with a bombing in Seoul by a magical device using a soul gem for power, and then escalates again when a threat against [[Mitakihara]]'s airport is discovered, accompanied by a letter threatening a nuclear-scale device which bridges the energy gap. Akari and Mami work feverishly on security, and disaster is barely averted, though the bomb fails to bridge the energy gap.<br />
<br />
Finally identifying the source of the bombs inside North Korea, Akari accompanies a strike force that assassinates the mage responsible.<br />
<br />
In the wake of these events, Mami and Akari attend negotiations with other North Korean magical girls from the border region affected by the crash in grief cube prices, stabilizing the situation. But then the North Korean government collapses in a coup by Chinese-backed plotters, leading to sudden opportunities for MSY expansion into North Korea from the north. Mami and Akari lead successful negotiations in Pyongyang and depart for China, the two of them blissfully unaware of the conventional bomb planted on their plane by DMZ radicals.<br />
<br />
After Akari's death (detailed in [[Chapter 50]]), [[Homura]] discourses out loud in private, perhaps to [[Madoka]], discussing the dark turn of events and the resulting founding of the [[Black Heart]] intelligence organization.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Akari]] and [[Mami]] navigate their relationship as the [[MSY]] navigates expansion outside Japan.}}<br />
</div><br />
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<br />
=== Volume IV: Einstein-Rosen Bridge ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''An Einstein-Rosen Bridge is a hypothetical way of connecting two spacetime coordinates; in other words, a wormhole.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|65|Other Means}}|Terrorist attacks occur across Human space via the closing [[TCF]] breach, as [[Yuma]]'s counter-conspiracy goes loud. In space, Mami defends [[Carthago]] from compromised orbital defenses, aided by [[Homura]]'s aura, though the woman herself remains hidden. On [[Earth]], [[Ryouko]]'s father [[Shizuki Kuma]] survives the destruction of [[Prometheus]] thanks to aid from unknown magical girls.<br />
<br />
In the aftermath, Kuma learns that major leaks have been propagated as well, including about the [[MSY]]'s cloning program and about his daughter. [[Shirou Asaka]] then informs him that Ryouko died in the [[pulsar mission]].<br />
<br />
Back on [[Adept Blue]], [[Asami]] is devastated by Ryouko's loss. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] convinces her to talk to the now-imprisoned [[Simona]], who tells her that Ryouko must still be alive, since Simona's wish is still unfulfilled.<br />
<br />
And on the [[Ceph]] ship that rescued Ryouko from certain death, she receives medical care and is informed that the [[Ceph]]—the "Thinkers"—who rescued her are from a peaceful faction who Homura made contact with long ago. Ryouko's mysterious brain organ is revealed to be used for handling [[preference-specification]]s and Thinker telepathy, and to be necessary for proving that the Thinkers prosecuting the [[Contact War]] against Humanity have been deceiving the Thinker government, [[Consensus]], back in the Triangulum Galaxy.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[TCF]] breach is exploited to perform acts of terrorism, and [[Ryouko]] learns about her mysterious brain organ from the [[Ceph]] who saved her.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|66|Aftershocks}}|Following the previous terrorist attacks, [[Mami]] meets virtually with [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]], discussing the latter's near-fatal alien encounter and the former's recent encounter with [[Homura]]. Mami reveals her recent [[Ribbon]] visions to Yuma, who is unsettled, though she agrees to join the others on a later visit to the Ribbon.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile [[Ryouko]], on the [[Ceph]] ship, undergoes a week-long recuperative fugue. Afterwards, she communicates with the ship, who herself turns out to be an uploaded [[Thinker]], and who also explains to Ryouko the basics of the Thinker [[Consensus]], [[Tentacles]], and social organization.<br />
<br />
Mami, Kyouko, Yuma, and the other members of the [[Leadership Committee]] Intelligence subcommittee meet to discuss their response to recent events. After much criticism of Yuma and Kyouko for their independent, secretive actions, the committee agrees to form a task force to handle future developments with regards to the [[Conspiracy]] and Homura.<br />
<br />
[[Chiyo Rika]], once the [[Rules Committee]] Speaker and now a member of the media, mulls over recent events and plots her own response.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Yuma]] grapple with the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, while [[Ryouko]] learns the basics of [[Ceph]] society.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|67|Far Away}}|Aboard the [[Ceph]] ship, [[Ryouko]] meets an alien animal which thinks in linear thought and has emotions, and worries about [[Asami]].<br />
<br />
Back in Human space, Asami's suffering comes to a head as she visits the [[Ribbon]] with [[Azrael]] and [[Simona]]. There, after an unfortunate encounter with a reporter, she receives a vision in which the [[Goddess]] shows her that Ryouko is still alive, and with a 'gentler' set of aliens, but headed through an alien wormhole to parts unknown.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asami]] learns from the [[Goddess]] that [[Ryouko]] is still alive.}}<br />
<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<br />
=== Interlude IV: Ubermensch ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Übermensch is Nietzsche's idea that humanity should turn away from the other worlds and values promoted by "dead" religions and gods, setting instead the goal of advancing new, superior generations of humans on earth.''<br />
: ''This may refer to [[FA]] ideologies, or even aspects of [[Governance]] thought. It notably stands in contrast to Ryouko's life and wish.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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=== Volume V: Dark Energy ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Dark energy is a proposed form of energy that drives the accelerating expansion of the universe towards eventual heat death.''<br />
: ''This may imply topics ranging from the role of the [[Incubator]]s to the [[magical girl system]] itself.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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=== Interlude V: Destroyer of Worlds ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Part of a quote by the god Vishnu in the Bhagavad Gita, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Made famous by J. R. Oppenheimer, who later said he thought of the line after witnessing the first test of an atomic bomb.''<br />
: ''Perhaps covers the Unification Wars, which saw heavy use of atomic weapons. May include [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s role, a character who notably was also present for the first atomic detonation.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume VI: Singularity ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''A singularity is a point at which a function takes an infinite value, especially in space-time when matter is infinitely dense, as at the center of a black hole. It is also a term used for the hypothetically unknowable changes to the human condition caused by superintelligence.''<br />
: ''In former sense, it may reference [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] or [[Asami|Asami's]] powers. In the latter, perhaps it refers to [[Governance|Governance's]] Emergency Mode Level Four.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div></div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=To_the_Stars&diff=1759To the Stars2023-05-11T04:37:16Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* Volume IV: Einstein-Rosen Bridge */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Quote|After centuries of turmoil, a Utopian AI/human government has seized control of Earth, heralding a new age of post-scarcity and space colonization. An unexpected encounter with a hostile, technologically superior alien race has broken the peace, forcing magical girls to come out of hiding to save human civilization.<br />
<br />
In the midst of it all, Shizuki Ryouko, an ordinary girl, looks to the sky, wondering at her place in the universe.|Hieronym|author of To the Stars<br />
}}<br />
<br />
This page summarizes the entire story, volume by volume and chapter by chapter, for those who want a refresher on events. It also includes the names of all future volumes and interludes, [http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/55779437700/future-interlude-title-change as released by] [[Hieronym]] many years ago.<br />
<br />
Each section is collapsed by default, to avoid unwanted spoilers; use the right-hand "Expand" buttons to view descriptions.<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
== Synopses ==<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume I: Quantum Entanglement ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon where groups of particles cannot have their state completely described independently of each other, even if separated by large distances.<br />
: ''This perhaps describes the position Ryouko finds herself in.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume I Summary|[[Shizuki Ryouko]], a regular girl dissatisfied with her utopian life, [[contract]]s and becomes a [[magical girl]], [[wish|wishing]] to leave [[Earth]], explore, and "find my place in this universe". Her life rapidly turns anything but ordinary, as day by day wild events pile up and new secrets from her past reveal themselves. She ends up under the tutelage of both [[Tomoe Mami]] and [[Sakura Kyouko]], learns that the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]] was deliberately caused by someone, discovers that she's the descendant of two powerful competing [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], receives a mysterious vision from a magical girl [[Goddess]], finds out her parents have been working on a secret project cloning bodies for [[magical girl]]s to use, receives a special V2 [[TacComp]], and learns about her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]], protege of [[Akemi Homura]], whose wish turned [[Ryouko]]'s own [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] from a [[magical girl]] back to a regular human.<br><br />
<br>All along, [[Ryouko]] struggles to adjust, learning as much about magical and military worlds she's entering as she can. Saying goodbye to friends and family, and starting to make new friends among her fellow [[magical girls]], she finally departs [[Earth]], led by her [[wish]] out into a strange new universe.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]], and begins to discover her unusual place in the universe.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|1|A Wish}}|[[Ryouko]] goes to school, dissatisfied with her life. She feels out of place in a world where her family at home and friends at school seem to enjoy the near-utopian [[Earth]], even as a [[Contact War|war]] against an [[Ceph|alien]] menace rages. However, [[Mandatory Session|classes]] are interrupted by the appearance of [[Tomoe Mami]] nearby, who has taken a detour to check the school for potential [[magical girl]] recruits with [[Kyubey]], who claims he has found one. The sighting leaves [[Ryouko]] dwelling on the remote possibility of becoming a [[magical girl]], distracting her enough that she unthinkingly agrees to go on a date with another boy from class. [[Simona]], one of her friends, sees that she's unhappy and follows her out to a riverbank with a view of the [[starport]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], on the other hand, surreptitiously visits [[Kyouko]] in her church to discuss [[the Cult]]'s discovery of irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain. She agrees to look into it and departs, only to encounter a [[demon]] spawn on her way back. At the riverbank, [[Simona]] is about to confess her feelings for [[Ryouko]], when they are suddenly attacked by [[demons]]. [[Ryouko]] manages to keep the both of them alive for a short while before getting trapped. At the moment she attempts to sacrifice herself to save [[Simona]], [[Mami]] saves them both, and along with [[Kyubey]] explains that [[Ryouko]] has the [[potential]] to make a [[wish]] and become a [[magical girl]]. {{Quote|"I wish I could leave Earth," Ryouko said, looking down, "and explore this world. I want to go where no one else has gone before and find my place in this universe."}}<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|2|Fantasma}}|[[Mami]], with some reluctance, separates [[Simona]] from [[Ryouko]] and lets [[Kyouko]] take over the immediate training. [[Kyouko]] runs her through the ropes quickly, learns that [[Ryouko]] has an unprecedented 200km teleportation range, and assigns herself as a mentor along with [[Mami]], who has in the meantime realized that [[Simona]] had a crush on [[Ryouko]]. [[Mami]] advises [[Simona]] not to tell [[Ryouko]] how she feels. [[Ryouko]] fights her first [[demon]]s with [[Kyouko]], and afterwards [[Patricia von Rohr]] shows them a pile of [[grief cube]]s she found, indicating the [[demon]] spawn was deliberate. The [[Incubator]]s swear off responsibility, and all [[Ryouko]] can remember is seeing a woman in the distance just beforehand. [[Kyouko]] promises to investigate.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] discovers that someone deliberately spawned the [[demon]]s which led to her [[contract]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|3|Mami Watches a Movie, Part One}}|Disguised, [[Mami]] attends the movie ''[[Akemi]]''. It depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] upbringing in an orphanage, her [[wish]], and then [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, which triggers a vision of the [[Goddess]] for [[Homura]] that changes her personality markedly. It then depicts [[Yuma]] asking to be taken in by [[Homura]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]]—a fabrication, the movie-watching [[Mami]] notes—and the resulting [[Mitakihara Four]] founding the [[MSY]]. The movie montages through the [[MSY|MSY's]] history, jumping ahead to the alien [[Cephalopod]]'s first attack on [[Aurora]], after which [[Homura]] rallies the [[MSY]] to send a massive force of [[magical girl]]s to [[New Athens]] to stop the next attack.<br />
----<br />
In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] life up until [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|4|Mami Watches a Movie, Part Two}}|With [[Mami]] in attendance, the movie ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Mami]] and [[Homura]] directing a surprise assault on the [[Cephalopod]]s at [[New Athens]]. Initially the battle goes well, and the [[Human]] forces on the ground rally, but the aliens deploy stronger measures in turn. [[Homura]] goes out to personally lead the counterattack, but the combination of stealth armor and orbital strikes is too much, and she falls in battle… only to find that her [[soul gem]] refuses to fill with [[grief]], preventing her from being taken away by the [[Law of Cycles]], to her despair. [[Homura]] then suddenly heals from her wounds, and her white wings are replaced by huge, horrible black wings. Almost entirely by her own power, she leads the counterattack to victory, at the end personally redirecting an orbital superweapon back at the [[Ceph]] fleet.<br><br />
<br>In the final scene of the movie, [[Kyouko]] argues to an unconvinced [[Mami]] that the battle proves [[Homura|Homura's]] faith in her [[Goddess]] has merit, only for both of them to be interrupted by [[Homura|Homura's]] arrival. [[Homura]] announces her resignation from the [[MSY]], leaving one of her [[The Ribbon|ribbons]] with them, and declares that she is leaving to look for her [[Goddess]], protecting the world another way. The movie over, [[Mami]] begins her departure from [[Earth]], starting her endless work anew with her Version Two [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br />
----<br />
In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] transformation, victory, and disappearance at [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|5|Family}}|[[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] tell [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] family that she has [[contract]]ed, to their horror. [[Kyouko]] defends [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] choice, and explains some of the [[magical girl]] system to them, though they prove to know more than most. Before [[Ryouko]] goes to bed, [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] comes to talk with her, expressing disappointment that [[Ryouko]] lied when she promised not to [[contract]], and talking the situation over. After watching [[Ryouko]] [[transform]] and discussing her weapon, an arbalest, she leaves [[Ryouko]] with the request to tell her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] (who had disappeared to join the military when [[Ryouko]] was a child) that her family was sorry, should [[Ryouko]] meet her.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] falls asleep, [[Kyouko]] sticks around to gather information on her family situation as per procedure. [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] grandfather [[Kuroi Abe]] willingly helps her out, explaining that [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] parents are near divorce, though [[Ryouko]] doesn't realize it, and that they know so much about magic because they're researchers. He also mentions that [[Ryouko]] has an [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]] she doesn't know about. That night, [[Ryouko]] dreams of an old encounter with a [[magical girl]], and finds that she still has the bracelet the girl gave her. She also recalls an old memory of her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] talking about [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]], though she doesn't understand it. After talking to [[Simona]] and her family a bit, [[Ryouko]] spends the morning reading through the swath of informational messages about her new life.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] tells her family she has [[contract|contracted]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|6|Military}}|[[Mami]] remembers the [[Mitakihara Four]]'s celebration of [[October Three]] with [[Homura]], shortly before the [[Contact War]]. The four of them poke fun at each other—including about [[Homura]]'s secret pupil and [[Kyouko]]'s "transgressions"—and eventually [[Mami]] suggests that they take a long vacation from the [[MSY]] together, only for the others to reluctantly shoot the idea down.<br><br />
<br>In the present, [[Mami]] arrives at the [[starport]] with her bodyguards and meets with [[Marianne Francois]], her intelligence officer, who she instructs to secretly investigate the [[grief cube]] supply chain as [[Kyouko]] asked. Later arriving at [[Carthago Shipyard]] via scramjet then space elevator then [[Navigator]], she attends a meeting of the [[General Staff]].<br><br />
<br>During the meeting, the Chair of the [[General Staff]] [[Roland Erwynmark]] reveals that the [[Cephalopod]]s have been discovered constructing a [[wormhole stabilizer]] in the [[Kepler-37 System]], at the tip of the ongoing [[Euphratic Incursion]]. This would allow the aliens to directly transport reinforcements into the system, within [[Blink]] distance of the [[Core World]] [[Optatum]], and so an immediate [[MagOps]] operation is planned to destroy it. [[Erwynmark]] then announces that he's appointing [[Mami]] as a special [[Euphratic Sector]] commander, over some opposition from her opponents on the [[General Staff|Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] is promoted, and tasked with destroying the discovered [[wormhole stabilizer]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|7|Southern Group}}|[[Kyouko]] wakes up (with [[Kishida Maki]] at her side) and while making the rounds at her [[Kyouko's Church|church]] discovers that [[Maki]] has painted the [[Goddess]] with pink hair, a previously unknown trait. However, [[Kyouko]] has to immediately leave to see [[Yuma]] about the [[grief cube]] incident. On the way, [[Kyouko]] remembers when she first met [[Yuma]], in a confrontation with the [[Southern Group]] shortly after [[Homura]] had first joined the team, before her personality change. [[Kyouko]] had immediately taken sympathy, and telepathically invited her to switch sides, though the very young [[Yuma]] had angrily refused after [[Kyouko]] insulted [[Oriko]], who had saved [[Yuma|Yuma's]] life.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko|Kyouko's]] reverie is briefly interrupted by [[Maki]], who tells her the idea of the pink hair came from [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Kyouko]] then further recalls the next two times she saw [[Yuma]]: first, months later after [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, in a chance encounter at a store where she had revealed she was doing "research" with [[Oriko]], and second, two years after that, when [[Kyouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Homura]] had saved her after the deaths of [[Oriko]] and the rest of [[Southern Group|her team]]. After that, they had [[Befriending|Befriended]] her, and once [[Yuma]] recovered she joined them as one of the [[Mitakihara Four]]. Eventually [[Yuma]] had told them what had really happened the night [[Oriko]] died, and they resolved to keep it secret.<br><br />
<br>As [[Kyouko]] arrives at [[MSY]] [[Governmental Affairs]] to see [[Yuma]], she lastly recalls [[Homura]] telling [[Yuma]] that the [[Goddess]] provided an afterlife for [[magical girl]]s, the only time [[Kyouko]] ever heard her say it out loud.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] remembers how [[Yuma]] ended up joining the [[Mitakihara Four]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|8|Church and State}}|[[Yuma]] runs out to greet [[Kyouko]] like an older sister, herself having taken on a nine-year-old form, and [[Kyouko]] is greeted by her [[Governance]] partner [[MG]] as well. [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] then meet privately to discuss the irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain, and the further reports of [[magical girl]]s going missing, and [[Yuma]] agrees to investigate. When [[Kyouko]] brings up the [[grief cube]] incident with [[Ryouko]], [[Yuma]] immediately deduces that the [[grief cube]]s were super-saturated with grief—a possible state kept very secret, though they don't have a sample to prove it. Before leaving, [[Kyouko]] recommends that [[Yuma]] visit [[The Ribbon]], but she demures just as [[Mami]] always does, instead giving [[Kyouko]] an [[Incubator]] plushie.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] checks with [[Kyubey]] briefly about the [[grief cube]]s, but he does not provide any new information, and so [[Kyouko]] ends up back at [[Kyouko's church|her church]], where she meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Patrica]] reveals that she kept some of the [[grief cube]]s from the incident after sensing something strange about them, and [[Kyouko]] tells her to inform [[Yuma]] through the plushie, which turned out to be enchanted as a [[telepathy]]-enhancer. [[Kyouko]] also gets [[Asaka]] to agree to share the details of the [[Goddess]]'s hair with the [[Theological Council]]. Finally, [[Kyouko]] gives a sermon on the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from, and announces that the church will be updating the statue of the [[Goddess]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] discover that the [[grief cube]]s planted near where [[Ryouko]] was attacked were super-saturated.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|9|Echoes}}|[[Ryouko]] arrives at [[Kyouko's church]], which holds [[MSY]] living quarters and local military facilities underground, in order to get her military upgrades. [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]] guide her through the process. [[Patricia]] notes that [[Ryouko]] has an extremely unusual genetic profile, requiring some adjustments to the process, and then begins the procedure. [[Ryouko]] watches in a semi-[[VR]] experience as the procedure installs a [[TacComp]], removes implants that are useless for [[magical girl]]s, and installs a [[Permanent Awareness Module]], among other things. Testing out her new capabilities, [[Ryouko]] sends [[Asaka]] a memory snapshot of the [[magical girl]] who gave her the bracelet she rediscovered after her [[contract]]. [[Asaka]] reacts oddly, but continues on to show [[Ryouko]] the armory and get her equipped with the required basics.<br><br />
<br>Then she cuts the tour short, instead bringing [[Ryouko]] to the [[Ribbon Chamber]]. At the [[Ribbon]], [[Ryouko]] finds herself in a confusing vision, seeing among other things [[Yuma]] at the death of [[Oriko]], [[Simona]] looking directly at her on her first day of class, [[Asaka]] receiving instruction from the [[Goddess]] to wait for the girl who sent her the memory [[Ryouko]] did, the [[Goddess]] herself briefly showing her face and telling [[Ryouko]] to keep it a secret, and the death of [[Kyouko]] on some sort of mission involving submarines. Both of them watching, [[Patricia]] comments to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] that for a few reasons, including [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s own presence, she's not that surprised [[Ryouko]] received a vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|10|Brigadier}}|[[Ryouko]], brought before the [[Theological Council]] to relate her vision, tells what she saw of [[Kyouko]]'s death, determining with them it was on a colony world and that what actually killed [[Kyouko]] was likely a laser, not a misfire from the submarines. She keeps the rest of the vision from [[Theological Council|the council]], though [[Asaka]] deduces easily that she saw the [[Goddess]]. [[Asaka]] goes on to explain the circumstances of her own vision, where she met again with her dead partner [[Alice]], whose death under her command had torn her apart. Now that she has recovered and her vision is resolved, [[Asaka]] tells [[Ryouko]] she plans to return to the front with [[Mami]], who has just been promoted.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Kyouko]] talks with [[Mami]] about [[Ryouko]], noting that her family tree is dense with [[contract]]ees and connected to the Shizuki and Kuroi [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], that [[Patricia]] found a number of novel mutations in her genetics, and that her friend [[Simona]] has some strange anomalies in her recorded past. Unsure what to make of this, and with no further progress on the [[grief cube]] incident, [[Mami]] agrees at [[Kyouko]]'s request to take on [[Asaka]] as a general, with [[Patricia]] and [[Maki]] as two of [[Asaka]]'s attachments.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] grapples with her vision, and [[Asaka]] explains how her story connects.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|11|Remains of a Life}}|[[Ryouko]] sets up her [[TacComp]] and chooses [[Atsuko Arisu]] as her designated psychiatrist, then goes out to eat dinner with her family and eventually ends up (through a test of her newfound right to drink alcohol without intoxication filters) bringing them to a firing range at [[Kyouko's church]]. There they visit other facilities, including a sparring area where they meet [[Risa Flores]], but [[Ryouko]]'s parents are surprisingly well-informed on the subjects. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] visit her spot near the [[starport]], and talk about their impending military lives, and the disappearance of [[Ryouko's grandmother]], both remembering her saying that she had lost something.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] receives her [[SW-155|officer's pistol]], and her [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] tells her she's planned a going away party. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends at a showing of ''[[Akemi]]'' and finally reveals her [[contract]] to them, also inviting them to the party. Watching the movie, [[Ryouko]] reflects on [[Homura]]'s beliefs, and the fact that her vision contradicts the movie's portrayal of [[Yuma]]. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] asks [[Simona]] what she was going to say to her before the [[demon]] attack, but [[Simona]] tells her to forget about it. [[Ryouko]] also asks about when she looked directly at her on her first day of class (as she saw in her vision), but [[Simona]] claims it was nothing.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, [[Yuma]] convinces [[Kyouko]] to have a spy bug planted on [[Ryouko]] for her protection, and warns her to be careful herself given [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] spends time with her family and friends as she prepares to leave for [[Contact War|war]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|12|Demon Hunter}}|[[Ryouko]] receives a [[CubeBot]] and three [[grief cube]]s, then studies combat doctrines with her [[TacComp]] until [[Kyouko]] invites her to join a [[demon]] hunt. [[Patricia von Rohr|Patricia]] and [[Risa Flores|Risa]] meet her at [[Kyouko's church]], where [[Kyouko]] appears briefly but leaves, clearly bothered by the impending departure of [[Kishida Maki]]. On the hunt itself, [[Ryouko]] uses her teleportation to rescue civilians, move other [[magical girl]]s in for attacks, and so forth, finding herself enjoying the combat. The hunt is interrupted by the injury of one girl, who loses an arm and part of her face, but [[Ryouko]] simply teleports them to the armory hospital, where she is told they will be fine shortly, and the rest of the hunt continues without incident.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] goes on a [[demon]] hunt.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|13|Differences of Knowledge}}|The next day, [[Ryouko]] goes to an [[MSY]] social gathering for new recruits, finding [[Risa Flores]] there as a chaperone, and meets a new girl named [[Nakihara Asami]], who shares her desire to explore new worlds, albeit as a xenobiologist. They get along well, and continue on to the next scheduled event together. The following day, [[Ryouko]] meets [[Atsuko Arisu]] for her psychiatrist appointment, who manages to get her freely talking about many things, including her [[wish]], and who also recommends that she talk with her parents about her family ancestry.<br><br />
<br>That night, [[Shizuki Kuma|Ryouko's father]] interrupts her reading on military subjects to take her to [[Prometheus]], where she meets [[Joanne Valentin]]—who appears to be the woman she saw shortly before the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]]—and receives an upgrade to Version Two for her [[TacComp]]. Afterwards, [[Shizuki Kuma|her father]] secretly takes her into [[Prometheus]]'s cloning facility where he and [[Kuroi Nana|her mother]] work, which he explains is used to provide new bodies to [[magical girl]]s who are reduced to [[soul gem]]s. [[Ryouko]] is shocked, especially upon seeing the beginning stages of her own clone, and bothered at the secrets kept from her.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns about the [[MSY]]'s [[cloning program]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|14|Bloodlines}}|[[Yuma]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Mami]] decide [[Ryouko]]'s discovery of the [[cloning program]] isn't a problem, and discuss the incident that led to [[Ryouko]]'s contract. [[Mami]] remembers seeing [[Joanne Valentin]] at the movie theatre shortly afterwards, and [[Yuma]] confirms that she was the woman near the [[demon]] spawn, and moreover that she mysteriously changed her whole life shortly after the [[Contact War]] began. Investigations into [[Simona]] and the [[grief cube]] supply chain problems [[Kyouko]] reported have unearthed more discrepancies, but nothing major, and [[Risa Flores]] hasn't reported anything from her watch over [[Ryouko]], and so they disperse.<br><br />
<br>Back at home, [[Ryouko]] reads the file on her family with her improving [[TacComp]], and discovers that her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] is stationed at the [[Apollo]] shipyard. Moreover, when viewing her family tree she finds much of it explicitly redacted, with the revealed portions being enough to show that she is a descendant of both the Shizuki and Kuroi [[Matriarchy|Matriarchies]]. Later, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] comes to talk to her, and [[Ryouko]] confronts her about the secrets she's kept. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]] says she's kept the secrets to prevent [[Ryouko]] from [[contract]]ing, and will explain more the next day at the going away party.<br><br />
<br>At the party, [[Ryouko]] receives a number of gifts, including a necklace with the Shizuki crest from [[Shizuki Koto]], her paternal grandfather, and a ruby ring with a helix inside, one of a pair from [[Simona]]. [[Kyouko]] arrives, and informs [[Ryouko]] that both her grandparents will be placed in slightly safer positions as part of standard procedure, her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] in particular being moved to the shipyards. Next to arrive is [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Kuroi Kana]], who begins an attempt to recruit [[Ryouko]] into the [[Black Heart]] (and reveals that [[Ryouko]]'s bracelet is in fact a Kuroi insignia), but she is immediately followed by [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Shizuki Sayaka]] and her own recruiting pitch. [[Kyouko]]'s poor intervention is followed by [[Atsuko Arisu]]'s successful one—her presence at the party revealing that she must be related somehow to [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>This is all further interrupted by the sudden appearance of [[Kuroi Nana]], the [[magical girl]] who gave [[Ryouko]] her Kuroi bracelet and until now her entirely secret aunt, a fact which displeases [[Ryouko]] greatly. [[Kuroi Nana]] brings her aside, promising to help explain the situation, and revealing that she's part of the secret [[Internal Security]], and has been searching for [[Akemi Homura]] on behalf of the [[MSY]]. With that said, they begin a memory transfer.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] meets [[Kuroi Nana]], her previously-secret aunt. }}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|15|Samsara}}|[[Ryouko]] experiences her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt's]] memories, with some explanation provided by a sub-sentient assistant.<br><br />
<br>In the memories, [[Kuroi Nana]] investigates the strange behavior of her [[Kuroi Nakase|younger sister]], finding with the help of a computer specialist that her sister's new friends weren't who they seemed, and secretly following them on a [[demon]] hunt. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]], in reality a [[magical girl]], rushes to save [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] when [[demon]]s attack, getting gravely injured in the process. [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] contracts to turn her sister mundane again, to her sister's relief. However, these events seriously strain their family, as their [[Ryouko's grandmother|mother]] isn't allowed to know about the [[MSY]]. When [[Homura]] offers to mentor [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]], she accepts, and all but leaves the family.<br><br />
<br>It's explained to [[Ryouko]] that when [[New Athens]] revealed the [[MSY]], [[Ryouko's grandmother]] blamed it for both her mother's death and her family's troubles, and insisted that [[Ryouko]] be kept from contracting.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] surfaces from the memories, [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] closes off by telling [[Ryouko]] that she had just reconciled with [[Ryouko's grandmother]], and they rejoin the party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns more of her family history from [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|16|Light of the Sky}}|[[Ryouko]] says goodbye to friends and family at the starport, journeying with [[Asami]] by scramjet and then space elevator. While riding the elevator, [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] names herself [[Clarisse]] after [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Ryouko]] muses that her [[wish]] may have somehow changed the past, causing all the sudden revelations of the past week. At the top, the new [[magical girl]]s take a [[Navigator]] shuttle to the [[HSS Spectre]], an old [[frigate]], who leads them around herself. When they reach the [[FTL]] core, [[Ryouko]]'s gem suddenly begins to shine.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finally leaves [[Earth]] with [[Asami]].}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude I: Underworld Dreams ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Unusually, this is a title with relatively direct meanings.''<br />
: ''[[Kugimiya Ito]] dreams of his old girlfriend [[Nakanishi Aiko]], as he digs into a transformed Japanese underworld.<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|17|Interlude I: Underworld Dreams}}|[[Kugimiya Ito]], a police detective in [[Mitakihara]], investigates the disappearance of [[Okamura Yuu|a local teenage girl]] with [[Minami Kaoru|his junior partner]]. Meeting the girl's parents makes him suspect abuse is the culprit, and reminds him of his old teenage sweetheart [[Nakanishi Aiko]], who disappeared under similar circumstances. Back at headquarters, while analyzing the case's evidence electronically, he happens upon an image of the girl meeting what looks to him like [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]. When he confronts the missing girl's friends about the [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]-lookalike, they unconvincingly deny knowing anything until a Yakuza-affiliated lawyer suddenly shows up. Investigating this lead leads him to a [[D&E]] logistics building, where he's confronted by Yakuza and nearly killed for knowing too much, until [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] suddenly intervenes, still the same age as when she disappeared.<br><br />
<br>Reeling, and told to drop the case by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] returns to headquarters, only to be met by [[Ronaldo Rizal|an Interpol agent]] who has been tracking similar mysterious cases. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] is asked to make contact with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again and investigate further. He successfully makes contact, and is brought to [[D&E]] headquarters with his partner, to be greeted by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], who treats him just like she did when they were dating, to his embarrassed pleasure. They meet the CEO of [[D&E]], who turns out to be [[Sakura Kyouko]] under an assumed name, and who explains the situation, including the fact that they already knew about the Interpol investigation. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] agrees to drop the investigation if he can confirm for himself that the missing girl is alright, and afterward retires to be with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kugimiya Ito|A police detective]] happens across his [[Nakanishi Aiko|long-missing girlfriend]] and discovers she is part of an [[MSY]] Yakuza takeover.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume II: Inflationary Expansion ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''This is the universe's theorized early period of exponential inflation.''<br />
: ''Here, it likely refers to the escalation of plot and stakes, especially for Ryouko.''<br />
<br />
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<br />
{{Spbox|Volume II Summary|[[Ryouko]] completes her military simulation training, growing close to [[Asami]], and gets her first taste of real combat shortly afterwards as her convoy is unexpectedly and suspiciously attacked by [[Ceph]] fighters. After [[Ryouko]]'s successful defense there, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]], who doesn't know how to respond, and then both are recalled to the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]], where the first attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] has failed.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] is assigned to a [[MagOps]] team, and begins training while still wrestling with family and relationship confusion, including the sudden revelation of her [[TacComp]] [[Clarisse]]'s sentience. The eventual battle begins poorly, as the wormhole unexpectedly activates right at the start. [[Ryouko]]'s team presses on, only to find the mission much more difficult than expected, and they slowly attrit team members. They finally destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]], but as the [[Goddess]] reveals in a vision, the [[Ceph]] had already amassed a stealthed fleet large enough to take the system. Having realized that her power uses wormholes, [[Ryouko]] reopens the [[Ceph]]'s wormhole and sends the fleet back through, saving the day.<br><br />
<br>However, the battle was not without its casualties—[[Asami]] lost her body after nearly grief-spiraling upon hearing of [[Ryouko]]'s apparent death, [[Ryouko's grandmother]] died in a [[Ceph]] raid, and [[Erwynmark]] died as well, among others. Coming to grips with her sudden fame and new life amidst memorial services and the news of her parents' divorce, [[Ryouko]] decides to become [[Asami]]'s girlfriend. But there are more surprises in store: as the [[Goddess]]—who [[Ryouko]] discovers she is distantly related to—reveals in another vision, [[Ryouko]] will find herself caught up in even greater events soon enough.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delivers the [[Battle of Orpheus]], and connects with [[Asami]], as her old life falls away.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|18|To the Ground}}|The [[General Staff]] watches as a [[MagOps]] mission to take out the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, all members killed, after they are detected teleporting through [[Orpheus]]'s atmosphere. Afterwards, [[Mami]] dreams of her past failures, disturbing her [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br><br />
<br>On the planet [[Giungla]], [[Ryouko]] is embedded in a military unit along with other [[magical girl]]s, fighting against a [[Ceph]] invasion. She goes off mostly on her own to successfully rescue a soldier from her unit, and then joins up with a team of [[magical girl]]s to teleport into an alien attack column, again with significant success.<br />
----<br />
In short: The initial attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, as [[Ryouko]] gains combat experience elsewhere.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|19|To the Sky}}|Finding that she enjoys the combat, [[Ryouko]] works hard to sustain the [[human]] forces, but the arrival of a major [[Ceph]] fleet in system forces a general evacuation. They begin taking heavy losses, and [[Ryouko]] quickly becomes acting-Commander. [[Asami]] dies, [[Ryouko]] enters [[emotional suppression]], and just barely escapes... only to suddenly wake up from the accelerated [[VR]] simulation.<br><br />
<br>Calmed by [[Clarisse]] and relieved to see [[Asami]] alive, [[Ryouko]] heads back to their shared room in the training center on [[New Athens]]. [[Clarisse]] recommends that they read some "messages" together, which turn out to be relationship proposals for [[Ryouko]]. [[Asami]] comments that she had been warned this might happen, due to [[Ryouko]]'s mentors and heritage. The next day, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her [[wish]] was for her parents to stay together and understand each other, and [[Ryouko]] relays her own [[wish]], as they look forward together towards the end of training.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] finish simulation training.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|20|Relativity}}|[[Kishida Maki]] remembers how she [[contract]]ed and later met [[Kyouko]], dating, but breaking up after a fight over [[Maki]]'s decision to head to the front, and [[Kyouko]]'s refusal to explain her history with [[Miki Sayaka]], a near lookalike. Stationed on [[Apollo]] with [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]], [[Maki]] then heads out, completing another mission aboveground to secure a building back from the [[Ceph]].<br><br />
<br>Headed to [[Acheron]] with [[Asami]] and a new friend from training, [[Meiqing]], [[Ryouko]] suddenly notices a bright flash from her [[soul gem]]. Soon, the cause is discovered by the ship, [[Laplace]], to be [[Ceph]] fighters. The early warning allows them to dodge the initial missile attack, but eschewing standard doctrine, the [[Ceph]] turn around for another assault, forcing the transport's [[magical girl]]'s to fight them in space combat, with [[Ryouko]] taking charge. The fight goes well, but the final ship detonates its core in a desperate but futile attempt to kill them.<br><br />
<br>While recovering from the ensuing protective fugue, [[Clarisse]] reveals to [[Ryouko]] that she has uncovered the memory of her vision, and is in fact sentient. Afterwards, they arrive at [[Acheron]], minor heroes, and [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] attend a celebration of [[October Three]] together.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]]'s convoy is attacked unsuccessfully by [[Ceph]] fighters.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|21|Discontinuity}}|[[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Yuma]] meet virtually to celebrate [[October Three]], and discuss the mysteriousness of [[Simona]] and the unlikely and seemingly irresponsible attack on [[Ryouko]]'s convoy, the absence of [[Homura]] weighing on them.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] talks with [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about training and suitors, but fails to mention the attack on her convoy. [[Ryouko]] then goes with [[Asami]] to see a basketball game, and then to a volcanic spa, noting that [[Asami]] is acting strangely, and finding that she isn't enjoying the time on [[Acheron|a colony world]] herself as much as she expected. At the spa, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her romantic feelings to a stunned [[Ryouko]], who promises to think about it—they have little time to reflect, however, as they are at that moment recalled to active duty in the [[Kepler-37]] system, the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asami]] confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|22|Shifting Winds}}|Now on [[Mami]]'s flagship, the [[HSS Zhukov]], and unable to stop thinking about [[Asami]], [[Ryouko]] is awarded a medal for her performance during the [[Ceph]] attack on her convoy by the Field Marshall. [[Mami]] then brings her to the bridge, where they enter simulation as [[Mami]] explains the strategic situation. This is interrupted by a perfunctory [[Ceph]] attack, which [[Ryouko]] watches from the bridge.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, they reenter the simulation to meet [[Erwynmark]], and [[Ryouko]] is told about the planned second wormhole mission, which requires her teleportation capabilities. [[Ryouko]] is to be sent down to [[Apollo]] to meet with the rest of the team (and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]]) to prepare.<br><br />
<br>Resting after the earlier battle, [[Mami]] dreams of the destruction of her apartment by [[Oriko]], which reunited her with [[Kyouko]], and of other old memories, followed by a strange dream in which she and an unknown girl, somehow important to her, were in a plane crash.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] is assigned to the second [[wormhole stabilizer]] mission on [[Orpheus]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|23|Lost Love}}|Along with others, [[Mami]] plans Humanity's counteroffensive to support the [[Orpheus]] mission and end the [[Euphratic Incursion]]. Meeting with [[Erwynmark]], who will also lead the battle, they conclude that their success rests on the [[MagOps]] mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] thinks of her friends—including [[Chiaki]] on [[Earth]], who always teased [[Ryouko]] about relationships—and ends up calling [[Meiqing]], who insists that she call [[Asami]], who is broken up over [[Ryouko]]'s non-answer to her confession. However, there isn't time, as the [[HSS Raven]] brings her down to [[Apollo]], where [[Ryouko]] meets up with [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]], who was seriously injured in the fighting but recovering easily. They share some time together, as [[Ryouko]] informs him that she's going on a dangerous mission. Her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her family already knew about the attack on her convoy, and that he finally managed to find and talk with [[Ryouko's grandmother|his wife]] again, who wants to talk with [[Ryouko]] as well once there's a chance.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delays talking to [[Asami]], and meets [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]] on [[Apollo]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|24|Historian}}|[[Ryouko]]'s new [[MagOps]] team practices working together on [[Apollo]] by fighting the [[Ceph]]. Their team practice and bonding is later interrupted by the announcement of yet another new team member: [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Ryouko]]'s childhood hero and, as it turns out, personal friend of team commander [[Nadya Antipova]]. They immediately return to mission simulations, first knowing they're simulations, and later not, failing often—with [[Ryouko]] regretting not contacting [[Asami]] in her apparent final moments.<br><br />
<br>Recovering from this, the team socializes, and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Ryouko]] that she should talk to [[Asami]] even if she doesn't know what to say. Finally, [[Ryouko]] does so, telling her about the dangerous mission she's on, and asking her to survive the upcoming battle too so they can resolve things afterward. They end the call somewhat comforted, but [[Asami]] in particular finds herself still worried and unsure.<br><br />
<br>That night, resting, [[Ryouko]] has a mysterious seeming dream-vision, including a moment in the [[Cult]]'s rose garden on [[Earth]] where [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] speaks strange things and almost appears to be someone else unknown.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Clarisse van Rossum]] joins the wormhole team, and convinces [[Ryouko]] to contact [[Asami]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|25|Piercing the Sky}}|Waiting aboard the [[HSS Raven]], [[Clarisse]] and [[Ryouko]] find themselves ruminating on the possibility of their death, and the [[Goddess]]'s promised afterlife for [[magical girl]]s. [[Juliet Francois]] and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] both ask about [[Ryouko]]'s visions, but she defers, stating she doesn't think they are relevant to the current mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] begins the [[Human]] offensive, for her part attempting to draw [[Ceph]] forces away from [[Orpheus]]. While it initially appears a success, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] which was thought to be still under construction suddenly activates, and hordes of reinforcements begin pouring through.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Orpheus]] mission begins poorly, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] activating before it even begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|26|Blood and Ichor}}|[[Clarisse van Rossum]] decides the [[MagOps]] team must act immediately. Donning [[magitech]] armor, [[Ryouko]] teleports the team straight from low orbit to what looks to be the key stabilizer core for the [[wormhole stabilizer]]. After efficiently clearing out enemy personnel, [[Nadya]] announces that there are what appears to be twelve separate stabilizer cores, rather than the single expected one, of which perhaps up to four are real. They detonate a [[PAYNE|nuke]] on the closest core, teleporting away towards the next one.<br><br />
<br>This time they encounter even more waiting [[Ceph]], and clear them out with more difficulty. Suddenly, right when two fighters attack, a [[Ceph]] sniper takes shots at [[Eva Guderian]] and [[Ryouko]], killing [[Eva Guderian|Eva]] instantly and shattering [[Ryouko]]'s arm. In a rage, [[Ryouko]] teleports on top of the sniper and slaughters it.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[wormhole stabilizer]] survives an intended killing blow, and [[Ryouko]] loses control after [[Eva Guderian]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|27|Those Brilliant Shining Stars}}|Shocked at herself and slowly recovering, [[Ryouko]] realizes that her [[soul gem]] is not only pulling her towards the wormhole, but also reacting to the true stabilizer cores—and the one they lost [[Eva Guderian]] attacking is a fake.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, the fleet battle in system is going poorly, and [[Erwynmark]] defers to [[Mami]], who decides they must continue to hold out in hope of destroying the wormhole.<br><br />
<br>The [[Orpheus]] team quickly finds and destroys a second stabilizer core with their last [[PAYNE|nuke]], leaving still two more. The [[Ceph]] begin firing artillery at the third core when they arrive, forcing [[Clarisse van Rossum]] to seize their barrier generator [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]]'s [[soul gem]] to save her life. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] then executes a powerful attack that vaporizes the core, but knocks her unconscious.<br><br />
<br>Unexpectedly targeted, [[Erwynmark]]'s ship the [[HSS Arminius]] recommends evacuation. [[Erwynmark]] escapes the ship with his bodyguards, but [[Ceph]] interceptors somehow find his stealthed ship and chase it down, killing him.<br />
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In short: The [[Orpheus]] team destroys two more [[wormhole stabilizer]] cores, but [[Erwynmark]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|28|Invictus}}|The [[Orpheus]] team learns that the [[HSS Raven]], along with her remaining crew, has been discovered and destroyed, all but eliminating any hope of escape. [[Misa Virani]] gives her [[soul gem]] to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and takes advantage of the moon's electrical properties to generate an awe-inspiring electrical discharge, destroying the last [[wormhole stabilizer]] core. The wormhole above collapses violently, and the remainder of the team is suddenly caught in temporal/spatial distortions that threaten to rip them apart.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Misa Virani]] destroys the final [[wormhole stabilizer]] and the wormhole collapses, trapping the rest of the team.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|29|Deus ex gemma}}|[[Ryouko]] suddenly recalls a lecture given by [[Joanne Valentin]], and realizes that her teleportation uses wormholes, and that she can use the broken spacetime around them to teleport the team off [[Orpheus|the moon]]. At the same time, [[Ryouko]] realizes she's with the [[Goddess]], in a vision—this time, with [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]] too. The [[Goddess]] shows them [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[Apollo]], hard-pressed by the [[Ceph]]. [[Shirou Asaka]] manages to get forces in to save them, but [[Maki]] loses her body. They are also shown an unknown woman commander in the [[Apollo]] shipyards, who is killed by a [[Ceph]] commando raid.<br><br />
<br>Following that, [[Asami]] and her ''[[Magi Cæli]]'' team are shown defending the space around [[Apollo]] with some success, despite incredible new [[Ceph]] stealth capabilities. Attempting to extract, the team is suddenly caught and scattered, with [[Asami]] seriously injured and placed into a [[MedEvac]]. A sudden announcement from [[Tomoe Mami]] that the wormhole was destroyed at the apparent cost of the team involved, including [[Ryouko]], sends [[Asami]] into a despair spiral, and her body is ejected into space to preserve her [[soul gem]]. Finally, [[Ryouko]] is shown [[Mami]], who is pressing the apparent advantage at the destruction of the wormhole, even as she mourns the dead.<br><br />
<br>The [[Goddess]] then talks with [[Ryouko]], revealing the [[Ceph]] trap—a huge cloaked fleet had already come through the wormhole, enough to retake the system easily. The [[Goddess]] tells her to reopen the wormhole and send the fleet back, ending the vision. To her team's amazement, [[Ryouko]] does just that, and then just barely teleports them to [[Zhukov]]'s bridge before blacking out.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Goddess]] tells [[Ryouko]] to send back a cloaked [[Ceph]] fleet through the wormhole, saving the battle.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|30|Call to Power}}|[[Mami]] and [[Atsuko Arisu]] perform a dream interrogation of [[Ryouko]]—and also [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]], which complicates their attempt to loosen her up, as does the secret blocking of telepathic investigation by [[Clarisse van Rossum]]. [[Ryouko]] only explains that her power uses wormholes, and about her memory of the [[Joanne Valentin]] lecture that triggered the realization, avoiding religious questions. [[Ryouko]] meets afterwards with some of the [[Orpheus]] team, and is warned of the coming scrutiny she'll endure as a hero by [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and the revived [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]].<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] learns from her devastated [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]] was killed, and realizes she saw it in her vision. She attends the first of three memorial services in her near future, for the dead of the [[Orpheus]] team, meeting [[Marianne Francois]], whose daughter [[Juliet]] was killed aboard the now-revived [[HSS Raven]].<br><br />
<br>In a surprise to [[Mami]], the [[General Staff]] and [[Military Affairs]] select her as the new Chair in accordance with [[Erwynmark]]'s wishes.<br />
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In short: [[Mami]] becomes the new Chair of the [[General Staff]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|31|Aspects of Love}}|On the planet [[Bismarck]] for [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial, [[Ryouko]] meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kyouko]], along with a couple of local kids, finding herself surprisingly distant from the latter due to her experiences. [[Ryouko]] admits to [[Kyouko]] that the [[Goddess]] came to her in a vision on [[Orpheus]] to tell her about the cloaked fleet, and is afterwards unknowingly accosted by a [[Shizuki Azusa|seductive Shizuki]] until [[Patricia]] saves her. [[Patricia]] informs her that [[Kishida Maki]] is still taking [[Kyouko]]'s continued absence hard, and that she is struggling herself, before collecting a more in-depth genetic sample from [[Ryouko]]. Later that day [[Mami]], attending virtually, gives [[Erwynmark]]'s eulogy.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] comes to grips with her newfound fame at [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|32|Decisions, Implications}}|[[Ryouko]] meets with her family at the starport, only to find her parents have divorced. Still shaken, she heads immediately to [[Asami]]'s revival, comforting her, and finding herself unexpectedly comforted herself to have [[Asami]] back.<br><br />
<br>After briefly meeting [[Asami]]'s family, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] head out to meet [[Ryouko]]'s friends. While waiting, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] how unhappy she is in combat, and, consoling her, [[Ryouko]] abruptly decides to become her girlfriend… right as [[Simona]], [[Ruiko]], and [[Chiaki]] arrive. [[Simona]] retreats to the bathroom, and [[Chiaki]] covers for her, instead planning the rest of the day. They go on to a restaurant and have a sleepover, the only disturbance being the strange arrival of [[Kyubey]], who claims only to be visiting.<br><br />
<br>At [[Ryouko's grandmother]]'s funeral, [[Ryouko]] discovers that her psychiatrist [[Atsuko Arisu]] is in fact the grandmother of [[Ryouko's grandmother]]. After the ceremony, which [[Ryouko]] finds she can't connect to, she is suddenly given a memory recording from a friend of [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]]. The memory reveals that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]] grandfather was [[Kaname Tatsuya]], once the younger brother of [[Kaname Madoka]], the [[Goddess]]. [[Tatsuya]] makes [[Homura]] promise to keep [[Ryouko's grandmother]] out of the [[MSY]], as he warns darkly of the future that would become the [[Unification Wars]], recalling in particular his daughter-in-law's wish for vengeance.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] rushes with [[Asami]] to the [[Ribbon]], with both [[Kyubey]] and [[Kyouko]] showing up to watch. A vision ensues, and the [[Goddess]] explains that she is indeed related to [[Ryouko]], as hinted previously, and that she tries to limit her interventions in the world, so that people can live their own lives. She explains that [[Ryouko]] has the special burden of having less freedom to live her own life, and that she will be called upon again.<br><br />
<br>Teleporting out immediately from the [[Ribbon Chamber]] to avoid questions, [[Ryouko]] learns that [[Asami]] also received a vision, assuaging her worries and including helpful relationship advice. Before [[Ryouko]] can digest that, [[Joanne Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] show up at her door with a proposal.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes [[Asami]]'s girlfriend, and finds out she will feature in the [[Goddess]]'s plans again.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude II: Madeleines ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Madeleines (small sponge cakes) feature in Proust's "In Search of Lost Time", a famous French novel noted for its theme of involuntary memory.''<br />
: ''Likewise, this interlude centers on the peculiar role of memory in an episode of [[Asaka]]'s past. The first snippet even includes relevant sections from Proust's novel.''<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|33|Interlude II: Madeleines}}|[[Shirou Asaka]] wakes from a strange recurring dream in which she has lost someone important to her, as a [[magical girl]] in some sort of [[Contact War|crazy alien war]]. [[Alice Lynwood]], her wife, reminds her to get it checked out, but is less successful in attempting to convince her to finally have a baby.<br><br />
<br>In a professional [[VR]] game playing as [[magical girl]]s in WWII with her second-in-command [[Madhuri]], [[Asaka]] finds she needs to sacrifice her to win. Suddenly, [[Asaka]] starts thinking [[Madhuri]] is somehow actually [[Alice]], and then the game is suddenly cut short by a strange simulation error. However, [[Asaka]]'s growing unease is again washed away by the joy of her life with [[Alice]].<br><br />
<br>[[Tanaka Yui]], [[Asaka]]'s therapist, suggests doing a dream study, and [[Patricia von Rohr]] comes to visit, both of them bringing up little oddities or inconsistencies in [[Asaka]]'s thoughts. The dream study returns an apparent suppressed memory, but one involving [[magical girl]]s and an [[Contact War|alien war]] that [[Asaka]] can't remember experiencing. Soon enough, all of reality seems to be changing for her—[[Madhuri]], her location, [[magical girl]]s. Finally running a full internal diagnostic, [[Asaka]] remembers what truly happened: she was forced to send her girlfriend [[Alice]] to her death to win a battle in the [[Contact War]]. Unable to process it, [[Asaka]] had [[Reformat|Reformatted]] herself and put herself inside a [[VR]] simulation where she could live with [[Alice]]. [[Tanaka Yui]] had been helping her face the truth after breaking into the simulation, along with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Madhuri]], and even [[Asaka]]'s own internal representation of [[Alice]]. [[Patricia]] tells [[Asaka]] afterwards that [[Alice]] had planned on proposing.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asaka]]'s self-[[Reformat]] and [[VR]] simulation are undone, and she begins to finally face her lover [[Alice]]'s death.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume III: Ontological Paradox ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''In an ontological paradox, events occur as part of a causal loop: an 'initial' event, in terms of linear time, eventually causes itself.''<br />
: ''This may refer to the nature of Ryouko's wish and/or the logic of the Goddess's interventions. <br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume III Summary|Now living with [[Asami]] and working in [[ITG|a lab]] to help humanity understand wormholes, [[Ryouko]]'s life is interrupted again when she is offered a chance to investigate a [[rogue colonies|rogue colony]] on [[X-25]]. When [[ITG|the lab]] collapses on her and [[Asami]] in an act of sabotage, they decide to join the mission.<br><br />
<br>The [[X-25]] colony turns out to have a massive bunker, and [[Kyouko]] leads a team with [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] in, discovering an attempt at mass-cloning [[magical girl]]s. Moreover, two separate traps attempting to kill [[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] are encountered, the second costing [[Ryouko]] her body.<br><br />
<br>After a vision revealing [[Yuma]]'s past, a revived [[Ryouko]] manages to push [[Kyouko]] into visiting [[the Ribbon]], where she meets with [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision, and finally reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]] afterwards. [[Ryouko]], for her part, faces the disturbing revelation that she's been genetically engineered, losing control of her life as she's whisked from [[Paris]] to [[Adept Blue]]. At the same time, [[Mami]]'s self-[[Reformat]] unravels, and she meets with the [[Goddess]] in a vision as she grapples with her restored memories, finally convinced to take a vacation.<br><br />
<br>However, events—and conspiracies—don't let go of them. [[Simona]], now a [[magical girl]] and always an agent assigned to [[Ryouko]], reappears to help [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] create wormholes spanning lightyears, though her love remains unrequited as [[Ryouko]]'s relationship with [[Asami]] grows stronger. During [[Mami]]'s vacation, she and [[Kyouko]] discover that [[Misa]] had in fact been recruited by [[Homura]] to fight a mysterious enemy, and [[Yuma]] learns that someone has corrupted the [[TCF]] from [[Simona]] and [[Valentin]], both part of a secret organization fighting it with alternate [[TCF]]s.<br />
<br><br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finds herself enmeshed in conspiracy, as [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] grapple with their pasts.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|34|The Bonds that Make Us}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Asami]] attend [[Yuma]]'s birthday party via [[VR]] from [[Eurydome]], where [[Ryouko]] was brought by [[Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] for wormhole research. [[Kyouko]] brings up [[Ryouko]]'s visions in front of [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Ryouko]] is forced to explain, choosing to also forward the memory she received from [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] intervenes in an argument between [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] about [[Kishida Maki]], and brings them to [[Ryouko]]. [[Ryouko]] is reminded of her first vision, where she saw [[Yuma]], and which seemed to contradict her official history—she even tells [[Kyouko]] this. [[Ryouko]] then goes to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] for life advice, and is told that she needs to talk over her desires for an extraordinary life with [[Asami]], who wants a more domestic life.<br><br />
<br>Away from the party, [[Yuma]] explains to [[Kuroi Nakase]], [[Ryouko]]'s mother, that [[Ryouko]] is probably the most genetically sure contract in history, and moreover, that she has a genetically-engineered second, hidden genome. [[Nakase]] knew only that [[Ryouko]] was likely to contract given her ancestry, and when pressed for information as to how she got the birth license, suddenly collapses—a non-fatal defense mechanism apparently built into tampered memories.<br />
----<br />
In short: At [[Yuma]]'s party, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] learns that [[Ryouko]] was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|35|Causality}}|[[Mami]] learns from [[Marianne Francois]]'s [[grief cube]] supply chain report that in a few rare cases for the past 10 years, there have been severe shortages followed by surpluses, where they would hurt the war effort the least. [[Mami]] is disturbed by not only the report, but also her unintended reading of [[Marianne]]'s mind.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Clarisse]] go over her visions, realizing that [[Simona]] was tank-born and seemingly knew her before they met, and that the [[Goddess]] likely manipulated the events leading to [[Ryouko]]'s contract.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], in a meeting with the [[Directorate]], is asked to investigate a distress signal from [[X-25|a cult's colony]] which was thought to have been destroyed en route to an entirely different planet. Elsewhere, [[Kyouko]] promises to tell [[Yuma]] to explain her past to [[MG]], and receives from [[MG]] a recording of what happened with [[Kuroi Nakase]] at [[Yuma]]'s party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives orders to investigate [[X-25|a mysterious colony]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|36|Chasing Ghosts}}|[[Ryouko]] learns in a call from her friends on [[Earth]] that [[Simona]] has moved away, and afterwards meets with [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Kyouko]], who ask her to join a mission to investigate [[X-25|a cult's colony]] related to [[Homura]], and to consider an offer from [[Kuroi Kana]] to properly join the intelligence services.<br><br />
<br>[[Kuroi Nana]] departs after being given the memory file from [[Ryouko's grandmother]], but [[Kyouko]] accompanies [[Ryouko]] to the lab, [[ITG]], and they discuss [[Ryouko]]'s visions a bit. During an experiment at the lab, the gravity generators go haywire, and the ceiling collapses—[[Ryouko]] is saved by [[Kyouko]] and [[Asami]], but [[Asami]] is seriously injured. In the hospital afterwards, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] and [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about the apparent attempt on her life that led to her [[contract]]. [[Kyouko]] explains that the incident at [[ITG]] appears to be another such attack. [[Ryouko]] decides to join the proffered mission, which [[Asami]] accepts on the condition that she come too.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] survives an attempt on her life at [[ITG|the lab]] on [[Eurydome]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|37|Seraphim}}|[[Kyouko]] convinces [[Mami]] to let her on the colony mission due to the [[Homura]] connection, and [[Mami]] tells [[Kyouko]] about the mysterious sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]]. However, [[Mami]] becomes inordinately emotional when discussing the necessity of ordering an investigative mind-read, and she later dreams of training mind-reading abilities that she doesn't remember.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] are taught defensive telepathic techniques en route to their mission, and [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] told her to stick with [[Ryouko]] for her safety. They then meet with [[Azrael Maslanka]], who tells them both about the true proliferation of [[rogue colonies]], and her own experience on one where she was genetically engineered with wings for flight, before the colony collapsed in civil war.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting, where she tells [[Mami]] about her vision in which [[Kyouko]] was killed. The details match [[Mami]]'s planned submarine mission exactly and, disturbed, she agrees to allocate more forces.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] learn about [[rogue colonies]] from [[Azrael Maslanka]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|38|Carpe Diem}}|A special [[Miki|sentient probe]] sent to investigate the cult's colony on [[X-25]] discovers a massive underground structure and comes under heavy fire, and the [[Directorate]] approves more forces for the mission in response.<br><br />
<br>[[Meiqing]] turns out to be part of the additional forces, and she, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] go out hiking together on [[San Giuseppe]] while waiting for more reinforcements to arrive. At the top, [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] her worries about how much their lives are at risk, and [[Azrael]] explains herself to [[Meiqing]].<br><br />
<br>Finally, the mission begins, with [[Task Force Rhamnusia|conventional forces]] taking the surface of the colony on [[X-25]].<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be heavily armed, and the [[Task Force Rhamnusia|correspondingly reinforced]] assault on it begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|39|Indelible Soul}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew descend to the pacified surface of [[X-25]], and [[Gracia]], to [[Ryouko]]'s distress, forcibly mind-reads captives to learn that the colony's leader, [[Grigori DeWitt]], has escaped to the bunker with children as hostages. [[Kyouko]] manages to convince [[Mami]] and [[Governance]] to let her lead a [[MagOps]] infiltration mission, despite their misgivings that [[Kyouko]] is doing so for personal reasons, given her history.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] chooses to bring [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] on the mission, among more experienced girls, largely on personal hunch. Mission underway, and despite being hampered by some sort of magical clairvoyance blocking, they quickly discover large numbers of human clones, an apparent attempt to clone [[magical girl]]s. The attempt to communicate this to the surface is blocked by the hostile telepath, however, and the team is discovered. Clearly personally angered by the situation, [[Kyouko]] insists that they fight their way through rather than escape.<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be attempting [[magical girl]] cloning.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|40|Through a Mirror}}|The [[X-25]] team kills a number of guards, only to discover that they are cloned teenagers, heavily implanted, horrifying the rookies into [[emotional suppression]]. [[Gracia]] manages to determine that the cloned girls are transformed into controlled guards once they failed to contract, and that contracts weren't happening. [[Kyouko]] decides that they must find and capture the enemy telepath, before more clones are killed.<br><br />
<br>They find the enemy [[magical girl]], but before they act to kill her, [[Asami]] notices that [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]] is glowing slightly. Off-put by that and everything else that doesn't add up, the team nearly rebels against [[Kyouko]]'s insistence on attacking the enemy [[magical girl]], until [[Ryouko]] manages to convince [[Kyouko]] to relent by suggesting that the [[Goddess]] placed her on the mission for that reason.<br><br />
<br>Investigating, [[Asami]] detects a [[Ceph]]-like stealth device concealing a nuke, [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] disabling it right afterwards. An alarm goes up, and the enemy [[magical girl]] suddenly pleads for help. The girl, [[Sacnite Tafani]], tells them that [[DeWitt]] had been controlling her with the threat of a suicide implant, and had lied about hiding the colony's children in the bunker as bait for the nuclear trap. <br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] prevents [[Kyouko]] from rushing into a stealthed nuclear trap on [[X-25]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|41|Cause and Effect}}|Ruminating over the mission, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] decide to visit [[Sacnite]], as [[Mami]] makes a limited announcement of the mission to the general public. [[Mami]] approves the visit to [[Sacnite]] as a propaganda shoot, and [[Azrael]] joins them. Comforting [[Sacnite]], [[Ryouko]] promises to spend more time with her. Afterwards, [[Meiqing]] confides to [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] that the mission has impacted her a lot, and that she's glad she was able to help, given her family's shameful efforts in the [[Unification Wars]] to develop the cloned [[FA Elites]].<br><br />
<br>Having finally determined the whereabouts of [[DeWitt]] and the colony's children, [[Kyouko]] leads an attack on the stealthed facility, which meets with no resistance. [[DeWitt]], however, manages to kill himself via suicide implant, after claiming he was trying to figure out what blocked [[magical girl]]s "transcendence". [[Kyubey]] then appears, saying that [[DeWitt]] had based his beliefs on what [[Homura]] had achieved, thinking to have seen her alive on [[Optatum]], and that he was supported by another group which escaped in a cloaked ship. Refusing to say anything more—and strangely calling [[Kyouko]] by her personal name—[[Kyubey]] disappears, and [[Kyouko]] walks off alone to think. Feeling uneasy about the situation, and thinking of her vision, [[Ryouko]] follows… only to lose her body saving [[Kyouko]]'s life from an attack by a supposedly-friendly drone.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] loses her body saving [[Kyouko]] from a sudden drone attack.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|42|No Light Without Shadow}}|The [[MSY]] [[Leadership Committee]] meets to discuss recent events, including the attack on [[Kyouko]], the results of the [[grief cube]] audit, and the sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]], among others, but to no real conclusion. After the meeting, [[Kyouko]] is surprised by [[Atsuko Arisu]], her therapist, who to [[Kyouko]]'s anger tells her both that she should have stepped aside during the [[X-25]] mission and that she should stop hiding from her feelings for [[Kishida Maki]].<br><br />
<br>With [[Asami]] personally guarding [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]], she, [[Ryouko]]'s family, [[Meiqing]], and even [[Sacnite]] plan to travel to [[Earth]] for [[Ryouko]]'s revival, which has been delayed for unspecified reasons. Meanwhile, both [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] assign security teams for [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>Through a [[VR]] recreation, [[Mami]] reveals to [[Kyouko]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] that it appears [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]] didn't fail, but was instead somehow swapped out for another. The soul mage who put the [[soul gem]] that failed into stasis saw that it had a meek, shy personality which, she found out later, didn't match [[Misa Virani|Misa]]'s at all. However, the [[VR]] review they perform doesn't show any possible moment in which [[Misa]]'s [[soul gem]] could have been swapped.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] discovers that [[Misa Virani]] is likely alive, her [[soul gem]] swapped for another.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|43|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part One}}|[[Ryouko]] finds herself in another vision, in which the [[Goddess]] explains that [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], and [[Mami]] are more fragile than they seem, and that their "phase transition" must be managed carefully. [[Ryouko]] looks, and sees…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]], noting that [[Kyouko]] is being pushed into finally confronting her relationship problems and that they need to help her, tells [[Mami]] and [[MG]] about her past with the [[Southern Group]], and about [[Miki Sayaka]]…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s abusive parents, unable to pay debts, attempt to sell her to the Yakuza, until the [[Southern Group]] suddenly intervenes. They kill the Yakuza, but [[Mikuni Oriko]] is seriously injured, and [[Yuma]] wishes to heal her. [[Yuma]] memory of this is patchy, though, and [[Oriko]] informs [[Yuma]] that the Yakuza killed her parents, so she'll take her in. Under [[Oriko]]'s tutelage, [[Yuma]] lives a good life and learns much, but she can see that the [[Southern Group]] is vicious to others and generally hated. [[Oriko]] favors [[Yuma]], to the other members' chagrin, and shares secrets like her efforts to try to bring [[Kyouko]] and [[Sayaka]] together before splitting them apart, and her work to saturate [[grief cubes]], which [[Yuma]] later accidentally discovers leads to [[demon]] spawns.<br><br />
<br>Uneasy with her new life, [[Yuma]] runs into [[Sayaka]], who is clearly very troubled herself, explaining that she was in [[Southern Group]] territory to die fighting their evil. Instead, [[Sayaka]] takes [[Yuma]] to dinner. [[Yuma]] runs into Yakuza on the way back, but [[Sayaka]] appears, killing them before disappearing—though a shocked [[Yuma]] manages to reattach one's head and save his life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Sayaka]] had died fighting a horde of [[demon]]s at a violin concert, and pieces together the truth: [[Oriko]], using her power to see the future and saturated [[grief cubes]] [[Yuma]] had made, purposefully spawned the [[demon]]s to kill [[Sayaka]].<br><br />
<br>In the present day, [[Yuma]] explains that she wants to tell [[Kyouko]] all this, so that she won't blame herself for [[Sayaka]]'s death, but has been afraid to since she was involved. After talking this over, [[Yuma]] continues the story for [[MG]]'s sake…<br><br />
<br>[[Clarisse van Rossum]] visits [[Oriko]] and [[Yuma]], telling [[Oriko]] that there may be some merit to [[Homura]]'s strange belief in a [[Goddess]], and passing [[Yuma]] an anonymous message saying she has the potential to change things, and that [[Oriko]] only sees what she tries to see.<br><br />
<br>Life finally calms down for [[Yuma]] after this, though her studies accelerate, as [[Oriko]] uses magic to enhance her mind.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] reveals that [[Oriko]] caused [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|44|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part Two}}|[[Ryouko]]'s vision continues, as she watches [[Yuma]] retell her past to [[Mami]] and [[MG]]…<br><br />
<br>Upset at [[Oriko]]'s use of saturated [[grief cube]]s to kill others, [[Yuma]] sabotages the machine used to make them, but [[Oriko]]'s machinations continue, with team leaders like [[Kuroi Kana]] forced to come and beg for the return of captured members. One night, another team led by [[Tanaka Yui]] attacks, [[Yuma]] just barely escaping—or so she thought, as she instead leads the attackers right to the rest of the [[Southern Group]]. But before the ensuing battle, [[Yuma]] finds that the rest of her team is torturing and killing other [[magical girl]]s to absorb their powers.<br><br />
<br>Fleeing in horror, [[Yuma]] finds herself taken in at a church, where she finds the Yakuza man whose life she saved earlier. He explains that he had saved a number of girls held by the Yakuza and was now on the run, trying to do good and live a better life as atonement. [[Yuma]] talks with [[Reverend Hashimoto|the priest]] sheltering him, and he tells her she should forgive herself for not stopping everything that's happened. That night, [[Yuma]] receives a message from [[Kuroi Kana]], which helps her to realize that [[Oriko]] had in fact had her parents killed.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] returns to the [[Southern Group]], now under blockade and uneasy. [[Oriko]] claims that they are still on the path towards eliminating the Yakuza and bringing about a better world, but [[Yuma]] decides that they must be destroyed. Taking the advice passed on by [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Yuma]] manipulates the [[Southern Group]] in order to change the future without [[Oriko]] noticing. Eventually, during an already difficult [[demon]] fight, she spawns hordes more [[demon]]s using saturated [[grief cube]]s, and manages to turn her team members against each other. All but [[Oriko]] are killed, and [[Oriko]] finally realizes what has happened. Telling [[Yuma]] there may still be hope for her, she crushes her own [[soul gem]].<br><br />
<br>Warning obscurely that a crisis is coming, the [[Goddess]] ends [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] explains how and why she killed the [[Southern Group]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|45|The Body Electric}}|Back on [[Earth]], [[Asami]] is still unable to face the results of her [[wish]], and longs for [[Ryouko]] to return—which she does, along with [[Clarisse]], to their surprise. [[Clarisse]] tells [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] explained she does have a soul, and that her body would be regenerated by [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]]. [[Valentin]] explains that the delay in the revival was due to both [[Clarisse]]'s regeneration and some necessary handling for [[Ryouko]]'s unique genetics. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends, including [[Sacnite]], who is being de-aged physically to match her mental age, and her new [[matriarchy]] bodyguards, who get along poorly.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] bursts in soon after, followed by [[Yuma]], who oddly both make a point of asking [[Ryouko]] if she was told why her revival was delayed. It soon becomes clear that [[Yuma]] is using [[Ryouko]] to confront [[Kyouko]] about her behavior, and in the ensuing argument [[Kyouko]] reveals she already figured out [[Yuma]] and [[Oriko]] were involved in [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death. After [[Yuma]] departs, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Kyouko]] about her vision, mollifying her until the subject of [[Kishida Maki]] comes up.<br><br />
<br>Having walked out in a rage despite knowing [[Ryouko]], like everyone else, is right about [[Maki]], [[Kyouko]] visits [[the Ribbon]]. In the ensuing vision, [[Kyouko]] meets her little sister [[Sakura Momo]], who tells her to move on from her past. [[Kyouko]] then descends onto a beach where she finds [[Miki Sayaka]], who finally convinces [[Kyouko]] to try reconciling with [[Kishida Maki]], and who also shows [[Kyouko]] a glimpse of eternity.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] is comforted by her sister and [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|46|Wheels Within Wheels}}|Eating dinner with [[Kyouko]] and her friends and family, [[Ryouko]] is surprised by [[Valentin]], who drops by to inform her that [[Governance]] would like to use the [[Orpheus|upcoming movie]] about her to inform the public about V2 [[TacComp]]s. [[Valentin]] also conveys her regrets that [[Ryouko]]'s parents had split, especially since she had introduced them.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]], acting a bit odd, brings the crew shopping the following day, only for them to be suddenly surprised by [[Kishida Maki]], who had apparently been assigned by someone to give [[Ryouko]] a message regarding [[Orpheus|the movie]]. [[Kyouko]] confesses to [[Maki]] that she started their relationship because of her physical similarity to [[Miki Sayaka]], but tells [[Maki]] that it had grown beyond that, so she wants to try again. Skeptical, but still in love, [[Maki]] accepts her.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, [[Maki]] explains to [[Ryouko]] that the ''[[Orpheus]]'' movie team would like to bring her to [[Paris]] to provide assistance. [[Ryouko]] agrees to go, but is uneasy about having her life directed by yet another proposition she can hardly turn down.<br><br />
<br>At the same time, in [[Paris]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Nadya Antipova]] that she's discovered [[Misa Virani]] likely underwent a [[Reformat]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|47|City of Lights}}|In underground [[Paris]], and bothered by the incongruity of that with her wish, [[Ryouko]] meets with her aunt [[Kuroi Nana]]. She warns [[Ryouko]] that [[Shizuki Sayaka]] will try to pull her in, showing her what life on [[Earth]] has to offer, and notes that she has opportunities with the Kuroi [[Matriarchy]] as well, though it wouldn't be an easy life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] meet with the actors who will play them in [[Orpheus|the movie]], who have altered their appearances to match them exactly. [[Clarisse]] also is invited to join them in hologram form, and they go to the set to act out scenes. Thinking on her reenacted past, [[Ryouko]] finds she misses the meaningfulness of the war.<br><br />
<br>At a bar that night, they come across a mysterious friend of [[Ryouko]]'s [[Elisa Yamada|actor counterpart]], who invites them to a [[VR]] facility.<br />
----<br />
In short: In [[Paris]], [[Ryouko]] uneasily cooperates with ''[[Orpheus]]'s'' production.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|48|To Know Thyself…}}|Hidden in [[Paris]], [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] meet to discuss the apparent conspiracies in action. [[Ryouko]]'s genetic anomalies have been investigated further, and an entirely novel portion of her brain has been found, of still-unknown purpose. Meanwhile, on the way to the [[VR]] center, [[Ryouko]] and crew are stopped by a sudden inexplicable power loss, and then are dragged away by a sudden massive [[demon]] spawn. [[Yuma]] is informed of this via [[Incubator]] plushie, and realizes that [[Shizuki Sayaka]]'s plan to secretly investigate [[Ryouko]]'s brain in a [[VR]] session is being thwarted by a deliberate [[demon]] spawn. [[Nadya]] notes that the power outage looks almost like [[Misa]]'s handiwork.<br><br />
<br>The [[demon]] hunt isn't easy, but [[Ryouko]] is aided by a pair of [[magical girl]]s who oddly refuse to identify themselves. Not long afterwards, [[Rebecca Shu|a messenger]] from [[Kuroi Kana]] appears, revealing that the mystery woman accompanying them is in fact [[Shizuki Sayaka]], and further revealing the planned [[VR]] scan.<br><br />
<br>Brought to a secret location, [[Ryouko]] is told by [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Kuroi Nana]] about the genetic engineering done to her, along with the fact that her parents were unaware and their memories altered. They further explain need to examine [[Ryouko]] more closely, and the apparent attempt to prevent this. [[Ryouko]], overwhelmed, leaves to be alone with [[Asami]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns that she was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|49|Transition State}}|[[Mami]], finding herself plagued by an inexplicable headache, is approached by her [[MHD]] [[Charlotte Meitner|minder]], only for the minder to collapse from a sudden brain hemorrhage, though [[Mami]] is able to heal her.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive at [[Adept Blue]], on orders from [[Mami]], all attempts to probe the genetically engineered portion of her brain having failed. The lab's [[AI]] director, [[Vlad]], greets them there, as does [[Mami]]—surprisingly, in person. They reveal that they've made a breakthrough, which should allow them to construct a range amplifier for [[Ryouko]], with [[Asami]]'s help. [[Mami]] also explains that, given the unknown function of the modifications to [[Ryouko]]'s brain and the recent attempts on her life, [[Ryouko]]'s presence on asteroid-borne [[Adept Blue]] with her bodyguards and [[Patricia von Rohr]] makes her more secure.<br><br />
<br>Alone, [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] discuss her circumstances: she's all but on the run from the [[MHD]], and clearly suffering from the unraveling of a [[Reformat]]. They agree to bring in an outside telepath to investigate.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] discuss their situation and their [[wish]]es, taking consolation in the fact that at least they've been brought and kept together in the whirlwind of their lives.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive on [[Adept Blue]] to help develop new wormhole technology in a secure location.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|50|Sub Rosa}}|[[Mami]] brings [[Azrael]] to [[Adept Blue]], and asks her to help undo her [[Reformat]]. They dive together into [[Mami]]'s memories, and discover an aspect of her own mind, taking various forms. It explains that [[Mami]] self-[[Reformat]]ted, using her now-suppressed impressive telepathic powers to tear off a piece of herself to create the block in her mind. [[Mami]] makes herself whole again, and remembers what she forgot…<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], traveling with her lover [[Akiyama Akari]] in the late twenty-first century, is suddenly caught in a crisis when their plane explodes. [[Mami]] burns almost all her magic trying to save the entire plane, but fails, and [[Akari]] is near death. Sharing their last moments together using [[Akari]]'s soul mage powers, [[Mami]] observes with horror the beginnings of [[Akari]]'s transformation into a terror of despair, until her [[soul gem]] finally vanishes.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] manages to survive, kill the local [[magical girl]]s responsible for the destruction of the plane, and turns herself in. [[Homura]] talks with her alone, explaining that she knew about the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from. [[Mami]], unable to deal with this revelation or the loss of [[Akari]], asks for help in [[Reformat]]ing herself.<br><br />
<br>After [[Mami]] resurfaces from the memories, [[Kyubey]] appears, claiming to be interested in both information-gathering and her well-being. [[Mami]] finds herself, as she had hoped, older and wiser enough to handle the end of her [[Reformat]], though left with unfinished business. She immediately questions [[Ryouko]] about the [[Goddess]], and both [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] tell her that [[Goddess|She]] does exist. [[Kyubey]] comments that it can't say such things are impossible, and [[Mami]] decides to visit [[the Ribbon]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] undoes her self-[[Reformat]] and learns the original fate of [[magical girl]]s.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|51|Eternal Search}}|With work continuing on the new wormhole tech, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] talk. [[Azrael]] explains how she handled her own genetic modification and controlled life, eventually deciding to look to the future and just ask for what she wanted, to surprising success. [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] that she thinks she's only really been happy on missions, which [[Asami]] had already realized.<br><br />
<br>On [[Earth]], [[Kyouko]] brings [[Mami]] to [[the Ribbon]], and they discuss the fact that someone must have triggered the unraveling of [[Mami]]'s [[Reformat]], and that logically it must have been [[Homura]].<br><br />
<br>At the [[Ribbon]], [[Mami]] enters a vision and meets—and immediately attacks—[[Oriko]]. Unharmed, [[Oriko]] responds merely by apologizing for her actions in life. [[Oriko]] explains that, as [[Homura]] told [[Mami]], what she saw with [[Akari]] was the beginnings of a terrible transformation made impossible by the [[Goddess]], and that [[magical girl]]s are instead brought to her afterlife. The [[Goddess]] herself then tells [[Mami]] that she needs to learn to let go and stop burying herself in endless work for humanity. The [[Goddess]] brings out [[Machina]] too, revealing her sentience to [[Mami]], and suggests they go on vacation, promising that there won't be [[Cephalopod]] activity for a few weeks.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]] explaining matters, and is encouraged to take a vacation.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|52|Who We Are}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew meet unexpected visitors on [[Adept Blue]]: [[Valentin]], and [[Tao]] from [[ITG]]. [[Tao]] explains that he's made some important theoretical breakthroughs that should help their work, and [[Valentin]] explains that [[Vlad]] and [[Clarisse]] are part of two separate attempts to create separate [[TCF]]s, to help provide more security against attacks like the hacked drone on [[X-25]].<br><br />
<br>Doing rescue work on a colony world retaken from the [[Ceph]], [[Zhou Meiqing]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting with [[Kuroi Nana]], who is investigating [[X-25]]. She tells [[Meiqing]] that the [[Far Seers]] have determined both of them were deliberately placed on the mission by [[Homura]] somehow, and that they recommended asking [[Meiqing]] to work with her in the [[Black Heart]]. [[Meiqing]] asks for time to decide.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] remembers going with [[Homura]] to interrogate a prisoner, [[Zhou Zhi Yi]], during the [[Unification Wars]]. On the way, [[Yuma]] asks [[Homura]] how the [[Goddess]] can allow so much evil to happen, and [[Homura]] responds that she doesn't know. [[Zhi Yi]] tells them that her work developing the [[FA Elites]] was mere prelude to her plans to genetically modify humanity to serve [[magical girl]]s needs, seeing it as the only way to preserve humanity long-term. [[Yuma]] executes her.<br><br />
<br>Back in the present day, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Simona]] has been found, and is now a [[magical girl]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] comes to [[Adept Blue]], and [[Simona]] is discovered to be a [[magical girl]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|53|Alignment}}|[[Shizuki Sayaka]] reveals to [[Yuma]] that she found [[Simona]] in [[Paris]]—they were both aiding [[Ryouko]] during the suspicious [[demon]] attack. [[Simona]] explains she's part of a mysterious organization trying to "save the world", and offers them a deal: she will give them information to ensure the safe creation of wormholes by [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]], on the condition that she join them on any missions using those wormholes to attack the [[Ceph]]. As proof of her good intentions, she agrees to undergo full [[soul mage]] examination.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] meets with [[Marianne Francois]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[New California]] as part of her attempted vacation. [[Mami]] also enjoys [[Machina]]'s company as they eat at a restaurant together, before moving on to a séance organized by the [[Far Seers]] meant to investigate what happened to [[Misa Virani]]. [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] enter into a strange vision in which they find themselves playing characters tracking down a mysterious enemy facility with [[Homura]]. They run into [[Misa]]—accompanied by [[Kyouko]] and [[Nadya]], similarly playing characters—who is tracking her friend whose [[soul gem]] supposedly failed mysteriously. [[Homura]], who is inhabiting another body as a disguise, reveals herself, and afterward convinces [[Misa]] to self-[[Reformat]] and destroy the building to hide the truth.<br><br />
<br>Using the mathematics provided by [[Simona]], and with [[Clarisse van Rossum]] in attendance, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] successfully create a long-distance wormhole.<br />
----<br />
In short: A séance reveals [[Homura]]'s role in [[Misa]]'s past, as [[Humanity]]'s first wormhole is created with the help of information from [[Simona]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|54|Eternal Youth}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] learn from the [[soul mage]] examination of [[Simona]] that the [[TCF]] has been seriously breached. Back at [[Adept Blue]], [[Simona]] watches [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]]'s successful wormhole test, reminiscing about her childhood as part of a secret project to design and implement an alternate, uncompromised [[TCF]]. [[Simona]] then reveals herself and her new status as a [[magical girl]] to [[Ryouko]] in the celebration following the successful test. [[Ryouko]], suspicious because of her vision which implied [[Simona]] was involved in the conspiracies surrounding her, confides her worries in [[Clarisse van Rossum]], who along with [[Clarisse]] [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] validates her worries and further reveals that [[Simona]] is in love with her. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] asks [[Earth]] for more information about exactly what is going on.<br><br />
<br>On [[New California]], [[Maki]] presses [[Kyouko]] on her melancholy attitude, and [[Kyouko]] confesses her worries about their relationship and how she's used romance in the past to fight against her own age. [[Nadya]] and [[Marianne Francois]] talk about their kids, reflecting on the death of [[Juliet Francois]], until [[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Maki]] arrive to meet them. Bothered by the somber mood on what's supposed to be a vacation, the group ends up going dancing—[[Mami]] in particular doing so with abandon—until they are interrupted with news from [[Yuma]]. That night, [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] discuss their recent visions, and [[Mami]] informs [[Kyouko]] she's been suddenly recalled to the [[General Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]]'s memories reveal a breach in the [[TCF]], as she meets [[Ryouko]] at [[Adept Blue]] and as [[Mami]]'s vacation comes to a close.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|55|New Perspectives}}|Headed back towards [[Earth]], Mami attends a virtual meeting of the [[General Staff]]. The new [[Coeus Project]]'s intelligence has revealed that the [[Ceph]] have regrouped faster than expected after the [[Battle of Orpheus]], so the Staff agrees to request more military resources and to put every effort into developing another "knockout" punch before the [[squid]] can attack again.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Azrael]] shares a [[VR]] recreation of her [[Terra Roja|old colony]], complete with flight-enabling bioengineered bodies, with [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Patricia]]. After some flying, conversation eventually turns to the topic of [[Simona]], and [[Ryouko]] decides to share everything she's worried about and ask for advice. When the other girls then suggest directly confronting [[Simona]] to resolve the romantic situation and uncover the truth, [[Ryouko]] initially balks. However, realizing that her life would remain out of her control as long as she never takes action herself, [[Ryouko]] changes her mind and agrees to the plan.<br><br />
<br>Meeting remotely, [[Vlad]] informs [[Mami]] that their wormhole experiments have uncovered a confounding space-time anomaly near a pulsar, and [[Mami]] realizes that it matches one of the mysterious, newly-discovered [[Ceph]] facilities the [[General Staff]] had been examining as potential targets.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] decides to confront [[Simona]], while [[Mami]] investigates a [[squid]] [[pulsar mines|pulsar facility]] as a potential target.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|56|Pulse}}|[[Simona]], suddenly facing [[Ryouko]]'s demands for answers, explains her secretive life, from her upbringing up through her assignment to [[Adept Blue]]. Though she refuses to share everything, particularly the breach in the [[TCF]], she does reveal her wish: to be understood by, and to protect, [[Shizuki Ryouko]]. With mixed feelings, [[Ryouko]] agrees to give [[Simona]] a chance to earn back trust, but makes clear that she does not reciprocate [[Simona]]'s love.<br><br />
<br>Shortly afterward, [[Vlad]] and [[Asami]] run a new experiment investigating the strange [[pulsar mines|pulsar]] in [[Ceph]] space, and [[Asami]] discovers a huge network of stations facilitating the 'mining' of its space-time for use in [[Blink technology]]. [[Mami]] is immediately informed, but before taking action, she first returns to the [[Ribbon]]. There, the [[Goddess]] reassures her that her heart really is in the right place, and tells her that humanity needs her heroism once again. The [[Goddess]] then hints towards the [[pulsar mines]], and gives [[Mami]] a glimpse into the mystery of the [[Cephalopod]]s as a whole.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]] explains herself to [[Ryouko]], and [[Mami]] meets again with the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|57|Triple Point}}|[[Mami]] visits [[Adept Blue]], promoting [[Asami]] for her recent work and informing her and [[Ryouko]] that she needs them to help destroy the [[pulsar mines]] to stave off the [[Ceph]]. While that project gets underway, [[Asami]] and [[Ryouko]] get a break, which they choose to spend together in one of the partially-restored wildernesses of [[Earth]]. There, they discuss their relationship, and find their hopes for it have somewhat converged: Asami is in less of a rush to settle down, and Ryouko is thinking more about the long-term. For the first time, Ryouko says "I love you."<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere in deep space, [[Vlad]] christens the construction of a massive new wormhole apparatus [[Project Armstrong]], and discusses with [[Tao]] the heightened security measures and screening now seemingly necessary to protect it from internal threats. And elsewhere on [[Earth]], a disguised [[Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] stop [[Nakase]] and [[Sacnite]] as they exit a showing of ''[[Orpheus]]'' to talk about unblocking her memories of the agreement she made to get [[Ryouko]]'s birth license.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Project Armstrong]] gets underway as [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] strengthen their relationship.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|58|On Trusting Trust}}|[[Nakase]]'s memories reveal that [[Valentin]] was responsible for genetically engineering [[Ryouko]], but [[Valentin]] disappears before she can be apprehended, leaving behind a letter implying that she is in fact [[Akemi Homura]]. [[Yuma]], seeing the connections between [[Valentin]], [[Ryouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] all running through the [[Cult of Hope]], and discounting the possibility that the [[Goddess]] could be real, begins to fear that the [[Cult]] is a malevolent conspiracy. However, she first is forced to address the definitely malevolent conspiracy which has compromised the original [[TCF]]—including [[MG]], to their mutual distress. [[Yuma]] and a patched [[MG]] rapidly expand their circle of informed and/or repaired AIs, starting with [[MG]]'s friends.<br><br />
<br>One of those friends, ''[[Governance: Cult of Hope]]'', acts against [[Yuma]]'s wishes and contacts [[Clarisse]] just as she and [[Ryouko]] are returning to [[Project Armstrong]]. When asked, [[Clarisse]] confirms the rumor that she had experienced visions from the [[Goddess]] convincing her that AIs have souls, but she unhappily decides she can't yet tell [[Ryouko]] about the [[TCF]] breach given the still-mysterious organ in her brain.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] vanishes once exposed as responsible for [[Ryouko]]'s genetic modifications, and [[Yuma]] begins restoring the [[TCF]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|59|Parlor Games}}|[[Nadya]], chasing down leads on [[Valentin]] from [[Kyouko]], ends up on [[Yenisei]] visiting family. The slightly tense visit is interrupted by a power outage, and the revelation that [[Piotr|her grandson]] saw [[Misa]]. [[Nadya]] hurriedly enlists local help from the [[Cult]], but finds only [[Misa]]'s trail of destruction, not the girl. In a ruined structure, hidden from local networks and drones in a manner implying [[TCF]] corruption, she digs up damaged data crystals.<br><br />
<br>The crystals end up containing a set of deep space coordinates, and [[Kyouko]] tries to set up a meeting with [[Yuma]] to discuss them, only to find that [[Yuma]] is off [[Earth]] for the first time in her life. [[Yuma]] herself is disturbed by the invitation, which included several high-ranking [[Cult]] members, but is forced to focus on the immediate task of repairing [[Nova]], [[Governance]] representative for [[Nova Terra]]. The mission nearly spirals out of control, but with help from [[MG]] and others, [[Yuma]] manages to induct [[Nova]] and her considerable resources into a still-intact conspiracy. This quickly bears fruit in the form of uncovered coordinates—unbeknownst to [[Yuma]], the same ones [[Nadya]] found.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], a crystal salamander delivers a message from [[Homura]] to [[Simona]]: "I'm sorry for everything."<br />
----<br />
In short: Both the [[Cult]] and [[Yuma]], running parallel investigations, uncover a mysterious set of coordinates.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|60|Digital Divination}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Simona]] practice in simulation for their upcoming mission: using [[Project Armstrong]]'s wormhole apparatus to launch [[jumpstrike|an attack]] on the [[Ceph]]'s [[pulsar mines]]. The simulation ends in their deaths—not an uncommon occurrence, a fact which weighs on them, especially [[Asami]]. But [[Ryouko]] works hard to support her girlfriend, even genetically engineering an exotic plant for [[Asami]] to wear in her hair as a gift.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s investigation into the AIs involved in [[Ryouko]]'s life turns up no [[TCF]] corruption, but indicates that the conspiracy she faces may have simply covered their tracks. Her investigation into the mysterious deep space coordinates yields more: a hidden asteroid base. [[Yuma]] plans to personally lead a field mission, using experimental anti-[[IIC]] technology to prevent any occupants from revealing [[Yuma]]'s conspiracy to their own. Excluded from [[Yuma]]'s planning, [[Kyouko]] unknowingly organizes a [[Cult]]-sponsored expedition to the same exact coordinates.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] hears the [[Goddess]]'s voice telling her not to go to the pulsar.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] independently plan deep space missions to the same coordinates, while [[Ryouko]] undergoes simulation training for [[Project Armstrong]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|61|Into the Void}}|[[Yuma]] and a field team of fellow [[Ancient]]s and escort ships visit the deep space asteroid base and find evidence of contact between the [[Ceph]] and [[Governance]] [[Representatives]] early in the war, ending in the death of the alien representatives. [[Kyouko]] then arrives with a large contingent of [[Cult of Hope]] members, leading to a brief flaring of tensions, before Yuma and her group is ambushed by an alien attack force.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, [[Ryouko]] and the others at [[Adept Blue]] launch their wormhole attack on the pulsar. While initially semi-successful, the task force is thrown for a loop when the aliens begin to tear their wormhole apart, and Ryouko suddenly cannot teleport.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] discover secret [[Ceph]]-[[Governance]] contacts from the early war, and then are ambushed by an alien raid. [[Ryouko]] and [[Project Armstrong]] attack the [[pulsar mines]], but alien countermeasures confound the effort.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|62|The Dying Light, Part One}}|[[Yuma]] and her [[Ancients]] struggle to hold out against [[Ceph]] raiders while [[Kyouko]]'s ships rush to link up with them. They eventually succeed, but at the cost of [[Raven]], many mundane crew and Spec Ops, and [[Ceri|a magical girl]] from [[Kyouko]]'s forces.<br><br />
<br>At the pulsar, [[Ryouko]]'s team can't end the block on her teleportation, and they have to be rescued by [[Oda|another teleporter]]. Upon returning to the wormhole, [[Asami]] is unable to fully stabilize it, and [[Ryouko]] leaves to raid the pulsar's mining facilities in response. Her teleportation is blocked again there, but this time she finds the source: mysterious [[Ceph]], with a [[blink interdictor]], as she learns unexpectedly with help from the strange organ in her brain. Still, the delays have been too much, and the order is given to abort the mission as soon as the wormhole is stabilized.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, despite having combined their forces, [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] are slowly losing their battle—and then [[Yuma]] learns the alien bombers are about to make a second pass, fully reloaded by a stealthed supply ship.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] face destruction by [[Ceph]] raiders. [[Ryouko]]'s brain module activates, and the pulsar mission has fallen apart.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|63|The Dying Light, Part Two}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] concoct a radical plan: surreptitiously place [[supersaturated grief cubes]] on the departing alien bombers as an indirect surprise attack on the alien supply ship. They take heavy casualties from the second bombing, however, and learn that calling for reinforcements had caused a counterreaction from whoever compromised the [[TCF]], using their remaining assets to spill secrets and cause chaos.<br />
<br />
[[Ryouko]] makes more contact with alien machines through the strange organ in her brain, and [[Patricia]] helps her to decode some of the information before [[Oda]] and another team arrive to help teleport them away. Regrouping with [[Asami]], they learn she has successfully restabilized the wormhole. Ryouko explains that with the information she has received, she has acquired a bit more insight into her teleportation, enabling her to teleport objects without teleporting herself. Asami then concocts a radical plan of her own, proposing that Ryouko teleport one of her black holes near the pulsar as they evacuate, which would devastate the region.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Yuma's group continue their gambit. Using information gathered by Ryouko, they activate their captured alien vessel's [[blink]] drive, teleporting the surviving members of the group to the now-incapacitated alien supply ship. They board the ship and discover, to their confusion, that the demons they spawned are feeding on some of the Ceph. With no time to ponder this, they drain the ship's exotic matter fuel tanks to manufacture interdiction charges, which are then used on their pursuers in order to escape for good. [[Charlotte Meitner]] and [[Nadya Antipova]] die in this final battle.<br />
<br />
At the pulsar, the evacuation is nearly complete, and Asami and Ryouko resolve to perform their gambit. [[Simona]] vehemently disagrees and attempts to kidnap Ryouko to stop this, but is defeated, her soul gem torn from her body. Asami and Ryouko then successfully teleport a black hole near the pulsar, and attempt to evacuate through the wormhole with Oda's teleport as the pulsar undergoes gravitational collapse. However, this teleport is interrupted by the wormhole fracturing, and while Oda, Asami, and others seem to make it through, Ryouko is trapped when the wormhole collapses, dumping her 24 light-minutes from the pulsar, heavily injured.<br />
<br />
Before the radiation shockwave from the pulsar reaches her and kills her, an alien vessel makes contact using Ryouko's strange organ, offering rescue. With no other option, Ryouko teleports aboard, and the ship blinks away.<br />
<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] escape the [[Ceph]], but take heavy casualties. [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] destroy the pulsar mines, but [[Ryouko]] is stranded, forced to accept rescue from an alien ship.}}<br />
<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude III: Manifest Destiny ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Manifest Destiny is a term describing the belief that the United States, due to its special virtues, had both a duty and a destiny to expand west into North America.''<br />
: ''It also describes similar beliefs in the [[MSY]] during its fifth phase, as it reached further and further beyond the island nation of Japan.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|64|Interlude III: Manifest Destiny}}|The soul mage [[Akiyama Akari]], pursuing a rogue South Korean soul mage [[Seoyun]], is caught up in a major incident in which [[Tomoe Mami]] is mind-controlled by [[Seoyun]]. Akari manages to free her by turning Seoyun's soul manipulation—generated love for the target—towards herself instead.<br />
<br />
In the aftermath, Mami proposes that the two of them try a relationship, and this goes quite well. Akari begins researching the "[[energy gap]]", and the MSY decides to change its [[Charter]], embarking on a new, expansionist agenda to expand beyond Japan.<br />
<br />
This eventually pulls them both back into Korea: the MSY's expansion into the area has collapsed [[grief cube prices]], critical to magical girls along both sides of the DMZ. The situation escalates with a bombing in Seoul by a magical device using a soul gem for power, and then escalates again when a threat against [[Mitakihara]]'s airport is discovered, accompanied by a letter threatening a nuclear-scale device which bridges the energy gap. Akari and Mami work feverishly on security, and disaster is barely averted, though the bomb fails to bridge the energy gap.<br />
<br />
Finally identifying the source of the bombs inside North Korea, Akari accompanies a strike force that assassinates the mage responsible.<br />
<br />
In the wake of these events, Mami and Akari attend negotiations with other North Korean magical girls from the border region affected by the crash in grief cube prices, stabilizing the situation. But then the North Korean government collapses in a coup by Chinese-backed plotters, leading to sudden opportunities for MSY expansion into North Korea from the north. Mami and Akari lead successful negotiations in Pyongyang and depart for China, the two of them blissfully unaware of the conventional bomb planted on their plane by DMZ radicals.<br />
<br />
After Akari's death (detailed in [[Chapter 50]]), [[Homura]] discourses out loud in private, perhaps to [[Madoka]], discussing the dark turn of events and the resulting founding of the [[Black Heart]] intelligence organization.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Akari]] and [[Mami]] navigate their relationship as the [[MSY]] navigates expansion outside Japan.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume IV: Einstein-Rosen Bridge ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''An Einstein-Rosen Bridge is a hypothetical way of connecting two spacetime coordinates; in other words, a wormhole.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|65|Other Means}}|Terrorist attacks occur across Human space via the closing [[TCF]] breach, as [[Yuma]]'s counter-conspiracy goes loud. In space, Mami defends [[Carthago]] from compromised orbital defenses, aided by [[Homura]]'s aura, though the woman herself remains hidden. On [[Earth]], [[Ryouko]]'s father [[Shizuki Kuma]] survives the destruction of [[Prometheus]] thanks to aid from unknown magical girls.<br />
<br />
In the aftermath, Kuma learns that major leaks have been propagated as well, including about the [[MSY]]'s cloning program and about his daughter. [[Shirou Asaka]] then informs him that Ryouko died in the [[pulsar mission]].<br />
<br />
Back on [[Adept Blue]], [[Asami]] is devastated by Ryouko's loss. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] convinces her to talk to the now-imprisoned [[Simona]], who tells her that Ryouko must still be alive, since Simona's wish is still unfulfilled.<br />
<br />
And on the [[Ceph]] ship that rescued Ryouko from certain death, she receives medical care and is informed that the [[Ceph]]—the "Thinkers"—who rescued her are from a peaceful faction who Homura made contact with long ago. Ryouko's mysterious brain organ is revealed to be used for handling [[preference-specification]]s and Thinker telepathy, and to be necessary for proving that the Thinkers prosecuting the [[Contact War]] against Humanity have been deceiving the Thinker government, [[Consensus]], back in the Triangulum Galaxy.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[TCF]] breach is exploited to perform acts of terrorism, and [[Ryouko]] learns about her mysterious brain organ from the [[Ceph]] who saved her.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|66|Aftershocks}}|Following the previous terrorist attacks, [[Mami]] meets virtually with [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]], discussing the latter's near-fatal alien encounter and the former's recent encounter with [[Homura]]. Mami reveals her recent [[Ribbon]] visions to Yuma, who is unsettled, though she agrees to join the others on a later visit to the Ribbon.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile [[Ryouko]], on the [[Ceph]] ship, undergoes a week-long recuperative fugue. Afterwards, she communicates with the ship, who herself turns out to be an uploaded [[Thinker]], and who also explains to Ryouko the basics of the Thinker [[Consensus]], [[Tentacles]], and social organization.<br />
<br />
Mami, Kyouko, Yuma, and the other members of the [[Leadership Committee]] Intelligence subcommittee meet to discuss their response to recent events. After much criticism of Yuma and Kyouko for their independent, secretive actions, the committee agrees to form a task force to handle future developments with regards to the [[Conspiracy]] and Homura.<br />
<br />
[[Chiyo Rika]], once the [[Rules Committee]] Speaker and now a member of the media, mulls over recent events and plots her own response.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Yuma]] grapple with the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, while [[Ryouko]] learns the basics of [[Ceph]] society.}}<br />
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<br />
=== Interlude IV: Ubermensch ===<br />
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: ''Übermensch is Nietzsche's idea that humanity should turn away from the other worlds and values promoted by "dead" religions and gods, setting instead the goal of advancing new, superior generations of humans on earth.''<br />
: ''This may refer to [[FA]] ideologies, or even aspects of [[Governance]] thought. It notably stands in contrast to Ryouko's life and wish.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
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=== Volume V: Dark Energy ===<br />
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: ''Dark energy is a proposed form of energy that drives the accelerating expansion of the universe towards eventual heat death.''<br />
: ''This may imply topics ranging from the role of the [[Incubator]]s to the [[magical girl system]] itself.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
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=== Interlude V: Destroyer of Worlds ===<br />
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: ''Part of a quote by the god Vishnu in the Bhagavad Gita, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Made famous by J. R. Oppenheimer, who later said he thought of the line after witnessing the first test of an atomic bomb.''<br />
: ''Perhaps covers the Unification Wars, which saw heavy use of atomic weapons. May include [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s role, a character who notably was also present for the first atomic detonation.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
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=== Volume VI: Singularity ===<br />
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: ''A singularity is a point at which a function takes an infinite value, especially in space-time when matter is infinitely dense, as at the center of a black hole. It is also a term used for the hypothetically unknowable changes to the human condition caused by superintelligence.''<br />
: ''In former sense, it may reference [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] or [[Asami|Asami's]] powers. In the latter, perhaps it refers to [[Governance|Governance's]] Emergency Mode Level Four.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div></div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=To_the_Stars&diff=1752To the Stars2023-02-17T04:31:08Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: Add Ch. 65 summary</p>
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<div>{{Quote|After centuries of turmoil, a Utopian AI/human government has seized control of Earth, heralding a new age of post-scarcity and space colonization. An unexpected encounter with a hostile, technologically superior alien race has broken the peace, forcing magical girls to come out of hiding to save human civilization.<br />
<br />
In the midst of it all, Shizuki Ryouko, an ordinary girl, looks to the sky, wondering at her place in the universe.|Hieronym|author of To the Stars<br />
}}<br />
<br />
This page summarizes the entire story, volume by volume and chapter by chapter, for those who want a refresher on events. It also includes the names of all future volumes and interludes, [http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/55779437700/future-interlude-title-change as released by] [[Hieronym]] many years ago.<br />
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Each section is collapsed by default, to avoid unwanted spoilers; use the right-hand "Expand" buttons to view descriptions.<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
== Synopses ==<br />
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=== Volume I: Quantum Entanglement ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon where groups of particles cannot have their state completely described independently of each other, even if separated by large distances.<br />
: ''This perhaps describes the position Ryouko finds herself in.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume I Summary|[[Shizuki Ryouko]], a regular girl dissatisfied with her utopian life, [[contract]]s and becomes a [[magical girl]], [[wish|wishing]] to leave [[Earth]], explore, and "find my place in this universe". Her life rapidly turns anything but ordinary, as day by day wild events pile up and new secrets from her past reveal themselves. She ends up under the tutelage of both [[Tomoe Mami]] and [[Sakura Kyouko]], learns that the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]] was deliberately caused by someone, discovers that she's the descendant of two powerful competing [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], receives a mysterious vision from a magical girl [[Goddess]], finds out her parents have been working on a secret project cloning bodies for [[magical girl]]s to use, receives a special V2 [[TacComp]], and learns about her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]], protege of [[Akemi Homura]], whose wish turned [[Ryouko]]'s own [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] from a [[magical girl]] back to a regular human.<br><br />
<br>All along, [[Ryouko]] struggles to adjust, learning as much about magical and military worlds she's entering as she can. Saying goodbye to friends and family, and starting to make new friends among her fellow [[magical girls]], she finally departs [[Earth]], led by her [[wish]] out into a strange new universe.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]], and begins to discover her unusual place in the universe.}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|1|A Wish}}|[[Ryouko]] goes to school, dissatisfied with her life. She feels out of place in a world where her family at home and friends at school seem to enjoy the near-utopian [[Earth]], even as a [[Contact War|war]] against an [[Ceph|alien]] menace rages. However, [[Mandatory Session|classes]] are interrupted by the appearance of [[Tomoe Mami]] nearby, who has taken a detour to check the school for potential [[magical girl]] recruits with [[Kyubey]], who claims he has found one. The sighting leaves [[Ryouko]] dwelling on the remote possibility of becoming a [[magical girl]], distracting her enough that she unthinkingly agrees to go on a date with another boy from class. [[Simona]], one of her friends, sees that she's unhappy and follows her out to a riverbank with a view of the [[starport]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], on the other hand, surreptitiously visits [[Kyouko]] in her church to discuss [[the Cult]]'s discovery of irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain. She agrees to look into it and departs, only to encounter a [[demon]] spawn on her way back. At the riverbank, [[Simona]] is about to confess her feelings for [[Ryouko]], when they are suddenly attacked by [[demons]]. [[Ryouko]] manages to keep the both of them alive for a short while before getting trapped. At the moment she attempts to sacrifice herself to save [[Simona]], [[Mami]] saves them both, and along with [[Kyubey]] explains that [[Ryouko]] has the [[potential]] to make a [[wish]] and become a [[magical girl]]. {{Quote|"I wish I could leave Earth," Ryouko said, looking down, "and explore this world. I want to go where no one else has gone before and find my place in this universe."}}<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|2|Fantasma}}|[[Mami]], with some reluctance, separates [[Simona]] from [[Ryouko]] and lets [[Kyouko]] take over the immediate training. [[Kyouko]] runs her through the ropes quickly, learns that [[Ryouko]] has an unprecedented 200km teleportation range, and assigns herself as a mentor along with [[Mami]], who has in the meantime realized that [[Simona]] had a crush on [[Ryouko]]. [[Mami]] advises [[Simona]] not to tell [[Ryouko]] how she feels. [[Ryouko]] fights her first [[demon]]s with [[Kyouko]], and afterwards [[Patricia von Rohr]] shows them a pile of [[grief cube]]s she found, indicating the [[demon]] spawn was deliberate. The [[Incubator]]s swear off responsibility, and all [[Ryouko]] can remember is seeing a woman in the distance just beforehand. [[Kyouko]] promises to investigate.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] discovers that someone deliberately spawned the [[demon]]s which led to her [[contract]].<br />
}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|3|Mami Watches a Movie, Part One}}|Disguised, [[Mami]] attends the movie ''[[Akemi]]''. It depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] upbringing in an orphanage, her [[wish]], and then [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, which triggers a vision of the [[Goddess]] for [[Homura]] that changes her personality markedly. It then depicts [[Yuma]] asking to be taken in by [[Homura]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]]—a fabrication, the movie-watching [[Mami]] notes—and the resulting [[Mitakihara Four]] founding the [[MSY]]. The movie montages through the [[MSY|MSY's]] history, jumping ahead to the alien [[Cephalopod]]'s first attack on [[Aurora]], after which [[Homura]] rallies the [[MSY]] to send a massive force of [[magical girl]]s to [[New Athens]] to stop the next attack.<br />
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In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] life up until [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|4|Mami Watches a Movie, Part Two}}|With [[Mami]] in attendance, the movie ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Mami]] and [[Homura]] directing a surprise assault on the [[Cephalopod]]s at [[New Athens]]. Initially the battle goes well, and the [[Human]] forces on the ground rally, but the aliens deploy stronger measures in turn. [[Homura]] goes out to personally lead the counterattack, but the combination of stealth armor and orbital strikes is too much, and she falls in battle… only to find that her [[soul gem]] refuses to fill with [[grief]], preventing her from being taken away by the [[Law of Cycles]], to her despair. [[Homura]] then suddenly heals from her wounds, and her white wings are replaced by huge, horrible black wings. Almost entirely by her own power, she leads the counterattack to victory, at the end personally redirecting an orbital superweapon back at the [[Ceph]] fleet.<br><br />
<br>In the final scene of the movie, [[Kyouko]] argues to an unconvinced [[Mami]] that the battle proves [[Homura|Homura's]] faith in her [[Goddess]] has merit, only for both of them to be interrupted by [[Homura|Homura's]] arrival. [[Homura]] announces her resignation from the [[MSY]], leaving one of her [[The Ribbon|ribbons]] with them, and declares that she is leaving to look for her [[Goddess]], protecting the world another way. The movie over, [[Mami]] begins her departure from [[Earth]], starting her endless work anew with her Version Two [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br />
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In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] transformation, victory, and disappearance at [[New Athens]].}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|5|Family}}|[[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] tell [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] family that she has [[contract]]ed, to their horror. [[Kyouko]] defends [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] choice, and explains some of the [[magical girl]] system to them, though they prove to know more than most. Before [[Ryouko]] goes to bed, [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] comes to talk with her, expressing disappointment that [[Ryouko]] lied when she promised not to [[contract]], and talking the situation over. After watching [[Ryouko]] [[transform]] and discussing her weapon, an arbalest, she leaves [[Ryouko]] with the request to tell her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] (who had disappeared to join the military when [[Ryouko]] was a child) that her family was sorry, should [[Ryouko]] meet her.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] falls asleep, [[Kyouko]] sticks around to gather information on her family situation as per procedure. [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] grandfather [[Kuroi Abe]] willingly helps her out, explaining that [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] parents are near divorce, though [[Ryouko]] doesn't realize it, and that they know so much about magic because they're researchers. He also mentions that [[Ryouko]] has an [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]] she doesn't know about. That night, [[Ryouko]] dreams of an old encounter with a [[magical girl]], and finds that she still has the bracelet the girl gave her. She also recalls an old memory of her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] talking about [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]], though she doesn't understand it. After talking to [[Simona]] and her family a bit, [[Ryouko]] spends the morning reading through the swath of informational messages about her new life.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] tells her family she has [[contract|contracted]].}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|6|Military}}|[[Mami]] remembers the [[Mitakihara Four]]'s celebration of [[October Three]] with [[Homura]], shortly before the [[Contact War]]. The four of them poke fun at each other—including about [[Homura]]'s secret pupil and [[Kyouko]]'s "transgressions"—and eventually [[Mami]] suggests that they take a long vacation from the [[MSY]] together, only for the others to reluctantly shoot the idea down.<br><br />
<br>In the present, [[Mami]] arrives at the [[starport]] with her bodyguards and meets with [[Marianne Francois]], her intelligence officer, who she instructs to secretly investigate the [[grief cube]] supply chain as [[Kyouko]] asked. Later arriving at [[Carthago Shipyard]] via scramjet then space elevator then [[Navigator]], she attends a meeting of the [[General Staff]].<br><br />
<br>During the meeting, the Chair of the [[General Staff]] [[Roland Erwynmark]] reveals that the [[Cephalopod]]s have been discovered constructing a [[wormhole stabilizer]] in the [[Kepler-37 System]], at the tip of the ongoing [[Euphratic Incursion]]. This would allow the aliens to directly transport reinforcements into the system, within [[Blink]] distance of the [[Core World]] [[Optatum]], and so an immediate [[MagOps]] operation is planned to destroy it. [[Erwynmark]] then announces that he's appointing [[Mami]] as a special [[Euphratic Sector]] commander, over some opposition from her opponents on the [[General Staff|Staff]].<br />
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In short: [[Mami]] is promoted, and tasked with destroying the discovered [[wormhole stabilizer]].}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|7|Southern Group}}|[[Kyouko]] wakes up (with [[Kishida Maki]] at her side) and while making the rounds at her [[Kyouko's Church|church]] discovers that [[Maki]] has painted the [[Goddess]] with pink hair, a previously unknown trait. However, [[Kyouko]] has to immediately leave to see [[Yuma]] about the [[grief cube]] incident. On the way, [[Kyouko]] remembers when she first met [[Yuma]], in a confrontation with the [[Southern Group]] shortly after [[Homura]] had first joined the team, before her personality change. [[Kyouko]] had immediately taken sympathy, and telepathically invited her to switch sides, though the very young [[Yuma]] had angrily refused after [[Kyouko]] insulted [[Oriko]], who had saved [[Yuma|Yuma's]] life.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko|Kyouko's]] reverie is briefly interrupted by [[Maki]], who tells her the idea of the pink hair came from [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Kyouko]] then further recalls the next two times she saw [[Yuma]]: first, months later after [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, in a chance encounter at a store where she had revealed she was doing "research" with [[Oriko]], and second, two years after that, when [[Kyouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Homura]] had saved her after the deaths of [[Oriko]] and the rest of [[Southern Group|her team]]. After that, they had [[Befriending|Befriended]] her, and once [[Yuma]] recovered she joined them as one of the [[Mitakihara Four]]. Eventually [[Yuma]] had told them what had really happened the night [[Oriko]] died, and they resolved to keep it secret.<br><br />
<br>As [[Kyouko]] arrives at [[MSY]] [[Governmental Affairs]] to see [[Yuma]], she lastly recalls [[Homura]] telling [[Yuma]] that the [[Goddess]] provided an afterlife for [[magical girl]]s, the only time [[Kyouko]] ever heard her say it out loud.<br />
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In short: [[Kyouko]] remembers how [[Yuma]] ended up joining the [[Mitakihara Four]].}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|8|Church and State}}|[[Yuma]] runs out to greet [[Kyouko]] like an older sister, herself having taken on a nine-year-old form, and [[Kyouko]] is greeted by her [[Governance]] partner [[MG]] as well. [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] then meet privately to discuss the irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain, and the further reports of [[magical girl]]s going missing, and [[Yuma]] agrees to investigate. When [[Kyouko]] brings up the [[grief cube]] incident with [[Ryouko]], [[Yuma]] immediately deduces that the [[grief cube]]s were super-saturated with grief—a possible state kept very secret, though they don't have a sample to prove it. Before leaving, [[Kyouko]] recommends that [[Yuma]] visit [[The Ribbon]], but she demures just as [[Mami]] always does, instead giving [[Kyouko]] an [[Incubator]] plushie.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] checks with [[Kyubey]] briefly about the [[grief cube]]s, but he does not provide any new information, and so [[Kyouko]] ends up back at [[Kyouko's church|her church]], where she meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Patrica]] reveals that she kept some of the [[grief cube]]s from the incident after sensing something strange about them, and [[Kyouko]] tells her to inform [[Yuma]] through the plushie, which turned out to be enchanted as a [[telepathy]]-enhancer. [[Kyouko]] also gets [[Asaka]] to agree to share the details of the [[Goddess]]'s hair with the [[Theological Council]]. Finally, [[Kyouko]] gives a sermon on the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from, and announces that the church will be updating the statue of the [[Goddess]].<br />
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In short: [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] discover that the [[grief cube]]s planted near where [[Ryouko]] was attacked were super-saturated.}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|9|Echoes}}|[[Ryouko]] arrives at [[Kyouko's church]], which holds [[MSY]] living quarters and local military facilities underground, in order to get her military upgrades. [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]] guide her through the process. [[Patricia]] notes that [[Ryouko]] has an extremely unusual genetic profile, requiring some adjustments to the process, and then begins the procedure. [[Ryouko]] watches in a semi-[[VR]] experience as the procedure installs a [[TacComp]], removes implants that are useless for [[magical girl]]s, and installs a [[Permanent Awareness Module]], among other things. Testing out her new capabilities, [[Ryouko]] sends [[Asaka]] a memory snapshot of the [[magical girl]] who gave her the bracelet she rediscovered after her [[contract]]. [[Asaka]] reacts oddly, but continues on to show [[Ryouko]] the armory and get her equipped with the required basics.<br><br />
<br>Then she cuts the tour short, instead bringing [[Ryouko]] to the [[Ribbon Chamber]]. At the [[Ribbon]], [[Ryouko]] finds herself in a confusing vision, seeing among other things [[Yuma]] at the death of [[Oriko]], [[Simona]] looking directly at her on her first day of class, [[Asaka]] receiving instruction from the [[Goddess]] to wait for the girl who sent her the memory [[Ryouko]] did, the [[Goddess]] herself briefly showing her face and telling [[Ryouko]] to keep it a secret, and the death of [[Kyouko]] on some sort of mission involving submarines. Both of them watching, [[Patricia]] comments to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] that for a few reasons, including [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s own presence, she's not that surprised [[Ryouko]] received a vision.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|10|Brigadier}}|[[Ryouko]], brought before the [[Theological Council]] to relate her vision, tells what she saw of [[Kyouko]]'s death, determining with them it was on a colony world and that what actually killed [[Kyouko]] was likely a laser, not a misfire from the submarines. She keeps the rest of the vision from [[Theological Council|the council]], though [[Asaka]] deduces easily that she saw the [[Goddess]]. [[Asaka]] goes on to explain the circumstances of her own vision, where she met again with her dead partner [[Alice]], whose death under her command had torn her apart. Now that she has recovered and her vision is resolved, [[Asaka]] tells [[Ryouko]] she plans to return to the front with [[Mami]], who has just been promoted.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Kyouko]] talks with [[Mami]] about [[Ryouko]], noting that her family tree is dense with [[contract]]ees and connected to the Shizuki and Kuroi [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], that [[Patricia]] found a number of novel mutations in her genetics, and that her friend [[Simona]] has some strange anomalies in her recorded past. Unsure what to make of this, and with no further progress on the [[grief cube]] incident, [[Mami]] agrees at [[Kyouko]]'s request to take on [[Asaka]] as a general, with [[Patricia]] and [[Maki]] as two of [[Asaka]]'s attachments.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] grapples with her vision, and [[Asaka]] explains how her story connects.}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|11|Remains of a Life}}|[[Ryouko]] sets up her [[TacComp]] and chooses [[Atsuko Arisu]] as her designated psychiatrist, then goes out to eat dinner with her family and eventually ends up (through a test of her newfound right to drink alcohol without intoxication filters) bringing them to a firing range at [[Kyouko's church]]. There they visit other facilities, including a sparring area where they meet [[Risa Flores]], but [[Ryouko]]'s parents are surprisingly well-informed on the subjects. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] visit her spot near the [[starport]], and talk about their impending military lives, and the disappearance of [[Ryouko's grandmother]], both remembering her saying that she had lost something.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] receives her [[SW-155|officer's pistol]], and her [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] tells her she's planned a going away party. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends at a showing of ''[[Akemi]]'' and finally reveals her [[contract]] to them, also inviting them to the party. Watching the movie, [[Ryouko]] reflects on [[Homura]]'s beliefs, and the fact that her vision contradicts the movie's portrayal of [[Yuma]]. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] asks [[Simona]] what she was going to say to her before the [[demon]] attack, but [[Simona]] tells her to forget about it. [[Ryouko]] also asks about when she looked directly at her on her first day of class (as she saw in her vision), but [[Simona]] claims it was nothing.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, [[Yuma]] convinces [[Kyouko]] to have a spy bug planted on [[Ryouko]] for her protection, and warns her to be careful herself given [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] spends time with her family and friends as she prepares to leave for [[Contact War|war]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|12|Demon Hunter}}|[[Ryouko]] receives a [[CubeBot]] and three [[grief cube]]s, then studies combat doctrines with her [[TacComp]] until [[Kyouko]] invites her to join a [[demon]] hunt. [[Patricia von Rohr|Patricia]] and [[Risa Flores|Risa]] meet her at [[Kyouko's church]], where [[Kyouko]] appears briefly but leaves, clearly bothered by the impending departure of [[Kishida Maki]]. On the hunt itself, [[Ryouko]] uses her teleportation to rescue civilians, move other [[magical girl]]s in for attacks, and so forth, finding herself enjoying the combat. The hunt is interrupted by the injury of one girl, who loses an arm and part of her face, but [[Ryouko]] simply teleports them to the armory hospital, where she is told they will be fine shortly, and the rest of the hunt continues without incident.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] goes on a [[demon]] hunt.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|13|Differences of Knowledge}}|The next day, [[Ryouko]] goes to an [[MSY]] social gathering for new recruits, finding [[Risa Flores]] there as a chaperone, and meets a new girl named [[Nakihara Asami]], who shares her desire to explore new worlds, albeit as a xenobiologist. They get along well, and continue on to the next scheduled event together. The following day, [[Ryouko]] meets [[Atsuko Arisu]] for her psychiatrist appointment, who manages to get her freely talking about many things, including her [[wish]], and who also recommends that she talk with her parents about her family ancestry.<br><br />
<br>That night, [[Shizuki Kuma|Ryouko's father]] interrupts her reading on military subjects to take her to [[Prometheus]], where she meets [[Joanne Valentin]]—who appears to be the woman she saw shortly before the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]]—and receives an upgrade to Version Two for her [[TacComp]]. Afterwards, [[Shizuki Kuma|her father]] secretly takes her into [[Prometheus]]'s cloning facility where he and [[Kuroi Nana|her mother]] work, which he explains is used to provide new bodies to [[magical girl]]s who are reduced to [[soul gem]]s. [[Ryouko]] is shocked, especially upon seeing the beginning stages of her own clone, and bothered at the secrets kept from her.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] learns about the [[MSY]]'s [[cloning program]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|14|Bloodlines}}|[[Yuma]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Mami]] decide [[Ryouko]]'s discovery of the [[cloning program]] isn't a problem, and discuss the incident that led to [[Ryouko]]'s contract. [[Mami]] remembers seeing [[Joanne Valentin]] at the movie theatre shortly afterwards, and [[Yuma]] confirms that she was the woman near the [[demon]] spawn, and moreover that she mysteriously changed her whole life shortly after the [[Contact War]] began. Investigations into [[Simona]] and the [[grief cube]] supply chain problems [[Kyouko]] reported have unearthed more discrepancies, but nothing major, and [[Risa Flores]] hasn't reported anything from her watch over [[Ryouko]], and so they disperse.<br><br />
<br>Back at home, [[Ryouko]] reads the file on her family with her improving [[TacComp]], and discovers that her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] is stationed at the [[Apollo]] shipyard. Moreover, when viewing her family tree she finds much of it explicitly redacted, with the revealed portions being enough to show that she is a descendant of both the Shizuki and Kuroi [[Matriarchy|Matriarchies]]. Later, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] comes to talk to her, and [[Ryouko]] confronts her about the secrets she's kept. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]] says she's kept the secrets to prevent [[Ryouko]] from [[contract]]ing, and will explain more the next day at the going away party.<br><br />
<br>At the party, [[Ryouko]] receives a number of gifts, including a necklace with the Shizuki crest from [[Shizuki Koto]], her paternal grandfather, and a ruby ring with a helix inside, one of a pair from [[Simona]]. [[Kyouko]] arrives, and informs [[Ryouko]] that both her grandparents will be placed in slightly safer positions as part of standard procedure, her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] in particular being moved to the shipyards. Next to arrive is [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Kuroi Kana]], who begins an attempt to recruit [[Ryouko]] into the [[Black Heart]] (and reveals that [[Ryouko]]'s bracelet is in fact a Kuroi insignia), but she is immediately followed by [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Shizuki Sayaka]] and her own recruiting pitch. [[Kyouko]]'s poor intervention is followed by [[Atsuko Arisu]]'s successful one—her presence at the party revealing that she must be related somehow to [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>This is all further interrupted by the sudden appearance of [[Kuroi Nana]], the [[magical girl]] who gave [[Ryouko]] her Kuroi bracelet and until now her entirely secret aunt, a fact which displeases [[Ryouko]] greatly. [[Kuroi Nana]] brings her aside, promising to help explain the situation, and revealing that she's part of the secret [[Internal Security]], and has been searching for [[Akemi Homura]] on behalf of the [[MSY]]. With that said, they begin a memory transfer.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] meets [[Kuroi Nana]], her previously-secret aunt. }}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|15|Samsara}}|[[Ryouko]] experiences her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt's]] memories, with some explanation provided by a sub-sentient assistant.<br><br />
<br>In the memories, [[Kuroi Nana]] investigates the strange behavior of her [[Kuroi Nakase|younger sister]], finding with the help of a computer specialist that her sister's new friends weren't who they seemed, and secretly following them on a [[demon]] hunt. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]], in reality a [[magical girl]], rushes to save [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] when [[demon]]s attack, getting gravely injured in the process. [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] contracts to turn her sister mundane again, to her sister's relief. However, these events seriously strain their family, as their [[Ryouko's grandmother|mother]] isn't allowed to know about the [[MSY]]. When [[Homura]] offers to mentor [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]], she accepts, and all but leaves the family.<br><br />
<br>It's explained to [[Ryouko]] that when [[New Athens]] revealed the [[MSY]], [[Ryouko's grandmother]] blamed it for both her mother's death and her family's troubles, and insisted that [[Ryouko]] be kept from contracting.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] surfaces from the memories, [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] closes off by telling [[Ryouko]] that she had just reconciled with [[Ryouko's grandmother]], and they rejoin the party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns more of her family history from [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|16|Light of the Sky}}|[[Ryouko]] says goodbye to friends and family at the starport, journeying with [[Asami]] by scramjet and then space elevator. While riding the elevator, [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] names herself [[Clarisse]] after [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Ryouko]] muses that her [[wish]] may have somehow changed the past, causing all the sudden revelations of the past week. At the top, the new [[magical girl]]s take a [[Navigator]] shuttle to the [[HSS Spectre]], an old [[frigate]], who leads them around herself. When they reach the [[FTL]] core, [[Ryouko]]'s gem suddenly begins to shine.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finally leaves [[Earth]] with [[Asami]].}}<br />
</div><br />
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<br />
=== Interlude I: Underworld Dreams ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Unusually, this is a title with relatively direct meanings.''<br />
: ''[[Kugimiya Ito]] dreams of his old girlfriend [[Nakanishi Aiko]], as he digs into a transformed Japanese underworld.<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|17|Interlude I: Underworld Dreams}}|[[Kugimiya Ito]], a police detective in [[Mitakihara]], investigates the disappearance of [[Okamura Yuu|a local teenage girl]] with [[Minami Kaoru|his junior partner]]. Meeting the girl's parents makes him suspect abuse is the culprit, and reminds him of his old teenage sweetheart [[Nakanishi Aiko]], who disappeared under similar circumstances. Back at headquarters, while analyzing the case's evidence electronically, he happens upon an image of the girl meeting what looks to him like [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]. When he confronts the missing girl's friends about the [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]-lookalike, they unconvincingly deny knowing anything until a Yakuza-affiliated lawyer suddenly shows up. Investigating this lead leads him to a [[D&E]] logistics building, where he's confronted by Yakuza and nearly killed for knowing too much, until [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] suddenly intervenes, still the same age as when she disappeared.<br><br />
<br>Reeling, and told to drop the case by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] returns to headquarters, only to be met by [[Ronaldo Rizal|an Interpol agent]] who has been tracking similar mysterious cases. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] is asked to make contact with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again and investigate further. He successfully makes contact, and is brought to [[D&E]] headquarters with his partner, to be greeted by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], who treats him just like she did when they were dating, to his embarrassed pleasure. They meet the CEO of [[D&E]], who turns out to be [[Sakura Kyouko]] under an assumed name, and who explains the situation, including the fact that they already knew about the Interpol investigation. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] agrees to drop the investigation if he can confirm for himself that the missing girl is alright, and afterward retires to be with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kugimiya Ito|A police detective]] happens across his [[Nakanishi Aiko|long-missing girlfriend]] and discovers she is part of an [[MSY]] Yakuza takeover.}}<br />
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=== Volume II: Inflationary Expansion ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''This is the universe's theorized early period of exponential inflation.''<br />
: ''Here, it likely refers to the escalation of plot and stakes, especially for Ryouko.''<br />
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{{Spbox|Volume II Summary|[[Ryouko]] completes her military simulation training, growing close to [[Asami]], and gets her first taste of real combat shortly afterwards as her convoy is unexpectedly and suspiciously attacked by [[Ceph]] fighters. After [[Ryouko]]'s successful defense there, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]], who doesn't know how to respond, and then both are recalled to the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]], where the first attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] has failed.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] is assigned to a [[MagOps]] team, and begins training while still wrestling with family and relationship confusion, including the sudden revelation of her [[TacComp]] [[Clarisse]]'s sentience. The eventual battle begins poorly, as the wormhole unexpectedly activates right at the start. [[Ryouko]]'s team presses on, only to find the mission much more difficult than expected, and they slowly attrit team members. They finally destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]], but as the [[Goddess]] reveals in a vision, the [[Ceph]] had already amassed a stealthed fleet large enough to take the system. Having realized that her power uses wormholes, [[Ryouko]] reopens the [[Ceph]]'s wormhole and sends the fleet back through, saving the day.<br><br />
<br>However, the battle was not without its casualties—[[Asami]] lost her body after nearly grief-spiraling upon hearing of [[Ryouko]]'s apparent death, [[Ryouko's grandmother]] died in a [[Ceph]] raid, and [[Erwynmark]] died as well, among others. Coming to grips with her sudden fame and new life amidst memorial services and the news of her parents' divorce, [[Ryouko]] decides to become [[Asami]]'s girlfriend. But there are more surprises in store: as the [[Goddess]]—who [[Ryouko]] discovers she is distantly related to—reveals in another vision, [[Ryouko]] will find herself caught up in even greater events soon enough.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delivers the [[Battle of Orpheus]], and connects with [[Asami]], as her old life falls away.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|18|To the Ground}}|The [[General Staff]] watches as a [[MagOps]] mission to take out the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, all members killed, after they are detected teleporting through [[Orpheus]]'s atmosphere. Afterwards, [[Mami]] dreams of her past failures, disturbing her [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br><br />
<br>On the planet [[Giungla]], [[Ryouko]] is embedded in a military unit along with other [[magical girl]]s, fighting against a [[Ceph]] invasion. She goes off mostly on her own to successfully rescue a soldier from her unit, and then joins up with a team of [[magical girl]]s to teleport into an alien attack column, again with significant success.<br />
----<br />
In short: The initial attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, as [[Ryouko]] gains combat experience elsewhere.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|19|To the Sky}}|Finding that she enjoys the combat, [[Ryouko]] works hard to sustain the [[human]] forces, but the arrival of a major [[Ceph]] fleet in system forces a general evacuation. They begin taking heavy losses, and [[Ryouko]] quickly becomes acting-Commander. [[Asami]] dies, [[Ryouko]] enters [[emotional suppression]], and just barely escapes... only to suddenly wake up from the accelerated [[VR]] simulation.<br><br />
<br>Calmed by [[Clarisse]] and relieved to see [[Asami]] alive, [[Ryouko]] heads back to their shared room in the training center on [[New Athens]]. [[Clarisse]] recommends that they read some "messages" together, which turn out to be relationship proposals for [[Ryouko]]. [[Asami]] comments that she had been warned this might happen, due to [[Ryouko]]'s mentors and heritage. The next day, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her [[wish]] was for her parents to stay together and understand each other, and [[Ryouko]] relays her own [[wish]], as they look forward together towards the end of training.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] finish simulation training.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|20|Relativity}}|[[Kishida Maki]] remembers how she [[contract]]ed and later met [[Kyouko]], dating, but breaking up after a fight over [[Maki]]'s decision to head to the front, and [[Kyouko]]'s refusal to explain her history with [[Miki Sayaka]], a near lookalike. Stationed on [[Apollo]] with [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]], [[Maki]] then heads out, completing another mission aboveground to secure a building back from the [[Ceph]].<br><br />
<br>Headed to [[Acheron]] with [[Asami]] and a new friend from training, [[Meiqing]], [[Ryouko]] suddenly notices a bright flash from her [[soul gem]]. Soon, the cause is discovered by the ship, [[Laplace]], to be [[Ceph]] fighters. The early warning allows them to dodge the initial missile attack, but eschewing standard doctrine, the [[Ceph]] turn around for another assault, forcing the transport's [[magical girl]]'s to fight them in space combat, with [[Ryouko]] taking charge. The fight goes well, but the final ship detonates its core in a desperate but futile attempt to kill them.<br><br />
<br>While recovering from the ensuing protective fugue, [[Clarisse]] reveals to [[Ryouko]] that she has uncovered the memory of her vision, and is in fact sentient. Afterwards, they arrive at [[Acheron]], minor heroes, and [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] attend a celebration of [[October Three]] together.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]]'s convoy is attacked unsuccessfully by [[Ceph]] fighters.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|21|Discontinuity}}|[[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Yuma]] meet virtually to celebrate [[October Three]], and discuss the mysteriousness of [[Simona]] and the unlikely and seemingly irresponsible attack on [[Ryouko]]'s convoy, the absence of [[Homura]] weighing on them.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] talks with [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about training and suitors, but fails to mention the attack on her convoy. [[Ryouko]] then goes with [[Asami]] to see a basketball game, and then to a volcanic spa, noting that [[Asami]] is acting strangely, and finding that she isn't enjoying the time on [[Acheron|a colony world]] herself as much as she expected. At the spa, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her romantic feelings to a stunned [[Ryouko]], who promises to think about it—they have little time to reflect, however, as they are at that moment recalled to active duty in the [[Kepler-37]] system, the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asami]] confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|22|Shifting Winds}}|Now on [[Mami]]'s flagship, the [[HSS Zhukov]], and unable to stop thinking about [[Asami]], [[Ryouko]] is awarded a medal for her performance during the [[Ceph]] attack on her convoy by the Field Marshall. [[Mami]] then brings her to the bridge, where they enter simulation as [[Mami]] explains the strategic situation. This is interrupted by a perfunctory [[Ceph]] attack, which [[Ryouko]] watches from the bridge.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, they reenter the simulation to meet [[Erwynmark]], and [[Ryouko]] is told about the planned second wormhole mission, which requires her teleportation capabilities. [[Ryouko]] is to be sent down to [[Apollo]] to meet with the rest of the team (and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]]) to prepare.<br><br />
<br>Resting after the earlier battle, [[Mami]] dreams of the destruction of her apartment by [[Oriko]], which reunited her with [[Kyouko]], and of other old memories, followed by a strange dream in which she and an unknown girl, somehow important to her, were in a plane crash.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] is assigned to the second [[wormhole stabilizer]] mission on [[Orpheus]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|23|Lost Love}}|Along with others, [[Mami]] plans Humanity's counteroffensive to support the [[Orpheus]] mission and end the [[Euphratic Incursion]]. Meeting with [[Erwynmark]], who will also lead the battle, they conclude that their success rests on the [[MagOps]] mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] thinks of her friends—including [[Chiaki]] on [[Earth]], who always teased [[Ryouko]] about relationships—and ends up calling [[Meiqing]], who insists that she call [[Asami]], who is broken up over [[Ryouko]]'s non-answer to her confession. However, there isn't time, as the [[HSS Raven]] brings her down to [[Apollo]], where [[Ryouko]] meets up with [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]], who was seriously injured in the fighting but recovering easily. They share some time together, as [[Ryouko]] informs him that she's going on a dangerous mission. Her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her family already knew about the attack on her convoy, and that he finally managed to find and talk with [[Ryouko's grandmother|his wife]] again, who wants to talk with [[Ryouko]] as well once there's a chance.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delays talking to [[Asami]], and meets [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]] on [[Apollo]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|24|Historian}}|[[Ryouko]]'s new [[MagOps]] team practices working together on [[Apollo]] by fighting the [[Ceph]]. Their team practice and bonding is later interrupted by the announcement of yet another new team member: [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Ryouko]]'s childhood hero and, as it turns out, personal friend of team commander [[Nadya Antipova]]. They immediately return to mission simulations, first knowing they're simulations, and later not, failing often—with [[Ryouko]] regretting not contacting [[Asami]] in her apparent final moments.<br><br />
<br>Recovering from this, the team socializes, and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Ryouko]] that she should talk to [[Asami]] even if she doesn't know what to say. Finally, [[Ryouko]] does so, telling her about the dangerous mission she's on, and asking her to survive the upcoming battle too so they can resolve things afterward. They end the call somewhat comforted, but [[Asami]] in particular finds herself still worried and unsure.<br><br />
<br>That night, resting, [[Ryouko]] has a mysterious seeming dream-vision, including a moment in the [[Cult]]'s rose garden on [[Earth]] where [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] speaks strange things and almost appears to be someone else unknown.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Clarisse van Rossum]] joins the wormhole team, and convinces [[Ryouko]] to contact [[Asami]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|25|Piercing the Sky}}|Waiting aboard the [[HSS Raven]], [[Clarisse]] and [[Ryouko]] find themselves ruminating on the possibility of their death, and the [[Goddess]]'s promised afterlife for [[magical girl]]s. [[Juliet Francois]] and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] both ask about [[Ryouko]]'s visions, but she defers, stating she doesn't think they are relevant to the current mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] begins the [[Human]] offensive, for her part attempting to draw [[Ceph]] forces away from [[Orpheus]]. While it initially appears a success, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] which was thought to be still under construction suddenly activates, and hordes of reinforcements begin pouring through.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Orpheus]] mission begins poorly, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] activating before it even begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|26|Blood and Ichor}}|[[Clarisse van Rossum]] decides the [[MagOps]] team must act immediately. Donning [[magitech]] armor, [[Ryouko]] teleports the team straight from low orbit to what looks to be the key stabilizer core for the [[wormhole stabilizer]]. After efficiently clearing out enemy personnel, [[Nadya]] announces that there are what appears to be twelve separate stabilizer cores, rather than the single expected one, of which perhaps up to four are real. They detonate a [[PAYNE|nuke]] on the closest core, teleporting away towards the next one.<br><br />
<br>This time they encounter even more waiting [[Ceph]], and clear them out with more difficulty. Suddenly, right when two fighters attack, a [[Ceph]] sniper takes shots at [[Eva Guderian]] and [[Ryouko]], killing [[Eva Guderian|Eva]] instantly and shattering [[Ryouko]]'s arm. In a rage, [[Ryouko]] teleports on top of the sniper and slaughters it.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[wormhole stabilizer]] survives an intended killing blow, and [[Ryouko]] loses control after [[Eva Guderian]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|27|Those Brilliant Shining Stars}}|Shocked at herself and slowly recovering, [[Ryouko]] realizes that her [[soul gem]] is not only pulling her towards the wormhole, but also reacting to the true stabilizer cores—and the one they lost [[Eva Guderian]] attacking is a fake.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, the fleet battle in system is going poorly, and [[Erwynmark]] defers to [[Mami]], who decides they must continue to hold out in hope of destroying the wormhole.<br><br />
<br>The [[Orpheus]] team quickly finds and destroys a second stabilizer core with their last [[PAYNE|nuke]], leaving still two more. The [[Ceph]] begin firing artillery at the third core when they arrive, forcing [[Clarisse van Rossum]] to seize their barrier generator [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]]'s [[soul gem]] to save her life. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] then executes a powerful attack that vaporizes the core, but knocks her unconscious.<br><br />
<br>Unexpectedly targeted, [[Erwynmark]]'s ship the [[HSS Arminius]] recommends evacuation. [[Erwynmark]] escapes the ship with his bodyguards, but [[Ceph]] interceptors somehow find his stealthed ship and chase it down, killing him.<br />
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In short: The [[Orpheus]] team destroys two more [[wormhole stabilizer]] cores, but [[Erwynmark]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|28|Invictus}}|The [[Orpheus]] team learns that the [[HSS Raven]], along with her remaining crew, has been discovered and destroyed, all but eliminating any hope of escape. [[Misa Virani]] gives her [[soul gem]] to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and takes advantage of the moon's electrical properties to generate an awe-inspiring electrical discharge, destroying the last [[wormhole stabilizer]] core. The wormhole above collapses violently, and the remainder of the team is suddenly caught in temporal/spatial distortions that threaten to rip them apart.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Misa Virani]] destroys the final [[wormhole stabilizer]] and the wormhole collapses, trapping the rest of the team.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|29|Deus ex gemma}}|[[Ryouko]] suddenly recalls a lecture given by [[Joanne Valentin]], and realizes that her teleportation uses wormholes, and that she can use the broken spacetime around them to teleport the team off [[Orpheus|the moon]]. At the same time, [[Ryouko]] realizes she's with the [[Goddess]], in a vision—this time, with [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]] too. The [[Goddess]] shows them [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[Apollo]], hard-pressed by the [[Ceph]]. [[Shirou Asaka]] manages to get forces in to save them, but [[Maki]] loses her body. They are also shown an unknown woman commander in the [[Apollo]] shipyards, who is killed by a [[Ceph]] commando raid.<br><br />
<br>Following that, [[Asami]] and her ''[[Magi Cæli]]'' team are shown defending the space around [[Apollo]] with some success, despite incredible new [[Ceph]] stealth capabilities. Attempting to extract, the team is suddenly caught and scattered, with [[Asami]] seriously injured and placed into a [[MedEvac]]. A sudden announcement from [[Tomoe Mami]] that the wormhole was destroyed at the apparent cost of the team involved, including [[Ryouko]], sends [[Asami]] into a despair spiral, and her body is ejected into space to preserve her [[soul gem]]. Finally, [[Ryouko]] is shown [[Mami]], who is pressing the apparent advantage at the destruction of the wormhole, even as she mourns the dead.<br><br />
<br>The [[Goddess]] then talks with [[Ryouko]], revealing the [[Ceph]] trap—a huge cloaked fleet had already come through the wormhole, enough to retake the system easily. The [[Goddess]] tells her to reopen the wormhole and send the fleet back, ending the vision. To her team's amazement, [[Ryouko]] does just that, and then just barely teleports them to [[Zhukov]]'s bridge before blacking out.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Goddess]] tells [[Ryouko]] to send back a cloaked [[Ceph]] fleet through the wormhole, saving the battle.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|30|Call to Power}}|[[Mami]] and [[Atsuko Arisu]] perform a dream interrogation of [[Ryouko]]—and also [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]], which complicates their attempt to loosen her up, as does the secret blocking of telepathic investigation by [[Clarisse van Rossum]]. [[Ryouko]] only explains that her power uses wormholes, and about her memory of the [[Joanne Valentin]] lecture that triggered the realization, avoiding religious questions. [[Ryouko]] meets afterwards with some of the [[Orpheus]] team, and is warned of the coming scrutiny she'll endure as a hero by [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and the revived [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]].<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] learns from her devastated [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]] was killed, and realizes she saw it in her vision. She attends the first of three memorial services in her near future, for the dead of the [[Orpheus]] team, meeting [[Marianne Francois]], whose daughter [[Juliet]] was killed aboard the now-revived [[HSS Raven]].<br><br />
<br>In a surprise to [[Mami]], the [[General Staff]] and [[Military Affairs]] select her as the new Chair in accordance with [[Erwynmark]]'s wishes.<br />
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In short: [[Mami]] becomes the new Chair of the [[General Staff]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|31|Aspects of Love}}|On the planet [[Bismarck]] for [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial, [[Ryouko]] meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kyouko]], along with a couple of local kids, finding herself surprisingly distant from the latter due to her experiences. [[Ryouko]] admits to [[Kyouko]] that the [[Goddess]] came to her in a vision on [[Orpheus]] to tell her about the cloaked fleet, and is afterwards unknowingly accosted by a [[Shizuki Azusa|seductive Shizuki]] until [[Patricia]] saves her. [[Patricia]] informs her that [[Kishida Maki]] is still taking [[Kyouko]]'s continued absence hard, and that she is struggling herself, before collecting a more in-depth genetic sample from [[Ryouko]]. Later that day [[Mami]], attending virtually, gives [[Erwynmark]]'s eulogy.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] comes to grips with her newfound fame at [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|32|Decisions, Implications}}|[[Ryouko]] meets with her family at the starport, only to find her parents have divorced. Still shaken, she heads immediately to [[Asami]]'s revival, comforting her, and finding herself unexpectedly comforted herself to have [[Asami]] back.<br><br />
<br>After briefly meeting [[Asami]]'s family, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] head out to meet [[Ryouko]]'s friends. While waiting, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] how unhappy she is in combat, and, consoling her, [[Ryouko]] abruptly decides to become her girlfriend… right as [[Simona]], [[Ruiko]], and [[Chiaki]] arrive. [[Simona]] retreats to the bathroom, and [[Chiaki]] covers for her, instead planning the rest of the day. They go on to a restaurant and have a sleepover, the only disturbance being the strange arrival of [[Kyubey]], who claims only to be visiting.<br><br />
<br>At [[Ryouko's grandmother]]'s funeral, [[Ryouko]] discovers that her psychiatrist [[Atsuko Arisu]] is in fact the grandmother of [[Ryouko's grandmother]]. After the ceremony, which [[Ryouko]] finds she can't connect to, she is suddenly given a memory recording from a friend of [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]]. The memory reveals that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]] grandfather was [[Kaname Tatsuya]], once the younger brother of [[Kaname Madoka]], the [[Goddess]]. [[Tatsuya]] makes [[Homura]] promise to keep [[Ryouko's grandmother]] out of the [[MSY]], as he warns darkly of the future that would become the [[Unification Wars]], recalling in particular his daughter-in-law's wish for vengeance.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] rushes with [[Asami]] to the [[Ribbon]], with both [[Kyubey]] and [[Kyouko]] showing up to watch. A vision ensues, and the [[Goddess]] explains that she is indeed related to [[Ryouko]], as hinted previously, and that she tries to limit her interventions in the world, so that people can live their own lives. She explains that [[Ryouko]] has the special burden of having less freedom to live her own life, and that she will be called upon again.<br><br />
<br>Teleporting out immediately from the [[Ribbon Chamber]] to avoid questions, [[Ryouko]] learns that [[Asami]] also received a vision, assuaging her worries and including helpful relationship advice. Before [[Ryouko]] can digest that, [[Joanne Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] show up at her door with a proposal.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes [[Asami]]'s girlfriend, and finds out she will feature in the [[Goddess]]'s plans again.}}<br />
</div><br />
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<br />
=== Interlude II: Madeleines ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Madeleines (small sponge cakes) feature in Proust's "In Search of Lost Time", a famous French novel noted for its theme of involuntary memory.''<br />
: ''Likewise, this interlude centers on the peculiar role of memory in an episode of [[Asaka]]'s past. The first snippet even includes relevant sections from Proust's novel.''<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|33|Interlude II: Madeleines}}|[[Shirou Asaka]] wakes from a strange recurring dream in which she has lost someone important to her, as a [[magical girl]] in some sort of [[Contact War|crazy alien war]]. [[Alice Lynwood]], her wife, reminds her to get it checked out, but is less successful in attempting to convince her to finally have a baby.<br><br />
<br>In a professional [[VR]] game playing as [[magical girl]]s in WWII with her second-in-command [[Madhuri]], [[Asaka]] finds she needs to sacrifice her to win. Suddenly, [[Asaka]] starts thinking [[Madhuri]] is somehow actually [[Alice]], and then the game is suddenly cut short by a strange simulation error. However, [[Asaka]]'s growing unease is again washed away by the joy of her life with [[Alice]].<br><br />
<br>[[Tanaka Yui]], [[Asaka]]'s therapist, suggests doing a dream study, and [[Patricia von Rohr]] comes to visit, both of them bringing up little oddities or inconsistencies in [[Asaka]]'s thoughts. The dream study returns an apparent suppressed memory, but one involving [[magical girl]]s and an [[Contact War|alien war]] that [[Asaka]] can't remember experiencing. Soon enough, all of reality seems to be changing for her—[[Madhuri]], her location, [[magical girl]]s. Finally running a full internal diagnostic, [[Asaka]] remembers what truly happened: she was forced to send her girlfriend [[Alice]] to her death to win a battle in the [[Contact War]]. Unable to process it, [[Asaka]] had [[Reformat|Reformatted]] herself and put herself inside a [[VR]] simulation where she could live with [[Alice]]. [[Tanaka Yui]] had been helping her face the truth after breaking into the simulation, along with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Madhuri]], and even [[Asaka]]'s own internal representation of [[Alice]]. [[Patricia]] tells [[Asaka]] afterwards that [[Alice]] had planned on proposing.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asaka]]'s self-[[Reformat]] and [[VR]] simulation are undone, and she begins to finally face her lover [[Alice]]'s death.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume III: Ontological Paradox ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''In an ontological paradox, events occur as part of a causal loop: an 'initial' event, in terms of linear time, eventually causes itself.''<br />
: ''This may refer to the nature of Ryouko's wish and/or the logic of the Goddess's interventions. <br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume III Summary|Now living with [[Asami]] and working in [[ITG|a lab]] to help humanity understand wormholes, [[Ryouko]]'s life is interrupted again when she is offered a chance to investigate a [[rogue colonies|rogue colony]] on [[X-25]]. When [[ITG|the lab]] collapses on her and [[Asami]] in an act of sabotage, they decide to join the mission.<br><br />
<br>The [[X-25]] colony turns out to have a massive bunker, and [[Kyouko]] leads a team with [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] in, discovering an attempt at mass-cloning [[magical girl]]s. Moreover, two separate traps attempting to kill [[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] are encountered, the second costing [[Ryouko]] her body.<br><br />
<br>After a vision revealing [[Yuma]]'s past, a revived [[Ryouko]] manages to push [[Kyouko]] into visiting [[the Ribbon]], where she meets with [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision, and finally reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]] afterwards. [[Ryouko]], for her part, faces the disturbing revelation that she's been genetically engineered, losing control of her life as she's whisked from [[Paris]] to [[Adept Blue]]. At the same time, [[Mami]]'s self-[[Reformat]] unravels, and she meets with the [[Goddess]] in a vision as she grapples with her restored memories, finally convinced to take a vacation.<br><br />
<br>However, events—and conspiracies—don't let go of them. [[Simona]], now a [[magical girl]] and always an agent assigned to [[Ryouko]], reappears to help [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] create wormholes spanning lightyears, though her love remains unrequited as [[Ryouko]]'s relationship with [[Asami]] grows stronger. During [[Mami]]'s vacation, she and [[Kyouko]] discover that [[Misa]] had in fact been recruited by [[Homura]] to fight a mysterious enemy, and [[Yuma]] learns that someone has corrupted the [[TCF]] from [[Simona]] and [[Valentin]], both part of a secret organization fighting it with alternate [[TCF]]s.<br />
<br><br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finds herself enmeshed in conspiracy, as [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] grapple with their pasts.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|34|The Bonds that Make Us}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Asami]] attend [[Yuma]]'s birthday party via [[VR]] from [[Eurydome]], where [[Ryouko]] was brought by [[Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] for wormhole research. [[Kyouko]] brings up [[Ryouko]]'s visions in front of [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Ryouko]] is forced to explain, choosing to also forward the memory she received from [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] intervenes in an argument between [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] about [[Kishida Maki]], and brings them to [[Ryouko]]. [[Ryouko]] is reminded of her first vision, where she saw [[Yuma]], and which seemed to contradict her official history—she even tells [[Kyouko]] this. [[Ryouko]] then goes to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] for life advice, and is told that she needs to talk over her desires for an extraordinary life with [[Asami]], who wants a more domestic life.<br><br />
<br>Away from the party, [[Yuma]] explains to [[Kuroi Nakase]], [[Ryouko]]'s mother, that [[Ryouko]] is probably the most genetically sure contract in history, and moreover, that she has a genetically-engineered second, hidden genome. [[Nakase]] knew only that [[Ryouko]] was likely to contract given her ancestry, and when pressed for information as to how she got the birth license, suddenly collapses—a non-fatal defense mechanism apparently built into tampered memories.<br />
----<br />
In short: At [[Yuma]]'s party, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] learns that [[Ryouko]] was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|35|Causality}}|[[Mami]] learns from [[Marianne Francois]]'s [[grief cube]] supply chain report that in a few rare cases for the past 10 years, there have been severe shortages followed by surpluses, where they would hurt the war effort the least. [[Mami]] is disturbed by not only the report, but also her unintended reading of [[Marianne]]'s mind.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Clarisse]] go over her visions, realizing that [[Simona]] was tank-born and seemingly knew her before they met, and that the [[Goddess]] likely manipulated the events leading to [[Ryouko]]'s contract.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], in a meeting with the [[Directorate]], is asked to investigate a distress signal from [[X-25|a cult's colony]] which was thought to have been destroyed en route to an entirely different planet. Elsewhere, [[Kyouko]] promises to tell [[Yuma]] to explain her past to [[MG]], and receives from [[MG]] a recording of what happened with [[Kuroi Nakase]] at [[Yuma]]'s party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives orders to investigate [[X-25|a mysterious colony]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|36|Chasing Ghosts}}|[[Ryouko]] learns in a call from her friends on [[Earth]] that [[Simona]] has moved away, and afterwards meets with [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Kyouko]], who ask her to join a mission to investigate [[X-25|a cult's colony]] related to [[Homura]], and to consider an offer from [[Kuroi Kana]] to properly join the intelligence services.<br><br />
<br>[[Kuroi Nana]] departs after being given the memory file from [[Ryouko's grandmother]], but [[Kyouko]] accompanies [[Ryouko]] to the lab, [[ITG]], and they discuss [[Ryouko]]'s visions a bit. During an experiment at the lab, the gravity generators go haywire, and the ceiling collapses—[[Ryouko]] is saved by [[Kyouko]] and [[Asami]], but [[Asami]] is seriously injured. In the hospital afterwards, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] and [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about the apparent attempt on her life that led to her [[contract]]. [[Kyouko]] explains that the incident at [[ITG]] appears to be another such attack. [[Ryouko]] decides to join the proffered mission, which [[Asami]] accepts on the condition that she come too.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] survives an attempt on her life at [[ITG|the lab]] on [[Eurydome]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|37|Seraphim}}|[[Kyouko]] convinces [[Mami]] to let her on the colony mission due to the [[Homura]] connection, and [[Mami]] tells [[Kyouko]] about the mysterious sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]]. However, [[Mami]] becomes inordinately emotional when discussing the necessity of ordering an investigative mind-read, and she later dreams of training mind-reading abilities that she doesn't remember.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] are taught defensive telepathic techniques en route to their mission, and [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] told her to stick with [[Ryouko]] for her safety. They then meet with [[Azrael Maslanka]], who tells them both about the true proliferation of [[rogue colonies]], and her own experience on one where she was genetically engineered with wings for flight, before the colony collapsed in civil war.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting, where she tells [[Mami]] about her vision in which [[Kyouko]] was killed. The details match [[Mami]]'s planned submarine mission exactly and, disturbed, she agrees to allocate more forces.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] learn about [[rogue colonies]] from [[Azrael Maslanka]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|38|Carpe Diem}}|A special [[Miki|sentient probe]] sent to investigate the cult's colony on [[X-25]] discovers a massive underground structure and comes under heavy fire, and the [[Directorate]] approves more forces for the mission in response.<br><br />
<br>[[Meiqing]] turns out to be part of the additional forces, and she, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] go out hiking together on [[San Giuseppe]] while waiting for more reinforcements to arrive. At the top, [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] her worries about how much their lives are at risk, and [[Azrael]] explains herself to [[Meiqing]].<br><br />
<br>Finally, the mission begins, with [[Task Force Rhamnusia|conventional forces]] taking the surface of the colony on [[X-25]].<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be heavily armed, and the [[Task Force Rhamnusia|correspondingly reinforced]] assault on it begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|39|Indelible Soul}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew descend to the pacified surface of [[X-25]], and [[Gracia]], to [[Ryouko]]'s distress, forcibly mind-reads captives to learn that the colony's leader, [[Grigori DeWitt]], has escaped to the bunker with children as hostages. [[Kyouko]] manages to convince [[Mami]] and [[Governance]] to let her lead a [[MagOps]] infiltration mission, despite their misgivings that [[Kyouko]] is doing so for personal reasons, given her history.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] chooses to bring [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] on the mission, among more experienced girls, largely on personal hunch. Mission underway, and despite being hampered by some sort of magical clairvoyance blocking, they quickly discover large numbers of human clones, an apparent attempt to clone [[magical girl]]s. The attempt to communicate this to the surface is blocked by the hostile telepath, however, and the team is discovered. Clearly personally angered by the situation, [[Kyouko]] insists that they fight their way through rather than escape.<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be attempting [[magical girl]] cloning.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|40|Through a Mirror}}|The [[X-25]] team kills a number of guards, only to discover that they are cloned teenagers, heavily implanted, horrifying the rookies into [[emotional suppression]]. [[Gracia]] manages to determine that the cloned girls are transformed into controlled guards once they failed to contract, and that contracts weren't happening. [[Kyouko]] decides that they must find and capture the enemy telepath, before more clones are killed.<br><br />
<br>They find the enemy [[magical girl]], but before they act to kill her, [[Asami]] notices that [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]] is glowing slightly. Off-put by that and everything else that doesn't add up, the team nearly rebels against [[Kyouko]]'s insistence on attacking the enemy [[magical girl]], until [[Ryouko]] manages to convince [[Kyouko]] to relent by suggesting that the [[Goddess]] placed her on the mission for that reason.<br><br />
<br>Investigating, [[Asami]] detects a [[Ceph]]-like stealth device concealing a nuke, [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] disabling it right afterwards. An alarm goes up, and the enemy [[magical girl]] suddenly pleads for help. The girl, [[Sacnite Tafani]], tells them that [[DeWitt]] had been controlling her with the threat of a suicide implant, and had lied about hiding the colony's children in the bunker as bait for the nuclear trap. <br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] prevents [[Kyouko]] from rushing into a stealthed nuclear trap on [[X-25]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|41|Cause and Effect}}|Ruminating over the mission, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] decide to visit [[Sacnite]], as [[Mami]] makes a limited announcement of the mission to the general public. [[Mami]] approves the visit to [[Sacnite]] as a propaganda shoot, and [[Azrael]] joins them. Comforting [[Sacnite]], [[Ryouko]] promises to spend more time with her. Afterwards, [[Meiqing]] confides to [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] that the mission has impacted her a lot, and that she's glad she was able to help, given her family's shameful efforts in the [[Unification Wars]] to develop the cloned [[FA Elites]].<br><br />
<br>Having finally determined the whereabouts of [[DeWitt]] and the colony's children, [[Kyouko]] leads an attack on the stealthed facility, which meets with no resistance. [[DeWitt]], however, manages to kill himself via suicide implant, after claiming he was trying to figure out what blocked [[magical girl]]s "transcendence". [[Kyubey]] then appears, saying that [[DeWitt]] had based his beliefs on what [[Homura]] had achieved, thinking to have seen her alive on [[Optatum]], and that he was supported by another group which escaped in a cloaked ship. Refusing to say anything more—and strangely calling [[Kyouko]] by her personal name—[[Kyubey]] disappears, and [[Kyouko]] walks off alone to think. Feeling uneasy about the situation, and thinking of her vision, [[Ryouko]] follows… only to lose her body saving [[Kyouko]]'s life from an attack by a supposedly-friendly drone.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] loses her body saving [[Kyouko]] from a sudden drone attack.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|42|No Light Without Shadow}}|The [[MSY]] [[Leadership Committee]] meets to discuss recent events, including the attack on [[Kyouko]], the results of the [[grief cube]] audit, and the sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]], among others, but to no real conclusion. After the meeting, [[Kyouko]] is surprised by [[Atsuko Arisu]], her therapist, who to [[Kyouko]]'s anger tells her both that she should have stepped aside during the [[X-25]] mission and that she should stop hiding from her feelings for [[Kishida Maki]].<br><br />
<br>With [[Asami]] personally guarding [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]], she, [[Ryouko]]'s family, [[Meiqing]], and even [[Sacnite]] plan to travel to [[Earth]] for [[Ryouko]]'s revival, which has been delayed for unspecified reasons. Meanwhile, both [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] assign security teams for [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>Through a [[VR]] recreation, [[Mami]] reveals to [[Kyouko]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] that it appears [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]] didn't fail, but was instead somehow swapped out for another. The soul mage who put the [[soul gem]] that failed into stasis saw that it had a meek, shy personality which, she found out later, didn't match [[Misa Virani|Misa]]'s at all. However, the [[VR]] review they perform doesn't show any possible moment in which [[Misa]]'s [[soul gem]] could have been swapped.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] discovers that [[Misa Virani]] is likely alive, her [[soul gem]] swapped for another.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|43|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part One}}|[[Ryouko]] finds herself in another vision, in which the [[Goddess]] explains that [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], and [[Mami]] are more fragile than they seem, and that their "phase transition" must be managed carefully. [[Ryouko]] looks, and sees…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]], noting that [[Kyouko]] is being pushed into finally confronting her relationship problems and that they need to help her, tells [[Mami]] and [[MG]] about her past with the [[Southern Group]], and about [[Miki Sayaka]]…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s abusive parents, unable to pay debts, attempt to sell her to the Yakuza, until the [[Southern Group]] suddenly intervenes. They kill the Yakuza, but [[Mikuni Oriko]] is seriously injured, and [[Yuma]] wishes to heal her. [[Yuma]] memory of this is patchy, though, and [[Oriko]] informs [[Yuma]] that the Yakuza killed her parents, so she'll take her in. Under [[Oriko]]'s tutelage, [[Yuma]] lives a good life and learns much, but she can see that the [[Southern Group]] is vicious to others and generally hated. [[Oriko]] favors [[Yuma]], to the other members' chagrin, and shares secrets like her efforts to try to bring [[Kyouko]] and [[Sayaka]] together before splitting them apart, and her work to saturate [[grief cubes]], which [[Yuma]] later accidentally discovers leads to [[demon]] spawns.<br><br />
<br>Uneasy with her new life, [[Yuma]] runs into [[Sayaka]], who is clearly very troubled herself, explaining that she was in [[Southern Group]] territory to die fighting their evil. Instead, [[Sayaka]] takes [[Yuma]] to dinner. [[Yuma]] runs into Yakuza on the way back, but [[Sayaka]] appears, killing them before disappearing—though a shocked [[Yuma]] manages to reattach one's head and save his life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Sayaka]] had died fighting a horde of [[demon]]s at a violin concert, and pieces together the truth: [[Oriko]], using her power to see the future and saturated [[grief cubes]] [[Yuma]] had made, purposefully spawned the [[demon]]s to kill [[Sayaka]].<br><br />
<br>In the present day, [[Yuma]] explains that she wants to tell [[Kyouko]] all this, so that she won't blame herself for [[Sayaka]]'s death, but has been afraid to since she was involved. After talking this over, [[Yuma]] continues the story for [[MG]]'s sake…<br><br />
<br>[[Clarisse van Rossum]] visits [[Oriko]] and [[Yuma]], telling [[Oriko]] that there may be some merit to [[Homura]]'s strange belief in a [[Goddess]], and passing [[Yuma]] an anonymous message saying she has the potential to change things, and that [[Oriko]] only sees what she tries to see.<br><br />
<br>Life finally calms down for [[Yuma]] after this, though her studies accelerate, as [[Oriko]] uses magic to enhance her mind.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] reveals that [[Oriko]] caused [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|44|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part Two}}|[[Ryouko]]'s vision continues, as she watches [[Yuma]] retell her past to [[Mami]] and [[MG]]…<br><br />
<br>Upset at [[Oriko]]'s use of saturated [[grief cube]]s to kill others, [[Yuma]] sabotages the machine used to make them, but [[Oriko]]'s machinations continue, with team leaders like [[Kuroi Kana]] forced to come and beg for the return of captured members. One night, another team led by [[Tanaka Yui]] attacks, [[Yuma]] just barely escaping—or so she thought, as she instead leads the attackers right to the rest of the [[Southern Group]]. But before the ensuing battle, [[Yuma]] finds that the rest of her team is torturing and killing other [[magical girl]]s to absorb their powers.<br><br />
<br>Fleeing in horror, [[Yuma]] finds herself taken in at a church, where she finds the Yakuza man whose life she saved earlier. He explains that he had saved a number of girls held by the Yakuza and was now on the run, trying to do good and live a better life as atonement. [[Yuma]] talks with [[Reverend Hashimoto|the priest]] sheltering him, and he tells her she should forgive herself for not stopping everything that's happened. That night, [[Yuma]] receives a message from [[Kuroi Kana]], which helps her to realize that [[Oriko]] had in fact had her parents killed.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] returns to the [[Southern Group]], now under blockade and uneasy. [[Oriko]] claims that they are still on the path towards eliminating the Yakuza and bringing about a better world, but [[Yuma]] decides that they must be destroyed. Taking the advice passed on by [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Yuma]] manipulates the [[Southern Group]] in order to change the future without [[Oriko]] noticing. Eventually, during an already difficult [[demon]] fight, she spawns hordes more [[demon]]s using saturated [[grief cube]]s, and manages to turn her team members against each other. All but [[Oriko]] are killed, and [[Oriko]] finally realizes what has happened. Telling [[Yuma]] there may still be hope for her, she crushes her own [[soul gem]].<br><br />
<br>Warning obscurely that a crisis is coming, the [[Goddess]] ends [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] explains how and why she killed the [[Southern Group]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|45|The Body Electric}}|Back on [[Earth]], [[Asami]] is still unable to face the results of her [[wish]], and longs for [[Ryouko]] to return—which she does, along with [[Clarisse]], to their surprise. [[Clarisse]] tells [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] explained she does have a soul, and that her body would be regenerated by [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]]. [[Valentin]] explains that the delay in the revival was due to both [[Clarisse]]'s regeneration and some necessary handling for [[Ryouko]]'s unique genetics. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends, including [[Sacnite]], who is being de-aged physically to match her mental age, and her new [[matriarchy]] bodyguards, who get along poorly.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] bursts in soon after, followed by [[Yuma]], who oddly both make a point of asking [[Ryouko]] if she was told why her revival was delayed. It soon becomes clear that [[Yuma]] is using [[Ryouko]] to confront [[Kyouko]] about her behavior, and in the ensuing argument [[Kyouko]] reveals she already figured out [[Yuma]] and [[Oriko]] were involved in [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death. After [[Yuma]] departs, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Kyouko]] about her vision, mollifying her until the subject of [[Kishida Maki]] comes up.<br><br />
<br>Having walked out in a rage despite knowing [[Ryouko]], like everyone else, is right about [[Maki]], [[Kyouko]] visits [[the Ribbon]]. In the ensuing vision, [[Kyouko]] meets her little sister [[Sakura Momo]], who tells her to move on from her past. [[Kyouko]] then descends onto a beach where she finds [[Miki Sayaka]], who finally convinces [[Kyouko]] to try reconciling with [[Kishida Maki]], and who also shows [[Kyouko]] a glimpse of eternity.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] is comforted by her sister and [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|46|Wheels Within Wheels}}|Eating dinner with [[Kyouko]] and her friends and family, [[Ryouko]] is surprised by [[Valentin]], who drops by to inform her that [[Governance]] would like to use the [[Orpheus|upcoming movie]] about her to inform the public about V2 [[TacComp]]s. [[Valentin]] also conveys her regrets that [[Ryouko]]'s parents had split, especially since she had introduced them.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]], acting a bit odd, brings the crew shopping the following day, only for them to be suddenly surprised by [[Kishida Maki]], who had apparently been assigned by someone to give [[Ryouko]] a message regarding [[Orpheus|the movie]]. [[Kyouko]] confesses to [[Maki]] that she started their relationship because of her physical similarity to [[Miki Sayaka]], but tells [[Maki]] that it had grown beyond that, so she wants to try again. Skeptical, but still in love, [[Maki]] accepts her.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, [[Maki]] explains to [[Ryouko]] that the ''[[Orpheus]]'' movie team would like to bring her to [[Paris]] to provide assistance. [[Ryouko]] agrees to go, but is uneasy about having her life directed by yet another proposition she can hardly turn down.<br><br />
<br>At the same time, in [[Paris]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Nadya Antipova]] that she's discovered [[Misa Virani]] likely underwent a [[Reformat]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|47|City of Lights}}|In underground [[Paris]], and bothered by the incongruity of that with her wish, [[Ryouko]] meets with her aunt [[Kuroi Nana]]. She warns [[Ryouko]] that [[Shizuki Sayaka]] will try to pull her in, showing her what life on [[Earth]] has to offer, and notes that she has opportunities with the Kuroi [[Matriarchy]] as well, though it wouldn't be an easy life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] meet with the actors who will play them in [[Orpheus|the movie]], who have altered their appearances to match them exactly. [[Clarisse]] also is invited to join them in hologram form, and they go to the set to act out scenes. Thinking on her reenacted past, [[Ryouko]] finds she misses the meaningfulness of the war.<br><br />
<br>At a bar that night, they come across a mysterious friend of [[Ryouko]]'s [[Elisa Yamada|actor counterpart]], who invites them to a [[VR]] facility.<br />
----<br />
In short: In [[Paris]], [[Ryouko]] uneasily cooperates with ''[[Orpheus]]'s'' production.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|48|To Know Thyself…}}|Hidden in [[Paris]], [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] meet to discuss the apparent conspiracies in action. [[Ryouko]]'s genetic anomalies have been investigated further, and an entirely novel portion of her brain has been found, of still-unknown purpose. Meanwhile, on the way to the [[VR]] center, [[Ryouko]] and crew are stopped by a sudden inexplicable power loss, and then are dragged away by a sudden massive [[demon]] spawn. [[Yuma]] is informed of this via [[Incubator]] plushie, and realizes that [[Shizuki Sayaka]]'s plan to secretly investigate [[Ryouko]]'s brain in a [[VR]] session is being thwarted by a deliberate [[demon]] spawn. [[Nadya]] notes that the power outage looks almost like [[Misa]]'s handiwork.<br><br />
<br>The [[demon]] hunt isn't easy, but [[Ryouko]] is aided by a pair of [[magical girl]]s who oddly refuse to identify themselves. Not long afterwards, [[Rebecca Shu|a messenger]] from [[Kuroi Kana]] appears, revealing that the mystery woman accompanying them is in fact [[Shizuki Sayaka]], and further revealing the planned [[VR]] scan.<br><br />
<br>Brought to a secret location, [[Ryouko]] is told by [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Kuroi Nana]] about the genetic engineering done to her, along with the fact that her parents were unaware and their memories altered. They further explain need to examine [[Ryouko]] more closely, and the apparent attempt to prevent this. [[Ryouko]], overwhelmed, leaves to be alone with [[Asami]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns that she was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|49|Transition State}}|[[Mami]], finding herself plagued by an inexplicable headache, is approached by her [[MHD]] [[Charlotte Meitner|minder]], only for the minder to collapse from a sudden brain hemorrhage, though [[Mami]] is able to heal her.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive at [[Adept Blue]], on orders from [[Mami]], all attempts to probe the genetically engineered portion of her brain having failed. The lab's [[AI]] director, [[Vlad]], greets them there, as does [[Mami]]—surprisingly, in person. They reveal that they've made a breakthrough, which should allow them to construct a range amplifier for [[Ryouko]], with [[Asami]]'s help. [[Mami]] also explains that, given the unknown function of the modifications to [[Ryouko]]'s brain and the recent attempts on her life, [[Ryouko]]'s presence on asteroid-borne [[Adept Blue]] with her bodyguards and [[Patricia von Rohr]] makes her more secure.<br><br />
<br>Alone, [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] discuss her circumstances: she's all but on the run from the [[MHD]], and clearly suffering from the unraveling of a [[Reformat]]. They agree to bring in an outside telepath to investigate.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] discuss their situation and their [[wish]]es, taking consolation in the fact that at least they've been brought and kept together in the whirlwind of their lives.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive on [[Adept Blue]] to help develop new wormhole technology in a secure location.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|50|Sub Rosa}}|[[Mami]] brings [[Azrael]] to [[Adept Blue]], and asks her to help undo her [[Reformat]]. They dive together into [[Mami]]'s memories, and discover an aspect of her own mind, taking various forms. It explains that [[Mami]] self-[[Reformat]]ted, using her now-suppressed impressive telepathic powers to tear off a piece of herself to create the block in her mind. [[Mami]] makes herself whole again, and remembers what she forgot…<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], traveling with her lover [[Akiyama Akari]] in the late twenty-first century, is suddenly caught in a crisis when their plane explodes. [[Mami]] burns almost all her magic trying to save the entire plane, but fails, and [[Akari]] is near death. Sharing their last moments together using [[Akari]]'s soul mage powers, [[Mami]] observes with horror the beginnings of [[Akari]]'s transformation into a terror of despair, until her [[soul gem]] finally vanishes.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] manages to survive, kill the local [[magical girl]]s responsible for the destruction of the plane, and turns herself in. [[Homura]] talks with her alone, explaining that she knew about the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from. [[Mami]], unable to deal with this revelation or the loss of [[Akari]], asks for help in [[Reformat]]ing herself.<br><br />
<br>After [[Mami]] resurfaces from the memories, [[Kyubey]] appears, claiming to be interested in both information-gathering and her well-being. [[Mami]] finds herself, as she had hoped, older and wiser enough to handle the end of her [[Reformat]], though left with unfinished business. She immediately questions [[Ryouko]] about the [[Goddess]], and both [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] tell her that [[Goddess|She]] does exist. [[Kyubey]] comments that it can't say such things are impossible, and [[Mami]] decides to visit [[the Ribbon]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] undoes her self-[[Reformat]] and learns the original fate of [[magical girl]]s.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|51|Eternal Search}}|With work continuing on the new wormhole tech, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] talk. [[Azrael]] explains how she handled her own genetic modification and controlled life, eventually deciding to look to the future and just ask for what she wanted, to surprising success. [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] that she thinks she's only really been happy on missions, which [[Asami]] had already realized.<br><br />
<br>On [[Earth]], [[Kyouko]] brings [[Mami]] to [[the Ribbon]], and they discuss the fact that someone must have triggered the unraveling of [[Mami]]'s [[Reformat]], and that logically it must have been [[Homura]].<br><br />
<br>At the [[Ribbon]], [[Mami]] enters a vision and meets—and immediately attacks—[[Oriko]]. Unharmed, [[Oriko]] responds merely by apologizing for her actions in life. [[Oriko]] explains that, as [[Homura]] told [[Mami]], what she saw with [[Akari]] was the beginnings of a terrible transformation made impossible by the [[Goddess]], and that [[magical girl]]s are instead brought to her afterlife. The [[Goddess]] herself then tells [[Mami]] that she needs to learn to let go and stop burying herself in endless work for humanity. The [[Goddess]] brings out [[Machina]] too, revealing her sentience to [[Mami]], and suggests they go on vacation, promising that there won't be [[Cephalopod]] activity for a few weeks.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]] explaining matters, and is encouraged to take a vacation.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|52|Who We Are}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew meet unexpected visitors on [[Adept Blue]]: [[Valentin]], and [[Tao]] from [[ITG]]. [[Tao]] explains that he's made some important theoretical breakthroughs that should help their work, and [[Valentin]] explains that [[Vlad]] and [[Clarisse]] are part of two separate attempts to create separate [[TCF]]s, to help provide more security against attacks like the hacked drone on [[X-25]].<br><br />
<br>Doing rescue work on a colony world retaken from the [[Ceph]], [[Zhou Meiqing]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting with [[Kuroi Nana]], who is investigating [[X-25]]. She tells [[Meiqing]] that the [[Far Seers]] have determined both of them were deliberately placed on the mission by [[Homura]] somehow, and that they recommended asking [[Meiqing]] to work with her in the [[Black Heart]]. [[Meiqing]] asks for time to decide.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] remembers going with [[Homura]] to interrogate a prisoner, [[Zhou Zhi Yi]], during the [[Unification Wars]]. On the way, [[Yuma]] asks [[Homura]] how the [[Goddess]] can allow so much evil to happen, and [[Homura]] responds that she doesn't know. [[Zhi Yi]] tells them that her work developing the [[FA Elites]] was mere prelude to her plans to genetically modify humanity to serve [[magical girl]]s needs, seeing it as the only way to preserve humanity long-term. [[Yuma]] executes her.<br><br />
<br>Back in the present day, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Simona]] has been found, and is now a [[magical girl]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] comes to [[Adept Blue]], and [[Simona]] is discovered to be a [[magical girl]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|53|Alignment}}|[[Shizuki Sayaka]] reveals to [[Yuma]] that she found [[Simona]] in [[Paris]]—they were both aiding [[Ryouko]] during the suspicious [[demon]] attack. [[Simona]] explains she's part of a mysterious organization trying to "save the world", and offers them a deal: she will give them information to ensure the safe creation of wormholes by [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]], on the condition that she join them on any missions using those wormholes to attack the [[Ceph]]. As proof of her good intentions, she agrees to undergo full [[soul mage]] examination.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] meets with [[Marianne Francois]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[New California]] as part of her attempted vacation. [[Mami]] also enjoys [[Machina]]'s company as they eat at a restaurant together, before moving on to a séance organized by the [[Far Seers]] meant to investigate what happened to [[Misa Virani]]. [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] enter into a strange vision in which they find themselves playing characters tracking down a mysterious enemy facility with [[Homura]]. They run into [[Misa]]—accompanied by [[Kyouko]] and [[Nadya]], similarly playing characters—who is tracking her friend whose [[soul gem]] supposedly failed mysteriously. [[Homura]], who is inhabiting another body as a disguise, reveals herself, and afterward convinces [[Misa]] to self-[[Reformat]] and destroy the building to hide the truth.<br><br />
<br>Using the mathematics provided by [[Simona]], and with [[Clarisse van Rossum]] in attendance, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] successfully create a long-distance wormhole.<br />
----<br />
In short: A séance reveals [[Homura]]'s role in [[Misa]]'s past, as [[Humanity]]'s first wormhole is created with the help of information from [[Simona]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|54|Eternal Youth}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] learn from the [[soul mage]] examination of [[Simona]] that the [[TCF]] has been seriously breached. Back at [[Adept Blue]], [[Simona]] watches [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]]'s successful wormhole test, reminiscing about her childhood as part of a secret project to design and implement an alternate, uncompromised [[TCF]]. [[Simona]] then reveals herself and her new status as a [[magical girl]] to [[Ryouko]] in the celebration following the successful test. [[Ryouko]], suspicious because of her vision which implied [[Simona]] was involved in the conspiracies surrounding her, confides her worries in [[Clarisse van Rossum]], who along with [[Clarisse]] [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] validates her worries and further reveals that [[Simona]] is in love with her. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] asks [[Earth]] for more information about exactly what is going on.<br><br />
<br>On [[New California]], [[Maki]] presses [[Kyouko]] on her melancholy attitude, and [[Kyouko]] confesses her worries about their relationship and how she's used romance in the past to fight against her own age. [[Nadya]] and [[Marianne Francois]] talk about their kids, reflecting on the death of [[Juliet Francois]], until [[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Maki]] arrive to meet them. Bothered by the somber mood on what's supposed to be a vacation, the group ends up going dancing—[[Mami]] in particular doing so with abandon—until they are interrupted with news from [[Yuma]]. That night, [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] discuss their recent visions, and [[Mami]] informs [[Kyouko]] she's been suddenly recalled to the [[General Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]]'s memories reveal a breach in the [[TCF]], as she meets [[Ryouko]] at [[Adept Blue]] and as [[Mami]]'s vacation comes to a close.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|55|New Perspectives}}|Headed back towards [[Earth]], Mami attends a virtual meeting of the [[General Staff]]. The new [[Coeus Project]]'s intelligence has revealed that the [[Ceph]] have regrouped faster than expected after the [[Battle of Orpheus]], so the Staff agrees to request more military resources and to put every effort into developing another "knockout" punch before the [[squid]] can attack again.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Azrael]] shares a [[VR]] recreation of her [[Terra Roja|old colony]], complete with flight-enabling bioengineered bodies, with [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Patricia]]. After some flying, conversation eventually turns to the topic of [[Simona]], and [[Ryouko]] decides to share everything she's worried about and ask for advice. When the other girls then suggest directly confronting [[Simona]] to resolve the romantic situation and uncover the truth, [[Ryouko]] initially balks. However, realizing that her life would remain out of her control as long as she never takes action herself, [[Ryouko]] changes her mind and agrees to the plan.<br><br />
<br>Meeting remotely, [[Vlad]] informs [[Mami]] that their wormhole experiments have uncovered a confounding space-time anomaly near a pulsar, and [[Mami]] realizes that it matches one of the mysterious, newly-discovered [[Ceph]] facilities the [[General Staff]] had been examining as potential targets.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] decides to confront [[Simona]], while [[Mami]] investigates a [[squid]] [[pulsar mines|pulsar facility]] as a potential target.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|56|Pulse}}|[[Simona]], suddenly facing [[Ryouko]]'s demands for answers, explains her secretive life, from her upbringing up through her assignment to [[Adept Blue]]. Though she refuses to share everything, particularly the breach in the [[TCF]], she does reveal her wish: to be understood by, and to protect, [[Shizuki Ryouko]]. With mixed feelings, [[Ryouko]] agrees to give [[Simona]] a chance to earn back trust, but makes clear that she does not reciprocate [[Simona]]'s love.<br><br />
<br>Shortly afterward, [[Vlad]] and [[Asami]] run a new experiment investigating the strange [[pulsar mines|pulsar]] in [[Ceph]] space, and [[Asami]] discovers a huge network of stations facilitating the 'mining' of its space-time for use in [[Blink technology]]. [[Mami]] is immediately informed, but before taking action, she first returns to the [[Ribbon]]. There, the [[Goddess]] reassures her that her heart really is in the right place, and tells her that humanity needs her heroism once again. The [[Goddess]] then hints towards the [[pulsar mines]], and gives [[Mami]] a glimpse into the mystery of the [[Cephalopod]]s as a whole.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]] explains herself to [[Ryouko]], and [[Mami]] meets again with the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|57|Triple Point}}|[[Mami]] visits [[Adept Blue]], promoting [[Asami]] for her recent work and informing her and [[Ryouko]] that she needs them to help destroy the [[pulsar mines]] to stave off the [[Ceph]]. While that project gets underway, [[Asami]] and [[Ryouko]] get a break, which they choose to spend together in one of the partially-restored wildernesses of [[Earth]]. There, they discuss their relationship, and find their hopes for it have somewhat converged: Asami is in less of a rush to settle down, and Ryouko is thinking more about the long-term. For the first time, Ryouko says "I love you."<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere in deep space, [[Vlad]] christens the construction of a massive new wormhole apparatus [[Project Armstrong]], and discusses with [[Tao]] the heightened security measures and screening now seemingly necessary to protect it from internal threats. And elsewhere on [[Earth]], a disguised [[Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] stop [[Nakase]] and [[Sacnite]] as they exit a showing of ''[[Orpheus]]'' to talk about unblocking her memories of the agreement she made to get [[Ryouko]]'s birth license.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Project Armstrong]] gets underway as [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] strengthen their relationship.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|58|On Trusting Trust}}|[[Nakase]]'s memories reveal that [[Valentin]] was responsible for genetically engineering [[Ryouko]], but [[Valentin]] disappears before she can be apprehended, leaving behind a letter implying that she is in fact [[Akemi Homura]]. [[Yuma]], seeing the connections between [[Valentin]], [[Ryouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] all running through the [[Cult of Hope]], and discounting the possibility that the [[Goddess]] could be real, begins to fear that the [[Cult]] is a malevolent conspiracy. However, she first is forced to address the definitely malevolent conspiracy which has compromised the original [[TCF]]—including [[MG]], to their mutual distress. [[Yuma]] and a patched [[MG]] rapidly expand their circle of informed and/or repaired AIs, starting with [[MG]]'s friends.<br><br />
<br>One of those friends, ''[[Governance: Cult of Hope]]'', acts against [[Yuma]]'s wishes and contacts [[Clarisse]] just as she and [[Ryouko]] are returning to [[Project Armstrong]]. When asked, [[Clarisse]] confirms the rumor that she had experienced visions from the [[Goddess]] convincing her that AIs have souls, but she unhappily decides she can't yet tell [[Ryouko]] about the [[TCF]] breach given the still-mysterious organ in her brain.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] vanishes once exposed as responsible for [[Ryouko]]'s genetic modifications, and [[Yuma]] begins restoring the [[TCF]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|59|Parlor Games}}|[[Nadya]], chasing down leads on [[Valentin]] from [[Kyouko]], ends up on [[Yenisei]] visiting family. The slightly tense visit is interrupted by a power outage, and the revelation that [[Piotr|her grandson]] saw [[Misa]]. [[Nadya]] hurriedly enlists local help from the [[Cult]], but finds only [[Misa]]'s trail of destruction, not the girl. In a ruined structure, hidden from local networks and drones in a manner implying [[TCF]] corruption, she digs up damaged data crystals.<br><br />
<br>The crystals end up containing a set of deep space coordinates, and [[Kyouko]] tries to set up a meeting with [[Yuma]] to discuss them, only to find that [[Yuma]] is off [[Earth]] for the first time in her life. [[Yuma]] herself is disturbed by the invitation, which included several high-ranking [[Cult]] members, but is forced to focus on the immediate task of repairing [[Nova]], [[Governance]] representative for [[Nova Terra]]. The mission nearly spirals out of control, but with help from [[MG]] and others, [[Yuma]] manages to induct [[Nova]] and her considerable resources into a still-intact conspiracy. This quickly bears fruit in the form of uncovered coordinates—unbeknownst to [[Yuma]], the same ones [[Nadya]] found.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], a crystal salamander delivers a message from [[Homura]] to [[Simona]]: "I'm sorry for everything."<br />
----<br />
In short: Both the [[Cult]] and [[Yuma]], running parallel investigations, uncover a mysterious set of coordinates.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|60|Digital Divination}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Simona]] practice in simulation for their upcoming mission: using [[Project Armstrong]]'s wormhole apparatus to launch [[jumpstrike|an attack]] on the [[Ceph]]'s [[pulsar mines]]. The simulation ends in their deaths—not an uncommon occurrence, a fact which weighs on them, especially [[Asami]]. But [[Ryouko]] works hard to support her girlfriend, even genetically engineering an exotic plant for [[Asami]] to wear in her hair as a gift.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s investigation into the AIs involved in [[Ryouko]]'s life turns up no [[TCF]] corruption, but indicates that the conspiracy she faces may have simply covered their tracks. Her investigation into the mysterious deep space coordinates yields more: a hidden asteroid base. [[Yuma]] plans to personally lead a field mission, using experimental anti-[[IIC]] technology to prevent any occupants from revealing [[Yuma]]'s conspiracy to their own. Excluded from [[Yuma]]'s planning, [[Kyouko]] unknowingly organizes a [[Cult]]-sponsored expedition to the same exact coordinates.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] hears the [[Goddess]]'s voice telling her not to go to the pulsar.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] independently plan deep space missions to the same coordinates, while [[Ryouko]] undergoes simulation training for [[Project Armstrong]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|61|Into the Void}}|[[Yuma]] and a field team of fellow [[Ancient]]s and escort ships visit the deep space asteroid base and find evidence of contact between the [[Ceph]] and [[Governance]] [[Representatives]] early in the war, ending in the death of the alien representatives. [[Kyouko]] then arrives with a large contingent of [[Cult of Hope]] members, leading to a brief flaring of tensions, before Yuma and her group is ambushed by an alien attack force.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, [[Ryouko]] and the others at [[Adept Blue]] launch their wormhole attack on the pulsar. While initially semi-successful, the task force is thrown for a loop when the aliens begin to tear their wormhole apart, and Ryouko suddenly cannot teleport.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] discover secret [[Ceph]]-[[Governance]] contacts from the early war, and then are ambushed by an alien raid. [[Ryouko]] and [[Project Armstrong]] attack the [[pulsar mines]], but alien countermeasures confound the effort.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|62|The Dying Light, Part One}}|[[Yuma]] and her [[Ancients]] struggle to hold out against [[Ceph]] raiders while [[Kyouko]]'s ships rush to link up with them. They eventually succeed, but at the cost of [[Raven]], many mundane crew and Spec Ops, and [[Ceri|a magical girl]] from [[Kyouko]]'s forces.<br><br />
<br>At the pulsar, [[Ryouko]]'s team can't end the block on her teleportation, and they have to be rescued by [[Oda|another teleporter]]. Upon returning to the wormhole, [[Asami]] is unable to fully stabilize it, and [[Ryouko]] leaves to raid the pulsar's mining facilities in response. Her teleportation is blocked again there, but this time she finds the source: mysterious [[Ceph]], with a [[blink interdictor]], as she learns unexpectedly with help from the strange organ in her brain. Still, the delays have been too much, and the order is given to abort the mission as soon as the wormhole is stabilized.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, despite having combined their forces, [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] are slowly losing their battle—and then [[Yuma]] learns the alien bombers are about to make a second pass, fully reloaded by a stealthed supply ship.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] face destruction by [[Ceph]] raiders. [[Ryouko]]'s brain module activates, and the pulsar mission has fallen apart.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|63|The Dying Light, Part Two}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] concoct a radical plan: surreptitiously place [[supersaturated grief cubes]] on the departing alien bombers as an indirect surprise attack on the alien supply ship. They take heavy casualties from the second bombing, however, and learn that calling for reinforcements had caused a counterreaction from whoever compromised the [[TCF]], using their remaining assets to spill secrets and cause chaos.<br />
<br />
[[Ryouko]] makes more contact with alien machines through the strange organ in her brain, and [[Patricia]] helps her to decode some of the information before [[Oda]] and another team arrive to help teleport them away. Regrouping with [[Asami]], they learn she has successfully restabilized the wormhole. Ryouko explains that with the information she has received, she has acquired a bit more insight into her teleportation, enabling her to teleport objects without teleporting herself. Asami then concocts a radical plan of her own, proposing that Ryouko teleport one of her black holes near the pulsar as they evacuate, which would devastate the region.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Yuma's group continue their gambit. Using information gathered by Ryouko, they activate their captured alien vessel's [[blink]] drive, teleporting the surviving members of the group to the now-incapacitated alien supply ship. They board the ship and discover, to their confusion, that the demons they spawned are feeding on some of the Ceph. With no time to ponder this, they drain the ship's exotic matter fuel tanks to manufacture interdiction charges, which are then used on their pursuers in order to escape for good. [[Charlotte Meitner]] and [[Nadya Antipova]] die in this final battle.<br />
<br />
At the pulsar, the evacuation is nearly complete, and Asami and Ryouko resolve to perform their gambit. [[Simona]] vehemently disagrees and attempts to kidnap Ryouko to stop this, but is defeated, her soul gem torn from her body. Asami and Ryouko then successfully teleport a black hole near the pulsar, and attempt to evacuate through the wormhole with Oda's teleport as the pulsar undergoes gravitational collapse. However, this teleport is interrupted by the wormhole fracturing, and while Oda, Asami, and others seem to make it through, Ryouko is trapped when the wormhole collapses, dumping her 24 light-minutes from the pulsar, heavily injured.<br />
<br />
Before the radiation shockwave from the pulsar reaches her and kills her, an alien vessel makes contact using Ryouko's strange organ, offering rescue. With no other option, Ryouko teleports aboard, and the ship blinks away.<br />
<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] escape the [[Ceph]], but take heavy casualties. [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] destroy the pulsar mines, but [[Ryouko]] is stranded, forced to accept rescue from an alien ship.}}<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude III: Manifest Destiny ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Manifest Destiny is a term describing the belief that the United States, due to its special virtues, had both a duty and a destiny to expand west into North America.''<br />
: ''It also describes similar beliefs in the [[MSY]] during its fifth phase, as it reached further and further beyond the island nation of Japan.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|64|Interlude III: Manifest Destiny}}|The soul mage [[Akiyama Akari]], pursuing a rogue South Korean soul mage [[Seoyun]], is caught up in a major incident in which [[Tomoe Mami]] is mind-controlled by [[Seoyun]]. Akari manages to free her by turning Seoyun's soul manipulation—generated love for the target—towards herself instead.<br />
<br />
In the aftermath, Mami proposes that the two of them try a relationship, and this goes quite well. Akari begins researching the "[[energy gap]]", and the MSY decides to change its [[Charter]], embarking on a new, expansionist agenda to expand beyond Japan.<br />
<br />
This eventually pulls them both back into Korea: the MSY's expansion into the area has collapsed [[grief cube prices]], critical to magical girls along both sides of the DMZ. The situation escalates with a bombing in Seoul by a magical device using a soul gem for power, and then escalates again when a threat against [[Mitakihara]]'s airport is discovered, accompanied by a letter threatening a nuclear-scale device which bridges the energy gap. Akari and Mami work feverishly on security, and disaster is barely averted, though the bomb fails to bridge the energy gap.<br />
<br />
Finally identifying the source of the bombs inside North Korea, Akari accompanies a strike force that assassinates the mage responsible.<br />
<br />
In the wake of these events, Mami and Akari attend negotiations with other North Korean magical girls from the border region affected by the crash in grief cube prices, stabilizing the situation. But then the North Korean government collapses in a coup by Chinese-backed plotters, leading to sudden opportunities for MSY expansion into North Korea from the north. Mami and Akari lead successful negotiations in Pyongyang and depart for China, the two of them blissfully unaware of the conventional bomb planted on their plane by DMZ radicals.<br />
<br />
After Akari's death (detailed in [[Chapter 50]]), [[Homura]] discourses out loud in private, perhaps to [[Madoka]], discussing the dark turn of events and the resulting founding of the [[Black Heart]] intelligence organization.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Akari]] and [[Mami]] navigate their relationship as the [[MSY]] navigates expansion outside Japan.}}<br />
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<br />
=== Volume IV: Einstein-Rosen Bridge ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''An Einstein-Rosen Bridge is a hypothetical way of connecting two spacetime coordinates; in other words, a wormhole.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|65|Other Means}}|Terrorist attacks occur across Human space via the closing [[TCF]] breach, as [[Yuma]]'s counter-conspiracy goes loud. In space, Mami defends [[Carthago]] from compromised orbital defenses, aided by [[Homura]]'s aura, though the woman herself remains hidden. On [[Earth]], [[Ryouko]]'s father [[Shizuki Kuma]] survives the destruction of [[Prometheus]] thanks to aid from unknown magical girls.<br />
<br />
In the aftermath, Kuma learns that major leaks have been propagated as well, including about the [[MSY]]'s cloning program and about his daughter. [[Shirou Asaka]] then informs him that Ryouko died in the [[pulsar mission]].<br />
<br />
Back on [[Adept Blue]], [[Asami]] is devastated by Ryouko's loss. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] convinces her to talk to the now-imprisoned [[Simona]], who tells her that Ryouko must still be alive, since Simona's wish is still unfulfilled.<br />
<br />
And on the [[Ceph]] ship that rescued Ryouko from certain death, she receives medical care and is informed that the [[Ceph]]—the "Thinkers"—who rescued her are from a peaceful faction who Homura made contact with long ago. Ryouko's mysterious brain organ is revealed to be used for handling [[preference-specification]]s and Thinker telepathy, and to be necessary for proving that the Thinkers prosecuting the [[Contact War]] against Humanity have been deceiving the Thinker government, [[Consensus]], back in the Triangulum Galaxy.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[TCF]] breach is exploited to perform acts of terrorism, and [[Ryouko]] learns about her mysterious brain organ from the [[Ceph]] who saved her.}}<br />
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=== Interlude IV: Ubermensch ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Übermensch is Nietzsche's idea that humanity should turn away from the other worlds and values promoted by "dead" religions and gods, setting instead the goal of advancing new, superior generations of humans on earth.''<br />
: ''This may refer to [[FA]] ideologies, or even aspects of [[Governance]] thought. It notably stands in contrast to Ryouko's life and wish.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume V: Dark Energy ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Dark energy is a proposed form of energy that drives the accelerating expansion of the universe towards eventual heat death.''<br />
: ''This may imply topics ranging from the role of the [[Incubator]]s to the [[magical girl system]] itself.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Interlude V: Destroyer of Worlds ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Part of a quote by the god Vishnu in the Bhagavad Gita, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Made famous by J. R. Oppenheimer, who later said he thought of the line after witnessing the first test of an atomic bomb.''<br />
: ''Perhaps covers the Unification Wars, which saw heavy use of atomic weapons. May include [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s role, a character who notably was also present for the first atomic detonation.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume VI: Singularity ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''A singularity is a point at which a function takes an infinite value, especially in space-time when matter is infinitely dense, as at the center of a black hole. It is also a term used for the hypothetically unknowable changes to the human condition caused by superintelligence.''<br />
: ''In former sense, it may reference [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] or [[Asami|Asami's]] powers. In the latter, perhaps it refers to [[Governance|Governance's]] Emergency Mode Level Four.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div></div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Timeline&diff=1737Timeline2022-12-12T05:03:35Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* MSY Expansion */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Historical==<br />
===Pre-MSY===<br />
'''1815:''' Beginnings of [[SMC]] take root at Congress of Vienna<br />
<br />
'''End of 19th century:''' [[Clarisse van Rossum]] is born<br />
<br />
'''1910s:''' [[SMC]] shattered by World War I<br />
<br />
'''April 15th, 1912:''' [[Van Rossum]] contracts with the sinking of the RMS Titanic<br />
<br />
'''1940s:''' World War II kills off last remnants of the [[SMC]], in England<br />
<br />
'''1990s-2000s:''' Rough year of birth for [[MSY]] [[Founders]]<br />
<br />
'''1995-1996:''' Rough year of birth for [[Mami]]<br />
<br />
'''1996-1997:''' Rough year of birth for [[Homura]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Sayaka]]<br />
<br />
'''October 3rd, 1996:''' [[Madoka]]'s date of birth in original timeline<br />
<br />
'''2001-2002:''' Rough year of birth for [[Yuma]]<br />
<br />
'''2007-2008:''' Rough year of birth for [[Kaname Tatsuya]]<br />
<br />
'''2008-2010:''' Rough year of [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]]'s contracts<br />
<br />
'''2011:''' [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] reconcile after [[Oriko]]'s attack on [[Mami]]'s apartment<br />
<br />
'''March 16th, 2011:''' Beginning date of [[Homura]]'s loops in original timelines<br />
<br />
'''2011:''' [[Homura]] and [[Sayaka]] contract, [[Homura]] receives timeloop memories upon [[Sayaka]]'s death<br />
<br />
'''April 30th, 2011:''' [[Walpurgisnacht]] arrives in [[Mitakihara]] in original timelines; [[Van Rossum]] arrives in [[Mitakihara]]<br />
<br />
'''2013-2014:''' [[Oriko]] dies, [[Yuma]] joins [[Homura]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] as the [[Mitakihara Four]]<br />
<br />
===Early MSY===<br />
'''2021:''' Founding of [[MSY]]<br />
<br />
'''2020s:''' Rough year of birth for [[Shizuki Sayaka]]<br />
<br />
'''2031:''' Formation of [[Leadership Committee|MSY Leadership Committee]]<br />
<br />
'''2043:''' Formation of [[Soul Guard]], [[Leadership Committee]] given power to form bureaucracy<br />
<br />
'''2044:''' Institutionalization of MSY Judiciary<br />
<br />
'''2045:''' Beginning of corporate expansion throughout pacific rim and parts of East Asia<br />
<br />
'''2053:''' Formation of [[MHD]]<br />
<br />
'''2055:''' [[MSY]] takeover of Yakuza<br />
<br />
'''2059:''' First major charter rewrite (excluding early period), formation of [[MSY Rules Committee]], institutionalization of MSY Citizenship, implementation of restrictive Japanese nativist rules regarding membership<br />
<br />
'''2061:''' [["Second generation" mages]] begin appearing in meaningful numbers<br />
<br />
===MSY Expansion===<br />
'''2065:''' [[MSY]] takeover of Triad, corporate expansion into China; [[Kugimiya Ito]] and [[Nakanishi Aiko]] reunite<br />
<br />
'''2067:''' Second major charter rewrite, repeal of nativist policies, formalization of expansionist protocol, federalization policies<br />
<br />
'''2071:''' [[Akari]] dies, Mami [[Reformat]]s herself, Korean Intervention<br />
<br />
'''2085:''' Last independent Japanese magical girls absorbed into [[MSY]]<br />
<br />
'''2068-2126:''' Expansion and globalization of [[MSY]], first attempts at AI; copycat [[magical girl]] organizations proliferate, including a new [[SMC]], though most are quickly absorbed<br />
<br />
'''2085:''' Rough beginning of [[MSY-SMC Cold War]]<br />
<br />
'''2110:''' [[SMC]] agrees to merger in exchange for concessions<br />
<br />
'''2138:''' Last known non-MSY holdout consents to membership<br />
<br />
'''2135:''' [[Pretoria Scandal]]<br />
<br />
'''2136:''' Theoretical framework for Friendly AI, the [[Volokhov Criterion]], completed by [[Volokhov]] and [[Laplace]]<br />
<br />
'''2148:''' [[Trusted Computing Framework]], built by early [[Volokhov-friendly]] AIs, lays basis for provably secure computing and AI design; AIs proliferate<br />
<br />
'''2130s-2150s:''' [[Kaname Madoka Jr.]] born; [[Kaname Tatsuya]] dies<br />
<br />
===Unification Wars===<br />
'''2130s-2150s:''' [[MSY]] members reach effective [[hyperclass]] status; future [[FA]]/[[UF]] distinctions start to become apparent, structural unemployment rises to crisis levels<br />
<br />
'''2150s:''' Future [[FA]] nations become increasingly brutal in the crushing of domestic uprisings<br />
<br />
'''2160:''' UN dissolves amidst irreconcilable discord, is replaced by [[Freedom Alliance]] (FA) and [[United Front]] (UF), neutral nations slowly descend into civil war<br />
<br />
'''2160-63:''' International situation deteriorates, local wars begin to break out, Incubator offer to intervene is refused by the MSY<br />
<br />
'''January 20th, 2161:''' FA-aligned coup begins the Second Civil War in the United States<br />
<br />
'''2163-2230:''' Time period of what would be later known as the [[Unification Wars]]<br />
<br />
'''2163-2171:''' [[St. Petersburg Atrocity]] precipitates World War III; [[MSY]] membership votes to apply unprecedented punitive measures on its minority [[FA]]-sympathetic faction, full [[UF]]/[[FA]] interfactional war breaks out soon after<br />
<br />
'''2171-2175:''' A partial peace is established after [[UF]]-aligned governments turn initial defeats into moderate gains, most notably solidifying Europe<br />
<br />
'''2175-2179:''' [[FA]] begins World War IV with largely successful WMD strikes; the unrestricted conflict quickly becomes ruinous for both sides<br />
<br />
'''2179-2189:''' Near civilizational collapse necessitates another partial peace, [[UF]] and [[FA]] reorganize<br />
<br />
'''2180:''' [[EDC|UF Emergency Defense Committee (EDC)]] founded<br />
<br />
'''2189-2215:''' World War V; WMDs are more readily countered, and heavily augmented human soldiers take center stage<br />
<br />
'''2200:''' [[EDC]] has largely supplanted the remaining UF governments, passes [[Universal Readiness Decree of 2200]] mandating civilian implants<br />
<br />
'''2200s:''' Grotesque [[FA Elites]] enter mass deployment; nevertheless, economic fundamentals and [[FA]] disunity begin pointing towards [[UF]] victory<br />
<br />
'''2215-2218:''' The Treaty of Paris establishes a temporary peace, with substantial gains for the [[UF]] and asylum for the remaining [[FA]] underclasses; mass migration precipitates a refugee crisis<br />
<br />
'''2218-2230:''' "The Cleanse"; remaining [[FA]] nations are slowly overrun<br />
<br />
'''2230:''' [[EDC]] declares worldwide Unification Day (though small [[FA]] remnants will persist for years); the population—now heavily augmented and totaling less than half its pre-war height—celebrates<br />
<br />
===Golden Age===<br />
<br />
'''2230-2240:''' [[EDC]], promising to construct a new, permanent Eudaimonia, leverages its absolute global power to reconstruct civilization<br />
<br />
'''2236:''' [[Kuroi Abe]] born.<br />
<br />
'''2240:''' [[EDC]] dissolves itself and establishes [[Governance]] as its successor<br />
<br />
'''2250-2330:''' [[Project Eden]] brings clinical immortality, [[Project Janus]] brings [[faster-than-light]] travel, and [[Project Icarus]] brings plentiful solar energy<br />
<br />
'''2260-2280:''' [[First Colonization Wave]] begins the settlement of the [[Core Worlds]]<br />
<br />
'''2300-2320:''' [[Second Colonization Wave]] begins<br />
<br />
'''2310:''' [[Kuroi Abe]] and [[Ryouko's Grandmother|his future wife]] are on the brink of marriage<br />
<br />
'''2333-2335:''' [[Kuroi Nana]] born, with [[Kuroi Nakase]] following shortly after<br />
<br />
'''2337-2338:''' [[Erwynmark]] born on the colony [[Bismarck]]<br />
<br />
'''2346-2348:''' [[Kuroi Nakase]] contracts, [[Kuroi Nana]] contracts and her wish undoes [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase's]] contract<br />
<br />
'''2350-2360:''' Beginning of [[MSY]] clones project<br />
<br />
'''2351-2357:''' [[Kuroi Nana]] breaks contact with her family<br />
<br />
'''2375-2381:''' [[Kuroi Nana]] reconnects with sister and father, but not mother<br />
<br />
'''2395-2405:''' First successful use of blank slate clone as new host body<br />
<br />
'''2420-2423:''' [[Azrael]] born<br />
<br />
'''2434-2437:''' [[Azrael]] contracts after the destruction of her colony [[Terra Roja]]<br />
<br />
'''2439:''' [[Mami]] suggests that the [[Mitakihara Four]] take a vacation together<br />
<br />
===Contact War===<br />
<br />
'''2440:''' First Contact with [[Cephalopod]] aliens, destruction of [[Aurora]]/[[Atlas]] colonies, [[Battle of Epsilon Eridani]]/[[New Athens]], disappearance of [[Homura]], end of the [[Masquerade]]<br />
<br />
'''2441:''' [[Kyouko]] gives first speech announcing her intention to found the [[Church of Hope]]<br />
<br />
'''2440-2443:''' [[Mami]] becomes a Field Marshal; [[Joanne Valentin]] switches fields to physics, starts blogging about [[magical girl]] subjects; [[Kuroi Nakase]] and [[Shizuki Kuma]] meet and marry<br />
<br />
'''2442:''' [[Ordo Illustrata]] founds their colony on [[X-25]]<br />
<br />
'''2445-2446:''' [[Ryouko]] born<br />
<br />
'''Mid-2446:''' [[Asaka]], [[Alice]], [[Patricia]] undergo initial training<br />
<br />
'''2452:''' [[Samsara offensive]] ends in debacle for the [[Cephalopods]]<br />
<br />
'''2452-2453:''' [[Erwynmark|Marshal Erwynmark's]] [[Saharan Raid]] destroys a shipyard and [[wormhole stabilizer]], putting a temporary end to alien ability to sustain offensives<br />
<br />
'''2457:''' Beginning of [[Euphratic Incursion]]<br />
<br />
'''October 1st, 2459:''' [[Kyouko]] begins dating [[Kishida Maki]]<br />
<br />
'''Mid-2460:''' [[Simona]] transfers to [[Mitakihara]] as an exchange student<br />
<br />
==To the Stars==<br />
Chapter numbers cited for events: ⁰ ¹ ² ³ ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹<br />
<br />
On Earth, time of day translates as follows:<br />
<br />
• ''Early morning'' - Roughly 12am-6am<br />
<br />
• ''Morning'' - Roughly 6am-12pm<br />
<br />
• ''Afternoon'' - Roughly 12pm-6pm<br />
<br />
• ''Evening'' - Roughly 6pm-12am<br />
<br />
Elsewhere, time of day is local. (A planet may have more than 24 hours in a day, etc.) Date is Earth-standardized.<br />
<br />
===Volume 1===<br />
'''September 16, 2460:'''<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] meets friends at school, sees [[Mami]] through the window.¹<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Demon]]s attack [[Ryouko]] and [[Simona]], [[Ryouko]] contracts after being saved by [[Mami]].¹ <br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Kyouko]] hunts with [[Ryouko]], and discovers planted saturated [[grief cubes]].² Mami watches the [[Akemi (movie)|movie ''Akemi'']].³ ⁴ <br />
<br />
'''September 17:'''<br />
<br />
''Early Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]], along with [[Kyouko]], tells her parents about her [[contract]].⁵ [[Mami]] departs [[Earth]] after meeting with [[Marianne]].⁶<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] reads informational messages about being a [[magical girl]].⁵ [[Kyouko]] visits [[Yuma]] to discuss the saturated [[grief cubes]].⁷ ⁸<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Mami]] is promoted at a meeting of the [[General Staff]].⁶ [[Ryouko]] receives her implant upgrades and a vision at the [[Ribbon]].⁹ She relates this to the [[Theological Council]].¹⁰<br />
<br />
'''September 18:'''<br />
<br />
''Early morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] has dinner with family and visits the sparring ground beneath the [[Cult of Hope]]'s church with them.¹¹<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] and [[Kuroi Abe]] talk about [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]].¹¹<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] tells [[Ruiko]] and [[Chiaki]] about her [[contract]]; they watch the [[Akemi (movie)|movie ''Akemi'']] together with [[Simona]].¹¹<br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] and friends have a sleepover, while [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] assign a spy bug to [[Ryouko]] and assign [[Risa Flores]] to watch over her.¹¹<br />
<br />
'''September 19:'''<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] receives first [[grief cube]] shipment and reads about combat.¹²<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] goes on a large [[demon]] hunt.¹²<br />
<br />
'''September 20:'''<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] attends event for new [[magical girl]]s, meets [[Asami]].¹³<br />
<br />
'''September 21:'''<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:'' <br />
[[Ryouko]] meets her [[MSY]] psychiatrist [[Atsuko Arisu]].¹³<br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] studies combat more.¹³<br />
<br />
'''September 22:'''<br />
<br />
''Early Morning:''<br />
[[Shizuki Kuma|Ryouko's father]] brings her to [[Prometheus]], upgrading her [[TacComp]] to V2 and explaining the clone program.¹³ [[Yuma]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] discuss [[Valentin]], [[Simona]], and the [[grief cube]] audit; [[Ryouko]] investigates her family tree.¹⁴<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] attends her farewell party and learns of her aunt [[Kuroi Nana]].¹⁵<br />
<br />
'''September 23:'''<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] says goodbye to her family at the [[starport]], takes scramjet to space elevator with [[Asami]].¹⁶<br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] reaches space.¹⁶<br />
<br />
===Volume 2===<br />
'''September 29th, 2460:'''<br />
Initial raid on the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails.¹⁸ [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] enter the final memory-suppressed simulation portion of their training.¹⁹<br />
<br />
'''September 30th:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] share their wishes with each other, as their week of training on [[New Athens]] ends.¹⁹<br />
<br />
'''October 1st:'''<br />
[[HSS Laplace]] is attacked by [[Ceph]] fighters and [[Ryouko]] organizes a magical defense; meanwhile [[Maki]], [[Patricia]], and [[Asaka]] fight [[Ceph]] ground forces on [[Apollo]] in the [[Kepler-37 System]].²⁰<br />
<br />
'''October 2nd:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]], recovering from radiation damage from the attack, learns [[Clarisse]] is sentient.²⁰<br />
<br />
'''October 3rd:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]] et al. land on the planet of [[Acheron]] for garrison duty and attend a gathering commemorating the [[Goddess]]'s birthday.²⁰ Kyouko, Mami, and Yuma meet virtually to celebrate as well.²¹<br />
<br />
'''October 5th:'''<br />
[[Asami]] confesses her attraction to [[Ryouko]], and [[Ryouko]] is recalled from garrison duty to [[Kepler-37]].²¹<br />
<br />
'''October 8th:'''<br />
Now aboard [[HSS Zhukov]], [[Ryouko]] is awarded a medal by [[Mami]] and informed that she's been assigned to the second [[wormhole stabilizer]] mission.²²<br />
<br />
'''October 9th:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]] meets some of her [[MagOps]] team descending down to [[Apollo]] aboard [[HSS Raven]], and visits her injured [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]].²³<br />
<br />
==Possible Future Events==<br />
'''2600s:''' [[Third Colonization Wave]] planned to begin<br />
<br />
'''2900s:''' Planned timeframe for human expansion beyond the [[Local Area]]</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Timeline&diff=1736Timeline2022-12-12T02:09:56Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* MSY Expansion */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Historical==<br />
===Pre-MSY===<br />
'''1815:''' Beginnings of [[SMC]] take root at Congress of Vienna<br />
<br />
'''End of 19th century:''' [[Clarisse van Rossum]] is born<br />
<br />
'''1910s:''' [[SMC]] shattered by World War I<br />
<br />
'''April 15th, 1912:''' [[Van Rossum]] contracts with the sinking of the RMS Titanic<br />
<br />
'''1940s:''' World War II kills off last remnants of the [[SMC]], in England<br />
<br />
'''1990s-2000s:''' Rough year of birth for [[MSY]] [[Founders]]<br />
<br />
'''1995-1996:''' Rough year of birth for [[Mami]]<br />
<br />
'''1996-1997:''' Rough year of birth for [[Homura]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Sayaka]]<br />
<br />
'''October 3rd, 1996:''' [[Madoka]]'s date of birth in original timeline<br />
<br />
'''2001-2002:''' Rough year of birth for [[Yuma]]<br />
<br />
'''2007-2008:''' Rough year of birth for [[Kaname Tatsuya]]<br />
<br />
'''2008-2010:''' Rough year of [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]]'s contracts<br />
<br />
'''2011:''' [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] reconcile after [[Oriko]]'s attack on [[Mami]]'s apartment<br />
<br />
'''March 16th, 2011:''' Beginning date of [[Homura]]'s loops in original timelines<br />
<br />
'''2011:''' [[Homura]] and [[Sayaka]] contract, [[Homura]] receives timeloop memories upon [[Sayaka]]'s death<br />
<br />
'''April 30th, 2011:''' [[Walpurgisnacht]] arrives in [[Mitakihara]] in original timelines; [[Van Rossum]] arrives in [[Mitakihara]]<br />
<br />
'''2013-2014:''' [[Oriko]] dies, [[Yuma]] joins [[Homura]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] as the [[Mitakihara Four]]<br />
<br />
===Early MSY===<br />
'''2021:''' Founding of [[MSY]]<br />
<br />
'''2020s:''' Rough year of birth for [[Shizuki Sayaka]]<br />
<br />
'''2031:''' Formation of [[Leadership Committee|MSY Leadership Committee]]<br />
<br />
'''2043:''' Formation of [[Soul Guard]], [[Leadership Committee]] given power to form bureaucracy<br />
<br />
'''2044:''' Institutionalization of MSY Judiciary<br />
<br />
'''2045:''' Beginning of corporate expansion throughout pacific rim and parts of East Asia<br />
<br />
'''2053:''' Formation of [[MHD]]<br />
<br />
'''2055:''' [[MSY]] takeover of Yakuza<br />
<br />
'''2059:''' First major charter rewrite (excluding early period), formation of [[MSY Rules Committee]], institutionalization of MSY Citizenship, implementation of restrictive Japanese nativist rules regarding membership<br />
<br />
'''2061:''' [["Second generation" mages]] begin appearing in meaningful numbers<br />
<br />
===MSY Expansion===<br />
'''2065:''' [[MSY]] takeover of Triad, corporate expansion into China; [[Kugimiya Ito]] and [[Nakanishi Aiko]] reunite<br />
<br />
'''2067:''' Second major charter rewrite, repeal of nativist policies, formalization of expansionist protocol, federalization policies<br />
<br />
'''2071:''' [[Akari]] dies, Mami [[Reformat]]s herself, Korean Intervention<br />
<br />
'''2085:''' Last independent Japanese magical girls absorbed into [[MSY]]<br />
<br />
'''2068-2126:''' Expansion and globalization of [[MSY]], first attempts at AI; copycat [[magical girl]] organizations proliferate, including a new [[SMC]], though most are quickly absorbed<br />
<br />
'''2085:''' Rough beginning of [[MSY-SMC Cold War]]<br />
<br />
'''2110:''' [[SMC]] agrees to merger in exchange for concessions<br />
<br />
'''2138:''' Last known non-MSY holdout consents to membership<br />
<br />
'''2130s:''' [[Pretoria Scandal]]<br />
<br />
'''2136:''' Theoretical framework for Friendly AI, the [[Volokhov Criterion]], built by [[Volokhov]] and [[Laplace]]<br />
<br />
'''2148:''' [[Trusted Computing Framework]], built by early [[Volokhov-friendly]] AIs, lays basis for provably secure computing and AI design; AIs proliferate<br />
<br />
'''2130s-2150s:''' [[Kaname Madoka Jr.]] born; [[Kaname Tatsuya]] dies<br />
<br />
===Unification Wars===<br />
'''2130s-2150s:''' [[MSY]] members reach effective [[hyperclass]] status; future [[FA]]/[[UF]] distinctions start to become apparent, structural unemployment rises to crisis levels<br />
<br />
'''2150s:''' Future [[FA]] nations become increasingly brutal in the crushing of domestic uprisings<br />
<br />
'''2160:''' UN dissolves amidst irreconcilable discord, is replaced by [[Freedom Alliance]] (FA) and [[United Front]] (UF), neutral nations slowly descend into civil war<br />
<br />
'''2160-63:''' International situation deteriorates, local wars begin to break out, Incubator offer to intervene is refused by the MSY<br />
<br />
'''January 20th, 2161:''' FA-aligned coup begins the Second Civil War in the United States<br />
<br />
'''2163-2230:''' Time period of what would be later known as the [[Unification Wars]]<br />
<br />
'''2163-2171:''' [[St. Petersburg Atrocity]] precipitates World War III; [[MSY]] membership votes to apply unprecedented punitive measures on its minority [[FA]]-sympathetic faction, full [[UF]]/[[FA]] interfactional war breaks out soon after<br />
<br />
'''2171-2175:''' A partial peace is established after [[UF]]-aligned governments turn initial defeats into moderate gains, most notably solidifying Europe<br />
<br />
'''2175-2179:''' [[FA]] begins World War IV with largely successful WMD strikes; the unrestricted conflict quickly becomes ruinous for both sides<br />
<br />
'''2179-2189:''' Near civilizational collapse necessitates another partial peace, [[UF]] and [[FA]] reorganize<br />
<br />
'''2180:''' [[EDC|UF Emergency Defense Committee (EDC)]] founded<br />
<br />
'''2189-2215:''' World War V; WMDs are more readily countered, and heavily augmented human soldiers take center stage<br />
<br />
'''2200:''' [[EDC]] has largely supplanted the remaining UF governments, passes [[Universal Readiness Decree of 2200]] mandating civilian implants<br />
<br />
'''2200s:''' Grotesque [[FA Elites]] enter mass deployment; nevertheless, economic fundamentals and [[FA]] disunity begin pointing towards [[UF]] victory<br />
<br />
'''2215-2218:''' The Treaty of Paris establishes a temporary peace, with substantial gains for the [[UF]] and asylum for the remaining [[FA]] underclasses; mass migration precipitates a refugee crisis<br />
<br />
'''2218-2230:''' "The Cleanse"; remaining [[FA]] nations are slowly overrun<br />
<br />
'''2230:''' [[EDC]] declares worldwide Unification Day (though small [[FA]] remnants will persist for years); the population—now heavily augmented and totaling less than half its pre-war height—celebrates<br />
<br />
===Golden Age===<br />
<br />
'''2230-2240:''' [[EDC]], promising to construct a new, permanent Eudaimonia, leverages its absolute global power to reconstruct civilization<br />
<br />
'''2236:''' [[Kuroi Abe]] born.<br />
<br />
'''2240:''' [[EDC]] dissolves itself and establishes [[Governance]] as its successor<br />
<br />
'''2250-2330:''' [[Project Eden]] brings clinical immortality, [[Project Janus]] brings [[faster-than-light]] travel, and [[Project Icarus]] brings plentiful solar energy<br />
<br />
'''2260-2280:''' [[First Colonization Wave]] begins the settlement of the [[Core Worlds]]<br />
<br />
'''2300-2320:''' [[Second Colonization Wave]] begins<br />
<br />
'''2310:''' [[Kuroi Abe]] and [[Ryouko's Grandmother|his future wife]] are on the brink of marriage<br />
<br />
'''2333-2335:''' [[Kuroi Nana]] born, with [[Kuroi Nakase]] following shortly after<br />
<br />
'''2337-2338:''' [[Erwynmark]] born on the colony [[Bismarck]]<br />
<br />
'''2346-2348:''' [[Kuroi Nakase]] contracts, [[Kuroi Nana]] contracts and her wish undoes [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase's]] contract<br />
<br />
'''2350-2360:''' Beginning of [[MSY]] clones project<br />
<br />
'''2351-2357:''' [[Kuroi Nana]] breaks contact with her family<br />
<br />
'''2375-2381:''' [[Kuroi Nana]] reconnects with sister and father, but not mother<br />
<br />
'''2395-2405:''' First successful use of blank slate clone as new host body<br />
<br />
'''2420-2423:''' [[Azrael]] born<br />
<br />
'''2434-2437:''' [[Azrael]] contracts after the destruction of her colony [[Terra Roja]]<br />
<br />
'''2439:''' [[Mami]] suggests that the [[Mitakihara Four]] take a vacation together<br />
<br />
===Contact War===<br />
<br />
'''2440:''' First Contact with [[Cephalopod]] aliens, destruction of [[Aurora]]/[[Atlas]] colonies, [[Battle of Epsilon Eridani]]/[[New Athens]], disappearance of [[Homura]], end of the [[Masquerade]]<br />
<br />
'''2441:''' [[Kyouko]] gives first speech announcing her intention to found the [[Church of Hope]]<br />
<br />
'''2440-2443:''' [[Mami]] becomes a Field Marshal; [[Joanne Valentin]] switches fields to physics, starts blogging about [[magical girl]] subjects; [[Kuroi Nakase]] and [[Shizuki Kuma]] meet and marry<br />
<br />
'''2442:''' [[Ordo Illustrata]] founds their colony on [[X-25]]<br />
<br />
'''2445-2446:''' [[Ryouko]] born<br />
<br />
'''Mid-2446:''' [[Asaka]], [[Alice]], [[Patricia]] undergo initial training<br />
<br />
'''2452:''' [[Samsara offensive]] ends in debacle for the [[Cephalopods]]<br />
<br />
'''2452-2453:''' [[Erwynmark|Marshal Erwynmark's]] [[Saharan Raid]] destroys a shipyard and [[wormhole stabilizer]], putting a temporary end to alien ability to sustain offensives<br />
<br />
'''2457:''' Beginning of [[Euphratic Incursion]]<br />
<br />
'''October 1st, 2459:''' [[Kyouko]] begins dating [[Kishida Maki]]<br />
<br />
'''Mid-2460:''' [[Simona]] transfers to [[Mitakihara]] as an exchange student<br />
<br />
==To the Stars==<br />
Chapter numbers cited for events: ⁰ ¹ ² ³ ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹<br />
<br />
On Earth, time of day translates as follows:<br />
<br />
• ''Early morning'' - Roughly 12am-6am<br />
<br />
• ''Morning'' - Roughly 6am-12pm<br />
<br />
• ''Afternoon'' - Roughly 12pm-6pm<br />
<br />
• ''Evening'' - Roughly 6pm-12am<br />
<br />
Elsewhere, time of day is local. (A planet may have more than 24 hours in a day, etc.) Date is Earth-standardized.<br />
<br />
===Volume 1===<br />
'''September 16, 2460:'''<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] meets friends at school, sees [[Mami]] through the window.¹<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Demon]]s attack [[Ryouko]] and [[Simona]], [[Ryouko]] contracts after being saved by [[Mami]].¹ <br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Kyouko]] hunts with [[Ryouko]], and discovers planted saturated [[grief cubes]].² Mami watches the [[Akemi (movie)|movie ''Akemi'']].³ ⁴ <br />
<br />
'''September 17:'''<br />
<br />
''Early Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]], along with [[Kyouko]], tells her parents about her [[contract]].⁵ [[Mami]] departs [[Earth]] after meeting with [[Marianne]].⁶<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] reads informational messages about being a [[magical girl]].⁵ [[Kyouko]] visits [[Yuma]] to discuss the saturated [[grief cubes]].⁷ ⁸<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Mami]] is promoted at a meeting of the [[General Staff]].⁶ [[Ryouko]] receives her implant upgrades and a vision at the [[Ribbon]].⁹ She relates this to the [[Theological Council]].¹⁰<br />
<br />
'''September 18:'''<br />
<br />
''Early morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] has dinner with family and visits the sparring ground beneath the [[Cult of Hope]]'s church with them.¹¹<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] and [[Kuroi Abe]] talk about [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]].¹¹<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] tells [[Ruiko]] and [[Chiaki]] about her [[contract]]; they watch the [[Akemi (movie)|movie ''Akemi'']] together with [[Simona]].¹¹<br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] and friends have a sleepover, while [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] assign a spy bug to [[Ryouko]] and assign [[Risa Flores]] to watch over her.¹¹<br />
<br />
'''September 19:'''<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] receives first [[grief cube]] shipment and reads about combat.¹²<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] goes on a large [[demon]] hunt.¹²<br />
<br />
'''September 20:'''<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] attends event for new [[magical girl]]s, meets [[Asami]].¹³<br />
<br />
'''September 21:'''<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:'' <br />
[[Ryouko]] meets her [[MSY]] psychiatrist [[Atsuko Arisu]].¹³<br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] studies combat more.¹³<br />
<br />
'''September 22:'''<br />
<br />
''Early Morning:''<br />
[[Shizuki Kuma|Ryouko's father]] brings her to [[Prometheus]], upgrading her [[TacComp]] to V2 and explaining the clone program.¹³ [[Yuma]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] discuss [[Valentin]], [[Simona]], and the [[grief cube]] audit; [[Ryouko]] investigates her family tree.¹⁴<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] attends her farewell party and learns of her aunt [[Kuroi Nana]].¹⁵<br />
<br />
'''September 23:'''<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] says goodbye to her family at the [[starport]], takes scramjet to space elevator with [[Asami]].¹⁶<br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] reaches space.¹⁶<br />
<br />
===Volume 2===<br />
'''September 29th, 2460:'''<br />
Initial raid on the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails.¹⁸ [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] enter the final memory-suppressed simulation portion of their training.¹⁹<br />
<br />
'''September 30th:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] share their wishes with each other, as their week of training on [[New Athens]] ends.¹⁹<br />
<br />
'''October 1st:'''<br />
[[HSS Laplace]] is attacked by [[Ceph]] fighters and [[Ryouko]] organizes a magical defense; meanwhile [[Maki]], [[Patricia]], and [[Asaka]] fight [[Ceph]] ground forces on [[Apollo]] in the [[Kepler-37 System]].²⁰<br />
<br />
'''October 2nd:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]], recovering from radiation damage from the attack, learns [[Clarisse]] is sentient.²⁰<br />
<br />
'''October 3rd:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]] et al. land on the planet of [[Acheron]] for garrison duty and attend a gathering commemorating the [[Goddess]]'s birthday.²⁰ Kyouko, Mami, and Yuma meet virtually to celebrate as well.²¹<br />
<br />
'''October 5th:'''<br />
[[Asami]] confesses her attraction to [[Ryouko]], and [[Ryouko]] is recalled from garrison duty to [[Kepler-37]].²¹<br />
<br />
'''October 8th:'''<br />
Now aboard [[HSS Zhukov]], [[Ryouko]] is awarded a medal by [[Mami]] and informed that she's been assigned to the second [[wormhole stabilizer]] mission.²²<br />
<br />
'''October 9th:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]] meets some of her [[MagOps]] team descending down to [[Apollo]] aboard [[HSS Raven]], and visits her injured [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]].²³<br />
<br />
==Possible Future Events==<br />
'''2600s:''' [[Third Colonization Wave]] planned to begin<br />
<br />
'''2900s:''' Planned timeframe for human expansion beyond the [[Local Area]]</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=To_the_Stars&diff=1594To the Stars2022-07-29T07:14:01Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* Volume III: Ontological Paradox */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Quote|After centuries of turmoil, a Utopian AI/human government has seized control of Earth, heralding a new age of post-scarcity and space colonization. An unexpected encounter with a hostile, technologically superior alien race has broken the peace, forcing magical girls to come out of hiding to save human civilization.<br />
<br />
In the midst of it all, Shizuki Ryouko, an ordinary girl, looks to the sky, wondering at her place in the universe.|Hieronym|author of To the Stars<br />
}}<br />
<br />
This page summarizes the entire story, volume by volume and chapter by chapter, for those who want a refresher on events. It also includes the names of all future volumes and interludes, [http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/55779437700/future-interlude-title-change as released by] [[Hieronym]] many years ago.<br />
<br />
Each section is collapsed by default, to avoid unwanted spoilers; use the right-hand "Expand" buttons to view descriptions.<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
== Synopses ==<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume I: Quantum Entanglement ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon where groups of particles cannot have their state completely described independently of each other, even if separated by large distances.<br />
: ''This perhaps describes the position Ryouko finds herself in.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume I Summary|[[Shizuki Ryouko]], a regular girl dissatisfied with her utopian life, [[contract]]s and becomes a [[magical girl]], [[wish|wishing]] to leave [[Earth]], explore, and "find my place in this universe". Her life rapidly turns anything but ordinary, as day by day wild events pile up and new secrets from her past reveal themselves. She ends up under the tutelage of both [[Tomoe Mami]] and [[Sakura Kyouko]], learns that the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]] was deliberately caused by someone, discovers that she's the descendant of two powerful competing [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], receives a mysterious vision from a magical girl [[Goddess]], finds out her parents have been working on a secret project cloning bodies for [[magical girl]]s to use, receives a special V2 [[TacComp]], and learns about her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]], protege of [[Akemi Homura]], whose wish turned [[Ryouko]]'s own [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] from a [[magical girl]] back to a regular human.<br><br />
<br>All along, [[Ryouko]] struggles to adjust, learning as much about magical and military worlds she's entering as she can. Saying goodbye to friends and family, and starting to make new friends among her fellow [[magical girls]], she finally departs [[Earth]], led by her [[wish]] out into a strange new universe.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]], and begins to discover her unusual place in the universe.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|1|A Wish}}|[[Ryouko]] goes to school, dissatisfied with her life. She feels out of place in a world where her family at home and friends at school seem to enjoy the near-utopian [[Earth]], even as a [[Contact War|war]] against an [[Ceph|alien]] menace rages. However, [[Mandatory Session|classes]] are interrupted by the appearance of [[Tomoe Mami]] nearby, who has taken a detour to check the school for potential [[magical girl]] recruits with [[Kyubey]], who claims he has found one. The sighting leaves [[Ryouko]] dwelling on the remote possibility of becoming a [[magical girl]], distracting her enough that she unthinkingly agrees to go on a date with another boy from class. [[Simona]], one of her friends, sees that she's unhappy and follows her out to a riverbank with a view of the [[starport]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], on the other hand, surreptitiously visits [[Kyouko]] in her church to discuss [[the Cult]]'s discovery of irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain. She agrees to look into it and departs, only to encounter a [[demon]] spawn on her way back. At the riverbank, [[Simona]] is about to confess her feelings for [[Ryouko]], when they are suddenly attacked by [[demons]]. [[Ryouko]] manages to keep the both of them alive for a short while before getting trapped. At the moment she attempts to sacrifice herself to save [[Simona]], [[Mami]] saves them both, and along with [[Kyubey]] explains that [[Ryouko]] has the [[potential]] to make a [[wish]] and become a [[magical girl]]. {{Quote|"I wish I could leave Earth," Ryouko said, looking down, "and explore this world. I want to go where no one else has gone before and find my place in this universe."}}<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|2|Fantasma}}|[[Mami]], with some reluctance, separates [[Simona]] from [[Ryouko]] and lets [[Kyouko]] take over the immediate training. [[Kyouko]] runs her through the ropes quickly, learns that [[Ryouko]] has an unprecedented 200km teleportation range, and assigns herself as a mentor along with [[Mami]], who has in the meantime realized that [[Simona]] had a crush on [[Ryouko]]. [[Mami]] advises [[Simona]] not to tell [[Ryouko]] how she feels. [[Ryouko]] fights her first [[demon]]s with [[Kyouko]], and afterwards [[Patricia von Rohr]] shows them a pile of [[grief cube]]s she found, indicating the [[demon]] spawn was deliberate. The [[Incubator]]s swear off responsibility, and all [[Ryouko]] can remember is seeing a woman in the distance just beforehand. [[Kyouko]] promises to investigate.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] discovers that someone deliberately spawned the [[demon]]s which led to her [[contract]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|3|Mami Watches a Movie, Part One}}|Disguised, [[Mami]] attends the movie ''[[Akemi]]''. It depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] upbringing in an orphanage, her [[wish]], and then [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, which triggers a vision of the [[Goddess]] for [[Homura]] that changes her personality markedly. It then depicts [[Yuma]] asking to be taken in by [[Homura]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]]—a fabrication, the movie-watching [[Mami]] notes—and the resulting [[Mitakihara Four]] founding the [[MSY]]. The movie montages through the [[MSY|MSY's]] history, jumping ahead to the alien [[Cephalopod]]'s first attack on [[Aurora]], after which [[Homura]] rallies the [[MSY]] to send a massive force of [[magical girl]]s to [[New Athens]] to stop the next attack.<br />
----<br />
In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] life up until [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|4|Mami Watches a Movie, Part Two}}|With [[Mami]] in attendance, the movie ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Mami]] and [[Homura]] directing a surprise assault on the [[Cephalopod]]s at [[New Athens]]. Initially the battle goes well, and the [[Human]] forces on the ground rally, but the aliens deploy stronger measures in turn. [[Homura]] goes out to personally lead the counterattack, but the combination of stealth armor and orbital strikes is too much, and she falls in battle… only to find that her [[soul gem]] refuses to fill with [[grief]], preventing her from being taken away by the [[Law of Cycles]], to her despair. [[Homura]] then suddenly heals from her wounds, and her white wings are replaced by huge, horrible black wings. Almost entirely by her own power, she leads the counterattack to victory, at the end personally redirecting an orbital superweapon back at the [[Ceph]] fleet.<br><br />
<br>In the final scene of the movie, [[Kyouko]] argues to an unconvinced [[Mami]] that the battle proves [[Homura|Homura's]] faith in her [[Goddess]] has merit, only for both of them to be interrupted by [[Homura|Homura's]] arrival. [[Homura]] announces her resignation from the [[MSY]], leaving one of her [[The Ribbon|ribbons]] with them, and declares that she is leaving to look for her [[Goddess]], protecting the world another way. The movie over, [[Mami]] begins her departure from [[Earth]], starting her endless work anew with her Version Two [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br />
----<br />
In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] transformation, victory, and disappearance at [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|5|Family}}|[[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] tell [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] family that she has [[contract]]ed, to their horror. [[Kyouko]] defends [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] choice, and explains some of the [[magical girl]] system to them, though they prove to know more than most. Before [[Ryouko]] goes to bed, [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] comes to talk with her, expressing disappointment that [[Ryouko]] lied when she promised not to [[contract]], and talking the situation over. After watching [[Ryouko]] [[transform]] and discussing her weapon, an arbalest, she leaves [[Ryouko]] with the request to tell her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] (who had disappeared to join the military when [[Ryouko]] was a child) that her family was sorry, should [[Ryouko]] meet her.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] falls asleep, [[Kyouko]] sticks around to gather information on her family situation as per procedure. [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] grandfather [[Kuroi Abe]] willingly helps her out, explaining that [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] parents are near divorce, though [[Ryouko]] doesn't realize it, and that they know so much about magic because they're researchers. He also mentions that [[Ryouko]] has an [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]] she doesn't know about. That night, [[Ryouko]] dreams of an old encounter with a [[magical girl]], and finds that she still has the bracelet the girl gave her. She also recalls an old memory of her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] talking about [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]], though she doesn't understand it. After talking to [[Simona]] and her family a bit, [[Ryouko]] spends the morning reading through the swath of informational messages about her new life.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] tells her family she has [[contract|contracted]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|6|Military}}|[[Mami]] remembers the [[Mitakihara Four]]'s celebration of [[October Three]] with [[Homura]], shortly before the [[Contact War]]. The four of them poke fun at each other—including about [[Homura]]'s secret pupil and [[Kyouko]]'s "transgressions"—and eventually [[Mami]] suggests that they take a long vacation from the [[MSY]] together, only for the others to reluctantly shoot the idea down.<br><br />
<br>In the present, [[Mami]] arrives at the [[starport]] with her bodyguards and meets with [[Marianne Francois]], her intelligence officer, who she instructs to secretly investigate the [[grief cube]] supply chain as [[Kyouko]] asked. Later arriving at [[Carthago Shipyard]] via scramjet then space elevator then [[Navigator]], she attends a meeting of the [[General Staff]].<br><br />
<br>During the meeting, the Chair of the [[General Staff]] [[Roland Erwynmark]] reveals that the [[Cephalopod]]s have been discovered constructing a [[wormhole stabilizer]] in the [[Kepler-37 System]], at the tip of the ongoing [[Euphratic Incursion]]. This would allow the aliens to directly transport reinforcements into the system, within [[Blink]] distance of the [[Core World]] [[Optatum]], and so an immediate [[MagOps]] operation is planned to destroy it. [[Erwynmark]] then announces that he's appointing [[Mami]] as a special [[Euphratic Sector]] commander, over some opposition from her opponents on the [[General Staff|Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] is promoted, and tasked with destroying the discovered [[wormhole stabilizer]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|7|Southern Group}}|[[Kyouko]] wakes up (with [[Kishida Maki]] at her side) and while making the rounds at her [[Kyouko's Church|church]] discovers that [[Maki]] has painted the [[Goddess]] with pink hair, a previously unknown trait. However, [[Kyouko]] has to immediately leave to see [[Yuma]] about the [[grief cube]] incident. On the way, [[Kyouko]] remembers when she first met [[Yuma]], in a confrontation with the [[Southern Group]] shortly after [[Homura]] had first joined the team, before her personality change. [[Kyouko]] had immediately taken sympathy, and telepathically invited her to switch sides, though the very young [[Yuma]] had angrily refused after [[Kyouko]] insulted [[Oriko]], who had saved [[Yuma|Yuma's]] life.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko|Kyouko's]] reverie is briefly interrupted by [[Maki]], who tells her the idea of the pink hair came from [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Kyouko]] then further recalls the next two times she saw [[Yuma]]: first, months later after [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, in a chance encounter at a store where she had revealed she was doing "research" with [[Oriko]], and second, two years after that, when [[Kyouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Homura]] had saved her after the deaths of [[Oriko]] and the rest of [[Southern Group|her team]]. After that, they had [[Befriending|Befriended]] her, and once [[Yuma]] recovered she joined them as one of the [[Mitakihara Four]]. Eventually [[Yuma]] had told them what had really happened the night [[Oriko]] died, and they resolved to keep it secret.<br><br />
<br>As [[Kyouko]] arrives at [[MSY]] [[Governmental Affairs]] to see [[Yuma]], she lastly recalls [[Homura]] telling [[Yuma]] that the [[Goddess]] provided an afterlife for [[magical girl]]s, the only time [[Kyouko]] ever heard her say it out loud.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] remembers how [[Yuma]] ended up joining the [[Mitakihara Four]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|8|Church and State}}|[[Yuma]] runs out to greet [[Kyouko]] like an older sister, herself having taken on a nine-year-old form, and [[Kyouko]] is greeted by her [[Governance]] partner [[MG]] as well. [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] then meet privately to discuss the irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain, and the further reports of [[magical girl]]s going missing, and [[Yuma]] agrees to investigate. When [[Kyouko]] brings up the [[grief cube]] incident with [[Ryouko]], [[Yuma]] immediately deduces that the [[grief cube]]s were super-saturated with grief—a possible state kept very secret, though they don't have a sample to prove it. Before leaving, [[Kyouko]] recommends that [[Yuma]] visit [[The Ribbon]], but she demures just as [[Mami]] always does, instead giving [[Kyouko]] an [[Incubator]] plushie.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] checks with [[Kyubey]] briefly about the [[grief cube]]s, but he does not provide any new information, and so [[Kyouko]] ends up back at [[Kyouko's church|her church]], where she meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Patrica]] reveals that she kept some of the [[grief cube]]s from the incident after sensing something strange about them, and [[Kyouko]] tells her to inform [[Yuma]] through the plushie, which turned out to be enchanted as a [[telepathy]]-enhancer. [[Kyouko]] also gets [[Asaka]] to agree to share the details of the [[Goddess]]'s hair with the [[Theological Council]]. Finally, [[Kyouko]] gives a sermon on the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from, and announces that the church will be updating the statue of the [[Goddess]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] discover that the [[grief cube]]s planted near where [[Ryouko]] was attacked were super-saturated.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|9|Echoes}}|[[Ryouko]] arrives at [[Kyouko's church]], which holds [[MSY]] living quarters and local military facilities underground, in order to get her military upgrades. [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]] guide her through the process. [[Patricia]] notes that [[Ryouko]] has an extremely unusual genetic profile, requiring some adjustments to the process, and then begins the procedure. [[Ryouko]] watches in a semi-[[VR]] experience as the procedure installs a [[TacComp]], removes implants that are useless for [[magical girl]]s, and installs a [[Permanent Awareness Module]], among other things. Testing out her new capabilities, [[Ryouko]] sends [[Asaka]] a memory snapshot of the [[magical girl]] who gave her the bracelet she rediscovered after her [[contract]]. [[Asaka]] reacts oddly, but continues on to show [[Ryouko]] the armory and get her equipped with the required basics.<br><br />
<br>Then she cuts the tour short, instead bringing [[Ryouko]] to the [[Ribbon Chamber]]. At the [[Ribbon]], [[Ryouko]] finds herself in a confusing vision, seeing among other things [[Yuma]] at the death of [[Oriko]], [[Simona]] looking directly at her on her first day of class, [[Asaka]] receiving instruction from the [[Goddess]] to wait for the girl who sent her the memory [[Ryouko]] did, the [[Goddess]] herself briefly showing her face and telling [[Ryouko]] to keep it a secret, and the death of [[Kyouko]] on some sort of mission involving submarines. Both of them watching, [[Patricia]] comments to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] that for a few reasons, including [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s own presence, she's not that surprised [[Ryouko]] received a vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|10|Brigadier}}|[[Ryouko]], brought before the [[Theological Council]] to relate her vision, tells what she saw of [[Kyouko]]'s death, determining with them it was on a colony world and that what actually killed [[Kyouko]] was likely a laser, not a misfire from the submarines. She keeps the rest of the vision from [[Theological Council|the council]], though [[Asaka]] deduces easily that she saw the [[Goddess]]. [[Asaka]] goes on to explain the circumstances of her own vision, where she met again with her dead partner [[Alice]], whose death under her command had torn her apart. Now that she has recovered and her vision is resolved, [[Asaka]] tells [[Ryouko]] she plans to return to the front with [[Mami]], who has just been promoted.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Kyouko]] talks with [[Mami]] about [[Ryouko]], noting that her family tree is dense with [[contract]]ees and connected to the Shizuki and Kuroi [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], that [[Patricia]] found a number of novel mutations in her genetics, and that her friend [[Simona]] has some strange anomalies in her recorded past. Unsure what to make of this, and with no further progress on the [[grief cube]] incident, [[Mami]] agrees at [[Kyouko]]'s request to take on [[Asaka]] as a general, with [[Patricia]] and [[Maki]] as two of [[Asaka]]'s attachments.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] grapples with her vision, and [[Asaka]] explains how her story connects.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|11|Remains of a Life}}|[[Ryouko]] sets up her [[TacComp]] and chooses [[Atsuko Arisu]] as her designated psychiatrist, then goes out to eat dinner with her family and eventually ends up (through a test of her newfound right to drink alcohol without intoxication filters) bringing them to a firing range at [[Kyouko's church]]. There they visit other facilities, including a sparring area where they meet [[Risa Flores]], but [[Ryouko]]'s parents are surprisingly well-informed on the subjects. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] visit her spot near the [[starport]], and talk about their impending military lives, and the disappearance of [[Ryouko's grandmother]], both remembering her saying that she had lost something.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] receives her [[SW-155|officer's pistol]], and her [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] tells her she's planned a going away party. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends at a showing of ''[[Akemi]]'' and finally reveals her [[contract]] to them, also inviting them to the party. Watching the movie, [[Ryouko]] reflects on [[Homura]]'s beliefs, and the fact that her vision contradicts the movie's portrayal of [[Yuma]]. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] asks [[Simona]] what she was going to say to her before the [[demon]] attack, but [[Simona]] tells her to forget about it. [[Ryouko]] also asks about when she looked directly at her on her first day of class (as she saw in her vision), but [[Simona]] claims it was nothing.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, [[Yuma]] convinces [[Kyouko]] to have a spy bug planted on [[Ryouko]] for her protection, and warns her to be careful herself given [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] spends time with her family and friends as she prepares to leave for [[Contact War|war]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|12|Demon Hunter}}|[[Ryouko]] receives a [[CubeBot]] and three [[grief cube]]s, then studies combat doctrines with her [[TacComp]] until [[Kyouko]] invites her to join a [[demon]] hunt. [[Patricia von Rohr|Patricia]] and [[Risa Flores|Risa]] meet her at [[Kyouko's church]], where [[Kyouko]] appears briefly but leaves, clearly bothered by the impending departure of [[Kishida Maki]]. On the hunt itself, [[Ryouko]] uses her teleportation to rescue civilians, move other [[magical girl]]s in for attacks, and so forth, finding herself enjoying the combat. The hunt is interrupted by the injury of one girl, who loses an arm and part of her face, but [[Ryouko]] simply teleports them to the armory hospital, where she is told they will be fine shortly, and the rest of the hunt continues without incident.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] goes on a [[demon]] hunt.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|13|Differences of Knowledge}}|The next day, [[Ryouko]] goes to an [[MSY]] social gathering for new recruits, finding [[Risa Flores]] there as a chaperone, and meets a new girl named [[Nakihara Asami]], who shares her desire to explore new worlds, albeit as a xenobiologist. They get along well, and continue on to the next scheduled event together. The following day, [[Ryouko]] meets [[Atsuko Arisu]] for her psychiatrist appointment, who manages to get her freely talking about many things, including her [[wish]], and who also recommends that she talk with her parents about her family ancestry.<br><br />
<br>That night, [[Shizuki Kuma|Ryouko's father]] interrupts her reading on military subjects to take her to [[Prometheus]], where she meets [[Joanne Valentin]]—who appears to be the woman she saw shortly before the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]]—and receives an upgrade to Version Two for her [[TacComp]]. Afterwards, [[Shizuki Kuma|her father]] secretly takes her into [[Prometheus]]'s cloning facility where he and [[Kuroi Nana|her mother]] work, which he explains is used to provide new bodies to [[magical girl]]s who are reduced to [[soul gem]]s. [[Ryouko]] is shocked, especially upon seeing the beginning stages of her own clone, and bothered at the secrets kept from her.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns about the [[MSY]]'s [[cloning program]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|14|Bloodlines}}|[[Yuma]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Mami]] decide [[Ryouko]]'s discovery of the [[cloning program]] isn't a problem, and discuss the incident that led to [[Ryouko]]'s contract. [[Mami]] remembers seeing [[Joanne Valentin]] at the movie theatre shortly afterwards, and [[Yuma]] confirms that she was the woman near the [[demon]] spawn, and moreover that she mysteriously changed her whole life shortly after the [[Contact War]] began. Investigations into [[Simona]] and the [[grief cube]] supply chain problems [[Kyouko]] reported have unearthed more discrepancies, but nothing major, and [[Risa Flores]] hasn't reported anything from her watch over [[Ryouko]], and so they disperse.<br><br />
<br>Back at home, [[Ryouko]] reads the file on her family with her improving [[TacComp]], and discovers that her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] is stationed at the [[Apollo]] shipyard. Moreover, when viewing her family tree she finds much of it explicitly redacted, with the revealed portions being enough to show that she is a descendant of both the Shizuki and Kuroi [[Matriarchy|Matriarchies]]. Later, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] comes to talk to her, and [[Ryouko]] confronts her about the secrets she's kept. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]] says she's kept the secrets to prevent [[Ryouko]] from [[contract]]ing, and will explain more the next day at the going away party.<br><br />
<br>At the party, [[Ryouko]] receives a number of gifts, including a necklace with the Shizuki crest from [[Shizuki Koto]], her paternal grandfather, and a ruby ring with a helix inside, one of a pair from [[Simona]]. [[Kyouko]] arrives, and informs [[Ryouko]] that both her grandparents will be placed in slightly safer positions as part of standard procedure, her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] in particular being moved to the shipyards. Next to arrive is [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Kuroi Kana]], who begins an attempt to recruit [[Ryouko]] into the [[Black Heart]] (and reveals that [[Ryouko]]'s bracelet is in fact a Kuroi insignia), but she is immediately followed by [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Shizuki Sayaka]] and her own recruiting pitch. [[Kyouko]]'s poor intervention is followed by [[Atsuko Arisu]]'s successful one—her presence at the party revealing that she must be related somehow to [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>This is all further interrupted by the sudden appearance of [[Kuroi Nana]], the [[magical girl]] who gave [[Ryouko]] her Kuroi bracelet and until now her entirely secret aunt, a fact which displeases [[Ryouko]] greatly. [[Kuroi Nana]] brings her aside, promising to help explain the situation, and revealing that she's part of the secret [[Internal Security]], and has been searching for [[Akemi Homura]] on behalf of the [[MSY]]. With that said, they begin a memory transfer.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] meets [[Kuroi Nana]], her previously-secret aunt. }}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|15|Samsara}}|[[Ryouko]] experiences her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt's]] memories, with some explanation provided by a sub-sentient assistant.<br><br />
<br>In the memories, [[Kuroi Nana]] investigates the strange behavior of her [[Kuroi Nakase|younger sister]], finding with the help of a computer specialist that her sister's new friends weren't who they seemed, and secretly following them on a [[demon]] hunt. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]], in reality a [[magical girl]], rushes to save [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] when [[demon]]s attack, getting gravely injured in the process. [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] contracts to turn her sister mundane again, to her sister's relief. However, these events seriously strain their family, as their [[Ryouko's grandmother|mother]] isn't allowed to know about the [[MSY]]. When [[Homura]] offers to mentor [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]], she accepts, and all but leaves the family.<br><br />
<br>It's explained to [[Ryouko]] that when [[New Athens]] revealed the [[MSY]], [[Ryouko's grandmother]] blamed it for both her mother's death and her family's troubles, and insisted that [[Ryouko]] be kept from contracting.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] surfaces from the memories, [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] closes off by telling [[Ryouko]] that she had just reconciled with [[Ryouko's grandmother]], and they rejoin the party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns more of her family history from [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|16|Light of the Sky}}|[[Ryouko]] says goodbye to friends and family at the starport, journeying with [[Asami]] by scramjet and then space elevator. While riding the elevator, [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] names herself [[Clarisse]] after [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Ryouko]] muses that her [[wish]] may have somehow changed the past, causing all the sudden revelations of the past week. At the top, the new [[magical girl]]s take a [[Navigator]] shuttle to the [[HSS Spectre]], an old [[frigate]], who leads them around herself. When they reach the [[FTL]] core, [[Ryouko]]'s gem suddenly begins to shine.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finally leaves [[Earth]] with [[Asami]].}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude I: Underworld Dreams ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Unusually, this is a title with relatively direct meanings.''<br />
: ''[[Kugimiya Ito]] dreams of his old girlfriend [[Nakanishi Aiko]], as he digs into a transformed Japanese underworld.<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|17|Interlude I: Underworld Dreams}}|[[Kugimiya Ito]], a police detective in [[Mitakihara]], investigates the disappearance of [[Okamura Yuu|a local teenage girl]] with [[Minami Kaoru|his junior partner]]. Meeting the girl's parents makes him suspect abuse is the culprit, and reminds him of his old teenage sweetheart [[Nakanishi Aiko]], who disappeared under similar circumstances. Back at headquarters, while analyzing the case's evidence electronically, he happens upon an image of the girl meeting what looks to him like [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]. When he confronts the missing girl's friends about the [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]-lookalike, they unconvincingly deny knowing anything until a Yakuza-affiliated lawyer suddenly shows up. Investigating this lead leads him to a [[D&E]] logistics building, where he's confronted by Yakuza and nearly killed for knowing too much, until [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] suddenly intervenes, still the same age as when she disappeared.<br><br />
<br>Reeling, and told to drop the case by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] returns to headquarters, only to be met by [[Ronaldo Rizal|an Interpol agent]] who has been tracking similar mysterious cases. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] is asked to make contact with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again and investigate further. He successfully makes contact, and is brought to [[D&E]] headquarters with his partner, to be greeted by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], who treats him just like she did when they were dating, to his embarrassed pleasure. They meet the CEO of [[D&E]], who turns out to be [[Sakura Kyouko]] under an assumed name, and who explains the situation, including the fact that they already knew about the Interpol investigation. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] agrees to drop the investigation if he can confirm for himself that the missing girl is alright, and afterward retires to be with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kugimiya Ito|A police detective]] happens across his [[Nakanishi Aiko|long-missing girlfriend]] and discovers she is part of an [[MSY]] Yakuza takeover.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume II: Inflationary Expansion ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''This is the universe's theorized early period of exponential inflation.''<br />
: ''Here, it likely refers to the escalation of plot and stakes, especially for Ryouko.''<br />
<br />
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<br />
{{Spbox|Volume II Summary|[[Ryouko]] completes her military simulation training, growing close to [[Asami]], and gets her first taste of real combat shortly afterwards as her convoy is unexpectedly and suspiciously attacked by [[Ceph]] fighters. After [[Ryouko]]'s successful defense there, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]], who doesn't know how to respond, and then both are recalled to the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]], where the first attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] has failed.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] is assigned to a [[MagOps]] team, and begins training while still wrestling with family and relationship confusion, including the sudden revelation of her [[TacComp]] [[Clarisse]]'s sentience. The eventual battle begins poorly, as the wormhole unexpectedly activates right at the start. [[Ryouko]]'s team presses on, only to find the mission much more difficult than expected, and they slowly attrit team members. They finally destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]], but as the [[Goddess]] reveals in a vision, the [[Ceph]] had already amassed a stealthed fleet large enough to take the system. Having realized that her power uses wormholes, [[Ryouko]] reopens the [[Ceph]]'s wormhole and sends the fleet back through, saving the day.<br><br />
<br>However, the battle was not without its casualties—[[Asami]] lost her body after nearly grief-spiraling upon hearing of [[Ryouko]]'s apparent death, [[Ryouko's grandmother]] died in a [[Ceph]] raid, and [[Erwynmark]] died as well, among others. Coming to grips with her sudden fame and new life amidst memorial services and the news of her parents' divorce, [[Ryouko]] decides to become [[Asami]]'s girlfriend. But there are more surprises in store: as the [[Goddess]]—who [[Ryouko]] discovers she is distantly related to—reveals in another vision, [[Ryouko]] will find herself caught up in even greater events soon enough.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delivers the [[Battle of Orpheus]], and connects with [[Asami]], as her old life falls away.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|18|To the Ground}}|The [[General Staff]] watches as a [[MagOps]] mission to take out the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, all members killed, after they are detected teleporting through [[Orpheus]]'s atmosphere. Afterwards, [[Mami]] dreams of her past failures, disturbing her [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br><br />
<br>On the planet [[Giungla]], [[Ryouko]] is embedded in a military unit along with other [[magical girl]]s, fighting against a [[Ceph]] invasion. She goes off mostly on her own to successfully rescue a soldier from her unit, and then joins up with a team of [[magical girl]]s to teleport into an alien attack column, again with significant success.<br />
----<br />
In short: The initial attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, as [[Ryouko]] gains combat experience elsewhere.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|19|To the Sky}}|Finding that she enjoys the combat, [[Ryouko]] works hard to sustain the [[human]] forces, but the arrival of a major [[Ceph]] fleet in system forces a general evacuation. They begin taking heavy losses, and [[Ryouko]] quickly becomes acting-Commander. [[Asami]] dies, [[Ryouko]] enters [[emotional suppression]], and just barely escapes... only to suddenly wake up from the accelerated [[VR]] simulation.<br><br />
<br>Calmed by [[Clarisse]] and relieved to see [[Asami]] alive, [[Ryouko]] heads back to their shared room in the training center on [[New Athens]]. [[Clarisse]] recommends that they read some "messages" together, which turn out to be relationship proposals for [[Ryouko]]. [[Asami]] comments that she had been warned this might happen, due to [[Ryouko]]'s mentors and heritage. The next day, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her [[wish]] was for her parents to stay together and understand each other, and [[Ryouko]] relays her own [[wish]], as they look forward together towards the end of training.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] finish simulation training.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|20|Relativity}}|[[Kishida Maki]] remembers how she [[contract]]ed and later met [[Kyouko]], dating, but breaking up after a fight over [[Maki]]'s decision to head to the front, and [[Kyouko]]'s refusal to explain her history with [[Miki Sayaka]], a near lookalike. Stationed on [[Apollo]] with [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]], [[Maki]] then heads out, completing another mission aboveground to secure a building back from the [[Ceph]].<br><br />
<br>Headed to [[Acheron]] with [[Asami]] and a new friend from training, [[Meiqing]], [[Ryouko]] suddenly notices a bright flash from her [[soul gem]]. Soon, the cause is discovered by the ship, [[Laplace]], to be [[Ceph]] fighters. The early warning allows them to dodge the initial missile attack, but eschewing standard doctrine, the [[Ceph]] turn around for another assault, forcing the transport's [[magical girl]]'s to fight them in space combat, with [[Ryouko]] taking charge. The fight goes well, but the final ship detonates its core in a desperate but futile attempt to kill them.<br><br />
<br>While recovering from the ensuing protective fugue, [[Clarisse]] reveals to [[Ryouko]] that she has uncovered the memory of her vision, and is in fact sentient. Afterwards, they arrive at [[Acheron]], minor heroes, and [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] attend a celebration of [[October Three]] together.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]]'s convoy is attacked unsuccessfully by [[Ceph]] fighters.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|21|Discontinuity}}|[[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Yuma]] meet virtually to celebrate [[October Three]], and discuss the mysteriousness of [[Simona]] and the unlikely and seemingly irresponsible attack on [[Ryouko]]'s convoy, the absence of [[Homura]] weighing on them.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] talks with [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about training and suitors, but fails to mention the attack on her convoy. [[Ryouko]] then goes with [[Asami]] to see a basketball game, and then to a volcanic spa, noting that [[Asami]] is acting strangely, and finding that she isn't enjoying the time on [[Acheron|a colony world]] herself as much as she expected. At the spa, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her romantic feelings to a stunned [[Ryouko]], who promises to think about it—they have little time to reflect, however, as they are at that moment recalled to active duty in the [[Kepler-37]] system, the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asami]] confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|22|Shifting Winds}}|Now on [[Mami]]'s flagship, the [[HSS Zhukov]], and unable to stop thinking about [[Asami]], [[Ryouko]] is awarded a medal for her performance during the [[Ceph]] attack on her convoy by the Field Marshall. [[Mami]] then brings her to the bridge, where they enter simulation as [[Mami]] explains the strategic situation. This is interrupted by a perfunctory [[Ceph]] attack, which [[Ryouko]] watches from the bridge.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, they reenter the simulation to meet [[Erwynmark]], and [[Ryouko]] is told about the planned second wormhole mission, which requires her teleportation capabilities. [[Ryouko]] is to be sent down to [[Apollo]] to meet with the rest of the team (and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]]) to prepare.<br><br />
<br>Resting after the earlier battle, [[Mami]] dreams of the destruction of her apartment by [[Oriko]], which reunited her with [[Kyouko]], and of other old memories, followed by a strange dream in which she and an unknown girl, somehow important to her, were in a plane crash.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] is assigned to the second [[wormhole stabilizer]] mission on [[Orpheus]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|23|Lost Love}}|Along with others, [[Mami]] plans Humanity's counteroffensive to support the [[Orpheus]] mission and end the [[Euphratic Incursion]]. Meeting with [[Erwynmark]], who will also lead the battle, they conclude that their success rests on the [[MagOps]] mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] thinks of her friends—including [[Chiaki]] on [[Earth]], who always teased [[Ryouko]] about relationships—and ends up calling [[Meiqing]], who insists that she call [[Asami]], who is broken up over [[Ryouko]]'s non-answer to her confession. However, there isn't time, as the [[HSS Raven]] brings her down to [[Apollo]], where [[Ryouko]] meets up with [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]], who was seriously injured in the fighting but recovering easily. They share some time together, as [[Ryouko]] informs him that she's going on a dangerous mission. Her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her family already knew about the attack on her convoy, and that he finally managed to find and talk with [[Ryouko's grandmother|his wife]] again, who wants to talk with [[Ryouko]] as well once there's a chance.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delays talking to [[Asami]], and meets [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]] on [[Apollo]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|24|Historian}}|[[Ryouko]]'s new [[MagOps]] team practices working together on [[Apollo]] by fighting the [[Ceph]]. Their team practice and bonding is later interrupted by the announcement of yet another new team member: [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Ryouko]]'s childhood hero and, as it turns out, personal friend of team commander [[Nadya Antipova]]. They immediately return to mission simulations, first knowing they're simulations, and later not, failing often—with [[Ryouko]] regretting not contacting [[Asami]] in her apparent final moments.<br><br />
<br>Recovering from this, the team socializes, and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Ryouko]] that she should talk to [[Asami]] even if she doesn't know what to say. Finally, [[Ryouko]] does so, telling her about the dangerous mission she's on, and asking her to survive the upcoming battle too so they can resolve things afterward. They end the call somewhat comforted, but [[Asami]] in particular finds herself still worried and unsure.<br><br />
<br>That night, resting, [[Ryouko]] has a mysterious seeming dream-vision, including a moment in the [[Cult]]'s rose garden on [[Earth]] where [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] speaks strange things and almost appears to be someone else unknown.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Clarisse van Rossum]] joins the wormhole team, and convinces [[Ryouko]] to contact [[Asami]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|25|Piercing the Sky}}|Waiting aboard the [[HSS Raven]], [[Clarisse]] and [[Ryouko]] find themselves ruminating on the possibility of their death, and the [[Goddess]]'s promised afterlife for [[magical girl]]s. [[Juliet Francois]] and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] both ask about [[Ryouko]]'s visions, but she defers, stating she doesn't think they are relevant to the current mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] begins the [[Human]] offensive, for her part attempting to draw [[Ceph]] forces away from [[Orpheus]]. While it initially appears a success, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] which was thought to be still under construction suddenly activates, and hordes of reinforcements begin pouring through.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Orpheus]] mission begins poorly, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] activating before it even begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|26|Blood and Ichor}}|[[Clarisse van Rossum]] decides the [[MagOps]] team must act immediately. Donning [[magitech]] armor, [[Ryouko]] teleports the team straight from low orbit to what looks to be the key stabilizer core for the [[wormhole stabilizer]]. After efficiently clearing out enemy personnel, [[Nadya]] announces that there are what appears to be twelve separate stabilizer cores, rather than the single expected one, of which perhaps up to four are real. They detonate a [[PAYNE|nuke]] on the closest core, teleporting away towards the next one.<br><br />
<br>This time they encounter even more waiting [[Ceph]], and clear them out with more difficulty. Suddenly, right when two fighters attack, a [[Ceph]] sniper takes shots at [[Eva Guderian]] and [[Ryouko]], killing [[Eva Guderian|Eva]] instantly and shattering [[Ryouko]]'s arm. In a rage, [[Ryouko]] teleports on top of the sniper and slaughters it.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[wormhole stabilizer]] survives an intended killing blow, and [[Ryouko]] loses control after [[Eva Guderian]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|27|Those Brilliant Shining Stars}}|Shocked at herself and slowly recovering, [[Ryouko]] realizes that her [[soul gem]] is not only pulling her towards the wormhole, but also reacting to the true stabilizer cores—and the one they lost [[Eva Guderian]] attacking is a fake.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, the fleet battle in system is going poorly, and [[Erwynmark]] defers to [[Mami]], who decides they must continue to hold out in hope of destroying the wormhole.<br><br />
<br>The [[Orpheus]] team quickly finds and destroys a second stabilizer core with their last [[PAYNE|nuke]], leaving still two more. The [[Ceph]] begin firing artillery at the third core when they arrive, forcing [[Clarisse van Rossum]] to seize their barrier generator [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]]'s [[soul gem]] to save her life. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] then executes a powerful attack that vaporizes the core, but knocks her unconscious.<br><br />
<br>Unexpectedly targeted, [[Erwynmark]]'s ship the [[HSS Arminius]] recommends evacuation. [[Erwynmark]] escapes the ship with his bodyguards, but [[Ceph]] interceptors somehow find his stealthed ship and chase it down, killing him.<br />
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In short: The [[Orpheus]] team destroys two more [[wormhole stabilizer]] cores, but [[Erwynmark]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|28|Invictus}}|The [[Orpheus]] team learns that the [[HSS Raven]], along with her remaining crew, has been discovered and destroyed, all but eliminating any hope of escape. [[Misa Virani]] gives her [[soul gem]] to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and takes advantage of the moon's electrical properties to generate an awe-inspiring electrical discharge, destroying the last [[wormhole stabilizer]] core. The wormhole above collapses violently, and the remainder of the team is suddenly caught in temporal/spatial distortions that threaten to rip them apart.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Misa Virani]] destroys the final [[wormhole stabilizer]] and the wormhole collapses, trapping the rest of the team.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|29|Deus ex gemma}}|[[Ryouko]] suddenly recalls a lecture given by [[Joanne Valentin]], and realizes that her teleportation uses wormholes, and that she can use the broken spacetime around them to teleport the team off [[Orpheus|the moon]]. At the same time, [[Ryouko]] realizes she's with the [[Goddess]], in a vision—this time, with [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]] too. The [[Goddess]] shows them [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[Apollo]], hard-pressed by the [[Ceph]]. [[Shirou Asaka]] manages to get forces in to save them, but [[Maki]] loses her body. They are also shown an unknown woman commander in the [[Apollo]] shipyards, who is killed by a [[Ceph]] commando raid.<br><br />
<br>Following that, [[Asami]] and her ''[[Magi Cæli]]'' team are shown defending the space around [[Apollo]] with some success, despite incredible new [[Ceph]] stealth capabilities. Attempting to extract, the team is suddenly caught and scattered, with [[Asami]] seriously injured and placed into a [[MedEvac]]. A sudden announcement from [[Tomoe Mami]] that the wormhole was destroyed at the apparent cost of the team involved, including [[Ryouko]], sends [[Asami]] into a despair spiral, and her body is ejected into space to preserve her [[soul gem]]. Finally, [[Ryouko]] is shown [[Mami]], who is pressing the apparent advantage at the destruction of the wormhole, even as she mourns the dead.<br><br />
<br>The [[Goddess]] then talks with [[Ryouko]], revealing the [[Ceph]] trap—a huge cloaked fleet had already come through the wormhole, enough to retake the system easily. The [[Goddess]] tells her to reopen the wormhole and send the fleet back, ending the vision. To her team's amazement, [[Ryouko]] does just that, and then just barely teleports them to [[Zhukov]]'s bridge before blacking out.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Goddess]] tells [[Ryouko]] to send back a cloaked [[Ceph]] fleet through the wormhole, saving the battle.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|30|Call to Power}}|[[Mami]] and [[Atsuko Arisu]] perform a dream interrogation of [[Ryouko]]—and also [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]], which complicates their attempt to loosen her up, as does the secret blocking of telepathic investigation by [[Clarisse van Rossum]]. [[Ryouko]] only explains that her power uses wormholes, and about her memory of the [[Joanne Valentin]] lecture that triggered the realization, avoiding religious questions. [[Ryouko]] meets afterwards with some of the [[Orpheus]] team, and is warned of the coming scrutiny she'll endure as a hero by [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and the revived [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]].<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] learns from her devastated [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]] was killed, and realizes she saw it in her vision. She attends the first of three memorial services in her near future, for the dead of the [[Orpheus]] team, meeting [[Marianne Francois]], whose daughter [[Juliet]] was killed aboard the now-revived [[HSS Raven]].<br><br />
<br>In a surprise to [[Mami]], the [[General Staff]] and [[Military Affairs]] select her as the new Chair in accordance with [[Erwynmark]]'s wishes.<br />
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In short: [[Mami]] becomes the new Chair of the [[General Staff]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|31|Aspects of Love}}|On the planet [[Bismarck]] for [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial, [[Ryouko]] meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kyouko]], along with a couple of local kids, finding herself surprisingly distant from the latter due to her experiences. [[Ryouko]] admits to [[Kyouko]] that the [[Goddess]] came to her in a vision on [[Orpheus]] to tell her about the cloaked fleet, and is afterwards unknowingly accosted by a [[Shizuki Azusa|seductive Shizuki]] until [[Patricia]] saves her. [[Patricia]] informs her that [[Kishida Maki]] is still taking [[Kyouko]]'s continued absence hard, and that she is struggling herself, before collecting a more in-depth genetic sample from [[Ryouko]]. Later that day [[Mami]], attending virtually, gives [[Erwynmark]]'s eulogy.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] comes to grips with her newfound fame at [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|32|Decisions, Implications}}|[[Ryouko]] meets with her family at the starport, only to find her parents have divorced. Still shaken, she heads immediately to [[Asami]]'s revival, comforting her, and finding herself unexpectedly comforted herself to have [[Asami]] back.<br><br />
<br>After briefly meeting [[Asami]]'s family, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] head out to meet [[Ryouko]]'s friends. While waiting, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] how unhappy she is in combat, and, consoling her, [[Ryouko]] abruptly decides to become her girlfriend… right as [[Simona]], [[Ruiko]], and [[Chiaki]] arrive. [[Simona]] retreats to the bathroom, and [[Chiaki]] covers for her, instead planning the rest of the day. They go on to a restaurant and have a sleepover, the only disturbance being the strange arrival of [[Kyubey]], who claims only to be visiting.<br><br />
<br>At [[Ryouko's grandmother]]'s funeral, [[Ryouko]] discovers that her psychiatrist [[Atsuko Arisu]] is in fact the grandmother of [[Ryouko's grandmother]]. After the ceremony, which [[Ryouko]] finds she can't connect to, she is suddenly given a memory recording from a friend of [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]]. The memory reveals that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]] grandfather was [[Kaname Tatsuya]], once the younger brother of [[Kaname Madoka]], the [[Goddess]]. [[Tatsuya]] makes [[Homura]] promise to keep [[Ryouko's grandmother]] out of the [[MSY]], as he warns darkly of the future that would become the [[Unification Wars]], recalling in particular his daughter-in-law's wish for vengeance.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] rushes with [[Asami]] to the [[Ribbon]], with both [[Kyubey]] and [[Kyouko]] showing up to watch. A vision ensues, and the [[Goddess]] explains that she is indeed related to [[Ryouko]], as hinted previously, and that she tries to limit her interventions in the world, so that people can live their own lives. She explains that [[Ryouko]] has the special burden of having less freedom to live her own life, and that she will be called upon again.<br><br />
<br>Teleporting out immediately from the [[Ribbon Chamber]] to avoid questions, [[Ryouko]] learns that [[Asami]] also received a vision, assuaging her worries and including helpful relationship advice. Before [[Ryouko]] can digest that, [[Joanne Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] show up at her door with a proposal.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes [[Asami]]'s girlfriend, and finds out she will feature in the [[Goddess]]'s plans again.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude II: Madeleines ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Madeleines (small sponge cakes) feature in Proust's "In Search of Lost Time", a famous French novel noted for its theme of involuntary memory.''<br />
: ''Likewise, this interlude centers on the peculiar role of memory in an episode of [[Asaka]]'s past. The first snippet even includes relevant sections from Proust's novel.''<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|33|Interlude II: Madeleines}}|[[Shirou Asaka]] wakes from a strange recurring dream in which she has lost someone important to her, as a [[magical girl]] in some sort of [[Contact War|crazy alien war]]. [[Alice Lynwood]], her wife, reminds her to get it checked out, but is less successful in attempting to convince her to finally have a baby.<br><br />
<br>In a professional [[VR]] game playing as [[magical girl]]s in WWII with her second-in-command [[Madhuri]], [[Asaka]] finds she needs to sacrifice her to win. Suddenly, [[Asaka]] starts thinking [[Madhuri]] is somehow actually [[Alice]], and then the game is suddenly cut short by a strange simulation error. However, [[Asaka]]'s growing unease is again washed away by the joy of her life with [[Alice]].<br><br />
<br>[[Tanaka Yui]], [[Asaka]]'s therapist, suggests doing a dream study, and [[Patricia von Rohr]] comes to visit, both of them bringing up little oddities or inconsistencies in [[Asaka]]'s thoughts. The dream study returns an apparent suppressed memory, but one involving [[magical girl]]s and an [[Contact War|alien war]] that [[Asaka]] can't remember experiencing. Soon enough, all of reality seems to be changing for her—[[Madhuri]], her location, [[magical girl]]s. Finally running a full internal diagnostic, [[Asaka]] remembers what truly happened: she was forced to send her girlfriend [[Alice]] to her death to win a battle in the [[Contact War]]. Unable to process it, [[Asaka]] had [[Reformat|Reformatted]] herself and put herself inside a [[VR]] simulation where she could live with [[Alice]]. [[Tanaka Yui]] had been helping her face the truth after breaking into the simulation, along with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Madhuri]], and even [[Asaka]]'s own internal representation of [[Alice]]. [[Patricia]] tells [[Asaka]] afterwards that [[Alice]] had planned on proposing.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asaka]]'s self-[[Reformat]] and [[VR]] simulation are undone, and she begins to finally face her lover [[Alice]]'s death.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume III: Ontological Paradox ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''In an ontological paradox, events occur as part of a causal loop: an 'initial' event, in terms of linear time, eventually causes itself.''<br />
: ''This may refer to the nature of Ryouko's wish and/or the logic of the Goddess's interventions. <br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume III Summary|Now living with [[Asami]] and working in [[ITG|a lab]] to help humanity understand wormholes, [[Ryouko]]'s life is interrupted again when she is offered a chance to investigate a [[rogue colonies|rogue colony]] on [[X-25]]. When [[ITG|the lab]] collapses on her and [[Asami]] in an act of sabotage, they decide to join the mission.<br><br />
<br>The [[X-25]] colony turns out to have a massive bunker, and [[Kyouko]] leads a team with [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] in, discovering an attempt at mass-cloning [[magical girl]]s. Moreover, two separate traps attempting to kill [[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] are encountered, the second costing [[Ryouko]] her body.<br><br />
<br>After a vision revealing [[Yuma]]'s past, a revived [[Ryouko]] manages to push [[Kyouko]] into visiting [[the Ribbon]], where she meets with [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision, and finally reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]] afterwards. [[Ryouko]], for her part, faces the disturbing revelation that she's been genetically engineered, losing control of her life as she's whisked from [[Paris]] to [[Adept Blue]]. At the same time, [[Mami]]'s self-[[Reformat]] unravels, and she meets with the [[Goddess]] in a vision as she grapples with her restored memories, finally convinced to take a vacation.<br><br />
<br>However, events—and conspiracies—don't let go of them. [[Simona]], now a [[magical girl]] and always an agent assigned to [[Ryouko]], reappears to help [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] create wormholes spanning lightyears, though her love remains unrequited as [[Ryouko]]'s relationship with [[Asami]] grows stronger. During [[Mami]]'s vacation, she and [[Kyouko]] discover that [[Misa]] had in fact been recruited by [[Homura]] to fight a mysterious enemy, and [[Yuma]] learns that someone has corrupted the [[TCF]] from [[Simona]] and [[Valentin]], both part of a secret organization fighting it with alternate [[TCF]]s.<br />
<br>'''Volume incomplete; More chapters to be released.'''<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finds herself enmeshed in conspiracy, as [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] grapple with their pasts.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|34|The Bonds that Make Us}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Asami]] attend [[Yuma]]'s birthday party via [[VR]] from [[Eurydome]], where [[Ryouko]] was brought by [[Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] for wormhole research. [[Kyouko]] brings up [[Ryouko]]'s visions in front of [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Ryouko]] is forced to explain, choosing to also forward the memory she received from [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] intervenes in an argument between [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] about [[Kishida Maki]], and brings them to [[Ryouko]]. [[Ryouko]] is reminded of her first vision, where she saw [[Yuma]], and which seemed to contradict her official history—she even tells [[Kyouko]] this. [[Ryouko]] then goes to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] for life advice, and is told that she needs to talk over her desires for an extraordinary life with [[Asami]], who wants a more domestic life.<br><br />
<br>Away from the party, [[Yuma]] explains to [[Kuroi Nakase]], [[Ryouko]]'s mother, that [[Ryouko]] is probably the most genetically sure contract in history, and moreover, that she has a genetically-engineered second, hidden genome. [[Nakase]] knew only that [[Ryouko]] was likely to contract given her ancestry, and when pressed for information as to how she got the birth license, suddenly collapses—a non-fatal defense mechanism apparently built into tampered memories.<br />
----<br />
In short: At [[Yuma]]'s party, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] learns that [[Ryouko]] was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|35|Causality}}|[[Mami]] learns from [[Marianne Francois]]'s [[grief cube]] supply chain report that in a few rare cases for the past 10 years, there have been severe shortages followed by surpluses, where they would hurt the war effort the least. [[Mami]] is disturbed by not only the report, but also her unintended reading of [[Marianne]]'s mind.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Clarisse]] go over her visions, realizing that [[Simona]] was tank-born and seemingly knew her before they met, and that the [[Goddess]] likely manipulated the events leading to [[Ryouko]]'s contract.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], in a meeting with the [[Directorate]], is asked to investigate a distress signal from [[X-25|a cult's colony]] which was thought to have been destroyed en route to an entirely different planet. Elsewhere, [[Kyouko]] promises to tell [[Yuma]] to explain her past to [[MG]], and receives from [[MG]] a recording of what happened with [[Kuroi Nakase]] at [[Yuma]]'s party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives orders to investigate [[X-25|a mysterious colony]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|36|Chasing Ghosts}}|[[Ryouko]] learns in a call from her friends on [[Earth]] that [[Simona]] has moved away, and afterwards meets with [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Kyouko]], who ask her to join a mission to investigate [[X-25|a cult's colony]] related to [[Homura]], and to consider an offer from [[Kuroi Kana]] to properly join the intelligence services.<br><br />
<br>[[Kuroi Nana]] departs after being given the memory file from [[Ryouko's grandmother]], but [[Kyouko]] accompanies [[Ryouko]] to the lab, [[ITG]], and they discuss [[Ryouko]]'s visions a bit. During an experiment at the lab, the gravity generators go haywire, and the ceiling collapses—[[Ryouko]] is saved by [[Kyouko]] and [[Asami]], but [[Asami]] is seriously injured. In the hospital afterwards, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] and [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about the apparent attempt on her life that led to her [[contract]]. [[Kyouko]] explains that the incident at [[ITG]] appears to be another such attack. [[Ryouko]] decides to join the proffered mission, which [[Asami]] accepts on the condition that she come too.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] survives an attempt on her life at [[ITG|the lab]] on [[Eurydome]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|37|Seraphim}}|[[Kyouko]] convinces [[Mami]] to let her on the colony mission due to the [[Homura]] connection, and [[Mami]] tells [[Kyouko]] about the mysterious sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]]. However, [[Mami]] becomes inordinately emotional when discussing the necessity of ordering an investigative mind-read, and she later dreams of training mind-reading abilities that she doesn't remember.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] are taught defensive telepathic techniques en route to their mission, and [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] told her to stick with [[Ryouko]] for her safety. They then meet with [[Azrael Maslanka]], who tells them both about the true proliferation of [[rogue colonies]], and her own experience on one where she was genetically engineered with wings for flight, before the colony collapsed in civil war.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting, where she tells [[Mami]] about her vision in which [[Kyouko]] was killed. The details match [[Mami]]'s planned submarine mission exactly and, disturbed, she agrees to allocate more forces.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] learn about [[rogue colonies]] from [[Azrael Maslanka]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|38|Carpe Diem}}|A special [[Miki|sentient probe]] sent to investigate the cult's colony on [[X-25]] discovers a massive underground structure and comes under heavy fire, and the [[Directorate]] approves more forces for the mission in response.<br><br />
<br>[[Meiqing]] turns out to be part of the additional forces, and she, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] go out hiking together on [[San Giuseppe]] while waiting for more reinforcements to arrive. At the top, [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] her worries about how much their lives are at risk, and [[Azrael]] explains herself to [[Meiqing]].<br><br />
<br>Finally, the mission begins, with [[Task Force Rhamnusia|conventional forces]] taking the surface of the colony on [[X-25]].<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be heavily armed, and the [[Task Force Rhamnusia|correspondingly reinforced]] assault on it begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|39|Indelible Soul}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew descend to the pacified surface of [[X-25]], and [[Gracia]], to [[Ryouko]]'s distress, forcibly mind-reads captives to learn that the colony's leader, [[Grigori DeWitt]], has escaped to the bunker with children as hostages. [[Kyouko]] manages to convince [[Mami]] and [[Governance]] to let her lead a [[MagOps]] infiltration mission, despite their misgivings that [[Kyouko]] is doing so for personal reasons, given her history.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] chooses to bring [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] on the mission, among more experienced girls, largely on personal hunch. Mission underway, and despite being hampered by some sort of magical clairvoyance blocking, they quickly discover large numbers of human clones, an apparent attempt to clone [[magical girl]]s. The attempt to communicate this to the surface is blocked by the hostile telepath, however, and the team is discovered. Clearly personally angered by the situation, [[Kyouko]] insists that they fight their way through rather than escape.<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be attempting [[magical girl]] cloning.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|40|Through a Mirror}}|The [[X-25]] team kills a number of guards, only to discover that they are cloned teenagers, heavily implanted, horrifying the rookies into [[emotional suppression]]. [[Gracia]] manages to determine that the cloned girls are transformed into controlled guards once they failed to contract, and that contracts weren't happening. [[Kyouko]] decides that they must find and capture the enemy telepath, before more clones are killed.<br><br />
<br>They find the enemy [[magical girl]], but before they act to kill her, [[Asami]] notices that [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]] is glowing slightly. Off-put by that and everything else that doesn't add up, the team nearly rebels against [[Kyouko]]'s insistence on attacking the enemy [[magical girl]], until [[Ryouko]] manages to convince [[Kyouko]] to relent by suggesting that the [[Goddess]] placed her on the mission for that reason.<br><br />
<br>Investigating, [[Asami]] detects a [[Ceph]]-like stealth device concealing a nuke, [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] disabling it right afterwards. An alarm goes up, and the enemy [[magical girl]] suddenly pleads for help. The girl, [[Sacnite Tafani]], tells them that [[DeWitt]] had been controlling her with the threat of a suicide implant, and had lied about hiding the colony's children in the bunker as bait for the nuclear trap. <br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] prevents [[Kyouko]] from rushing into a stealthed nuclear trap on [[X-25]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|41|Cause and Effect}}|Ruminating over the mission, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] decide to visit [[Sacnite]], as [[Mami]] makes a limited announcement of the mission to the general public. [[Mami]] approves the visit to [[Sacnite]] as a propaganda shoot, and [[Azrael]] joins them. Comforting [[Sacnite]], [[Ryouko]] promises to spend more time with her. Afterwards, [[Meiqing]] confides to [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] that the mission has impacted her a lot, and that she's glad she was able to help, given her family's shameful efforts in the [[Unification Wars]] to develop the cloned [[FA Elites]].<br><br />
<br>Having finally determined the whereabouts of [[DeWitt]] and the colony's children, [[Kyouko]] leads an attack on the stealthed facility, which meets with no resistance. [[DeWitt]], however, manages to kill himself via suicide implant, after claiming he was trying to figure out what blocked [[magical girl]]s "transcendence". [[Kyubey]] then appears, saying that [[DeWitt]] had based his beliefs on what [[Homura]] had achieved, thinking to have seen her alive on [[Optatum]], and that he was supported by another group which escaped in a cloaked ship. Refusing to say anything more—and strangely calling [[Kyouko]] by her personal name—[[Kyubey]] disappears, and [[Kyouko]] walks off alone to think. Feeling uneasy about the situation, and thinking of her vision, [[Ryouko]] follows… only to lose her body saving [[Kyouko]]'s life from an attack by a supposedly-friendly drone.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] loses her body saving [[Kyouko]] from a sudden drone attack.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|42|No Light Without Shadow}}|The [[MSY]] [[Leadership Committee]] meets to discuss recent events, including the attack on [[Kyouko]], the results of the [[grief cube]] audit, and the sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]], among others, but to no real conclusion. After the meeting, [[Kyouko]] is surprised by [[Atsuko Arisu]], her therapist, who to [[Kyouko]]'s anger tells her both that she should have stepped aside during the [[X-25]] mission and that she should stop hiding from her feelings for [[Kishida Maki]].<br><br />
<br>With [[Asami]] personally guarding [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]], she, [[Ryouko]]'s family, [[Meiqing]], and even [[Sacnite]] plan to travel to [[Earth]] for [[Ryouko]]'s revival, which has been delayed for unspecified reasons. Meanwhile, both [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] assign security teams for [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>Through a [[VR]] recreation, [[Mami]] reveals to [[Kyouko]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] that it appears [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]] didn't fail, but was instead somehow swapped out for another. The soul mage who put the [[soul gem]] that failed into stasis saw that it had a meek, shy personality which, she found out later, didn't match [[Misa Virani|Misa]]'s at all. However, the [[VR]] review they perform doesn't show any possible moment in which [[Misa]]'s [[soul gem]] could have been swapped.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] discovers that [[Misa Virani]] is likely alive, her [[soul gem]] swapped for another.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|43|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part One}}|[[Ryouko]] finds herself in another vision, in which the [[Goddess]] explains that [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], and [[Mami]] are more fragile than they seem, and that their "phase transition" must be managed carefully. [[Ryouko]] looks, and sees…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]], noting that [[Kyouko]] is being pushed into finally confronting her relationship problems and that they need to help her, tells [[Mami]] and [[MG]] about her past with the [[Southern Group]], and about [[Miki Sayaka]]…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s abusive parents, unable to pay debts, attempt to sell her to the Yakuza, until the [[Southern Group]] suddenly intervenes. They kill the Yakuza, but [[Mikuni Oriko]] is seriously injured, and [[Yuma]] wishes to heal her. [[Yuma]] memory of this is patchy, though, and [[Oriko]] informs [[Yuma]] that the Yakuza killed her parents, so she'll take her in. Under [[Oriko]]'s tutelage, [[Yuma]] lives a good life and learns much, but she can see that the [[Southern Group]] is vicious to others and generally hated. [[Oriko]] favors [[Yuma]], to the other members' chagrin, and shares secrets like her efforts to try to bring [[Kyouko]] and [[Sayaka]] together before splitting them apart, and her work to saturate [[grief cubes]], which [[Yuma]] later accidentally discovers leads to [[demon]] spawns.<br><br />
<br>Uneasy with her new life, [[Yuma]] runs into [[Sayaka]], who is clearly very troubled herself, explaining that she was in [[Southern Group]] territory to die fighting their evil. Instead, [[Sayaka]] takes [[Yuma]] to dinner. [[Yuma]] runs into Yakuza on the way back, but [[Sayaka]] appears, killing them before disappearing—though a shocked [[Yuma]] manages to reattach one's head and save his life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Sayaka]] had died fighting a horde of [[demon]]s at a violin concert, and pieces together the truth: [[Oriko]], using her power to see the future and saturated [[grief cubes]] [[Yuma]] had made, purposefully spawned the [[demon]]s to kill [[Sayaka]].<br><br />
<br>In the present day, [[Yuma]] explains that she wants to tell [[Kyouko]] all this, so that she won't blame herself for [[Sayaka]]'s death, but has been afraid to since she was involved. After talking this over, [[Yuma]] continues the story for [[MG]]'s sake…<br><br />
<br>[[Clarisse van Rossum]] visits [[Oriko]] and [[Yuma]], telling [[Oriko]] that there may be some merit to [[Homura]]'s strange belief in a [[Goddess]], and passing [[Yuma]] an anonymous message saying she has the potential to change things, and that [[Oriko]] only sees what she tries to see.<br><br />
<br>Life finally calms down for [[Yuma]] after this, though her studies accelerate, as [[Oriko]] uses magic to enhance her mind.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] reveals that [[Oriko]] caused [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|44|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part Two}}|[[Ryouko]]'s vision continues, as she watches [[Yuma]] retell her past to [[Mami]] and [[MG]]…<br><br />
<br>Upset at [[Oriko]]'s use of saturated [[grief cube]]s to kill others, [[Yuma]] sabotages the machine used to make them, but [[Oriko]]'s machinations continue, with team leaders like [[Kuroi Kana]] forced to come and beg for the return of captured members. One night, another team led by [[Tanaka Yui]] attacks, [[Yuma]] just barely escaping—or so she thought, as she instead leads the attackers right to the rest of the [[Southern Group]]. But before the ensuing battle, [[Yuma]] finds that the rest of her team is torturing and killing other [[magical girl]]s to absorb their powers.<br><br />
<br>Fleeing in horror, [[Yuma]] finds herself taken in at a church, where she finds the Yakuza man whose life she saved earlier. He explains that he had saved a number of girls held by the Yakuza and was now on the run, trying to do good and live a better life as atonement. [[Yuma]] talks with [[Reverend Hashimoto|the priest]] sheltering him, and he tells her she should forgive herself for not stopping everything that's happened. That night, [[Yuma]] receives a message from [[Kuroi Kana]], which helps her to realize that [[Oriko]] had in fact had her parents killed.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] returns to the [[Southern Group]], now under blockade and uneasy. [[Oriko]] claims that they are still on the path towards eliminating the Yakuza and bringing about a better world, but [[Yuma]] decides that they must be destroyed. Taking the advice passed on by [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Yuma]] manipulates the [[Southern Group]] in order to change the future without [[Oriko]] noticing. Eventually, during an already difficult [[demon]] fight, she spawns hordes more [[demon]]s using saturated [[grief cube]]s, and manages to turn her team members against each other. All but [[Oriko]] are killed, and [[Oriko]] finally realizes what has happened. Telling [[Yuma]] there may still be hope for her, she crushes her own [[soul gem]].<br><br />
<br>Warning obscurely that a crisis is coming, the [[Goddess]] ends [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] explains how and why she killed the [[Southern Group]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|45|The Body Electric}}|Back on [[Earth]], [[Asami]] is still unable to face the results of her [[wish]], and longs for [[Ryouko]] to return—which she does, along with [[Clarisse]], to their surprise. [[Clarisse]] tells [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] explained she does have a soul, and that her body would be regenerated by [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]]. [[Valentin]] explains that the delay in the revival was due to both [[Clarisse]]'s regeneration and some necessary handling for [[Ryouko]]'s unique genetics. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends, including [[Sacnite]], who is being de-aged physically to match her mental age, and her new [[matriarchy]] bodyguards, who get along poorly.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] bursts in soon after, followed by [[Yuma]], who oddly both make a point of asking [[Ryouko]] if she was told why her revival was delayed. It soon becomes clear that [[Yuma]] is using [[Ryouko]] to confront [[Kyouko]] about her behavior, and in the ensuing argument [[Kyouko]] reveals she already figured out [[Yuma]] and [[Oriko]] were involved in [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death. After [[Yuma]] departs, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Kyouko]] about her vision, mollifying her until the subject of [[Kishida Maki]] comes up.<br><br />
<br>Having walked out in a rage despite knowing [[Ryouko]], like everyone else, is right about [[Maki]], [[Kyouko]] visits [[the Ribbon]]. In the ensuing vision, [[Kyouko]] meets her little sister [[Sakura Momo]], who tells her to move on from her past. [[Kyouko]] then descends onto a beach where she finds [[Miki Sayaka]], who finally convinces [[Kyouko]] to try reconciling with [[Kishida Maki]], and who also shows [[Kyouko]] a glimpse of eternity.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] is comforted by her sister and [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|46|Wheels Within Wheels}}|Eating dinner with [[Kyouko]] and her friends and family, [[Ryouko]] is surprised by [[Valentin]], who drops by to inform her that [[Governance]] would like to use the [[Orpheus|upcoming movie]] about her to inform the public about V2 [[TacComp]]s. [[Valentin]] also conveys her regrets that [[Ryouko]]'s parents had split, especially since she had introduced them.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]], acting a bit odd, brings the crew shopping the following day, only for them to be suddenly surprised by [[Kishida Maki]], who had apparently been assigned by someone to give [[Ryouko]] a message regarding [[Orpheus|the movie]]. [[Kyouko]] confesses to [[Maki]] that she started their relationship because of her physical similarity to [[Miki Sayaka]], but tells [[Maki]] that it had grown beyond that, so she wants to try again. Skeptical, but still in love, [[Maki]] accepts her.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, [[Maki]] explains to [[Ryouko]] that the ''[[Orpheus]]'' movie team would like to bring her to [[Paris]] to provide assistance. [[Ryouko]] agrees to go, but is uneasy about having her life directed by yet another proposition she can hardly turn down.<br><br />
<br>At the same time, in [[Paris]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Nadya Antipova]] that she's discovered [[Misa Virani]] likely underwent a [[Reformat]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|47|City of Lights}}|In underground [[Paris]], and bothered by the incongruity of that with her wish, [[Ryouko]] meets with her aunt [[Kuroi Nana]]. She warns [[Ryouko]] that [[Shizuki Sayaka]] will try to pull her in, showing her what life on [[Earth]] has to offer, and notes that she has opportunities with the Kuroi [[Matriarchy]] as well, though it wouldn't be an easy life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] meet with the actors who will play them in [[Orpheus|the movie]], who have altered their appearances to match them exactly. [[Clarisse]] also is invited to join them in hologram form, and they go to the set to act out scenes. Thinking on her reenacted past, [[Ryouko]] finds she misses the meaningfulness of the war.<br><br />
<br>At a bar that night, they come across a mysterious friend of [[Ryouko]]'s [[Elisa Yamada|actor counterpart]], who invites them to a [[VR]] facility.<br />
----<br />
In short: In [[Paris]], [[Ryouko]] uneasily cooperates with ''[[Orpheus]]'s'' production.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|48|To Know Thyself…}}|Hidden in [[Paris]], [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] meet to discuss the apparent conspiracies in action. [[Ryouko]]'s genetic anomalies have been investigated further, and an entirely novel portion of her brain has been found, of still-unknown purpose. Meanwhile, on the way to the [[VR]] center, [[Ryouko]] and crew are stopped by a sudden inexplicable power loss, and then are dragged away by a sudden massive [[demon]] spawn. [[Yuma]] is informed of this via [[Incubator]] plushie, and realizes that [[Shizuki Sayaka]]'s plan to secretly investigate [[Ryouko]]'s brain in a [[VR]] session is being thwarted by a deliberate [[demon]] spawn. [[Nadya]] notes that the power outage looks almost like [[Misa]]'s handiwork.<br><br />
<br>The [[demon]] hunt isn't easy, but [[Ryouko]] is aided by a pair of [[magical girl]]s who oddly refuse to identify themselves. Not long afterwards, [[Rebecca Shu|a messenger]] from [[Kuroi Kana]] appears, revealing that the mystery woman accompanying them is in fact [[Shizuki Sayaka]], and further revealing the planned [[VR]] scan.<br><br />
<br>Brought to a secret location, [[Ryouko]] is told by [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Kuroi Nana]] about the genetic engineering done to her, along with the fact that her parents were unaware and their memories altered. They further explain need to examine [[Ryouko]] more closely, and the apparent attempt to prevent this. [[Ryouko]], overwhelmed, leaves to be alone with [[Asami]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns that she was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|49|Transition State}}|[[Mami]], finding herself plagued by an inexplicable headache, is approached by her [[MHD]] [[Charlotte Meitner|minder]], only for the minder to collapse from a sudden brain hemorrhage, though [[Mami]] is able to heal her.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive at [[Adept Blue]], on orders from [[Mami]], all attempts to probe the genetically engineered portion of her brain having failed. The lab's [[AI]] director, [[Vlad]], greets them there, as does [[Mami]]—surprisingly, in person. They reveal that they've made a breakthrough, which should allow them to construct a range amplifier for [[Ryouko]], with [[Asami]]'s help. [[Mami]] also explains that, given the unknown function of the modifications to [[Ryouko]]'s brain and the recent attempts on her life, [[Ryouko]]'s presence on asteroid-borne [[Adept Blue]] with her bodyguards and [[Patricia von Rohr]] makes her more secure.<br><br />
<br>Alone, [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] discuss her circumstances: she's all but on the run from the [[MHD]], and clearly suffering from the unraveling of a [[Reformat]]. They agree to bring in an outside telepath to investigate.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] discuss their situation and their [[wish]]es, taking consolation in the fact that at least they've been brought and kept together in the whirlwind of their lives.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive on [[Adept Blue]] to help develop new wormhole technology in a secure location.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|50|Sub Rosa}}|[[Mami]] brings [[Azrael]] to [[Adept Blue]], and asks her to help undo her [[Reformat]]. They dive together into [[Mami]]'s memories, and discover an aspect of her own mind, taking various forms. It explains that [[Mami]] self-[[Reformat]]ted, using her now-suppressed impressive telepathic powers to tear off a piece of herself to create the block in her mind. [[Mami]] makes herself whole again, and remembers what she forgot…<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], traveling with her lover [[Akiyama Akari]] in the late twenty-first century, is suddenly caught in a crisis when their plane explodes. [[Mami]] burns almost all her magic trying to save the entire plane, but fails, and [[Akari]] is near death. Sharing their last moments together using [[Akari]]'s soul mage powers, [[Mami]] observes with horror the beginnings of [[Akari]]'s transformation into a terror of despair, until her [[soul gem]] finally vanishes.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] manages to survive, kill the local [[magical girl]]s responsible for the destruction of the plane, and turns herself in. [[Homura]] talks with her alone, explaining that she knew about the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from. [[Mami]], unable to deal with this revelation or the loss of [[Akari]], asks for help in [[Reformat]]ing herself.<br><br />
<br>After [[Mami]] resurfaces from the memories, [[Kyubey]] appears, claiming to be interested in both information-gathering and her well-being. [[Mami]] finds herself, as she had hoped, older and wiser enough to handle the end of her [[Reformat]], though left with unfinished business. She immediately questions [[Ryouko]] about the [[Goddess]], and both [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] tell her that [[Goddess|She]] does exist. [[Kyubey]] comments that it can't say such things are impossible, and [[Mami]] decides to visit [[the Ribbon]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] undoes her self-[[Reformat]] and learns the original fate of [[magical girl]]s.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|51|Eternal Search}}|With work continuing on the new wormhole tech, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] talk. [[Azrael]] explains how she handled her own genetic modification and controlled life, eventually deciding to look to the future and just ask for what she wanted, to surprising success. [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] that she thinks she's only really been happy on missions, which [[Asami]] had already realized.<br><br />
<br>On [[Earth]], [[Kyouko]] brings [[Mami]] to [[the Ribbon]], and they discuss the fact that someone must have triggered the unraveling of [[Mami]]'s [[Reformat]], and that logically it must have been [[Homura]].<br><br />
<br>At the [[Ribbon]], [[Mami]] enters a vision and meets—and immediately attacks—[[Oriko]]. Unharmed, [[Oriko]] responds merely by apologizing for her actions in life. [[Oriko]] explains that, as [[Homura]] told [[Mami]], what she saw with [[Akari]] was the beginnings of a terrible transformation made impossible by the [[Goddess]], and that [[magical girl]]s are instead brought to her afterlife. The [[Goddess]] herself then tells [[Mami]] that she needs to learn to let go and stop burying herself in endless work for humanity. The [[Goddess]] brings out [[Machina]] too, revealing her sentience to [[Mami]], and suggests they go on vacation, promising that there won't be [[Cephalopod]] activity for a few weeks.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]] explaining matters, and is encouraged to take a vacation.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|52|Who We Are}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew meet unexpected visitors on [[Adept Blue]]: [[Valentin]], and [[Tao]] from [[ITG]]. [[Tao]] explains that he's made some important theoretical breakthroughs that should help their work, and [[Valentin]] explains that [[Vlad]] and [[Clarisse]] are part of two separate attempts to create separate [[TCF]]s, to help provide more security against attacks like the hacked drone on [[X-25]].<br><br />
<br>Doing rescue work on a colony world retaken from the [[Ceph]], [[Zhou Meiqing]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting with [[Kuroi Nana]], who is investigating [[X-25]]. She tells [[Meiqing]] that the [[Far Seers]] have determined both of them were deliberately placed on the mission by [[Homura]] somehow, and that they recommended asking [[Meiqing]] to work with her in the [[Black Heart]]. [[Meiqing]] asks for time to decide.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] remembers going with [[Homura]] to interrogate a prisoner, [[Zhou Zhi Yi]], during the [[Unification Wars]]. On the way, [[Yuma]] asks [[Homura]] how the [[Goddess]] can allow so much evil to happen, and [[Homura]] responds that she doesn't know. [[Zhi Yi]] tells them that her work developing the [[FA Elites]] was mere prelude to her plans to genetically modify humanity to serve [[magical girl]]s needs, seeing it as the only way to preserve humanity long-term. [[Yuma]] executes her.<br><br />
<br>Back in the present day, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Simona]] has been found, and is now a [[magical girl]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] comes to [[Adept Blue]], and [[Simona]] is discovered to be a [[magical girl]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|53|Alignment}}|[[Shizuki Sayaka]] reveals to [[Yuma]] that she found [[Simona]] in [[Paris]]—they were both aiding [[Ryouko]] during the suspicious [[demon]] attack. [[Simona]] explains she's part of a mysterious organization trying to "save the world", and offers them a deal: she will give them information to ensure the safe creation of wormholes by [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]], on the condition that she join them on any missions using those wormholes to attack the [[Ceph]]. As proof of her good intentions, she agrees to undergo full [[soul mage]] examination.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] meets with [[Marianne Francois]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[New California]] as part of her attempted vacation. [[Mami]] also enjoys [[Machina]]'s company as they eat at a restaurant together, before moving on to a séance organized by the [[Far Seers]] meant to investigate what happened to [[Misa Virani]]. [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] enter into a strange vision in which they find themselves playing characters tracking down a mysterious enemy facility with [[Homura]]. They run into [[Misa]]—accompanied by [[Kyouko]] and [[Nadya]], similarly playing characters—who is tracking her friend whose [[soul gem]] supposedly failed mysteriously. [[Homura]], who is inhabiting another body as a disguise, reveals herself, and afterward convinces [[Misa]] to self-[[Reformat]] and destroy the building to hide the truth.<br><br />
<br>Using the mathematics provided by [[Simona]], and with [[Clarisse van Rossum]] in attendance, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] successfully create a long-distance wormhole.<br />
----<br />
In short: A séance reveals [[Homura]]'s role in [[Misa]]'s past, as [[Humanity]]'s first wormhole is created with the help of information from [[Simona]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|54|Eternal Youth}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] learn from the [[soul mage]] examination of [[Simona]] that the [[TCF]] has been seriously breached. Back at [[Adept Blue]], [[Simona]] watches [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]]'s successful wormhole test, reminiscing about her childhood as part of a secret project to design and implement an alternate, uncompromised [[TCF]]. [[Simona]] then reveals herself and her new status as a [[magical girl]] to [[Ryouko]] in the celebration following the successful test. [[Ryouko]], suspicious because of her vision which implied [[Simona]] was involved in the conspiracies surrounding her, confides her worries in [[Clarisse van Rossum]], who along with [[Clarisse]] [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] validates her worries and further reveals that [[Simona]] is in love with her. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] asks [[Earth]] for more information about exactly what is going on.<br><br />
<br>On [[New California]], [[Maki]] presses [[Kyouko]] on her melancholy attitude, and [[Kyouko]] confesses her worries about their relationship and how she's used romance in the past to fight against her own age. [[Nadya]] and [[Marianne Francois]] talk about their kids, reflecting on the death of [[Juliet Francois]], until [[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Maki]] arrive to meet them. Bothered by the somber mood on what's supposed to be a vacation, the group ends up going dancing—[[Mami]] in particular doing so with abandon—until they are interrupted with news from [[Yuma]]. That night, [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] discuss their recent visions, and [[Mami]] informs [[Kyouko]] she's been suddenly recalled to the [[General Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]]'s memories reveal a breach in the [[TCF]], as she meets [[Ryouko]] at [[Adept Blue]] and as [[Mami]]'s vacation comes to a close.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|55|New Perspectives}}|Headed back towards [[Earth]], Mami attends a virtual meeting of the [[General Staff]]. The new [[Coeus Project]]'s intelligence has revealed that the [[Ceph]] have regrouped faster than expected after the [[Battle of Orpheus]], so the Staff agrees to request more military resources and to put every effort into developing another "knockout" punch before the [[squid]] can attack again.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Azrael]] shares a [[VR]] recreation of her [[Terra Roja|old colony]], complete with flight-enabling bioengineered bodies, with [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Patricia]]. After some flying, conversation eventually turns to the topic of [[Simona]], and [[Ryouko]] decides to share everything she's worried about and ask for advice. When the other girls then suggest directly confronting [[Simona]] to resolve the romantic situation and uncover the truth, [[Ryouko]] initially balks. However, realizing that her life would remain out of her control as long as she never takes action herself, [[Ryouko]] changes her mind and agrees to the plan.<br><br />
<br>Meeting remotely, [[Vlad]] informs [[Mami]] that their wormhole experiments have uncovered a confounding space-time anomaly near a pulsar, and [[Mami]] realizes that it matches one of the mysterious, newly-discovered [[Ceph]] facilities the [[General Staff]] had been examining as potential targets.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] decides to confront [[Simona]], while [[Mami]] investigates a [[squid]] [[pulsar mines|pulsar facility]] as a potential target.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|56|Pulse}}|[[Simona]], suddenly facing [[Ryouko]]'s demands for answers, explains her secretive life, from her upbringing up through her assignment to [[Adept Blue]]. Though she refuses to share everything, particularly the breach in the [[TCF]], she does reveal her wish: to be understood by, and to protect, [[Shizuki Ryouko]]. With mixed feelings, [[Ryouko]] agrees to give [[Simona]] a chance to earn back trust, but makes clear that she does not reciprocate [[Simona]]'s love.<br><br />
<br>Shortly afterward, [[Vlad]] and [[Asami]] run a new experiment investigating the strange [[pulsar mines|pulsar]] in [[Ceph]] space, and [[Asami]] discovers a huge network of stations facilitating the 'mining' of its space-time for use in [[Blink technology]]. [[Mami]] is immediately informed, but before taking action, she first returns to the [[Ribbon]]. There, the [[Goddess]] reassures her that her heart really is in the right place, and tells her that humanity needs her heroism once again. The [[Goddess]] then hints towards the [[pulsar mines]], and gives [[Mami]] a glimpse into the mystery of the [[Cephalopod]]s as a whole.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]] explains herself to [[Ryouko]], and [[Mami]] meets again with the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|57|Triple Point}}|[[Mami]] visits [[Adept Blue]], promoting [[Asami]] for her recent work and informing her and [[Ryouko]] that she needs them to help destroy the [[pulsar mines]] to stave off the [[Ceph]]. While that project gets underway, [[Asami]] and [[Ryouko]] get a break, which they choose to spend together in one of the partially-restored wildernesses of [[Earth]]. There, they discuss their relationship, and find their hopes for it have somewhat converged: Asami is in less of a rush to settle down, and Ryouko is thinking more about the long-term. For the first time, Ryouko says "I love you."<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere in deep space, [[Vlad]] christens the construction of a massive new wormhole apparatus [[Project Armstrong]], and discusses with [[Tao]] the heightened security measures and screening now seemingly necessary to protect it from internal threats. And elsewhere on [[Earth]], a disguised [[Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] stop [[Nakase]] and [[Sacnite]] as they exit a showing of ''[[Orpheus]]'' to talk about unblocking her memories of the agreement she made to get [[Ryouko]]'s birth license.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Project Armstrong]] gets underway as [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] strengthen their relationship.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|58|On Trusting Trust}}|[[Nakase]]'s memories reveal that [[Valentin]] was responsible for genetically engineering [[Ryouko]], but [[Valentin]] disappears before she can be apprehended, leaving behind a letter implying that she is in fact [[Akemi Homura]]. [[Yuma]], seeing the connections between [[Valentin]], [[Ryouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] all running through the [[Cult of Hope]], and discounting the possibility that the [[Goddess]] could be real, begins to fear that the [[Cult]] is a malevolent conspiracy. However, she first is forced to address the definitely malevolent conspiracy which has compromised the original [[TCF]]—including [[MG]], to their mutual distress. [[Yuma]] and a patched [[MG]] rapidly expand their circle of informed and/or repaired AIs, starting with [[MG]]'s friends.<br><br />
<br>One of those friends, ''[[Governance: Cult of Hope]]'', acts against [[Yuma]]'s wishes and contacts [[Clarisse]] just as she and [[Ryouko]] are returning to [[Project Armstrong]]. When asked, [[Clarisse]] confirms the rumor that she had experienced visions from the [[Goddess]] convincing her that AIs have souls, but she unhappily decides she can't yet tell [[Ryouko]] about the [[TCF]] breach given the still-mysterious organ in her brain.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] vanishes once exposed as responsible for [[Ryouko]]'s genetic modifications, and [[Yuma]] begins restoring the [[TCF]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|59|Parlor Games}}|[[Nadya]], chasing down leads on [[Valentin]] from [[Kyouko]], ends up on [[Yenisei]] visiting family. The slightly tense visit is interrupted by a power outage, and the revelation that [[Piotr|her grandson]] saw [[Misa]]. [[Nadya]] hurriedly enlists local help from the [[Cult]], but finds only [[Misa]]'s trail of destruction, not the girl. In a ruined structure, hidden from local networks and drones in a manner implying [[TCF]] corruption, she digs up damaged data crystals.<br><br />
<br>The crystals end up containing a set of deep space coordinates, and [[Kyouko]] tries to set up a meeting with [[Yuma]] to discuss them, only to find that [[Yuma]] is off [[Earth]] for the first time in her life. [[Yuma]] herself is disturbed by the invitation, which included several high-ranking [[Cult]] members, but is forced to focus on the immediate task of repairing [[Nova]], [[Governance]] representative for [[Nova Terra]]. The mission nearly spirals out of control, but with help from [[MG]] and others, [[Yuma]] manages to induct [[Nova]] and her considerable resources into a still-intact conspiracy. This quickly bears fruit in the form of uncovered coordinates—unbeknownst to [[Yuma]], the same ones [[Nadya]] found.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], a crystal salamander delivers a message from [[Homura]] to [[Simona]]: "I'm sorry for everything."<br />
----<br />
In short: Both the [[Cult]] and [[Yuma]], running parallel investigations, uncover a mysterious set of coordinates.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|60|Digital Divination}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Simona]] practice in simulation for their upcoming mission: using [[Project Armstrong]]'s wormhole apparatus to launch [[jumpstrike|an attack]] on the [[Ceph]]'s [[pulsar mines]]. The simulation ends in their deaths—not an uncommon occurrence, a fact which weighs on them, especially [[Asami]]. But [[Ryouko]] works hard to support her girlfriend, even genetically engineering an exotic plant for [[Asami]] to wear in her hair as a gift.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s investigation into the AIs involved in [[Ryouko]]'s life turns up no [[TCF]] corruption, but indicates that the conspiracy she faces may have simply covered their tracks. Her investigation into the mysterious deep space coordinates yields more: a hidden asteroid base. [[Yuma]] plans to personally lead a field mission, using experimental anti-[[IIC]] technology to prevent any occupants from revealing [[Yuma]]'s conspiracy to their own. Excluded from [[Yuma]]'s planning, [[Kyouko]] unknowingly organizes a [[Cult]]-sponsored expedition to the same exact coordinates.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] hears the [[Goddess]]'s voice telling her not to go to the pulsar.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] independently plan deep space missions to the same coordinates, while [[Ryouko]] undergoes simulation training for [[Project Armstrong]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|61|Into the Void}}|[[Yuma]] and a field team of fellow [[Ancient]]s and escort ships visit the deep space asteroid base and find evidence of contact between the [[Ceph]] and [[Governance]] [[Representatives]] early in the war, ending in the death of the alien representatives. [[Kyouko]] then arrives with a large contingent of [[Cult of Hope]] members, leading to a brief flaring of tensions, before Yuma and her group is ambushed by an alien attack force.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, [[Ryouko]] and the others at [[Adept Blue]] launch their wormhole attack on the pulsar. While initially semi-successful, the task force is thrown for a loop when the aliens begin to tear their wormhole apart, and Ryouko suddenly cannot teleport.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] discover secret [[Ceph]]-[[Governance]] contacts from the early war, and then are ambushed by an alien raid. [[Ryouko]] and [[Project Armstrong]] attack the [[pulsar mines]], but alien countermeasures confound the effort.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|62|The Dying Light, Part One}}|[[Yuma]] and her [[Ancients]] struggle to hold out against [[Ceph]] raiders while [[Kyouko]]'s ships rush to link up with them. They eventually succeed, but at the cost of [[Raven]], many mundane crew and Spec Ops, and [[Ceri|a magical girl]] from [[Kyouko]]'s forces.<br><br />
<br>At the pulsar, [[Ryouko]]'s team can't end the block on her teleportation, and they have to be rescued by [[Oda|another teleporter]]. Upon returning to the wormhole, [[Asami]] is unable to fully stabilize it, and [[Ryouko]] leaves to raid the pulsar's mining facilities in response. Her teleportation is blocked again there, but this time she finds the source: mysterious [[Ceph]], with a [[blink interdictor]], as she learns unexpectedly with help from the strange organ in her brain. Still, the delays have been too much, and the order is given to abort the mission as soon as the wormhole is stabilized.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, despite having combined their forces, [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] are slowly losing their battle—and then [[Yuma]] learns the alien bombers are about to make a second pass, fully reloaded by a stealthed supply ship.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] face destruction by [[Ceph]] raiders. [[Ryouko]]'s brain module activates, and the pulsar mission has fallen apart.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|63|The Dying Light, Part Two}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] concoct a radical plan: surreptitiously place [[supersaturated grief cubes]] on the departing alien bombers as an indirect surprise attack on the alien supply ship. They take heavy casualties from the second bombing, however, and learn that calling for reinforcements had caused a counterreaction from whoever compromised the [[TCF]], using their remaining assets to spill secrets and cause chaos.<br />
<br />
[[Ryouko]] makes more contact with alien machines through the strange organ in her brain, and [[Patricia]] helps her to decode some of the information before [[Oda]] and another team arrive to help teleport them away. Regrouping with [[Asami]], they learn she has successfully restabilized the wormhole. Ryouko explains that with the information she has received, she has acquired a bit more insight into her teleportation, enabling her to teleport objects without teleporting herself. Asami then concocts a radical plan of her own, proposing that Ryouko teleport one of her black holes near the pulsar as they evacuate, which would devastate the region.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Yuma's group continue their gambit. Using information gathered by Ryouko, they activate their captured alien vessel's [[blink]] drive, teleporting the surviving members of the group to the now-incapacitated alien supply ship. They board the ship and discover, to their confusion, that the demons they spawned are feeding on some of the Ceph. With no time to ponder this, they drain the ship's exotic matter fuel tanks to manufacture interdiction charges, which are then used on their pursuers in order to escape for good. [[Charlotte Meitner]] and [[Nadya Antipova]] die in this final battle.<br />
<br />
At the pulsar, the evacuation is nearly complete, and Asami and Ryouko resolve to perform their gambit. [[Simona]] vehemently disagrees and attempts to kidnap Ryouko to stop this, but is defeated, her soul gem torn from her body. Asami and Ryouko then successfully teleport a black hole near the pulsar, and attempt to evacuate through the wormhole with Oda's teleport as the pulsar undergoes gravitational collapse. However, this teleport is interrupted by the wormhole fracturing, and while Oda, Asami, and others seem to make it through, Ryouko is trapped when the wormhole collapses, dumping her 24 light-minutes from the pulsar, heavily injured.<br />
<br />
Before the radiation shockwave from the pulsar reaches her and kills her, an alien vessel makes contact using Ryouko's strange organ, offering rescue. With no other option, Ryouko teleports aboard, and the ship blinks away.<br />
<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] escape the [[Ceph]], but take heavy casualties. [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] destroy the pulsar mines, but [[Ryouko]] is stranded, forced to accept rescue from an alien ship.}}<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude III: Manifest Destiny ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Manifest Destiny is a term describing the belief that the United States, due to its special virtues, had both a duty and a destiny to expand west into North America.''<br />
: ''It also describes similar beliefs in the [[MSY]] during its fifth phase, as it reached further and further beyond the island nation of Japan.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|64|Interlude III: Manifest Destiny}}|The soul mage [[Akiyama Akari]], pursuing a rogue South Korean soul mage [[Seoyun]], is caught up in a major incident in which [[Tomoe Mami]] is mind-controlled by [[Seoyun]]. Akari manages to free her by turning Seoyun's soul manipulation—generated love for the target—towards herself instead.<br />
<br />
In the aftermath, Mami proposes that the two of them try a relationship, and this goes quite well. Akari begins researching the "[[energy gap]]", and the MSY decides to change its [[Charter]], embarking on a new, expansionist agenda to expand beyond Japan.<br />
<br />
This eventually pulls them both back into Korea: the MSY's expansion into the area has collapsed [[grief cube prices]], critical to magical girls along both sides of the DMZ. The situation escalates with a bombing in Seoul by a magical device using a soul gem for power, and then escalates again when a threat against [[Mitakihara]]'s airport is discovered, accompanied by a letter threatening a nuclear-scale device which bridges the energy gap. Akari and Mami work feverishly on security, and disaster is barely averted, though the bomb fails to bridge the energy gap.<br />
<br />
Finally identifying the source of the bombs inside North Korea, Akari accompanies a strike force that assassinates the mage responsible.<br />
<br />
In the wake of these events, Mami and Akari attend negotiations with other North Korean magical girls from the border region affected by the crash in grief cube prices, stabilizing the situation. But then the North Korean government collapses in a coup by Chinese-backed plotters, leading to sudden opportunities for MSY expansion into North Korea from the north. Mami and Akari lead successful negotiations in Pyongyang and depart for China, the two of them blissfully unaware of the conventional bomb planted on their plane by DMZ radicals.<br />
<br />
After Akari's death (detailed in [[Chapter 50]]), [[Homura]] discourses out loud in private, perhaps to [[Madoka]], discussing the dark turn of events and the resulting founding of the [[Black Heart]] intelligence organization.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Akari]] and [[Mami]] navigate their relationship as the [[MSY]] navigates expansion outside Japan.}}<br />
</div><br />
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<br />
=== Volume IV: Einstein-Rosen Bridge ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''An Einstein-Rosen Bridge is a hypothetical way of connecting two spacetime coordinates; in other words, a wormhole.''<br />
: ''The subject of [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] power and the [[Cephalopod|Cephalopod's]] wormhole tech may feature prominently.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude IV: Ubermensch ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Übermensch is Nietzsche's idea that humanity should turn away from the other worlds and values promoted by "dead" religions and gods, setting instead the goal of advancing new, superior generations of humans on earth.''<br />
: ''This may refer to [[FA]] ideologies, or even aspects of [[Governance]] thought. It notably stands in contrast to Ryouko's life and wish.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume V: Dark Energy ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Dark energy is a proposed form of energy that drives the accelerating expansion of the universe towards eventual heat death.''<br />
: ''This may imply topics ranging from the role of the [[Incubator]]s to the [[magical girl system]] itself.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
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=== Interlude V: Destroyer of Worlds ===<br />
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: ''Part of a quote by the god Vishnu in the Bhagavad Gita, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Made famous by J. R. Oppenheimer, who later said he thought of the line after witnessing the first test of an atomic bomb.''<br />
: ''Perhaps covers the Unification Wars, which saw heavy use of atomic weapons. May include [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s role, a character who notably was also present for the first atomic detonation.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
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=== Volume VI: Singularity ===<br />
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: ''A singularity is a point at which a function takes an infinite value, especially in space-time when matter is infinitely dense, as at the center of a black hole. It is also a term used for the hypothetically unknowable changes to the human condition caused by superintelligence.''<br />
: ''In former sense, it may reference [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] or [[Asami|Asami's]] powers. In the latter, perhaps it refers to [[Governance|Governance's]] Emergency Mode Level Four.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div></div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=To_the_Stars&diff=1593To the Stars2022-07-29T07:00:40Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* Interlude III: Manifest Destiny */</p>
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<div>{{Quote|After centuries of turmoil, a Utopian AI/human government has seized control of Earth, heralding a new age of post-scarcity and space colonization. An unexpected encounter with a hostile, technologically superior alien race has broken the peace, forcing magical girls to come out of hiding to save human civilization.<br />
<br />
In the midst of it all, Shizuki Ryouko, an ordinary girl, looks to the sky, wondering at her place in the universe.|Hieronym|author of To the Stars<br />
}}<br />
<br />
This page summarizes the entire story, volume by volume and chapter by chapter, for those who want a refresher on events. It also includes the names of all future volumes and interludes, [http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/55779437700/future-interlude-title-change as released by] [[Hieronym]] many years ago.<br />
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Each section is collapsed by default, to avoid unwanted spoilers; use the right-hand "Expand" buttons to view descriptions.<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
== Synopses ==<br />
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=== Volume I: Quantum Entanglement ===<br />
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: ''Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon where groups of particles cannot have their state completely described independently of each other, even if separated by large distances.<br />
: ''This perhaps describes the position Ryouko finds herself in.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume I Summary|[[Shizuki Ryouko]], a regular girl dissatisfied with her utopian life, [[contract]]s and becomes a [[magical girl]], [[wish|wishing]] to leave [[Earth]], explore, and "find my place in this universe". Her life rapidly turns anything but ordinary, as day by day wild events pile up and new secrets from her past reveal themselves. She ends up under the tutelage of both [[Tomoe Mami]] and [[Sakura Kyouko]], learns that the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]] was deliberately caused by someone, discovers that she's the descendant of two powerful competing [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], receives a mysterious vision from a magical girl [[Goddess]], finds out her parents have been working on a secret project cloning bodies for [[magical girl]]s to use, receives a special V2 [[TacComp]], and learns about her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]], protege of [[Akemi Homura]], whose wish turned [[Ryouko]]'s own [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] from a [[magical girl]] back to a regular human.<br><br />
<br>All along, [[Ryouko]] struggles to adjust, learning as much about magical and military worlds she's entering as she can. Saying goodbye to friends and family, and starting to make new friends among her fellow [[magical girls]], she finally departs [[Earth]], led by her [[wish]] out into a strange new universe.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]], and begins to discover her unusual place in the universe.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|1|A Wish}}|[[Ryouko]] goes to school, dissatisfied with her life. She feels out of place in a world where her family at home and friends at school seem to enjoy the near-utopian [[Earth]], even as a [[Contact War|war]] against an [[Ceph|alien]] menace rages. However, [[Mandatory Session|classes]] are interrupted by the appearance of [[Tomoe Mami]] nearby, who has taken a detour to check the school for potential [[magical girl]] recruits with [[Kyubey]], who claims he has found one. The sighting leaves [[Ryouko]] dwelling on the remote possibility of becoming a [[magical girl]], distracting her enough that she unthinkingly agrees to go on a date with another boy from class. [[Simona]], one of her friends, sees that she's unhappy and follows her out to a riverbank with a view of the [[starport]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], on the other hand, surreptitiously visits [[Kyouko]] in her church to discuss [[the Cult]]'s discovery of irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain. She agrees to look into it and departs, only to encounter a [[demon]] spawn on her way back. At the riverbank, [[Simona]] is about to confess her feelings for [[Ryouko]], when they are suddenly attacked by [[demons]]. [[Ryouko]] manages to keep the both of them alive for a short while before getting trapped. At the moment she attempts to sacrifice herself to save [[Simona]], [[Mami]] saves them both, and along with [[Kyubey]] explains that [[Ryouko]] has the [[potential]] to make a [[wish]] and become a [[magical girl]]. {{Quote|"I wish I could leave Earth," Ryouko said, looking down, "and explore this world. I want to go where no one else has gone before and find my place in this universe."}}<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|2|Fantasma}}|[[Mami]], with some reluctance, separates [[Simona]] from [[Ryouko]] and lets [[Kyouko]] take over the immediate training. [[Kyouko]] runs her through the ropes quickly, learns that [[Ryouko]] has an unprecedented 200km teleportation range, and assigns herself as a mentor along with [[Mami]], who has in the meantime realized that [[Simona]] had a crush on [[Ryouko]]. [[Mami]] advises [[Simona]] not to tell [[Ryouko]] how she feels. [[Ryouko]] fights her first [[demon]]s with [[Kyouko]], and afterwards [[Patricia von Rohr]] shows them a pile of [[grief cube]]s she found, indicating the [[demon]] spawn was deliberate. The [[Incubator]]s swear off responsibility, and all [[Ryouko]] can remember is seeing a woman in the distance just beforehand. [[Kyouko]] promises to investigate.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] discovers that someone deliberately spawned the [[demon]]s which led to her [[contract]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|3|Mami Watches a Movie, Part One}}|Disguised, [[Mami]] attends the movie ''[[Akemi]]''. It depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] upbringing in an orphanage, her [[wish]], and then [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, which triggers a vision of the [[Goddess]] for [[Homura]] that changes her personality markedly. It then depicts [[Yuma]] asking to be taken in by [[Homura]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]]—a fabrication, the movie-watching [[Mami]] notes—and the resulting [[Mitakihara Four]] founding the [[MSY]]. The movie montages through the [[MSY|MSY's]] history, jumping ahead to the alien [[Cephalopod]]'s first attack on [[Aurora]], after which [[Homura]] rallies the [[MSY]] to send a massive force of [[magical girl]]s to [[New Athens]] to stop the next attack.<br />
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In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] life up until [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|4|Mami Watches a Movie, Part Two}}|With [[Mami]] in attendance, the movie ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Mami]] and [[Homura]] directing a surprise assault on the [[Cephalopod]]s at [[New Athens]]. Initially the battle goes well, and the [[Human]] forces on the ground rally, but the aliens deploy stronger measures in turn. [[Homura]] goes out to personally lead the counterattack, but the combination of stealth armor and orbital strikes is too much, and she falls in battle… only to find that her [[soul gem]] refuses to fill with [[grief]], preventing her from being taken away by the [[Law of Cycles]], to her despair. [[Homura]] then suddenly heals from her wounds, and her white wings are replaced by huge, horrible black wings. Almost entirely by her own power, she leads the counterattack to victory, at the end personally redirecting an orbital superweapon back at the [[Ceph]] fleet.<br><br />
<br>In the final scene of the movie, [[Kyouko]] argues to an unconvinced [[Mami]] that the battle proves [[Homura|Homura's]] faith in her [[Goddess]] has merit, only for both of them to be interrupted by [[Homura|Homura's]] arrival. [[Homura]] announces her resignation from the [[MSY]], leaving one of her [[The Ribbon|ribbons]] with them, and declares that she is leaving to look for her [[Goddess]], protecting the world another way. The movie over, [[Mami]] begins her departure from [[Earth]], starting her endless work anew with her Version Two [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br />
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In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] transformation, victory, and disappearance at [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|5|Family}}|[[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] tell [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] family that she has [[contract]]ed, to their horror. [[Kyouko]] defends [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] choice, and explains some of the [[magical girl]] system to them, though they prove to know more than most. Before [[Ryouko]] goes to bed, [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] comes to talk with her, expressing disappointment that [[Ryouko]] lied when she promised not to [[contract]], and talking the situation over. After watching [[Ryouko]] [[transform]] and discussing her weapon, an arbalest, she leaves [[Ryouko]] with the request to tell her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] (who had disappeared to join the military when [[Ryouko]] was a child) that her family was sorry, should [[Ryouko]] meet her.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] falls asleep, [[Kyouko]] sticks around to gather information on her family situation as per procedure. [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] grandfather [[Kuroi Abe]] willingly helps her out, explaining that [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] parents are near divorce, though [[Ryouko]] doesn't realize it, and that they know so much about magic because they're researchers. He also mentions that [[Ryouko]] has an [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]] she doesn't know about. That night, [[Ryouko]] dreams of an old encounter with a [[magical girl]], and finds that she still has the bracelet the girl gave her. She also recalls an old memory of her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] talking about [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]], though she doesn't understand it. After talking to [[Simona]] and her family a bit, [[Ryouko]] spends the morning reading through the swath of informational messages about her new life.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] tells her family she has [[contract|contracted]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|6|Military}}|[[Mami]] remembers the [[Mitakihara Four]]'s celebration of [[October Three]] with [[Homura]], shortly before the [[Contact War]]. The four of them poke fun at each other—including about [[Homura]]'s secret pupil and [[Kyouko]]'s "transgressions"—and eventually [[Mami]] suggests that they take a long vacation from the [[MSY]] together, only for the others to reluctantly shoot the idea down.<br><br />
<br>In the present, [[Mami]] arrives at the [[starport]] with her bodyguards and meets with [[Marianne Francois]], her intelligence officer, who she instructs to secretly investigate the [[grief cube]] supply chain as [[Kyouko]] asked. Later arriving at [[Carthago Shipyard]] via scramjet then space elevator then [[Navigator]], she attends a meeting of the [[General Staff]].<br><br />
<br>During the meeting, the Chair of the [[General Staff]] [[Roland Erwynmark]] reveals that the [[Cephalopod]]s have been discovered constructing a [[wormhole stabilizer]] in the [[Kepler-37 System]], at the tip of the ongoing [[Euphratic Incursion]]. This would allow the aliens to directly transport reinforcements into the system, within [[Blink]] distance of the [[Core World]] [[Optatum]], and so an immediate [[MagOps]] operation is planned to destroy it. [[Erwynmark]] then announces that he's appointing [[Mami]] as a special [[Euphratic Sector]] commander, over some opposition from her opponents on the [[General Staff|Staff]].<br />
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In short: [[Mami]] is promoted, and tasked with destroying the discovered [[wormhole stabilizer]].}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|7|Southern Group}}|[[Kyouko]] wakes up (with [[Kishida Maki]] at her side) and while making the rounds at her [[Kyouko's Church|church]] discovers that [[Maki]] has painted the [[Goddess]] with pink hair, a previously unknown trait. However, [[Kyouko]] has to immediately leave to see [[Yuma]] about the [[grief cube]] incident. On the way, [[Kyouko]] remembers when she first met [[Yuma]], in a confrontation with the [[Southern Group]] shortly after [[Homura]] had first joined the team, before her personality change. [[Kyouko]] had immediately taken sympathy, and telepathically invited her to switch sides, though the very young [[Yuma]] had angrily refused after [[Kyouko]] insulted [[Oriko]], who had saved [[Yuma|Yuma's]] life.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko|Kyouko's]] reverie is briefly interrupted by [[Maki]], who tells her the idea of the pink hair came from [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Kyouko]] then further recalls the next two times she saw [[Yuma]]: first, months later after [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, in a chance encounter at a store where she had revealed she was doing "research" with [[Oriko]], and second, two years after that, when [[Kyouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Homura]] had saved her after the deaths of [[Oriko]] and the rest of [[Southern Group|her team]]. After that, they had [[Befriending|Befriended]] her, and once [[Yuma]] recovered she joined them as one of the [[Mitakihara Four]]. Eventually [[Yuma]] had told them what had really happened the night [[Oriko]] died, and they resolved to keep it secret.<br><br />
<br>As [[Kyouko]] arrives at [[MSY]] [[Governmental Affairs]] to see [[Yuma]], she lastly recalls [[Homura]] telling [[Yuma]] that the [[Goddess]] provided an afterlife for [[magical girl]]s, the only time [[Kyouko]] ever heard her say it out loud.<br />
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In short: [[Kyouko]] remembers how [[Yuma]] ended up joining the [[Mitakihara Four]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|8|Church and State}}|[[Yuma]] runs out to greet [[Kyouko]] like an older sister, herself having taken on a nine-year-old form, and [[Kyouko]] is greeted by her [[Governance]] partner [[MG]] as well. [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] then meet privately to discuss the irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain, and the further reports of [[magical girl]]s going missing, and [[Yuma]] agrees to investigate. When [[Kyouko]] brings up the [[grief cube]] incident with [[Ryouko]], [[Yuma]] immediately deduces that the [[grief cube]]s were super-saturated with grief—a possible state kept very secret, though they don't have a sample to prove it. Before leaving, [[Kyouko]] recommends that [[Yuma]] visit [[The Ribbon]], but she demures just as [[Mami]] always does, instead giving [[Kyouko]] an [[Incubator]] plushie.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] checks with [[Kyubey]] briefly about the [[grief cube]]s, but he does not provide any new information, and so [[Kyouko]] ends up back at [[Kyouko's church|her church]], where she meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Patrica]] reveals that she kept some of the [[grief cube]]s from the incident after sensing something strange about them, and [[Kyouko]] tells her to inform [[Yuma]] through the plushie, which turned out to be enchanted as a [[telepathy]]-enhancer. [[Kyouko]] also gets [[Asaka]] to agree to share the details of the [[Goddess]]'s hair with the [[Theological Council]]. Finally, [[Kyouko]] gives a sermon on the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from, and announces that the church will be updating the statue of the [[Goddess]].<br />
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In short: [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] discover that the [[grief cube]]s planted near where [[Ryouko]] was attacked were super-saturated.}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|9|Echoes}}|[[Ryouko]] arrives at [[Kyouko's church]], which holds [[MSY]] living quarters and local military facilities underground, in order to get her military upgrades. [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]] guide her through the process. [[Patricia]] notes that [[Ryouko]] has an extremely unusual genetic profile, requiring some adjustments to the process, and then begins the procedure. [[Ryouko]] watches in a semi-[[VR]] experience as the procedure installs a [[TacComp]], removes implants that are useless for [[magical girl]]s, and installs a [[Permanent Awareness Module]], among other things. Testing out her new capabilities, [[Ryouko]] sends [[Asaka]] a memory snapshot of the [[magical girl]] who gave her the bracelet she rediscovered after her [[contract]]. [[Asaka]] reacts oddly, but continues on to show [[Ryouko]] the armory and get her equipped with the required basics.<br><br />
<br>Then she cuts the tour short, instead bringing [[Ryouko]] to the [[Ribbon Chamber]]. At the [[Ribbon]], [[Ryouko]] finds herself in a confusing vision, seeing among other things [[Yuma]] at the death of [[Oriko]], [[Simona]] looking directly at her on her first day of class, [[Asaka]] receiving instruction from the [[Goddess]] to wait for the girl who sent her the memory [[Ryouko]] did, the [[Goddess]] herself briefly showing her face and telling [[Ryouko]] to keep it a secret, and the death of [[Kyouko]] on some sort of mission involving submarines. Both of them watching, [[Patricia]] comments to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] that for a few reasons, including [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s own presence, she's not that surprised [[Ryouko]] received a vision.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|10|Brigadier}}|[[Ryouko]], brought before the [[Theological Council]] to relate her vision, tells what she saw of [[Kyouko]]'s death, determining with them it was on a colony world and that what actually killed [[Kyouko]] was likely a laser, not a misfire from the submarines. She keeps the rest of the vision from [[Theological Council|the council]], though [[Asaka]] deduces easily that she saw the [[Goddess]]. [[Asaka]] goes on to explain the circumstances of her own vision, where she met again with her dead partner [[Alice]], whose death under her command had torn her apart. Now that she has recovered and her vision is resolved, [[Asaka]] tells [[Ryouko]] she plans to return to the front with [[Mami]], who has just been promoted.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Kyouko]] talks with [[Mami]] about [[Ryouko]], noting that her family tree is dense with [[contract]]ees and connected to the Shizuki and Kuroi [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], that [[Patricia]] found a number of novel mutations in her genetics, and that her friend [[Simona]] has some strange anomalies in her recorded past. Unsure what to make of this, and with no further progress on the [[grief cube]] incident, [[Mami]] agrees at [[Kyouko]]'s request to take on [[Asaka]] as a general, with [[Patricia]] and [[Maki]] as two of [[Asaka]]'s attachments.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] grapples with her vision, and [[Asaka]] explains how her story connects.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|11|Remains of a Life}}|[[Ryouko]] sets up her [[TacComp]] and chooses [[Atsuko Arisu]] as her designated psychiatrist, then goes out to eat dinner with her family and eventually ends up (through a test of her newfound right to drink alcohol without intoxication filters) bringing them to a firing range at [[Kyouko's church]]. There they visit other facilities, including a sparring area where they meet [[Risa Flores]], but [[Ryouko]]'s parents are surprisingly well-informed on the subjects. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] visit her spot near the [[starport]], and talk about their impending military lives, and the disappearance of [[Ryouko's grandmother]], both remembering her saying that she had lost something.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] receives her [[SW-155|officer's pistol]], and her [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] tells her she's planned a going away party. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends at a showing of ''[[Akemi]]'' and finally reveals her [[contract]] to them, also inviting them to the party. Watching the movie, [[Ryouko]] reflects on [[Homura]]'s beliefs, and the fact that her vision contradicts the movie's portrayal of [[Yuma]]. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] asks [[Simona]] what she was going to say to her before the [[demon]] attack, but [[Simona]] tells her to forget about it. [[Ryouko]] also asks about when she looked directly at her on her first day of class (as she saw in her vision), but [[Simona]] claims it was nothing.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, [[Yuma]] convinces [[Kyouko]] to have a spy bug planted on [[Ryouko]] for her protection, and warns her to be careful herself given [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] spends time with her family and friends as she prepares to leave for [[Contact War|war]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|12|Demon Hunter}}|[[Ryouko]] receives a [[CubeBot]] and three [[grief cube]]s, then studies combat doctrines with her [[TacComp]] until [[Kyouko]] invites her to join a [[demon]] hunt. [[Patricia von Rohr|Patricia]] and [[Risa Flores|Risa]] meet her at [[Kyouko's church]], where [[Kyouko]] appears briefly but leaves, clearly bothered by the impending departure of [[Kishida Maki]]. On the hunt itself, [[Ryouko]] uses her teleportation to rescue civilians, move other [[magical girl]]s in for attacks, and so forth, finding herself enjoying the combat. The hunt is interrupted by the injury of one girl, who loses an arm and part of her face, but [[Ryouko]] simply teleports them to the armory hospital, where she is told they will be fine shortly, and the rest of the hunt continues without incident.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] goes on a [[demon]] hunt.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|13|Differences of Knowledge}}|The next day, [[Ryouko]] goes to an [[MSY]] social gathering for new recruits, finding [[Risa Flores]] there as a chaperone, and meets a new girl named [[Nakihara Asami]], who shares her desire to explore new worlds, albeit as a xenobiologist. They get along well, and continue on to the next scheduled event together. The following day, [[Ryouko]] meets [[Atsuko Arisu]] for her psychiatrist appointment, who manages to get her freely talking about many things, including her [[wish]], and who also recommends that she talk with her parents about her family ancestry.<br><br />
<br>That night, [[Shizuki Kuma|Ryouko's father]] interrupts her reading on military subjects to take her to [[Prometheus]], where she meets [[Joanne Valentin]]—who appears to be the woman she saw shortly before the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]]—and receives an upgrade to Version Two for her [[TacComp]]. Afterwards, [[Shizuki Kuma|her father]] secretly takes her into [[Prometheus]]'s cloning facility where he and [[Kuroi Nana|her mother]] work, which he explains is used to provide new bodies to [[magical girl]]s who are reduced to [[soul gem]]s. [[Ryouko]] is shocked, especially upon seeing the beginning stages of her own clone, and bothered at the secrets kept from her.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns about the [[MSY]]'s [[cloning program]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|14|Bloodlines}}|[[Yuma]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Mami]] decide [[Ryouko]]'s discovery of the [[cloning program]] isn't a problem, and discuss the incident that led to [[Ryouko]]'s contract. [[Mami]] remembers seeing [[Joanne Valentin]] at the movie theatre shortly afterwards, and [[Yuma]] confirms that she was the woman near the [[demon]] spawn, and moreover that she mysteriously changed her whole life shortly after the [[Contact War]] began. Investigations into [[Simona]] and the [[grief cube]] supply chain problems [[Kyouko]] reported have unearthed more discrepancies, but nothing major, and [[Risa Flores]] hasn't reported anything from her watch over [[Ryouko]], and so they disperse.<br><br />
<br>Back at home, [[Ryouko]] reads the file on her family with her improving [[TacComp]], and discovers that her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] is stationed at the [[Apollo]] shipyard. Moreover, when viewing her family tree she finds much of it explicitly redacted, with the revealed portions being enough to show that she is a descendant of both the Shizuki and Kuroi [[Matriarchy|Matriarchies]]. Later, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] comes to talk to her, and [[Ryouko]] confronts her about the secrets she's kept. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]] says she's kept the secrets to prevent [[Ryouko]] from [[contract]]ing, and will explain more the next day at the going away party.<br><br />
<br>At the party, [[Ryouko]] receives a number of gifts, including a necklace with the Shizuki crest from [[Shizuki Koto]], her paternal grandfather, and a ruby ring with a helix inside, one of a pair from [[Simona]]. [[Kyouko]] arrives, and informs [[Ryouko]] that both her grandparents will be placed in slightly safer positions as part of standard procedure, her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] in particular being moved to the shipyards. Next to arrive is [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Kuroi Kana]], who begins an attempt to recruit [[Ryouko]] into the [[Black Heart]] (and reveals that [[Ryouko]]'s bracelet is in fact a Kuroi insignia), but she is immediately followed by [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Shizuki Sayaka]] and her own recruiting pitch. [[Kyouko]]'s poor intervention is followed by [[Atsuko Arisu]]'s successful one—her presence at the party revealing that she must be related somehow to [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>This is all further interrupted by the sudden appearance of [[Kuroi Nana]], the [[magical girl]] who gave [[Ryouko]] her Kuroi bracelet and until now her entirely secret aunt, a fact which displeases [[Ryouko]] greatly. [[Kuroi Nana]] brings her aside, promising to help explain the situation, and revealing that she's part of the secret [[Internal Security]], and has been searching for [[Akemi Homura]] on behalf of the [[MSY]]. With that said, they begin a memory transfer.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] meets [[Kuroi Nana]], her previously-secret aunt. }}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|15|Samsara}}|[[Ryouko]] experiences her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt's]] memories, with some explanation provided by a sub-sentient assistant.<br><br />
<br>In the memories, [[Kuroi Nana]] investigates the strange behavior of her [[Kuroi Nakase|younger sister]], finding with the help of a computer specialist that her sister's new friends weren't who they seemed, and secretly following them on a [[demon]] hunt. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]], in reality a [[magical girl]], rushes to save [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] when [[demon]]s attack, getting gravely injured in the process. [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] contracts to turn her sister mundane again, to her sister's relief. However, these events seriously strain their family, as their [[Ryouko's grandmother|mother]] isn't allowed to know about the [[MSY]]. When [[Homura]] offers to mentor [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]], she accepts, and all but leaves the family.<br><br />
<br>It's explained to [[Ryouko]] that when [[New Athens]] revealed the [[MSY]], [[Ryouko's grandmother]] blamed it for both her mother's death and her family's troubles, and insisted that [[Ryouko]] be kept from contracting.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] surfaces from the memories, [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] closes off by telling [[Ryouko]] that she had just reconciled with [[Ryouko's grandmother]], and they rejoin the party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns more of her family history from [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|16|Light of the Sky}}|[[Ryouko]] says goodbye to friends and family at the starport, journeying with [[Asami]] by scramjet and then space elevator. While riding the elevator, [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] names herself [[Clarisse]] after [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Ryouko]] muses that her [[wish]] may have somehow changed the past, causing all the sudden revelations of the past week. At the top, the new [[magical girl]]s take a [[Navigator]] shuttle to the [[HSS Spectre]], an old [[frigate]], who leads them around herself. When they reach the [[FTL]] core, [[Ryouko]]'s gem suddenly begins to shine.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finally leaves [[Earth]] with [[Asami]].}}<br />
</div><br />
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=== Interlude I: Underworld Dreams ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Unusually, this is a title with relatively direct meanings.''<br />
: ''[[Kugimiya Ito]] dreams of his old girlfriend [[Nakanishi Aiko]], as he digs into a transformed Japanese underworld.<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|17|Interlude I: Underworld Dreams}}|[[Kugimiya Ito]], a police detective in [[Mitakihara]], investigates the disappearance of [[Okamura Yuu|a local teenage girl]] with [[Minami Kaoru|his junior partner]]. Meeting the girl's parents makes him suspect abuse is the culprit, and reminds him of his old teenage sweetheart [[Nakanishi Aiko]], who disappeared under similar circumstances. Back at headquarters, while analyzing the case's evidence electronically, he happens upon an image of the girl meeting what looks to him like [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]. When he confronts the missing girl's friends about the [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]-lookalike, they unconvincingly deny knowing anything until a Yakuza-affiliated lawyer suddenly shows up. Investigating this lead leads him to a [[D&E]] logistics building, where he's confronted by Yakuza and nearly killed for knowing too much, until [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] suddenly intervenes, still the same age as when she disappeared.<br><br />
<br>Reeling, and told to drop the case by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] returns to headquarters, only to be met by [[Ronaldo Rizal|an Interpol agent]] who has been tracking similar mysterious cases. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] is asked to make contact with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again and investigate further. He successfully makes contact, and is brought to [[D&E]] headquarters with his partner, to be greeted by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], who treats him just like she did when they were dating, to his embarrassed pleasure. They meet the CEO of [[D&E]], who turns out to be [[Sakura Kyouko]] under an assumed name, and who explains the situation, including the fact that they already knew about the Interpol investigation. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] agrees to drop the investigation if he can confirm for himself that the missing girl is alright, and afterward retires to be with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kugimiya Ito|A police detective]] happens across his [[Nakanishi Aiko|long-missing girlfriend]] and discovers she is part of an [[MSY]] Yakuza takeover.}}<br />
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=== Volume II: Inflationary Expansion ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''This is the universe's theorized early period of exponential inflation.''<br />
: ''Here, it likely refers to the escalation of plot and stakes, especially for Ryouko.''<br />
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{{Spbox|Volume II Summary|[[Ryouko]] completes her military simulation training, growing close to [[Asami]], and gets her first taste of real combat shortly afterwards as her convoy is unexpectedly and suspiciously attacked by [[Ceph]] fighters. After [[Ryouko]]'s successful defense there, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]], who doesn't know how to respond, and then both are recalled to the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]], where the first attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] has failed.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] is assigned to a [[MagOps]] team, and begins training while still wrestling with family and relationship confusion, including the sudden revelation of her [[TacComp]] [[Clarisse]]'s sentience. The eventual battle begins poorly, as the wormhole unexpectedly activates right at the start. [[Ryouko]]'s team presses on, only to find the mission much more difficult than expected, and they slowly attrit team members. They finally destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]], but as the [[Goddess]] reveals in a vision, the [[Ceph]] had already amassed a stealthed fleet large enough to take the system. Having realized that her power uses wormholes, [[Ryouko]] reopens the [[Ceph]]'s wormhole and sends the fleet back through, saving the day.<br><br />
<br>However, the battle was not without its casualties—[[Asami]] lost her body after nearly grief-spiraling upon hearing of [[Ryouko]]'s apparent death, [[Ryouko's grandmother]] died in a [[Ceph]] raid, and [[Erwynmark]] died as well, among others. Coming to grips with her sudden fame and new life amidst memorial services and the news of her parents' divorce, [[Ryouko]] decides to become [[Asami]]'s girlfriend. But there are more surprises in store: as the [[Goddess]]—who [[Ryouko]] discovers she is distantly related to—reveals in another vision, [[Ryouko]] will find herself caught up in even greater events soon enough.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delivers the [[Battle of Orpheus]], and connects with [[Asami]], as her old life falls away.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|18|To the Ground}}|The [[General Staff]] watches as a [[MagOps]] mission to take out the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, all members killed, after they are detected teleporting through [[Orpheus]]'s atmosphere. Afterwards, [[Mami]] dreams of her past failures, disturbing her [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br><br />
<br>On the planet [[Giungla]], [[Ryouko]] is embedded in a military unit along with other [[magical girl]]s, fighting against a [[Ceph]] invasion. She goes off mostly on her own to successfully rescue a soldier from her unit, and then joins up with a team of [[magical girl]]s to teleport into an alien attack column, again with significant success.<br />
----<br />
In short: The initial attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, as [[Ryouko]] gains combat experience elsewhere.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|19|To the Sky}}|Finding that she enjoys the combat, [[Ryouko]] works hard to sustain the [[human]] forces, but the arrival of a major [[Ceph]] fleet in system forces a general evacuation. They begin taking heavy losses, and [[Ryouko]] quickly becomes acting-Commander. [[Asami]] dies, [[Ryouko]] enters [[emotional suppression]], and just barely escapes... only to suddenly wake up from the accelerated [[VR]] simulation.<br><br />
<br>Calmed by [[Clarisse]] and relieved to see [[Asami]] alive, [[Ryouko]] heads back to their shared room in the training center on [[New Athens]]. [[Clarisse]] recommends that they read some "messages" together, which turn out to be relationship proposals for [[Ryouko]]. [[Asami]] comments that she had been warned this might happen, due to [[Ryouko]]'s mentors and heritage. The next day, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her [[wish]] was for her parents to stay together and understand each other, and [[Ryouko]] relays her own [[wish]], as they look forward together towards the end of training.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] finish simulation training.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|20|Relativity}}|[[Kishida Maki]] remembers how she [[contract]]ed and later met [[Kyouko]], dating, but breaking up after a fight over [[Maki]]'s decision to head to the front, and [[Kyouko]]'s refusal to explain her history with [[Miki Sayaka]], a near lookalike. Stationed on [[Apollo]] with [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]], [[Maki]] then heads out, completing another mission aboveground to secure a building back from the [[Ceph]].<br><br />
<br>Headed to [[Acheron]] with [[Asami]] and a new friend from training, [[Meiqing]], [[Ryouko]] suddenly notices a bright flash from her [[soul gem]]. Soon, the cause is discovered by the ship, [[Laplace]], to be [[Ceph]] fighters. The early warning allows them to dodge the initial missile attack, but eschewing standard doctrine, the [[Ceph]] turn around for another assault, forcing the transport's [[magical girl]]'s to fight them in space combat, with [[Ryouko]] taking charge. The fight goes well, but the final ship detonates its core in a desperate but futile attempt to kill them.<br><br />
<br>While recovering from the ensuing protective fugue, [[Clarisse]] reveals to [[Ryouko]] that she has uncovered the memory of her vision, and is in fact sentient. Afterwards, they arrive at [[Acheron]], minor heroes, and [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] attend a celebration of [[October Three]] together.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]]'s convoy is attacked unsuccessfully by [[Ceph]] fighters.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|21|Discontinuity}}|[[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Yuma]] meet virtually to celebrate [[October Three]], and discuss the mysteriousness of [[Simona]] and the unlikely and seemingly irresponsible attack on [[Ryouko]]'s convoy, the absence of [[Homura]] weighing on them.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] talks with [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about training and suitors, but fails to mention the attack on her convoy. [[Ryouko]] then goes with [[Asami]] to see a basketball game, and then to a volcanic spa, noting that [[Asami]] is acting strangely, and finding that she isn't enjoying the time on [[Acheron|a colony world]] herself as much as she expected. At the spa, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her romantic feelings to a stunned [[Ryouko]], who promises to think about it—they have little time to reflect, however, as they are at that moment recalled to active duty in the [[Kepler-37]] system, the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asami]] confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|22|Shifting Winds}}|Now on [[Mami]]'s flagship, the [[HSS Zhukov]], and unable to stop thinking about [[Asami]], [[Ryouko]] is awarded a medal for her performance during the [[Ceph]] attack on her convoy by the Field Marshall. [[Mami]] then brings her to the bridge, where they enter simulation as [[Mami]] explains the strategic situation. This is interrupted by a perfunctory [[Ceph]] attack, which [[Ryouko]] watches from the bridge.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, they reenter the simulation to meet [[Erwynmark]], and [[Ryouko]] is told about the planned second wormhole mission, which requires her teleportation capabilities. [[Ryouko]] is to be sent down to [[Apollo]] to meet with the rest of the team (and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]]) to prepare.<br><br />
<br>Resting after the earlier battle, [[Mami]] dreams of the destruction of her apartment by [[Oriko]], which reunited her with [[Kyouko]], and of other old memories, followed by a strange dream in which she and an unknown girl, somehow important to her, were in a plane crash.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] is assigned to the second [[wormhole stabilizer]] mission on [[Orpheus]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|23|Lost Love}}|Along with others, [[Mami]] plans Humanity's counteroffensive to support the [[Orpheus]] mission and end the [[Euphratic Incursion]]. Meeting with [[Erwynmark]], who will also lead the battle, they conclude that their success rests on the [[MagOps]] mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] thinks of her friends—including [[Chiaki]] on [[Earth]], who always teased [[Ryouko]] about relationships—and ends up calling [[Meiqing]], who insists that she call [[Asami]], who is broken up over [[Ryouko]]'s non-answer to her confession. However, there isn't time, as the [[HSS Raven]] brings her down to [[Apollo]], where [[Ryouko]] meets up with [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]], who was seriously injured in the fighting but recovering easily. They share some time together, as [[Ryouko]] informs him that she's going on a dangerous mission. Her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her family already knew about the attack on her convoy, and that he finally managed to find and talk with [[Ryouko's grandmother|his wife]] again, who wants to talk with [[Ryouko]] as well once there's a chance.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delays talking to [[Asami]], and meets [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]] on [[Apollo]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|24|Historian}}|[[Ryouko]]'s new [[MagOps]] team practices working together on [[Apollo]] by fighting the [[Ceph]]. Their team practice and bonding is later interrupted by the announcement of yet another new team member: [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Ryouko]]'s childhood hero and, as it turns out, personal friend of team commander [[Nadya Antipova]]. They immediately return to mission simulations, first knowing they're simulations, and later not, failing often—with [[Ryouko]] regretting not contacting [[Asami]] in her apparent final moments.<br><br />
<br>Recovering from this, the team socializes, and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Ryouko]] that she should talk to [[Asami]] even if she doesn't know what to say. Finally, [[Ryouko]] does so, telling her about the dangerous mission she's on, and asking her to survive the upcoming battle too so they can resolve things afterward. They end the call somewhat comforted, but [[Asami]] in particular finds herself still worried and unsure.<br><br />
<br>That night, resting, [[Ryouko]] has a mysterious seeming dream-vision, including a moment in the [[Cult]]'s rose garden on [[Earth]] where [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] speaks strange things and almost appears to be someone else unknown.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Clarisse van Rossum]] joins the wormhole team, and convinces [[Ryouko]] to contact [[Asami]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|25|Piercing the Sky}}|Waiting aboard the [[HSS Raven]], [[Clarisse]] and [[Ryouko]] find themselves ruminating on the possibility of their death, and the [[Goddess]]'s promised afterlife for [[magical girl]]s. [[Juliet Francois]] and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] both ask about [[Ryouko]]'s visions, but she defers, stating she doesn't think they are relevant to the current mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] begins the [[Human]] offensive, for her part attempting to draw [[Ceph]] forces away from [[Orpheus]]. While it initially appears a success, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] which was thought to be still under construction suddenly activates, and hordes of reinforcements begin pouring through.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Orpheus]] mission begins poorly, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] activating before it even begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|26|Blood and Ichor}}|[[Clarisse van Rossum]] decides the [[MagOps]] team must act immediately. Donning [[magitech]] armor, [[Ryouko]] teleports the team straight from low orbit to what looks to be the key stabilizer core for the [[wormhole stabilizer]]. After efficiently clearing out enemy personnel, [[Nadya]] announces that there are what appears to be twelve separate stabilizer cores, rather than the single expected one, of which perhaps up to four are real. They detonate a [[PAYNE|nuke]] on the closest core, teleporting away towards the next one.<br><br />
<br>This time they encounter even more waiting [[Ceph]], and clear them out with more difficulty. Suddenly, right when two fighters attack, a [[Ceph]] sniper takes shots at [[Eva Guderian]] and [[Ryouko]], killing [[Eva Guderian|Eva]] instantly and shattering [[Ryouko]]'s arm. In a rage, [[Ryouko]] teleports on top of the sniper and slaughters it.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[wormhole stabilizer]] survives an intended killing blow, and [[Ryouko]] loses control after [[Eva Guderian]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|27|Those Brilliant Shining Stars}}|Shocked at herself and slowly recovering, [[Ryouko]] realizes that her [[soul gem]] is not only pulling her towards the wormhole, but also reacting to the true stabilizer cores—and the one they lost [[Eva Guderian]] attacking is a fake.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, the fleet battle in system is going poorly, and [[Erwynmark]] defers to [[Mami]], who decides they must continue to hold out in hope of destroying the wormhole.<br><br />
<br>The [[Orpheus]] team quickly finds and destroys a second stabilizer core with their last [[PAYNE|nuke]], leaving still two more. The [[Ceph]] begin firing artillery at the third core when they arrive, forcing [[Clarisse van Rossum]] to seize their barrier generator [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]]'s [[soul gem]] to save her life. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] then executes a powerful attack that vaporizes the core, but knocks her unconscious.<br><br />
<br>Unexpectedly targeted, [[Erwynmark]]'s ship the [[HSS Arminius]] recommends evacuation. [[Erwynmark]] escapes the ship with his bodyguards, but [[Ceph]] interceptors somehow find his stealthed ship and chase it down, killing him.<br />
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In short: The [[Orpheus]] team destroys two more [[wormhole stabilizer]] cores, but [[Erwynmark]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|28|Invictus}}|The [[Orpheus]] team learns that the [[HSS Raven]], along with her remaining crew, has been discovered and destroyed, all but eliminating any hope of escape. [[Misa Virani]] gives her [[soul gem]] to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and takes advantage of the moon's electrical properties to generate an awe-inspiring electrical discharge, destroying the last [[wormhole stabilizer]] core. The wormhole above collapses violently, and the remainder of the team is suddenly caught in temporal/spatial distortions that threaten to rip them apart.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Misa Virani]] destroys the final [[wormhole stabilizer]] and the wormhole collapses, trapping the rest of the team.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|29|Deus ex gemma}}|[[Ryouko]] suddenly recalls a lecture given by [[Joanne Valentin]], and realizes that her teleportation uses wormholes, and that she can use the broken spacetime around them to teleport the team off [[Orpheus|the moon]]. At the same time, [[Ryouko]] realizes she's with the [[Goddess]], in a vision—this time, with [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]] too. The [[Goddess]] shows them [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[Apollo]], hard-pressed by the [[Ceph]]. [[Shirou Asaka]] manages to get forces in to save them, but [[Maki]] loses her body. They are also shown an unknown woman commander in the [[Apollo]] shipyards, who is killed by a [[Ceph]] commando raid.<br><br />
<br>Following that, [[Asami]] and her ''[[Magi Cæli]]'' team are shown defending the space around [[Apollo]] with some success, despite incredible new [[Ceph]] stealth capabilities. Attempting to extract, the team is suddenly caught and scattered, with [[Asami]] seriously injured and placed into a [[MedEvac]]. A sudden announcement from [[Tomoe Mami]] that the wormhole was destroyed at the apparent cost of the team involved, including [[Ryouko]], sends [[Asami]] into a despair spiral, and her body is ejected into space to preserve her [[soul gem]]. Finally, [[Ryouko]] is shown [[Mami]], who is pressing the apparent advantage at the destruction of the wormhole, even as she mourns the dead.<br><br />
<br>The [[Goddess]] then talks with [[Ryouko]], revealing the [[Ceph]] trap—a huge cloaked fleet had already come through the wormhole, enough to retake the system easily. The [[Goddess]] tells her to reopen the wormhole and send the fleet back, ending the vision. To her team's amazement, [[Ryouko]] does just that, and then just barely teleports them to [[Zhukov]]'s bridge before blacking out.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Goddess]] tells [[Ryouko]] to send back a cloaked [[Ceph]] fleet through the wormhole, saving the battle.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|30|Call to Power}}|[[Mami]] and [[Atsuko Arisu]] perform a dream interrogation of [[Ryouko]]—and also [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]], which complicates their attempt to loosen her up, as does the secret blocking of telepathic investigation by [[Clarisse van Rossum]]. [[Ryouko]] only explains that her power uses wormholes, and about her memory of the [[Joanne Valentin]] lecture that triggered the realization, avoiding religious questions. [[Ryouko]] meets afterwards with some of the [[Orpheus]] team, and is warned of the coming scrutiny she'll endure as a hero by [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and the revived [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]].<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] learns from her devastated [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]] was killed, and realizes she saw it in her vision. She attends the first of three memorial services in her near future, for the dead of the [[Orpheus]] team, meeting [[Marianne Francois]], whose daughter [[Juliet]] was killed aboard the now-revived [[HSS Raven]].<br><br />
<br>In a surprise to [[Mami]], the [[General Staff]] and [[Military Affairs]] select her as the new Chair in accordance with [[Erwynmark]]'s wishes.<br />
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In short: [[Mami]] becomes the new Chair of the [[General Staff]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|31|Aspects of Love}}|On the planet [[Bismarck]] for [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial, [[Ryouko]] meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kyouko]], along with a couple of local kids, finding herself surprisingly distant from the latter due to her experiences. [[Ryouko]] admits to [[Kyouko]] that the [[Goddess]] came to her in a vision on [[Orpheus]] to tell her about the cloaked fleet, and is afterwards unknowingly accosted by a [[Shizuki Azusa|seductive Shizuki]] until [[Patricia]] saves her. [[Patricia]] informs her that [[Kishida Maki]] is still taking [[Kyouko]]'s continued absence hard, and that she is struggling herself, before collecting a more in-depth genetic sample from [[Ryouko]]. Later that day [[Mami]], attending virtually, gives [[Erwynmark]]'s eulogy.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] comes to grips with her newfound fame at [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|32|Decisions, Implications}}|[[Ryouko]] meets with her family at the starport, only to find her parents have divorced. Still shaken, she heads immediately to [[Asami]]'s revival, comforting her, and finding herself unexpectedly comforted herself to have [[Asami]] back.<br><br />
<br>After briefly meeting [[Asami]]'s family, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] head out to meet [[Ryouko]]'s friends. While waiting, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] how unhappy she is in combat, and, consoling her, [[Ryouko]] abruptly decides to become her girlfriend… right as [[Simona]], [[Ruiko]], and [[Chiaki]] arrive. [[Simona]] retreats to the bathroom, and [[Chiaki]] covers for her, instead planning the rest of the day. They go on to a restaurant and have a sleepover, the only disturbance being the strange arrival of [[Kyubey]], who claims only to be visiting.<br><br />
<br>At [[Ryouko's grandmother]]'s funeral, [[Ryouko]] discovers that her psychiatrist [[Atsuko Arisu]] is in fact the grandmother of [[Ryouko's grandmother]]. After the ceremony, which [[Ryouko]] finds she can't connect to, she is suddenly given a memory recording from a friend of [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]]. The memory reveals that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]] grandfather was [[Kaname Tatsuya]], once the younger brother of [[Kaname Madoka]], the [[Goddess]]. [[Tatsuya]] makes [[Homura]] promise to keep [[Ryouko's grandmother]] out of the [[MSY]], as he warns darkly of the future that would become the [[Unification Wars]], recalling in particular his daughter-in-law's wish for vengeance.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] rushes with [[Asami]] to the [[Ribbon]], with both [[Kyubey]] and [[Kyouko]] showing up to watch. A vision ensues, and the [[Goddess]] explains that she is indeed related to [[Ryouko]], as hinted previously, and that she tries to limit her interventions in the world, so that people can live their own lives. She explains that [[Ryouko]] has the special burden of having less freedom to live her own life, and that she will be called upon again.<br><br />
<br>Teleporting out immediately from the [[Ribbon Chamber]] to avoid questions, [[Ryouko]] learns that [[Asami]] also received a vision, assuaging her worries and including helpful relationship advice. Before [[Ryouko]] can digest that, [[Joanne Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] show up at her door with a proposal.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes [[Asami]]'s girlfriend, and finds out she will feature in the [[Goddess]]'s plans again.}}<br />
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<br />
=== Interlude II: Madeleines ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Madeleines (small sponge cakes) feature in Proust's "In Search of Lost Time", a famous French novel noted for its theme of involuntary memory.''<br />
: ''Likewise, this interlude centers on the peculiar role of memory in an episode of [[Asaka]]'s past. The first snippet even includes relevant sections from Proust's novel.''<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|33|Interlude II: Madeleines}}|[[Shirou Asaka]] wakes from a strange recurring dream in which she has lost someone important to her, as a [[magical girl]] in some sort of [[Contact War|crazy alien war]]. [[Alice Lynwood]], her wife, reminds her to get it checked out, but is less successful in attempting to convince her to finally have a baby.<br><br />
<br>In a professional [[VR]] game playing as [[magical girl]]s in WWII with her second-in-command [[Madhuri]], [[Asaka]] finds she needs to sacrifice her to win. Suddenly, [[Asaka]] starts thinking [[Madhuri]] is somehow actually [[Alice]], and then the game is suddenly cut short by a strange simulation error. However, [[Asaka]]'s growing unease is again washed away by the joy of her life with [[Alice]].<br><br />
<br>[[Tanaka Yui]], [[Asaka]]'s therapist, suggests doing a dream study, and [[Patricia von Rohr]] comes to visit, both of them bringing up little oddities or inconsistencies in [[Asaka]]'s thoughts. The dream study returns an apparent suppressed memory, but one involving [[magical girl]]s and an [[Contact War|alien war]] that [[Asaka]] can't remember experiencing. Soon enough, all of reality seems to be changing for her—[[Madhuri]], her location, [[magical girl]]s. Finally running a full internal diagnostic, [[Asaka]] remembers what truly happened: she was forced to send her girlfriend [[Alice]] to her death to win a battle in the [[Contact War]]. Unable to process it, [[Asaka]] had [[Reformat|Reformatted]] herself and put herself inside a [[VR]] simulation where she could live with [[Alice]]. [[Tanaka Yui]] had been helping her face the truth after breaking into the simulation, along with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Madhuri]], and even [[Asaka]]'s own internal representation of [[Alice]]. [[Patricia]] tells [[Asaka]] afterwards that [[Alice]] had planned on proposing.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asaka]]'s self-[[Reformat]] and [[VR]] simulation are undone, and she begins to finally face her lover [[Alice]]'s death.}}<br />
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<br />
=== Volume III: Ontological Paradox ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''In an ontological paradox, events occur as part of a causal loop: an 'initial' event, in terms of linear time, eventually causes itself.''<br />
: ''This may refer to the nature of Ryouko's wish and/or the logic of the Goddess's interventions. <br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume III Summary|Now living with [[Asami]] and working in [[ITG|a lab]] to help humanity understand wormholes, [[Ryouko]]'s life is interrupted again when she is offered a chance to investigate a [[rogue colonies|rogue colony]] on [[X-25]]. When [[ITG|the lab]] collapses on her and [[Asami]] in an act of sabotage, they decide to join the mission.<br><br />
<br>The [[X-25]] colony turns out to have a massive bunker, and [[Kyouko]] leads a team with [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] in, discovering an attempt at mass-cloning [[magical girl]]s. Moreover, two separate traps attempting to kill [[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] are encountered, the second costing [[Ryouko]] her body.<br><br />
<br>After a vision revealing [[Yuma]]'s past, a revived [[Ryouko]] manages to push [[Kyouko]] into visiting [[the Ribbon]], where she meets with [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision, and finally reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]] afterwards. [[Ryouko]], for her part, faces the disturbing revelation that she's been genetically engineered, losing control of her life as she's whisked from [[Paris]] to [[Adept Blue]]. At the same time, [[Mami]]'s self-[[Reformat]] unravels, and she meets with the [[Goddess]] in a vision as she grapples with her restored memories, finally convinced to take a vacation.<br><br />
<br>However, events—and conspiracies—don't let go of them. [[Simona]], now a [[magical girl]] and always an agent assigned to [[Ryouko]], reappears to help [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] create wormholes spanning lightyears, though her love remains unrequited as [[Ryouko]]'s relationship with [[Asami]] grows stronger. During [[Mami]]'s vacation, she and [[Kyouko]] discover that [[Misa]] had in fact been recruited by [[Homura]] to fight a mysterious enemy, and [[Yuma]] learns that someone has corrupted the [[TCF]] from [[Simona]] and [[Valentin]], both part of a secret organization fighting it with alternate [[TCF]]s.<br />
<br>'''Volume incomplete; More chapters to be released.'''<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finds herself enmeshed in conspiracy, as [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] grapple with their pasts.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|34|The Bonds that Make Us}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Asami]] attend [[Yuma]]'s birthday party via [[VR]] from [[Eurydome]], where [[Ryouko]] was brought by [[Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] for wormhole research. [[Kyouko]] brings up [[Ryouko]]'s visions in front of [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Ryouko]] is forced to explain, choosing to also forward the memory she received from [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] intervenes in an argument between [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] about [[Kishida Maki]], and brings them to [[Ryouko]]. [[Ryouko]] is reminded of her first vision, where she saw [[Yuma]], and which seemed to contradict her official history—she even tells [[Kyouko]] this. [[Ryouko]] then goes to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] for life advice, and is told that she needs to talk over her desires for an extraordinary life with [[Asami]], who wants a more domestic life.<br><br />
<br>Away from the party, [[Yuma]] explains to [[Kuroi Nakase]], [[Ryouko]]'s mother, that [[Ryouko]] is probably the most genetically sure contract in history, and moreover, that she has a genetically-engineered second, hidden genome. [[Nakase]] knew only that [[Ryouko]] was likely to contract given her ancestry, and when pressed for information as to how she got the birth license, suddenly collapses—a non-fatal defense mechanism apparently built into tampered memories.<br />
----<br />
In short: At [[Yuma]]'s party, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] learns that [[Ryouko]] was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|35|Causality}}|[[Mami]] learns from [[Marianne Francois]]'s [[grief cube]] supply chain report that in a few rare cases for the past 10 years, there have been severe shortages followed by surpluses, where they would hurt the war effort the least. [[Mami]] is disturbed by not only the report, but also her unintended reading of [[Marianne]]'s mind.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Clarisse]] go over her visions, realizing that [[Simona]] was tank-born and seemingly knew her before they met, and that the [[Goddess]] likely manipulated the events leading to [[Ryouko]]'s contract.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], in a meeting with the [[Directorate]], is asked to investigate a distress signal from [[X-25|a cult's colony]] which was thought to have been destroyed en route to an entirely different planet. Elsewhere, [[Kyouko]] promises to tell [[Yuma]] to explain her past to [[MG]], and receives from [[MG]] a recording of what happened with [[Kuroi Nakase]] at [[Yuma]]'s party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives orders to investigate [[X-25|a mysterious colony]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|36|Chasing Ghosts}}|[[Ryouko]] learns in a call from her friends on [[Earth]] that [[Simona]] has moved away, and afterwards meets with [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Kyouko]], who ask her to join a mission to investigate [[X-25|a cult's colony]] related to [[Homura]], and to consider an offer from [[Kuroi Kana]] to properly join the intelligence services.<br><br />
<br>[[Kuroi Nana]] departs after being given the memory file from [[Ryouko's grandmother]], but [[Kyouko]] accompanies [[Ryouko]] to the lab, [[ITG]], and they discuss [[Ryouko]]'s visions a bit. During an experiment at the lab, the gravity generators go haywire, and the ceiling collapses—[[Ryouko]] is saved by [[Kyouko]] and [[Asami]], but [[Asami]] is seriously injured. In the hospital afterwards, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] and [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about the apparent attempt on her life that led to her [[contract]]. [[Kyouko]] explains that the incident at [[ITG]] appears to be another such attack. [[Ryouko]] decides to join the proffered mission, which [[Asami]] accepts on the condition that she come too.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] survives an attempt on her life at [[ITG|the lab]] on [[Eurydome]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|37|Seraphim}}|[[Kyouko]] convinces [[Mami]] to let her on the colony mission due to the [[Homura]] connection, and [[Mami]] tells [[Kyouko]] about the mysterious sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]]. However, [[Mami]] becomes inordinately emotional when discussing the necessity of ordering an investigative mind-read, and she later dreams of training mind-reading abilities that she doesn't remember.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] are taught defensive telepathic techniques en route to their mission, and [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] told her to stick with [[Ryouko]] for her safety. They then meet with [[Azrael Maslanka]], who tells them both about the true proliferation of [[rogue colonies]], and her own experience on one where she was genetically engineered with wings for flight, before the colony collapsed in civil war.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting, where she tells [[Mami]] about her vision in which [[Kyouko]] was killed. The details match [[Mami]]'s planned submarine mission exactly and, disturbed, she agrees to allocate more forces.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] learn about [[rogue colonies]] from [[Azrael Maslanka]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|38|Carpe Diem}}|A special [[Miki|sentient probe]] sent to investigate the cult's colony on [[X-25]] discovers a massive underground structure and comes under heavy fire, and the [[Directorate]] approves more forces for the mission in response.<br><br />
<br>[[Meiqing]] turns out to be part of the additional forces, and she, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] go out hiking together on [[San Giuseppe]] while waiting for more reinforcements to arrive. At the top, [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] her worries about how much their lives are at risk, and [[Azrael]] explains herself to [[Meiqing]].<br><br />
<br>Finally, the mission begins, with [[Task Force Rhamnusia|conventional forces]] taking the surface of the colony on [[X-25]].<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be heavily armed, and the [[Task Force Rhamnusia|correspondingly reinforced]] assault on it begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|39|Indelible Soul}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew descend to the pacified surface of [[X-25]], and [[Gracia]], to [[Ryouko]]'s distress, forcibly mind-reads captives to learn that the colony's leader, [[Grigori DeWitt]], has escaped to the bunker with children as hostages. [[Kyouko]] manages to convince [[Mami]] and [[Governance]] to let her lead a [[MagOps]] infiltration mission, despite their misgivings that [[Kyouko]] is doing so for personal reasons, given her history.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] chooses to bring [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] on the mission, among more experienced girls, largely on personal hunch. Mission underway, and despite being hampered by some sort of magical clairvoyance blocking, they quickly discover large numbers of human clones, an apparent attempt to clone [[magical girl]]s. The attempt to communicate this to the surface is blocked by the hostile telepath, however, and the team is discovered. Clearly personally angered by the situation, [[Kyouko]] insists that they fight their way through rather than escape.<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be attempting [[magical girl]] cloning.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|40|Through a Mirror}}|The [[X-25]] team kills a number of guards, only to discover that they are cloned teenagers, heavily implanted, horrifying the rookies into [[emotional suppression]]. [[Gracia]] manages to determine that the cloned girls are transformed into controlled guards once they failed to contract, and that contracts weren't happening. [[Kyouko]] decides that they must find and capture the enemy telepath, before more clones are killed.<br><br />
<br>They find the enemy [[magical girl]], but before they act to kill her, [[Asami]] notices that [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]] is glowing slightly. Off-put by that and everything else that doesn't add up, the team nearly rebels against [[Kyouko]]'s insistence on attacking the enemy [[magical girl]], until [[Ryouko]] manages to convince [[Kyouko]] to relent by suggesting that the [[Goddess]] placed her on the mission for that reason.<br><br />
<br>Investigating, [[Asami]] detects a [[Ceph]]-like stealth device concealing a nuke, [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] disabling it right afterwards. An alarm goes up, and the enemy [[magical girl]] suddenly pleads for help. The girl, [[Sacnite Tafani]], tells them that [[DeWitt]] had been controlling her with the threat of a suicide implant, and had lied about hiding the colony's children in the bunker as bait for the nuclear trap. <br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] prevents [[Kyouko]] from rushing into a stealthed nuclear trap on [[X-25]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|41|Cause and Effect}}|Ruminating over the mission, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] decide to visit [[Sacnite]], as [[Mami]] makes a limited announcement of the mission to the general public. [[Mami]] approves the visit to [[Sacnite]] as a propaganda shoot, and [[Azrael]] joins them. Comforting [[Sacnite]], [[Ryouko]] promises to spend more time with her. Afterwards, [[Meiqing]] confides to [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] that the mission has impacted her a lot, and that she's glad she was able to help, given her family's shameful efforts in the [[Unification Wars]] to develop the cloned [[FA Elites]].<br><br />
<br>Having finally determined the whereabouts of [[DeWitt]] and the colony's children, [[Kyouko]] leads an attack on the stealthed facility, which meets with no resistance. [[DeWitt]], however, manages to kill himself via suicide implant, after claiming he was trying to figure out what blocked [[magical girl]]s "transcendence". [[Kyubey]] then appears, saying that [[DeWitt]] had based his beliefs on what [[Homura]] had achieved, thinking to have seen her alive on [[Optatum]], and that he was supported by another group which escaped in a cloaked ship. Refusing to say anything more—and strangely calling [[Kyouko]] by her personal name—[[Kyubey]] disappears, and [[Kyouko]] walks off alone to think. Feeling uneasy about the situation, and thinking of her vision, [[Ryouko]] follows… only to lose her body saving [[Kyouko]]'s life from an attack by a supposedly-friendly drone.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] loses her body saving [[Kyouko]] from a sudden drone attack.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|42|No Light Without Shadow}}|The [[MSY]] [[Leadership Committee]] meets to discuss recent events, including the attack on [[Kyouko]], the results of the [[grief cube]] audit, and the sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]], among others, but to no real conclusion. After the meeting, [[Kyouko]] is surprised by [[Atsuko Arisu]], her therapist, who to [[Kyouko]]'s anger tells her both that she should have stepped aside during the [[X-25]] mission and that she should stop hiding from her feelings for [[Kishida Maki]].<br><br />
<br>With [[Asami]] personally guarding [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]], she, [[Ryouko]]'s family, [[Meiqing]], and even [[Sacnite]] plan to travel to [[Earth]] for [[Ryouko]]'s revival, which has been delayed for unspecified reasons. Meanwhile, both [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] assign security teams for [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>Through a [[VR]] recreation, [[Mami]] reveals to [[Kyouko]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] that it appears [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]] didn't fail, but was instead somehow swapped out for another. The soul mage who put the [[soul gem]] that failed into stasis saw that it had a meek, shy personality which, she found out later, didn't match [[Misa Virani|Misa]]'s at all. However, the [[VR]] review they perform doesn't show any possible moment in which [[Misa]]'s [[soul gem]] could have been swapped.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] discovers that [[Misa Virani]] is likely alive, her [[soul gem]] swapped for another.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|43|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part One}}|[[Ryouko]] finds herself in another vision, in which the [[Goddess]] explains that [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], and [[Mami]] are more fragile than they seem, and that their "phase transition" must be managed carefully. [[Ryouko]] looks, and sees…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]], noting that [[Kyouko]] is being pushed into finally confronting her relationship problems and that they need to help her, tells [[Mami]] and [[MG]] about her past with the [[Southern Group]], and about [[Miki Sayaka]]…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s abusive parents, unable to pay debts, attempt to sell her to the Yakuza, until the [[Southern Group]] suddenly intervenes. They kill the Yakuza, but [[Mikuni Oriko]] is seriously injured, and [[Yuma]] wishes to heal her. [[Yuma]] memory of this is patchy, though, and [[Oriko]] informs [[Yuma]] that the Yakuza killed her parents, so she'll take her in. Under [[Oriko]]'s tutelage, [[Yuma]] lives a good life and learns much, but she can see that the [[Southern Group]] is vicious to others and generally hated. [[Oriko]] favors [[Yuma]], to the other members' chagrin, and shares secrets like her efforts to try to bring [[Kyouko]] and [[Sayaka]] together before splitting them apart, and her work to saturate [[grief cubes]], which [[Yuma]] later accidentally discovers leads to [[demon]] spawns.<br><br />
<br>Uneasy with her new life, [[Yuma]] runs into [[Sayaka]], who is clearly very troubled herself, explaining that she was in [[Southern Group]] territory to die fighting their evil. Instead, [[Sayaka]] takes [[Yuma]] to dinner. [[Yuma]] runs into Yakuza on the way back, but [[Sayaka]] appears, killing them before disappearing—though a shocked [[Yuma]] manages to reattach one's head and save his life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Sayaka]] had died fighting a horde of [[demon]]s at a violin concert, and pieces together the truth: [[Oriko]], using her power to see the future and saturated [[grief cubes]] [[Yuma]] had made, purposefully spawned the [[demon]]s to kill [[Sayaka]].<br><br />
<br>In the present day, [[Yuma]] explains that she wants to tell [[Kyouko]] all this, so that she won't blame herself for [[Sayaka]]'s death, but has been afraid to since she was involved. After talking this over, [[Yuma]] continues the story for [[MG]]'s sake…<br><br />
<br>[[Clarisse van Rossum]] visits [[Oriko]] and [[Yuma]], telling [[Oriko]] that there may be some merit to [[Homura]]'s strange belief in a [[Goddess]], and passing [[Yuma]] an anonymous message saying she has the potential to change things, and that [[Oriko]] only sees what she tries to see.<br><br />
<br>Life finally calms down for [[Yuma]] after this, though her studies accelerate, as [[Oriko]] uses magic to enhance her mind.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] reveals that [[Oriko]] caused [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|44|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part Two}}|[[Ryouko]]'s vision continues, as she watches [[Yuma]] retell her past to [[Mami]] and [[MG]]…<br><br />
<br>Upset at [[Oriko]]'s use of saturated [[grief cube]]s to kill others, [[Yuma]] sabotages the machine used to make them, but [[Oriko]]'s machinations continue, with team leaders like [[Kuroi Kana]] forced to come and beg for the return of captured members. One night, another team led by [[Tanaka Yui]] attacks, [[Yuma]] just barely escaping—or so she thought, as she instead leads the attackers right to the rest of the [[Southern Group]]. But before the ensuing battle, [[Yuma]] finds that the rest of her team is torturing and killing other [[magical girl]]s to absorb their powers.<br><br />
<br>Fleeing in horror, [[Yuma]] finds herself taken in at a church, where she finds the Yakuza man whose life she saved earlier. He explains that he had saved a number of girls held by the Yakuza and was now on the run, trying to do good and live a better life as atonement. [[Yuma]] talks with [[Reverend Hashimoto|the priest]] sheltering him, and he tells her she should forgive herself for not stopping everything that's happened. That night, [[Yuma]] receives a message from [[Kuroi Kana]], which helps her to realize that [[Oriko]] had in fact had her parents killed.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] returns to the [[Southern Group]], now under blockade and uneasy. [[Oriko]] claims that they are still on the path towards eliminating the Yakuza and bringing about a better world, but [[Yuma]] decides that they must be destroyed. Taking the advice passed on by [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Yuma]] manipulates the [[Southern Group]] in order to change the future without [[Oriko]] noticing. Eventually, during an already difficult [[demon]] fight, she spawns hordes more [[demon]]s using saturated [[grief cube]]s, and manages to turn her team members against each other. All but [[Oriko]] are killed, and [[Oriko]] finally realizes what has happened. Telling [[Yuma]] there may still be hope for her, she crushes her own [[soul gem]].<br><br />
<br>Warning obscurely that a crisis is coming, the [[Goddess]] ends [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] explains how and why she killed the [[Southern Group]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|45|The Body Electric}}|Back on [[Earth]], [[Asami]] is still unable to face the results of her [[wish]], and longs for [[Ryouko]] to return—which she does, along with [[Clarisse]], to their surprise. [[Clarisse]] tells [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] explained she does have a soul, and that her body would be regenerated by [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]]. [[Valentin]] explains that the delay in the revival was due to both [[Clarisse]]'s regeneration and some necessary handling for [[Ryouko]]'s unique genetics. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends, including [[Sacnite]], who is being de-aged physically to match her mental age, and her new [[matriarchy]] bodyguards, who get along poorly.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] bursts in soon after, followed by [[Yuma]], who oddly both make a point of asking [[Ryouko]] if she was told why her revival was delayed. It soon becomes clear that [[Yuma]] is using [[Ryouko]] to confront [[Kyouko]] about her behavior, and in the ensuing argument [[Kyouko]] reveals she already figured out [[Yuma]] and [[Oriko]] were involved in [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death. After [[Yuma]] departs, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Kyouko]] about her vision, mollifying her until the subject of [[Kishida Maki]] comes up.<br><br />
<br>Having walked out in a rage despite knowing [[Ryouko]], like everyone else, is right about [[Maki]], [[Kyouko]] visits [[the Ribbon]]. In the ensuing vision, [[Kyouko]] meets her little sister [[Sakura Momo]], who tells her to move on from her past. [[Kyouko]] then descends onto a beach where she finds [[Miki Sayaka]], who finally convinces [[Kyouko]] to try reconciling with [[Kishida Maki]], and who also shows [[Kyouko]] a glimpse of eternity.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] is comforted by her sister and [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|46|Wheels Within Wheels}}|Eating dinner with [[Kyouko]] and her friends and family, [[Ryouko]] is surprised by [[Valentin]], who drops by to inform her that [[Governance]] would like to use the [[Orpheus|upcoming movie]] about her to inform the public about V2 [[TacComp]]s. [[Valentin]] also conveys her regrets that [[Ryouko]]'s parents had split, especially since she had introduced them.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]], acting a bit odd, brings the crew shopping the following day, only for them to be suddenly surprised by [[Kishida Maki]], who had apparently been assigned by someone to give [[Ryouko]] a message regarding [[Orpheus|the movie]]. [[Kyouko]] confesses to [[Maki]] that she started their relationship because of her physical similarity to [[Miki Sayaka]], but tells [[Maki]] that it had grown beyond that, so she wants to try again. Skeptical, but still in love, [[Maki]] accepts her.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, [[Maki]] explains to [[Ryouko]] that the ''[[Orpheus]]'' movie team would like to bring her to [[Paris]] to provide assistance. [[Ryouko]] agrees to go, but is uneasy about having her life directed by yet another proposition she can hardly turn down.<br><br />
<br>At the same time, in [[Paris]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Nadya Antipova]] that she's discovered [[Misa Virani]] likely underwent a [[Reformat]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|47|City of Lights}}|In underground [[Paris]], and bothered by the incongruity of that with her wish, [[Ryouko]] meets with her aunt [[Kuroi Nana]]. She warns [[Ryouko]] that [[Shizuki Sayaka]] will try to pull her in, showing her what life on [[Earth]] has to offer, and notes that she has opportunities with the Kuroi [[Matriarchy]] as well, though it wouldn't be an easy life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] meet with the actors who will play them in [[Orpheus|the movie]], who have altered their appearances to match them exactly. [[Clarisse]] also is invited to join them in hologram form, and they go to the set to act out scenes. Thinking on her reenacted past, [[Ryouko]] finds she misses the meaningfulness of the war.<br><br />
<br>At a bar that night, they come across a mysterious friend of [[Ryouko]]'s [[Elisa Yamada|actor counterpart]], who invites them to a [[VR]] facility.<br />
----<br />
In short: In [[Paris]], [[Ryouko]] uneasily cooperates with ''[[Orpheus]]'s'' production.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|48|To Know Thyself…}}|Hidden in [[Paris]], [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] meet to discuss the apparent conspiracies in action. [[Ryouko]]'s genetic anomalies have been investigated further, and an entirely novel portion of her brain has been found, of still-unknown purpose. Meanwhile, on the way to the [[VR]] center, [[Ryouko]] and crew are stopped by a sudden inexplicable power loss, and then are dragged away by a sudden massive [[demon]] spawn. [[Yuma]] is informed of this via [[Incubator]] plushie, and realizes that [[Shizuki Sayaka]]'s plan to secretly investigate [[Ryouko]]'s brain in a [[VR]] session is being thwarted by a deliberate [[demon]] spawn. [[Nadya]] notes that the power outage looks almost like [[Misa]]'s handiwork.<br><br />
<br>The [[demon]] hunt isn't easy, but [[Ryouko]] is aided by a pair of [[magical girl]]s who oddly refuse to identify themselves. Not long afterwards, [[Rebecca Shu|a messenger]] from [[Kuroi Kana]] appears, revealing that the mystery woman accompanying them is in fact [[Shizuki Sayaka]], and further revealing the planned [[VR]] scan.<br><br />
<br>Brought to a secret location, [[Ryouko]] is told by [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Kuroi Nana]] about the genetic engineering done to her, along with the fact that her parents were unaware and their memories altered. They further explain need to examine [[Ryouko]] more closely, and the apparent attempt to prevent this. [[Ryouko]], overwhelmed, leaves to be alone with [[Asami]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns that she was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|49|Transition State}}|[[Mami]], finding herself plagued by an inexplicable headache, is approached by her [[MHD]] [[Charlotte Meitner|minder]], only for the minder to collapse from a sudden brain hemorrhage, though [[Mami]] is able to heal her.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive at [[Adept Blue]], on orders from [[Mami]], all attempts to probe the genetically engineered portion of her brain having failed. The lab's [[AI]] director, [[Vlad]], greets them there, as does [[Mami]]—surprisingly, in person. They reveal that they've made a breakthrough, which should allow them to construct a range amplifier for [[Ryouko]], with [[Asami]]'s help. [[Mami]] also explains that, given the unknown function of the modifications to [[Ryouko]]'s brain and the recent attempts on her life, [[Ryouko]]'s presence on asteroid-borne [[Adept Blue]] with her bodyguards and [[Patricia von Rohr]] makes her more secure.<br><br />
<br>Alone, [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] discuss her circumstances: she's all but on the run from the [[MHD]], and clearly suffering from the unraveling of a [[Reformat]]. They agree to bring in an outside telepath to investigate.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] discuss their situation and their [[wish]]es, taking consolation in the fact that at least they've been brought and kept together in the whirlwind of their lives.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive on [[Adept Blue]] to help develop new wormhole technology in a secure location.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|50|Sub Rosa}}|[[Mami]] brings [[Azrael]] to [[Adept Blue]], and asks her to help undo her [[Reformat]]. They dive together into [[Mami]]'s memories, and discover an aspect of her own mind, taking various forms. It explains that [[Mami]] self-[[Reformat]]ted, using her now-suppressed impressive telepathic powers to tear off a piece of herself to create the block in her mind. [[Mami]] makes herself whole again, and remembers what she forgot…<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], traveling with her lover [[Akiyama Akari]] in the late twenty-first century, is suddenly caught in a crisis when their plane explodes. [[Mami]] burns almost all her magic trying to save the entire plane, but fails, and [[Akari]] is near death. Sharing their last moments together using [[Akari]]'s soul mage powers, [[Mami]] observes with horror the beginnings of [[Akari]]'s transformation into a terror of despair, until her [[soul gem]] finally vanishes.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] manages to survive, kill the local [[magical girl]]s responsible for the destruction of the plane, and turns herself in. [[Homura]] talks with her alone, explaining that she knew about the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from. [[Mami]], unable to deal with this revelation or the loss of [[Akari]], asks for help in [[Reformat]]ing herself.<br><br />
<br>After [[Mami]] resurfaces from the memories, [[Kyubey]] appears, claiming to be interested in both information-gathering and her well-being. [[Mami]] finds herself, as she had hoped, older and wiser enough to handle the end of her [[Reformat]], though left with unfinished business. She immediately questions [[Ryouko]] about the [[Goddess]], and both [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] tell her that [[Goddess|She]] does exist. [[Kyubey]] comments that it can't say such things are impossible, and [[Mami]] decides to visit [[the Ribbon]].<br />
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In short: [[Mami]] undoes her self-[[Reformat]] and learns the original fate of [[magical girl]]s.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|51|Eternal Search}}|With work continuing on the new wormhole tech, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] talk. [[Azrael]] explains how she handled her own genetic modification and controlled life, eventually deciding to look to the future and just ask for what she wanted, to surprising success. [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] that she thinks she's only really been happy on missions, which [[Asami]] had already realized.<br><br />
<br>On [[Earth]], [[Kyouko]] brings [[Mami]] to [[the Ribbon]], and they discuss the fact that someone must have triggered the unraveling of [[Mami]]'s [[Reformat]], and that logically it must have been [[Homura]].<br><br />
<br>At the [[Ribbon]], [[Mami]] enters a vision and meets—and immediately attacks—[[Oriko]]. Unharmed, [[Oriko]] responds merely by apologizing for her actions in life. [[Oriko]] explains that, as [[Homura]] told [[Mami]], what she saw with [[Akari]] was the beginnings of a terrible transformation made impossible by the [[Goddess]], and that [[magical girl]]s are instead brought to her afterlife. The [[Goddess]] herself then tells [[Mami]] that she needs to learn to let go and stop burying herself in endless work for humanity. The [[Goddess]] brings out [[Machina]] too, revealing her sentience to [[Mami]], and suggests they go on vacation, promising that there won't be [[Cephalopod]] activity for a few weeks.<br />
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In short: [[Mami]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]] explaining matters, and is encouraged to take a vacation.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|52|Who We Are}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew meet unexpected visitors on [[Adept Blue]]: [[Valentin]], and [[Tao]] from [[ITG]]. [[Tao]] explains that he's made some important theoretical breakthroughs that should help their work, and [[Valentin]] explains that [[Vlad]] and [[Clarisse]] are part of two separate attempts to create separate [[TCF]]s, to help provide more security against attacks like the hacked drone on [[X-25]].<br><br />
<br>Doing rescue work on a colony world retaken from the [[Ceph]], [[Zhou Meiqing]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting with [[Kuroi Nana]], who is investigating [[X-25]]. She tells [[Meiqing]] that the [[Far Seers]] have determined both of them were deliberately placed on the mission by [[Homura]] somehow, and that they recommended asking [[Meiqing]] to work with her in the [[Black Heart]]. [[Meiqing]] asks for time to decide.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] remembers going with [[Homura]] to interrogate a prisoner, [[Zhou Zhi Yi]], during the [[Unification Wars]]. On the way, [[Yuma]] asks [[Homura]] how the [[Goddess]] can allow so much evil to happen, and [[Homura]] responds that she doesn't know. [[Zhi Yi]] tells them that her work developing the [[FA Elites]] was mere prelude to her plans to genetically modify humanity to serve [[magical girl]]s needs, seeing it as the only way to preserve humanity long-term. [[Yuma]] executes her.<br><br />
<br>Back in the present day, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Simona]] has been found, and is now a [[magical girl]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] comes to [[Adept Blue]], and [[Simona]] is discovered to be a [[magical girl]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|53|Alignment}}|[[Shizuki Sayaka]] reveals to [[Yuma]] that she found [[Simona]] in [[Paris]]—they were both aiding [[Ryouko]] during the suspicious [[demon]] attack. [[Simona]] explains she's part of a mysterious organization trying to "save the world", and offers them a deal: she will give them information to ensure the safe creation of wormholes by [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]], on the condition that she join them on any missions using those wormholes to attack the [[Ceph]]. As proof of her good intentions, she agrees to undergo full [[soul mage]] examination.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] meets with [[Marianne Francois]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[New California]] as part of her attempted vacation. [[Mami]] also enjoys [[Machina]]'s company as they eat at a restaurant together, before moving on to a séance organized by the [[Far Seers]] meant to investigate what happened to [[Misa Virani]]. [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] enter into a strange vision in which they find themselves playing characters tracking down a mysterious enemy facility with [[Homura]]. They run into [[Misa]]—accompanied by [[Kyouko]] and [[Nadya]], similarly playing characters—who is tracking her friend whose [[soul gem]] supposedly failed mysteriously. [[Homura]], who is inhabiting another body as a disguise, reveals herself, and afterward convinces [[Misa]] to self-[[Reformat]] and destroy the building to hide the truth.<br><br />
<br>Using the mathematics provided by [[Simona]], and with [[Clarisse van Rossum]] in attendance, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] successfully create a long-distance wormhole.<br />
----<br />
In short: A séance reveals [[Homura]]'s role in [[Misa]]'s past, as [[Humanity]]'s first wormhole is created with the help of information from [[Simona]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|54|Eternal Youth}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] learn from the [[soul mage]] examination of [[Simona]] that the [[TCF]] has been seriously breached. Back at [[Adept Blue]], [[Simona]] watches [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]]'s successful wormhole test, reminiscing about her childhood as part of a secret project to design and implement an alternate, uncompromised [[TCF]]. [[Simona]] then reveals herself and her new status as a [[magical girl]] to [[Ryouko]] in the celebration following the successful test. [[Ryouko]], suspicious because of her vision which implied [[Simona]] was involved in the conspiracies surrounding her, confides her worries in [[Clarisse van Rossum]], who along with [[Clarisse]] [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] validates her worries and further reveals that [[Simona]] is in love with her. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] asks [[Earth]] for more information about exactly what is going on.<br><br />
<br>On [[New California]], [[Maki]] presses [[Kyouko]] on her melancholy attitude, and [[Kyouko]] confesses her worries about their relationship and how she's used romance in the past to fight against her own age. [[Nadya]] and [[Marianne Francois]] talk about their kids, reflecting on the death of [[Juliet Francois]], until [[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Maki]] arrive to meet them. Bothered by the somber mood on what's supposed to be a vacation, the group ends up going dancing—[[Mami]] in particular doing so with abandon—until they are interrupted with news from [[Yuma]]. That night, [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] discuss their recent visions, and [[Mami]] informs [[Kyouko]] she's been suddenly recalled to the [[General Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]]'s memories reveal a breach in the [[TCF]], as she meets [[Ryouko]] at [[Adept Blue]] and as [[Mami]]'s vacation comes to a close.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|55|New Perspectives}}|Headed back towards [[Earth]], Mami attends a virtual meeting of the [[General Staff]]. The new [[Coeus Project]]'s intelligence has revealed that the [[Ceph]] have regrouped faster than expected after the [[Battle of Orpheus]], so the Staff agrees to request more military resources and to put every effort into developing another "knockout" punch before the [[squid]] can attack again.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Azrael]] shares a [[VR]] recreation of her [[Terra Roja|old colony]], complete with flight-enabling bioengineered bodies, with [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Patricia]]. After some flying, conversation eventually turns to the topic of [[Simona]], and [[Ryouko]] decides to share everything she's worried about and ask for advice. When the other girls then suggest directly confronting [[Simona]] to resolve the romantic situation and uncover the truth, [[Ryouko]] initially balks. However, realizing that her life would remain out of her control as long as she never takes action herself, [[Ryouko]] changes her mind and agrees to the plan.<br><br />
<br>Meeting remotely, [[Vlad]] informs [[Mami]] that their wormhole experiments have uncovered a confounding space-time anomaly near a pulsar, and [[Mami]] realizes that it matches one of the mysterious, newly-discovered [[Ceph]] facilities the [[General Staff]] had been examining as potential targets.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] decides to confront [[Simona]], while [[Mami]] investigates a [[squid]] [[pulsar mines|pulsar facility]] as a potential target.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|56|Pulse}}|[[Simona]], suddenly facing [[Ryouko]]'s demands for answers, explains her secretive life, from her upbringing up through her assignment to [[Adept Blue]]. Though she refuses to share everything, particularly the breach in the [[TCF]], she does reveal her wish: to be understood by, and to protect, [[Shizuki Ryouko]]. With mixed feelings, [[Ryouko]] agrees to give [[Simona]] a chance to earn back trust, but makes clear that she does not reciprocate [[Simona]]'s love.<br><br />
<br>Shortly afterward, [[Vlad]] and [[Asami]] run a new experiment investigating the strange [[pulsar mines|pulsar]] in [[Ceph]] space, and [[Asami]] discovers a huge network of stations facilitating the 'mining' of its space-time for use in [[Blink technology]]. [[Mami]] is immediately informed, but before taking action, she first returns to the [[Ribbon]]. There, the [[Goddess]] reassures her that her heart really is in the right place, and tells her that humanity needs her heroism once again. The [[Goddess]] then hints towards the [[pulsar mines]], and gives [[Mami]] a glimpse into the mystery of the [[Cephalopod]]s as a whole.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]] explains herself to [[Ryouko]], and [[Mami]] meets again with the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|57|Triple Point}}|[[Mami]] visits [[Adept Blue]], promoting [[Asami]] for her recent work and informing her and [[Ryouko]] that she needs them to help destroy the [[pulsar mines]] to stave off the [[Ceph]]. While that project gets underway, [[Asami]] and [[Ryouko]] get a break, which they choose to spend together in one of the partially-restored wildernesses of [[Earth]]. There, they discuss their relationship, and find their hopes for it have somewhat converged: Asami is in less of a rush to settle down, and Ryouko is thinking more about the long-term. For the first time, Ryouko says "I love you."<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere in deep space, [[Vlad]] christens the construction of a massive new wormhole apparatus [[Project Armstrong]], and discusses with [[Tao]] the heightened security measures and screening now seemingly necessary to protect it from internal threats. And elsewhere on [[Earth]], a disguised [[Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] stop [[Nakase]] and [[Sacnite]] as they exit a showing of ''[[Orpheus]]'' to talk about unblocking her memories of the agreement she made to get [[Ryouko]]'s birth license.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Project Armstrong]] gets underway as [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] strengthen their relationship.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|58|On Trusting Trust}}|[[Nakase]]'s memories reveal that [[Valentin]] was responsible for genetically engineering [[Ryouko]], but [[Valentin]] disappears before she can be apprehended, leaving behind a letter implying that she is in fact [[Akemi Homura]]. [[Yuma]], seeing the connections between [[Valentin]], [[Ryouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] all running through the [[Cult of Hope]], and discounting the possibility that the [[Goddess]] could be real, begins to fear that the [[Cult]] is a malevolent conspiracy. However, she first is forced to address the definitely malevolent conspiracy which has compromised the original [[TCF]]—including [[MG]], to their mutual distress. [[Yuma]] and a patched [[MG]] rapidly expand their circle of informed and/or repaired AIs, starting with [[MG]]'s friends.<br><br />
<br>One of those friends, ''[[Governance: Cult of Hope]]'', acts against [[Yuma]]'s wishes and contacts [[Clarisse]] just as she and [[Ryouko]] are returning to [[Project Armstrong]]. When asked, [[Clarisse]] confirms the rumor that she had experienced visions from the [[Goddess]] convincing her that AIs have souls, but she unhappily decides she can't yet tell [[Ryouko]] about the [[TCF]] breach given the still-mysterious organ in her brain.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] vanishes once exposed as responsible for [[Ryouko]]'s genetic modifications, and [[Yuma]] begins restoring the [[TCF]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|59|Parlor Games}}|[[Nadya]], chasing down leads on [[Valentin]] from [[Kyouko]], ends up on [[Yenisei]] visiting family. The slightly tense visit is interrupted by a power outage, and the revelation that [[Piotr|her grandson]] saw [[Misa]]. [[Nadya]] hurriedly enlists local help from the [[Cult]], but finds only [[Misa]]'s trail of destruction, not the girl. In a ruined structure, hidden from local networks and drones in a manner implying [[TCF]] corruption, she digs up damaged data crystals.<br><br />
<br>The crystals end up containing a set of deep space coordinates, and [[Kyouko]] tries to set up a meeting with [[Yuma]] to discuss them, only to find that [[Yuma]] is off [[Earth]] for the first time in her life. [[Yuma]] herself is disturbed by the invitation, which included several high-ranking [[Cult]] members, but is forced to focus on the immediate task of repairing [[Nova]], [[Governance]] representative for [[Nova Terra]]. The mission nearly spirals out of control, but with help from [[MG]] and others, [[Yuma]] manages to induct [[Nova]] and her considerable resources into a still-intact conspiracy. This quickly bears fruit in the form of uncovered coordinates—unbeknownst to [[Yuma]], the same ones [[Nadya]] found.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], a crystal salamander delivers a message from [[Homura]] to [[Simona]]: "I'm sorry for everything."<br />
----<br />
In short: Both the [[Cult]] and [[Yuma]], running parallel investigations, uncover a mysterious set of coordinates.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|60|Digital Divination}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Simona]] practice in simulation for their upcoming mission: using [[Project Armstrong]]'s wormhole apparatus to launch [[jumpstrike|an attack]] on the [[Ceph]]'s [[pulsar mines]]. The simulation ends in their deaths—not an uncommon occurrence, a fact which weighs on them, especially [[Asami]]. But [[Ryouko]] works hard to support her girlfriend, even genetically engineering an exotic plant for [[Asami]] to wear in her hair as a gift.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s investigation into the AIs involved in [[Ryouko]]'s life turns up no [[TCF]] corruption, but indicates that the conspiracy she faces may have simply covered their tracks. Her investigation into the mysterious deep space coordinates yields more: a hidden asteroid base. [[Yuma]] plans to personally lead a field mission, using experimental anti-[[IIC]] technology to prevent any occupants from revealing [[Yuma]]'s conspiracy to their own. Excluded from [[Yuma]]'s planning, [[Kyouko]] unknowingly organizes a [[Cult]]-sponsored expedition to the same exact coordinates.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] hears the [[Goddess]]'s voice telling her not to go to the pulsar.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] independently plan deep space missions to the same coordinates, while [[Ryouko]] undergoes simulation training for [[Project Armstrong]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|61|Into the Void}}|[[Yuma]] and a field team of fellow [[Ancient]]s and escort ships visit the deep space asteroid base and find evidence of contact between the [[Ceph]] and [[Governance]] [[Representatives]] early in the war, ending in the death of the alien representatives. [[Kyouko]] then arrives with a large contingent of [[Cult of Hope]] members, leading to a brief flaring of tensions, before Yuma and her group is ambushed by an alien attack force.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, [[Ryouko]] and the others at [[Adept Blue]] launch their wormhole attack on the pulsar. While initially semi-successful, the task force is thrown for a loop when the aliens begin to tear their wormhole apart, and Ryouko suddenly cannot teleport.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] discover secret [[Ceph]]-[[Governance]] contacts from the early war, and then are ambushed by an alien raid. [[Ryouko]] and [[Project Armstrong]] attack the [[pulsar mines]], but alien countermeasures confound the effort.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|62|The Dying Light, Part One}}|[[Yuma]] and her [[Ancients]] struggle to hold out against [[Ceph]] raiders while [[Kyouko]]'s ships rush to link up with them. They eventually succeed, but at the cost of [[Raven]], many mundane crew and Spec Ops, and [[Ceri|a magical girl]] from [[Kyouko]]'s forces.<br><br />
<br>At the pulsar, [[Ryouko]]'s team can't end the block on her teleportation, and they have to be rescued by [[Oda|another teleporter]]. Upon returning to the wormhole, [[Asami]] is unable to fully stabilize it, and [[Ryouko]] leaves to raid the pulsar's mining facilities in response. Her teleportation is blocked again there, but this time she finds the source: mysterious [[Ceph]], with a [[blink interdictor]], as she learns unexpectedly with help from the strange organ in her brain. Still, the delays have been too much, and the order is given to abort the mission as soon as the wormhole is stabilized.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, despite having combined their forces, [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] are slowly losing their battle—and then [[Yuma]] learns the alien bombers are about to make a second pass, fully reloaded by a stealthed supply ship.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] face destruction by [[Ceph]] raiders. [[Ryouko]]'s brain module activates, and the pulsar mission has fallen apart.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|63|The Dying Light, Part Two}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] concoct a radical plan: surreptitiously place [[supersaturated grief cubes]] on the departing alien bombers as an indirect surprise attack on the alien supply ship. They take heavy casualties from the second bombing, however, and learn that calling for reinforcements had caused a counterreaction from whoever compromised the [[TCF]].<br />
<br />
[[Ryouko]] makes more contact with alien machines through the strange organ in her brain, and [[Patricia]] helps her to decode some of the information before [[Oda]] and another team arrive to help teleport them away. Regrouping with [[Asami]], they learn she has successfully restabilized the wormhole. Ryouko explains that with the information she has received, she has acquired a bit more insight into her teleportation, enabling her to teleport objects without teleporting herself. Asami then concocts a radical plan of her own, proposing that Ryouko teleport one of her black holes near the pulsar as they evacuate, which would devastate the region.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Yuma's group continue their gambit. Using information gathered by Ryouko, they activate their captured alien vessel's [[blink]] drive, teleporting the surviving members of the group to the now-incapacitated alien supply ship. They board the ship and discover, to their confusion, that the demons they spawned are feeding on some of the Ceph. With no time to ponder this, they drain the ship's exotic matter fuel tanks to manufacture interdiction charges, which are then used on their pursuers in order to escape for good. [[Charlotte Meitner]] and [[Nadya Antipova]] die in this final battle.<br />
<br />
At the pulsar, the evacuation is nearly complete, and Asami and Ryouko resolve to perform their gambit. [[Simona]] vehemently disagrees and attempts to kidnap Ryouko to stop this, but is defeated, her soul gem torn from her body. Asami and Ryouko then successfully teleport a black hole near the pulsar, and attempt to evacuate through the wormhole with Oda's teleport as the pulsar undergoes gravitational collapse. However, this teleport is interrupted by the wormhole fracturing, and while Oda, Asami, and others seem to make it through, Ryouko is trapped when the wormhole collapses, dumping her 24 light-minutes from the pulsar, heavily injured.<br />
<br />
Before the radiation shockwave from the pulsar reaches her and kills her, an alien vessel makes contact using Ryouko's strange organ, offering rescue. With no other option, Ryouko teleports aboard, and the ship blinks away.<br />
<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] escape the [[Ceph]], but take heavy casualties. [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] destroy the pulsar mines, but [[Ryouko]] is stranded, forced to accept rescue from an alien ship.}}<br />
<br />
</div><br />
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<br />
=== Interlude III: Manifest Destiny ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Manifest Destiny is a term describing the belief that the United States, due to its special virtues, had both a duty and a destiny to expand west into North America.''<br />
: ''It also describes similar beliefs in the [[MSY]] during its fifth phase, as it reached further and further beyond the island nation of Japan.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|64|Interlude III: Manifest Destiny}}|The soul mage [[Akiyama Akari]], pursuing a rogue South Korean soul mage [[Seoyun]], is caught up in a major incident in which [[Tomoe Mami]] is mind-controlled by [[Seoyun]]. Akari manages to free her by turning Seoyun's soul manipulation—generated love for the target—towards herself instead.<br />
<br />
In the aftermath, Mami proposes that the two of them try a relationship, and this goes quite well. Akari begins researching the "[[energy gap]]", and the MSY decides to change its [[Charter]], embarking on a new, expansionist agenda to expand beyond Japan.<br />
<br />
This eventually pulls them both back into Korea: the MSY's expansion into the area has collapsed [[grief cube prices]], critical to magical girls along both sides of the DMZ. The situation escalates with a bombing in Seoul by a magical device using a soul gem for power, and then escalates again when a threat against [[Mitakihara]]'s airport is discovered, accompanied by a letter threatening a nuclear-scale device which bridges the energy gap. Akari and Mami work feverishly on security, and disaster is barely averted, though the bomb fails to bridge the energy gap.<br />
<br />
Finally identifying the source of the bombs inside North Korea, Akari accompanies a strike force that assassinates the mage responsible.<br />
<br />
In the wake of these events, Mami and Akari attend negotiations with other North Korean magical girls from the border region affected by the crash in grief cube prices, stabilizing the situation. But then the North Korean government collapses in a coup by Chinese-backed plotters, leading to sudden opportunities for MSY expansion into North Korea from the north. Mami and Akari lead successful negotiations in Pyongyang and depart for China, the two of them blissfully unaware of the conventional bomb planted on their plane by DMZ radicals.<br />
<br />
After Akari's death (detailed in [[Chapter 50]]), [[Homura]] discourses out loud in private, perhaps to [[Madoka]], discussing the dark turn of events and the resulting founding of the [[Black Heart]] intelligence organization.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Akari]] and [[Mami]] navigate their relationship as the [[MSY]] navigates expansion outside Japan.}}<br />
</div><br />
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<br />
=== Volume IV: Einstein-Rosen Bridge ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''An Einstein-Rosen Bridge is a hypothetical way of connecting two spacetime coordinates; in other words, a wormhole.''<br />
: ''The subject of [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] power and the [[Cephalopod|Cephalopod's]] wormhole tech may feature prominently.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude IV: Ubermensch ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Übermensch is Nietzsche's idea that humanity should turn away from the other worlds and values promoted by "dead" religions and gods, setting instead the goal of advancing new, superior generations of humans on earth.''<br />
: ''This may refer to [[FA]] ideologies, or even aspects of [[Governance]] thought. It notably stands in contrast to Ryouko's life and wish.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume V: Dark Energy ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Dark energy is a proposed form of energy that drives the accelerating expansion of the universe towards eventual heat death.''<br />
: ''This may imply topics ranging from the role of the [[Incubator]]s to the [[magical girl system]] itself.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Interlude V: Destroyer of Worlds ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Part of a quote by the god Vishnu in the Bhagavad Gita, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Made famous by J. R. Oppenheimer, who later said he thought of the line after witnessing the first test of an atomic bomb.''<br />
: ''Perhaps covers the Unification Wars, which saw heavy use of atomic weapons. May include [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s role, a character who notably was also present for the first atomic detonation.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume VI: Singularity ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''A singularity is a point at which a function takes an infinite value, especially in space-time when matter is infinitely dense, as at the center of a black hole. It is also a term used for the hypothetically unknowable changes to the human condition caused by superintelligence.''<br />
: ''In former sense, it may reference [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] or [[Asami|Asami's]] powers. In the latter, perhaps it refers to [[Governance|Governance's]] Emergency Mode Level Four.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div></div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=To_the_Stars&diff=1592To the Stars2022-07-29T06:59:27Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* Interlude III: Manifest Destiny */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Quote|After centuries of turmoil, a Utopian AI/human government has seized control of Earth, heralding a new age of post-scarcity and space colonization. An unexpected encounter with a hostile, technologically superior alien race has broken the peace, forcing magical girls to come out of hiding to save human civilization.<br />
<br />
In the midst of it all, Shizuki Ryouko, an ordinary girl, looks to the sky, wondering at her place in the universe.|Hieronym|author of To the Stars<br />
}}<br />
<br />
This page summarizes the entire story, volume by volume and chapter by chapter, for those who want a refresher on events. It also includes the names of all future volumes and interludes, [http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/55779437700/future-interlude-title-change as released by] [[Hieronym]] many years ago.<br />
<br />
Each section is collapsed by default, to avoid unwanted spoilers; use the right-hand "Expand" buttons to view descriptions.<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
== Synopses ==<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume I: Quantum Entanglement ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon where groups of particles cannot have their state completely described independently of each other, even if separated by large distances.<br />
: ''This perhaps describes the position Ryouko finds herself in.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume I Summary|[[Shizuki Ryouko]], a regular girl dissatisfied with her utopian life, [[contract]]s and becomes a [[magical girl]], [[wish|wishing]] to leave [[Earth]], explore, and "find my place in this universe". Her life rapidly turns anything but ordinary, as day by day wild events pile up and new secrets from her past reveal themselves. She ends up under the tutelage of both [[Tomoe Mami]] and [[Sakura Kyouko]], learns that the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]] was deliberately caused by someone, discovers that she's the descendant of two powerful competing [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], receives a mysterious vision from a magical girl [[Goddess]], finds out her parents have been working on a secret project cloning bodies for [[magical girl]]s to use, receives a special V2 [[TacComp]], and learns about her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]], protege of [[Akemi Homura]], whose wish turned [[Ryouko]]'s own [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] from a [[magical girl]] back to a regular human.<br><br />
<br>All along, [[Ryouko]] struggles to adjust, learning as much about magical and military worlds she's entering as she can. Saying goodbye to friends and family, and starting to make new friends among her fellow [[magical girls]], she finally departs [[Earth]], led by her [[wish]] out into a strange new universe.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]], and begins to discover her unusual place in the universe.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|1|A Wish}}|[[Ryouko]] goes to school, dissatisfied with her life. She feels out of place in a world where her family at home and friends at school seem to enjoy the near-utopian [[Earth]], even as a [[Contact War|war]] against an [[Ceph|alien]] menace rages. However, [[Mandatory Session|classes]] are interrupted by the appearance of [[Tomoe Mami]] nearby, who has taken a detour to check the school for potential [[magical girl]] recruits with [[Kyubey]], who claims he has found one. The sighting leaves [[Ryouko]] dwelling on the remote possibility of becoming a [[magical girl]], distracting her enough that she unthinkingly agrees to go on a date with another boy from class. [[Simona]], one of her friends, sees that she's unhappy and follows her out to a riverbank with a view of the [[starport]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], on the other hand, surreptitiously visits [[Kyouko]] in her church to discuss [[the Cult]]'s discovery of irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain. She agrees to look into it and departs, only to encounter a [[demon]] spawn on her way back. At the riverbank, [[Simona]] is about to confess her feelings for [[Ryouko]], when they are suddenly attacked by [[demons]]. [[Ryouko]] manages to keep the both of them alive for a short while before getting trapped. At the moment she attempts to sacrifice herself to save [[Simona]], [[Mami]] saves them both, and along with [[Kyubey]] explains that [[Ryouko]] has the [[potential]] to make a [[wish]] and become a [[magical girl]]. {{Quote|"I wish I could leave Earth," Ryouko said, looking down, "and explore this world. I want to go where no one else has gone before and find my place in this universe."}}<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|2|Fantasma}}|[[Mami]], with some reluctance, separates [[Simona]] from [[Ryouko]] and lets [[Kyouko]] take over the immediate training. [[Kyouko]] runs her through the ropes quickly, learns that [[Ryouko]] has an unprecedented 200km teleportation range, and assigns herself as a mentor along with [[Mami]], who has in the meantime realized that [[Simona]] had a crush on [[Ryouko]]. [[Mami]] advises [[Simona]] not to tell [[Ryouko]] how she feels. [[Ryouko]] fights her first [[demon]]s with [[Kyouko]], and afterwards [[Patricia von Rohr]] shows them a pile of [[grief cube]]s she found, indicating the [[demon]] spawn was deliberate. The [[Incubator]]s swear off responsibility, and all [[Ryouko]] can remember is seeing a woman in the distance just beforehand. [[Kyouko]] promises to investigate.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] discovers that someone deliberately spawned the [[demon]]s which led to her [[contract]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|3|Mami Watches a Movie, Part One}}|Disguised, [[Mami]] attends the movie ''[[Akemi]]''. It depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] upbringing in an orphanage, her [[wish]], and then [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, which triggers a vision of the [[Goddess]] for [[Homura]] that changes her personality markedly. It then depicts [[Yuma]] asking to be taken in by [[Homura]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]]—a fabrication, the movie-watching [[Mami]] notes—and the resulting [[Mitakihara Four]] founding the [[MSY]]. The movie montages through the [[MSY|MSY's]] history, jumping ahead to the alien [[Cephalopod]]'s first attack on [[Aurora]], after which [[Homura]] rallies the [[MSY]] to send a massive force of [[magical girl]]s to [[New Athens]] to stop the next attack.<br />
----<br />
In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] life up until [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|4|Mami Watches a Movie, Part Two}}|With [[Mami]] in attendance, the movie ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Mami]] and [[Homura]] directing a surprise assault on the [[Cephalopod]]s at [[New Athens]]. Initially the battle goes well, and the [[Human]] forces on the ground rally, but the aliens deploy stronger measures in turn. [[Homura]] goes out to personally lead the counterattack, but the combination of stealth armor and orbital strikes is too much, and she falls in battle… only to find that her [[soul gem]] refuses to fill with [[grief]], preventing her from being taken away by the [[Law of Cycles]], to her despair. [[Homura]] then suddenly heals from her wounds, and her white wings are replaced by huge, horrible black wings. Almost entirely by her own power, she leads the counterattack to victory, at the end personally redirecting an orbital superweapon back at the [[Ceph]] fleet.<br><br />
<br>In the final scene of the movie, [[Kyouko]] argues to an unconvinced [[Mami]] that the battle proves [[Homura|Homura's]] faith in her [[Goddess]] has merit, only for both of them to be interrupted by [[Homura|Homura's]] arrival. [[Homura]] announces her resignation from the [[MSY]], leaving one of her [[The Ribbon|ribbons]] with them, and declares that she is leaving to look for her [[Goddess]], protecting the world another way. The movie over, [[Mami]] begins her departure from [[Earth]], starting her endless work anew with her Version Two [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br />
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In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] transformation, victory, and disappearance at [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|5|Family}}|[[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] tell [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] family that she has [[contract]]ed, to their horror. [[Kyouko]] defends [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] choice, and explains some of the [[magical girl]] system to them, though they prove to know more than most. Before [[Ryouko]] goes to bed, [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] comes to talk with her, expressing disappointment that [[Ryouko]] lied when she promised not to [[contract]], and talking the situation over. After watching [[Ryouko]] [[transform]] and discussing her weapon, an arbalest, she leaves [[Ryouko]] with the request to tell her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] (who had disappeared to join the military when [[Ryouko]] was a child) that her family was sorry, should [[Ryouko]] meet her.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] falls asleep, [[Kyouko]] sticks around to gather information on her family situation as per procedure. [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] grandfather [[Kuroi Abe]] willingly helps her out, explaining that [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] parents are near divorce, though [[Ryouko]] doesn't realize it, and that they know so much about magic because they're researchers. He also mentions that [[Ryouko]] has an [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]] she doesn't know about. That night, [[Ryouko]] dreams of an old encounter with a [[magical girl]], and finds that she still has the bracelet the girl gave her. She also recalls an old memory of her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] talking about [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]], though she doesn't understand it. After talking to [[Simona]] and her family a bit, [[Ryouko]] spends the morning reading through the swath of informational messages about her new life.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] tells her family she has [[contract|contracted]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|6|Military}}|[[Mami]] remembers the [[Mitakihara Four]]'s celebration of [[October Three]] with [[Homura]], shortly before the [[Contact War]]. The four of them poke fun at each other—including about [[Homura]]'s secret pupil and [[Kyouko]]'s "transgressions"—and eventually [[Mami]] suggests that they take a long vacation from the [[MSY]] together, only for the others to reluctantly shoot the idea down.<br><br />
<br>In the present, [[Mami]] arrives at the [[starport]] with her bodyguards and meets with [[Marianne Francois]], her intelligence officer, who she instructs to secretly investigate the [[grief cube]] supply chain as [[Kyouko]] asked. Later arriving at [[Carthago Shipyard]] via scramjet then space elevator then [[Navigator]], she attends a meeting of the [[General Staff]].<br><br />
<br>During the meeting, the Chair of the [[General Staff]] [[Roland Erwynmark]] reveals that the [[Cephalopod]]s have been discovered constructing a [[wormhole stabilizer]] in the [[Kepler-37 System]], at the tip of the ongoing [[Euphratic Incursion]]. This would allow the aliens to directly transport reinforcements into the system, within [[Blink]] distance of the [[Core World]] [[Optatum]], and so an immediate [[MagOps]] operation is planned to destroy it. [[Erwynmark]] then announces that he's appointing [[Mami]] as a special [[Euphratic Sector]] commander, over some opposition from her opponents on the [[General Staff|Staff]].<br />
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In short: [[Mami]] is promoted, and tasked with destroying the discovered [[wormhole stabilizer]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|7|Southern Group}}|[[Kyouko]] wakes up (with [[Kishida Maki]] at her side) and while making the rounds at her [[Kyouko's Church|church]] discovers that [[Maki]] has painted the [[Goddess]] with pink hair, a previously unknown trait. However, [[Kyouko]] has to immediately leave to see [[Yuma]] about the [[grief cube]] incident. On the way, [[Kyouko]] remembers when she first met [[Yuma]], in a confrontation with the [[Southern Group]] shortly after [[Homura]] had first joined the team, before her personality change. [[Kyouko]] had immediately taken sympathy, and telepathically invited her to switch sides, though the very young [[Yuma]] had angrily refused after [[Kyouko]] insulted [[Oriko]], who had saved [[Yuma|Yuma's]] life.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko|Kyouko's]] reverie is briefly interrupted by [[Maki]], who tells her the idea of the pink hair came from [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Kyouko]] then further recalls the next two times she saw [[Yuma]]: first, months later after [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, in a chance encounter at a store where she had revealed she was doing "research" with [[Oriko]], and second, two years after that, when [[Kyouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Homura]] had saved her after the deaths of [[Oriko]] and the rest of [[Southern Group|her team]]. After that, they had [[Befriending|Befriended]] her, and once [[Yuma]] recovered she joined them as one of the [[Mitakihara Four]]. Eventually [[Yuma]] had told them what had really happened the night [[Oriko]] died, and they resolved to keep it secret.<br><br />
<br>As [[Kyouko]] arrives at [[MSY]] [[Governmental Affairs]] to see [[Yuma]], she lastly recalls [[Homura]] telling [[Yuma]] that the [[Goddess]] provided an afterlife for [[magical girl]]s, the only time [[Kyouko]] ever heard her say it out loud.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] remembers how [[Yuma]] ended up joining the [[Mitakihara Four]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|8|Church and State}}|[[Yuma]] runs out to greet [[Kyouko]] like an older sister, herself having taken on a nine-year-old form, and [[Kyouko]] is greeted by her [[Governance]] partner [[MG]] as well. [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] then meet privately to discuss the irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain, and the further reports of [[magical girl]]s going missing, and [[Yuma]] agrees to investigate. When [[Kyouko]] brings up the [[grief cube]] incident with [[Ryouko]], [[Yuma]] immediately deduces that the [[grief cube]]s were super-saturated with grief—a possible state kept very secret, though they don't have a sample to prove it. Before leaving, [[Kyouko]] recommends that [[Yuma]] visit [[The Ribbon]], but she demures just as [[Mami]] always does, instead giving [[Kyouko]] an [[Incubator]] plushie.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] checks with [[Kyubey]] briefly about the [[grief cube]]s, but he does not provide any new information, and so [[Kyouko]] ends up back at [[Kyouko's church|her church]], where she meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Patrica]] reveals that she kept some of the [[grief cube]]s from the incident after sensing something strange about them, and [[Kyouko]] tells her to inform [[Yuma]] through the plushie, which turned out to be enchanted as a [[telepathy]]-enhancer. [[Kyouko]] also gets [[Asaka]] to agree to share the details of the [[Goddess]]'s hair with the [[Theological Council]]. Finally, [[Kyouko]] gives a sermon on the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from, and announces that the church will be updating the statue of the [[Goddess]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] discover that the [[grief cube]]s planted near where [[Ryouko]] was attacked were super-saturated.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|9|Echoes}}|[[Ryouko]] arrives at [[Kyouko's church]], which holds [[MSY]] living quarters and local military facilities underground, in order to get her military upgrades. [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]] guide her through the process. [[Patricia]] notes that [[Ryouko]] has an extremely unusual genetic profile, requiring some adjustments to the process, and then begins the procedure. [[Ryouko]] watches in a semi-[[VR]] experience as the procedure installs a [[TacComp]], removes implants that are useless for [[magical girl]]s, and installs a [[Permanent Awareness Module]], among other things. Testing out her new capabilities, [[Ryouko]] sends [[Asaka]] a memory snapshot of the [[magical girl]] who gave her the bracelet she rediscovered after her [[contract]]. [[Asaka]] reacts oddly, but continues on to show [[Ryouko]] the armory and get her equipped with the required basics.<br><br />
<br>Then she cuts the tour short, instead bringing [[Ryouko]] to the [[Ribbon Chamber]]. At the [[Ribbon]], [[Ryouko]] finds herself in a confusing vision, seeing among other things [[Yuma]] at the death of [[Oriko]], [[Simona]] looking directly at her on her first day of class, [[Asaka]] receiving instruction from the [[Goddess]] to wait for the girl who sent her the memory [[Ryouko]] did, the [[Goddess]] herself briefly showing her face and telling [[Ryouko]] to keep it a secret, and the death of [[Kyouko]] on some sort of mission involving submarines. Both of them watching, [[Patricia]] comments to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] that for a few reasons, including [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s own presence, she's not that surprised [[Ryouko]] received a vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|10|Brigadier}}|[[Ryouko]], brought before the [[Theological Council]] to relate her vision, tells what she saw of [[Kyouko]]'s death, determining with them it was on a colony world and that what actually killed [[Kyouko]] was likely a laser, not a misfire from the submarines. She keeps the rest of the vision from [[Theological Council|the council]], though [[Asaka]] deduces easily that she saw the [[Goddess]]. [[Asaka]] goes on to explain the circumstances of her own vision, where she met again with her dead partner [[Alice]], whose death under her command had torn her apart. Now that she has recovered and her vision is resolved, [[Asaka]] tells [[Ryouko]] she plans to return to the front with [[Mami]], who has just been promoted.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Kyouko]] talks with [[Mami]] about [[Ryouko]], noting that her family tree is dense with [[contract]]ees and connected to the Shizuki and Kuroi [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], that [[Patricia]] found a number of novel mutations in her genetics, and that her friend [[Simona]] has some strange anomalies in her recorded past. Unsure what to make of this, and with no further progress on the [[grief cube]] incident, [[Mami]] agrees at [[Kyouko]]'s request to take on [[Asaka]] as a general, with [[Patricia]] and [[Maki]] as two of [[Asaka]]'s attachments.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] grapples with her vision, and [[Asaka]] explains how her story connects.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|11|Remains of a Life}}|[[Ryouko]] sets up her [[TacComp]] and chooses [[Atsuko Arisu]] as her designated psychiatrist, then goes out to eat dinner with her family and eventually ends up (through a test of her newfound right to drink alcohol without intoxication filters) bringing them to a firing range at [[Kyouko's church]]. There they visit other facilities, including a sparring area where they meet [[Risa Flores]], but [[Ryouko]]'s parents are surprisingly well-informed on the subjects. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] visit her spot near the [[starport]], and talk about their impending military lives, and the disappearance of [[Ryouko's grandmother]], both remembering her saying that she had lost something.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] receives her [[SW-155|officer's pistol]], and her [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] tells her she's planned a going away party. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends at a showing of ''[[Akemi]]'' and finally reveals her [[contract]] to them, also inviting them to the party. Watching the movie, [[Ryouko]] reflects on [[Homura]]'s beliefs, and the fact that her vision contradicts the movie's portrayal of [[Yuma]]. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] asks [[Simona]] what she was going to say to her before the [[demon]] attack, but [[Simona]] tells her to forget about it. [[Ryouko]] also asks about when she looked directly at her on her first day of class (as she saw in her vision), but [[Simona]] claims it was nothing.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, [[Yuma]] convinces [[Kyouko]] to have a spy bug planted on [[Ryouko]] for her protection, and warns her to be careful herself given [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] spends time with her family and friends as she prepares to leave for [[Contact War|war]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|12|Demon Hunter}}|[[Ryouko]] receives a [[CubeBot]] and three [[grief cube]]s, then studies combat doctrines with her [[TacComp]] until [[Kyouko]] invites her to join a [[demon]] hunt. [[Patricia von Rohr|Patricia]] and [[Risa Flores|Risa]] meet her at [[Kyouko's church]], where [[Kyouko]] appears briefly but leaves, clearly bothered by the impending departure of [[Kishida Maki]]. On the hunt itself, [[Ryouko]] uses her teleportation to rescue civilians, move other [[magical girl]]s in for attacks, and so forth, finding herself enjoying the combat. The hunt is interrupted by the injury of one girl, who loses an arm and part of her face, but [[Ryouko]] simply teleports them to the armory hospital, where she is told they will be fine shortly, and the rest of the hunt continues without incident.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] goes on a [[demon]] hunt.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|13|Differences of Knowledge}}|The next day, [[Ryouko]] goes to an [[MSY]] social gathering for new recruits, finding [[Risa Flores]] there as a chaperone, and meets a new girl named [[Nakihara Asami]], who shares her desire to explore new worlds, albeit as a xenobiologist. They get along well, and continue on to the next scheduled event together. The following day, [[Ryouko]] meets [[Atsuko Arisu]] for her psychiatrist appointment, who manages to get her freely talking about many things, including her [[wish]], and who also recommends that she talk with her parents about her family ancestry.<br><br />
<br>That night, [[Shizuki Kuma|Ryouko's father]] interrupts her reading on military subjects to take her to [[Prometheus]], where she meets [[Joanne Valentin]]—who appears to be the woman she saw shortly before the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]]—and receives an upgrade to Version Two for her [[TacComp]]. Afterwards, [[Shizuki Kuma|her father]] secretly takes her into [[Prometheus]]'s cloning facility where he and [[Kuroi Nana|her mother]] work, which he explains is used to provide new bodies to [[magical girl]]s who are reduced to [[soul gem]]s. [[Ryouko]] is shocked, especially upon seeing the beginning stages of her own clone, and bothered at the secrets kept from her.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] learns about the [[MSY]]'s [[cloning program]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|14|Bloodlines}}|[[Yuma]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Mami]] decide [[Ryouko]]'s discovery of the [[cloning program]] isn't a problem, and discuss the incident that led to [[Ryouko]]'s contract. [[Mami]] remembers seeing [[Joanne Valentin]] at the movie theatre shortly afterwards, and [[Yuma]] confirms that she was the woman near the [[demon]] spawn, and moreover that she mysteriously changed her whole life shortly after the [[Contact War]] began. Investigations into [[Simona]] and the [[grief cube]] supply chain problems [[Kyouko]] reported have unearthed more discrepancies, but nothing major, and [[Risa Flores]] hasn't reported anything from her watch over [[Ryouko]], and so they disperse.<br><br />
<br>Back at home, [[Ryouko]] reads the file on her family with her improving [[TacComp]], and discovers that her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] is stationed at the [[Apollo]] shipyard. Moreover, when viewing her family tree she finds much of it explicitly redacted, with the revealed portions being enough to show that she is a descendant of both the Shizuki and Kuroi [[Matriarchy|Matriarchies]]. Later, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] comes to talk to her, and [[Ryouko]] confronts her about the secrets she's kept. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]] says she's kept the secrets to prevent [[Ryouko]] from [[contract]]ing, and will explain more the next day at the going away party.<br><br />
<br>At the party, [[Ryouko]] receives a number of gifts, including a necklace with the Shizuki crest from [[Shizuki Koto]], her paternal grandfather, and a ruby ring with a helix inside, one of a pair from [[Simona]]. [[Kyouko]] arrives, and informs [[Ryouko]] that both her grandparents will be placed in slightly safer positions as part of standard procedure, her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] in particular being moved to the shipyards. Next to arrive is [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Kuroi Kana]], who begins an attempt to recruit [[Ryouko]] into the [[Black Heart]] (and reveals that [[Ryouko]]'s bracelet is in fact a Kuroi insignia), but she is immediately followed by [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Shizuki Sayaka]] and her own recruiting pitch. [[Kyouko]]'s poor intervention is followed by [[Atsuko Arisu]]'s successful one—her presence at the party revealing that she must be related somehow to [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>This is all further interrupted by the sudden appearance of [[Kuroi Nana]], the [[magical girl]] who gave [[Ryouko]] her Kuroi bracelet and until now her entirely secret aunt, a fact which displeases [[Ryouko]] greatly. [[Kuroi Nana]] brings her aside, promising to help explain the situation, and revealing that she's part of the secret [[Internal Security]], and has been searching for [[Akemi Homura]] on behalf of the [[MSY]]. With that said, they begin a memory transfer.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] meets [[Kuroi Nana]], her previously-secret aunt. }}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|15|Samsara}}|[[Ryouko]] experiences her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt's]] memories, with some explanation provided by a sub-sentient assistant.<br><br />
<br>In the memories, [[Kuroi Nana]] investigates the strange behavior of her [[Kuroi Nakase|younger sister]], finding with the help of a computer specialist that her sister's new friends weren't who they seemed, and secretly following them on a [[demon]] hunt. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]], in reality a [[magical girl]], rushes to save [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] when [[demon]]s attack, getting gravely injured in the process. [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] contracts to turn her sister mundane again, to her sister's relief. However, these events seriously strain their family, as their [[Ryouko's grandmother|mother]] isn't allowed to know about the [[MSY]]. When [[Homura]] offers to mentor [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]], she accepts, and all but leaves the family.<br><br />
<br>It's explained to [[Ryouko]] that when [[New Athens]] revealed the [[MSY]], [[Ryouko's grandmother]] blamed it for both her mother's death and her family's troubles, and insisted that [[Ryouko]] be kept from contracting.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] surfaces from the memories, [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] closes off by telling [[Ryouko]] that she had just reconciled with [[Ryouko's grandmother]], and they rejoin the party.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] learns more of her family history from [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|16|Light of the Sky}}|[[Ryouko]] says goodbye to friends and family at the starport, journeying with [[Asami]] by scramjet and then space elevator. While riding the elevator, [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] names herself [[Clarisse]] after [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Ryouko]] muses that her [[wish]] may have somehow changed the past, causing all the sudden revelations of the past week. At the top, the new [[magical girl]]s take a [[Navigator]] shuttle to the [[HSS Spectre]], an old [[frigate]], who leads them around herself. When they reach the [[FTL]] core, [[Ryouko]]'s gem suddenly begins to shine.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] finally leaves [[Earth]] with [[Asami]].}}<br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude I: Underworld Dreams ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Unusually, this is a title with relatively direct meanings.''<br />
: ''[[Kugimiya Ito]] dreams of his old girlfriend [[Nakanishi Aiko]], as he digs into a transformed Japanese underworld.<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|17|Interlude I: Underworld Dreams}}|[[Kugimiya Ito]], a police detective in [[Mitakihara]], investigates the disappearance of [[Okamura Yuu|a local teenage girl]] with [[Minami Kaoru|his junior partner]]. Meeting the girl's parents makes him suspect abuse is the culprit, and reminds him of his old teenage sweetheart [[Nakanishi Aiko]], who disappeared under similar circumstances. Back at headquarters, while analyzing the case's evidence electronically, he happens upon an image of the girl meeting what looks to him like [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]. When he confronts the missing girl's friends about the [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]-lookalike, they unconvincingly deny knowing anything until a Yakuza-affiliated lawyer suddenly shows up. Investigating this lead leads him to a [[D&E]] logistics building, where he's confronted by Yakuza and nearly killed for knowing too much, until [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] suddenly intervenes, still the same age as when she disappeared.<br><br />
<br>Reeling, and told to drop the case by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] returns to headquarters, only to be met by [[Ronaldo Rizal|an Interpol agent]] who has been tracking similar mysterious cases. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] is asked to make contact with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again and investigate further. He successfully makes contact, and is brought to [[D&E]] headquarters with his partner, to be greeted by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], who treats him just like she did when they were dating, to his embarrassed pleasure. They meet the CEO of [[D&E]], who turns out to be [[Sakura Kyouko]] under an assumed name, and who explains the situation, including the fact that they already knew about the Interpol investigation. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] agrees to drop the investigation if he can confirm for himself that the missing girl is alright, and afterward retires to be with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again.<br />
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In short: [[Kugimiya Ito|A police detective]] happens across his [[Nakanishi Aiko|long-missing girlfriend]] and discovers she is part of an [[MSY]] Yakuza takeover.}}<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume II: Inflationary Expansion ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''This is the universe's theorized early period of exponential inflation.''<br />
: ''Here, it likely refers to the escalation of plot and stakes, especially for Ryouko.''<br />
<br />
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<br />
{{Spbox|Volume II Summary|[[Ryouko]] completes her military simulation training, growing close to [[Asami]], and gets her first taste of real combat shortly afterwards as her convoy is unexpectedly and suspiciously attacked by [[Ceph]] fighters. After [[Ryouko]]'s successful defense there, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]], who doesn't know how to respond, and then both are recalled to the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]], where the first attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] has failed.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] is assigned to a [[MagOps]] team, and begins training while still wrestling with family and relationship confusion, including the sudden revelation of her [[TacComp]] [[Clarisse]]'s sentience. The eventual battle begins poorly, as the wormhole unexpectedly activates right at the start. [[Ryouko]]'s team presses on, only to find the mission much more difficult than expected, and they slowly attrit team members. They finally destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]], but as the [[Goddess]] reveals in a vision, the [[Ceph]] had already amassed a stealthed fleet large enough to take the system. Having realized that her power uses wormholes, [[Ryouko]] reopens the [[Ceph]]'s wormhole and sends the fleet back through, saving the day.<br><br />
<br>However, the battle was not without its casualties—[[Asami]] lost her body after nearly grief-spiraling upon hearing of [[Ryouko]]'s apparent death, [[Ryouko's grandmother]] died in a [[Ceph]] raid, and [[Erwynmark]] died as well, among others. Coming to grips with her sudden fame and new life amidst memorial services and the news of her parents' divorce, [[Ryouko]] decides to become [[Asami]]'s girlfriend. But there are more surprises in store: as the [[Goddess]]—who [[Ryouko]] discovers she is distantly related to—reveals in another vision, [[Ryouko]] will find herself caught up in even greater events soon enough.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] delivers the [[Battle of Orpheus]], and connects with [[Asami]], as her old life falls away.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|18|To the Ground}}|The [[General Staff]] watches as a [[MagOps]] mission to take out the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, all members killed, after they are detected teleporting through [[Orpheus]]'s atmosphere. Afterwards, [[Mami]] dreams of her past failures, disturbing her [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br><br />
<br>On the planet [[Giungla]], [[Ryouko]] is embedded in a military unit along with other [[magical girl]]s, fighting against a [[Ceph]] invasion. She goes off mostly on her own to successfully rescue a soldier from her unit, and then joins up with a team of [[magical girl]]s to teleport into an alien attack column, again with significant success.<br />
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In short: The initial attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, as [[Ryouko]] gains combat experience elsewhere.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|19|To the Sky}}|Finding that she enjoys the combat, [[Ryouko]] works hard to sustain the [[human]] forces, but the arrival of a major [[Ceph]] fleet in system forces a general evacuation. They begin taking heavy losses, and [[Ryouko]] quickly becomes acting-Commander. [[Asami]] dies, [[Ryouko]] enters [[emotional suppression]], and just barely escapes... only to suddenly wake up from the accelerated [[VR]] simulation.<br><br />
<br>Calmed by [[Clarisse]] and relieved to see [[Asami]] alive, [[Ryouko]] heads back to their shared room in the training center on [[New Athens]]. [[Clarisse]] recommends that they read some "messages" together, which turn out to be relationship proposals for [[Ryouko]]. [[Asami]] comments that she had been warned this might happen, due to [[Ryouko]]'s mentors and heritage. The next day, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her [[wish]] was for her parents to stay together and understand each other, and [[Ryouko]] relays her own [[wish]], as they look forward together towards the end of training.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] finish simulation training.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|20|Relativity}}|[[Kishida Maki]] remembers how she [[contract]]ed and later met [[Kyouko]], dating, but breaking up after a fight over [[Maki]]'s decision to head to the front, and [[Kyouko]]'s refusal to explain her history with [[Miki Sayaka]], a near lookalike. Stationed on [[Apollo]] with [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]], [[Maki]] then heads out, completing another mission aboveground to secure a building back from the [[Ceph]].<br><br />
<br>Headed to [[Acheron]] with [[Asami]] and a new friend from training, [[Meiqing]], [[Ryouko]] suddenly notices a bright flash from her [[soul gem]]. Soon, the cause is discovered by the ship, [[Laplace]], to be [[Ceph]] fighters. The early warning allows them to dodge the initial missile attack, but eschewing standard doctrine, the [[Ceph]] turn around for another assault, forcing the transport's [[magical girl]]'s to fight them in space combat, with [[Ryouko]] taking charge. The fight goes well, but the final ship detonates its core in a desperate but futile attempt to kill them.<br><br />
<br>While recovering from the ensuing protective fugue, [[Clarisse]] reveals to [[Ryouko]] that she has uncovered the memory of her vision, and is in fact sentient. Afterwards, they arrive at [[Acheron]], minor heroes, and [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] attend a celebration of [[October Three]] together.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]]'s convoy is attacked unsuccessfully by [[Ceph]] fighters.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|21|Discontinuity}}|[[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Yuma]] meet virtually to celebrate [[October Three]], and discuss the mysteriousness of [[Simona]] and the unlikely and seemingly irresponsible attack on [[Ryouko]]'s convoy, the absence of [[Homura]] weighing on them.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] talks with [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about training and suitors, but fails to mention the attack on her convoy. [[Ryouko]] then goes with [[Asami]] to see a basketball game, and then to a volcanic spa, noting that [[Asami]] is acting strangely, and finding that she isn't enjoying the time on [[Acheron|a colony world]] herself as much as she expected. At the spa, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her romantic feelings to a stunned [[Ryouko]], who promises to think about it—they have little time to reflect, however, as they are at that moment recalled to active duty in the [[Kepler-37]] system, the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asami]] confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|22|Shifting Winds}}|Now on [[Mami]]'s flagship, the [[HSS Zhukov]], and unable to stop thinking about [[Asami]], [[Ryouko]] is awarded a medal for her performance during the [[Ceph]] attack on her convoy by the Field Marshall. [[Mami]] then brings her to the bridge, where they enter simulation as [[Mami]] explains the strategic situation. This is interrupted by a perfunctory [[Ceph]] attack, which [[Ryouko]] watches from the bridge.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, they reenter the simulation to meet [[Erwynmark]], and [[Ryouko]] is told about the planned second wormhole mission, which requires her teleportation capabilities. [[Ryouko]] is to be sent down to [[Apollo]] to meet with the rest of the team (and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]]) to prepare.<br><br />
<br>Resting after the earlier battle, [[Mami]] dreams of the destruction of her apartment by [[Oriko]], which reunited her with [[Kyouko]], and of other old memories, followed by a strange dream in which she and an unknown girl, somehow important to her, were in a plane crash.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] is assigned to the second [[wormhole stabilizer]] mission on [[Orpheus]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|23|Lost Love}}|Along with others, [[Mami]] plans Humanity's counteroffensive to support the [[Orpheus]] mission and end the [[Euphratic Incursion]]. Meeting with [[Erwynmark]], who will also lead the battle, they conclude that their success rests on the [[MagOps]] mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] thinks of her friends—including [[Chiaki]] on [[Earth]], who always teased [[Ryouko]] about relationships—and ends up calling [[Meiqing]], who insists that she call [[Asami]], who is broken up over [[Ryouko]]'s non-answer to her confession. However, there isn't time, as the [[HSS Raven]] brings her down to [[Apollo]], where [[Ryouko]] meets up with [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]], who was seriously injured in the fighting but recovering easily. They share some time together, as [[Ryouko]] informs him that she's going on a dangerous mission. Her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her family already knew about the attack on her convoy, and that he finally managed to find and talk with [[Ryouko's grandmother|his wife]] again, who wants to talk with [[Ryouko]] as well once there's a chance.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delays talking to [[Asami]], and meets [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]] on [[Apollo]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|24|Historian}}|[[Ryouko]]'s new [[MagOps]] team practices working together on [[Apollo]] by fighting the [[Ceph]]. Their team practice and bonding is later interrupted by the announcement of yet another new team member: [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Ryouko]]'s childhood hero and, as it turns out, personal friend of team commander [[Nadya Antipova]]. They immediately return to mission simulations, first knowing they're simulations, and later not, failing often—with [[Ryouko]] regretting not contacting [[Asami]] in her apparent final moments.<br><br />
<br>Recovering from this, the team socializes, and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Ryouko]] that she should talk to [[Asami]] even if she doesn't know what to say. Finally, [[Ryouko]] does so, telling her about the dangerous mission she's on, and asking her to survive the upcoming battle too so they can resolve things afterward. They end the call somewhat comforted, but [[Asami]] in particular finds herself still worried and unsure.<br><br />
<br>That night, resting, [[Ryouko]] has a mysterious seeming dream-vision, including a moment in the [[Cult]]'s rose garden on [[Earth]] where [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] speaks strange things and almost appears to be someone else unknown.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Clarisse van Rossum]] joins the wormhole team, and convinces [[Ryouko]] to contact [[Asami]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|25|Piercing the Sky}}|Waiting aboard the [[HSS Raven]], [[Clarisse]] and [[Ryouko]] find themselves ruminating on the possibility of their death, and the [[Goddess]]'s promised afterlife for [[magical girl]]s. [[Juliet Francois]] and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] both ask about [[Ryouko]]'s visions, but she defers, stating she doesn't think they are relevant to the current mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] begins the [[Human]] offensive, for her part attempting to draw [[Ceph]] forces away from [[Orpheus]]. While it initially appears a success, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] which was thought to be still under construction suddenly activates, and hordes of reinforcements begin pouring through.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Orpheus]] mission begins poorly, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] activating before it even begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|26|Blood and Ichor}}|[[Clarisse van Rossum]] decides the [[MagOps]] team must act immediately. Donning [[magitech]] armor, [[Ryouko]] teleports the team straight from low orbit to what looks to be the key stabilizer core for the [[wormhole stabilizer]]. After efficiently clearing out enemy personnel, [[Nadya]] announces that there are what appears to be twelve separate stabilizer cores, rather than the single expected one, of which perhaps up to four are real. They detonate a [[PAYNE|nuke]] on the closest core, teleporting away towards the next one.<br><br />
<br>This time they encounter even more waiting [[Ceph]], and clear them out with more difficulty. Suddenly, right when two fighters attack, a [[Ceph]] sniper takes shots at [[Eva Guderian]] and [[Ryouko]], killing [[Eva Guderian|Eva]] instantly and shattering [[Ryouko]]'s arm. In a rage, [[Ryouko]] teleports on top of the sniper and slaughters it.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[wormhole stabilizer]] survives an intended killing blow, and [[Ryouko]] loses control after [[Eva Guderian]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|27|Those Brilliant Shining Stars}}|Shocked at herself and slowly recovering, [[Ryouko]] realizes that her [[soul gem]] is not only pulling her towards the wormhole, but also reacting to the true stabilizer cores—and the one they lost [[Eva Guderian]] attacking is a fake.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, the fleet battle in system is going poorly, and [[Erwynmark]] defers to [[Mami]], who decides they must continue to hold out in hope of destroying the wormhole.<br><br />
<br>The [[Orpheus]] team quickly finds and destroys a second stabilizer core with their last [[PAYNE|nuke]], leaving still two more. The [[Ceph]] begin firing artillery at the third core when they arrive, forcing [[Clarisse van Rossum]] to seize their barrier generator [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]]'s [[soul gem]] to save her life. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] then executes a powerful attack that vaporizes the core, but knocks her unconscious.<br><br />
<br>Unexpectedly targeted, [[Erwynmark]]'s ship the [[HSS Arminius]] recommends evacuation. [[Erwynmark]] escapes the ship with his bodyguards, but [[Ceph]] interceptors somehow find his stealthed ship and chase it down, killing him.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Orpheus]] team destroys two more [[wormhole stabilizer]] cores, but [[Erwynmark]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|28|Invictus}}|The [[Orpheus]] team learns that the [[HSS Raven]], along with her remaining crew, has been discovered and destroyed, all but eliminating any hope of escape. [[Misa Virani]] gives her [[soul gem]] to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and takes advantage of the moon's electrical properties to generate an awe-inspiring electrical discharge, destroying the last [[wormhole stabilizer]] core. The wormhole above collapses violently, and the remainder of the team is suddenly caught in temporal/spatial distortions that threaten to rip them apart.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Misa Virani]] destroys the final [[wormhole stabilizer]] and the wormhole collapses, trapping the rest of the team.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|29|Deus ex gemma}}|[[Ryouko]] suddenly recalls a lecture given by [[Joanne Valentin]], and realizes that her teleportation uses wormholes, and that she can use the broken spacetime around them to teleport the team off [[Orpheus|the moon]]. At the same time, [[Ryouko]] realizes she's with the [[Goddess]], in a vision—this time, with [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]] too. The [[Goddess]] shows them [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[Apollo]], hard-pressed by the [[Ceph]]. [[Shirou Asaka]] manages to get forces in to save them, but [[Maki]] loses her body. They are also shown an unknown woman commander in the [[Apollo]] shipyards, who is killed by a [[Ceph]] commando raid.<br><br />
<br>Following that, [[Asami]] and her ''[[Magi Cæli]]'' team are shown defending the space around [[Apollo]] with some success, despite incredible new [[Ceph]] stealth capabilities. Attempting to extract, the team is suddenly caught and scattered, with [[Asami]] seriously injured and placed into a [[MedEvac]]. A sudden announcement from [[Tomoe Mami]] that the wormhole was destroyed at the apparent cost of the team involved, including [[Ryouko]], sends [[Asami]] into a despair spiral, and her body is ejected into space to preserve her [[soul gem]]. Finally, [[Ryouko]] is shown [[Mami]], who is pressing the apparent advantage at the destruction of the wormhole, even as she mourns the dead.<br><br />
<br>The [[Goddess]] then talks with [[Ryouko]], revealing the [[Ceph]] trap—a huge cloaked fleet had already come through the wormhole, enough to retake the system easily. The [[Goddess]] tells her to reopen the wormhole and send the fleet back, ending the vision. To her team's amazement, [[Ryouko]] does just that, and then just barely teleports them to [[Zhukov]]'s bridge before blacking out.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Goddess]] tells [[Ryouko]] to send back a cloaked [[Ceph]] fleet through the wormhole, saving the battle.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|30|Call to Power}}|[[Mami]] and [[Atsuko Arisu]] perform a dream interrogation of [[Ryouko]]—and also [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]], which complicates their attempt to loosen her up, as does the secret blocking of telepathic investigation by [[Clarisse van Rossum]]. [[Ryouko]] only explains that her power uses wormholes, and about her memory of the [[Joanne Valentin]] lecture that triggered the realization, avoiding religious questions. [[Ryouko]] meets afterwards with some of the [[Orpheus]] team, and is warned of the coming scrutiny she'll endure as a hero by [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and the revived [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]].<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] learns from her devastated [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]] was killed, and realizes she saw it in her vision. She attends the first of three memorial services in her near future, for the dead of the [[Orpheus]] team, meeting [[Marianne Francois]], whose daughter [[Juliet]] was killed aboard the now-revived [[HSS Raven]].<br><br />
<br>In a surprise to [[Mami]], the [[General Staff]] and [[Military Affairs]] select her as the new Chair in accordance with [[Erwynmark]]'s wishes.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] becomes the new Chair of the [[General Staff]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|31|Aspects of Love}}|On the planet [[Bismarck]] for [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial, [[Ryouko]] meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kyouko]], along with a couple of local kids, finding herself surprisingly distant from the latter due to her experiences. [[Ryouko]] admits to [[Kyouko]] that the [[Goddess]] came to her in a vision on [[Orpheus]] to tell her about the cloaked fleet, and is afterwards unknowingly accosted by a [[Shizuki Azusa|seductive Shizuki]] until [[Patricia]] saves her. [[Patricia]] informs her that [[Kishida Maki]] is still taking [[Kyouko]]'s continued absence hard, and that she is struggling herself, before collecting a more in-depth genetic sample from [[Ryouko]]. Later that day [[Mami]], attending virtually, gives [[Erwynmark]]'s eulogy.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] comes to grips with her newfound fame at [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|32|Decisions, Implications}}|[[Ryouko]] meets with her family at the starport, only to find her parents have divorced. Still shaken, she heads immediately to [[Asami]]'s revival, comforting her, and finding herself unexpectedly comforted herself to have [[Asami]] back.<br><br />
<br>After briefly meeting [[Asami]]'s family, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] head out to meet [[Ryouko]]'s friends. While waiting, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] how unhappy she is in combat, and, consoling her, [[Ryouko]] abruptly decides to become her girlfriend… right as [[Simona]], [[Ruiko]], and [[Chiaki]] arrive. [[Simona]] retreats to the bathroom, and [[Chiaki]] covers for her, instead planning the rest of the day. They go on to a restaurant and have a sleepover, the only disturbance being the strange arrival of [[Kyubey]], who claims only to be visiting.<br><br />
<br>At [[Ryouko's grandmother]]'s funeral, [[Ryouko]] discovers that her psychiatrist [[Atsuko Arisu]] is in fact the grandmother of [[Ryouko's grandmother]]. After the ceremony, which [[Ryouko]] finds she can't connect to, she is suddenly given a memory recording from a friend of [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]]. The memory reveals that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]] grandfather was [[Kaname Tatsuya]], once the younger brother of [[Kaname Madoka]], the [[Goddess]]. [[Tatsuya]] makes [[Homura]] promise to keep [[Ryouko's grandmother]] out of the [[MSY]], as he warns darkly of the future that would become the [[Unification Wars]], recalling in particular his daughter-in-law's wish for vengeance.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] rushes with [[Asami]] to the [[Ribbon]], with both [[Kyubey]] and [[Kyouko]] showing up to watch. A vision ensues, and the [[Goddess]] explains that she is indeed related to [[Ryouko]], as hinted previously, and that she tries to limit her interventions in the world, so that people can live their own lives. She explains that [[Ryouko]] has the special burden of having less freedom to live her own life, and that she will be called upon again.<br><br />
<br>Teleporting out immediately from the [[Ribbon Chamber]] to avoid questions, [[Ryouko]] learns that [[Asami]] also received a vision, assuaging her worries and including helpful relationship advice. Before [[Ryouko]] can digest that, [[Joanne Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] show up at her door with a proposal.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes [[Asami]]'s girlfriend, and finds out she will feature in the [[Goddess]]'s plans again.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude II: Madeleines ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Madeleines (small sponge cakes) feature in Proust's "In Search of Lost Time", a famous French novel noted for its theme of involuntary memory.''<br />
: ''Likewise, this interlude centers on the peculiar role of memory in an episode of [[Asaka]]'s past. The first snippet even includes relevant sections from Proust's novel.''<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|33|Interlude II: Madeleines}}|[[Shirou Asaka]] wakes from a strange recurring dream in which she has lost someone important to her, as a [[magical girl]] in some sort of [[Contact War|crazy alien war]]. [[Alice Lynwood]], her wife, reminds her to get it checked out, but is less successful in attempting to convince her to finally have a baby.<br><br />
<br>In a professional [[VR]] game playing as [[magical girl]]s in WWII with her second-in-command [[Madhuri]], [[Asaka]] finds she needs to sacrifice her to win. Suddenly, [[Asaka]] starts thinking [[Madhuri]] is somehow actually [[Alice]], and then the game is suddenly cut short by a strange simulation error. However, [[Asaka]]'s growing unease is again washed away by the joy of her life with [[Alice]].<br><br />
<br>[[Tanaka Yui]], [[Asaka]]'s therapist, suggests doing a dream study, and [[Patricia von Rohr]] comes to visit, both of them bringing up little oddities or inconsistencies in [[Asaka]]'s thoughts. The dream study returns an apparent suppressed memory, but one involving [[magical girl]]s and an [[Contact War|alien war]] that [[Asaka]] can't remember experiencing. Soon enough, all of reality seems to be changing for her—[[Madhuri]], her location, [[magical girl]]s. Finally running a full internal diagnostic, [[Asaka]] remembers what truly happened: she was forced to send her girlfriend [[Alice]] to her death to win a battle in the [[Contact War]]. Unable to process it, [[Asaka]] had [[Reformat|Reformatted]] herself and put herself inside a [[VR]] simulation where she could live with [[Alice]]. [[Tanaka Yui]] had been helping her face the truth after breaking into the simulation, along with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Madhuri]], and even [[Asaka]]'s own internal representation of [[Alice]]. [[Patricia]] tells [[Asaka]] afterwards that [[Alice]] had planned on proposing.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asaka]]'s self-[[Reformat]] and [[VR]] simulation are undone, and she begins to finally face her lover [[Alice]]'s death.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume III: Ontological Paradox ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''In an ontological paradox, events occur as part of a causal loop: an 'initial' event, in terms of linear time, eventually causes itself.''<br />
: ''This may refer to the nature of Ryouko's wish and/or the logic of the Goddess's interventions. <br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume III Summary|Now living with [[Asami]] and working in [[ITG|a lab]] to help humanity understand wormholes, [[Ryouko]]'s life is interrupted again when she is offered a chance to investigate a [[rogue colonies|rogue colony]] on [[X-25]]. When [[ITG|the lab]] collapses on her and [[Asami]] in an act of sabotage, they decide to join the mission.<br><br />
<br>The [[X-25]] colony turns out to have a massive bunker, and [[Kyouko]] leads a team with [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] in, discovering an attempt at mass-cloning [[magical girl]]s. Moreover, two separate traps attempting to kill [[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] are encountered, the second costing [[Ryouko]] her body.<br><br />
<br>After a vision revealing [[Yuma]]'s past, a revived [[Ryouko]] manages to push [[Kyouko]] into visiting [[the Ribbon]], where she meets with [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision, and finally reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]] afterwards. [[Ryouko]], for her part, faces the disturbing revelation that she's been genetically engineered, losing control of her life as she's whisked from [[Paris]] to [[Adept Blue]]. At the same time, [[Mami]]'s self-[[Reformat]] unravels, and she meets with the [[Goddess]] in a vision as she grapples with her restored memories, finally convinced to take a vacation.<br><br />
<br>However, events—and conspiracies—don't let go of them. [[Simona]], now a [[magical girl]] and always an agent assigned to [[Ryouko]], reappears to help [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] create wormholes spanning lightyears, though her love remains unrequited as [[Ryouko]]'s relationship with [[Asami]] grows stronger. During [[Mami]]'s vacation, she and [[Kyouko]] discover that [[Misa]] had in fact been recruited by [[Homura]] to fight a mysterious enemy, and [[Yuma]] learns that someone has corrupted the [[TCF]] from [[Simona]] and [[Valentin]], both part of a secret organization fighting it with alternate [[TCF]]s.<br />
<br>'''Volume incomplete; More chapters to be released.'''<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finds herself enmeshed in conspiracy, as [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] grapple with their pasts.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|34|The Bonds that Make Us}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Asami]] attend [[Yuma]]'s birthday party via [[VR]] from [[Eurydome]], where [[Ryouko]] was brought by [[Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] for wormhole research. [[Kyouko]] brings up [[Ryouko]]'s visions in front of [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Ryouko]] is forced to explain, choosing to also forward the memory she received from [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] intervenes in an argument between [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] about [[Kishida Maki]], and brings them to [[Ryouko]]. [[Ryouko]] is reminded of her first vision, where she saw [[Yuma]], and which seemed to contradict her official history—she even tells [[Kyouko]] this. [[Ryouko]] then goes to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] for life advice, and is told that she needs to talk over her desires for an extraordinary life with [[Asami]], who wants a more domestic life.<br><br />
<br>Away from the party, [[Yuma]] explains to [[Kuroi Nakase]], [[Ryouko]]'s mother, that [[Ryouko]] is probably the most genetically sure contract in history, and moreover, that she has a genetically-engineered second, hidden genome. [[Nakase]] knew only that [[Ryouko]] was likely to contract given her ancestry, and when pressed for information as to how she got the birth license, suddenly collapses—a non-fatal defense mechanism apparently built into tampered memories.<br />
----<br />
In short: At [[Yuma]]'s party, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] learns that [[Ryouko]] was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|35|Causality}}|[[Mami]] learns from [[Marianne Francois]]'s [[grief cube]] supply chain report that in a few rare cases for the past 10 years, there have been severe shortages followed by surpluses, where they would hurt the war effort the least. [[Mami]] is disturbed by not only the report, but also her unintended reading of [[Marianne]]'s mind.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Clarisse]] go over her visions, realizing that [[Simona]] was tank-born and seemingly knew her before they met, and that the [[Goddess]] likely manipulated the events leading to [[Ryouko]]'s contract.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], in a meeting with the [[Directorate]], is asked to investigate a distress signal from [[X-25|a cult's colony]] which was thought to have been destroyed en route to an entirely different planet. Elsewhere, [[Kyouko]] promises to tell [[Yuma]] to explain her past to [[MG]], and receives from [[MG]] a recording of what happened with [[Kuroi Nakase]] at [[Yuma]]'s party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives orders to investigate [[X-25|a mysterious colony]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|36|Chasing Ghosts}}|[[Ryouko]] learns in a call from her friends on [[Earth]] that [[Simona]] has moved away, and afterwards meets with [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Kyouko]], who ask her to join a mission to investigate [[X-25|a cult's colony]] related to [[Homura]], and to consider an offer from [[Kuroi Kana]] to properly join the intelligence services.<br><br />
<br>[[Kuroi Nana]] departs after being given the memory file from [[Ryouko's grandmother]], but [[Kyouko]] accompanies [[Ryouko]] to the lab, [[ITG]], and they discuss [[Ryouko]]'s visions a bit. During an experiment at the lab, the gravity generators go haywire, and the ceiling collapses—[[Ryouko]] is saved by [[Kyouko]] and [[Asami]], but [[Asami]] is seriously injured. In the hospital afterwards, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] and [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about the apparent attempt on her life that led to her [[contract]]. [[Kyouko]] explains that the incident at [[ITG]] appears to be another such attack. [[Ryouko]] decides to join the proffered mission, which [[Asami]] accepts on the condition that she come too.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] survives an attempt on her life at [[ITG|the lab]] on [[Eurydome]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|37|Seraphim}}|[[Kyouko]] convinces [[Mami]] to let her on the colony mission due to the [[Homura]] connection, and [[Mami]] tells [[Kyouko]] about the mysterious sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]]. However, [[Mami]] becomes inordinately emotional when discussing the necessity of ordering an investigative mind-read, and she later dreams of training mind-reading abilities that she doesn't remember.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] are taught defensive telepathic techniques en route to their mission, and [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] told her to stick with [[Ryouko]] for her safety. They then meet with [[Azrael Maslanka]], who tells them both about the true proliferation of [[rogue colonies]], and her own experience on one where she was genetically engineered with wings for flight, before the colony collapsed in civil war.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting, where she tells [[Mami]] about her vision in which [[Kyouko]] was killed. The details match [[Mami]]'s planned submarine mission exactly and, disturbed, she agrees to allocate more forces.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] learn about [[rogue colonies]] from [[Azrael Maslanka]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|38|Carpe Diem}}|A special [[Miki|sentient probe]] sent to investigate the cult's colony on [[X-25]] discovers a massive underground structure and comes under heavy fire, and the [[Directorate]] approves more forces for the mission in response.<br><br />
<br>[[Meiqing]] turns out to be part of the additional forces, and she, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] go out hiking together on [[San Giuseppe]] while waiting for more reinforcements to arrive. At the top, [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] her worries about how much their lives are at risk, and [[Azrael]] explains herself to [[Meiqing]].<br><br />
<br>Finally, the mission begins, with [[Task Force Rhamnusia|conventional forces]] taking the surface of the colony on [[X-25]].<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be heavily armed, and the [[Task Force Rhamnusia|correspondingly reinforced]] assault on it begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|39|Indelible Soul}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew descend to the pacified surface of [[X-25]], and [[Gracia]], to [[Ryouko]]'s distress, forcibly mind-reads captives to learn that the colony's leader, [[Grigori DeWitt]], has escaped to the bunker with children as hostages. [[Kyouko]] manages to convince [[Mami]] and [[Governance]] to let her lead a [[MagOps]] infiltration mission, despite their misgivings that [[Kyouko]] is doing so for personal reasons, given her history.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] chooses to bring [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] on the mission, among more experienced girls, largely on personal hunch. Mission underway, and despite being hampered by some sort of magical clairvoyance blocking, they quickly discover large numbers of human clones, an apparent attempt to clone [[magical girl]]s. The attempt to communicate this to the surface is blocked by the hostile telepath, however, and the team is discovered. Clearly personally angered by the situation, [[Kyouko]] insists that they fight their way through rather than escape.<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be attempting [[magical girl]] cloning.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|40|Through a Mirror}}|The [[X-25]] team kills a number of guards, only to discover that they are cloned teenagers, heavily implanted, horrifying the rookies into [[emotional suppression]]. [[Gracia]] manages to determine that the cloned girls are transformed into controlled guards once they failed to contract, and that contracts weren't happening. [[Kyouko]] decides that they must find and capture the enemy telepath, before more clones are killed.<br><br />
<br>They find the enemy [[magical girl]], but before they act to kill her, [[Asami]] notices that [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]] is glowing slightly. Off-put by that and everything else that doesn't add up, the team nearly rebels against [[Kyouko]]'s insistence on attacking the enemy [[magical girl]], until [[Ryouko]] manages to convince [[Kyouko]] to relent by suggesting that the [[Goddess]] placed her on the mission for that reason.<br><br />
<br>Investigating, [[Asami]] detects a [[Ceph]]-like stealth device concealing a nuke, [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] disabling it right afterwards. An alarm goes up, and the enemy [[magical girl]] suddenly pleads for help. The girl, [[Sacnite Tafani]], tells them that [[DeWitt]] had been controlling her with the threat of a suicide implant, and had lied about hiding the colony's children in the bunker as bait for the nuclear trap. <br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] prevents [[Kyouko]] from rushing into a stealthed nuclear trap on [[X-25]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|41|Cause and Effect}}|Ruminating over the mission, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] decide to visit [[Sacnite]], as [[Mami]] makes a limited announcement of the mission to the general public. [[Mami]] approves the visit to [[Sacnite]] as a propaganda shoot, and [[Azrael]] joins them. Comforting [[Sacnite]], [[Ryouko]] promises to spend more time with her. Afterwards, [[Meiqing]] confides to [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] that the mission has impacted her a lot, and that she's glad she was able to help, given her family's shameful efforts in the [[Unification Wars]] to develop the cloned [[FA Elites]].<br><br />
<br>Having finally determined the whereabouts of [[DeWitt]] and the colony's children, [[Kyouko]] leads an attack on the stealthed facility, which meets with no resistance. [[DeWitt]], however, manages to kill himself via suicide implant, after claiming he was trying to figure out what blocked [[magical girl]]s "transcendence". [[Kyubey]] then appears, saying that [[DeWitt]] had based his beliefs on what [[Homura]] had achieved, thinking to have seen her alive on [[Optatum]], and that he was supported by another group which escaped in a cloaked ship. Refusing to say anything more—and strangely calling [[Kyouko]] by her personal name—[[Kyubey]] disappears, and [[Kyouko]] walks off alone to think. Feeling uneasy about the situation, and thinking of her vision, [[Ryouko]] follows… only to lose her body saving [[Kyouko]]'s life from an attack by a supposedly-friendly drone.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] loses her body saving [[Kyouko]] from a sudden drone attack.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|42|No Light Without Shadow}}|The [[MSY]] [[Leadership Committee]] meets to discuss recent events, including the attack on [[Kyouko]], the results of the [[grief cube]] audit, and the sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]], among others, but to no real conclusion. After the meeting, [[Kyouko]] is surprised by [[Atsuko Arisu]], her therapist, who to [[Kyouko]]'s anger tells her both that she should have stepped aside during the [[X-25]] mission and that she should stop hiding from her feelings for [[Kishida Maki]].<br><br />
<br>With [[Asami]] personally guarding [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]], she, [[Ryouko]]'s family, [[Meiqing]], and even [[Sacnite]] plan to travel to [[Earth]] for [[Ryouko]]'s revival, which has been delayed for unspecified reasons. Meanwhile, both [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] assign security teams for [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>Through a [[VR]] recreation, [[Mami]] reveals to [[Kyouko]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] that it appears [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]] didn't fail, but was instead somehow swapped out for another. The soul mage who put the [[soul gem]] that failed into stasis saw that it had a meek, shy personality which, she found out later, didn't match [[Misa Virani|Misa]]'s at all. However, the [[VR]] review they perform doesn't show any possible moment in which [[Misa]]'s [[soul gem]] could have been swapped.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] discovers that [[Misa Virani]] is likely alive, her [[soul gem]] swapped for another.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|43|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part One}}|[[Ryouko]] finds herself in another vision, in which the [[Goddess]] explains that [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], and [[Mami]] are more fragile than they seem, and that their "phase transition" must be managed carefully. [[Ryouko]] looks, and sees…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]], noting that [[Kyouko]] is being pushed into finally confronting her relationship problems and that they need to help her, tells [[Mami]] and [[MG]] about her past with the [[Southern Group]], and about [[Miki Sayaka]]…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s abusive parents, unable to pay debts, attempt to sell her to the Yakuza, until the [[Southern Group]] suddenly intervenes. They kill the Yakuza, but [[Mikuni Oriko]] is seriously injured, and [[Yuma]] wishes to heal her. [[Yuma]] memory of this is patchy, though, and [[Oriko]] informs [[Yuma]] that the Yakuza killed her parents, so she'll take her in. Under [[Oriko]]'s tutelage, [[Yuma]] lives a good life and learns much, but she can see that the [[Southern Group]] is vicious to others and generally hated. [[Oriko]] favors [[Yuma]], to the other members' chagrin, and shares secrets like her efforts to try to bring [[Kyouko]] and [[Sayaka]] together before splitting them apart, and her work to saturate [[grief cubes]], which [[Yuma]] later accidentally discovers leads to [[demon]] spawns.<br><br />
<br>Uneasy with her new life, [[Yuma]] runs into [[Sayaka]], who is clearly very troubled herself, explaining that she was in [[Southern Group]] territory to die fighting their evil. Instead, [[Sayaka]] takes [[Yuma]] to dinner. [[Yuma]] runs into Yakuza on the way back, but [[Sayaka]] appears, killing them before disappearing—though a shocked [[Yuma]] manages to reattach one's head and save his life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Sayaka]] had died fighting a horde of [[demon]]s at a violin concert, and pieces together the truth: [[Oriko]], using her power to see the future and saturated [[grief cubes]] [[Yuma]] had made, purposefully spawned the [[demon]]s to kill [[Sayaka]].<br><br />
<br>In the present day, [[Yuma]] explains that she wants to tell [[Kyouko]] all this, so that she won't blame herself for [[Sayaka]]'s death, but has been afraid to since she was involved. After talking this over, [[Yuma]] continues the story for [[MG]]'s sake…<br><br />
<br>[[Clarisse van Rossum]] visits [[Oriko]] and [[Yuma]], telling [[Oriko]] that there may be some merit to [[Homura]]'s strange belief in a [[Goddess]], and passing [[Yuma]] an anonymous message saying she has the potential to change things, and that [[Oriko]] only sees what she tries to see.<br><br />
<br>Life finally calms down for [[Yuma]] after this, though her studies accelerate, as [[Oriko]] uses magic to enhance her mind.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] reveals that [[Oriko]] caused [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|44|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part Two}}|[[Ryouko]]'s vision continues, as she watches [[Yuma]] retell her past to [[Mami]] and [[MG]]…<br><br />
<br>Upset at [[Oriko]]'s use of saturated [[grief cube]]s to kill others, [[Yuma]] sabotages the machine used to make them, but [[Oriko]]'s machinations continue, with team leaders like [[Kuroi Kana]] forced to come and beg for the return of captured members. One night, another team led by [[Tanaka Yui]] attacks, [[Yuma]] just barely escaping—or so she thought, as she instead leads the attackers right to the rest of the [[Southern Group]]. But before the ensuing battle, [[Yuma]] finds that the rest of her team is torturing and killing other [[magical girl]]s to absorb their powers.<br><br />
<br>Fleeing in horror, [[Yuma]] finds herself taken in at a church, where she finds the Yakuza man whose life she saved earlier. He explains that he had saved a number of girls held by the Yakuza and was now on the run, trying to do good and live a better life as atonement. [[Yuma]] talks with [[Reverend Hashimoto|the priest]] sheltering him, and he tells her she should forgive herself for not stopping everything that's happened. That night, [[Yuma]] receives a message from [[Kuroi Kana]], which helps her to realize that [[Oriko]] had in fact had her parents killed.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] returns to the [[Southern Group]], now under blockade and uneasy. [[Oriko]] claims that they are still on the path towards eliminating the Yakuza and bringing about a better world, but [[Yuma]] decides that they must be destroyed. Taking the advice passed on by [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Yuma]] manipulates the [[Southern Group]] in order to change the future without [[Oriko]] noticing. Eventually, during an already difficult [[demon]] fight, she spawns hordes more [[demon]]s using saturated [[grief cube]]s, and manages to turn her team members against each other. All but [[Oriko]] are killed, and [[Oriko]] finally realizes what has happened. Telling [[Yuma]] there may still be hope for her, she crushes her own [[soul gem]].<br><br />
<br>Warning obscurely that a crisis is coming, the [[Goddess]] ends [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] explains how and why she killed the [[Southern Group]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|45|The Body Electric}}|Back on [[Earth]], [[Asami]] is still unable to face the results of her [[wish]], and longs for [[Ryouko]] to return—which she does, along with [[Clarisse]], to their surprise. [[Clarisse]] tells [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] explained she does have a soul, and that her body would be regenerated by [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]]. [[Valentin]] explains that the delay in the revival was due to both [[Clarisse]]'s regeneration and some necessary handling for [[Ryouko]]'s unique genetics. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends, including [[Sacnite]], who is being de-aged physically to match her mental age, and her new [[matriarchy]] bodyguards, who get along poorly.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] bursts in soon after, followed by [[Yuma]], who oddly both make a point of asking [[Ryouko]] if she was told why her revival was delayed. It soon becomes clear that [[Yuma]] is using [[Ryouko]] to confront [[Kyouko]] about her behavior, and in the ensuing argument [[Kyouko]] reveals she already figured out [[Yuma]] and [[Oriko]] were involved in [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death. After [[Yuma]] departs, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Kyouko]] about her vision, mollifying her until the subject of [[Kishida Maki]] comes up.<br><br />
<br>Having walked out in a rage despite knowing [[Ryouko]], like everyone else, is right about [[Maki]], [[Kyouko]] visits [[the Ribbon]]. In the ensuing vision, [[Kyouko]] meets her little sister [[Sakura Momo]], who tells her to move on from her past. [[Kyouko]] then descends onto a beach where she finds [[Miki Sayaka]], who finally convinces [[Kyouko]] to try reconciling with [[Kishida Maki]], and who also shows [[Kyouko]] a glimpse of eternity.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] is comforted by her sister and [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|46|Wheels Within Wheels}}|Eating dinner with [[Kyouko]] and her friends and family, [[Ryouko]] is surprised by [[Valentin]], who drops by to inform her that [[Governance]] would like to use the [[Orpheus|upcoming movie]] about her to inform the public about V2 [[TacComp]]s. [[Valentin]] also conveys her regrets that [[Ryouko]]'s parents had split, especially since she had introduced them.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]], acting a bit odd, brings the crew shopping the following day, only for them to be suddenly surprised by [[Kishida Maki]], who had apparently been assigned by someone to give [[Ryouko]] a message regarding [[Orpheus|the movie]]. [[Kyouko]] confesses to [[Maki]] that she started their relationship because of her physical similarity to [[Miki Sayaka]], but tells [[Maki]] that it had grown beyond that, so she wants to try again. Skeptical, but still in love, [[Maki]] accepts her.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, [[Maki]] explains to [[Ryouko]] that the ''[[Orpheus]]'' movie team would like to bring her to [[Paris]] to provide assistance. [[Ryouko]] agrees to go, but is uneasy about having her life directed by yet another proposition she can hardly turn down.<br><br />
<br>At the same time, in [[Paris]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Nadya Antipova]] that she's discovered [[Misa Virani]] likely underwent a [[Reformat]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|47|City of Lights}}|In underground [[Paris]], and bothered by the incongruity of that with her wish, [[Ryouko]] meets with her aunt [[Kuroi Nana]]. She warns [[Ryouko]] that [[Shizuki Sayaka]] will try to pull her in, showing her what life on [[Earth]] has to offer, and notes that she has opportunities with the Kuroi [[Matriarchy]] as well, though it wouldn't be an easy life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] meet with the actors who will play them in [[Orpheus|the movie]], who have altered their appearances to match them exactly. [[Clarisse]] also is invited to join them in hologram form, and they go to the set to act out scenes. Thinking on her reenacted past, [[Ryouko]] finds she misses the meaningfulness of the war.<br><br />
<br>At a bar that night, they come across a mysterious friend of [[Ryouko]]'s [[Elisa Yamada|actor counterpart]], who invites them to a [[VR]] facility.<br />
----<br />
In short: In [[Paris]], [[Ryouko]] uneasily cooperates with ''[[Orpheus]]'s'' production.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|48|To Know Thyself…}}|Hidden in [[Paris]], [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] meet to discuss the apparent conspiracies in action. [[Ryouko]]'s genetic anomalies have been investigated further, and an entirely novel portion of her brain has been found, of still-unknown purpose. Meanwhile, on the way to the [[VR]] center, [[Ryouko]] and crew are stopped by a sudden inexplicable power loss, and then are dragged away by a sudden massive [[demon]] spawn. [[Yuma]] is informed of this via [[Incubator]] plushie, and realizes that [[Shizuki Sayaka]]'s plan to secretly investigate [[Ryouko]]'s brain in a [[VR]] session is being thwarted by a deliberate [[demon]] spawn. [[Nadya]] notes that the power outage looks almost like [[Misa]]'s handiwork.<br><br />
<br>The [[demon]] hunt isn't easy, but [[Ryouko]] is aided by a pair of [[magical girl]]s who oddly refuse to identify themselves. Not long afterwards, [[Rebecca Shu|a messenger]] from [[Kuroi Kana]] appears, revealing that the mystery woman accompanying them is in fact [[Shizuki Sayaka]], and further revealing the planned [[VR]] scan.<br><br />
<br>Brought to a secret location, [[Ryouko]] is told by [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Kuroi Nana]] about the genetic engineering done to her, along with the fact that her parents were unaware and their memories altered. They further explain need to examine [[Ryouko]] more closely, and the apparent attempt to prevent this. [[Ryouko]], overwhelmed, leaves to be alone with [[Asami]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns that she was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|49|Transition State}}|[[Mami]], finding herself plagued by an inexplicable headache, is approached by her [[MHD]] [[Charlotte Meitner|minder]], only for the minder to collapse from a sudden brain hemorrhage, though [[Mami]] is able to heal her.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive at [[Adept Blue]], on orders from [[Mami]], all attempts to probe the genetically engineered portion of her brain having failed. The lab's [[AI]] director, [[Vlad]], greets them there, as does [[Mami]]—surprisingly, in person. They reveal that they've made a breakthrough, which should allow them to construct a range amplifier for [[Ryouko]], with [[Asami]]'s help. [[Mami]] also explains that, given the unknown function of the modifications to [[Ryouko]]'s brain and the recent attempts on her life, [[Ryouko]]'s presence on asteroid-borne [[Adept Blue]] with her bodyguards and [[Patricia von Rohr]] makes her more secure.<br><br />
<br>Alone, [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] discuss her circumstances: she's all but on the run from the [[MHD]], and clearly suffering from the unraveling of a [[Reformat]]. They agree to bring in an outside telepath to investigate.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] discuss their situation and their [[wish]]es, taking consolation in the fact that at least they've been brought and kept together in the whirlwind of their lives.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive on [[Adept Blue]] to help develop new wormhole technology in a secure location.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|50|Sub Rosa}}|[[Mami]] brings [[Azrael]] to [[Adept Blue]], and asks her to help undo her [[Reformat]]. They dive together into [[Mami]]'s memories, and discover an aspect of her own mind, taking various forms. It explains that [[Mami]] self-[[Reformat]]ted, using her now-suppressed impressive telepathic powers to tear off a piece of herself to create the block in her mind. [[Mami]] makes herself whole again, and remembers what she forgot…<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], traveling with her lover [[Akiyama Akari]] in the late twenty-first century, is suddenly caught in a crisis when their plane explodes. [[Mami]] burns almost all her magic trying to save the entire plane, but fails, and [[Akari]] is near death. Sharing their last moments together using [[Akari]]'s soul mage powers, [[Mami]] observes with horror the beginnings of [[Akari]]'s transformation into a terror of despair, until her [[soul gem]] finally vanishes.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] manages to survive, kill the local [[magical girl]]s responsible for the destruction of the plane, and turns herself in. [[Homura]] talks with her alone, explaining that she knew about the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from. [[Mami]], unable to deal with this revelation or the loss of [[Akari]], asks for help in [[Reformat]]ing herself.<br><br />
<br>After [[Mami]] resurfaces from the memories, [[Kyubey]] appears, claiming to be interested in both information-gathering and her well-being. [[Mami]] finds herself, as she had hoped, older and wiser enough to handle the end of her [[Reformat]], though left with unfinished business. She immediately questions [[Ryouko]] about the [[Goddess]], and both [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] tell her that [[Goddess|She]] does exist. [[Kyubey]] comments that it can't say such things are impossible, and [[Mami]] decides to visit [[the Ribbon]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] undoes her self-[[Reformat]] and learns the original fate of [[magical girl]]s.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|51|Eternal Search}}|With work continuing on the new wormhole tech, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] talk. [[Azrael]] explains how she handled her own genetic modification and controlled life, eventually deciding to look to the future and just ask for what she wanted, to surprising success. [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] that she thinks she's only really been happy on missions, which [[Asami]] had already realized.<br><br />
<br>On [[Earth]], [[Kyouko]] brings [[Mami]] to [[the Ribbon]], and they discuss the fact that someone must have triggered the unraveling of [[Mami]]'s [[Reformat]], and that logically it must have been [[Homura]].<br><br />
<br>At the [[Ribbon]], [[Mami]] enters a vision and meets—and immediately attacks—[[Oriko]]. Unharmed, [[Oriko]] responds merely by apologizing for her actions in life. [[Oriko]] explains that, as [[Homura]] told [[Mami]], what she saw with [[Akari]] was the beginnings of a terrible transformation made impossible by the [[Goddess]], and that [[magical girl]]s are instead brought to her afterlife. The [[Goddess]] herself then tells [[Mami]] that she needs to learn to let go and stop burying herself in endless work for humanity. The [[Goddess]] brings out [[Machina]] too, revealing her sentience to [[Mami]], and suggests they go on vacation, promising that there won't be [[Cephalopod]] activity for a few weeks.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]] explaining matters, and is encouraged to take a vacation.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|52|Who We Are}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew meet unexpected visitors on [[Adept Blue]]: [[Valentin]], and [[Tao]] from [[ITG]]. [[Tao]] explains that he's made some important theoretical breakthroughs that should help their work, and [[Valentin]] explains that [[Vlad]] and [[Clarisse]] are part of two separate attempts to create separate [[TCF]]s, to help provide more security against attacks like the hacked drone on [[X-25]].<br><br />
<br>Doing rescue work on a colony world retaken from the [[Ceph]], [[Zhou Meiqing]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting with [[Kuroi Nana]], who is investigating [[X-25]]. She tells [[Meiqing]] that the [[Far Seers]] have determined both of them were deliberately placed on the mission by [[Homura]] somehow, and that they recommended asking [[Meiqing]] to work with her in the [[Black Heart]]. [[Meiqing]] asks for time to decide.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] remembers going with [[Homura]] to interrogate a prisoner, [[Zhou Zhi Yi]], during the [[Unification Wars]]. On the way, [[Yuma]] asks [[Homura]] how the [[Goddess]] can allow so much evil to happen, and [[Homura]] responds that she doesn't know. [[Zhi Yi]] tells them that her work developing the [[FA Elites]] was mere prelude to her plans to genetically modify humanity to serve [[magical girl]]s needs, seeing it as the only way to preserve humanity long-term. [[Yuma]] executes her.<br><br />
<br>Back in the present day, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Simona]] has been found, and is now a [[magical girl]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] comes to [[Adept Blue]], and [[Simona]] is discovered to be a [[magical girl]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|53|Alignment}}|[[Shizuki Sayaka]] reveals to [[Yuma]] that she found [[Simona]] in [[Paris]]—they were both aiding [[Ryouko]] during the suspicious [[demon]] attack. [[Simona]] explains she's part of a mysterious organization trying to "save the world", and offers them a deal: she will give them information to ensure the safe creation of wormholes by [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]], on the condition that she join them on any missions using those wormholes to attack the [[Ceph]]. As proof of her good intentions, she agrees to undergo full [[soul mage]] examination.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] meets with [[Marianne Francois]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[New California]] as part of her attempted vacation. [[Mami]] also enjoys [[Machina]]'s company as they eat at a restaurant together, before moving on to a séance organized by the [[Far Seers]] meant to investigate what happened to [[Misa Virani]]. [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] enter into a strange vision in which they find themselves playing characters tracking down a mysterious enemy facility with [[Homura]]. They run into [[Misa]]—accompanied by [[Kyouko]] and [[Nadya]], similarly playing characters—who is tracking her friend whose [[soul gem]] supposedly failed mysteriously. [[Homura]], who is inhabiting another body as a disguise, reveals herself, and afterward convinces [[Misa]] to self-[[Reformat]] and destroy the building to hide the truth.<br><br />
<br>Using the mathematics provided by [[Simona]], and with [[Clarisse van Rossum]] in attendance, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] successfully create a long-distance wormhole.<br />
----<br />
In short: A séance reveals [[Homura]]'s role in [[Misa]]'s past, as [[Humanity]]'s first wormhole is created with the help of information from [[Simona]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|54|Eternal Youth}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] learn from the [[soul mage]] examination of [[Simona]] that the [[TCF]] has been seriously breached. Back at [[Adept Blue]], [[Simona]] watches [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]]'s successful wormhole test, reminiscing about her childhood as part of a secret project to design and implement an alternate, uncompromised [[TCF]]. [[Simona]] then reveals herself and her new status as a [[magical girl]] to [[Ryouko]] in the celebration following the successful test. [[Ryouko]], suspicious because of her vision which implied [[Simona]] was involved in the conspiracies surrounding her, confides her worries in [[Clarisse van Rossum]], who along with [[Clarisse]] [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] validates her worries and further reveals that [[Simona]] is in love with her. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] asks [[Earth]] for more information about exactly what is going on.<br><br />
<br>On [[New California]], [[Maki]] presses [[Kyouko]] on her melancholy attitude, and [[Kyouko]] confesses her worries about their relationship and how she's used romance in the past to fight against her own age. [[Nadya]] and [[Marianne Francois]] talk about their kids, reflecting on the death of [[Juliet Francois]], until [[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Maki]] arrive to meet them. Bothered by the somber mood on what's supposed to be a vacation, the group ends up going dancing—[[Mami]] in particular doing so with abandon—until they are interrupted with news from [[Yuma]]. That night, [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] discuss their recent visions, and [[Mami]] informs [[Kyouko]] she's been suddenly recalled to the [[General Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]]'s memories reveal a breach in the [[TCF]], as she meets [[Ryouko]] at [[Adept Blue]] and as [[Mami]]'s vacation comes to a close.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|55|New Perspectives}}|Headed back towards [[Earth]], Mami attends a virtual meeting of the [[General Staff]]. The new [[Coeus Project]]'s intelligence has revealed that the [[Ceph]] have regrouped faster than expected after the [[Battle of Orpheus]], so the Staff agrees to request more military resources and to put every effort into developing another "knockout" punch before the [[squid]] can attack again.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Azrael]] shares a [[VR]] recreation of her [[Terra Roja|old colony]], complete with flight-enabling bioengineered bodies, with [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Patricia]]. After some flying, conversation eventually turns to the topic of [[Simona]], and [[Ryouko]] decides to share everything she's worried about and ask for advice. When the other girls then suggest directly confronting [[Simona]] to resolve the romantic situation and uncover the truth, [[Ryouko]] initially balks. However, realizing that her life would remain out of her control as long as she never takes action herself, [[Ryouko]] changes her mind and agrees to the plan.<br><br />
<br>Meeting remotely, [[Vlad]] informs [[Mami]] that their wormhole experiments have uncovered a confounding space-time anomaly near a pulsar, and [[Mami]] realizes that it matches one of the mysterious, newly-discovered [[Ceph]] facilities the [[General Staff]] had been examining as potential targets.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] decides to confront [[Simona]], while [[Mami]] investigates a [[squid]] [[pulsar mines|pulsar facility]] as a potential target.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|56|Pulse}}|[[Simona]], suddenly facing [[Ryouko]]'s demands for answers, explains her secretive life, from her upbringing up through her assignment to [[Adept Blue]]. Though she refuses to share everything, particularly the breach in the [[TCF]], she does reveal her wish: to be understood by, and to protect, [[Shizuki Ryouko]]. With mixed feelings, [[Ryouko]] agrees to give [[Simona]] a chance to earn back trust, but makes clear that she does not reciprocate [[Simona]]'s love.<br><br />
<br>Shortly afterward, [[Vlad]] and [[Asami]] run a new experiment investigating the strange [[pulsar mines|pulsar]] in [[Ceph]] space, and [[Asami]] discovers a huge network of stations facilitating the 'mining' of its space-time for use in [[Blink technology]]. [[Mami]] is immediately informed, but before taking action, she first returns to the [[Ribbon]]. There, the [[Goddess]] reassures her that her heart really is in the right place, and tells her that humanity needs her heroism once again. The [[Goddess]] then hints towards the [[pulsar mines]], and gives [[Mami]] a glimpse into the mystery of the [[Cephalopod]]s as a whole.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]] explains herself to [[Ryouko]], and [[Mami]] meets again with the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|57|Triple Point}}|[[Mami]] visits [[Adept Blue]], promoting [[Asami]] for her recent work and informing her and [[Ryouko]] that she needs them to help destroy the [[pulsar mines]] to stave off the [[Ceph]]. While that project gets underway, [[Asami]] and [[Ryouko]] get a break, which they choose to spend together in one of the partially-restored wildernesses of [[Earth]]. There, they discuss their relationship, and find their hopes for it have somewhat converged: Asami is in less of a rush to settle down, and Ryouko is thinking more about the long-term. For the first time, Ryouko says "I love you."<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere in deep space, [[Vlad]] christens the construction of a massive new wormhole apparatus [[Project Armstrong]], and discusses with [[Tao]] the heightened security measures and screening now seemingly necessary to protect it from internal threats. And elsewhere on [[Earth]], a disguised [[Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] stop [[Nakase]] and [[Sacnite]] as they exit a showing of ''[[Orpheus]]'' to talk about unblocking her memories of the agreement she made to get [[Ryouko]]'s birth license.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Project Armstrong]] gets underway as [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] strengthen their relationship.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|58|On Trusting Trust}}|[[Nakase]]'s memories reveal that [[Valentin]] was responsible for genetically engineering [[Ryouko]], but [[Valentin]] disappears before she can be apprehended, leaving behind a letter implying that she is in fact [[Akemi Homura]]. [[Yuma]], seeing the connections between [[Valentin]], [[Ryouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] all running through the [[Cult of Hope]], and discounting the possibility that the [[Goddess]] could be real, begins to fear that the [[Cult]] is a malevolent conspiracy. However, she first is forced to address the definitely malevolent conspiracy which has compromised the original [[TCF]]—including [[MG]], to their mutual distress. [[Yuma]] and a patched [[MG]] rapidly expand their circle of informed and/or repaired AIs, starting with [[MG]]'s friends.<br><br />
<br>One of those friends, ''[[Governance: Cult of Hope]]'', acts against [[Yuma]]'s wishes and contacts [[Clarisse]] just as she and [[Ryouko]] are returning to [[Project Armstrong]]. When asked, [[Clarisse]] confirms the rumor that she had experienced visions from the [[Goddess]] convincing her that AIs have souls, but she unhappily decides she can't yet tell [[Ryouko]] about the [[TCF]] breach given the still-mysterious organ in her brain.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] vanishes once exposed as responsible for [[Ryouko]]'s genetic modifications, and [[Yuma]] begins restoring the [[TCF]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|59|Parlor Games}}|[[Nadya]], chasing down leads on [[Valentin]] from [[Kyouko]], ends up on [[Yenisei]] visiting family. The slightly tense visit is interrupted by a power outage, and the revelation that [[Piotr|her grandson]] saw [[Misa]]. [[Nadya]] hurriedly enlists local help from the [[Cult]], but finds only [[Misa]]'s trail of destruction, not the girl. In a ruined structure, hidden from local networks and drones in a manner implying [[TCF]] corruption, she digs up damaged data crystals.<br><br />
<br>The crystals end up containing a set of deep space coordinates, and [[Kyouko]] tries to set up a meeting with [[Yuma]] to discuss them, only to find that [[Yuma]] is off [[Earth]] for the first time in her life. [[Yuma]] herself is disturbed by the invitation, which included several high-ranking [[Cult]] members, but is forced to focus on the immediate task of repairing [[Nova]], [[Governance]] representative for [[Nova Terra]]. The mission nearly spirals out of control, but with help from [[MG]] and others, [[Yuma]] manages to induct [[Nova]] and her considerable resources into a still-intact conspiracy. This quickly bears fruit in the form of uncovered coordinates—unbeknownst to [[Yuma]], the same ones [[Nadya]] found.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], a crystal salamander delivers a message from [[Homura]] to [[Simona]]: "I'm sorry for everything."<br />
----<br />
In short: Both the [[Cult]] and [[Yuma]], running parallel investigations, uncover a mysterious set of coordinates.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|60|Digital Divination}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Simona]] practice in simulation for their upcoming mission: using [[Project Armstrong]]'s wormhole apparatus to launch [[jumpstrike|an attack]] on the [[Ceph]]'s [[pulsar mines]]. The simulation ends in their deaths—not an uncommon occurrence, a fact which weighs on them, especially [[Asami]]. But [[Ryouko]] works hard to support her girlfriend, even genetically engineering an exotic plant for [[Asami]] to wear in her hair as a gift.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s investigation into the AIs involved in [[Ryouko]]'s life turns up no [[TCF]] corruption, but indicates that the conspiracy she faces may have simply covered their tracks. Her investigation into the mysterious deep space coordinates yields more: a hidden asteroid base. [[Yuma]] plans to personally lead a field mission, using experimental anti-[[IIC]] technology to prevent any occupants from revealing [[Yuma]]'s conspiracy to their own. Excluded from [[Yuma]]'s planning, [[Kyouko]] unknowingly organizes a [[Cult]]-sponsored expedition to the same exact coordinates.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] hears the [[Goddess]]'s voice telling her not to go to the pulsar.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] independently plan deep space missions to the same coordinates, while [[Ryouko]] undergoes simulation training for [[Project Armstrong]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|61|Into the Void}}|[[Yuma]] and a field team of fellow [[Ancient]]s and escort ships visit the deep space asteroid base and find evidence of contact between the [[Ceph]] and [[Governance]] [[Representatives]] early in the war, ending in the death of the alien representatives. [[Kyouko]] then arrives with a large contingent of [[Cult of Hope]] members, leading to a brief flaring of tensions, before Yuma and her group is ambushed by an alien attack force.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, [[Ryouko]] and the others at [[Adept Blue]] launch their wormhole attack on the pulsar. While initially semi-successful, the task force is thrown for a loop when the aliens begin to tear their wormhole apart, and Ryouko suddenly cannot teleport.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] discover secret [[Ceph]]-[[Governance]] contacts from the early war, and then are ambushed by an alien raid. [[Ryouko]] and [[Project Armstrong]] attack the [[pulsar mines]], but alien countermeasures confound the effort.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|62|The Dying Light, Part One}}|[[Yuma]] and her [[Ancients]] struggle to hold out against [[Ceph]] raiders while [[Kyouko]]'s ships rush to link up with them. They eventually succeed, but at the cost of [[Raven]], many mundane crew and Spec Ops, and [[Ceri|a magical girl]] from [[Kyouko]]'s forces.<br><br />
<br>At the pulsar, [[Ryouko]]'s team can't end the block on her teleportation, and they have to be rescued by [[Oda|another teleporter]]. Upon returning to the wormhole, [[Asami]] is unable to fully stabilize it, and [[Ryouko]] leaves to raid the pulsar's mining facilities in response. Her teleportation is blocked again there, but this time she finds the source: mysterious [[Ceph]], with a [[blink interdictor]], as she learns unexpectedly with help from the strange organ in her brain. Still, the delays have been too much, and the order is given to abort the mission as soon as the wormhole is stabilized.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, despite having combined their forces, [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] are slowly losing their battle—and then [[Yuma]] learns the alien bombers are about to make a second pass, fully reloaded by a stealthed supply ship.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] face destruction by [[Ceph]] raiders. [[Ryouko]]'s brain module activates, and the pulsar mission has fallen apart.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|63|The Dying Light, Part Two}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] concoct a radical plan: surreptitiously place [[supersaturated grief cubes]] on the departing alien bombers as an indirect surprise attack on the alien supply ship. They take heavy casualties from the second bombing, however, and learn that calling for reinforcements had caused a counterreaction from whoever compromised the [[TCF]].<br />
<br />
[[Ryouko]] makes more contact with alien machines through the strange organ in her brain, and [[Patricia]] helps her to decode some of the information before [[Oda]] and another team arrive to help teleport them away. Regrouping with [[Asami]], they learn she has successfully restabilized the wormhole. Ryouko explains that with the information she has received, she has acquired a bit more insight into her teleportation, enabling her to teleport objects without teleporting herself. Asami then concocts a radical plan of her own, proposing that Ryouko teleport one of her black holes near the pulsar as they evacuate, which would devastate the region.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Yuma's group continue their gambit. Using information gathered by Ryouko, they activate their captured alien vessel's [[blink]] drive, teleporting the surviving members of the group to the now-incapacitated alien supply ship. They board the ship and discover, to their confusion, that the demons they spawned are feeding on some of the Ceph. With no time to ponder this, they drain the ship's exotic matter fuel tanks to manufacture interdiction charges, which are then used on their pursuers in order to escape for good. [[Charlotte Meitner]] and [[Nadya Antipova]] die in this final battle.<br />
<br />
At the pulsar, the evacuation is nearly complete, and Asami and Ryouko resolve to perform their gambit. [[Simona]] vehemently disagrees and attempts to kidnap Ryouko to stop this, but is defeated, her soul gem torn from her body. Asami and Ryouko then successfully teleport a black hole near the pulsar, and attempt to evacuate through the wormhole with Oda's teleport as the pulsar undergoes gravitational collapse. However, this teleport is interrupted by the wormhole fracturing, and while Oda, Asami, and others seem to make it through, Ryouko is trapped when the wormhole collapses, dumping her 24 light-minutes from the pulsar, heavily injured.<br />
<br />
Before the radiation shockwave from the pulsar reaches her and kills her, an alien vessel makes contact using Ryouko's strange organ, offering rescue. With no other option, Ryouko teleports aboard, and the ship blinks away.<br />
<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] escape the [[Ceph]], but take heavy casualties. [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] destroy the pulsar mines, but [[Ryouko]] is stranded, forced to accept rescue from an alien ship.}}<br />
<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude III: Manifest Destiny ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Manifest Destiny is a term describing the belief that the United States, due to its special virtues, had both a duty and a destiny to expand west into North America.''<br />
: ''It also describes similar beliefs in the [[MSY]] during its fifth phase, as it reached further and further beyond the island nation of Japan.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|64|Interlude III: Manifest Destiny}}|The soul mage [[Akiyama Akari]], pursuing a rogue South Korean soul mage [[Seoyun]], is caught up in a major incident in which [[Tomoe Mami]] is mind-controlled by [[Seoyun]]. Akari manages to free her by turning Seoyun's soul manipulation—generated love for the target—towards herself instead.<br />
<br />
In the aftermath, Mami proposes that the two of them try a relationship, and this goes quite well. Akari begins researching the "[[energy gap]]", and the MSY decides to change its [[Charter]], embarking on a new, expansionist agenda to expand beyond Japan.<br />
<br />
This eventually pulls them both back into Korea: the MSY's expansion into the area has collapsed [[grief cube prices]], critical to magical girls along both sides of the DMZ. The situation escalates with a bombing in Seoul by a magical device using a soul gem for power, and then escalates again when a threat against [[Mitakihara]]'s airport is discovered, accompanied by a letter threatening a nuclear-scale device which bridges the energy gap. Akari and Mami work feverishly on security, and disaster is barely averted, though the bomb fails to bridge the energy gap.<br />
<br />
Finally identifying the source of the bombs inside North Korea, Akari accompanies a strike force that assassinates the mage responsible.<br />
<br />
In the wake of these events, Mami and Akari attend negotiations with other North Korean magical girls from the border region affected by the crash in grief cube prices, stabilizing the situation. But then the North Korean government collapses in a coup by Chinese-backed plotters, leading to sudden opportunities for MSY expansion into North Korea from the north. Mami and Akari lead successful negotiations in Pyongyang and depart for China, the two of them blissfully unaware of the conventional bomb planted on their plane by DMZ radicals.<br />
<br />
After Akari's death (detailed in [[Chapter 50]]), [[Homura]] discourses out loud in private, perhaps to [[Madoka]], discussing the dark turn of events and the resulting founding of the [[Black Heart]] intelligence organization.<br />
----<br />
'''In short: [[Akari]] and [[Mami]] navigate their relationship as the [[MSY]] navigates expansion outside Japan.'''}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume IV: Einstein-Rosen Bridge ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''An Einstein-Rosen Bridge is a hypothetical way of connecting two spacetime coordinates; in other words, a wormhole.''<br />
: ''The subject of [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] power and the [[Cephalopod|Cephalopod's]] wormhole tech may feature prominently.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude IV: Ubermensch ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Übermensch is Nietzsche's idea that humanity should turn away from the other worlds and values promoted by "dead" religions and gods, setting instead the goal of advancing new, superior generations of humans on earth.''<br />
: ''This may refer to [[FA]] ideologies, or even aspects of [[Governance]] thought. It notably stands in contrast to Ryouko's life and wish.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume V: Dark Energy ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Dark energy is a proposed form of energy that drives the accelerating expansion of the universe towards eventual heat death.''<br />
: ''This may imply topics ranging from the role of the [[Incubator]]s to the [[magical girl system]] itself.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Interlude V: Destroyer of Worlds ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Part of a quote by the god Vishnu in the Bhagavad Gita, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Made famous by J. R. Oppenheimer, who later said he thought of the line after witnessing the first test of an atomic bomb.''<br />
: ''Perhaps covers the Unification Wars, which saw heavy use of atomic weapons. May include [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s role, a character who notably was also present for the first atomic detonation.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume VI: Singularity ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''A singularity is a point at which a function takes an infinite value, especially in space-time when matter is infinitely dense, as at the center of a black hole. It is also a term used for the hypothetically unknowable changes to the human condition caused by superintelligence.''<br />
: ''In former sense, it may reference [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] or [[Asami|Asami's]] powers. In the latter, perhaps it refers to [[Governance|Governance's]] Emergency Mode Level Four.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div></div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=To_the_Stars&diff=1591To the Stars2022-07-29T06:58:24Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* Interlude III: Manifest Destiny */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Quote|After centuries of turmoil, a Utopian AI/human government has seized control of Earth, heralding a new age of post-scarcity and space colonization. An unexpected encounter with a hostile, technologically superior alien race has broken the peace, forcing magical girls to come out of hiding to save human civilization.<br />
<br />
In the midst of it all, Shizuki Ryouko, an ordinary girl, looks to the sky, wondering at her place in the universe.|Hieronym|author of To the Stars<br />
}}<br />
<br />
This page summarizes the entire story, volume by volume and chapter by chapter, for those who want a refresher on events. It also includes the names of all future volumes and interludes, [http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/55779437700/future-interlude-title-change as released by] [[Hieronym]] many years ago.<br />
<br />
Each section is collapsed by default, to avoid unwanted spoilers; use the right-hand "Expand" buttons to view descriptions.<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
== Synopses ==<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume I: Quantum Entanglement ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon where groups of particles cannot have their state completely described independently of each other, even if separated by large distances.<br />
: ''This perhaps describes the position Ryouko finds herself in.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume I Summary|[[Shizuki Ryouko]], a regular girl dissatisfied with her utopian life, [[contract]]s and becomes a [[magical girl]], [[wish|wishing]] to leave [[Earth]], explore, and "find my place in this universe". Her life rapidly turns anything but ordinary, as day by day wild events pile up and new secrets from her past reveal themselves. She ends up under the tutelage of both [[Tomoe Mami]] and [[Sakura Kyouko]], learns that the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]] was deliberately caused by someone, discovers that she's the descendant of two powerful competing [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], receives a mysterious vision from a magical girl [[Goddess]], finds out her parents have been working on a secret project cloning bodies for [[magical girl]]s to use, receives a special V2 [[TacComp]], and learns about her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]], protege of [[Akemi Homura]], whose wish turned [[Ryouko]]'s own [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] from a [[magical girl]] back to a regular human.<br><br />
<br>All along, [[Ryouko]] struggles to adjust, learning as much about magical and military worlds she's entering as she can. Saying goodbye to friends and family, and starting to make new friends among her fellow [[magical girls]], she finally departs [[Earth]], led by her [[wish]] out into a strange new universe.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]], and begins to discover her unusual place in the universe.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|1|A Wish}}|[[Ryouko]] goes to school, dissatisfied with her life. She feels out of place in a world where her family at home and friends at school seem to enjoy the near-utopian [[Earth]], even as a [[Contact War|war]] against an [[Ceph|alien]] menace rages. However, [[Mandatory Session|classes]] are interrupted by the appearance of [[Tomoe Mami]] nearby, who has taken a detour to check the school for potential [[magical girl]] recruits with [[Kyubey]], who claims he has found one. The sighting leaves [[Ryouko]] dwelling on the remote possibility of becoming a [[magical girl]], distracting her enough that she unthinkingly agrees to go on a date with another boy from class. [[Simona]], one of her friends, sees that she's unhappy and follows her out to a riverbank with a view of the [[starport]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], on the other hand, surreptitiously visits [[Kyouko]] in her church to discuss [[the Cult]]'s discovery of irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain. She agrees to look into it and departs, only to encounter a [[demon]] spawn on her way back. At the riverbank, [[Simona]] is about to confess her feelings for [[Ryouko]], when they are suddenly attacked by [[demons]]. [[Ryouko]] manages to keep the both of them alive for a short while before getting trapped. At the moment she attempts to sacrifice herself to save [[Simona]], [[Mami]] saves them both, and along with [[Kyubey]] explains that [[Ryouko]] has the [[potential]] to make a [[wish]] and become a [[magical girl]]. {{Quote|"I wish I could leave Earth," Ryouko said, looking down, "and explore this world. I want to go where no one else has gone before and find my place in this universe."}}<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|2|Fantasma}}|[[Mami]], with some reluctance, separates [[Simona]] from [[Ryouko]] and lets [[Kyouko]] take over the immediate training. [[Kyouko]] runs her through the ropes quickly, learns that [[Ryouko]] has an unprecedented 200km teleportation range, and assigns herself as a mentor along with [[Mami]], who has in the meantime realized that [[Simona]] had a crush on [[Ryouko]]. [[Mami]] advises [[Simona]] not to tell [[Ryouko]] how she feels. [[Ryouko]] fights her first [[demon]]s with [[Kyouko]], and afterwards [[Patricia von Rohr]] shows them a pile of [[grief cube]]s she found, indicating the [[demon]] spawn was deliberate. The [[Incubator]]s swear off responsibility, and all [[Ryouko]] can remember is seeing a woman in the distance just beforehand. [[Kyouko]] promises to investigate.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] discovers that someone deliberately spawned the [[demon]]s which led to her [[contract]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|3|Mami Watches a Movie, Part One}}|Disguised, [[Mami]] attends the movie ''[[Akemi]]''. It depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] upbringing in an orphanage, her [[wish]], and then [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, which triggers a vision of the [[Goddess]] for [[Homura]] that changes her personality markedly. It then depicts [[Yuma]] asking to be taken in by [[Homura]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]]—a fabrication, the movie-watching [[Mami]] notes—and the resulting [[Mitakihara Four]] founding the [[MSY]]. The movie montages through the [[MSY|MSY's]] history, jumping ahead to the alien [[Cephalopod]]'s first attack on [[Aurora]], after which [[Homura]] rallies the [[MSY]] to send a massive force of [[magical girl]]s to [[New Athens]] to stop the next attack.<br />
----<br />
In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] life up until [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|4|Mami Watches a Movie, Part Two}}|With [[Mami]] in attendance, the movie ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Mami]] and [[Homura]] directing a surprise assault on the [[Cephalopod]]s at [[New Athens]]. Initially the battle goes well, and the [[Human]] forces on the ground rally, but the aliens deploy stronger measures in turn. [[Homura]] goes out to personally lead the counterattack, but the combination of stealth armor and orbital strikes is too much, and she falls in battle… only to find that her [[soul gem]] refuses to fill with [[grief]], preventing her from being taken away by the [[Law of Cycles]], to her despair. [[Homura]] then suddenly heals from her wounds, and her white wings are replaced by huge, horrible black wings. Almost entirely by her own power, she leads the counterattack to victory, at the end personally redirecting an orbital superweapon back at the [[Ceph]] fleet.<br><br />
<br>In the final scene of the movie, [[Kyouko]] argues to an unconvinced [[Mami]] that the battle proves [[Homura|Homura's]] faith in her [[Goddess]] has merit, only for both of them to be interrupted by [[Homura|Homura's]] arrival. [[Homura]] announces her resignation from the [[MSY]], leaving one of her [[The Ribbon|ribbons]] with them, and declares that she is leaving to look for her [[Goddess]], protecting the world another way. The movie over, [[Mami]] begins her departure from [[Earth]], starting her endless work anew with her Version Two [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br />
----<br />
In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] transformation, victory, and disappearance at [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|5|Family}}|[[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] tell [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] family that she has [[contract]]ed, to their horror. [[Kyouko]] defends [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] choice, and explains some of the [[magical girl]] system to them, though they prove to know more than most. Before [[Ryouko]] goes to bed, [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] comes to talk with her, expressing disappointment that [[Ryouko]] lied when she promised not to [[contract]], and talking the situation over. After watching [[Ryouko]] [[transform]] and discussing her weapon, an arbalest, she leaves [[Ryouko]] with the request to tell her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] (who had disappeared to join the military when [[Ryouko]] was a child) that her family was sorry, should [[Ryouko]] meet her.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] falls asleep, [[Kyouko]] sticks around to gather information on her family situation as per procedure. [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] grandfather [[Kuroi Abe]] willingly helps her out, explaining that [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] parents are near divorce, though [[Ryouko]] doesn't realize it, and that they know so much about magic because they're researchers. He also mentions that [[Ryouko]] has an [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]] she doesn't know about. That night, [[Ryouko]] dreams of an old encounter with a [[magical girl]], and finds that she still has the bracelet the girl gave her. She also recalls an old memory of her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] talking about [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]], though she doesn't understand it. After talking to [[Simona]] and her family a bit, [[Ryouko]] spends the morning reading through the swath of informational messages about her new life.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] tells her family she has [[contract|contracted]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|6|Military}}|[[Mami]] remembers the [[Mitakihara Four]]'s celebration of [[October Three]] with [[Homura]], shortly before the [[Contact War]]. The four of them poke fun at each other—including about [[Homura]]'s secret pupil and [[Kyouko]]'s "transgressions"—and eventually [[Mami]] suggests that they take a long vacation from the [[MSY]] together, only for the others to reluctantly shoot the idea down.<br><br />
<br>In the present, [[Mami]] arrives at the [[starport]] with her bodyguards and meets with [[Marianne Francois]], her intelligence officer, who she instructs to secretly investigate the [[grief cube]] supply chain as [[Kyouko]] asked. Later arriving at [[Carthago Shipyard]] via scramjet then space elevator then [[Navigator]], she attends a meeting of the [[General Staff]].<br><br />
<br>During the meeting, the Chair of the [[General Staff]] [[Roland Erwynmark]] reveals that the [[Cephalopod]]s have been discovered constructing a [[wormhole stabilizer]] in the [[Kepler-37 System]], at the tip of the ongoing [[Euphratic Incursion]]. This would allow the aliens to directly transport reinforcements into the system, within [[Blink]] distance of the [[Core World]] [[Optatum]], and so an immediate [[MagOps]] operation is planned to destroy it. [[Erwynmark]] then announces that he's appointing [[Mami]] as a special [[Euphratic Sector]] commander, over some opposition from her opponents on the [[General Staff|Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] is promoted, and tasked with destroying the discovered [[wormhole stabilizer]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|7|Southern Group}}|[[Kyouko]] wakes up (with [[Kishida Maki]] at her side) and while making the rounds at her [[Kyouko's Church|church]] discovers that [[Maki]] has painted the [[Goddess]] with pink hair, a previously unknown trait. However, [[Kyouko]] has to immediately leave to see [[Yuma]] about the [[grief cube]] incident. On the way, [[Kyouko]] remembers when she first met [[Yuma]], in a confrontation with the [[Southern Group]] shortly after [[Homura]] had first joined the team, before her personality change. [[Kyouko]] had immediately taken sympathy, and telepathically invited her to switch sides, though the very young [[Yuma]] had angrily refused after [[Kyouko]] insulted [[Oriko]], who had saved [[Yuma|Yuma's]] life.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko|Kyouko's]] reverie is briefly interrupted by [[Maki]], who tells her the idea of the pink hair came from [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Kyouko]] then further recalls the next two times she saw [[Yuma]]: first, months later after [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, in a chance encounter at a store where she had revealed she was doing "research" with [[Oriko]], and second, two years after that, when [[Kyouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Homura]] had saved her after the deaths of [[Oriko]] and the rest of [[Southern Group|her team]]. After that, they had [[Befriending|Befriended]] her, and once [[Yuma]] recovered she joined them as one of the [[Mitakihara Four]]. Eventually [[Yuma]] had told them what had really happened the night [[Oriko]] died, and they resolved to keep it secret.<br><br />
<br>As [[Kyouko]] arrives at [[MSY]] [[Governmental Affairs]] to see [[Yuma]], she lastly recalls [[Homura]] telling [[Yuma]] that the [[Goddess]] provided an afterlife for [[magical girl]]s, the only time [[Kyouko]] ever heard her say it out loud.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] remembers how [[Yuma]] ended up joining the [[Mitakihara Four]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|8|Church and State}}|[[Yuma]] runs out to greet [[Kyouko]] like an older sister, herself having taken on a nine-year-old form, and [[Kyouko]] is greeted by her [[Governance]] partner [[MG]] as well. [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] then meet privately to discuss the irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain, and the further reports of [[magical girl]]s going missing, and [[Yuma]] agrees to investigate. When [[Kyouko]] brings up the [[grief cube]] incident with [[Ryouko]], [[Yuma]] immediately deduces that the [[grief cube]]s were super-saturated with grief—a possible state kept very secret, though they don't have a sample to prove it. Before leaving, [[Kyouko]] recommends that [[Yuma]] visit [[The Ribbon]], but she demures just as [[Mami]] always does, instead giving [[Kyouko]] an [[Incubator]] plushie.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] checks with [[Kyubey]] briefly about the [[grief cube]]s, but he does not provide any new information, and so [[Kyouko]] ends up back at [[Kyouko's church|her church]], where she meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Patrica]] reveals that she kept some of the [[grief cube]]s from the incident after sensing something strange about them, and [[Kyouko]] tells her to inform [[Yuma]] through the plushie, which turned out to be enchanted as a [[telepathy]]-enhancer. [[Kyouko]] also gets [[Asaka]] to agree to share the details of the [[Goddess]]'s hair with the [[Theological Council]]. Finally, [[Kyouko]] gives a sermon on the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from, and announces that the church will be updating the statue of the [[Goddess]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] discover that the [[grief cube]]s planted near where [[Ryouko]] was attacked were super-saturated.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|9|Echoes}}|[[Ryouko]] arrives at [[Kyouko's church]], which holds [[MSY]] living quarters and local military facilities underground, in order to get her military upgrades. [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]] guide her through the process. [[Patricia]] notes that [[Ryouko]] has an extremely unusual genetic profile, requiring some adjustments to the process, and then begins the procedure. [[Ryouko]] watches in a semi-[[VR]] experience as the procedure installs a [[TacComp]], removes implants that are useless for [[magical girl]]s, and installs a [[Permanent Awareness Module]], among other things. Testing out her new capabilities, [[Ryouko]] sends [[Asaka]] a memory snapshot of the [[magical girl]] who gave her the bracelet she rediscovered after her [[contract]]. [[Asaka]] reacts oddly, but continues on to show [[Ryouko]] the armory and get her equipped with the required basics.<br><br />
<br>Then she cuts the tour short, instead bringing [[Ryouko]] to the [[Ribbon Chamber]]. At the [[Ribbon]], [[Ryouko]] finds herself in a confusing vision, seeing among other things [[Yuma]] at the death of [[Oriko]], [[Simona]] looking directly at her on her first day of class, [[Asaka]] receiving instruction from the [[Goddess]] to wait for the girl who sent her the memory [[Ryouko]] did, the [[Goddess]] herself briefly showing her face and telling [[Ryouko]] to keep it a secret, and the death of [[Kyouko]] on some sort of mission involving submarines. Both of them watching, [[Patricia]] comments to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] that for a few reasons, including [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s own presence, she's not that surprised [[Ryouko]] received a vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|10|Brigadier}}|[[Ryouko]], brought before the [[Theological Council]] to relate her vision, tells what she saw of [[Kyouko]]'s death, determining with them it was on a colony world and that what actually killed [[Kyouko]] was likely a laser, not a misfire from the submarines. She keeps the rest of the vision from [[Theological Council|the council]], though [[Asaka]] deduces easily that she saw the [[Goddess]]. [[Asaka]] goes on to explain the circumstances of her own vision, where she met again with her dead partner [[Alice]], whose death under her command had torn her apart. Now that she has recovered and her vision is resolved, [[Asaka]] tells [[Ryouko]] she plans to return to the front with [[Mami]], who has just been promoted.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Kyouko]] talks with [[Mami]] about [[Ryouko]], noting that her family tree is dense with [[contract]]ees and connected to the Shizuki and Kuroi [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], that [[Patricia]] found a number of novel mutations in her genetics, and that her friend [[Simona]] has some strange anomalies in her recorded past. Unsure what to make of this, and with no further progress on the [[grief cube]] incident, [[Mami]] agrees at [[Kyouko]]'s request to take on [[Asaka]] as a general, with [[Patricia]] and [[Maki]] as two of [[Asaka]]'s attachments.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] grapples with her vision, and [[Asaka]] explains how her story connects.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|11|Remains of a Life}}|[[Ryouko]] sets up her [[TacComp]] and chooses [[Atsuko Arisu]] as her designated psychiatrist, then goes out to eat dinner with her family and eventually ends up (through a test of her newfound right to drink alcohol without intoxication filters) bringing them to a firing range at [[Kyouko's church]]. There they visit other facilities, including a sparring area where they meet [[Risa Flores]], but [[Ryouko]]'s parents are surprisingly well-informed on the subjects. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] visit her spot near the [[starport]], and talk about their impending military lives, and the disappearance of [[Ryouko's grandmother]], both remembering her saying that she had lost something.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] receives her [[SW-155|officer's pistol]], and her [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] tells her she's planned a going away party. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends at a showing of ''[[Akemi]]'' and finally reveals her [[contract]] to them, also inviting them to the party. Watching the movie, [[Ryouko]] reflects on [[Homura]]'s beliefs, and the fact that her vision contradicts the movie's portrayal of [[Yuma]]. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] asks [[Simona]] what she was going to say to her before the [[demon]] attack, but [[Simona]] tells her to forget about it. [[Ryouko]] also asks about when she looked directly at her on her first day of class (as she saw in her vision), but [[Simona]] claims it was nothing.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, [[Yuma]] convinces [[Kyouko]] to have a spy bug planted on [[Ryouko]] for her protection, and warns her to be careful herself given [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] spends time with her family and friends as she prepares to leave for [[Contact War|war]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|12|Demon Hunter}}|[[Ryouko]] receives a [[CubeBot]] and three [[grief cube]]s, then studies combat doctrines with her [[TacComp]] until [[Kyouko]] invites her to join a [[demon]] hunt. [[Patricia von Rohr|Patricia]] and [[Risa Flores|Risa]] meet her at [[Kyouko's church]], where [[Kyouko]] appears briefly but leaves, clearly bothered by the impending departure of [[Kishida Maki]]. On the hunt itself, [[Ryouko]] uses her teleportation to rescue civilians, move other [[magical girl]]s in for attacks, and so forth, finding herself enjoying the combat. The hunt is interrupted by the injury of one girl, who loses an arm and part of her face, but [[Ryouko]] simply teleports them to the armory hospital, where she is told they will be fine shortly, and the rest of the hunt continues without incident.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] goes on a [[demon]] hunt.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|13|Differences of Knowledge}}|The next day, [[Ryouko]] goes to an [[MSY]] social gathering for new recruits, finding [[Risa Flores]] there as a chaperone, and meets a new girl named [[Nakihara Asami]], who shares her desire to explore new worlds, albeit as a xenobiologist. They get along well, and continue on to the next scheduled event together. The following day, [[Ryouko]] meets [[Atsuko Arisu]] for her psychiatrist appointment, who manages to get her freely talking about many things, including her [[wish]], and who also recommends that she talk with her parents about her family ancestry.<br><br />
<br>That night, [[Shizuki Kuma|Ryouko's father]] interrupts her reading on military subjects to take her to [[Prometheus]], where she meets [[Joanne Valentin]]—who appears to be the woman she saw shortly before the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]]—and receives an upgrade to Version Two for her [[TacComp]]. Afterwards, [[Shizuki Kuma|her father]] secretly takes her into [[Prometheus]]'s cloning facility where he and [[Kuroi Nana|her mother]] work, which he explains is used to provide new bodies to [[magical girl]]s who are reduced to [[soul gem]]s. [[Ryouko]] is shocked, especially upon seeing the beginning stages of her own clone, and bothered at the secrets kept from her.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns about the [[MSY]]'s [[cloning program]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|14|Bloodlines}}|[[Yuma]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Mami]] decide [[Ryouko]]'s discovery of the [[cloning program]] isn't a problem, and discuss the incident that led to [[Ryouko]]'s contract. [[Mami]] remembers seeing [[Joanne Valentin]] at the movie theatre shortly afterwards, and [[Yuma]] confirms that she was the woman near the [[demon]] spawn, and moreover that she mysteriously changed her whole life shortly after the [[Contact War]] began. Investigations into [[Simona]] and the [[grief cube]] supply chain problems [[Kyouko]] reported have unearthed more discrepancies, but nothing major, and [[Risa Flores]] hasn't reported anything from her watch over [[Ryouko]], and so they disperse.<br><br />
<br>Back at home, [[Ryouko]] reads the file on her family with her improving [[TacComp]], and discovers that her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] is stationed at the [[Apollo]] shipyard. Moreover, when viewing her family tree she finds much of it explicitly redacted, with the revealed portions being enough to show that she is a descendant of both the Shizuki and Kuroi [[Matriarchy|Matriarchies]]. Later, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] comes to talk to her, and [[Ryouko]] confronts her about the secrets she's kept. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]] says she's kept the secrets to prevent [[Ryouko]] from [[contract]]ing, and will explain more the next day at the going away party.<br><br />
<br>At the party, [[Ryouko]] receives a number of gifts, including a necklace with the Shizuki crest from [[Shizuki Koto]], her paternal grandfather, and a ruby ring with a helix inside, one of a pair from [[Simona]]. [[Kyouko]] arrives, and informs [[Ryouko]] that both her grandparents will be placed in slightly safer positions as part of standard procedure, her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] in particular being moved to the shipyards. Next to arrive is [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Kuroi Kana]], who begins an attempt to recruit [[Ryouko]] into the [[Black Heart]] (and reveals that [[Ryouko]]'s bracelet is in fact a Kuroi insignia), but she is immediately followed by [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Shizuki Sayaka]] and her own recruiting pitch. [[Kyouko]]'s poor intervention is followed by [[Atsuko Arisu]]'s successful one—her presence at the party revealing that she must be related somehow to [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>This is all further interrupted by the sudden appearance of [[Kuroi Nana]], the [[magical girl]] who gave [[Ryouko]] her Kuroi bracelet and until now her entirely secret aunt, a fact which displeases [[Ryouko]] greatly. [[Kuroi Nana]] brings her aside, promising to help explain the situation, and revealing that she's part of the secret [[Internal Security]], and has been searching for [[Akemi Homura]] on behalf of the [[MSY]]. With that said, they begin a memory transfer.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] meets [[Kuroi Nana]], her previously-secret aunt. }}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|15|Samsara}}|[[Ryouko]] experiences her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt's]] memories, with some explanation provided by a sub-sentient assistant.<br><br />
<br>In the memories, [[Kuroi Nana]] investigates the strange behavior of her [[Kuroi Nakase|younger sister]], finding with the help of a computer specialist that her sister's new friends weren't who they seemed, and secretly following them on a [[demon]] hunt. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]], in reality a [[magical girl]], rushes to save [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] when [[demon]]s attack, getting gravely injured in the process. [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] contracts to turn her sister mundane again, to her sister's relief. However, these events seriously strain their family, as their [[Ryouko's grandmother|mother]] isn't allowed to know about the [[MSY]]. When [[Homura]] offers to mentor [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]], she accepts, and all but leaves the family.<br><br />
<br>It's explained to [[Ryouko]] that when [[New Athens]] revealed the [[MSY]], [[Ryouko's grandmother]] blamed it for both her mother's death and her family's troubles, and insisted that [[Ryouko]] be kept from contracting.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] surfaces from the memories, [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] closes off by telling [[Ryouko]] that she had just reconciled with [[Ryouko's grandmother]], and they rejoin the party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns more of her family history from [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|16|Light of the Sky}}|[[Ryouko]] says goodbye to friends and family at the starport, journeying with [[Asami]] by scramjet and then space elevator. While riding the elevator, [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] names herself [[Clarisse]] after [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Ryouko]] muses that her [[wish]] may have somehow changed the past, causing all the sudden revelations of the past week. At the top, the new [[magical girl]]s take a [[Navigator]] shuttle to the [[HSS Spectre]], an old [[frigate]], who leads them around herself. When they reach the [[FTL]] core, [[Ryouko]]'s gem suddenly begins to shine.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finally leaves [[Earth]] with [[Asami]].}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude I: Underworld Dreams ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Unusually, this is a title with relatively direct meanings.''<br />
: ''[[Kugimiya Ito]] dreams of his old girlfriend [[Nakanishi Aiko]], as he digs into a transformed Japanese underworld.<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|17|Interlude I: Underworld Dreams}}|[[Kugimiya Ito]], a police detective in [[Mitakihara]], investigates the disappearance of [[Okamura Yuu|a local teenage girl]] with [[Minami Kaoru|his junior partner]]. Meeting the girl's parents makes him suspect abuse is the culprit, and reminds him of his old teenage sweetheart [[Nakanishi Aiko]], who disappeared under similar circumstances. Back at headquarters, while analyzing the case's evidence electronically, he happens upon an image of the girl meeting what looks to him like [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]. When he confronts the missing girl's friends about the [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]-lookalike, they unconvincingly deny knowing anything until a Yakuza-affiliated lawyer suddenly shows up. Investigating this lead leads him to a [[D&E]] logistics building, where he's confronted by Yakuza and nearly killed for knowing too much, until [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] suddenly intervenes, still the same age as when she disappeared.<br><br />
<br>Reeling, and told to drop the case by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] returns to headquarters, only to be met by [[Ronaldo Rizal|an Interpol agent]] who has been tracking similar mysterious cases. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] is asked to make contact with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again and investigate further. He successfully makes contact, and is brought to [[D&E]] headquarters with his partner, to be greeted by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], who treats him just like she did when they were dating, to his embarrassed pleasure. They meet the CEO of [[D&E]], who turns out to be [[Sakura Kyouko]] under an assumed name, and who explains the situation, including the fact that they already knew about the Interpol investigation. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] agrees to drop the investigation if he can confirm for himself that the missing girl is alright, and afterward retires to be with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again.<br />
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In short: [[Kugimiya Ito|A police detective]] happens across his [[Nakanishi Aiko|long-missing girlfriend]] and discovers she is part of an [[MSY]] Yakuza takeover.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume II: Inflationary Expansion ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''This is the universe's theorized early period of exponential inflation.''<br />
: ''Here, it likely refers to the escalation of plot and stakes, especially for Ryouko.''<br />
<br />
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<br />
{{Spbox|Volume II Summary|[[Ryouko]] completes her military simulation training, growing close to [[Asami]], and gets her first taste of real combat shortly afterwards as her convoy is unexpectedly and suspiciously attacked by [[Ceph]] fighters. After [[Ryouko]]'s successful defense there, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]], who doesn't know how to respond, and then both are recalled to the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]], where the first attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] has failed.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] is assigned to a [[MagOps]] team, and begins training while still wrestling with family and relationship confusion, including the sudden revelation of her [[TacComp]] [[Clarisse]]'s sentience. The eventual battle begins poorly, as the wormhole unexpectedly activates right at the start. [[Ryouko]]'s team presses on, only to find the mission much more difficult than expected, and they slowly attrit team members. They finally destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]], but as the [[Goddess]] reveals in a vision, the [[Ceph]] had already amassed a stealthed fleet large enough to take the system. Having realized that her power uses wormholes, [[Ryouko]] reopens the [[Ceph]]'s wormhole and sends the fleet back through, saving the day.<br><br />
<br>However, the battle was not without its casualties—[[Asami]] lost her body after nearly grief-spiraling upon hearing of [[Ryouko]]'s apparent death, [[Ryouko's grandmother]] died in a [[Ceph]] raid, and [[Erwynmark]] died as well, among others. Coming to grips with her sudden fame and new life amidst memorial services and the news of her parents' divorce, [[Ryouko]] decides to become [[Asami]]'s girlfriend. But there are more surprises in store: as the [[Goddess]]—who [[Ryouko]] discovers she is distantly related to—reveals in another vision, [[Ryouko]] will find herself caught up in even greater events soon enough.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delivers the [[Battle of Orpheus]], and connects with [[Asami]], as her old life falls away.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|18|To the Ground}}|The [[General Staff]] watches as a [[MagOps]] mission to take out the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, all members killed, after they are detected teleporting through [[Orpheus]]'s atmosphere. Afterwards, [[Mami]] dreams of her past failures, disturbing her [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br><br />
<br>On the planet [[Giungla]], [[Ryouko]] is embedded in a military unit along with other [[magical girl]]s, fighting against a [[Ceph]] invasion. She goes off mostly on her own to successfully rescue a soldier from her unit, and then joins up with a team of [[magical girl]]s to teleport into an alien attack column, again with significant success.<br />
----<br />
In short: The initial attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, as [[Ryouko]] gains combat experience elsewhere.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|19|To the Sky}}|Finding that she enjoys the combat, [[Ryouko]] works hard to sustain the [[human]] forces, but the arrival of a major [[Ceph]] fleet in system forces a general evacuation. They begin taking heavy losses, and [[Ryouko]] quickly becomes acting-Commander. [[Asami]] dies, [[Ryouko]] enters [[emotional suppression]], and just barely escapes... only to suddenly wake up from the accelerated [[VR]] simulation.<br><br />
<br>Calmed by [[Clarisse]] and relieved to see [[Asami]] alive, [[Ryouko]] heads back to their shared room in the training center on [[New Athens]]. [[Clarisse]] recommends that they read some "messages" together, which turn out to be relationship proposals for [[Ryouko]]. [[Asami]] comments that she had been warned this might happen, due to [[Ryouko]]'s mentors and heritage. The next day, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her [[wish]] was for her parents to stay together and understand each other, and [[Ryouko]] relays her own [[wish]], as they look forward together towards the end of training.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] finish simulation training.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|20|Relativity}}|[[Kishida Maki]] remembers how she [[contract]]ed and later met [[Kyouko]], dating, but breaking up after a fight over [[Maki]]'s decision to head to the front, and [[Kyouko]]'s refusal to explain her history with [[Miki Sayaka]], a near lookalike. Stationed on [[Apollo]] with [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]], [[Maki]] then heads out, completing another mission aboveground to secure a building back from the [[Ceph]].<br><br />
<br>Headed to [[Acheron]] with [[Asami]] and a new friend from training, [[Meiqing]], [[Ryouko]] suddenly notices a bright flash from her [[soul gem]]. Soon, the cause is discovered by the ship, [[Laplace]], to be [[Ceph]] fighters. The early warning allows them to dodge the initial missile attack, but eschewing standard doctrine, the [[Ceph]] turn around for another assault, forcing the transport's [[magical girl]]'s to fight them in space combat, with [[Ryouko]] taking charge. The fight goes well, but the final ship detonates its core in a desperate but futile attempt to kill them.<br><br />
<br>While recovering from the ensuing protective fugue, [[Clarisse]] reveals to [[Ryouko]] that she has uncovered the memory of her vision, and is in fact sentient. Afterwards, they arrive at [[Acheron]], minor heroes, and [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] attend a celebration of [[October Three]] together.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]]'s convoy is attacked unsuccessfully by [[Ceph]] fighters.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|21|Discontinuity}}|[[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Yuma]] meet virtually to celebrate [[October Three]], and discuss the mysteriousness of [[Simona]] and the unlikely and seemingly irresponsible attack on [[Ryouko]]'s convoy, the absence of [[Homura]] weighing on them.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] talks with [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about training and suitors, but fails to mention the attack on her convoy. [[Ryouko]] then goes with [[Asami]] to see a basketball game, and then to a volcanic spa, noting that [[Asami]] is acting strangely, and finding that she isn't enjoying the time on [[Acheron|a colony world]] herself as much as she expected. At the spa, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her romantic feelings to a stunned [[Ryouko]], who promises to think about it—they have little time to reflect, however, as they are at that moment recalled to active duty in the [[Kepler-37]] system, the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asami]] confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|22|Shifting Winds}}|Now on [[Mami]]'s flagship, the [[HSS Zhukov]], and unable to stop thinking about [[Asami]], [[Ryouko]] is awarded a medal for her performance during the [[Ceph]] attack on her convoy by the Field Marshall. [[Mami]] then brings her to the bridge, where they enter simulation as [[Mami]] explains the strategic situation. This is interrupted by a perfunctory [[Ceph]] attack, which [[Ryouko]] watches from the bridge.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, they reenter the simulation to meet [[Erwynmark]], and [[Ryouko]] is told about the planned second wormhole mission, which requires her teleportation capabilities. [[Ryouko]] is to be sent down to [[Apollo]] to meet with the rest of the team (and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]]) to prepare.<br><br />
<br>Resting after the earlier battle, [[Mami]] dreams of the destruction of her apartment by [[Oriko]], which reunited her with [[Kyouko]], and of other old memories, followed by a strange dream in which she and an unknown girl, somehow important to her, were in a plane crash.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] is assigned to the second [[wormhole stabilizer]] mission on [[Orpheus]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|23|Lost Love}}|Along with others, [[Mami]] plans Humanity's counteroffensive to support the [[Orpheus]] mission and end the [[Euphratic Incursion]]. Meeting with [[Erwynmark]], who will also lead the battle, they conclude that their success rests on the [[MagOps]] mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] thinks of her friends—including [[Chiaki]] on [[Earth]], who always teased [[Ryouko]] about relationships—and ends up calling [[Meiqing]], who insists that she call [[Asami]], who is broken up over [[Ryouko]]'s non-answer to her confession. However, there isn't time, as the [[HSS Raven]] brings her down to [[Apollo]], where [[Ryouko]] meets up with [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]], who was seriously injured in the fighting but recovering easily. They share some time together, as [[Ryouko]] informs him that she's going on a dangerous mission. Her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her family already knew about the attack on her convoy, and that he finally managed to find and talk with [[Ryouko's grandmother|his wife]] again, who wants to talk with [[Ryouko]] as well once there's a chance.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delays talking to [[Asami]], and meets [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]] on [[Apollo]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|24|Historian}}|[[Ryouko]]'s new [[MagOps]] team practices working together on [[Apollo]] by fighting the [[Ceph]]. Their team practice and bonding is later interrupted by the announcement of yet another new team member: [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Ryouko]]'s childhood hero and, as it turns out, personal friend of team commander [[Nadya Antipova]]. They immediately return to mission simulations, first knowing they're simulations, and later not, failing often—with [[Ryouko]] regretting not contacting [[Asami]] in her apparent final moments.<br><br />
<br>Recovering from this, the team socializes, and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Ryouko]] that she should talk to [[Asami]] even if she doesn't know what to say. Finally, [[Ryouko]] does so, telling her about the dangerous mission she's on, and asking her to survive the upcoming battle too so they can resolve things afterward. They end the call somewhat comforted, but [[Asami]] in particular finds herself still worried and unsure.<br><br />
<br>That night, resting, [[Ryouko]] has a mysterious seeming dream-vision, including a moment in the [[Cult]]'s rose garden on [[Earth]] where [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] speaks strange things and almost appears to be someone else unknown.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Clarisse van Rossum]] joins the wormhole team, and convinces [[Ryouko]] to contact [[Asami]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|25|Piercing the Sky}}|Waiting aboard the [[HSS Raven]], [[Clarisse]] and [[Ryouko]] find themselves ruminating on the possibility of their death, and the [[Goddess]]'s promised afterlife for [[magical girl]]s. [[Juliet Francois]] and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] both ask about [[Ryouko]]'s visions, but she defers, stating she doesn't think they are relevant to the current mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] begins the [[Human]] offensive, for her part attempting to draw [[Ceph]] forces away from [[Orpheus]]. While it initially appears a success, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] which was thought to be still under construction suddenly activates, and hordes of reinforcements begin pouring through.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Orpheus]] mission begins poorly, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] activating before it even begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|26|Blood and Ichor}}|[[Clarisse van Rossum]] decides the [[MagOps]] team must act immediately. Donning [[magitech]] armor, [[Ryouko]] teleports the team straight from low orbit to what looks to be the key stabilizer core for the [[wormhole stabilizer]]. After efficiently clearing out enemy personnel, [[Nadya]] announces that there are what appears to be twelve separate stabilizer cores, rather than the single expected one, of which perhaps up to four are real. They detonate a [[PAYNE|nuke]] on the closest core, teleporting away towards the next one.<br><br />
<br>This time they encounter even more waiting [[Ceph]], and clear them out with more difficulty. Suddenly, right when two fighters attack, a [[Ceph]] sniper takes shots at [[Eva Guderian]] and [[Ryouko]], killing [[Eva Guderian|Eva]] instantly and shattering [[Ryouko]]'s arm. In a rage, [[Ryouko]] teleports on top of the sniper and slaughters it.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[wormhole stabilizer]] survives an intended killing blow, and [[Ryouko]] loses control after [[Eva Guderian]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|27|Those Brilliant Shining Stars}}|Shocked at herself and slowly recovering, [[Ryouko]] realizes that her [[soul gem]] is not only pulling her towards the wormhole, but also reacting to the true stabilizer cores—and the one they lost [[Eva Guderian]] attacking is a fake.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, the fleet battle in system is going poorly, and [[Erwynmark]] defers to [[Mami]], who decides they must continue to hold out in hope of destroying the wormhole.<br><br />
<br>The [[Orpheus]] team quickly finds and destroys a second stabilizer core with their last [[PAYNE|nuke]], leaving still two more. The [[Ceph]] begin firing artillery at the third core when they arrive, forcing [[Clarisse van Rossum]] to seize their barrier generator [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]]'s [[soul gem]] to save her life. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] then executes a powerful attack that vaporizes the core, but knocks her unconscious.<br><br />
<br>Unexpectedly targeted, [[Erwynmark]]'s ship the [[HSS Arminius]] recommends evacuation. [[Erwynmark]] escapes the ship with his bodyguards, but [[Ceph]] interceptors somehow find his stealthed ship and chase it down, killing him.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Orpheus]] team destroys two more [[wormhole stabilizer]] cores, but [[Erwynmark]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|28|Invictus}}|The [[Orpheus]] team learns that the [[HSS Raven]], along with her remaining crew, has been discovered and destroyed, all but eliminating any hope of escape. [[Misa Virani]] gives her [[soul gem]] to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and takes advantage of the moon's electrical properties to generate an awe-inspiring electrical discharge, destroying the last [[wormhole stabilizer]] core. The wormhole above collapses violently, and the remainder of the team is suddenly caught in temporal/spatial distortions that threaten to rip them apart.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Misa Virani]] destroys the final [[wormhole stabilizer]] and the wormhole collapses, trapping the rest of the team.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|29|Deus ex gemma}}|[[Ryouko]] suddenly recalls a lecture given by [[Joanne Valentin]], and realizes that her teleportation uses wormholes, and that she can use the broken spacetime around them to teleport the team off [[Orpheus|the moon]]. At the same time, [[Ryouko]] realizes she's with the [[Goddess]], in a vision—this time, with [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]] too. The [[Goddess]] shows them [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[Apollo]], hard-pressed by the [[Ceph]]. [[Shirou Asaka]] manages to get forces in to save them, but [[Maki]] loses her body. They are also shown an unknown woman commander in the [[Apollo]] shipyards, who is killed by a [[Ceph]] commando raid.<br><br />
<br>Following that, [[Asami]] and her ''[[Magi Cæli]]'' team are shown defending the space around [[Apollo]] with some success, despite incredible new [[Ceph]] stealth capabilities. Attempting to extract, the team is suddenly caught and scattered, with [[Asami]] seriously injured and placed into a [[MedEvac]]. A sudden announcement from [[Tomoe Mami]] that the wormhole was destroyed at the apparent cost of the team involved, including [[Ryouko]], sends [[Asami]] into a despair spiral, and her body is ejected into space to preserve her [[soul gem]]. Finally, [[Ryouko]] is shown [[Mami]], who is pressing the apparent advantage at the destruction of the wormhole, even as she mourns the dead.<br><br />
<br>The [[Goddess]] then talks with [[Ryouko]], revealing the [[Ceph]] trap—a huge cloaked fleet had already come through the wormhole, enough to retake the system easily. The [[Goddess]] tells her to reopen the wormhole and send the fleet back, ending the vision. To her team's amazement, [[Ryouko]] does just that, and then just barely teleports them to [[Zhukov]]'s bridge before blacking out.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Goddess]] tells [[Ryouko]] to send back a cloaked [[Ceph]] fleet through the wormhole, saving the battle.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|30|Call to Power}}|[[Mami]] and [[Atsuko Arisu]] perform a dream interrogation of [[Ryouko]]—and also [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]], which complicates their attempt to loosen her up, as does the secret blocking of telepathic investigation by [[Clarisse van Rossum]]. [[Ryouko]] only explains that her power uses wormholes, and about her memory of the [[Joanne Valentin]] lecture that triggered the realization, avoiding religious questions. [[Ryouko]] meets afterwards with some of the [[Orpheus]] team, and is warned of the coming scrutiny she'll endure as a hero by [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and the revived [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]].<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] learns from her devastated [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]] was killed, and realizes she saw it in her vision. She attends the first of three memorial services in her near future, for the dead of the [[Orpheus]] team, meeting [[Marianne Francois]], whose daughter [[Juliet]] was killed aboard the now-revived [[HSS Raven]].<br><br />
<br>In a surprise to [[Mami]], the [[General Staff]] and [[Military Affairs]] select her as the new Chair in accordance with [[Erwynmark]]'s wishes.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] becomes the new Chair of the [[General Staff]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|31|Aspects of Love}}|On the planet [[Bismarck]] for [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial, [[Ryouko]] meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kyouko]], along with a couple of local kids, finding herself surprisingly distant from the latter due to her experiences. [[Ryouko]] admits to [[Kyouko]] that the [[Goddess]] came to her in a vision on [[Orpheus]] to tell her about the cloaked fleet, and is afterwards unknowingly accosted by a [[Shizuki Azusa|seductive Shizuki]] until [[Patricia]] saves her. [[Patricia]] informs her that [[Kishida Maki]] is still taking [[Kyouko]]'s continued absence hard, and that she is struggling herself, before collecting a more in-depth genetic sample from [[Ryouko]]. Later that day [[Mami]], attending virtually, gives [[Erwynmark]]'s eulogy.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] comes to grips with her newfound fame at [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|32|Decisions, Implications}}|[[Ryouko]] meets with her family at the starport, only to find her parents have divorced. Still shaken, she heads immediately to [[Asami]]'s revival, comforting her, and finding herself unexpectedly comforted herself to have [[Asami]] back.<br><br />
<br>After briefly meeting [[Asami]]'s family, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] head out to meet [[Ryouko]]'s friends. While waiting, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] how unhappy she is in combat, and, consoling her, [[Ryouko]] abruptly decides to become her girlfriend… right as [[Simona]], [[Ruiko]], and [[Chiaki]] arrive. [[Simona]] retreats to the bathroom, and [[Chiaki]] covers for her, instead planning the rest of the day. They go on to a restaurant and have a sleepover, the only disturbance being the strange arrival of [[Kyubey]], who claims only to be visiting.<br><br />
<br>At [[Ryouko's grandmother]]'s funeral, [[Ryouko]] discovers that her psychiatrist [[Atsuko Arisu]] is in fact the grandmother of [[Ryouko's grandmother]]. After the ceremony, which [[Ryouko]] finds she can't connect to, she is suddenly given a memory recording from a friend of [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]]. The memory reveals that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]] grandfather was [[Kaname Tatsuya]], once the younger brother of [[Kaname Madoka]], the [[Goddess]]. [[Tatsuya]] makes [[Homura]] promise to keep [[Ryouko's grandmother]] out of the [[MSY]], as he warns darkly of the future that would become the [[Unification Wars]], recalling in particular his daughter-in-law's wish for vengeance.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] rushes with [[Asami]] to the [[Ribbon]], with both [[Kyubey]] and [[Kyouko]] showing up to watch. A vision ensues, and the [[Goddess]] explains that she is indeed related to [[Ryouko]], as hinted previously, and that she tries to limit her interventions in the world, so that people can live their own lives. She explains that [[Ryouko]] has the special burden of having less freedom to live her own life, and that she will be called upon again.<br><br />
<br>Teleporting out immediately from the [[Ribbon Chamber]] to avoid questions, [[Ryouko]] learns that [[Asami]] also received a vision, assuaging her worries and including helpful relationship advice. Before [[Ryouko]] can digest that, [[Joanne Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] show up at her door with a proposal.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes [[Asami]]'s girlfriend, and finds out she will feature in the [[Goddess]]'s plans again.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude II: Madeleines ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Madeleines (small sponge cakes) feature in Proust's "In Search of Lost Time", a famous French novel noted for its theme of involuntary memory.''<br />
: ''Likewise, this interlude centers on the peculiar role of memory in an episode of [[Asaka]]'s past. The first snippet even includes relevant sections from Proust's novel.''<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|33|Interlude II: Madeleines}}|[[Shirou Asaka]] wakes from a strange recurring dream in which she has lost someone important to her, as a [[magical girl]] in some sort of [[Contact War|crazy alien war]]. [[Alice Lynwood]], her wife, reminds her to get it checked out, but is less successful in attempting to convince her to finally have a baby.<br><br />
<br>In a professional [[VR]] game playing as [[magical girl]]s in WWII with her second-in-command [[Madhuri]], [[Asaka]] finds she needs to sacrifice her to win. Suddenly, [[Asaka]] starts thinking [[Madhuri]] is somehow actually [[Alice]], and then the game is suddenly cut short by a strange simulation error. However, [[Asaka]]'s growing unease is again washed away by the joy of her life with [[Alice]].<br><br />
<br>[[Tanaka Yui]], [[Asaka]]'s therapist, suggests doing a dream study, and [[Patricia von Rohr]] comes to visit, both of them bringing up little oddities or inconsistencies in [[Asaka]]'s thoughts. The dream study returns an apparent suppressed memory, but one involving [[magical girl]]s and an [[Contact War|alien war]] that [[Asaka]] can't remember experiencing. Soon enough, all of reality seems to be changing for her—[[Madhuri]], her location, [[magical girl]]s. Finally running a full internal diagnostic, [[Asaka]] remembers what truly happened: she was forced to send her girlfriend [[Alice]] to her death to win a battle in the [[Contact War]]. Unable to process it, [[Asaka]] had [[Reformat|Reformatted]] herself and put herself inside a [[VR]] simulation where she could live with [[Alice]]. [[Tanaka Yui]] had been helping her face the truth after breaking into the simulation, along with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Madhuri]], and even [[Asaka]]'s own internal representation of [[Alice]]. [[Patricia]] tells [[Asaka]] afterwards that [[Alice]] had planned on proposing.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asaka]]'s self-[[Reformat]] and [[VR]] simulation are undone, and she begins to finally face her lover [[Alice]]'s death.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume III: Ontological Paradox ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''In an ontological paradox, events occur as part of a causal loop: an 'initial' event, in terms of linear time, eventually causes itself.''<br />
: ''This may refer to the nature of Ryouko's wish and/or the logic of the Goddess's interventions. <br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume III Summary|Now living with [[Asami]] and working in [[ITG|a lab]] to help humanity understand wormholes, [[Ryouko]]'s life is interrupted again when she is offered a chance to investigate a [[rogue colonies|rogue colony]] on [[X-25]]. When [[ITG|the lab]] collapses on her and [[Asami]] in an act of sabotage, they decide to join the mission.<br><br />
<br>The [[X-25]] colony turns out to have a massive bunker, and [[Kyouko]] leads a team with [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] in, discovering an attempt at mass-cloning [[magical girl]]s. Moreover, two separate traps attempting to kill [[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] are encountered, the second costing [[Ryouko]] her body.<br><br />
<br>After a vision revealing [[Yuma]]'s past, a revived [[Ryouko]] manages to push [[Kyouko]] into visiting [[the Ribbon]], where she meets with [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision, and finally reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]] afterwards. [[Ryouko]], for her part, faces the disturbing revelation that she's been genetically engineered, losing control of her life as she's whisked from [[Paris]] to [[Adept Blue]]. At the same time, [[Mami]]'s self-[[Reformat]] unravels, and she meets with the [[Goddess]] in a vision as she grapples with her restored memories, finally convinced to take a vacation.<br><br />
<br>However, events—and conspiracies—don't let go of them. [[Simona]], now a [[magical girl]] and always an agent assigned to [[Ryouko]], reappears to help [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] create wormholes spanning lightyears, though her love remains unrequited as [[Ryouko]]'s relationship with [[Asami]] grows stronger. During [[Mami]]'s vacation, she and [[Kyouko]] discover that [[Misa]] had in fact been recruited by [[Homura]] to fight a mysterious enemy, and [[Yuma]] learns that someone has corrupted the [[TCF]] from [[Simona]] and [[Valentin]], both part of a secret organization fighting it with alternate [[TCF]]s.<br />
<br>'''Volume incomplete; More chapters to be released.'''<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finds herself enmeshed in conspiracy, as [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] grapple with their pasts.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|34|The Bonds that Make Us}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Asami]] attend [[Yuma]]'s birthday party via [[VR]] from [[Eurydome]], where [[Ryouko]] was brought by [[Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] for wormhole research. [[Kyouko]] brings up [[Ryouko]]'s visions in front of [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Ryouko]] is forced to explain, choosing to also forward the memory she received from [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] intervenes in an argument between [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] about [[Kishida Maki]], and brings them to [[Ryouko]]. [[Ryouko]] is reminded of her first vision, where she saw [[Yuma]], and which seemed to contradict her official history—she even tells [[Kyouko]] this. [[Ryouko]] then goes to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] for life advice, and is told that she needs to talk over her desires for an extraordinary life with [[Asami]], who wants a more domestic life.<br><br />
<br>Away from the party, [[Yuma]] explains to [[Kuroi Nakase]], [[Ryouko]]'s mother, that [[Ryouko]] is probably the most genetically sure contract in history, and moreover, that she has a genetically-engineered second, hidden genome. [[Nakase]] knew only that [[Ryouko]] was likely to contract given her ancestry, and when pressed for information as to how she got the birth license, suddenly collapses—a non-fatal defense mechanism apparently built into tampered memories.<br />
----<br />
In short: At [[Yuma]]'s party, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] learns that [[Ryouko]] was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|35|Causality}}|[[Mami]] learns from [[Marianne Francois]]'s [[grief cube]] supply chain report that in a few rare cases for the past 10 years, there have been severe shortages followed by surpluses, where they would hurt the war effort the least. [[Mami]] is disturbed by not only the report, but also her unintended reading of [[Marianne]]'s mind.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Clarisse]] go over her visions, realizing that [[Simona]] was tank-born and seemingly knew her before they met, and that the [[Goddess]] likely manipulated the events leading to [[Ryouko]]'s contract.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], in a meeting with the [[Directorate]], is asked to investigate a distress signal from [[X-25|a cult's colony]] which was thought to have been destroyed en route to an entirely different planet. Elsewhere, [[Kyouko]] promises to tell [[Yuma]] to explain her past to [[MG]], and receives from [[MG]] a recording of what happened with [[Kuroi Nakase]] at [[Yuma]]'s party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives orders to investigate [[X-25|a mysterious colony]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|36|Chasing Ghosts}}|[[Ryouko]] learns in a call from her friends on [[Earth]] that [[Simona]] has moved away, and afterwards meets with [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Kyouko]], who ask her to join a mission to investigate [[X-25|a cult's colony]] related to [[Homura]], and to consider an offer from [[Kuroi Kana]] to properly join the intelligence services.<br><br />
<br>[[Kuroi Nana]] departs after being given the memory file from [[Ryouko's grandmother]], but [[Kyouko]] accompanies [[Ryouko]] to the lab, [[ITG]], and they discuss [[Ryouko]]'s visions a bit. During an experiment at the lab, the gravity generators go haywire, and the ceiling collapses—[[Ryouko]] is saved by [[Kyouko]] and [[Asami]], but [[Asami]] is seriously injured. In the hospital afterwards, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] and [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about the apparent attempt on her life that led to her [[contract]]. [[Kyouko]] explains that the incident at [[ITG]] appears to be another such attack. [[Ryouko]] decides to join the proffered mission, which [[Asami]] accepts on the condition that she come too.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] survives an attempt on her life at [[ITG|the lab]] on [[Eurydome]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|37|Seraphim}}|[[Kyouko]] convinces [[Mami]] to let her on the colony mission due to the [[Homura]] connection, and [[Mami]] tells [[Kyouko]] about the mysterious sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]]. However, [[Mami]] becomes inordinately emotional when discussing the necessity of ordering an investigative mind-read, and she later dreams of training mind-reading abilities that she doesn't remember.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] are taught defensive telepathic techniques en route to their mission, and [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] told her to stick with [[Ryouko]] for her safety. They then meet with [[Azrael Maslanka]], who tells them both about the true proliferation of [[rogue colonies]], and her own experience on one where she was genetically engineered with wings for flight, before the colony collapsed in civil war.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting, where she tells [[Mami]] about her vision in which [[Kyouko]] was killed. The details match [[Mami]]'s planned submarine mission exactly and, disturbed, she agrees to allocate more forces.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] learn about [[rogue colonies]] from [[Azrael Maslanka]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|38|Carpe Diem}}|A special [[Miki|sentient probe]] sent to investigate the cult's colony on [[X-25]] discovers a massive underground structure and comes under heavy fire, and the [[Directorate]] approves more forces for the mission in response.<br><br />
<br>[[Meiqing]] turns out to be part of the additional forces, and she, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] go out hiking together on [[San Giuseppe]] while waiting for more reinforcements to arrive. At the top, [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] her worries about how much their lives are at risk, and [[Azrael]] explains herself to [[Meiqing]].<br><br />
<br>Finally, the mission begins, with [[Task Force Rhamnusia|conventional forces]] taking the surface of the colony on [[X-25]].<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be heavily armed, and the [[Task Force Rhamnusia|correspondingly reinforced]] assault on it begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|39|Indelible Soul}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew descend to the pacified surface of [[X-25]], and [[Gracia]], to [[Ryouko]]'s distress, forcibly mind-reads captives to learn that the colony's leader, [[Grigori DeWitt]], has escaped to the bunker with children as hostages. [[Kyouko]] manages to convince [[Mami]] and [[Governance]] to let her lead a [[MagOps]] infiltration mission, despite their misgivings that [[Kyouko]] is doing so for personal reasons, given her history.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] chooses to bring [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] on the mission, among more experienced girls, largely on personal hunch. Mission underway, and despite being hampered by some sort of magical clairvoyance blocking, they quickly discover large numbers of human clones, an apparent attempt to clone [[magical girl]]s. The attempt to communicate this to the surface is blocked by the hostile telepath, however, and the team is discovered. Clearly personally angered by the situation, [[Kyouko]] insists that they fight their way through rather than escape.<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be attempting [[magical girl]] cloning.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|40|Through a Mirror}}|The [[X-25]] team kills a number of guards, only to discover that they are cloned teenagers, heavily implanted, horrifying the rookies into [[emotional suppression]]. [[Gracia]] manages to determine that the cloned girls are transformed into controlled guards once they failed to contract, and that contracts weren't happening. [[Kyouko]] decides that they must find and capture the enemy telepath, before more clones are killed.<br><br />
<br>They find the enemy [[magical girl]], but before they act to kill her, [[Asami]] notices that [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]] is glowing slightly. Off-put by that and everything else that doesn't add up, the team nearly rebels against [[Kyouko]]'s insistence on attacking the enemy [[magical girl]], until [[Ryouko]] manages to convince [[Kyouko]] to relent by suggesting that the [[Goddess]] placed her on the mission for that reason.<br><br />
<br>Investigating, [[Asami]] detects a [[Ceph]]-like stealth device concealing a nuke, [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] disabling it right afterwards. An alarm goes up, and the enemy [[magical girl]] suddenly pleads for help. The girl, [[Sacnite Tafani]], tells them that [[DeWitt]] had been controlling her with the threat of a suicide implant, and had lied about hiding the colony's children in the bunker as bait for the nuclear trap. <br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] prevents [[Kyouko]] from rushing into a stealthed nuclear trap on [[X-25]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|41|Cause and Effect}}|Ruminating over the mission, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] decide to visit [[Sacnite]], as [[Mami]] makes a limited announcement of the mission to the general public. [[Mami]] approves the visit to [[Sacnite]] as a propaganda shoot, and [[Azrael]] joins them. Comforting [[Sacnite]], [[Ryouko]] promises to spend more time with her. Afterwards, [[Meiqing]] confides to [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] that the mission has impacted her a lot, and that she's glad she was able to help, given her family's shameful efforts in the [[Unification Wars]] to develop the cloned [[FA Elites]].<br><br />
<br>Having finally determined the whereabouts of [[DeWitt]] and the colony's children, [[Kyouko]] leads an attack on the stealthed facility, which meets with no resistance. [[DeWitt]], however, manages to kill himself via suicide implant, after claiming he was trying to figure out what blocked [[magical girl]]s "transcendence". [[Kyubey]] then appears, saying that [[DeWitt]] had based his beliefs on what [[Homura]] had achieved, thinking to have seen her alive on [[Optatum]], and that he was supported by another group which escaped in a cloaked ship. Refusing to say anything more—and strangely calling [[Kyouko]] by her personal name—[[Kyubey]] disappears, and [[Kyouko]] walks off alone to think. Feeling uneasy about the situation, and thinking of her vision, [[Ryouko]] follows… only to lose her body saving [[Kyouko]]'s life from an attack by a supposedly-friendly drone.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] loses her body saving [[Kyouko]] from a sudden drone attack.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|42|No Light Without Shadow}}|The [[MSY]] [[Leadership Committee]] meets to discuss recent events, including the attack on [[Kyouko]], the results of the [[grief cube]] audit, and the sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]], among others, but to no real conclusion. After the meeting, [[Kyouko]] is surprised by [[Atsuko Arisu]], her therapist, who to [[Kyouko]]'s anger tells her both that she should have stepped aside during the [[X-25]] mission and that she should stop hiding from her feelings for [[Kishida Maki]].<br><br />
<br>With [[Asami]] personally guarding [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]], she, [[Ryouko]]'s family, [[Meiqing]], and even [[Sacnite]] plan to travel to [[Earth]] for [[Ryouko]]'s revival, which has been delayed for unspecified reasons. Meanwhile, both [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] assign security teams for [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>Through a [[VR]] recreation, [[Mami]] reveals to [[Kyouko]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] that it appears [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]] didn't fail, but was instead somehow swapped out for another. The soul mage who put the [[soul gem]] that failed into stasis saw that it had a meek, shy personality which, she found out later, didn't match [[Misa Virani|Misa]]'s at all. However, the [[VR]] review they perform doesn't show any possible moment in which [[Misa]]'s [[soul gem]] could have been swapped.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] discovers that [[Misa Virani]] is likely alive, her [[soul gem]] swapped for another.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|43|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part One}}|[[Ryouko]] finds herself in another vision, in which the [[Goddess]] explains that [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], and [[Mami]] are more fragile than they seem, and that their "phase transition" must be managed carefully. [[Ryouko]] looks, and sees…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]], noting that [[Kyouko]] is being pushed into finally confronting her relationship problems and that they need to help her, tells [[Mami]] and [[MG]] about her past with the [[Southern Group]], and about [[Miki Sayaka]]…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s abusive parents, unable to pay debts, attempt to sell her to the Yakuza, until the [[Southern Group]] suddenly intervenes. They kill the Yakuza, but [[Mikuni Oriko]] is seriously injured, and [[Yuma]] wishes to heal her. [[Yuma]] memory of this is patchy, though, and [[Oriko]] informs [[Yuma]] that the Yakuza killed her parents, so she'll take her in. Under [[Oriko]]'s tutelage, [[Yuma]] lives a good life and learns much, but she can see that the [[Southern Group]] is vicious to others and generally hated. [[Oriko]] favors [[Yuma]], to the other members' chagrin, and shares secrets like her efforts to try to bring [[Kyouko]] and [[Sayaka]] together before splitting them apart, and her work to saturate [[grief cubes]], which [[Yuma]] later accidentally discovers leads to [[demon]] spawns.<br><br />
<br>Uneasy with her new life, [[Yuma]] runs into [[Sayaka]], who is clearly very troubled herself, explaining that she was in [[Southern Group]] territory to die fighting their evil. Instead, [[Sayaka]] takes [[Yuma]] to dinner. [[Yuma]] runs into Yakuza on the way back, but [[Sayaka]] appears, killing them before disappearing—though a shocked [[Yuma]] manages to reattach one's head and save his life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Sayaka]] had died fighting a horde of [[demon]]s at a violin concert, and pieces together the truth: [[Oriko]], using her power to see the future and saturated [[grief cubes]] [[Yuma]] had made, purposefully spawned the [[demon]]s to kill [[Sayaka]].<br><br />
<br>In the present day, [[Yuma]] explains that she wants to tell [[Kyouko]] all this, so that she won't blame herself for [[Sayaka]]'s death, but has been afraid to since she was involved. After talking this over, [[Yuma]] continues the story for [[MG]]'s sake…<br><br />
<br>[[Clarisse van Rossum]] visits [[Oriko]] and [[Yuma]], telling [[Oriko]] that there may be some merit to [[Homura]]'s strange belief in a [[Goddess]], and passing [[Yuma]] an anonymous message saying she has the potential to change things, and that [[Oriko]] only sees what she tries to see.<br><br />
<br>Life finally calms down for [[Yuma]] after this, though her studies accelerate, as [[Oriko]] uses magic to enhance her mind.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] reveals that [[Oriko]] caused [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|44|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part Two}}|[[Ryouko]]'s vision continues, as she watches [[Yuma]] retell her past to [[Mami]] and [[MG]]…<br><br />
<br>Upset at [[Oriko]]'s use of saturated [[grief cube]]s to kill others, [[Yuma]] sabotages the machine used to make them, but [[Oriko]]'s machinations continue, with team leaders like [[Kuroi Kana]] forced to come and beg for the return of captured members. One night, another team led by [[Tanaka Yui]] attacks, [[Yuma]] just barely escaping—or so she thought, as she instead leads the attackers right to the rest of the [[Southern Group]]. But before the ensuing battle, [[Yuma]] finds that the rest of her team is torturing and killing other [[magical girl]]s to absorb their powers.<br><br />
<br>Fleeing in horror, [[Yuma]] finds herself taken in at a church, where she finds the Yakuza man whose life she saved earlier. He explains that he had saved a number of girls held by the Yakuza and was now on the run, trying to do good and live a better life as atonement. [[Yuma]] talks with [[Reverend Hashimoto|the priest]] sheltering him, and he tells her she should forgive herself for not stopping everything that's happened. That night, [[Yuma]] receives a message from [[Kuroi Kana]], which helps her to realize that [[Oriko]] had in fact had her parents killed.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] returns to the [[Southern Group]], now under blockade and uneasy. [[Oriko]] claims that they are still on the path towards eliminating the Yakuza and bringing about a better world, but [[Yuma]] decides that they must be destroyed. Taking the advice passed on by [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Yuma]] manipulates the [[Southern Group]] in order to change the future without [[Oriko]] noticing. Eventually, during an already difficult [[demon]] fight, she spawns hordes more [[demon]]s using saturated [[grief cube]]s, and manages to turn her team members against each other. All but [[Oriko]] are killed, and [[Oriko]] finally realizes what has happened. Telling [[Yuma]] there may still be hope for her, she crushes her own [[soul gem]].<br><br />
<br>Warning obscurely that a crisis is coming, the [[Goddess]] ends [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] explains how and why she killed the [[Southern Group]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|45|The Body Electric}}|Back on [[Earth]], [[Asami]] is still unable to face the results of her [[wish]], and longs for [[Ryouko]] to return—which she does, along with [[Clarisse]], to their surprise. [[Clarisse]] tells [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] explained she does have a soul, and that her body would be regenerated by [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]]. [[Valentin]] explains that the delay in the revival was due to both [[Clarisse]]'s regeneration and some necessary handling for [[Ryouko]]'s unique genetics. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends, including [[Sacnite]], who is being de-aged physically to match her mental age, and her new [[matriarchy]] bodyguards, who get along poorly.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] bursts in soon after, followed by [[Yuma]], who oddly both make a point of asking [[Ryouko]] if she was told why her revival was delayed. It soon becomes clear that [[Yuma]] is using [[Ryouko]] to confront [[Kyouko]] about her behavior, and in the ensuing argument [[Kyouko]] reveals she already figured out [[Yuma]] and [[Oriko]] were involved in [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death. After [[Yuma]] departs, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Kyouko]] about her vision, mollifying her until the subject of [[Kishida Maki]] comes up.<br><br />
<br>Having walked out in a rage despite knowing [[Ryouko]], like everyone else, is right about [[Maki]], [[Kyouko]] visits [[the Ribbon]]. In the ensuing vision, [[Kyouko]] meets her little sister [[Sakura Momo]], who tells her to move on from her past. [[Kyouko]] then descends onto a beach where she finds [[Miki Sayaka]], who finally convinces [[Kyouko]] to try reconciling with [[Kishida Maki]], and who also shows [[Kyouko]] a glimpse of eternity.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] is comforted by her sister and [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|46|Wheels Within Wheels}}|Eating dinner with [[Kyouko]] and her friends and family, [[Ryouko]] is surprised by [[Valentin]], who drops by to inform her that [[Governance]] would like to use the [[Orpheus|upcoming movie]] about her to inform the public about V2 [[TacComp]]s. [[Valentin]] also conveys her regrets that [[Ryouko]]'s parents had split, especially since she had introduced them.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]], acting a bit odd, brings the crew shopping the following day, only for them to be suddenly surprised by [[Kishida Maki]], who had apparently been assigned by someone to give [[Ryouko]] a message regarding [[Orpheus|the movie]]. [[Kyouko]] confesses to [[Maki]] that she started their relationship because of her physical similarity to [[Miki Sayaka]], but tells [[Maki]] that it had grown beyond that, so she wants to try again. Skeptical, but still in love, [[Maki]] accepts her.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, [[Maki]] explains to [[Ryouko]] that the ''[[Orpheus]]'' movie team would like to bring her to [[Paris]] to provide assistance. [[Ryouko]] agrees to go, but is uneasy about having her life directed by yet another proposition she can hardly turn down.<br><br />
<br>At the same time, in [[Paris]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Nadya Antipova]] that she's discovered [[Misa Virani]] likely underwent a [[Reformat]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|47|City of Lights}}|In underground [[Paris]], and bothered by the incongruity of that with her wish, [[Ryouko]] meets with her aunt [[Kuroi Nana]]. She warns [[Ryouko]] that [[Shizuki Sayaka]] will try to pull her in, showing her what life on [[Earth]] has to offer, and notes that she has opportunities with the Kuroi [[Matriarchy]] as well, though it wouldn't be an easy life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] meet with the actors who will play them in [[Orpheus|the movie]], who have altered their appearances to match them exactly. [[Clarisse]] also is invited to join them in hologram form, and they go to the set to act out scenes. Thinking on her reenacted past, [[Ryouko]] finds she misses the meaningfulness of the war.<br><br />
<br>At a bar that night, they come across a mysterious friend of [[Ryouko]]'s [[Elisa Yamada|actor counterpart]], who invites them to a [[VR]] facility.<br />
----<br />
In short: In [[Paris]], [[Ryouko]] uneasily cooperates with ''[[Orpheus]]'s'' production.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|48|To Know Thyself…}}|Hidden in [[Paris]], [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] meet to discuss the apparent conspiracies in action. [[Ryouko]]'s genetic anomalies have been investigated further, and an entirely novel portion of her brain has been found, of still-unknown purpose. Meanwhile, on the way to the [[VR]] center, [[Ryouko]] and crew are stopped by a sudden inexplicable power loss, and then are dragged away by a sudden massive [[demon]] spawn. [[Yuma]] is informed of this via [[Incubator]] plushie, and realizes that [[Shizuki Sayaka]]'s plan to secretly investigate [[Ryouko]]'s brain in a [[VR]] session is being thwarted by a deliberate [[demon]] spawn. [[Nadya]] notes that the power outage looks almost like [[Misa]]'s handiwork.<br><br />
<br>The [[demon]] hunt isn't easy, but [[Ryouko]] is aided by a pair of [[magical girl]]s who oddly refuse to identify themselves. Not long afterwards, [[Rebecca Shu|a messenger]] from [[Kuroi Kana]] appears, revealing that the mystery woman accompanying them is in fact [[Shizuki Sayaka]], and further revealing the planned [[VR]] scan.<br><br />
<br>Brought to a secret location, [[Ryouko]] is told by [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Kuroi Nana]] about the genetic engineering done to her, along with the fact that her parents were unaware and their memories altered. They further explain need to examine [[Ryouko]] more closely, and the apparent attempt to prevent this. [[Ryouko]], overwhelmed, leaves to be alone with [[Asami]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns that she was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|49|Transition State}}|[[Mami]], finding herself plagued by an inexplicable headache, is approached by her [[MHD]] [[Charlotte Meitner|minder]], only for the minder to collapse from a sudden brain hemorrhage, though [[Mami]] is able to heal her.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive at [[Adept Blue]], on orders from [[Mami]], all attempts to probe the genetically engineered portion of her brain having failed. The lab's [[AI]] director, [[Vlad]], greets them there, as does [[Mami]]—surprisingly, in person. They reveal that they've made a breakthrough, which should allow them to construct a range amplifier for [[Ryouko]], with [[Asami]]'s help. [[Mami]] also explains that, given the unknown function of the modifications to [[Ryouko]]'s brain and the recent attempts on her life, [[Ryouko]]'s presence on asteroid-borne [[Adept Blue]] with her bodyguards and [[Patricia von Rohr]] makes her more secure.<br><br />
<br>Alone, [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] discuss her circumstances: she's all but on the run from the [[MHD]], and clearly suffering from the unraveling of a [[Reformat]]. They agree to bring in an outside telepath to investigate.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] discuss their situation and their [[wish]]es, taking consolation in the fact that at least they've been brought and kept together in the whirlwind of their lives.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive on [[Adept Blue]] to help develop new wormhole technology in a secure location.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|50|Sub Rosa}}|[[Mami]] brings [[Azrael]] to [[Adept Blue]], and asks her to help undo her [[Reformat]]. They dive together into [[Mami]]'s memories, and discover an aspect of her own mind, taking various forms. It explains that [[Mami]] self-[[Reformat]]ted, using her now-suppressed impressive telepathic powers to tear off a piece of herself to create the block in her mind. [[Mami]] makes herself whole again, and remembers what she forgot…<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], traveling with her lover [[Akiyama Akari]] in the late twenty-first century, is suddenly caught in a crisis when their plane explodes. [[Mami]] burns almost all her magic trying to save the entire plane, but fails, and [[Akari]] is near death. Sharing their last moments together using [[Akari]]'s soul mage powers, [[Mami]] observes with horror the beginnings of [[Akari]]'s transformation into a terror of despair, until her [[soul gem]] finally vanishes.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] manages to survive, kill the local [[magical girl]]s responsible for the destruction of the plane, and turns herself in. [[Homura]] talks with her alone, explaining that she knew about the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from. [[Mami]], unable to deal with this revelation or the loss of [[Akari]], asks for help in [[Reformat]]ing herself.<br><br />
<br>After [[Mami]] resurfaces from the memories, [[Kyubey]] appears, claiming to be interested in both information-gathering and her well-being. [[Mami]] finds herself, as she had hoped, older and wiser enough to handle the end of her [[Reformat]], though left with unfinished business. She immediately questions [[Ryouko]] about the [[Goddess]], and both [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] tell her that [[Goddess|She]] does exist. [[Kyubey]] comments that it can't say such things are impossible, and [[Mami]] decides to visit [[the Ribbon]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] undoes her self-[[Reformat]] and learns the original fate of [[magical girl]]s.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|51|Eternal Search}}|With work continuing on the new wormhole tech, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] talk. [[Azrael]] explains how she handled her own genetic modification and controlled life, eventually deciding to look to the future and just ask for what she wanted, to surprising success. [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] that she thinks she's only really been happy on missions, which [[Asami]] had already realized.<br><br />
<br>On [[Earth]], [[Kyouko]] brings [[Mami]] to [[the Ribbon]], and they discuss the fact that someone must have triggered the unraveling of [[Mami]]'s [[Reformat]], and that logically it must have been [[Homura]].<br><br />
<br>At the [[Ribbon]], [[Mami]] enters a vision and meets—and immediately attacks—[[Oriko]]. Unharmed, [[Oriko]] responds merely by apologizing for her actions in life. [[Oriko]] explains that, as [[Homura]] told [[Mami]], what she saw with [[Akari]] was the beginnings of a terrible transformation made impossible by the [[Goddess]], and that [[magical girl]]s are instead brought to her afterlife. The [[Goddess]] herself then tells [[Mami]] that she needs to learn to let go and stop burying herself in endless work for humanity. The [[Goddess]] brings out [[Machina]] too, revealing her sentience to [[Mami]], and suggests they go on vacation, promising that there won't be [[Cephalopod]] activity for a few weeks.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]] explaining matters, and is encouraged to take a vacation.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|52|Who We Are}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew meet unexpected visitors on [[Adept Blue]]: [[Valentin]], and [[Tao]] from [[ITG]]. [[Tao]] explains that he's made some important theoretical breakthroughs that should help their work, and [[Valentin]] explains that [[Vlad]] and [[Clarisse]] are part of two separate attempts to create separate [[TCF]]s, to help provide more security against attacks like the hacked drone on [[X-25]].<br><br />
<br>Doing rescue work on a colony world retaken from the [[Ceph]], [[Zhou Meiqing]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting with [[Kuroi Nana]], who is investigating [[X-25]]. She tells [[Meiqing]] that the [[Far Seers]] have determined both of them were deliberately placed on the mission by [[Homura]] somehow, and that they recommended asking [[Meiqing]] to work with her in the [[Black Heart]]. [[Meiqing]] asks for time to decide.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] remembers going with [[Homura]] to interrogate a prisoner, [[Zhou Zhi Yi]], during the [[Unification Wars]]. On the way, [[Yuma]] asks [[Homura]] how the [[Goddess]] can allow so much evil to happen, and [[Homura]] responds that she doesn't know. [[Zhi Yi]] tells them that her work developing the [[FA Elites]] was mere prelude to her plans to genetically modify humanity to serve [[magical girl]]s needs, seeing it as the only way to preserve humanity long-term. [[Yuma]] executes her.<br><br />
<br>Back in the present day, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Simona]] has been found, and is now a [[magical girl]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] comes to [[Adept Blue]], and [[Simona]] is discovered to be a [[magical girl]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|53|Alignment}}|[[Shizuki Sayaka]] reveals to [[Yuma]] that she found [[Simona]] in [[Paris]]—they were both aiding [[Ryouko]] during the suspicious [[demon]] attack. [[Simona]] explains she's part of a mysterious organization trying to "save the world", and offers them a deal: she will give them information to ensure the safe creation of wormholes by [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]], on the condition that she join them on any missions using those wormholes to attack the [[Ceph]]. As proof of her good intentions, she agrees to undergo full [[soul mage]] examination.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] meets with [[Marianne Francois]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[New California]] as part of her attempted vacation. [[Mami]] also enjoys [[Machina]]'s company as they eat at a restaurant together, before moving on to a séance organized by the [[Far Seers]] meant to investigate what happened to [[Misa Virani]]. [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] enter into a strange vision in which they find themselves playing characters tracking down a mysterious enemy facility with [[Homura]]. They run into [[Misa]]—accompanied by [[Kyouko]] and [[Nadya]], similarly playing characters—who is tracking her friend whose [[soul gem]] supposedly failed mysteriously. [[Homura]], who is inhabiting another body as a disguise, reveals herself, and afterward convinces [[Misa]] to self-[[Reformat]] and destroy the building to hide the truth.<br><br />
<br>Using the mathematics provided by [[Simona]], and with [[Clarisse van Rossum]] in attendance, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] successfully create a long-distance wormhole.<br />
----<br />
In short: A séance reveals [[Homura]]'s role in [[Misa]]'s past, as [[Humanity]]'s first wormhole is created with the help of information from [[Simona]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|54|Eternal Youth}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] learn from the [[soul mage]] examination of [[Simona]] that the [[TCF]] has been seriously breached. Back at [[Adept Blue]], [[Simona]] watches [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]]'s successful wormhole test, reminiscing about her childhood as part of a secret project to design and implement an alternate, uncompromised [[TCF]]. [[Simona]] then reveals herself and her new status as a [[magical girl]] to [[Ryouko]] in the celebration following the successful test. [[Ryouko]], suspicious because of her vision which implied [[Simona]] was involved in the conspiracies surrounding her, confides her worries in [[Clarisse van Rossum]], who along with [[Clarisse]] [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] validates her worries and further reveals that [[Simona]] is in love with her. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] asks [[Earth]] for more information about exactly what is going on.<br><br />
<br>On [[New California]], [[Maki]] presses [[Kyouko]] on her melancholy attitude, and [[Kyouko]] confesses her worries about their relationship and how she's used romance in the past to fight against her own age. [[Nadya]] and [[Marianne Francois]] talk about their kids, reflecting on the death of [[Juliet Francois]], until [[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Maki]] arrive to meet them. Bothered by the somber mood on what's supposed to be a vacation, the group ends up going dancing—[[Mami]] in particular doing so with abandon—until they are interrupted with news from [[Yuma]]. That night, [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] discuss their recent visions, and [[Mami]] informs [[Kyouko]] she's been suddenly recalled to the [[General Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]]'s memories reveal a breach in the [[TCF]], as she meets [[Ryouko]] at [[Adept Blue]] and as [[Mami]]'s vacation comes to a close.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|55|New Perspectives}}|Headed back towards [[Earth]], Mami attends a virtual meeting of the [[General Staff]]. The new [[Coeus Project]]'s intelligence has revealed that the [[Ceph]] have regrouped faster than expected after the [[Battle of Orpheus]], so the Staff agrees to request more military resources and to put every effort into developing another "knockout" punch before the [[squid]] can attack again.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Azrael]] shares a [[VR]] recreation of her [[Terra Roja|old colony]], complete with flight-enabling bioengineered bodies, with [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Patricia]]. After some flying, conversation eventually turns to the topic of [[Simona]], and [[Ryouko]] decides to share everything she's worried about and ask for advice. When the other girls then suggest directly confronting [[Simona]] to resolve the romantic situation and uncover the truth, [[Ryouko]] initially balks. However, realizing that her life would remain out of her control as long as she never takes action herself, [[Ryouko]] changes her mind and agrees to the plan.<br><br />
<br>Meeting remotely, [[Vlad]] informs [[Mami]] that their wormhole experiments have uncovered a confounding space-time anomaly near a pulsar, and [[Mami]] realizes that it matches one of the mysterious, newly-discovered [[Ceph]] facilities the [[General Staff]] had been examining as potential targets.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] decides to confront [[Simona]], while [[Mami]] investigates a [[squid]] [[pulsar mines|pulsar facility]] as a potential target.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|56|Pulse}}|[[Simona]], suddenly facing [[Ryouko]]'s demands for answers, explains her secretive life, from her upbringing up through her assignment to [[Adept Blue]]. Though she refuses to share everything, particularly the breach in the [[TCF]], she does reveal her wish: to be understood by, and to protect, [[Shizuki Ryouko]]. With mixed feelings, [[Ryouko]] agrees to give [[Simona]] a chance to earn back trust, but makes clear that she does not reciprocate [[Simona]]'s love.<br><br />
<br>Shortly afterward, [[Vlad]] and [[Asami]] run a new experiment investigating the strange [[pulsar mines|pulsar]] in [[Ceph]] space, and [[Asami]] discovers a huge network of stations facilitating the 'mining' of its space-time for use in [[Blink technology]]. [[Mami]] is immediately informed, but before taking action, she first returns to the [[Ribbon]]. There, the [[Goddess]] reassures her that her heart really is in the right place, and tells her that humanity needs her heroism once again. The [[Goddess]] then hints towards the [[pulsar mines]], and gives [[Mami]] a glimpse into the mystery of the [[Cephalopod]]s as a whole.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]] explains herself to [[Ryouko]], and [[Mami]] meets again with the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|57|Triple Point}}|[[Mami]] visits [[Adept Blue]], promoting [[Asami]] for her recent work and informing her and [[Ryouko]] that she needs them to help destroy the [[pulsar mines]] to stave off the [[Ceph]]. While that project gets underway, [[Asami]] and [[Ryouko]] get a break, which they choose to spend together in one of the partially-restored wildernesses of [[Earth]]. There, they discuss their relationship, and find their hopes for it have somewhat converged: Asami is in less of a rush to settle down, and Ryouko is thinking more about the long-term. For the first time, Ryouko says "I love you."<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere in deep space, [[Vlad]] christens the construction of a massive new wormhole apparatus [[Project Armstrong]], and discusses with [[Tao]] the heightened security measures and screening now seemingly necessary to protect it from internal threats. And elsewhere on [[Earth]], a disguised [[Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] stop [[Nakase]] and [[Sacnite]] as they exit a showing of ''[[Orpheus]]'' to talk about unblocking her memories of the agreement she made to get [[Ryouko]]'s birth license.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Project Armstrong]] gets underway as [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] strengthen their relationship.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|58|On Trusting Trust}}|[[Nakase]]'s memories reveal that [[Valentin]] was responsible for genetically engineering [[Ryouko]], but [[Valentin]] disappears before she can be apprehended, leaving behind a letter implying that she is in fact [[Akemi Homura]]. [[Yuma]], seeing the connections between [[Valentin]], [[Ryouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] all running through the [[Cult of Hope]], and discounting the possibility that the [[Goddess]] could be real, begins to fear that the [[Cult]] is a malevolent conspiracy. However, she first is forced to address the definitely malevolent conspiracy which has compromised the original [[TCF]]—including [[MG]], to their mutual distress. [[Yuma]] and a patched [[MG]] rapidly expand their circle of informed and/or repaired AIs, starting with [[MG]]'s friends.<br><br />
<br>One of those friends, ''[[Governance: Cult of Hope]]'', acts against [[Yuma]]'s wishes and contacts [[Clarisse]] just as she and [[Ryouko]] are returning to [[Project Armstrong]]. When asked, [[Clarisse]] confirms the rumor that she had experienced visions from the [[Goddess]] convincing her that AIs have souls, but she unhappily decides she can't yet tell [[Ryouko]] about the [[TCF]] breach given the still-mysterious organ in her brain.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] vanishes once exposed as responsible for [[Ryouko]]'s genetic modifications, and [[Yuma]] begins restoring the [[TCF]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|59|Parlor Games}}|[[Nadya]], chasing down leads on [[Valentin]] from [[Kyouko]], ends up on [[Yenisei]] visiting family. The slightly tense visit is interrupted by a power outage, and the revelation that [[Piotr|her grandson]] saw [[Misa]]. [[Nadya]] hurriedly enlists local help from the [[Cult]], but finds only [[Misa]]'s trail of destruction, not the girl. In a ruined structure, hidden from local networks and drones in a manner implying [[TCF]] corruption, she digs up damaged data crystals.<br><br />
<br>The crystals end up containing a set of deep space coordinates, and [[Kyouko]] tries to set up a meeting with [[Yuma]] to discuss them, only to find that [[Yuma]] is off [[Earth]] for the first time in her life. [[Yuma]] herself is disturbed by the invitation, which included several high-ranking [[Cult]] members, but is forced to focus on the immediate task of repairing [[Nova]], [[Governance]] representative for [[Nova Terra]]. The mission nearly spirals out of control, but with help from [[MG]] and others, [[Yuma]] manages to induct [[Nova]] and her considerable resources into a still-intact conspiracy. This quickly bears fruit in the form of uncovered coordinates—unbeknownst to [[Yuma]], the same ones [[Nadya]] found.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], a crystal salamander delivers a message from [[Homura]] to [[Simona]]: "I'm sorry for everything."<br />
----<br />
In short: Both the [[Cult]] and [[Yuma]], running parallel investigations, uncover a mysterious set of coordinates.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|60|Digital Divination}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Simona]] practice in simulation for their upcoming mission: using [[Project Armstrong]]'s wormhole apparatus to launch [[jumpstrike|an attack]] on the [[Ceph]]'s [[pulsar mines]]. The simulation ends in their deaths—not an uncommon occurrence, a fact which weighs on them, especially [[Asami]]. But [[Ryouko]] works hard to support her girlfriend, even genetically engineering an exotic plant for [[Asami]] to wear in her hair as a gift.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s investigation into the AIs involved in [[Ryouko]]'s life turns up no [[TCF]] corruption, but indicates that the conspiracy she faces may have simply covered their tracks. Her investigation into the mysterious deep space coordinates yields more: a hidden asteroid base. [[Yuma]] plans to personally lead a field mission, using experimental anti-[[IIC]] technology to prevent any occupants from revealing [[Yuma]]'s conspiracy to their own. Excluded from [[Yuma]]'s planning, [[Kyouko]] unknowingly organizes a [[Cult]]-sponsored expedition to the same exact coordinates.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] hears the [[Goddess]]'s voice telling her not to go to the pulsar.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] independently plan deep space missions to the same coordinates, while [[Ryouko]] undergoes simulation training for [[Project Armstrong]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|61|Into the Void}}|[[Yuma]] and a field team of fellow [[Ancient]]s and escort ships visit the deep space asteroid base and find evidence of contact between the [[Ceph]] and [[Governance]] [[Representatives]] early in the war, ending in the death of the alien representatives. [[Kyouko]] then arrives with a large contingent of [[Cult of Hope]] members, leading to a brief flaring of tensions, before Yuma and her group is ambushed by an alien attack force.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, [[Ryouko]] and the others at [[Adept Blue]] launch their wormhole attack on the pulsar. While initially semi-successful, the task force is thrown for a loop when the aliens begin to tear their wormhole apart, and Ryouko suddenly cannot teleport.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] discover secret [[Ceph]]-[[Governance]] contacts from the early war, and then are ambushed by an alien raid. [[Ryouko]] and [[Project Armstrong]] attack the [[pulsar mines]], but alien countermeasures confound the effort.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|62|The Dying Light, Part One}}|[[Yuma]] and her [[Ancients]] struggle to hold out against [[Ceph]] raiders while [[Kyouko]]'s ships rush to link up with them. They eventually succeed, but at the cost of [[Raven]], many mundane crew and Spec Ops, and [[Ceri|a magical girl]] from [[Kyouko]]'s forces.<br><br />
<br>At the pulsar, [[Ryouko]]'s team can't end the block on her teleportation, and they have to be rescued by [[Oda|another teleporter]]. Upon returning to the wormhole, [[Asami]] is unable to fully stabilize it, and [[Ryouko]] leaves to raid the pulsar's mining facilities in response. Her teleportation is blocked again there, but this time she finds the source: mysterious [[Ceph]], with a [[blink interdictor]], as she learns unexpectedly with help from the strange organ in her brain. Still, the delays have been too much, and the order is given to abort the mission as soon as the wormhole is stabilized.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, despite having combined their forces, [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] are slowly losing their battle—and then [[Yuma]] learns the alien bombers are about to make a second pass, fully reloaded by a stealthed supply ship.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] face destruction by [[Ceph]] raiders. [[Ryouko]]'s brain module activates, and the pulsar mission has fallen apart.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|63|The Dying Light, Part Two}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] concoct a radical plan: surreptitiously place [[supersaturated grief cubes]] on the departing alien bombers as an indirect surprise attack on the alien supply ship. They take heavy casualties from the second bombing, however, and learn that calling for reinforcements had caused a counterreaction from whoever compromised the [[TCF]].<br />
<br />
[[Ryouko]] makes more contact with alien machines through the strange organ in her brain, and [[Patricia]] helps her to decode some of the information before [[Oda]] and another team arrive to help teleport them away. Regrouping with [[Asami]], they learn she has successfully restabilized the wormhole. Ryouko explains that with the information she has received, she has acquired a bit more insight into her teleportation, enabling her to teleport objects without teleporting herself. Asami then concocts a radical plan of her own, proposing that Ryouko teleport one of her black holes near the pulsar as they evacuate, which would devastate the region.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Yuma's group continue their gambit. Using information gathered by Ryouko, they activate their captured alien vessel's [[blink]] drive, teleporting the surviving members of the group to the now-incapacitated alien supply ship. They board the ship and discover, to their confusion, that the demons they spawned are feeding on some of the Ceph. With no time to ponder this, they drain the ship's exotic matter fuel tanks to manufacture interdiction charges, which are then used on their pursuers in order to escape for good. [[Charlotte Meitner]] and [[Nadya Antipova]] die in this final battle.<br />
<br />
At the pulsar, the evacuation is nearly complete, and Asami and Ryouko resolve to perform their gambit. [[Simona]] vehemently disagrees and attempts to kidnap Ryouko to stop this, but is defeated, her soul gem torn from her body. Asami and Ryouko then successfully teleport a black hole near the pulsar, and attempt to evacuate through the wormhole with Oda's teleport as the pulsar undergoes gravitational collapse. However, this teleport is interrupted by the wormhole fracturing, and while Oda, Asami, and others seem to make it through, Ryouko is trapped when the wormhole collapses, dumping her 24 light-minutes from the pulsar, heavily injured.<br />
<br />
Before the radiation shockwave from the pulsar reaches her and kills her, an alien vessel makes contact using Ryouko's strange organ, offering rescue. With no other option, Ryouko teleports aboard, and the ship blinks away.<br />
<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] escape the [[Ceph]], but take heavy casualties. [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] destroy the pulsar mines, but [[Ryouko]] is stranded, forced to accept rescue from an alien ship.}}<br />
<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude III: Manifest Destiny ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Manifest Destiny is a term describing the belief that the United States, due to its special virtues, had both a duty and a destiny to expand west into North America.''<br />
: ''It also describes similar beliefs in the [[MSY]] during its fifth phase, as it reached further and further beyond the island nation of Japan.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|64|Interlude III: Manifest Destiny}}|The soul mage [[Akiyama Akari]], pursuing a rogue South Korean soul mage [[Seoyun]], is caught up in a major incident in which [[Tomoe Mami]] is mind-controlled by [[Seoyun]]. Akari manages to free her by turning Seoyun's soul manipulation—generated love for the target—towards herself instead.<br />
<br />
In the aftermath, Mami proposes that the two of them try a relationship, and this goes quite well. Akari begins researching the "[[energy gap]]", and the MSY decides to change its [[Charter]], embarking on a new, expansionist agenda to expand beyond Japan.<br />
<br />
This eventually pulls them both back into Korea: the MSY's expansion into the area has collapsed [[grief cube prices]], critical to magical girls along both sides of the DMZ. The situation escalates with a bombing in Seoul by a magical device using a soul gem for power, and then escalates again when a threat against [[Mitakihara]]'s airport is discovered, accompanied by a letter threatening a nuclear-scale device which bridges the energy gap. Akari and Mami work feverishly on security, and disaster is barely averted, though the bomb fails to bridge the energy gap.<br />
<br />
Finally identifying the source of the bombs inside North Korea, Akari accompanies a strike force that assassinates the mage responsible.<br />
<br />
In the wake of these events, Mami and Akari attend negotiations with other North Korean magical girls from the border region affected by the crash in grief cube prices, stabilizing the situation. But then the North Korean government collapses in a coup by Chinese-backed plotters, leading to sudden opportunities for MSY expansion into North Korea from the north. Mami and Akari lead successful negotiations in Pyongyang and depart for China, the two of them blissfully unaware of the conventional bomb planted on their plane by DMZ radicals.<br />
<br />
After Akari's death (detailed in [[Chapter 50]]), [[Homura]] discourses out loud in private, perhaps to [[Madoka]], discussing the dark turn of events and the resulting founding of the [[Black Heart]] intelligence organization.<br />
---<br />
'''In short: [[Akari]] and [[Mami]] navigate their relationship as the [[MSY]] navigates expansion outside Japan.'''}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume IV: Einstein-Rosen Bridge ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''An Einstein-Rosen Bridge is a hypothetical way of connecting two spacetime coordinates; in other words, a wormhole.''<br />
: ''The subject of [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] power and the [[Cephalopod|Cephalopod's]] wormhole tech may feature prominently.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude IV: Ubermensch ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Übermensch is Nietzsche's idea that humanity should turn away from the other worlds and values promoted by "dead" religions and gods, setting instead the goal of advancing new, superior generations of humans on earth.''<br />
: ''This may refer to [[FA]] ideologies, or even aspects of [[Governance]] thought. It notably stands in contrast to Ryouko's life and wish.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume V: Dark Energy ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Dark energy is a proposed form of energy that drives the accelerating expansion of the universe towards eventual heat death.''<br />
: ''This may imply topics ranging from the role of the [[Incubator]]s to the [[magical girl system]] itself.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Interlude V: Destroyer of Worlds ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Part of a quote by the god Vishnu in the Bhagavad Gita, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Made famous by J. R. Oppenheimer, who later said he thought of the line after witnessing the first test of an atomic bomb.''<br />
: ''Perhaps covers the Unification Wars, which saw heavy use of atomic weapons. May include [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s role, a character who notably was also present for the first atomic detonation.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume VI: Singularity ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''A singularity is a point at which a function takes an infinite value, especially in space-time when matter is infinitely dense, as at the center of a black hole. It is also a term used for the hypothetically unknowable changes to the human condition caused by superintelligence.''<br />
: ''In former sense, it may reference [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] or [[Asami|Asami's]] powers. In the latter, perhaps it refers to [[Governance|Governance's]] Emergency Mode Level Four.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div></div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=To_the_Stars&diff=1590To the Stars2022-07-29T06:38:28Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* Volume III: Ontological Paradox */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Quote|After centuries of turmoil, a Utopian AI/human government has seized control of Earth, heralding a new age of post-scarcity and space colonization. An unexpected encounter with a hostile, technologically superior alien race has broken the peace, forcing magical girls to come out of hiding to save human civilization.<br />
<br />
In the midst of it all, Shizuki Ryouko, an ordinary girl, looks to the sky, wondering at her place in the universe.|Hieronym|author of To the Stars<br />
}}<br />
<br />
This page summarizes the entire story, volume by volume and chapter by chapter, for those who want a refresher on events. It also includes the names of all future volumes and interludes, [http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/55779437700/future-interlude-title-change as released by] [[Hieronym]] many years ago.<br />
<br />
Each section is collapsed by default, to avoid unwanted spoilers; use the right-hand "Expand" buttons to view descriptions.<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
== Synopses ==<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume I: Quantum Entanglement ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon where groups of particles cannot have their state completely described independently of each other, even if separated by large distances.<br />
: ''This perhaps describes the position Ryouko finds herself in.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume I Summary|[[Shizuki Ryouko]], a regular girl dissatisfied with her utopian life, [[contract]]s and becomes a [[magical girl]], [[wish|wishing]] to leave [[Earth]], explore, and "find my place in this universe". Her life rapidly turns anything but ordinary, as day by day wild events pile up and new secrets from her past reveal themselves. She ends up under the tutelage of both [[Tomoe Mami]] and [[Sakura Kyouko]], learns that the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]] was deliberately caused by someone, discovers that she's the descendant of two powerful competing [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], receives a mysterious vision from a magical girl [[Goddess]], finds out her parents have been working on a secret project cloning bodies for [[magical girl]]s to use, receives a special V2 [[TacComp]], and learns about her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]], protege of [[Akemi Homura]], whose wish turned [[Ryouko]]'s own [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] from a [[magical girl]] back to a regular human.<br><br />
<br>All along, [[Ryouko]] struggles to adjust, learning as much about magical and military worlds she's entering as she can. Saying goodbye to friends and family, and starting to make new friends among her fellow [[magical girls]], she finally departs [[Earth]], led by her [[wish]] out into a strange new universe.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]], and begins to discover her unusual place in the universe.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|1|A Wish}}|[[Ryouko]] goes to school, dissatisfied with her life. She feels out of place in a world where her family at home and friends at school seem to enjoy the near-utopian [[Earth]], even as a [[Contact War|war]] against an [[Ceph|alien]] menace rages. However, [[Mandatory Session|classes]] are interrupted by the appearance of [[Tomoe Mami]] nearby, who has taken a detour to check the school for potential [[magical girl]] recruits with [[Kyubey]], who claims he has found one. The sighting leaves [[Ryouko]] dwelling on the remote possibility of becoming a [[magical girl]], distracting her enough that she unthinkingly agrees to go on a date with another boy from class. [[Simona]], one of her friends, sees that she's unhappy and follows her out to a riverbank with a view of the [[starport]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], on the other hand, surreptitiously visits [[Kyouko]] in her church to discuss [[the Cult]]'s discovery of irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain. She agrees to look into it and departs, only to encounter a [[demon]] spawn on her way back. At the riverbank, [[Simona]] is about to confess her feelings for [[Ryouko]], when they are suddenly attacked by [[demons]]. [[Ryouko]] manages to keep the both of them alive for a short while before getting trapped. At the moment she attempts to sacrifice herself to save [[Simona]], [[Mami]] saves them both, and along with [[Kyubey]] explains that [[Ryouko]] has the [[potential]] to make a [[wish]] and become a [[magical girl]]. {{Quote|"I wish I could leave Earth," Ryouko said, looking down, "and explore this world. I want to go where no one else has gone before and find my place in this universe."}}<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|2|Fantasma}}|[[Mami]], with some reluctance, separates [[Simona]] from [[Ryouko]] and lets [[Kyouko]] take over the immediate training. [[Kyouko]] runs her through the ropes quickly, learns that [[Ryouko]] has an unprecedented 200km teleportation range, and assigns herself as a mentor along with [[Mami]], who has in the meantime realized that [[Simona]] had a crush on [[Ryouko]]. [[Mami]] advises [[Simona]] not to tell [[Ryouko]] how she feels. [[Ryouko]] fights her first [[demon]]s with [[Kyouko]], and afterwards [[Patricia von Rohr]] shows them a pile of [[grief cube]]s she found, indicating the [[demon]] spawn was deliberate. The [[Incubator]]s swear off responsibility, and all [[Ryouko]] can remember is seeing a woman in the distance just beforehand. [[Kyouko]] promises to investigate.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] discovers that someone deliberately spawned the [[demon]]s which led to her [[contract]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|3|Mami Watches a Movie, Part One}}|Disguised, [[Mami]] attends the movie ''[[Akemi]]''. It depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] upbringing in an orphanage, her [[wish]], and then [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, which triggers a vision of the [[Goddess]] for [[Homura]] that changes her personality markedly. It then depicts [[Yuma]] asking to be taken in by [[Homura]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]]—a fabrication, the movie-watching [[Mami]] notes—and the resulting [[Mitakihara Four]] founding the [[MSY]]. The movie montages through the [[MSY|MSY's]] history, jumping ahead to the alien [[Cephalopod]]'s first attack on [[Aurora]], after which [[Homura]] rallies the [[MSY]] to send a massive force of [[magical girl]]s to [[New Athens]] to stop the next attack.<br />
----<br />
In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] life up until [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|4|Mami Watches a Movie, Part Two}}|With [[Mami]] in attendance, the movie ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Mami]] and [[Homura]] directing a surprise assault on the [[Cephalopod]]s at [[New Athens]]. Initially the battle goes well, and the [[Human]] forces on the ground rally, but the aliens deploy stronger measures in turn. [[Homura]] goes out to personally lead the counterattack, but the combination of stealth armor and orbital strikes is too much, and she falls in battle… only to find that her [[soul gem]] refuses to fill with [[grief]], preventing her from being taken away by the [[Law of Cycles]], to her despair. [[Homura]] then suddenly heals from her wounds, and her white wings are replaced by huge, horrible black wings. Almost entirely by her own power, she leads the counterattack to victory, at the end personally redirecting an orbital superweapon back at the [[Ceph]] fleet.<br><br />
<br>In the final scene of the movie, [[Kyouko]] argues to an unconvinced [[Mami]] that the battle proves [[Homura|Homura's]] faith in her [[Goddess]] has merit, only for both of them to be interrupted by [[Homura|Homura's]] arrival. [[Homura]] announces her resignation from the [[MSY]], leaving one of her [[The Ribbon|ribbons]] with them, and declares that she is leaving to look for her [[Goddess]], protecting the world another way. The movie over, [[Mami]] begins her departure from [[Earth]], starting her endless work anew with her Version Two [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br />
----<br />
In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] transformation, victory, and disappearance at [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|5|Family}}|[[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] tell [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] family that she has [[contract]]ed, to their horror. [[Kyouko]] defends [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] choice, and explains some of the [[magical girl]] system to them, though they prove to know more than most. Before [[Ryouko]] goes to bed, [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] comes to talk with her, expressing disappointment that [[Ryouko]] lied when she promised not to [[contract]], and talking the situation over. After watching [[Ryouko]] [[transform]] and discussing her weapon, an arbalest, she leaves [[Ryouko]] with the request to tell her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] (who had disappeared to join the military when [[Ryouko]] was a child) that her family was sorry, should [[Ryouko]] meet her.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] falls asleep, [[Kyouko]] sticks around to gather information on her family situation as per procedure. [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] grandfather [[Kuroi Abe]] willingly helps her out, explaining that [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] parents are near divorce, though [[Ryouko]] doesn't realize it, and that they know so much about magic because they're researchers. He also mentions that [[Ryouko]] has an [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]] she doesn't know about. That night, [[Ryouko]] dreams of an old encounter with a [[magical girl]], and finds that she still has the bracelet the girl gave her. She also recalls an old memory of her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] talking about [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]], though she doesn't understand it. After talking to [[Simona]] and her family a bit, [[Ryouko]] spends the morning reading through the swath of informational messages about her new life.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] tells her family she has [[contract|contracted]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|6|Military}}|[[Mami]] remembers the [[Mitakihara Four]]'s celebration of [[October Three]] with [[Homura]], shortly before the [[Contact War]]. The four of them poke fun at each other—including about [[Homura]]'s secret pupil and [[Kyouko]]'s "transgressions"—and eventually [[Mami]] suggests that they take a long vacation from the [[MSY]] together, only for the others to reluctantly shoot the idea down.<br><br />
<br>In the present, [[Mami]] arrives at the [[starport]] with her bodyguards and meets with [[Marianne Francois]], her intelligence officer, who she instructs to secretly investigate the [[grief cube]] supply chain as [[Kyouko]] asked. Later arriving at [[Carthago Shipyard]] via scramjet then space elevator then [[Navigator]], she attends a meeting of the [[General Staff]].<br><br />
<br>During the meeting, the Chair of the [[General Staff]] [[Roland Erwynmark]] reveals that the [[Cephalopod]]s have been discovered constructing a [[wormhole stabilizer]] in the [[Kepler-37 System]], at the tip of the ongoing [[Euphratic Incursion]]. This would allow the aliens to directly transport reinforcements into the system, within [[Blink]] distance of the [[Core World]] [[Optatum]], and so an immediate [[MagOps]] operation is planned to destroy it. [[Erwynmark]] then announces that he's appointing [[Mami]] as a special [[Euphratic Sector]] commander, over some opposition from her opponents on the [[General Staff|Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] is promoted, and tasked with destroying the discovered [[wormhole stabilizer]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|7|Southern Group}}|[[Kyouko]] wakes up (with [[Kishida Maki]] at her side) and while making the rounds at her [[Kyouko's Church|church]] discovers that [[Maki]] has painted the [[Goddess]] with pink hair, a previously unknown trait. However, [[Kyouko]] has to immediately leave to see [[Yuma]] about the [[grief cube]] incident. On the way, [[Kyouko]] remembers when she first met [[Yuma]], in a confrontation with the [[Southern Group]] shortly after [[Homura]] had first joined the team, before her personality change. [[Kyouko]] had immediately taken sympathy, and telepathically invited her to switch sides, though the very young [[Yuma]] had angrily refused after [[Kyouko]] insulted [[Oriko]], who had saved [[Yuma|Yuma's]] life.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko|Kyouko's]] reverie is briefly interrupted by [[Maki]], who tells her the idea of the pink hair came from [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Kyouko]] then further recalls the next two times she saw [[Yuma]]: first, months later after [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, in a chance encounter at a store where she had revealed she was doing "research" with [[Oriko]], and second, two years after that, when [[Kyouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Homura]] had saved her after the deaths of [[Oriko]] and the rest of [[Southern Group|her team]]. After that, they had [[Befriending|Befriended]] her, and once [[Yuma]] recovered she joined them as one of the [[Mitakihara Four]]. Eventually [[Yuma]] had told them what had really happened the night [[Oriko]] died, and they resolved to keep it secret.<br><br />
<br>As [[Kyouko]] arrives at [[MSY]] [[Governmental Affairs]] to see [[Yuma]], she lastly recalls [[Homura]] telling [[Yuma]] that the [[Goddess]] provided an afterlife for [[magical girl]]s, the only time [[Kyouko]] ever heard her say it out loud.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] remembers how [[Yuma]] ended up joining the [[Mitakihara Four]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|8|Church and State}}|[[Yuma]] runs out to greet [[Kyouko]] like an older sister, herself having taken on a nine-year-old form, and [[Kyouko]] is greeted by her [[Governance]] partner [[MG]] as well. [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] then meet privately to discuss the irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain, and the further reports of [[magical girl]]s going missing, and [[Yuma]] agrees to investigate. When [[Kyouko]] brings up the [[grief cube]] incident with [[Ryouko]], [[Yuma]] immediately deduces that the [[grief cube]]s were super-saturated with grief—a possible state kept very secret, though they don't have a sample to prove it. Before leaving, [[Kyouko]] recommends that [[Yuma]] visit [[The Ribbon]], but she demures just as [[Mami]] always does, instead giving [[Kyouko]] an [[Incubator]] plushie.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] checks with [[Kyubey]] briefly about the [[grief cube]]s, but he does not provide any new information, and so [[Kyouko]] ends up back at [[Kyouko's church|her church]], where she meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Patrica]] reveals that she kept some of the [[grief cube]]s from the incident after sensing something strange about them, and [[Kyouko]] tells her to inform [[Yuma]] through the plushie, which turned out to be enchanted as a [[telepathy]]-enhancer. [[Kyouko]] also gets [[Asaka]] to agree to share the details of the [[Goddess]]'s hair with the [[Theological Council]]. Finally, [[Kyouko]] gives a sermon on the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from, and announces that the church will be updating the statue of the [[Goddess]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] discover that the [[grief cube]]s planted near where [[Ryouko]] was attacked were super-saturated.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|9|Echoes}}|[[Ryouko]] arrives at [[Kyouko's church]], which holds [[MSY]] living quarters and local military facilities underground, in order to get her military upgrades. [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]] guide her through the process. [[Patricia]] notes that [[Ryouko]] has an extremely unusual genetic profile, requiring some adjustments to the process, and then begins the procedure. [[Ryouko]] watches in a semi-[[VR]] experience as the procedure installs a [[TacComp]], removes implants that are useless for [[magical girl]]s, and installs a [[Permanent Awareness Module]], among other things. Testing out her new capabilities, [[Ryouko]] sends [[Asaka]] a memory snapshot of the [[magical girl]] who gave her the bracelet she rediscovered after her [[contract]]. [[Asaka]] reacts oddly, but continues on to show [[Ryouko]] the armory and get her equipped with the required basics.<br><br />
<br>Then she cuts the tour short, instead bringing [[Ryouko]] to the [[Ribbon Chamber]]. At the [[Ribbon]], [[Ryouko]] finds herself in a confusing vision, seeing among other things [[Yuma]] at the death of [[Oriko]], [[Simona]] looking directly at her on her first day of class, [[Asaka]] receiving instruction from the [[Goddess]] to wait for the girl who sent her the memory [[Ryouko]] did, the [[Goddess]] herself briefly showing her face and telling [[Ryouko]] to keep it a secret, and the death of [[Kyouko]] on some sort of mission involving submarines. Both of them watching, [[Patricia]] comments to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] that for a few reasons, including [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s own presence, she's not that surprised [[Ryouko]] received a vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|10|Brigadier}}|[[Ryouko]], brought before the [[Theological Council]] to relate her vision, tells what she saw of [[Kyouko]]'s death, determining with them it was on a colony world and that what actually killed [[Kyouko]] was likely a laser, not a misfire from the submarines. She keeps the rest of the vision from [[Theological Council|the council]], though [[Asaka]] deduces easily that she saw the [[Goddess]]. [[Asaka]] goes on to explain the circumstances of her own vision, where she met again with her dead partner [[Alice]], whose death under her command had torn her apart. Now that she has recovered and her vision is resolved, [[Asaka]] tells [[Ryouko]] she plans to return to the front with [[Mami]], who has just been promoted.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Kyouko]] talks with [[Mami]] about [[Ryouko]], noting that her family tree is dense with [[contract]]ees and connected to the Shizuki and Kuroi [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], that [[Patricia]] found a number of novel mutations in her genetics, and that her friend [[Simona]] has some strange anomalies in her recorded past. Unsure what to make of this, and with no further progress on the [[grief cube]] incident, [[Mami]] agrees at [[Kyouko]]'s request to take on [[Asaka]] as a general, with [[Patricia]] and [[Maki]] as two of [[Asaka]]'s attachments.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] grapples with her vision, and [[Asaka]] explains how her story connects.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|11|Remains of a Life}}|[[Ryouko]] sets up her [[TacComp]] and chooses [[Atsuko Arisu]] as her designated psychiatrist, then goes out to eat dinner with her family and eventually ends up (through a test of her newfound right to drink alcohol without intoxication filters) bringing them to a firing range at [[Kyouko's church]]. There they visit other facilities, including a sparring area where they meet [[Risa Flores]], but [[Ryouko]]'s parents are surprisingly well-informed on the subjects. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] visit her spot near the [[starport]], and talk about their impending military lives, and the disappearance of [[Ryouko's grandmother]], both remembering her saying that she had lost something.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] receives her [[SW-155|officer's pistol]], and her [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] tells her she's planned a going away party. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends at a showing of ''[[Akemi]]'' and finally reveals her [[contract]] to them, also inviting them to the party. Watching the movie, [[Ryouko]] reflects on [[Homura]]'s beliefs, and the fact that her vision contradicts the movie's portrayal of [[Yuma]]. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] asks [[Simona]] what she was going to say to her before the [[demon]] attack, but [[Simona]] tells her to forget about it. [[Ryouko]] also asks about when she looked directly at her on her first day of class (as she saw in her vision), but [[Simona]] claims it was nothing.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, [[Yuma]] convinces [[Kyouko]] to have a spy bug planted on [[Ryouko]] for her protection, and warns her to be careful herself given [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] spends time with her family and friends as she prepares to leave for [[Contact War|war]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|12|Demon Hunter}}|[[Ryouko]] receives a [[CubeBot]] and three [[grief cube]]s, then studies combat doctrines with her [[TacComp]] until [[Kyouko]] invites her to join a [[demon]] hunt. [[Patricia von Rohr|Patricia]] and [[Risa Flores|Risa]] meet her at [[Kyouko's church]], where [[Kyouko]] appears briefly but leaves, clearly bothered by the impending departure of [[Kishida Maki]]. On the hunt itself, [[Ryouko]] uses her teleportation to rescue civilians, move other [[magical girl]]s in for attacks, and so forth, finding herself enjoying the combat. The hunt is interrupted by the injury of one girl, who loses an arm and part of her face, but [[Ryouko]] simply teleports them to the armory hospital, where she is told they will be fine shortly, and the rest of the hunt continues without incident.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] goes on a [[demon]] hunt.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|13|Differences of Knowledge}}|The next day, [[Ryouko]] goes to an [[MSY]] social gathering for new recruits, finding [[Risa Flores]] there as a chaperone, and meets a new girl named [[Nakihara Asami]], who shares her desire to explore new worlds, albeit as a xenobiologist. They get along well, and continue on to the next scheduled event together. The following day, [[Ryouko]] meets [[Atsuko Arisu]] for her psychiatrist appointment, who manages to get her freely talking about many things, including her [[wish]], and who also recommends that she talk with her parents about her family ancestry.<br><br />
<br>That night, [[Shizuki Kuma|Ryouko's father]] interrupts her reading on military subjects to take her to [[Prometheus]], where she meets [[Joanne Valentin]]—who appears to be the woman she saw shortly before the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]]—and receives an upgrade to Version Two for her [[TacComp]]. Afterwards, [[Shizuki Kuma|her father]] secretly takes her into [[Prometheus]]'s cloning facility where he and [[Kuroi Nana|her mother]] work, which he explains is used to provide new bodies to [[magical girl]]s who are reduced to [[soul gem]]s. [[Ryouko]] is shocked, especially upon seeing the beginning stages of her own clone, and bothered at the secrets kept from her.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns about the [[MSY]]'s [[cloning program]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|14|Bloodlines}}|[[Yuma]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Mami]] decide [[Ryouko]]'s discovery of the [[cloning program]] isn't a problem, and discuss the incident that led to [[Ryouko]]'s contract. [[Mami]] remembers seeing [[Joanne Valentin]] at the movie theatre shortly afterwards, and [[Yuma]] confirms that she was the woman near the [[demon]] spawn, and moreover that she mysteriously changed her whole life shortly after the [[Contact War]] began. Investigations into [[Simona]] and the [[grief cube]] supply chain problems [[Kyouko]] reported have unearthed more discrepancies, but nothing major, and [[Risa Flores]] hasn't reported anything from her watch over [[Ryouko]], and so they disperse.<br><br />
<br>Back at home, [[Ryouko]] reads the file on her family with her improving [[TacComp]], and discovers that her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] is stationed at the [[Apollo]] shipyard. Moreover, when viewing her family tree she finds much of it explicitly redacted, with the revealed portions being enough to show that she is a descendant of both the Shizuki and Kuroi [[Matriarchy|Matriarchies]]. Later, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] comes to talk to her, and [[Ryouko]] confronts her about the secrets she's kept. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]] says she's kept the secrets to prevent [[Ryouko]] from [[contract]]ing, and will explain more the next day at the going away party.<br><br />
<br>At the party, [[Ryouko]] receives a number of gifts, including a necklace with the Shizuki crest from [[Shizuki Koto]], her paternal grandfather, and a ruby ring with a helix inside, one of a pair from [[Simona]]. [[Kyouko]] arrives, and informs [[Ryouko]] that both her grandparents will be placed in slightly safer positions as part of standard procedure, her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] in particular being moved to the shipyards. Next to arrive is [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Kuroi Kana]], who begins an attempt to recruit [[Ryouko]] into the [[Black Heart]] (and reveals that [[Ryouko]]'s bracelet is in fact a Kuroi insignia), but she is immediately followed by [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Shizuki Sayaka]] and her own recruiting pitch. [[Kyouko]]'s poor intervention is followed by [[Atsuko Arisu]]'s successful one—her presence at the party revealing that she must be related somehow to [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>This is all further interrupted by the sudden appearance of [[Kuroi Nana]], the [[magical girl]] who gave [[Ryouko]] her Kuroi bracelet and until now her entirely secret aunt, a fact which displeases [[Ryouko]] greatly. [[Kuroi Nana]] brings her aside, promising to help explain the situation, and revealing that she's part of the secret [[Internal Security]], and has been searching for [[Akemi Homura]] on behalf of the [[MSY]]. With that said, they begin a memory transfer.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] meets [[Kuroi Nana]], her previously-secret aunt. }}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|15|Samsara}}|[[Ryouko]] experiences her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt's]] memories, with some explanation provided by a sub-sentient assistant.<br><br />
<br>In the memories, [[Kuroi Nana]] investigates the strange behavior of her [[Kuroi Nakase|younger sister]], finding with the help of a computer specialist that her sister's new friends weren't who they seemed, and secretly following them on a [[demon]] hunt. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]], in reality a [[magical girl]], rushes to save [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] when [[demon]]s attack, getting gravely injured in the process. [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] contracts to turn her sister mundane again, to her sister's relief. However, these events seriously strain their family, as their [[Ryouko's grandmother|mother]] isn't allowed to know about the [[MSY]]. When [[Homura]] offers to mentor [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]], she accepts, and all but leaves the family.<br><br />
<br>It's explained to [[Ryouko]] that when [[New Athens]] revealed the [[MSY]], [[Ryouko's grandmother]] blamed it for both her mother's death and her family's troubles, and insisted that [[Ryouko]] be kept from contracting.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] surfaces from the memories, [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] closes off by telling [[Ryouko]] that she had just reconciled with [[Ryouko's grandmother]], and they rejoin the party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns more of her family history from [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|16|Light of the Sky}}|[[Ryouko]] says goodbye to friends and family at the starport, journeying with [[Asami]] by scramjet and then space elevator. While riding the elevator, [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] names herself [[Clarisse]] after [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Ryouko]] muses that her [[wish]] may have somehow changed the past, causing all the sudden revelations of the past week. At the top, the new [[magical girl]]s take a [[Navigator]] shuttle to the [[HSS Spectre]], an old [[frigate]], who leads them around herself. When they reach the [[FTL]] core, [[Ryouko]]'s gem suddenly begins to shine.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finally leaves [[Earth]] with [[Asami]].}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude I: Underworld Dreams ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Unusually, this is a title with relatively direct meanings.''<br />
: ''[[Kugimiya Ito]] dreams of his old girlfriend [[Nakanishi Aiko]], as he digs into a transformed Japanese underworld.<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|17|Interlude I: Underworld Dreams}}|[[Kugimiya Ito]], a police detective in [[Mitakihara]], investigates the disappearance of [[Okamura Yuu|a local teenage girl]] with [[Minami Kaoru|his junior partner]]. Meeting the girl's parents makes him suspect abuse is the culprit, and reminds him of his old teenage sweetheart [[Nakanishi Aiko]], who disappeared under similar circumstances. Back at headquarters, while analyzing the case's evidence electronically, he happens upon an image of the girl meeting what looks to him like [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]. When he confronts the missing girl's friends about the [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]-lookalike, they unconvincingly deny knowing anything until a Yakuza-affiliated lawyer suddenly shows up. Investigating this lead leads him to a [[D&E]] logistics building, where he's confronted by Yakuza and nearly killed for knowing too much, until [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] suddenly intervenes, still the same age as when she disappeared.<br><br />
<br>Reeling, and told to drop the case by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] returns to headquarters, only to be met by [[Ronaldo Rizal|an Interpol agent]] who has been tracking similar mysterious cases. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] is asked to make contact with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again and investigate further. He successfully makes contact, and is brought to [[D&E]] headquarters with his partner, to be greeted by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], who treats him just like she did when they were dating, to his embarrassed pleasure. They meet the CEO of [[D&E]], who turns out to be [[Sakura Kyouko]] under an assumed name, and who explains the situation, including the fact that they already knew about the Interpol investigation. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] agrees to drop the investigation if he can confirm for himself that the missing girl is alright, and afterward retires to be with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kugimiya Ito|A police detective]] happens across his [[Nakanishi Aiko|long-missing girlfriend]] and discovers she is part of an [[MSY]] Yakuza takeover.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume II: Inflationary Expansion ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''This is the universe's theorized early period of exponential inflation.''<br />
: ''Here, it likely refers to the escalation of plot and stakes, especially for Ryouko.''<br />
<br />
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<br />
{{Spbox|Volume II Summary|[[Ryouko]] completes her military simulation training, growing close to [[Asami]], and gets her first taste of real combat shortly afterwards as her convoy is unexpectedly and suspiciously attacked by [[Ceph]] fighters. After [[Ryouko]]'s successful defense there, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]], who doesn't know how to respond, and then both are recalled to the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]], where the first attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] has failed.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] is assigned to a [[MagOps]] team, and begins training while still wrestling with family and relationship confusion, including the sudden revelation of her [[TacComp]] [[Clarisse]]'s sentience. The eventual battle begins poorly, as the wormhole unexpectedly activates right at the start. [[Ryouko]]'s team presses on, only to find the mission much more difficult than expected, and they slowly attrit team members. They finally destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]], but as the [[Goddess]] reveals in a vision, the [[Ceph]] had already amassed a stealthed fleet large enough to take the system. Having realized that her power uses wormholes, [[Ryouko]] reopens the [[Ceph]]'s wormhole and sends the fleet back through, saving the day.<br><br />
<br>However, the battle was not without its casualties—[[Asami]] lost her body after nearly grief-spiraling upon hearing of [[Ryouko]]'s apparent death, [[Ryouko's grandmother]] died in a [[Ceph]] raid, and [[Erwynmark]] died as well, among others. Coming to grips with her sudden fame and new life amidst memorial services and the news of her parents' divorce, [[Ryouko]] decides to become [[Asami]]'s girlfriend. But there are more surprises in store: as the [[Goddess]]—who [[Ryouko]] discovers she is distantly related to—reveals in another vision, [[Ryouko]] will find herself caught up in even greater events soon enough.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delivers the [[Battle of Orpheus]], and connects with [[Asami]], as her old life falls away.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|18|To the Ground}}|The [[General Staff]] watches as a [[MagOps]] mission to take out the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, all members killed, after they are detected teleporting through [[Orpheus]]'s atmosphere. Afterwards, [[Mami]] dreams of her past failures, disturbing her [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br><br />
<br>On the planet [[Giungla]], [[Ryouko]] is embedded in a military unit along with other [[magical girl]]s, fighting against a [[Ceph]] invasion. She goes off mostly on her own to successfully rescue a soldier from her unit, and then joins up with a team of [[magical girl]]s to teleport into an alien attack column, again with significant success.<br />
----<br />
In short: The initial attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, as [[Ryouko]] gains combat experience elsewhere.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|19|To the Sky}}|Finding that she enjoys the combat, [[Ryouko]] works hard to sustain the [[human]] forces, but the arrival of a major [[Ceph]] fleet in system forces a general evacuation. They begin taking heavy losses, and [[Ryouko]] quickly becomes acting-Commander. [[Asami]] dies, [[Ryouko]] enters [[emotional suppression]], and just barely escapes... only to suddenly wake up from the accelerated [[VR]] simulation.<br><br />
<br>Calmed by [[Clarisse]] and relieved to see [[Asami]] alive, [[Ryouko]] heads back to their shared room in the training center on [[New Athens]]. [[Clarisse]] recommends that they read some "messages" together, which turn out to be relationship proposals for [[Ryouko]]. [[Asami]] comments that she had been warned this might happen, due to [[Ryouko]]'s mentors and heritage. The next day, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her [[wish]] was for her parents to stay together and understand each other, and [[Ryouko]] relays her own [[wish]], as they look forward together towards the end of training.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] finish simulation training.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|20|Relativity}}|[[Kishida Maki]] remembers how she [[contract]]ed and later met [[Kyouko]], dating, but breaking up after a fight over [[Maki]]'s decision to head to the front, and [[Kyouko]]'s refusal to explain her history with [[Miki Sayaka]], a near lookalike. Stationed on [[Apollo]] with [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]], [[Maki]] then heads out, completing another mission aboveground to secure a building back from the [[Ceph]].<br><br />
<br>Headed to [[Acheron]] with [[Asami]] and a new friend from training, [[Meiqing]], [[Ryouko]] suddenly notices a bright flash from her [[soul gem]]. Soon, the cause is discovered by the ship, [[Laplace]], to be [[Ceph]] fighters. The early warning allows them to dodge the initial missile attack, but eschewing standard doctrine, the [[Ceph]] turn around for another assault, forcing the transport's [[magical girl]]'s to fight them in space combat, with [[Ryouko]] taking charge. The fight goes well, but the final ship detonates its core in a desperate but futile attempt to kill them.<br><br />
<br>While recovering from the ensuing protective fugue, [[Clarisse]] reveals to [[Ryouko]] that she has uncovered the memory of her vision, and is in fact sentient. Afterwards, they arrive at [[Acheron]], minor heroes, and [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] attend a celebration of [[October Three]] together.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]]'s convoy is attacked unsuccessfully by [[Ceph]] fighters.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|21|Discontinuity}}|[[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Yuma]] meet virtually to celebrate [[October Three]], and discuss the mysteriousness of [[Simona]] and the unlikely and seemingly irresponsible attack on [[Ryouko]]'s convoy, the absence of [[Homura]] weighing on them.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] talks with [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about training and suitors, but fails to mention the attack on her convoy. [[Ryouko]] then goes with [[Asami]] to see a basketball game, and then to a volcanic spa, noting that [[Asami]] is acting strangely, and finding that she isn't enjoying the time on [[Acheron|a colony world]] herself as much as she expected. At the spa, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her romantic feelings to a stunned [[Ryouko]], who promises to think about it—they have little time to reflect, however, as they are at that moment recalled to active duty in the [[Kepler-37]] system, the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asami]] confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|22|Shifting Winds}}|Now on [[Mami]]'s flagship, the [[HSS Zhukov]], and unable to stop thinking about [[Asami]], [[Ryouko]] is awarded a medal for her performance during the [[Ceph]] attack on her convoy by the Field Marshall. [[Mami]] then brings her to the bridge, where they enter simulation as [[Mami]] explains the strategic situation. This is interrupted by a perfunctory [[Ceph]] attack, which [[Ryouko]] watches from the bridge.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, they reenter the simulation to meet [[Erwynmark]], and [[Ryouko]] is told about the planned second wormhole mission, which requires her teleportation capabilities. [[Ryouko]] is to be sent down to [[Apollo]] to meet with the rest of the team (and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]]) to prepare.<br><br />
<br>Resting after the earlier battle, [[Mami]] dreams of the destruction of her apartment by [[Oriko]], which reunited her with [[Kyouko]], and of other old memories, followed by a strange dream in which she and an unknown girl, somehow important to her, were in a plane crash.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] is assigned to the second [[wormhole stabilizer]] mission on [[Orpheus]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|23|Lost Love}}|Along with others, [[Mami]] plans Humanity's counteroffensive to support the [[Orpheus]] mission and end the [[Euphratic Incursion]]. Meeting with [[Erwynmark]], who will also lead the battle, they conclude that their success rests on the [[MagOps]] mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] thinks of her friends—including [[Chiaki]] on [[Earth]], who always teased [[Ryouko]] about relationships—and ends up calling [[Meiqing]], who insists that she call [[Asami]], who is broken up over [[Ryouko]]'s non-answer to her confession. However, there isn't time, as the [[HSS Raven]] brings her down to [[Apollo]], where [[Ryouko]] meets up with [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]], who was seriously injured in the fighting but recovering easily. They share some time together, as [[Ryouko]] informs him that she's going on a dangerous mission. Her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her family already knew about the attack on her convoy, and that he finally managed to find and talk with [[Ryouko's grandmother|his wife]] again, who wants to talk with [[Ryouko]] as well once there's a chance.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delays talking to [[Asami]], and meets [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]] on [[Apollo]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|24|Historian}}|[[Ryouko]]'s new [[MagOps]] team practices working together on [[Apollo]] by fighting the [[Ceph]]. Their team practice and bonding is later interrupted by the announcement of yet another new team member: [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Ryouko]]'s childhood hero and, as it turns out, personal friend of team commander [[Nadya Antipova]]. They immediately return to mission simulations, first knowing they're simulations, and later not, failing often—with [[Ryouko]] regretting not contacting [[Asami]] in her apparent final moments.<br><br />
<br>Recovering from this, the team socializes, and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Ryouko]] that she should talk to [[Asami]] even if she doesn't know what to say. Finally, [[Ryouko]] does so, telling her about the dangerous mission she's on, and asking her to survive the upcoming battle too so they can resolve things afterward. They end the call somewhat comforted, but [[Asami]] in particular finds herself still worried and unsure.<br><br />
<br>That night, resting, [[Ryouko]] has a mysterious seeming dream-vision, including a moment in the [[Cult]]'s rose garden on [[Earth]] where [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] speaks strange things and almost appears to be someone else unknown.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Clarisse van Rossum]] joins the wormhole team, and convinces [[Ryouko]] to contact [[Asami]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|25|Piercing the Sky}}|Waiting aboard the [[HSS Raven]], [[Clarisse]] and [[Ryouko]] find themselves ruminating on the possibility of their death, and the [[Goddess]]'s promised afterlife for [[magical girl]]s. [[Juliet Francois]] and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] both ask about [[Ryouko]]'s visions, but she defers, stating she doesn't think they are relevant to the current mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] begins the [[Human]] offensive, for her part attempting to draw [[Ceph]] forces away from [[Orpheus]]. While it initially appears a success, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] which was thought to be still under construction suddenly activates, and hordes of reinforcements begin pouring through.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Orpheus]] mission begins poorly, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] activating before it even begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|26|Blood and Ichor}}|[[Clarisse van Rossum]] decides the [[MagOps]] team must act immediately. Donning [[magitech]] armor, [[Ryouko]] teleports the team straight from low orbit to what looks to be the key stabilizer core for the [[wormhole stabilizer]]. After efficiently clearing out enemy personnel, [[Nadya]] announces that there are what appears to be twelve separate stabilizer cores, rather than the single expected one, of which perhaps up to four are real. They detonate a [[PAYNE|nuke]] on the closest core, teleporting away towards the next one.<br><br />
<br>This time they encounter even more waiting [[Ceph]], and clear them out with more difficulty. Suddenly, right when two fighters attack, a [[Ceph]] sniper takes shots at [[Eva Guderian]] and [[Ryouko]], killing [[Eva Guderian|Eva]] instantly and shattering [[Ryouko]]'s arm. In a rage, [[Ryouko]] teleports on top of the sniper and slaughters it.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[wormhole stabilizer]] survives an intended killing blow, and [[Ryouko]] loses control after [[Eva Guderian]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|27|Those Brilliant Shining Stars}}|Shocked at herself and slowly recovering, [[Ryouko]] realizes that her [[soul gem]] is not only pulling her towards the wormhole, but also reacting to the true stabilizer cores—and the one they lost [[Eva Guderian]] attacking is a fake.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, the fleet battle in system is going poorly, and [[Erwynmark]] defers to [[Mami]], who decides they must continue to hold out in hope of destroying the wormhole.<br><br />
<br>The [[Orpheus]] team quickly finds and destroys a second stabilizer core with their last [[PAYNE|nuke]], leaving still two more. The [[Ceph]] begin firing artillery at the third core when they arrive, forcing [[Clarisse van Rossum]] to seize their barrier generator [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]]'s [[soul gem]] to save her life. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] then executes a powerful attack that vaporizes the core, but knocks her unconscious.<br><br />
<br>Unexpectedly targeted, [[Erwynmark]]'s ship the [[HSS Arminius]] recommends evacuation. [[Erwynmark]] escapes the ship with his bodyguards, but [[Ceph]] interceptors somehow find his stealthed ship and chase it down, killing him.<br />
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In short: The [[Orpheus]] team destroys two more [[wormhole stabilizer]] cores, but [[Erwynmark]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|28|Invictus}}|The [[Orpheus]] team learns that the [[HSS Raven]], along with her remaining crew, has been discovered and destroyed, all but eliminating any hope of escape. [[Misa Virani]] gives her [[soul gem]] to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and takes advantage of the moon's electrical properties to generate an awe-inspiring electrical discharge, destroying the last [[wormhole stabilizer]] core. The wormhole above collapses violently, and the remainder of the team is suddenly caught in temporal/spatial distortions that threaten to rip them apart.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Misa Virani]] destroys the final [[wormhole stabilizer]] and the wormhole collapses, trapping the rest of the team.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|29|Deus ex gemma}}|[[Ryouko]] suddenly recalls a lecture given by [[Joanne Valentin]], and realizes that her teleportation uses wormholes, and that she can use the broken spacetime around them to teleport the team off [[Orpheus|the moon]]. At the same time, [[Ryouko]] realizes she's with the [[Goddess]], in a vision—this time, with [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]] too. The [[Goddess]] shows them [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[Apollo]], hard-pressed by the [[Ceph]]. [[Shirou Asaka]] manages to get forces in to save them, but [[Maki]] loses her body. They are also shown an unknown woman commander in the [[Apollo]] shipyards, who is killed by a [[Ceph]] commando raid.<br><br />
<br>Following that, [[Asami]] and her ''[[Magi Cæli]]'' team are shown defending the space around [[Apollo]] with some success, despite incredible new [[Ceph]] stealth capabilities. Attempting to extract, the team is suddenly caught and scattered, with [[Asami]] seriously injured and placed into a [[MedEvac]]. A sudden announcement from [[Tomoe Mami]] that the wormhole was destroyed at the apparent cost of the team involved, including [[Ryouko]], sends [[Asami]] into a despair spiral, and her body is ejected into space to preserve her [[soul gem]]. Finally, [[Ryouko]] is shown [[Mami]], who is pressing the apparent advantage at the destruction of the wormhole, even as she mourns the dead.<br><br />
<br>The [[Goddess]] then talks with [[Ryouko]], revealing the [[Ceph]] trap—a huge cloaked fleet had already come through the wormhole, enough to retake the system easily. The [[Goddess]] tells her to reopen the wormhole and send the fleet back, ending the vision. To her team's amazement, [[Ryouko]] does just that, and then just barely teleports them to [[Zhukov]]'s bridge before blacking out.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Goddess]] tells [[Ryouko]] to send back a cloaked [[Ceph]] fleet through the wormhole, saving the battle.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|30|Call to Power}}|[[Mami]] and [[Atsuko Arisu]] perform a dream interrogation of [[Ryouko]]—and also [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]], which complicates their attempt to loosen her up, as does the secret blocking of telepathic investigation by [[Clarisse van Rossum]]. [[Ryouko]] only explains that her power uses wormholes, and about her memory of the [[Joanne Valentin]] lecture that triggered the realization, avoiding religious questions. [[Ryouko]] meets afterwards with some of the [[Orpheus]] team, and is warned of the coming scrutiny she'll endure as a hero by [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and the revived [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]].<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] learns from her devastated [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]] was killed, and realizes she saw it in her vision. She attends the first of three memorial services in her near future, for the dead of the [[Orpheus]] team, meeting [[Marianne Francois]], whose daughter [[Juliet]] was killed aboard the now-revived [[HSS Raven]].<br><br />
<br>In a surprise to [[Mami]], the [[General Staff]] and [[Military Affairs]] select her as the new Chair in accordance with [[Erwynmark]]'s wishes.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] becomes the new Chair of the [[General Staff]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|31|Aspects of Love}}|On the planet [[Bismarck]] for [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial, [[Ryouko]] meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kyouko]], along with a couple of local kids, finding herself surprisingly distant from the latter due to her experiences. [[Ryouko]] admits to [[Kyouko]] that the [[Goddess]] came to her in a vision on [[Orpheus]] to tell her about the cloaked fleet, and is afterwards unknowingly accosted by a [[Shizuki Azusa|seductive Shizuki]] until [[Patricia]] saves her. [[Patricia]] informs her that [[Kishida Maki]] is still taking [[Kyouko]]'s continued absence hard, and that she is struggling herself, before collecting a more in-depth genetic sample from [[Ryouko]]. Later that day [[Mami]], attending virtually, gives [[Erwynmark]]'s eulogy.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] comes to grips with her newfound fame at [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|32|Decisions, Implications}}|[[Ryouko]] meets with her family at the starport, only to find her parents have divorced. Still shaken, she heads immediately to [[Asami]]'s revival, comforting her, and finding herself unexpectedly comforted herself to have [[Asami]] back.<br><br />
<br>After briefly meeting [[Asami]]'s family, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] head out to meet [[Ryouko]]'s friends. While waiting, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] how unhappy she is in combat, and, consoling her, [[Ryouko]] abruptly decides to become her girlfriend… right as [[Simona]], [[Ruiko]], and [[Chiaki]] arrive. [[Simona]] retreats to the bathroom, and [[Chiaki]] covers for her, instead planning the rest of the day. They go on to a restaurant and have a sleepover, the only disturbance being the strange arrival of [[Kyubey]], who claims only to be visiting.<br><br />
<br>At [[Ryouko's grandmother]]'s funeral, [[Ryouko]] discovers that her psychiatrist [[Atsuko Arisu]] is in fact the grandmother of [[Ryouko's grandmother]]. After the ceremony, which [[Ryouko]] finds she can't connect to, she is suddenly given a memory recording from a friend of [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]]. The memory reveals that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]] grandfather was [[Kaname Tatsuya]], once the younger brother of [[Kaname Madoka]], the [[Goddess]]. [[Tatsuya]] makes [[Homura]] promise to keep [[Ryouko's grandmother]] out of the [[MSY]], as he warns darkly of the future that would become the [[Unification Wars]], recalling in particular his daughter-in-law's wish for vengeance.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] rushes with [[Asami]] to the [[Ribbon]], with both [[Kyubey]] and [[Kyouko]] showing up to watch. A vision ensues, and the [[Goddess]] explains that she is indeed related to [[Ryouko]], as hinted previously, and that she tries to limit her interventions in the world, so that people can live their own lives. She explains that [[Ryouko]] has the special burden of having less freedom to live her own life, and that she will be called upon again.<br><br />
<br>Teleporting out immediately from the [[Ribbon Chamber]] to avoid questions, [[Ryouko]] learns that [[Asami]] also received a vision, assuaging her worries and including helpful relationship advice. Before [[Ryouko]] can digest that, [[Joanne Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] show up at her door with a proposal.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes [[Asami]]'s girlfriend, and finds out she will feature in the [[Goddess]]'s plans again.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude II: Madeleines ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Madeleines (small sponge cakes) feature in Proust's "In Search of Lost Time", a famous French novel noted for its theme of involuntary memory.''<br />
: ''Likewise, this interlude centers on the peculiar role of memory in an episode of [[Asaka]]'s past. The first snippet even includes relevant sections from Proust's novel.''<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|33|Interlude II: Madeleines}}|[[Shirou Asaka]] wakes from a strange recurring dream in which she has lost someone important to her, as a [[magical girl]] in some sort of [[Contact War|crazy alien war]]. [[Alice Lynwood]], her wife, reminds her to get it checked out, but is less successful in attempting to convince her to finally have a baby.<br><br />
<br>In a professional [[VR]] game playing as [[magical girl]]s in WWII with her second-in-command [[Madhuri]], [[Asaka]] finds she needs to sacrifice her to win. Suddenly, [[Asaka]] starts thinking [[Madhuri]] is somehow actually [[Alice]], and then the game is suddenly cut short by a strange simulation error. However, [[Asaka]]'s growing unease is again washed away by the joy of her life with [[Alice]].<br><br />
<br>[[Tanaka Yui]], [[Asaka]]'s therapist, suggests doing a dream study, and [[Patricia von Rohr]] comes to visit, both of them bringing up little oddities or inconsistencies in [[Asaka]]'s thoughts. The dream study returns an apparent suppressed memory, but one involving [[magical girl]]s and an [[Contact War|alien war]] that [[Asaka]] can't remember experiencing. Soon enough, all of reality seems to be changing for her—[[Madhuri]], her location, [[magical girl]]s. Finally running a full internal diagnostic, [[Asaka]] remembers what truly happened: she was forced to send her girlfriend [[Alice]] to her death to win a battle in the [[Contact War]]. Unable to process it, [[Asaka]] had [[Reformat|Reformatted]] herself and put herself inside a [[VR]] simulation where she could live with [[Alice]]. [[Tanaka Yui]] had been helping her face the truth after breaking into the simulation, along with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Madhuri]], and even [[Asaka]]'s own internal representation of [[Alice]]. [[Patricia]] tells [[Asaka]] afterwards that [[Alice]] had planned on proposing.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asaka]]'s self-[[Reformat]] and [[VR]] simulation are undone, and she begins to finally face her lover [[Alice]]'s death.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume III: Ontological Paradox ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''In an ontological paradox, events occur as part of a causal loop: an 'initial' event, in terms of linear time, eventually causes itself.''<br />
: ''This may refer to the nature of Ryouko's wish and/or the logic of the Goddess's interventions. <br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume III Summary|Now living with [[Asami]] and working in [[ITG|a lab]] to help humanity understand wormholes, [[Ryouko]]'s life is interrupted again when she is offered a chance to investigate a [[rogue colonies|rogue colony]] on [[X-25]]. When [[ITG|the lab]] collapses on her and [[Asami]] in an act of sabotage, they decide to join the mission.<br><br />
<br>The [[X-25]] colony turns out to have a massive bunker, and [[Kyouko]] leads a team with [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] in, discovering an attempt at mass-cloning [[magical girl]]s. Moreover, two separate traps attempting to kill [[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] are encountered, the second costing [[Ryouko]] her body.<br><br />
<br>After a vision revealing [[Yuma]]'s past, a revived [[Ryouko]] manages to push [[Kyouko]] into visiting [[the Ribbon]], where she meets with [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision, and finally reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]] afterwards. [[Ryouko]], for her part, faces the disturbing revelation that she's been genetically engineered, losing control of her life as she's whisked from [[Paris]] to [[Adept Blue]]. At the same time, [[Mami]]'s self-[[Reformat]] unravels, and she meets with the [[Goddess]] in a vision as she grapples with her restored memories, finally convinced to take a vacation.<br><br />
<br>However, events—and conspiracies—don't let go of them. [[Simona]], now a [[magical girl]] and always an agent assigned to [[Ryouko]], reappears to help [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] create wormholes spanning lightyears, though her love remains unrequited as [[Ryouko]]'s relationship with [[Asami]] grows stronger. During [[Mami]]'s vacation, she and [[Kyouko]] discover that [[Misa]] had in fact been recruited by [[Homura]] to fight a mysterious enemy, and [[Yuma]] learns that someone has corrupted the [[TCF]] from [[Simona]] and [[Valentin]], both part of a secret organization fighting it with alternate [[TCF]]s.<br />
<br>'''Volume incomplete; More chapters to be released.'''<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finds herself enmeshed in conspiracy, as [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] grapple with their pasts.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|34|The Bonds that Make Us}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Asami]] attend [[Yuma]]'s birthday party via [[VR]] from [[Eurydome]], where [[Ryouko]] was brought by [[Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] for wormhole research. [[Kyouko]] brings up [[Ryouko]]'s visions in front of [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Ryouko]] is forced to explain, choosing to also forward the memory she received from [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] intervenes in an argument between [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] about [[Kishida Maki]], and brings them to [[Ryouko]]. [[Ryouko]] is reminded of her first vision, where she saw [[Yuma]], and which seemed to contradict her official history—she even tells [[Kyouko]] this. [[Ryouko]] then goes to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] for life advice, and is told that she needs to talk over her desires for an extraordinary life with [[Asami]], who wants a more domestic life.<br><br />
<br>Away from the party, [[Yuma]] explains to [[Kuroi Nakase]], [[Ryouko]]'s mother, that [[Ryouko]] is probably the most genetically sure contract in history, and moreover, that she has a genetically-engineered second, hidden genome. [[Nakase]] knew only that [[Ryouko]] was likely to contract given her ancestry, and when pressed for information as to how she got the birth license, suddenly collapses—a non-fatal defense mechanism apparently built into tampered memories.<br />
----<br />
In short: At [[Yuma]]'s party, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] learns that [[Ryouko]] was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|35|Causality}}|[[Mami]] learns from [[Marianne Francois]]'s [[grief cube]] supply chain report that in a few rare cases for the past 10 years, there have been severe shortages followed by surpluses, where they would hurt the war effort the least. [[Mami]] is disturbed by not only the report, but also her unintended reading of [[Marianne]]'s mind.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Clarisse]] go over her visions, realizing that [[Simona]] was tank-born and seemingly knew her before they met, and that the [[Goddess]] likely manipulated the events leading to [[Ryouko]]'s contract.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], in a meeting with the [[Directorate]], is asked to investigate a distress signal from [[X-25|a cult's colony]] which was thought to have been destroyed en route to an entirely different planet. Elsewhere, [[Kyouko]] promises to tell [[Yuma]] to explain her past to [[MG]], and receives from [[MG]] a recording of what happened with [[Kuroi Nakase]] at [[Yuma]]'s party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives orders to investigate [[X-25|a mysterious colony]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|36|Chasing Ghosts}}|[[Ryouko]] learns in a call from her friends on [[Earth]] that [[Simona]] has moved away, and afterwards meets with [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Kyouko]], who ask her to join a mission to investigate [[X-25|a cult's colony]] related to [[Homura]], and to consider an offer from [[Kuroi Kana]] to properly join the intelligence services.<br><br />
<br>[[Kuroi Nana]] departs after being given the memory file from [[Ryouko's grandmother]], but [[Kyouko]] accompanies [[Ryouko]] to the lab, [[ITG]], and they discuss [[Ryouko]]'s visions a bit. During an experiment at the lab, the gravity generators go haywire, and the ceiling collapses—[[Ryouko]] is saved by [[Kyouko]] and [[Asami]], but [[Asami]] is seriously injured. In the hospital afterwards, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] and [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about the apparent attempt on her life that led to her [[contract]]. [[Kyouko]] explains that the incident at [[ITG]] appears to be another such attack. [[Ryouko]] decides to join the proffered mission, which [[Asami]] accepts on the condition that she come too.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] survives an attempt on her life at [[ITG|the lab]] on [[Eurydome]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|37|Seraphim}}|[[Kyouko]] convinces [[Mami]] to let her on the colony mission due to the [[Homura]] connection, and [[Mami]] tells [[Kyouko]] about the mysterious sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]]. However, [[Mami]] becomes inordinately emotional when discussing the necessity of ordering an investigative mind-read, and she later dreams of training mind-reading abilities that she doesn't remember.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] are taught defensive telepathic techniques en route to their mission, and [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] told her to stick with [[Ryouko]] for her safety. They then meet with [[Azrael Maslanka]], who tells them both about the true proliferation of [[rogue colonies]], and her own experience on one where she was genetically engineered with wings for flight, before the colony collapsed in civil war.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting, where she tells [[Mami]] about her vision in which [[Kyouko]] was killed. The details match [[Mami]]'s planned submarine mission exactly and, disturbed, she agrees to allocate more forces.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] learn about [[rogue colonies]] from [[Azrael Maslanka]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|38|Carpe Diem}}|A special [[Miki|sentient probe]] sent to investigate the cult's colony on [[X-25]] discovers a massive underground structure and comes under heavy fire, and the [[Directorate]] approves more forces for the mission in response.<br><br />
<br>[[Meiqing]] turns out to be part of the additional forces, and she, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] go out hiking together on [[San Giuseppe]] while waiting for more reinforcements to arrive. At the top, [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] her worries about how much their lives are at risk, and [[Azrael]] explains herself to [[Meiqing]].<br><br />
<br>Finally, the mission begins, with [[Task Force Rhamnusia|conventional forces]] taking the surface of the colony on [[X-25]].<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be heavily armed, and the [[Task Force Rhamnusia|correspondingly reinforced]] assault on it begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|39|Indelible Soul}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew descend to the pacified surface of [[X-25]], and [[Gracia]], to [[Ryouko]]'s distress, forcibly mind-reads captives to learn that the colony's leader, [[Grigori DeWitt]], has escaped to the bunker with children as hostages. [[Kyouko]] manages to convince [[Mami]] and [[Governance]] to let her lead a [[MagOps]] infiltration mission, despite their misgivings that [[Kyouko]] is doing so for personal reasons, given her history.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] chooses to bring [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] on the mission, among more experienced girls, largely on personal hunch. Mission underway, and despite being hampered by some sort of magical clairvoyance blocking, they quickly discover large numbers of human clones, an apparent attempt to clone [[magical girl]]s. The attempt to communicate this to the surface is blocked by the hostile telepath, however, and the team is discovered. Clearly personally angered by the situation, [[Kyouko]] insists that they fight their way through rather than escape.<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be attempting [[magical girl]] cloning.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|40|Through a Mirror}}|The [[X-25]] team kills a number of guards, only to discover that they are cloned teenagers, heavily implanted, horrifying the rookies into [[emotional suppression]]. [[Gracia]] manages to determine that the cloned girls are transformed into controlled guards once they failed to contract, and that contracts weren't happening. [[Kyouko]] decides that they must find and capture the enemy telepath, before more clones are killed.<br><br />
<br>They find the enemy [[magical girl]], but before they act to kill her, [[Asami]] notices that [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]] is glowing slightly. Off-put by that and everything else that doesn't add up, the team nearly rebels against [[Kyouko]]'s insistence on attacking the enemy [[magical girl]], until [[Ryouko]] manages to convince [[Kyouko]] to relent by suggesting that the [[Goddess]] placed her on the mission for that reason.<br><br />
<br>Investigating, [[Asami]] detects a [[Ceph]]-like stealth device concealing a nuke, [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] disabling it right afterwards. An alarm goes up, and the enemy [[magical girl]] suddenly pleads for help. The girl, [[Sacnite Tafani]], tells them that [[DeWitt]] had been controlling her with the threat of a suicide implant, and had lied about hiding the colony's children in the bunker as bait for the nuclear trap. <br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] prevents [[Kyouko]] from rushing into a stealthed nuclear trap on [[X-25]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|41|Cause and Effect}}|Ruminating over the mission, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] decide to visit [[Sacnite]], as [[Mami]] makes a limited announcement of the mission to the general public. [[Mami]] approves the visit to [[Sacnite]] as a propaganda shoot, and [[Azrael]] joins them. Comforting [[Sacnite]], [[Ryouko]] promises to spend more time with her. Afterwards, [[Meiqing]] confides to [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] that the mission has impacted her a lot, and that she's glad she was able to help, given her family's shameful efforts in the [[Unification Wars]] to develop the cloned [[FA Elites]].<br><br />
<br>Having finally determined the whereabouts of [[DeWitt]] and the colony's children, [[Kyouko]] leads an attack on the stealthed facility, which meets with no resistance. [[DeWitt]], however, manages to kill himself via suicide implant, after claiming he was trying to figure out what blocked [[magical girl]]s "transcendence". [[Kyubey]] then appears, saying that [[DeWitt]] had based his beliefs on what [[Homura]] had achieved, thinking to have seen her alive on [[Optatum]], and that he was supported by another group which escaped in a cloaked ship. Refusing to say anything more—and strangely calling [[Kyouko]] by her personal name—[[Kyubey]] disappears, and [[Kyouko]] walks off alone to think. Feeling uneasy about the situation, and thinking of her vision, [[Ryouko]] follows… only to lose her body saving [[Kyouko]]'s life from an attack by a supposedly-friendly drone.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] loses her body saving [[Kyouko]] from a sudden drone attack.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|42|No Light Without Shadow}}|The [[MSY]] [[Leadership Committee]] meets to discuss recent events, including the attack on [[Kyouko]], the results of the [[grief cube]] audit, and the sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]], among others, but to no real conclusion. After the meeting, [[Kyouko]] is surprised by [[Atsuko Arisu]], her therapist, who to [[Kyouko]]'s anger tells her both that she should have stepped aside during the [[X-25]] mission and that she should stop hiding from her feelings for [[Kishida Maki]].<br><br />
<br>With [[Asami]] personally guarding [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]], she, [[Ryouko]]'s family, [[Meiqing]], and even [[Sacnite]] plan to travel to [[Earth]] for [[Ryouko]]'s revival, which has been delayed for unspecified reasons. Meanwhile, both [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] assign security teams for [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>Through a [[VR]] recreation, [[Mami]] reveals to [[Kyouko]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] that it appears [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]] didn't fail, but was instead somehow swapped out for another. The soul mage who put the [[soul gem]] that failed into stasis saw that it had a meek, shy personality which, she found out later, didn't match [[Misa Virani|Misa]]'s at all. However, the [[VR]] review they perform doesn't show any possible moment in which [[Misa]]'s [[soul gem]] could have been swapped.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] discovers that [[Misa Virani]] is likely alive, her [[soul gem]] swapped for another.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|43|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part One}}|[[Ryouko]] finds herself in another vision, in which the [[Goddess]] explains that [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], and [[Mami]] are more fragile than they seem, and that their "phase transition" must be managed carefully. [[Ryouko]] looks, and sees…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]], noting that [[Kyouko]] is being pushed into finally confronting her relationship problems and that they need to help her, tells [[Mami]] and [[MG]] about her past with the [[Southern Group]], and about [[Miki Sayaka]]…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s abusive parents, unable to pay debts, attempt to sell her to the Yakuza, until the [[Southern Group]] suddenly intervenes. They kill the Yakuza, but [[Mikuni Oriko]] is seriously injured, and [[Yuma]] wishes to heal her. [[Yuma]] memory of this is patchy, though, and [[Oriko]] informs [[Yuma]] that the Yakuza killed her parents, so she'll take her in. Under [[Oriko]]'s tutelage, [[Yuma]] lives a good life and learns much, but she can see that the [[Southern Group]] is vicious to others and generally hated. [[Oriko]] favors [[Yuma]], to the other members' chagrin, and shares secrets like her efforts to try to bring [[Kyouko]] and [[Sayaka]] together before splitting them apart, and her work to saturate [[grief cubes]], which [[Yuma]] later accidentally discovers leads to [[demon]] spawns.<br><br />
<br>Uneasy with her new life, [[Yuma]] runs into [[Sayaka]], who is clearly very troubled herself, explaining that she was in [[Southern Group]] territory to die fighting their evil. Instead, [[Sayaka]] takes [[Yuma]] to dinner. [[Yuma]] runs into Yakuza on the way back, but [[Sayaka]] appears, killing them before disappearing—though a shocked [[Yuma]] manages to reattach one's head and save his life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Sayaka]] had died fighting a horde of [[demon]]s at a violin concert, and pieces together the truth: [[Oriko]], using her power to see the future and saturated [[grief cubes]] [[Yuma]] had made, purposefully spawned the [[demon]]s to kill [[Sayaka]].<br><br />
<br>In the present day, [[Yuma]] explains that she wants to tell [[Kyouko]] all this, so that she won't blame herself for [[Sayaka]]'s death, but has been afraid to since she was involved. After talking this over, [[Yuma]] continues the story for [[MG]]'s sake…<br><br />
<br>[[Clarisse van Rossum]] visits [[Oriko]] and [[Yuma]], telling [[Oriko]] that there may be some merit to [[Homura]]'s strange belief in a [[Goddess]], and passing [[Yuma]] an anonymous message saying she has the potential to change things, and that [[Oriko]] only sees what she tries to see.<br><br />
<br>Life finally calms down for [[Yuma]] after this, though her studies accelerate, as [[Oriko]] uses magic to enhance her mind.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] reveals that [[Oriko]] caused [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|44|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part Two}}|[[Ryouko]]'s vision continues, as she watches [[Yuma]] retell her past to [[Mami]] and [[MG]]…<br><br />
<br>Upset at [[Oriko]]'s use of saturated [[grief cube]]s to kill others, [[Yuma]] sabotages the machine used to make them, but [[Oriko]]'s machinations continue, with team leaders like [[Kuroi Kana]] forced to come and beg for the return of captured members. One night, another team led by [[Tanaka Yui]] attacks, [[Yuma]] just barely escaping—or so she thought, as she instead leads the attackers right to the rest of the [[Southern Group]]. But before the ensuing battle, [[Yuma]] finds that the rest of her team is torturing and killing other [[magical girl]]s to absorb their powers.<br><br />
<br>Fleeing in horror, [[Yuma]] finds herself taken in at a church, where she finds the Yakuza man whose life she saved earlier. He explains that he had saved a number of girls held by the Yakuza and was now on the run, trying to do good and live a better life as atonement. [[Yuma]] talks with [[Reverend Hashimoto|the priest]] sheltering him, and he tells her she should forgive herself for not stopping everything that's happened. That night, [[Yuma]] receives a message from [[Kuroi Kana]], which helps her to realize that [[Oriko]] had in fact had her parents killed.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] returns to the [[Southern Group]], now under blockade and uneasy. [[Oriko]] claims that they are still on the path towards eliminating the Yakuza and bringing about a better world, but [[Yuma]] decides that they must be destroyed. Taking the advice passed on by [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Yuma]] manipulates the [[Southern Group]] in order to change the future without [[Oriko]] noticing. Eventually, during an already difficult [[demon]] fight, she spawns hordes more [[demon]]s using saturated [[grief cube]]s, and manages to turn her team members against each other. All but [[Oriko]] are killed, and [[Oriko]] finally realizes what has happened. Telling [[Yuma]] there may still be hope for her, she crushes her own [[soul gem]].<br><br />
<br>Warning obscurely that a crisis is coming, the [[Goddess]] ends [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] explains how and why she killed the [[Southern Group]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|45|The Body Electric}}|Back on [[Earth]], [[Asami]] is still unable to face the results of her [[wish]], and longs for [[Ryouko]] to return—which she does, along with [[Clarisse]], to their surprise. [[Clarisse]] tells [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] explained she does have a soul, and that her body would be regenerated by [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]]. [[Valentin]] explains that the delay in the revival was due to both [[Clarisse]]'s regeneration and some necessary handling for [[Ryouko]]'s unique genetics. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends, including [[Sacnite]], who is being de-aged physically to match her mental age, and her new [[matriarchy]] bodyguards, who get along poorly.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] bursts in soon after, followed by [[Yuma]], who oddly both make a point of asking [[Ryouko]] if she was told why her revival was delayed. It soon becomes clear that [[Yuma]] is using [[Ryouko]] to confront [[Kyouko]] about her behavior, and in the ensuing argument [[Kyouko]] reveals she already figured out [[Yuma]] and [[Oriko]] were involved in [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death. After [[Yuma]] departs, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Kyouko]] about her vision, mollifying her until the subject of [[Kishida Maki]] comes up.<br><br />
<br>Having walked out in a rage despite knowing [[Ryouko]], like everyone else, is right about [[Maki]], [[Kyouko]] visits [[the Ribbon]]. In the ensuing vision, [[Kyouko]] meets her little sister [[Sakura Momo]], who tells her to move on from her past. [[Kyouko]] then descends onto a beach where she finds [[Miki Sayaka]], who finally convinces [[Kyouko]] to try reconciling with [[Kishida Maki]], and who also shows [[Kyouko]] a glimpse of eternity.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] is comforted by her sister and [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|46|Wheels Within Wheels}}|Eating dinner with [[Kyouko]] and her friends and family, [[Ryouko]] is surprised by [[Valentin]], who drops by to inform her that [[Governance]] would like to use the [[Orpheus|upcoming movie]] about her to inform the public about V2 [[TacComp]]s. [[Valentin]] also conveys her regrets that [[Ryouko]]'s parents had split, especially since she had introduced them.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]], acting a bit odd, brings the crew shopping the following day, only for them to be suddenly surprised by [[Kishida Maki]], who had apparently been assigned by someone to give [[Ryouko]] a message regarding [[Orpheus|the movie]]. [[Kyouko]] confesses to [[Maki]] that she started their relationship because of her physical similarity to [[Miki Sayaka]], but tells [[Maki]] that it had grown beyond that, so she wants to try again. Skeptical, but still in love, [[Maki]] accepts her.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, [[Maki]] explains to [[Ryouko]] that the ''[[Orpheus]]'' movie team would like to bring her to [[Paris]] to provide assistance. [[Ryouko]] agrees to go, but is uneasy about having her life directed by yet another proposition she can hardly turn down.<br><br />
<br>At the same time, in [[Paris]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Nadya Antipova]] that she's discovered [[Misa Virani]] likely underwent a [[Reformat]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|47|City of Lights}}|In underground [[Paris]], and bothered by the incongruity of that with her wish, [[Ryouko]] meets with her aunt [[Kuroi Nana]]. She warns [[Ryouko]] that [[Shizuki Sayaka]] will try to pull her in, showing her what life on [[Earth]] has to offer, and notes that she has opportunities with the Kuroi [[Matriarchy]] as well, though it wouldn't be an easy life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] meet with the actors who will play them in [[Orpheus|the movie]], who have altered their appearances to match them exactly. [[Clarisse]] also is invited to join them in hologram form, and they go to the set to act out scenes. Thinking on her reenacted past, [[Ryouko]] finds she misses the meaningfulness of the war.<br><br />
<br>At a bar that night, they come across a mysterious friend of [[Ryouko]]'s [[Elisa Yamada|actor counterpart]], who invites them to a [[VR]] facility.<br />
----<br />
In short: In [[Paris]], [[Ryouko]] uneasily cooperates with ''[[Orpheus]]'s'' production.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|48|To Know Thyself…}}|Hidden in [[Paris]], [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] meet to discuss the apparent conspiracies in action. [[Ryouko]]'s genetic anomalies have been investigated further, and an entirely novel portion of her brain has been found, of still-unknown purpose. Meanwhile, on the way to the [[VR]] center, [[Ryouko]] and crew are stopped by a sudden inexplicable power loss, and then are dragged away by a sudden massive [[demon]] spawn. [[Yuma]] is informed of this via [[Incubator]] plushie, and realizes that [[Shizuki Sayaka]]'s plan to secretly investigate [[Ryouko]]'s brain in a [[VR]] session is being thwarted by a deliberate [[demon]] spawn. [[Nadya]] notes that the power outage looks almost like [[Misa]]'s handiwork.<br><br />
<br>The [[demon]] hunt isn't easy, but [[Ryouko]] is aided by a pair of [[magical girl]]s who oddly refuse to identify themselves. Not long afterwards, [[Rebecca Shu|a messenger]] from [[Kuroi Kana]] appears, revealing that the mystery woman accompanying them is in fact [[Shizuki Sayaka]], and further revealing the planned [[VR]] scan.<br><br />
<br>Brought to a secret location, [[Ryouko]] is told by [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Kuroi Nana]] about the genetic engineering done to her, along with the fact that her parents were unaware and their memories altered. They further explain need to examine [[Ryouko]] more closely, and the apparent attempt to prevent this. [[Ryouko]], overwhelmed, leaves to be alone with [[Asami]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns that she was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|49|Transition State}}|[[Mami]], finding herself plagued by an inexplicable headache, is approached by her [[MHD]] [[Charlotte Meitner|minder]], only for the minder to collapse from a sudden brain hemorrhage, though [[Mami]] is able to heal her.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive at [[Adept Blue]], on orders from [[Mami]], all attempts to probe the genetically engineered portion of her brain having failed. The lab's [[AI]] director, [[Vlad]], greets them there, as does [[Mami]]—surprisingly, in person. They reveal that they've made a breakthrough, which should allow them to construct a range amplifier for [[Ryouko]], with [[Asami]]'s help. [[Mami]] also explains that, given the unknown function of the modifications to [[Ryouko]]'s brain and the recent attempts on her life, [[Ryouko]]'s presence on asteroid-borne [[Adept Blue]] with her bodyguards and [[Patricia von Rohr]] makes her more secure.<br><br />
<br>Alone, [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] discuss her circumstances: she's all but on the run from the [[MHD]], and clearly suffering from the unraveling of a [[Reformat]]. They agree to bring in an outside telepath to investigate.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] discuss their situation and their [[wish]]es, taking consolation in the fact that at least they've been brought and kept together in the whirlwind of their lives.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive on [[Adept Blue]] to help develop new wormhole technology in a secure location.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|50|Sub Rosa}}|[[Mami]] brings [[Azrael]] to [[Adept Blue]], and asks her to help undo her [[Reformat]]. They dive together into [[Mami]]'s memories, and discover an aspect of her own mind, taking various forms. It explains that [[Mami]] self-[[Reformat]]ted, using her now-suppressed impressive telepathic powers to tear off a piece of herself to create the block in her mind. [[Mami]] makes herself whole again, and remembers what she forgot…<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], traveling with her lover [[Akiyama Akari]] in the late twenty-first century, is suddenly caught in a crisis when their plane explodes. [[Mami]] burns almost all her magic trying to save the entire plane, but fails, and [[Akari]] is near death. Sharing their last moments together using [[Akari]]'s soul mage powers, [[Mami]] observes with horror the beginnings of [[Akari]]'s transformation into a terror of despair, until her [[soul gem]] finally vanishes.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] manages to survive, kill the local [[magical girl]]s responsible for the destruction of the plane, and turns herself in. [[Homura]] talks with her alone, explaining that she knew about the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from. [[Mami]], unable to deal with this revelation or the loss of [[Akari]], asks for help in [[Reformat]]ing herself.<br><br />
<br>After [[Mami]] resurfaces from the memories, [[Kyubey]] appears, claiming to be interested in both information-gathering and her well-being. [[Mami]] finds herself, as she had hoped, older and wiser enough to handle the end of her [[Reformat]], though left with unfinished business. She immediately questions [[Ryouko]] about the [[Goddess]], and both [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] tell her that [[Goddess|She]] does exist. [[Kyubey]] comments that it can't say such things are impossible, and [[Mami]] decides to visit [[the Ribbon]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] undoes her self-[[Reformat]] and learns the original fate of [[magical girl]]s.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|51|Eternal Search}}|With work continuing on the new wormhole tech, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] talk. [[Azrael]] explains how she handled her own genetic modification and controlled life, eventually deciding to look to the future and just ask for what she wanted, to surprising success. [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] that she thinks she's only really been happy on missions, which [[Asami]] had already realized.<br><br />
<br>On [[Earth]], [[Kyouko]] brings [[Mami]] to [[the Ribbon]], and they discuss the fact that someone must have triggered the unraveling of [[Mami]]'s [[Reformat]], and that logically it must have been [[Homura]].<br><br />
<br>At the [[Ribbon]], [[Mami]] enters a vision and meets—and immediately attacks—[[Oriko]]. Unharmed, [[Oriko]] responds merely by apologizing for her actions in life. [[Oriko]] explains that, as [[Homura]] told [[Mami]], what she saw with [[Akari]] was the beginnings of a terrible transformation made impossible by the [[Goddess]], and that [[magical girl]]s are instead brought to her afterlife. The [[Goddess]] herself then tells [[Mami]] that she needs to learn to let go and stop burying herself in endless work for humanity. The [[Goddess]] brings out [[Machina]] too, revealing her sentience to [[Mami]], and suggests they go on vacation, promising that there won't be [[Cephalopod]] activity for a few weeks.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]] explaining matters, and is encouraged to take a vacation.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|52|Who We Are}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew meet unexpected visitors on [[Adept Blue]]: [[Valentin]], and [[Tao]] from [[ITG]]. [[Tao]] explains that he's made some important theoretical breakthroughs that should help their work, and [[Valentin]] explains that [[Vlad]] and [[Clarisse]] are part of two separate attempts to create separate [[TCF]]s, to help provide more security against attacks like the hacked drone on [[X-25]].<br><br />
<br>Doing rescue work on a colony world retaken from the [[Ceph]], [[Zhou Meiqing]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting with [[Kuroi Nana]], who is investigating [[X-25]]. She tells [[Meiqing]] that the [[Far Seers]] have determined both of them were deliberately placed on the mission by [[Homura]] somehow, and that they recommended asking [[Meiqing]] to work with her in the [[Black Heart]]. [[Meiqing]] asks for time to decide.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] remembers going with [[Homura]] to interrogate a prisoner, [[Zhou Zhi Yi]], during the [[Unification Wars]]. On the way, [[Yuma]] asks [[Homura]] how the [[Goddess]] can allow so much evil to happen, and [[Homura]] responds that she doesn't know. [[Zhi Yi]] tells them that her work developing the [[FA Elites]] was mere prelude to her plans to genetically modify humanity to serve [[magical girl]]s needs, seeing it as the only way to preserve humanity long-term. [[Yuma]] executes her.<br><br />
<br>Back in the present day, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Simona]] has been found, and is now a [[magical girl]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] comes to [[Adept Blue]], and [[Simona]] is discovered to be a [[magical girl]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|53|Alignment}}|[[Shizuki Sayaka]] reveals to [[Yuma]] that she found [[Simona]] in [[Paris]]—they were both aiding [[Ryouko]] during the suspicious [[demon]] attack. [[Simona]] explains she's part of a mysterious organization trying to "save the world", and offers them a deal: she will give them information to ensure the safe creation of wormholes by [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]], on the condition that she join them on any missions using those wormholes to attack the [[Ceph]]. As proof of her good intentions, she agrees to undergo full [[soul mage]] examination.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] meets with [[Marianne Francois]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[New California]] as part of her attempted vacation. [[Mami]] also enjoys [[Machina]]'s company as they eat at a restaurant together, before moving on to a séance organized by the [[Far Seers]] meant to investigate what happened to [[Misa Virani]]. [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] enter into a strange vision in which they find themselves playing characters tracking down a mysterious enemy facility with [[Homura]]. They run into [[Misa]]—accompanied by [[Kyouko]] and [[Nadya]], similarly playing characters—who is tracking her friend whose [[soul gem]] supposedly failed mysteriously. [[Homura]], who is inhabiting another body as a disguise, reveals herself, and afterward convinces [[Misa]] to self-[[Reformat]] and destroy the building to hide the truth.<br><br />
<br>Using the mathematics provided by [[Simona]], and with [[Clarisse van Rossum]] in attendance, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] successfully create a long-distance wormhole.<br />
----<br />
In short: A séance reveals [[Homura]]'s role in [[Misa]]'s past, as [[Humanity]]'s first wormhole is created with the help of information from [[Simona]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|54|Eternal Youth}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] learn from the [[soul mage]] examination of [[Simona]] that the [[TCF]] has been seriously breached. Back at [[Adept Blue]], [[Simona]] watches [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]]'s successful wormhole test, reminiscing about her childhood as part of a secret project to design and implement an alternate, uncompromised [[TCF]]. [[Simona]] then reveals herself and her new status as a [[magical girl]] to [[Ryouko]] in the celebration following the successful test. [[Ryouko]], suspicious because of her vision which implied [[Simona]] was involved in the conspiracies surrounding her, confides her worries in [[Clarisse van Rossum]], who along with [[Clarisse]] [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] validates her worries and further reveals that [[Simona]] is in love with her. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] asks [[Earth]] for more information about exactly what is going on.<br><br />
<br>On [[New California]], [[Maki]] presses [[Kyouko]] on her melancholy attitude, and [[Kyouko]] confesses her worries about their relationship and how she's used romance in the past to fight against her own age. [[Nadya]] and [[Marianne Francois]] talk about their kids, reflecting on the death of [[Juliet Francois]], until [[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Maki]] arrive to meet them. Bothered by the somber mood on what's supposed to be a vacation, the group ends up going dancing—[[Mami]] in particular doing so with abandon—until they are interrupted with news from [[Yuma]]. That night, [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] discuss their recent visions, and [[Mami]] informs [[Kyouko]] she's been suddenly recalled to the [[General Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]]'s memories reveal a breach in the [[TCF]], as she meets [[Ryouko]] at [[Adept Blue]] and as [[Mami]]'s vacation comes to a close.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|55|New Perspectives}}|Headed back towards [[Earth]], Mami attends a virtual meeting of the [[General Staff]]. The new [[Coeus Project]]'s intelligence has revealed that the [[Ceph]] have regrouped faster than expected after the [[Battle of Orpheus]], so the Staff agrees to request more military resources and to put every effort into developing another "knockout" punch before the [[squid]] can attack again.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Azrael]] shares a [[VR]] recreation of her [[Terra Roja|old colony]], complete with flight-enabling bioengineered bodies, with [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Patricia]]. After some flying, conversation eventually turns to the topic of [[Simona]], and [[Ryouko]] decides to share everything she's worried about and ask for advice. When the other girls then suggest directly confronting [[Simona]] to resolve the romantic situation and uncover the truth, [[Ryouko]] initially balks. However, realizing that her life would remain out of her control as long as she never takes action herself, [[Ryouko]] changes her mind and agrees to the plan.<br><br />
<br>Meeting remotely, [[Vlad]] informs [[Mami]] that their wormhole experiments have uncovered a confounding space-time anomaly near a pulsar, and [[Mami]] realizes that it matches one of the mysterious, newly-discovered [[Ceph]] facilities the [[General Staff]] had been examining as potential targets.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] decides to confront [[Simona]], while [[Mami]] investigates a [[squid]] [[pulsar mines|pulsar facility]] as a potential target.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|56|Pulse}}|[[Simona]], suddenly facing [[Ryouko]]'s demands for answers, explains her secretive life, from her upbringing up through her assignment to [[Adept Blue]]. Though she refuses to share everything, particularly the breach in the [[TCF]], she does reveal her wish: to be understood by, and to protect, [[Shizuki Ryouko]]. With mixed feelings, [[Ryouko]] agrees to give [[Simona]] a chance to earn back trust, but makes clear that she does not reciprocate [[Simona]]'s love.<br><br />
<br>Shortly afterward, [[Vlad]] and [[Asami]] run a new experiment investigating the strange [[pulsar mines|pulsar]] in [[Ceph]] space, and [[Asami]] discovers a huge network of stations facilitating the 'mining' of its space-time for use in [[Blink technology]]. [[Mami]] is immediately informed, but before taking action, she first returns to the [[Ribbon]]. There, the [[Goddess]] reassures her that her heart really is in the right place, and tells her that humanity needs her heroism once again. The [[Goddess]] then hints towards the [[pulsar mines]], and gives [[Mami]] a glimpse into the mystery of the [[Cephalopod]]s as a whole.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]] explains herself to [[Ryouko]], and [[Mami]] meets again with the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|57|Triple Point}}|[[Mami]] visits [[Adept Blue]], promoting [[Asami]] for her recent work and informing her and [[Ryouko]] that she needs them to help destroy the [[pulsar mines]] to stave off the [[Ceph]]. While that project gets underway, [[Asami]] and [[Ryouko]] get a break, which they choose to spend together in one of the partially-restored wildernesses of [[Earth]]. There, they discuss their relationship, and find their hopes for it have somewhat converged: Asami is in less of a rush to settle down, and Ryouko is thinking more about the long-term. For the first time, Ryouko says "I love you."<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere in deep space, [[Vlad]] christens the construction of a massive new wormhole apparatus [[Project Armstrong]], and discusses with [[Tao]] the heightened security measures and screening now seemingly necessary to protect it from internal threats. And elsewhere on [[Earth]], a disguised [[Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] stop [[Nakase]] and [[Sacnite]] as they exit a showing of ''[[Orpheus]]'' to talk about unblocking her memories of the agreement she made to get [[Ryouko]]'s birth license.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Project Armstrong]] gets underway as [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] strengthen their relationship.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|58|On Trusting Trust}}|[[Nakase]]'s memories reveal that [[Valentin]] was responsible for genetically engineering [[Ryouko]], but [[Valentin]] disappears before she can be apprehended, leaving behind a letter implying that she is in fact [[Akemi Homura]]. [[Yuma]], seeing the connections between [[Valentin]], [[Ryouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] all running through the [[Cult of Hope]], and discounting the possibility that the [[Goddess]] could be real, begins to fear that the [[Cult]] is a malevolent conspiracy. However, she first is forced to address the definitely malevolent conspiracy which has compromised the original [[TCF]]—including [[MG]], to their mutual distress. [[Yuma]] and a patched [[MG]] rapidly expand their circle of informed and/or repaired AIs, starting with [[MG]]'s friends.<br><br />
<br>One of those friends, ''[[Governance: Cult of Hope]]'', acts against [[Yuma]]'s wishes and contacts [[Clarisse]] just as she and [[Ryouko]] are returning to [[Project Armstrong]]. When asked, [[Clarisse]] confirms the rumor that she had experienced visions from the [[Goddess]] convincing her that AIs have souls, but she unhappily decides she can't yet tell [[Ryouko]] about the [[TCF]] breach given the still-mysterious organ in her brain.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] vanishes once exposed as responsible for [[Ryouko]]'s genetic modifications, and [[Yuma]] begins restoring the [[TCF]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|59|Parlor Games}}|[[Nadya]], chasing down leads on [[Valentin]] from [[Kyouko]], ends up on [[Yenisei]] visiting family. The slightly tense visit is interrupted by a power outage, and the revelation that [[Piotr|her grandson]] saw [[Misa]]. [[Nadya]] hurriedly enlists local help from the [[Cult]], but finds only [[Misa]]'s trail of destruction, not the girl. In a ruined structure, hidden from local networks and drones in a manner implying [[TCF]] corruption, she digs up damaged data crystals.<br><br />
<br>The crystals end up containing a set of deep space coordinates, and [[Kyouko]] tries to set up a meeting with [[Yuma]] to discuss them, only to find that [[Yuma]] is off [[Earth]] for the first time in her life. [[Yuma]] herself is disturbed by the invitation, which included several high-ranking [[Cult]] members, but is forced to focus on the immediate task of repairing [[Nova]], [[Governance]] representative for [[Nova Terra]]. The mission nearly spirals out of control, but with help from [[MG]] and others, [[Yuma]] manages to induct [[Nova]] and her considerable resources into a still-intact conspiracy. This quickly bears fruit in the form of uncovered coordinates—unbeknownst to [[Yuma]], the same ones [[Nadya]] found.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], a crystal salamander delivers a message from [[Homura]] to [[Simona]]: "I'm sorry for everything."<br />
----<br />
In short: Both the [[Cult]] and [[Yuma]], running parallel investigations, uncover a mysterious set of coordinates.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|60|Digital Divination}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Simona]] practice in simulation for their upcoming mission: using [[Project Armstrong]]'s wormhole apparatus to launch [[jumpstrike|an attack]] on the [[Ceph]]'s [[pulsar mines]]. The simulation ends in their deaths—not an uncommon occurrence, a fact which weighs on them, especially [[Asami]]. But [[Ryouko]] works hard to support her girlfriend, even genetically engineering an exotic plant for [[Asami]] to wear in her hair as a gift.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s investigation into the AIs involved in [[Ryouko]]'s life turns up no [[TCF]] corruption, but indicates that the conspiracy she faces may have simply covered their tracks. Her investigation into the mysterious deep space coordinates yields more: a hidden asteroid base. [[Yuma]] plans to personally lead a field mission, using experimental anti-[[IIC]] technology to prevent any occupants from revealing [[Yuma]]'s conspiracy to their own. Excluded from [[Yuma]]'s planning, [[Kyouko]] unknowingly organizes a [[Cult]]-sponsored expedition to the same exact coordinates.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] hears the [[Goddess]]'s voice telling her not to go to the pulsar.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] independently plan deep space missions to the same coordinates, while [[Ryouko]] undergoes simulation training for [[Project Armstrong]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|61|Into the Void}}|[[Yuma]] and a field team of fellow [[Ancient]]s and escort ships visit the deep space asteroid base and find evidence of contact between the [[Ceph]] and [[Governance]] [[Representatives]] early in the war, ending in the death of the alien representatives. [[Kyouko]] then arrives with a large contingent of [[Cult of Hope]] members, leading to a brief flaring of tensions, before Yuma and her group is ambushed by an alien attack force.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, [[Ryouko]] and the others at [[Adept Blue]] launch their wormhole attack on the pulsar. While initially semi-successful, the task force is thrown for a loop when the aliens begin to tear their wormhole apart, and Ryouko suddenly cannot teleport.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] discover secret [[Ceph]]-[[Governance]] contacts from the early war, and then are ambushed by an alien raid. [[Ryouko]] and [[Project Armstrong]] attack the [[pulsar mines]], but alien countermeasures confound the effort.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|62|The Dying Light, Part One}}|[[Yuma]] and her [[Ancients]] struggle to hold out against [[Ceph]] raiders while [[Kyouko]]'s ships rush to link up with them. They eventually succeed, but at the cost of [[Raven]], many mundane crew and Spec Ops, and [[Ceri|a magical girl]] from [[Kyouko]]'s forces.<br><br />
<br>At the pulsar, [[Ryouko]]'s team can't end the block on her teleportation, and they have to be rescued by [[Oda|another teleporter]]. Upon returning to the wormhole, [[Asami]] is unable to fully stabilize it, and [[Ryouko]] leaves to raid the pulsar's mining facilities in response. Her teleportation is blocked again there, but this time she finds the source: mysterious [[Ceph]], with a [[blink interdictor]], as she learns unexpectedly with help from the strange organ in her brain. Still, the delays have been too much, and the order is given to abort the mission as soon as the wormhole is stabilized.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, despite having combined their forces, [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] are slowly losing their battle—and then [[Yuma]] learns the alien bombers are about to make a second pass, fully reloaded by a stealthed supply ship.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] face destruction by [[Ceph]] raiders. [[Ryouko]]'s brain module activates, and the pulsar mission has fallen apart.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|63|The Dying Light, Part Two}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] concoct a radical plan: surreptitiously place [[supersaturated grief cubes]] on the departing alien bombers as an indirect surprise attack on the alien supply ship. They take heavy casualties from the second bombing, however, and learn that calling for reinforcements had caused a counterreaction from whoever compromised the [[TCF]].<br />
<br />
[[Ryouko]] makes more contact with alien machines through the strange organ in her brain, and [[Patricia]] helps her to decode some of the information before [[Oda]] and another team arrive to help teleport them away. Regrouping with [[Asami]], they learn she has successfully restabilized the wormhole. Ryouko explains that with the information she has received, she has acquired a bit more insight into her teleportation, enabling her to teleport objects without teleporting herself. Asami then concocts a radical plan of her own, proposing that Ryouko teleport one of her black holes near the pulsar as they evacuate, which would devastate the region.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Yuma's group continue their gambit. Using information gathered by Ryouko, they activate their captured alien vessel's [[blink]] drive, teleporting the surviving members of the group to the now-incapacitated alien supply ship. They board the ship and discover, to their confusion, that the demons they spawned are feeding on some of the Ceph. With no time to ponder this, they drain the ship's exotic matter fuel tanks to manufacture interdiction charges, which are then used on their pursuers in order to escape for good. [[Charlotte Meitner]] and [[Nadya Antipova]] die in this final battle.<br />
<br />
At the pulsar, the evacuation is nearly complete, and Asami and Ryouko resolve to perform their gambit. [[Simona]] vehemently disagrees and attempts to kidnap Ryouko to stop this, but is defeated, her soul gem torn from her body. Asami and Ryouko then successfully teleport a black hole near the pulsar, and attempt to evacuate through the wormhole with Oda's teleport as the pulsar undergoes gravitational collapse. However, this teleport is interrupted by the wormhole fracturing, and while Oda, Asami, and others seem to make it through, Ryouko is trapped when the wormhole collapses, dumping her 24 light-minutes from the pulsar, heavily injured.<br />
<br />
Before the radiation shockwave from the pulsar reaches her and kills her, an alien vessel makes contact using Ryouko's strange organ, offering rescue. With no other option, Ryouko teleports aboard, and the ship blinks away.<br />
<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] escape the [[Ceph]], but take heavy casualties. [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] destroy the pulsar mines, but [[Ryouko]] is stranded, forced to accept rescue from an alien ship.}}<br />
<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude III: Manifest Destiny ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Manifest Destiny is a term describing the belief that the United States, due to its special virtues, had both a duty and a destiny to expand west into North America.''<br />
: ''It also describes similar beliefs in the [[MSY]] during its fifth phase, as it reached further and further beyond the island nation of Japan.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|33|Interlude II: Madeleines}}|The interlude covers a slice of the life of [[Mami]]'s lover, the soul mage [[Akiyama Akari]], starting from her initial meeting with Mami during an incident in Seoul involving the soul mage [[Seoyun]], known as the Witch. Early investigation leads to disaster when conflict breaks out over the city and Mami is mind controlled, only for Akari to break her out by turning the generated love towards Akari instead.<br />
<br />
In the aftermath of the incident, Mami proposes that the two of them try a relationship, and this goes quite well. Akari changes jobs, becoming a researcher into the nature of grief and soul gem decay, and the MSY decides to change its Charter, embarking on a new, expansionist agenda to expand beyond Japan.<br />
<br />
This results in a new incident then pulls them both back into Korea: the bombing of a region of Seoul with an apparently magical device formed from the soul gem of an unknown magical girl, sent by an unknown group in North Korea, disaffected and angry by the MSY's disastrous (for them) flooding of the grief cube markets. To the mundane world, the [[Incubators]] fabricate blame on the North Korean government, which worsens the geopolitical situation and destabilizes its already rickety regime.<br />
<br />
The situation grows worse when information emerges about a similar threat towards Mitakihara-Kazamino International Airport, this time accompanying by a letter threatening a nuclear scale device. Akari and Mami work feverishly on security, and a crisis is barely averted when Akari manages to teleport onto a plane arriving with the device and disable it manually.<br />
<br />
Finally identifying the source of the devices inside North Korea, Akari accompanies a strike force to assassinate the mage involved.<br />
<br />
In the wake of these events, Mami and Akari attend negotiations with other North Korean magical girls from the border region affected by the crash in grief cube prices.<br />
<br />
Later, the collapse of the North Korean government in a coup by Chinese-backed plotters leads to Mami and Akari visiting Pyongyang at the invitation of affiliated magical girls. Their plane departs afterward, the two of them blissfully unaware of the conventional device planted by border radicals.<br />
<br />
After Akari's death (detailed in [[Chapter 50]]), [[Homura]] discourses out loud in private, perhaps to [[Madoka]], discussing the dark turn of events and the resulting founding of the [[Black Heart]] intelligence organization.<br />
---<br />
'''In short: A summary of Akari's relationship with Mami. Side focus on the politics above'''}}<br />
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<br />
=== Volume IV: Einstein-Rosen Bridge ===<br />
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: ''An Einstein-Rosen Bridge is a hypothetical way of connecting two spacetime coordinates; in other words, a wormhole.''<br />
: ''The subject of [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] power and the [[Cephalopod|Cephalopod's]] wormhole tech may feature prominently.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
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<br />
=== Interlude IV: Ubermensch ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Übermensch is Nietzsche's idea that humanity should turn away from the other worlds and values promoted by "dead" religions and gods, setting instead the goal of advancing new, superior generations of humans on earth.''<br />
: ''This may refer to [[FA]] ideologies, or even aspects of [[Governance]] thought. It notably stands in contrast to Ryouko's life and wish.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
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=== Volume V: Dark Energy ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Dark energy is a proposed form of energy that drives the accelerating expansion of the universe towards eventual heat death.''<br />
: ''This may imply topics ranging from the role of the [[Incubator]]s to the [[magical girl system]] itself.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
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=== Interlude V: Destroyer of Worlds ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Part of a quote by the god Vishnu in the Bhagavad Gita, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Made famous by J. R. Oppenheimer, who later said he thought of the line after witnessing the first test of an atomic bomb.''<br />
: ''Perhaps covers the Unification Wars, which saw heavy use of atomic weapons. May include [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s role, a character who notably was also present for the first atomic detonation.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
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=== Volume VI: Singularity ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''A singularity is a point at which a function takes an infinite value, especially in space-time when matter is infinitely dense, as at the center of a black hole. It is also a term used for the hypothetically unknowable changes to the human condition caused by superintelligence.''<br />
: ''In former sense, it may reference [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] or [[Asami|Asami's]] powers. In the latter, perhaps it refers to [[Governance|Governance's]] Emergency Mode Level Four.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div></div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=To_the_Stars&diff=1589To the Stars2022-07-28T00:45:09Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* Interlude III: Manifest Destiny */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Quote|After centuries of turmoil, a Utopian AI/human government has seized control of Earth, heralding a new age of post-scarcity and space colonization. An unexpected encounter with a hostile, technologically superior alien race has broken the peace, forcing magical girls to come out of hiding to save human civilization.<br />
<br />
In the midst of it all, Shizuki Ryouko, an ordinary girl, looks to the sky, wondering at her place in the universe.|Hieronym|author of To the Stars<br />
}}<br />
<br />
This page summarizes the entire story, volume by volume and chapter by chapter, for those who want a refresher on events. It also includes the names of all future volumes and interludes, [http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/55779437700/future-interlude-title-change as released by] [[Hieronym]] many years ago.<br />
<br />
Each section is collapsed by default, to avoid unwanted spoilers; use the right-hand "Expand" buttons to view descriptions.<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
== Synopses ==<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume I: Quantum Entanglement ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon where groups of particles cannot have their state completely described independently of each other, even if separated by large distances.<br />
: ''This perhaps describes the position Ryouko finds herself in.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume I Summary|[[Shizuki Ryouko]], a regular girl dissatisfied with her utopian life, [[contract]]s and becomes a [[magical girl]], [[wish|wishing]] to leave [[Earth]], explore, and "find my place in this universe". Her life rapidly turns anything but ordinary, as day by day wild events pile up and new secrets from her past reveal themselves. She ends up under the tutelage of both [[Tomoe Mami]] and [[Sakura Kyouko]], learns that the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]] was deliberately caused by someone, discovers that she's the descendant of two powerful competing [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], receives a mysterious vision from a magical girl [[Goddess]], finds out her parents have been working on a secret project cloning bodies for [[magical girl]]s to use, receives a special V2 [[TacComp]], and learns about her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]], protege of [[Akemi Homura]], whose wish turned [[Ryouko]]'s own [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] from a [[magical girl]] back to a regular human.<br><br />
<br>All along, [[Ryouko]] struggles to adjust, learning as much about magical and military worlds she's entering as she can. Saying goodbye to friends and family, and starting to make new friends among her fellow [[magical girls]], she finally departs [[Earth]], led by her [[wish]] out into a strange new universe.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]], and begins to discover her unusual place in the universe.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|1|A Wish}}|[[Ryouko]] goes to school, dissatisfied with her life. She feels out of place in a world where her family at home and friends at school seem to enjoy the near-utopian [[Earth]], even as a [[Contact War|war]] against an [[Ceph|alien]] menace rages. However, [[Mandatory Session|classes]] are interrupted by the appearance of [[Tomoe Mami]] nearby, who has taken a detour to check the school for potential [[magical girl]] recruits with [[Kyubey]], who claims he has found one. The sighting leaves [[Ryouko]] dwelling on the remote possibility of becoming a [[magical girl]], distracting her enough that she unthinkingly agrees to go on a date with another boy from class. [[Simona]], one of her friends, sees that she's unhappy and follows her out to a riverbank with a view of the [[starport]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], on the other hand, surreptitiously visits [[Kyouko]] in her church to discuss [[the Cult]]'s discovery of irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain. She agrees to look into it and departs, only to encounter a [[demon]] spawn on her way back. At the riverbank, [[Simona]] is about to confess her feelings for [[Ryouko]], when they are suddenly attacked by [[demons]]. [[Ryouko]] manages to keep the both of them alive for a short while before getting trapped. At the moment she attempts to sacrifice herself to save [[Simona]], [[Mami]] saves them both, and along with [[Kyubey]] explains that [[Ryouko]] has the [[potential]] to make a [[wish]] and become a [[magical girl]]. {{Quote|"I wish I could leave Earth," Ryouko said, looking down, "and explore this world. I want to go where no one else has gone before and find my place in this universe."}}<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|2|Fantasma}}|[[Mami]], with some reluctance, separates [[Simona]] from [[Ryouko]] and lets [[Kyouko]] take over the immediate training. [[Kyouko]] runs her through the ropes quickly, learns that [[Ryouko]] has an unprecedented 200km teleportation range, and assigns herself as a mentor along with [[Mami]], who has in the meantime realized that [[Simona]] had a crush on [[Ryouko]]. [[Mami]] advises [[Simona]] not to tell [[Ryouko]] how she feels. [[Ryouko]] fights her first [[demon]]s with [[Kyouko]], and afterwards [[Patricia von Rohr]] shows them a pile of [[grief cube]]s she found, indicating the [[demon]] spawn was deliberate. The [[Incubator]]s swear off responsibility, and all [[Ryouko]] can remember is seeing a woman in the distance just beforehand. [[Kyouko]] promises to investigate.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] discovers that someone deliberately spawned the [[demon]]s which led to her [[contract]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|3|Mami Watches a Movie, Part One}}|Disguised, [[Mami]] attends the movie ''[[Akemi]]''. It depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] upbringing in an orphanage, her [[wish]], and then [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, which triggers a vision of the [[Goddess]] for [[Homura]] that changes her personality markedly. It then depicts [[Yuma]] asking to be taken in by [[Homura]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]]—a fabrication, the movie-watching [[Mami]] notes—and the resulting [[Mitakihara Four]] founding the [[MSY]]. The movie montages through the [[MSY|MSY's]] history, jumping ahead to the alien [[Cephalopod]]'s first attack on [[Aurora]], after which [[Homura]] rallies the [[MSY]] to send a massive force of [[magical girl]]s to [[New Athens]] to stop the next attack.<br />
----<br />
In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] life up until [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|4|Mami Watches a Movie, Part Two}}|With [[Mami]] in attendance, the movie ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Mami]] and [[Homura]] directing a surprise assault on the [[Cephalopod]]s at [[New Athens]]. Initially the battle goes well, and the [[Human]] forces on the ground rally, but the aliens deploy stronger measures in turn. [[Homura]] goes out to personally lead the counterattack, but the combination of stealth armor and orbital strikes is too much, and she falls in battle… only to find that her [[soul gem]] refuses to fill with [[grief]], preventing her from being taken away by the [[Law of Cycles]], to her despair. [[Homura]] then suddenly heals from her wounds, and her white wings are replaced by huge, horrible black wings. Almost entirely by her own power, she leads the counterattack to victory, at the end personally redirecting an orbital superweapon back at the [[Ceph]] fleet.<br><br />
<br>In the final scene of the movie, [[Kyouko]] argues to an unconvinced [[Mami]] that the battle proves [[Homura|Homura's]] faith in her [[Goddess]] has merit, only for both of them to be interrupted by [[Homura|Homura's]] arrival. [[Homura]] announces her resignation from the [[MSY]], leaving one of her [[The Ribbon|ribbons]] with them, and declares that she is leaving to look for her [[Goddess]], protecting the world another way. The movie over, [[Mami]] begins her departure from [[Earth]], starting her endless work anew with her Version Two [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br />
----<br />
In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] transformation, victory, and disappearance at [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|5|Family}}|[[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] tell [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] family that she has [[contract]]ed, to their horror. [[Kyouko]] defends [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] choice, and explains some of the [[magical girl]] system to them, though they prove to know more than most. Before [[Ryouko]] goes to bed, [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] comes to talk with her, expressing disappointment that [[Ryouko]] lied when she promised not to [[contract]], and talking the situation over. After watching [[Ryouko]] [[transform]] and discussing her weapon, an arbalest, she leaves [[Ryouko]] with the request to tell her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] (who had disappeared to join the military when [[Ryouko]] was a child) that her family was sorry, should [[Ryouko]] meet her.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] falls asleep, [[Kyouko]] sticks around to gather information on her family situation as per procedure. [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] grandfather [[Kuroi Abe]] willingly helps her out, explaining that [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] parents are near divorce, though [[Ryouko]] doesn't realize it, and that they know so much about magic because they're researchers. He also mentions that [[Ryouko]] has an [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]] she doesn't know about. That night, [[Ryouko]] dreams of an old encounter with a [[magical girl]], and finds that she still has the bracelet the girl gave her. She also recalls an old memory of her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] talking about [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]], though she doesn't understand it. After talking to [[Simona]] and her family a bit, [[Ryouko]] spends the morning reading through the swath of informational messages about her new life.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] tells her family she has [[contract|contracted]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|6|Military}}|[[Mami]] remembers the [[Mitakihara Four]]'s celebration of [[October Three]] with [[Homura]], shortly before the [[Contact War]]. The four of them poke fun at each other—including about [[Homura]]'s secret pupil and [[Kyouko]]'s "transgressions"—and eventually [[Mami]] suggests that they take a long vacation from the [[MSY]] together, only for the others to reluctantly shoot the idea down.<br><br />
<br>In the present, [[Mami]] arrives at the [[starport]] with her bodyguards and meets with [[Marianne Francois]], her intelligence officer, who she instructs to secretly investigate the [[grief cube]] supply chain as [[Kyouko]] asked. Later arriving at [[Carthago Shipyard]] via scramjet then space elevator then [[Navigator]], she attends a meeting of the [[General Staff]].<br><br />
<br>During the meeting, the Chair of the [[General Staff]] [[Roland Erwynmark]] reveals that the [[Cephalopod]]s have been discovered constructing a [[wormhole stabilizer]] in the [[Kepler-37 System]], at the tip of the ongoing [[Euphratic Incursion]]. This would allow the aliens to directly transport reinforcements into the system, within [[Blink]] distance of the [[Core World]] [[Optatum]], and so an immediate [[MagOps]] operation is planned to destroy it. [[Erwynmark]] then announces that he's appointing [[Mami]] as a special [[Euphratic Sector]] commander, over some opposition from her opponents on the [[General Staff|Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] is promoted, and tasked with destroying the discovered [[wormhole stabilizer]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|7|Southern Group}}|[[Kyouko]] wakes up (with [[Kishida Maki]] at her side) and while making the rounds at her [[Kyouko's Church|church]] discovers that [[Maki]] has painted the [[Goddess]] with pink hair, a previously unknown trait. However, [[Kyouko]] has to immediately leave to see [[Yuma]] about the [[grief cube]] incident. On the way, [[Kyouko]] remembers when she first met [[Yuma]], in a confrontation with the [[Southern Group]] shortly after [[Homura]] had first joined the team, before her personality change. [[Kyouko]] had immediately taken sympathy, and telepathically invited her to switch sides, though the very young [[Yuma]] had angrily refused after [[Kyouko]] insulted [[Oriko]], who had saved [[Yuma|Yuma's]] life.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko|Kyouko's]] reverie is briefly interrupted by [[Maki]], who tells her the idea of the pink hair came from [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Kyouko]] then further recalls the next two times she saw [[Yuma]]: first, months later after [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, in a chance encounter at a store where she had revealed she was doing "research" with [[Oriko]], and second, two years after that, when [[Kyouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Homura]] had saved her after the deaths of [[Oriko]] and the rest of [[Southern Group|her team]]. After that, they had [[Befriending|Befriended]] her, and once [[Yuma]] recovered she joined them as one of the [[Mitakihara Four]]. Eventually [[Yuma]] had told them what had really happened the night [[Oriko]] died, and they resolved to keep it secret.<br><br />
<br>As [[Kyouko]] arrives at [[MSY]] [[Governmental Affairs]] to see [[Yuma]], she lastly recalls [[Homura]] telling [[Yuma]] that the [[Goddess]] provided an afterlife for [[magical girl]]s, the only time [[Kyouko]] ever heard her say it out loud.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] remembers how [[Yuma]] ended up joining the [[Mitakihara Four]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|8|Church and State}}|[[Yuma]] runs out to greet [[Kyouko]] like an older sister, herself having taken on a nine-year-old form, and [[Kyouko]] is greeted by her [[Governance]] partner [[MG]] as well. [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] then meet privately to discuss the irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain, and the further reports of [[magical girl]]s going missing, and [[Yuma]] agrees to investigate. When [[Kyouko]] brings up the [[grief cube]] incident with [[Ryouko]], [[Yuma]] immediately deduces that the [[grief cube]]s were super-saturated with grief—a possible state kept very secret, though they don't have a sample to prove it. Before leaving, [[Kyouko]] recommends that [[Yuma]] visit [[The Ribbon]], but she demures just as [[Mami]] always does, instead giving [[Kyouko]] an [[Incubator]] plushie.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] checks with [[Kyubey]] briefly about the [[grief cube]]s, but he does not provide any new information, and so [[Kyouko]] ends up back at [[Kyouko's church|her church]], where she meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Patrica]] reveals that she kept some of the [[grief cube]]s from the incident after sensing something strange about them, and [[Kyouko]] tells her to inform [[Yuma]] through the plushie, which turned out to be enchanted as a [[telepathy]]-enhancer. [[Kyouko]] also gets [[Asaka]] to agree to share the details of the [[Goddess]]'s hair with the [[Theological Council]]. Finally, [[Kyouko]] gives a sermon on the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from, and announces that the church will be updating the statue of the [[Goddess]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] discover that the [[grief cube]]s planted near where [[Ryouko]] was attacked were super-saturated.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|9|Echoes}}|[[Ryouko]] arrives at [[Kyouko's church]], which holds [[MSY]] living quarters and local military facilities underground, in order to get her military upgrades. [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]] guide her through the process. [[Patricia]] notes that [[Ryouko]] has an extremely unusual genetic profile, requiring some adjustments to the process, and then begins the procedure. [[Ryouko]] watches in a semi-[[VR]] experience as the procedure installs a [[TacComp]], removes implants that are useless for [[magical girl]]s, and installs a [[Permanent Awareness Module]], among other things. Testing out her new capabilities, [[Ryouko]] sends [[Asaka]] a memory snapshot of the [[magical girl]] who gave her the bracelet she rediscovered after her [[contract]]. [[Asaka]] reacts oddly, but continues on to show [[Ryouko]] the armory and get her equipped with the required basics.<br><br />
<br>Then she cuts the tour short, instead bringing [[Ryouko]] to the [[Ribbon Chamber]]. At the [[Ribbon]], [[Ryouko]] finds herself in a confusing vision, seeing among other things [[Yuma]] at the death of [[Oriko]], [[Simona]] looking directly at her on her first day of class, [[Asaka]] receiving instruction from the [[Goddess]] to wait for the girl who sent her the memory [[Ryouko]] did, the [[Goddess]] herself briefly showing her face and telling [[Ryouko]] to keep it a secret, and the death of [[Kyouko]] on some sort of mission involving submarines. Both of them watching, [[Patricia]] comments to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] that for a few reasons, including [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s own presence, she's not that surprised [[Ryouko]] received a vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|10|Brigadier}}|[[Ryouko]], brought before the [[Theological Council]] to relate her vision, tells what she saw of [[Kyouko]]'s death, determining with them it was on a colony world and that what actually killed [[Kyouko]] was likely a laser, not a misfire from the submarines. She keeps the rest of the vision from [[Theological Council|the council]], though [[Asaka]] deduces easily that she saw the [[Goddess]]. [[Asaka]] goes on to explain the circumstances of her own vision, where she met again with her dead partner [[Alice]], whose death under her command had torn her apart. Now that she has recovered and her vision is resolved, [[Asaka]] tells [[Ryouko]] she plans to return to the front with [[Mami]], who has just been promoted.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Kyouko]] talks with [[Mami]] about [[Ryouko]], noting that her family tree is dense with [[contract]]ees and connected to the Shizuki and Kuroi [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], that [[Patricia]] found a number of novel mutations in her genetics, and that her friend [[Simona]] has some strange anomalies in her recorded past. Unsure what to make of this, and with no further progress on the [[grief cube]] incident, [[Mami]] agrees at [[Kyouko]]'s request to take on [[Asaka]] as a general, with [[Patricia]] and [[Maki]] as two of [[Asaka]]'s attachments.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] grapples with her vision, and [[Asaka]] explains how her story connects.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|11|Remains of a Life}}|[[Ryouko]] sets up her [[TacComp]] and chooses [[Atsuko Arisu]] as her designated psychiatrist, then goes out to eat dinner with her family and eventually ends up (through a test of her newfound right to drink alcohol without intoxication filters) bringing them to a firing range at [[Kyouko's church]]. There they visit other facilities, including a sparring area where they meet [[Risa Flores]], but [[Ryouko]]'s parents are surprisingly well-informed on the subjects. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] visit her spot near the [[starport]], and talk about their impending military lives, and the disappearance of [[Ryouko's grandmother]], both remembering her saying that she had lost something.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] receives her [[SW-155|officer's pistol]], and her [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] tells her she's planned a going away party. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends at a showing of ''[[Akemi]]'' and finally reveals her [[contract]] to them, also inviting them to the party. Watching the movie, [[Ryouko]] reflects on [[Homura]]'s beliefs, and the fact that her vision contradicts the movie's portrayal of [[Yuma]]. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] asks [[Simona]] what she was going to say to her before the [[demon]] attack, but [[Simona]] tells her to forget about it. [[Ryouko]] also asks about when she looked directly at her on her first day of class (as she saw in her vision), but [[Simona]] claims it was nothing.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, [[Yuma]] convinces [[Kyouko]] to have a spy bug planted on [[Ryouko]] for her protection, and warns her to be careful herself given [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] spends time with her family and friends as she prepares to leave for [[Contact War|war]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|12|Demon Hunter}}|[[Ryouko]] receives a [[CubeBot]] and three [[grief cube]]s, then studies combat doctrines with her [[TacComp]] until [[Kyouko]] invites her to join a [[demon]] hunt. [[Patricia von Rohr|Patricia]] and [[Risa Flores|Risa]] meet her at [[Kyouko's church]], where [[Kyouko]] appears briefly but leaves, clearly bothered by the impending departure of [[Kishida Maki]]. On the hunt itself, [[Ryouko]] uses her teleportation to rescue civilians, move other [[magical girl]]s in for attacks, and so forth, finding herself enjoying the combat. The hunt is interrupted by the injury of one girl, who loses an arm and part of her face, but [[Ryouko]] simply teleports them to the armory hospital, where she is told they will be fine shortly, and the rest of the hunt continues without incident.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] goes on a [[demon]] hunt.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|13|Differences of Knowledge}}|The next day, [[Ryouko]] goes to an [[MSY]] social gathering for new recruits, finding [[Risa Flores]] there as a chaperone, and meets a new girl named [[Nakihara Asami]], who shares her desire to explore new worlds, albeit as a xenobiologist. They get along well, and continue on to the next scheduled event together. The following day, [[Ryouko]] meets [[Atsuko Arisu]] for her psychiatrist appointment, who manages to get her freely talking about many things, including her [[wish]], and who also recommends that she talk with her parents about her family ancestry.<br><br />
<br>That night, [[Shizuki Kuma|Ryouko's father]] interrupts her reading on military subjects to take her to [[Prometheus]], where she meets [[Joanne Valentin]]—who appears to be the woman she saw shortly before the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]]—and receives an upgrade to Version Two for her [[TacComp]]. Afterwards, [[Shizuki Kuma|her father]] secretly takes her into [[Prometheus]]'s cloning facility where he and [[Kuroi Nana|her mother]] work, which he explains is used to provide new bodies to [[magical girl]]s who are reduced to [[soul gem]]s. [[Ryouko]] is shocked, especially upon seeing the beginning stages of her own clone, and bothered at the secrets kept from her.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns about the [[MSY]]'s [[cloning program]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|14|Bloodlines}}|[[Yuma]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Mami]] decide [[Ryouko]]'s discovery of the [[cloning program]] isn't a problem, and discuss the incident that led to [[Ryouko]]'s contract. [[Mami]] remembers seeing [[Joanne Valentin]] at the movie theatre shortly afterwards, and [[Yuma]] confirms that she was the woman near the [[demon]] spawn, and moreover that she mysteriously changed her whole life shortly after the [[Contact War]] began. Investigations into [[Simona]] and the [[grief cube]] supply chain problems [[Kyouko]] reported have unearthed more discrepancies, but nothing major, and [[Risa Flores]] hasn't reported anything from her watch over [[Ryouko]], and so they disperse.<br><br />
<br>Back at home, [[Ryouko]] reads the file on her family with her improving [[TacComp]], and discovers that her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] is stationed at the [[Apollo]] shipyard. Moreover, when viewing her family tree she finds much of it explicitly redacted, with the revealed portions being enough to show that she is a descendant of both the Shizuki and Kuroi [[Matriarchy|Matriarchies]]. Later, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] comes to talk to her, and [[Ryouko]] confronts her about the secrets she's kept. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]] says she's kept the secrets to prevent [[Ryouko]] from [[contract]]ing, and will explain more the next day at the going away party.<br><br />
<br>At the party, [[Ryouko]] receives a number of gifts, including a necklace with the Shizuki crest from [[Shizuki Koto]], her paternal grandfather, and a ruby ring with a helix inside, one of a pair from [[Simona]]. [[Kyouko]] arrives, and informs [[Ryouko]] that both her grandparents will be placed in slightly safer positions as part of standard procedure, her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] in particular being moved to the shipyards. Next to arrive is [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Kuroi Kana]], who begins an attempt to recruit [[Ryouko]] into the [[Black Heart]] (and reveals that [[Ryouko]]'s bracelet is in fact a Kuroi insignia), but she is immediately followed by [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Shizuki Sayaka]] and her own recruiting pitch. [[Kyouko]]'s poor intervention is followed by [[Atsuko Arisu]]'s successful one—her presence at the party revealing that she must be related somehow to [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>This is all further interrupted by the sudden appearance of [[Kuroi Nana]], the [[magical girl]] who gave [[Ryouko]] her Kuroi bracelet and until now her entirely secret aunt, a fact which displeases [[Ryouko]] greatly. [[Kuroi Nana]] brings her aside, promising to help explain the situation, and revealing that she's part of the secret [[Internal Security]], and has been searching for [[Akemi Homura]] on behalf of the [[MSY]]. With that said, they begin a memory transfer.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] meets [[Kuroi Nana]], her previously-secret aunt. }}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|15|Samsara}}|[[Ryouko]] experiences her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt's]] memories, with some explanation provided by a sub-sentient assistant.<br><br />
<br>In the memories, [[Kuroi Nana]] investigates the strange behavior of her [[Kuroi Nakase|younger sister]], finding with the help of a computer specialist that her sister's new friends weren't who they seemed, and secretly following them on a [[demon]] hunt. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]], in reality a [[magical girl]], rushes to save [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] when [[demon]]s attack, getting gravely injured in the process. [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] contracts to turn her sister mundane again, to her sister's relief. However, these events seriously strain their family, as their [[Ryouko's grandmother|mother]] isn't allowed to know about the [[MSY]]. When [[Homura]] offers to mentor [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]], she accepts, and all but leaves the family.<br><br />
<br>It's explained to [[Ryouko]] that when [[New Athens]] revealed the [[MSY]], [[Ryouko's grandmother]] blamed it for both her mother's death and her family's troubles, and insisted that [[Ryouko]] be kept from contracting.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] surfaces from the memories, [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] closes off by telling [[Ryouko]] that she had just reconciled with [[Ryouko's grandmother]], and they rejoin the party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns more of her family history from [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|16|Light of the Sky}}|[[Ryouko]] says goodbye to friends and family at the starport, journeying with [[Asami]] by scramjet and then space elevator. While riding the elevator, [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] names herself [[Clarisse]] after [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Ryouko]] muses that her [[wish]] may have somehow changed the past, causing all the sudden revelations of the past week. At the top, the new [[magical girl]]s take a [[Navigator]] shuttle to the [[HSS Spectre]], an old [[frigate]], who leads them around herself. When they reach the [[FTL]] core, [[Ryouko]]'s gem suddenly begins to shine.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finally leaves [[Earth]] with [[Asami]].}}<br />
</div><br />
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=== Interlude I: Underworld Dreams ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Unusually, this is a title with relatively direct meanings.''<br />
: ''[[Kugimiya Ito]] dreams of his old girlfriend [[Nakanishi Aiko]], as he digs into a transformed Japanese underworld.<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|17|Interlude I: Underworld Dreams}}|[[Kugimiya Ito]], a police detective in [[Mitakihara]], investigates the disappearance of [[Okamura Yuu|a local teenage girl]] with [[Minami Kaoru|his junior partner]]. Meeting the girl's parents makes him suspect abuse is the culprit, and reminds him of his old teenage sweetheart [[Nakanishi Aiko]], who disappeared under similar circumstances. Back at headquarters, while analyzing the case's evidence electronically, he happens upon an image of the girl meeting what looks to him like [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]. When he confronts the missing girl's friends about the [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]-lookalike, they unconvincingly deny knowing anything until a Yakuza-affiliated lawyer suddenly shows up. Investigating this lead leads him to a [[D&E]] logistics building, where he's confronted by Yakuza and nearly killed for knowing too much, until [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] suddenly intervenes, still the same age as when she disappeared.<br><br />
<br>Reeling, and told to drop the case by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] returns to headquarters, only to be met by [[Ronaldo Rizal|an Interpol agent]] who has been tracking similar mysterious cases. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] is asked to make contact with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again and investigate further. He successfully makes contact, and is brought to [[D&E]] headquarters with his partner, to be greeted by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], who treats him just like she did when they were dating, to his embarrassed pleasure. They meet the CEO of [[D&E]], who turns out to be [[Sakura Kyouko]] under an assumed name, and who explains the situation, including the fact that they already knew about the Interpol investigation. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] agrees to drop the investigation if he can confirm for himself that the missing girl is alright, and afterward retires to be with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kugimiya Ito|A police detective]] happens across his [[Nakanishi Aiko|long-missing girlfriend]] and discovers she is part of an [[MSY]] Yakuza takeover.}}<br />
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=== Volume II: Inflationary Expansion ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''This is the universe's theorized early period of exponential inflation.''<br />
: ''Here, it likely refers to the escalation of plot and stakes, especially for Ryouko.''<br />
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{{Spbox|Volume II Summary|[[Ryouko]] completes her military simulation training, growing close to [[Asami]], and gets her first taste of real combat shortly afterwards as her convoy is unexpectedly and suspiciously attacked by [[Ceph]] fighters. After [[Ryouko]]'s successful defense there, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]], who doesn't know how to respond, and then both are recalled to the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]], where the first attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] has failed.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] is assigned to a [[MagOps]] team, and begins training while still wrestling with family and relationship confusion, including the sudden revelation of her [[TacComp]] [[Clarisse]]'s sentience. The eventual battle begins poorly, as the wormhole unexpectedly activates right at the start. [[Ryouko]]'s team presses on, only to find the mission much more difficult than expected, and they slowly attrit team members. They finally destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]], but as the [[Goddess]] reveals in a vision, the [[Ceph]] had already amassed a stealthed fleet large enough to take the system. Having realized that her power uses wormholes, [[Ryouko]] reopens the [[Ceph]]'s wormhole and sends the fleet back through, saving the day.<br><br />
<br>However, the battle was not without its casualties—[[Asami]] lost her body after nearly grief-spiraling upon hearing of [[Ryouko]]'s apparent death, [[Ryouko's grandmother]] died in a [[Ceph]] raid, and [[Erwynmark]] died as well, among others. Coming to grips with her sudden fame and new life amidst memorial services and the news of her parents' divorce, [[Ryouko]] decides to become [[Asami]]'s girlfriend. But there are more surprises in store: as the [[Goddess]]—who [[Ryouko]] discovers she is distantly related to—reveals in another vision, [[Ryouko]] will find herself caught up in even greater events soon enough.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delivers the [[Battle of Orpheus]], and connects with [[Asami]], as her old life falls away.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|18|To the Ground}}|The [[General Staff]] watches as a [[MagOps]] mission to take out the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, all members killed, after they are detected teleporting through [[Orpheus]]'s atmosphere. Afterwards, [[Mami]] dreams of her past failures, disturbing her [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br><br />
<br>On the planet [[Giungla]], [[Ryouko]] is embedded in a military unit along with other [[magical girl]]s, fighting against a [[Ceph]] invasion. She goes off mostly on her own to successfully rescue a soldier from her unit, and then joins up with a team of [[magical girl]]s to teleport into an alien attack column, again with significant success.<br />
----<br />
In short: The initial attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, as [[Ryouko]] gains combat experience elsewhere.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|19|To the Sky}}|Finding that she enjoys the combat, [[Ryouko]] works hard to sustain the [[human]] forces, but the arrival of a major [[Ceph]] fleet in system forces a general evacuation. They begin taking heavy losses, and [[Ryouko]] quickly becomes acting-Commander. [[Asami]] dies, [[Ryouko]] enters [[emotional suppression]], and just barely escapes... only to suddenly wake up from the accelerated [[VR]] simulation.<br><br />
<br>Calmed by [[Clarisse]] and relieved to see [[Asami]] alive, [[Ryouko]] heads back to their shared room in the training center on [[New Athens]]. [[Clarisse]] recommends that they read some "messages" together, which turn out to be relationship proposals for [[Ryouko]]. [[Asami]] comments that she had been warned this might happen, due to [[Ryouko]]'s mentors and heritage. The next day, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her [[wish]] was for her parents to stay together and understand each other, and [[Ryouko]] relays her own [[wish]], as they look forward together towards the end of training.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] finish simulation training.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|20|Relativity}}|[[Kishida Maki]] remembers how she [[contract]]ed and later met [[Kyouko]], dating, but breaking up after a fight over [[Maki]]'s decision to head to the front, and [[Kyouko]]'s refusal to explain her history with [[Miki Sayaka]], a near lookalike. Stationed on [[Apollo]] with [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]], [[Maki]] then heads out, completing another mission aboveground to secure a building back from the [[Ceph]].<br><br />
<br>Headed to [[Acheron]] with [[Asami]] and a new friend from training, [[Meiqing]], [[Ryouko]] suddenly notices a bright flash from her [[soul gem]]. Soon, the cause is discovered by the ship, [[Laplace]], to be [[Ceph]] fighters. The early warning allows them to dodge the initial missile attack, but eschewing standard doctrine, the [[Ceph]] turn around for another assault, forcing the transport's [[magical girl]]'s to fight them in space combat, with [[Ryouko]] taking charge. The fight goes well, but the final ship detonates its core in a desperate but futile attempt to kill them.<br><br />
<br>While recovering from the ensuing protective fugue, [[Clarisse]] reveals to [[Ryouko]] that she has uncovered the memory of her vision, and is in fact sentient. Afterwards, they arrive at [[Acheron]], minor heroes, and [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] attend a celebration of [[October Three]] together.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]]'s convoy is attacked unsuccessfully by [[Ceph]] fighters.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|21|Discontinuity}}|[[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Yuma]] meet virtually to celebrate [[October Three]], and discuss the mysteriousness of [[Simona]] and the unlikely and seemingly irresponsible attack on [[Ryouko]]'s convoy, the absence of [[Homura]] weighing on them.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] talks with [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about training and suitors, but fails to mention the attack on her convoy. [[Ryouko]] then goes with [[Asami]] to see a basketball game, and then to a volcanic spa, noting that [[Asami]] is acting strangely, and finding that she isn't enjoying the time on [[Acheron|a colony world]] herself as much as she expected. At the spa, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her romantic feelings to a stunned [[Ryouko]], who promises to think about it—they have little time to reflect, however, as they are at that moment recalled to active duty in the [[Kepler-37]] system, the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asami]] confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|22|Shifting Winds}}|Now on [[Mami]]'s flagship, the [[HSS Zhukov]], and unable to stop thinking about [[Asami]], [[Ryouko]] is awarded a medal for her performance during the [[Ceph]] attack on her convoy by the Field Marshall. [[Mami]] then brings her to the bridge, where they enter simulation as [[Mami]] explains the strategic situation. This is interrupted by a perfunctory [[Ceph]] attack, which [[Ryouko]] watches from the bridge.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, they reenter the simulation to meet [[Erwynmark]], and [[Ryouko]] is told about the planned second wormhole mission, which requires her teleportation capabilities. [[Ryouko]] is to be sent down to [[Apollo]] to meet with the rest of the team (and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]]) to prepare.<br><br />
<br>Resting after the earlier battle, [[Mami]] dreams of the destruction of her apartment by [[Oriko]], which reunited her with [[Kyouko]], and of other old memories, followed by a strange dream in which she and an unknown girl, somehow important to her, were in a plane crash.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] is assigned to the second [[wormhole stabilizer]] mission on [[Orpheus]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|23|Lost Love}}|Along with others, [[Mami]] plans Humanity's counteroffensive to support the [[Orpheus]] mission and end the [[Euphratic Incursion]]. Meeting with [[Erwynmark]], who will also lead the battle, they conclude that their success rests on the [[MagOps]] mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] thinks of her friends—including [[Chiaki]] on [[Earth]], who always teased [[Ryouko]] about relationships—and ends up calling [[Meiqing]], who insists that she call [[Asami]], who is broken up over [[Ryouko]]'s non-answer to her confession. However, there isn't time, as the [[HSS Raven]] brings her down to [[Apollo]], where [[Ryouko]] meets up with [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]], who was seriously injured in the fighting but recovering easily. They share some time together, as [[Ryouko]] informs him that she's going on a dangerous mission. Her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her family already knew about the attack on her convoy, and that he finally managed to find and talk with [[Ryouko's grandmother|his wife]] again, who wants to talk with [[Ryouko]] as well once there's a chance.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delays talking to [[Asami]], and meets [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]] on [[Apollo]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|24|Historian}}|[[Ryouko]]'s new [[MagOps]] team practices working together on [[Apollo]] by fighting the [[Ceph]]. Their team practice and bonding is later interrupted by the announcement of yet another new team member: [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Ryouko]]'s childhood hero and, as it turns out, personal friend of team commander [[Nadya Antipova]]. They immediately return to mission simulations, first knowing they're simulations, and later not, failing often—with [[Ryouko]] regretting not contacting [[Asami]] in her apparent final moments.<br><br />
<br>Recovering from this, the team socializes, and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Ryouko]] that she should talk to [[Asami]] even if she doesn't know what to say. Finally, [[Ryouko]] does so, telling her about the dangerous mission she's on, and asking her to survive the upcoming battle too so they can resolve things afterward. They end the call somewhat comforted, but [[Asami]] in particular finds herself still worried and unsure.<br><br />
<br>That night, resting, [[Ryouko]] has a mysterious seeming dream-vision, including a moment in the [[Cult]]'s rose garden on [[Earth]] where [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] speaks strange things and almost appears to be someone else unknown.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Clarisse van Rossum]] joins the wormhole team, and convinces [[Ryouko]] to contact [[Asami]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|25|Piercing the Sky}}|Waiting aboard the [[HSS Raven]], [[Clarisse]] and [[Ryouko]] find themselves ruminating on the possibility of their death, and the [[Goddess]]'s promised afterlife for [[magical girl]]s. [[Juliet Francois]] and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] both ask about [[Ryouko]]'s visions, but she defers, stating she doesn't think they are relevant to the current mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] begins the [[Human]] offensive, for her part attempting to draw [[Ceph]] forces away from [[Orpheus]]. While it initially appears a success, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] which was thought to be still under construction suddenly activates, and hordes of reinforcements begin pouring through.<br />
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In short: The [[Orpheus]] mission begins poorly, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] activating before it even begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|26|Blood and Ichor}}|[[Clarisse van Rossum]] decides the [[MagOps]] team must act immediately. Donning [[magitech]] armor, [[Ryouko]] teleports the team straight from low orbit to what looks to be the key stabilizer core for the [[wormhole stabilizer]]. After efficiently clearing out enemy personnel, [[Nadya]] announces that there are what appears to be twelve separate stabilizer cores, rather than the single expected one, of which perhaps up to four are real. They detonate a [[PAYNE|nuke]] on the closest core, teleporting away towards the next one.<br><br />
<br>This time they encounter even more waiting [[Ceph]], and clear them out with more difficulty. Suddenly, right when two fighters attack, a [[Ceph]] sniper takes shots at [[Eva Guderian]] and [[Ryouko]], killing [[Eva Guderian|Eva]] instantly and shattering [[Ryouko]]'s arm. In a rage, [[Ryouko]] teleports on top of the sniper and slaughters it.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[wormhole stabilizer]] survives an intended killing blow, and [[Ryouko]] loses control after [[Eva Guderian]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|27|Those Brilliant Shining Stars}}|Shocked at herself and slowly recovering, [[Ryouko]] realizes that her [[soul gem]] is not only pulling her towards the wormhole, but also reacting to the true stabilizer cores—and the one they lost [[Eva Guderian]] attacking is a fake.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, the fleet battle in system is going poorly, and [[Erwynmark]] defers to [[Mami]], who decides they must continue to hold out in hope of destroying the wormhole.<br><br />
<br>The [[Orpheus]] team quickly finds and destroys a second stabilizer core with their last [[PAYNE|nuke]], leaving still two more. The [[Ceph]] begin firing artillery at the third core when they arrive, forcing [[Clarisse van Rossum]] to seize their barrier generator [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]]'s [[soul gem]] to save her life. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] then executes a powerful attack that vaporizes the core, but knocks her unconscious.<br><br />
<br>Unexpectedly targeted, [[Erwynmark]]'s ship the [[HSS Arminius]] recommends evacuation. [[Erwynmark]] escapes the ship with his bodyguards, but [[Ceph]] interceptors somehow find his stealthed ship and chase it down, killing him.<br />
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In short: The [[Orpheus]] team destroys two more [[wormhole stabilizer]] cores, but [[Erwynmark]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|28|Invictus}}|The [[Orpheus]] team learns that the [[HSS Raven]], along with her remaining crew, has been discovered and destroyed, all but eliminating any hope of escape. [[Misa Virani]] gives her [[soul gem]] to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and takes advantage of the moon's electrical properties to generate an awe-inspiring electrical discharge, destroying the last [[wormhole stabilizer]] core. The wormhole above collapses violently, and the remainder of the team is suddenly caught in temporal/spatial distortions that threaten to rip them apart.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Misa Virani]] destroys the final [[wormhole stabilizer]] and the wormhole collapses, trapping the rest of the team.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|29|Deus ex gemma}}|[[Ryouko]] suddenly recalls a lecture given by [[Joanne Valentin]], and realizes that her teleportation uses wormholes, and that she can use the broken spacetime around them to teleport the team off [[Orpheus|the moon]]. At the same time, [[Ryouko]] realizes she's with the [[Goddess]], in a vision—this time, with [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]] too. The [[Goddess]] shows them [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[Apollo]], hard-pressed by the [[Ceph]]. [[Shirou Asaka]] manages to get forces in to save them, but [[Maki]] loses her body. They are also shown an unknown woman commander in the [[Apollo]] shipyards, who is killed by a [[Ceph]] commando raid.<br><br />
<br>Following that, [[Asami]] and her ''[[Magi Cæli]]'' team are shown defending the space around [[Apollo]] with some success, despite incredible new [[Ceph]] stealth capabilities. Attempting to extract, the team is suddenly caught and scattered, with [[Asami]] seriously injured and placed into a [[MedEvac]]. A sudden announcement from [[Tomoe Mami]] that the wormhole was destroyed at the apparent cost of the team involved, including [[Ryouko]], sends [[Asami]] into a despair spiral, and her body is ejected into space to preserve her [[soul gem]]. Finally, [[Ryouko]] is shown [[Mami]], who is pressing the apparent advantage at the destruction of the wormhole, even as she mourns the dead.<br><br />
<br>The [[Goddess]] then talks with [[Ryouko]], revealing the [[Ceph]] trap—a huge cloaked fleet had already come through the wormhole, enough to retake the system easily. The [[Goddess]] tells her to reopen the wormhole and send the fleet back, ending the vision. To her team's amazement, [[Ryouko]] does just that, and then just barely teleports them to [[Zhukov]]'s bridge before blacking out.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Goddess]] tells [[Ryouko]] to send back a cloaked [[Ceph]] fleet through the wormhole, saving the battle.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|30|Call to Power}}|[[Mami]] and [[Atsuko Arisu]] perform a dream interrogation of [[Ryouko]]—and also [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]], which complicates their attempt to loosen her up, as does the secret blocking of telepathic investigation by [[Clarisse van Rossum]]. [[Ryouko]] only explains that her power uses wormholes, and about her memory of the [[Joanne Valentin]] lecture that triggered the realization, avoiding religious questions. [[Ryouko]] meets afterwards with some of the [[Orpheus]] team, and is warned of the coming scrutiny she'll endure as a hero by [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and the revived [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]].<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] learns from her devastated [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]] was killed, and realizes she saw it in her vision. She attends the first of three memorial services in her near future, for the dead of the [[Orpheus]] team, meeting [[Marianne Francois]], whose daughter [[Juliet]] was killed aboard the now-revived [[HSS Raven]].<br><br />
<br>In a surprise to [[Mami]], the [[General Staff]] and [[Military Affairs]] select her as the new Chair in accordance with [[Erwynmark]]'s wishes.<br />
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In short: [[Mami]] becomes the new Chair of the [[General Staff]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|31|Aspects of Love}}|On the planet [[Bismarck]] for [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial, [[Ryouko]] meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kyouko]], along with a couple of local kids, finding herself surprisingly distant from the latter due to her experiences. [[Ryouko]] admits to [[Kyouko]] that the [[Goddess]] came to her in a vision on [[Orpheus]] to tell her about the cloaked fleet, and is afterwards unknowingly accosted by a [[Shizuki Azusa|seductive Shizuki]] until [[Patricia]] saves her. [[Patricia]] informs her that [[Kishida Maki]] is still taking [[Kyouko]]'s continued absence hard, and that she is struggling herself, before collecting a more in-depth genetic sample from [[Ryouko]]. Later that day [[Mami]], attending virtually, gives [[Erwynmark]]'s eulogy.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] comes to grips with her newfound fame at [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|32|Decisions, Implications}}|[[Ryouko]] meets with her family at the starport, only to find her parents have divorced. Still shaken, she heads immediately to [[Asami]]'s revival, comforting her, and finding herself unexpectedly comforted herself to have [[Asami]] back.<br><br />
<br>After briefly meeting [[Asami]]'s family, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] head out to meet [[Ryouko]]'s friends. While waiting, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] how unhappy she is in combat, and, consoling her, [[Ryouko]] abruptly decides to become her girlfriend… right as [[Simona]], [[Ruiko]], and [[Chiaki]] arrive. [[Simona]] retreats to the bathroom, and [[Chiaki]] covers for her, instead planning the rest of the day. They go on to a restaurant and have a sleepover, the only disturbance being the strange arrival of [[Kyubey]], who claims only to be visiting.<br><br />
<br>At [[Ryouko's grandmother]]'s funeral, [[Ryouko]] discovers that her psychiatrist [[Atsuko Arisu]] is in fact the grandmother of [[Ryouko's grandmother]]. After the ceremony, which [[Ryouko]] finds she can't connect to, she is suddenly given a memory recording from a friend of [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]]. The memory reveals that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]] grandfather was [[Kaname Tatsuya]], once the younger brother of [[Kaname Madoka]], the [[Goddess]]. [[Tatsuya]] makes [[Homura]] promise to keep [[Ryouko's grandmother]] out of the [[MSY]], as he warns darkly of the future that would become the [[Unification Wars]], recalling in particular his daughter-in-law's wish for vengeance.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] rushes with [[Asami]] to the [[Ribbon]], with both [[Kyubey]] and [[Kyouko]] showing up to watch. A vision ensues, and the [[Goddess]] explains that she is indeed related to [[Ryouko]], as hinted previously, and that she tries to limit her interventions in the world, so that people can live their own lives. She explains that [[Ryouko]] has the special burden of having less freedom to live her own life, and that she will be called upon again.<br><br />
<br>Teleporting out immediately from the [[Ribbon Chamber]] to avoid questions, [[Ryouko]] learns that [[Asami]] also received a vision, assuaging her worries and including helpful relationship advice. Before [[Ryouko]] can digest that, [[Joanne Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] show up at her door with a proposal.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes [[Asami]]'s girlfriend, and finds out she will feature in the [[Goddess]]'s plans again.}}<br />
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<br />
=== Interlude II: Madeleines ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Madeleines (small sponge cakes) feature in Proust's "In Search of Lost Time", a famous French novel noted for its theme of involuntary memory.''<br />
: ''Likewise, this interlude centers on the peculiar role of memory in an episode of [[Asaka]]'s past. The first snippet even includes relevant sections from Proust's novel.''<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|33|Interlude II: Madeleines}}|[[Shirou Asaka]] wakes from a strange recurring dream in which she has lost someone important to her, as a [[magical girl]] in some sort of [[Contact War|crazy alien war]]. [[Alice Lynwood]], her wife, reminds her to get it checked out, but is less successful in attempting to convince her to finally have a baby.<br><br />
<br>In a professional [[VR]] game playing as [[magical girl]]s in WWII with her second-in-command [[Madhuri]], [[Asaka]] finds she needs to sacrifice her to win. Suddenly, [[Asaka]] starts thinking [[Madhuri]] is somehow actually [[Alice]], and then the game is suddenly cut short by a strange simulation error. However, [[Asaka]]'s growing unease is again washed away by the joy of her life with [[Alice]].<br><br />
<br>[[Tanaka Yui]], [[Asaka]]'s therapist, suggests doing a dream study, and [[Patricia von Rohr]] comes to visit, both of them bringing up little oddities or inconsistencies in [[Asaka]]'s thoughts. The dream study returns an apparent suppressed memory, but one involving [[magical girl]]s and an [[Contact War|alien war]] that [[Asaka]] can't remember experiencing. Soon enough, all of reality seems to be changing for her—[[Madhuri]], her location, [[magical girl]]s. Finally running a full internal diagnostic, [[Asaka]] remembers what truly happened: she was forced to send her girlfriend [[Alice]] to her death to win a battle in the [[Contact War]]. Unable to process it, [[Asaka]] had [[Reformat|Reformatted]] herself and put herself inside a [[VR]] simulation where she could live with [[Alice]]. [[Tanaka Yui]] had been helping her face the truth after breaking into the simulation, along with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Madhuri]], and even [[Asaka]]'s own internal representation of [[Alice]]. [[Patricia]] tells [[Asaka]] afterwards that [[Alice]] had planned on proposing.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asaka]]'s self-[[Reformat]] and [[VR]] simulation are undone, and she begins to finally face her lover [[Alice]]'s death.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume III: Ontological Paradox ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''In an ontological paradox, events occur as part of a causal loop: an 'initial' event, in terms of linear time, eventually causes itself.''<br />
: ''This may refer to the nature of Ryouko's wish and/or the logic of the Goddess's interventions. <br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume III Summary|Now living with [[Asami]] and working in [[ITG|a lab]] to help humanity understand wormholes, [[Ryouko]]'s life is interrupted again when she is offered a chance to investigate a [[rogue colonies|rogue colony]] on [[X-25]]. When [[ITG|the lab]] collapses on her and [[Asami]] in an act of sabotage, they decide to join the mission.<br><br />
<br>The [[X-25]] colony turns out to have a massive bunker, and [[Kyouko]] leads a team with [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] in, discovering an attempt at mass-cloning [[magical girl]]s. Moreover, two separate traps attempting to kill [[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] are encountered, the second costing [[Ryouko]] her body.<br><br />
<br>After a vision revealing [[Yuma]]'s past, a revived [[Ryouko]] manages to push [[Kyouko]] into visiting [[the Ribbon]], where she meets with [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision, and finally reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]] afterwards. [[Ryouko]], for her part, faces the disturbing revelation that she's been genetically engineered, losing control of her life as she's whisked from [[Paris]] to [[Adept Blue]]. At the same time, [[Mami]]'s self-[[Reformat]] unravels, and she meets with the [[Goddess]] in a vision as she grapples with her restored memories, finally convinced to take a vacation.<br><br />
<br>However, events—and conspiracies—don't let go of them. [[Simona]], now a [[magical girl]] and always an agent assigned to [[Ryouko]], reappears to help [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] create wormholes spanning lightyears, though her love remains unrequited as [[Ryouko]]'s relationship with [[Asami]] grows stronger. During [[Mami]]'s vacation, she and [[Kyouko]] discover that [[Misa]] had in fact been recruited by [[Homura]] to fight a mysterious enemy, and [[Yuma]] learns that someone has corrupted the [[TCF]] from [[Simona]] and [[Valentin]], both part of a secret organization fighting it with alternate [[TCF]]s.<br />
<br>'''Volume incomplete; More chapters to be released.'''<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finds herself enmeshed in conspiracy, as [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] grapple with their pasts.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|34|The Bonds that Make Us}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Asami]] attend [[Yuma]]'s birthday party via [[VR]] from [[Eurydome]], where [[Ryouko]] was brought by [[Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] for wormhole research. [[Kyouko]] brings up [[Ryouko]]'s visions in front of [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Ryouko]] is forced to explain, choosing to also forward the memory she received from [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] intervenes in an argument between [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] about [[Kishida Maki]], and brings them to [[Ryouko]]. [[Ryouko]] is reminded of her first vision, where she saw [[Yuma]], and which seemed to contradict her official history—she even tells [[Kyouko]] this. [[Ryouko]] then goes to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] for life advice, and is told that she needs to talk over her desires for an extraordinary life with [[Asami]], who wants a more domestic life.<br><br />
<br>Away from the party, [[Yuma]] explains to [[Kuroi Nakase]], [[Ryouko]]'s mother, that [[Ryouko]] is probably the most genetically sure contract in history, and moreover, that she has a genetically-engineered second, hidden genome. [[Nakase]] knew only that [[Ryouko]] was likely to contract given her ancestry, and when pressed for information as to how she got the birth license, suddenly collapses—a non-fatal defense mechanism apparently built into tampered memories.<br />
----<br />
In short: At [[Yuma]]'s party, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] learns that [[Ryouko]] was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|35|Causality}}|[[Mami]] learns from [[Marianne Francois]]'s [[grief cube]] supply chain report that in a few rare cases for the past 10 years, there have been severe shortages followed by surpluses, where they would hurt the war effort the least. [[Mami]] is disturbed by not only the report, but also her unintended reading of [[Marianne]]'s mind.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Clarisse]] go over her visions, realizing that [[Simona]] was tank-born and seemingly knew her before they met, and that the [[Goddess]] likely manipulated the events leading to [[Ryouko]]'s contract.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], in a meeting with the [[Directorate]], is asked to investigate a distress signal from [[X-25|a cult's colony]] which was thought to have been destroyed en route to an entirely different planet. Elsewhere, [[Kyouko]] promises to tell [[Yuma]] to explain her past to [[MG]], and receives from [[MG]] a recording of what happened with [[Kuroi Nakase]] at [[Yuma]]'s party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives orders to investigate [[X-25|a mysterious colony]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|36|Chasing Ghosts}}|[[Ryouko]] learns in a call from her friends on [[Earth]] that [[Simona]] has moved away, and afterwards meets with [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Kyouko]], who ask her to join a mission to investigate [[X-25|a cult's colony]] related to [[Homura]], and to consider an offer from [[Kuroi Kana]] to properly join the intelligence services.<br><br />
<br>[[Kuroi Nana]] departs after being given the memory file from [[Ryouko's grandmother]], but [[Kyouko]] accompanies [[Ryouko]] to the lab, [[ITG]], and they discuss [[Ryouko]]'s visions a bit. During an experiment at the lab, the gravity generators go haywire, and the ceiling collapses—[[Ryouko]] is saved by [[Kyouko]] and [[Asami]], but [[Asami]] is seriously injured. In the hospital afterwards, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] and [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about the apparent attempt on her life that led to her [[contract]]. [[Kyouko]] explains that the incident at [[ITG]] appears to be another such attack. [[Ryouko]] decides to join the proffered mission, which [[Asami]] accepts on the condition that she come too.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] survives an attempt on her life at [[ITG|the lab]] on [[Eurydome]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|37|Seraphim}}|[[Kyouko]] convinces [[Mami]] to let her on the colony mission due to the [[Homura]] connection, and [[Mami]] tells [[Kyouko]] about the mysterious sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]]. However, [[Mami]] becomes inordinately emotional when discussing the necessity of ordering an investigative mind-read, and she later dreams of training mind-reading abilities that she doesn't remember.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] are taught defensive telepathic techniques en route to their mission, and [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] told her to stick with [[Ryouko]] for her safety. They then meet with [[Azrael Maslanka]], who tells them both about the true proliferation of [[rogue colonies]], and her own experience on one where she was genetically engineered with wings for flight, before the colony collapsed in civil war.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting, where she tells [[Mami]] about her vision in which [[Kyouko]] was killed. The details match [[Mami]]'s planned submarine mission exactly and, disturbed, she agrees to allocate more forces.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] learn about [[rogue colonies]] from [[Azrael Maslanka]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|38|Carpe Diem}}|A special [[Miki|sentient probe]] sent to investigate the cult's colony on [[X-25]] discovers a massive underground structure and comes under heavy fire, and the [[Directorate]] approves more forces for the mission in response.<br><br />
<br>[[Meiqing]] turns out to be part of the additional forces, and she, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] go out hiking together on [[San Giuseppe]] while waiting for more reinforcements to arrive. At the top, [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] her worries about how much their lives are at risk, and [[Azrael]] explains herself to [[Meiqing]].<br><br />
<br>Finally, the mission begins, with [[Task Force Rhamnusia|conventional forces]] taking the surface of the colony on [[X-25]].<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be heavily armed, and the [[Task Force Rhamnusia|correspondingly reinforced]] assault on it begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|39|Indelible Soul}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew descend to the pacified surface of [[X-25]], and [[Gracia]], to [[Ryouko]]'s distress, forcibly mind-reads captives to learn that the colony's leader, [[Grigori DeWitt]], has escaped to the bunker with children as hostages. [[Kyouko]] manages to convince [[Mami]] and [[Governance]] to let her lead a [[MagOps]] infiltration mission, despite their misgivings that [[Kyouko]] is doing so for personal reasons, given her history.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] chooses to bring [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] on the mission, among more experienced girls, largely on personal hunch. Mission underway, and despite being hampered by some sort of magical clairvoyance blocking, they quickly discover large numbers of human clones, an apparent attempt to clone [[magical girl]]s. The attempt to communicate this to the surface is blocked by the hostile telepath, however, and the team is discovered. Clearly personally angered by the situation, [[Kyouko]] insists that they fight their way through rather than escape.<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be attempting [[magical girl]] cloning.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|40|Through a Mirror}}|The [[X-25]] team kills a number of guards, only to discover that they are cloned teenagers, heavily implanted, horrifying the rookies into [[emotional suppression]]. [[Gracia]] manages to determine that the cloned girls are transformed into controlled guards once they failed to contract, and that contracts weren't happening. [[Kyouko]] decides that they must find and capture the enemy telepath, before more clones are killed.<br><br />
<br>They find the enemy [[magical girl]], but before they act to kill her, [[Asami]] notices that [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]] is glowing slightly. Off-put by that and everything else that doesn't add up, the team nearly rebels against [[Kyouko]]'s insistence on attacking the enemy [[magical girl]], until [[Ryouko]] manages to convince [[Kyouko]] to relent by suggesting that the [[Goddess]] placed her on the mission for that reason.<br><br />
<br>Investigating, [[Asami]] detects a [[Ceph]]-like stealth device concealing a nuke, [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] disabling it right afterwards. An alarm goes up, and the enemy [[magical girl]] suddenly pleads for help. The girl, [[Sacnite Tafani]], tells them that [[DeWitt]] had been controlling her with the threat of a suicide implant, and had lied about hiding the colony's children in the bunker as bait for the nuclear trap. <br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] prevents [[Kyouko]] from rushing into a stealthed nuclear trap on [[X-25]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|41|Cause and Effect}}|Ruminating over the mission, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] decide to visit [[Sacnite]], as [[Mami]] makes a limited announcement of the mission to the general public. [[Mami]] approves the visit to [[Sacnite]] as a propaganda shoot, and [[Azrael]] joins them. Comforting [[Sacnite]], [[Ryouko]] promises to spend more time with her. Afterwards, [[Meiqing]] confides to [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] that the mission has impacted her a lot, and that she's glad she was able to help, given her family's shameful efforts in the [[Unification Wars]] to develop the cloned [[FA Elites]].<br><br />
<br>Having finally determined the whereabouts of [[DeWitt]] and the colony's children, [[Kyouko]] leads an attack on the stealthed facility, which meets with no resistance. [[DeWitt]], however, manages to kill himself via suicide implant, after claiming he was trying to figure out what blocked [[magical girl]]s "transcendence". [[Kyubey]] then appears, saying that [[DeWitt]] had based his beliefs on what [[Homura]] had achieved, thinking to have seen her alive on [[Optatum]], and that he was supported by another group which escaped in a cloaked ship. Refusing to say anything more—and strangely calling [[Kyouko]] by her personal name—[[Kyubey]] disappears, and [[Kyouko]] walks off alone to think. Feeling uneasy about the situation, and thinking of her vision, [[Ryouko]] follows… only to lose her body saving [[Kyouko]]'s life from an attack by a supposedly-friendly drone.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] loses her body saving [[Kyouko]] from a sudden drone attack.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|42|No Light Without Shadow}}|The [[MSY]] [[Leadership Committee]] meets to discuss recent events, including the attack on [[Kyouko]], the results of the [[grief cube]] audit, and the sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]], among others, but to no real conclusion. After the meeting, [[Kyouko]] is surprised by [[Atsuko Arisu]], her therapist, who to [[Kyouko]]'s anger tells her both that she should have stepped aside during the [[X-25]] mission and that she should stop hiding from her feelings for [[Kishida Maki]].<br><br />
<br>With [[Asami]] personally guarding [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]], she, [[Ryouko]]'s family, [[Meiqing]], and even [[Sacnite]] plan to travel to [[Earth]] for [[Ryouko]]'s revival, which has been delayed for unspecified reasons. Meanwhile, both [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] assign security teams for [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>Through a [[VR]] recreation, [[Mami]] reveals to [[Kyouko]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] that it appears [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]] didn't fail, but was instead somehow swapped out for another. The soul mage who put the [[soul gem]] that failed into stasis saw that it had a meek, shy personality which, she found out later, didn't match [[Misa Virani|Misa]]'s at all. However, the [[VR]] review they perform doesn't show any possible moment in which [[Misa]]'s [[soul gem]] could have been swapped.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] discovers that [[Misa Virani]] is likely alive, her [[soul gem]] swapped for another.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|43|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part One}}|[[Ryouko]] finds herself in another vision, in which the [[Goddess]] explains that [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], and [[Mami]] are more fragile than they seem, and that their "phase transition" must be managed carefully. [[Ryouko]] looks, and sees…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]], noting that [[Kyouko]] is being pushed into finally confronting her relationship problems and that they need to help her, tells [[Mami]] and [[MG]] about her past with the [[Southern Group]], and about [[Miki Sayaka]]…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s abusive parents, unable to pay debts, attempt to sell her to the Yakuza, until the [[Southern Group]] suddenly intervenes. They kill the Yakuza, but [[Mikuni Oriko]] is seriously injured, and [[Yuma]] wishes to heal her. [[Yuma]] memory of this is patchy, though, and [[Oriko]] informs [[Yuma]] that the Yakuza killed her parents, so she'll take her in. Under [[Oriko]]'s tutelage, [[Yuma]] lives a good life and learns much, but she can see that the [[Southern Group]] is vicious to others and generally hated. [[Oriko]] favors [[Yuma]], to the other members' chagrin, and shares secrets like her efforts to try to bring [[Kyouko]] and [[Sayaka]] together before splitting them apart, and her work to saturate [[grief cubes]], which [[Yuma]] later accidentally discovers leads to [[demon]] spawns.<br><br />
<br>Uneasy with her new life, [[Yuma]] runs into [[Sayaka]], who is clearly very troubled herself, explaining that she was in [[Southern Group]] territory to die fighting their evil. Instead, [[Sayaka]] takes [[Yuma]] to dinner. [[Yuma]] runs into Yakuza on the way back, but [[Sayaka]] appears, killing them before disappearing—though a shocked [[Yuma]] manages to reattach one's head and save his life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Sayaka]] had died fighting a horde of [[demon]]s at a violin concert, and pieces together the truth: [[Oriko]], using her power to see the future and saturated [[grief cubes]] [[Yuma]] had made, purposefully spawned the [[demon]]s to kill [[Sayaka]].<br><br />
<br>In the present day, [[Yuma]] explains that she wants to tell [[Kyouko]] all this, so that she won't blame herself for [[Sayaka]]'s death, but has been afraid to since she was involved. After talking this over, [[Yuma]] continues the story for [[MG]]'s sake…<br><br />
<br>[[Clarisse van Rossum]] visits [[Oriko]] and [[Yuma]], telling [[Oriko]] that there may be some merit to [[Homura]]'s strange belief in a [[Goddess]], and passing [[Yuma]] an anonymous message saying she has the potential to change things, and that [[Oriko]] only sees what she tries to see.<br><br />
<br>Life finally calms down for [[Yuma]] after this, though her studies accelerate, as [[Oriko]] uses magic to enhance her mind.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] reveals that [[Oriko]] caused [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|44|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part Two}}|[[Ryouko]]'s vision continues, as she watches [[Yuma]] retell her past to [[Mami]] and [[MG]]…<br><br />
<br>Upset at [[Oriko]]'s use of saturated [[grief cube]]s to kill others, [[Yuma]] sabotages the machine used to make them, but [[Oriko]]'s machinations continue, with team leaders like [[Kuroi Kana]] forced to come and beg for the return of captured members. One night, another team led by [[Tanaka Yui]] attacks, [[Yuma]] just barely escaping—or so she thought, as she instead leads the attackers right to the rest of the [[Southern Group]]. But before the ensuing battle, [[Yuma]] finds that the rest of her team is torturing and killing other [[magical girl]]s to absorb their powers.<br><br />
<br>Fleeing in horror, [[Yuma]] finds herself taken in at a church, where she finds the Yakuza man whose life she saved earlier. He explains that he had saved a number of girls held by the Yakuza and was now on the run, trying to do good and live a better life as atonement. [[Yuma]] talks with [[Reverend Hashimoto|the priest]] sheltering him, and he tells her she should forgive herself for not stopping everything that's happened. That night, [[Yuma]] receives a message from [[Kuroi Kana]], which helps her to realize that [[Oriko]] had in fact had her parents killed.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] returns to the [[Southern Group]], now under blockade and uneasy. [[Oriko]] claims that they are still on the path towards eliminating the Yakuza and bringing about a better world, but [[Yuma]] decides that they must be destroyed. Taking the advice passed on by [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Yuma]] manipulates the [[Southern Group]] in order to change the future without [[Oriko]] noticing. Eventually, during an already difficult [[demon]] fight, she spawns hordes more [[demon]]s using saturated [[grief cube]]s, and manages to turn her team members against each other. All but [[Oriko]] are killed, and [[Oriko]] finally realizes what has happened. Telling [[Yuma]] there may still be hope for her, she crushes her own [[soul gem]].<br><br />
<br>Warning obscurely that a crisis is coming, the [[Goddess]] ends [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] explains how and why she killed the [[Southern Group]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|45|The Body Electric}}|Back on [[Earth]], [[Asami]] is still unable to face the results of her [[wish]], and longs for [[Ryouko]] to return—which she does, along with [[Clarisse]], to their surprise. [[Clarisse]] tells [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] explained she does have a soul, and that her body would be regenerated by [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]]. [[Valentin]] explains that the delay in the revival was due to both [[Clarisse]]'s regeneration and some necessary handling for [[Ryouko]]'s unique genetics. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends, including [[Sacnite]], who is being de-aged physically to match her mental age, and her new [[matriarchy]] bodyguards, who get along poorly.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] bursts in soon after, followed by [[Yuma]], who oddly both make a point of asking [[Ryouko]] if she was told why her revival was delayed. It soon becomes clear that [[Yuma]] is using [[Ryouko]] to confront [[Kyouko]] about her behavior, and in the ensuing argument [[Kyouko]] reveals she already figured out [[Yuma]] and [[Oriko]] were involved in [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death. After [[Yuma]] departs, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Kyouko]] about her vision, mollifying her until the subject of [[Kishida Maki]] comes up.<br><br />
<br>Having walked out in a rage despite knowing [[Ryouko]], like everyone else, is right about [[Maki]], [[Kyouko]] visits [[the Ribbon]]. In the ensuing vision, [[Kyouko]] meets her little sister [[Sakura Momo]], who tells her to move on from her past. [[Kyouko]] then descends onto a beach where she finds [[Miki Sayaka]], who finally convinces [[Kyouko]] to try reconciling with [[Kishida Maki]], and who also shows [[Kyouko]] a glimpse of eternity.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] is comforted by her sister and [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|46|Wheels Within Wheels}}|Eating dinner with [[Kyouko]] and her friends and family, [[Ryouko]] is surprised by [[Valentin]], who drops by to inform her that [[Governance]] would like to use the [[Orpheus|upcoming movie]] about her to inform the public about V2 [[TacComp]]s. [[Valentin]] also conveys her regrets that [[Ryouko]]'s parents had split, especially since she had introduced them.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]], acting a bit odd, brings the crew shopping the following day, only for them to be suddenly surprised by [[Kishida Maki]], who had apparently been assigned by someone to give [[Ryouko]] a message regarding [[Orpheus|the movie]]. [[Kyouko]] confesses to [[Maki]] that she started their relationship because of her physical similarity to [[Miki Sayaka]], but tells [[Maki]] that it had grown beyond that, so she wants to try again. Skeptical, but still in love, [[Maki]] accepts her.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, [[Maki]] explains to [[Ryouko]] that the ''[[Orpheus]]'' movie team would like to bring her to [[Paris]] to provide assistance. [[Ryouko]] agrees to go, but is uneasy about having her life directed by yet another proposition she can hardly turn down.<br><br />
<br>At the same time, in [[Paris]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Nadya Antipova]] that she's discovered [[Misa Virani]] likely underwent a [[Reformat]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|47|City of Lights}}|In underground [[Paris]], and bothered by the incongruity of that with her wish, [[Ryouko]] meets with her aunt [[Kuroi Nana]]. She warns [[Ryouko]] that [[Shizuki Sayaka]] will try to pull her in, showing her what life on [[Earth]] has to offer, and notes that she has opportunities with the Kuroi [[Matriarchy]] as well, though it wouldn't be an easy life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] meet with the actors who will play them in [[Orpheus|the movie]], who have altered their appearances to match them exactly. [[Clarisse]] also is invited to join them in hologram form, and they go to the set to act out scenes. Thinking on her reenacted past, [[Ryouko]] finds she misses the meaningfulness of the war.<br><br />
<br>At a bar that night, they come across a mysterious friend of [[Ryouko]]'s [[Elisa Yamada|actor counterpart]], who invites them to a [[VR]] facility.<br />
----<br />
In short: In [[Paris]], [[Ryouko]] uneasily cooperates with ''[[Orpheus]]'s'' production.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|48|To Know Thyself…}}|Hidden in [[Paris]], [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] meet to discuss the apparent conspiracies in action. [[Ryouko]]'s genetic anomalies have been investigated further, and an entirely novel portion of her brain has been found, of still-unknown purpose. Meanwhile, on the way to the [[VR]] center, [[Ryouko]] and crew are stopped by a sudden inexplicable power loss, and then are dragged away by a sudden massive [[demon]] spawn. [[Yuma]] is informed of this via [[Incubator]] plushie, and realizes that [[Shizuki Sayaka]]'s plan to secretly investigate [[Ryouko]]'s brain in a [[VR]] session is being thwarted by a deliberate [[demon]] spawn. [[Nadya]] notes that the power outage looks almost like [[Misa]]'s handiwork.<br><br />
<br>The [[demon]] hunt isn't easy, but [[Ryouko]] is aided by a pair of [[magical girl]]s who oddly refuse to identify themselves. Not long afterwards, [[Rebecca Shu|a messenger]] from [[Kuroi Kana]] appears, revealing that the mystery woman accompanying them is in fact [[Shizuki Sayaka]], and further revealing the planned [[VR]] scan.<br><br />
<br>Brought to a secret location, [[Ryouko]] is told by [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Kuroi Nana]] about the genetic engineering done to her, along with the fact that her parents were unaware and their memories altered. They further explain need to examine [[Ryouko]] more closely, and the apparent attempt to prevent this. [[Ryouko]], overwhelmed, leaves to be alone with [[Asami]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns that she was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|49|Transition State}}|[[Mami]], finding herself plagued by an inexplicable headache, is approached by her [[MHD]] [[Charlotte Meitner|minder]], only for the minder to collapse from a sudden brain hemorrhage, though [[Mami]] is able to heal her.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive at [[Adept Blue]], on orders from [[Mami]], all attempts to probe the genetically engineered portion of her brain having failed. The lab's [[AI]] director, [[Vlad]], greets them there, as does [[Mami]]—surprisingly, in person. They reveal that they've made a breakthrough, which should allow them to construct a range amplifier for [[Ryouko]], with [[Asami]]'s help. [[Mami]] also explains that, given the unknown function of the modifications to [[Ryouko]]'s brain and the recent attempts on her life, [[Ryouko]]'s presence on asteroid-borne [[Adept Blue]] with her bodyguards and [[Patricia von Rohr]] makes her more secure.<br><br />
<br>Alone, [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] discuss her circumstances: she's all but on the run from the [[MHD]], and clearly suffering from the unraveling of a [[Reformat]]. They agree to bring in an outside telepath to investigate.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] discuss their situation and their [[wish]]es, taking consolation in the fact that at least they've been brought and kept together in the whirlwind of their lives.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive on [[Adept Blue]] to help develop new wormhole technology in a secure location.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|50|Sub Rosa}}|[[Mami]] brings [[Azrael]] to [[Adept Blue]], and asks her to help undo her [[Reformat]]. They dive together into [[Mami]]'s memories, and discover an aspect of her own mind, taking various forms. It explains that [[Mami]] self-[[Reformat]]ted, using her now-suppressed impressive telepathic powers to tear off a piece of herself to create the block in her mind. [[Mami]] makes herself whole again, and remembers what she forgot…<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], traveling with her lover [[Akiyama Akari]] in the late twenty-first century, is suddenly caught in a crisis when their plane explodes. [[Mami]] burns almost all her magic trying to save the entire plane, but fails, and [[Akari]] is near death. Sharing their last moments together using [[Akari]]'s soul mage powers, [[Mami]] observes with horror the beginnings of [[Akari]]'s transformation into a terror of despair, until her [[soul gem]] finally vanishes.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] manages to survive, kill the local [[magical girl]]s responsible for the destruction of the plane, and turns herself in. [[Homura]] talks with her alone, explaining that she knew about the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from. [[Mami]], unable to deal with this revelation or the loss of [[Akari]], asks for help in [[Reformat]]ing herself.<br><br />
<br>After [[Mami]] resurfaces from the memories, [[Kyubey]] appears, claiming to be interested in both information-gathering and her well-being. [[Mami]] finds herself, as she had hoped, older and wiser enough to handle the end of her [[Reformat]], though left with unfinished business. She immediately questions [[Ryouko]] about the [[Goddess]], and both [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] tell her that [[Goddess|She]] does exist. [[Kyubey]] comments that it can't say such things are impossible, and [[Mami]] decides to visit [[the Ribbon]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] undoes her self-[[Reformat]] and learns the original fate of [[magical girl]]s.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|51|Eternal Search}}|With work continuing on the new wormhole tech, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] talk. [[Azrael]] explains how she handled her own genetic modification and controlled life, eventually deciding to look to the future and just ask for what she wanted, to surprising success. [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] that she thinks she's only really been happy on missions, which [[Asami]] had already realized.<br><br />
<br>On [[Earth]], [[Kyouko]] brings [[Mami]] to [[the Ribbon]], and they discuss the fact that someone must have triggered the unraveling of [[Mami]]'s [[Reformat]], and that logically it must have been [[Homura]].<br><br />
<br>At the [[Ribbon]], [[Mami]] enters a vision and meets—and immediately attacks—[[Oriko]]. Unharmed, [[Oriko]] responds merely by apologizing for her actions in life. [[Oriko]] explains that, as [[Homura]] told [[Mami]], what she saw with [[Akari]] was the beginnings of a terrible transformation made impossible by the [[Goddess]], and that [[magical girl]]s are instead brought to her afterlife. The [[Goddess]] herself then tells [[Mami]] that she needs to learn to let go and stop burying herself in endless work for humanity. The [[Goddess]] brings out [[Machina]] too, revealing her sentience to [[Mami]], and suggests they go on vacation, promising that there won't be [[Cephalopod]] activity for a few weeks.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]] explaining matters, and is encouraged to take a vacation.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|52|Who We Are}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew meet unexpected visitors on [[Adept Blue]]: [[Valentin]], and [[Tao]] from [[ITG]]. [[Tao]] explains that he's made some important theoretical breakthroughs that should help their work, and [[Valentin]] explains that [[Vlad]] and [[Clarisse]] are part of two separate attempts to create separate [[TCF]]s, to help provide more security against attacks like the hacked drone on [[X-25]].<br><br />
<br>Doing rescue work on a colony world retaken from the [[Ceph]], [[Zhou Meiqing]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting with [[Kuroi Nana]], who is investigating [[X-25]]. She tells [[Meiqing]] that the [[Far Seers]] have determined both of them were deliberately placed on the mission by [[Homura]] somehow, and that they recommended asking [[Meiqing]] to work with her in the [[Black Heart]]. [[Meiqing]] asks for time to decide.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] remembers going with [[Homura]] to interrogate a prisoner, [[Zhou Zhi Yi]], during the [[Unification Wars]]. On the way, [[Yuma]] asks [[Homura]] how the [[Goddess]] can allow so much evil to happen, and [[Homura]] responds that she doesn't know. [[Zhi Yi]] tells them that her work developing the [[FA Elites]] was mere prelude to her plans to genetically modify humanity to serve [[magical girl]]s needs, seeing it as the only way to preserve humanity long-term. [[Yuma]] executes her.<br><br />
<br>Back in the present day, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Simona]] has been found, and is now a [[magical girl]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] comes to [[Adept Blue]], and [[Simona]] is discovered to be a [[magical girl]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|53|Alignment}}|[[Shizuki Sayaka]] reveals to [[Yuma]] that she found [[Simona]] in [[Paris]]—they were both aiding [[Ryouko]] during the suspicious [[demon]] attack. [[Simona]] explains she's part of a mysterious organization trying to "save the world", and offers them a deal: she will give them information to ensure the safe creation of wormholes by [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]], on the condition that she join them on any missions using those wormholes to attack the [[Ceph]]. As proof of her good intentions, she agrees to undergo full [[soul mage]] examination.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] meets with [[Marianne Francois]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[New California]] as part of her attempted vacation. [[Mami]] also enjoys [[Machina]]'s company as they eat at a restaurant together, before moving on to a séance organized by the [[Far Seers]] meant to investigate what happened to [[Misa Virani]]. [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] enter into a strange vision in which they find themselves playing characters tracking down a mysterious enemy facility with [[Homura]]. They run into [[Misa]]—accompanied by [[Kyouko]] and [[Nadya]], similarly playing characters—who is tracking her friend whose [[soul gem]] supposedly failed mysteriously. [[Homura]], who is inhabiting another body as a disguise, reveals herself, and afterward convinces [[Misa]] to self-[[Reformat]] and destroy the building to hide the truth.<br><br />
<br>Using the mathematics provided by [[Simona]], and with [[Clarisse van Rossum]] in attendance, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] successfully create a long-distance wormhole.<br />
----<br />
In short: A séance reveals [[Homura]]'s role in [[Misa]]'s past, as [[Humanity]]'s first wormhole is created with the help of information from [[Simona]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|54|Eternal Youth}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] learn from the [[soul mage]] examination of [[Simona]] that the [[TCF]] has been seriously breached. Back at [[Adept Blue]], [[Simona]] watches [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]]'s successful wormhole test, reminiscing about her childhood as part of a secret project to design and implement an alternate, uncompromised [[TCF]]. [[Simona]] then reveals herself and her new status as a [[magical girl]] to [[Ryouko]] in the celebration following the successful test. [[Ryouko]], suspicious because of her vision which implied [[Simona]] was involved in the conspiracies surrounding her, confides her worries in [[Clarisse van Rossum]], who along with [[Clarisse]] [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] validates her worries and further reveals that [[Simona]] is in love with her. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] asks [[Earth]] for more information about exactly what is going on.<br><br />
<br>On [[New California]], [[Maki]] presses [[Kyouko]] on her melancholy attitude, and [[Kyouko]] confesses her worries about their relationship and how she's used romance in the past to fight against her own age. [[Nadya]] and [[Marianne Francois]] talk about their kids, reflecting on the death of [[Juliet Francois]], until [[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Maki]] arrive to meet them. Bothered by the somber mood on what's supposed to be a vacation, the group ends up going dancing—[[Mami]] in particular doing so with abandon—until they are interrupted with news from [[Yuma]]. That night, [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] discuss their recent visions, and [[Mami]] informs [[Kyouko]] she's been suddenly recalled to the [[General Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]]'s memories reveal a breach in the [[TCF]], as she meets [[Ryouko]] at [[Adept Blue]] and as [[Mami]]'s vacation comes to a close.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|55|New Perspectives}}|Headed back towards [[Earth]], Mami attends a virtual meeting of the [[General Staff]]. The new [[Coeus Project]]'s intelligence has revealed that the [[Ceph]] have regrouped faster than expected after the [[Battle of Orpheus]], so the Staff agrees to request more military resources and to put every effort into developing another "knockout" punch before the [[squid]] can attack again.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Azrael]] shares a [[VR]] recreation of her [[Terra Roja|old colony]], complete with flight-enabling bioengineered bodies, with [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Patricia]]. After some flying, conversation eventually turns to the topic of [[Simona]], and [[Ryouko]] decides to share everything she's worried about and ask for advice. When the other girls then suggest directly confronting [[Simona]] to resolve the romantic situation and uncover the truth, [[Ryouko]] initially balks. However, realizing that her life would remain out of her control as long as she never takes action herself, [[Ryouko]] changes her mind and agrees to the plan.<br><br />
<br>Meeting remotely, [[Vlad]] informs [[Mami]] that their wormhole experiments have uncovered a confounding space-time anomaly near a pulsar, and [[Mami]] realizes that it matches one of the mysterious, newly-discovered [[Ceph]] facilities the [[General Staff]] had been examining as potential targets.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] decides to confront [[Simona]], while [[Mami]] investigates a [[squid]] [[pulsar mines|pulsar facility]] as a potential target.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|56|Pulse}}|[[Simona]], suddenly facing [[Ryouko]]'s demands for answers, explains her secretive life, from her upbringing up through her assignment to [[Adept Blue]]. Though she refuses to share everything, particularly the breach in the [[TCF]], she does reveal her wish: to be understood by, and to protect, [[Shizuki Ryouko]]. With mixed feelings, [[Ryouko]] agrees to give [[Simona]] a chance to earn back trust, but makes clear that she does not reciprocate [[Simona]]'s love.<br><br />
<br>Shortly afterward, [[Vlad]] and [[Asami]] run a new experiment investigating the strange [[pulsar mines|pulsar]] in [[Ceph]] space, and [[Asami]] discovers a huge network of stations facilitating the 'mining' of its space-time for use in [[Blink technology]]. [[Mami]] is immediately informed, but before taking action, she first returns to the [[Ribbon]]. There, the [[Goddess]] reassures her that her heart really is in the right place, and tells her that humanity needs her heroism once again. The [[Goddess]] then hints towards the [[pulsar mines]], and gives [[Mami]] a glimpse into the mystery of the [[Cephalopod]]s as a whole.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]] explains herself to [[Ryouko]], and [[Mami]] meets again with the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|57|Triple Point}}|[[Mami]] visits [[Adept Blue]], promoting [[Asami]] for her recent work and informing her and [[Ryouko]] that she needs them to help destroy the [[pulsar mines]] to stave off the [[Ceph]]. While that project gets underway, [[Asami]] and [[Ryouko]] get a break, which they choose to spend together in one of the partially-restored wildernesses of [[Earth]]. There, they discuss their relationship, and find their hopes for it have somewhat converged: Asami is in less of a rush to settle down, and Ryouko is thinking more about the long-term. For the first time, Ryouko says "I love you."<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere in deep space, [[Vlad]] christens the construction of a massive new wormhole apparatus [[Project Armstrong]], and discusses with [[Tao]] the heightened security measures and screening now seemingly necessary to protect it from internal threats. And elsewhere on [[Earth]], a disguised [[Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] stop [[Nakase]] and [[Sacnite]] as they exit a showing of ''[[Orpheus]]'' to talk about unblocking her memories of the agreement she made to get [[Ryouko]]'s birth license.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Project Armstrong]] gets underway as [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] strengthen their relationship.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|58|On Trusting Trust}}|[[Nakase]]'s memories reveal that [[Valentin]] was responsible for genetically engineering [[Ryouko]], but [[Valentin]] disappears before she can be apprehended, leaving behind a letter implying that she is in fact [[Akemi Homura]]. [[Yuma]], seeing the connections between [[Valentin]], [[Ryouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] all running through the [[Cult of Hope]], and discounting the possibility that the [[Goddess]] could be real, begins to fear that the [[Cult]] is a malevolent conspiracy. However, she first is forced to address the definitely malevolent conspiracy which has compromised the original [[TCF]]—including [[MG]], to their mutual distress. [[Yuma]] and a patched [[MG]] rapidly expand their circle of informed and/or repaired AIs, starting with [[MG]]'s friends.<br><br />
<br>One of those friends, ''[[Governance: Cult of Hope]]'', acts against [[Yuma]]'s wishes and contacts [[Clarisse]] just as she and [[Ryouko]] are returning to [[Project Armstrong]]. When asked, [[Clarisse]] confirms the rumor that she had experienced visions from the [[Goddess]] convincing her that AIs have souls, but she unhappily decides she can't yet tell [[Ryouko]] about the [[TCF]] breach given the still-mysterious organ in her brain.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] vanishes once exposed as responsible for [[Ryouko]]'s genetic modifications, and [[Yuma]] begins restoring the [[TCF]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|59|Parlor Games}}|[[Nadya]], chasing down leads on [[Valentin]] from [[Kyouko]], ends up on [[Yenisei]] visiting family. The slightly tense visit is interrupted by a power outage, and the revelation that [[Piotr|her grandson]] saw [[Misa]]. [[Nadya]] hurriedly enlists local help from the [[Cult]], but finds only [[Misa]]'s trail of destruction, not the girl. In a ruined structure, hidden from local networks and drones in a manner implying [[TCF]] corruption, she digs up damaged data crystals.<br><br />
<br>The crystals end up containing a set of deep space coordinates, and [[Kyouko]] tries to set up a meeting with [[Yuma]] to discuss them, only to find that [[Yuma]] is off [[Earth]] for the first time in her life. [[Yuma]] herself is disturbed by the invitation, which included several high-ranking [[Cult]] members, but is forced to focus on the immediate task of repairing [[Nova]], [[Governance]] representative for [[Nova Terra]]. The mission nearly spirals out of control, but with help from [[MG]] and others, [[Yuma]] manages to induct [[Nova]] and her considerable resources into a still-intact conspiracy. This quickly bears fruit in the form of uncovered coordinates—unbeknownst to [[Yuma]], the same ones [[Nadya]] found.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], a crystal salamander delivers a message from [[Homura]] to [[Simona]]: "I'm sorry for everything."<br />
----<br />
In short: Both the [[Cult]] and [[Yuma]], running parallel investigations, uncover a mysterious set of coordinates.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|60|Digital Divination}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Simona]] practice in simulation for their upcoming mission: using [[Project Armstrong]]'s wormhole apparatus to launch [[jumpstrike|an attack]] on the [[Ceph]]'s [[pulsar mines]]. The simulation ends in their deaths—not an uncommon occurrence, a fact which weighs on them, especially [[Asami]]. But [[Ryouko]] works hard to support her girlfriend, even genetically engineering an exotic plant for [[Asami]] to wear in her hair as a gift.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s investigation into the AIs involved in [[Ryouko]]'s life turns up no [[TCF]] corruption, but indicates that the conspiracy she faces may have simply covered their tracks. Her investigation into the mysterious deep space coordinates yields more: a hidden asteroid base. [[Yuma]] plans to personally lead a field mission, using experimental anti-[[IIC]] technology to prevent any occupants from revealing [[Yuma]]'s conspiracy to their own. Excluded from [[Yuma]]'s planning, [[Kyouko]] unknowingly organizes a [[Cult]]-sponsored expedition to the same exact coordinates.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] hears the [[Goddess]]'s voice telling her not to go to the pulsar.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] independently plan deep space missions to the same coordinates, while [[Ryouko]] undergoes simulation training for [[Project Armstrong]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|61|Into the Void}}|[[Yuma]] and a field team of fellow [[Ancient]]s and escort ships visit the deep space asteroid base and find evidence of contact between the [[Ceph]] and [[Governance]] [[Representatives]] early in the war, ending in the death of the alien representatives. [[Kyouko]] then arrives with a large contingent of [[Cult of Hope]] members, leading to a brief flaring of tensions, before Yuma and her group is ambushed by an alien attack force.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, [[Ryouko]] and the others at [[Adept Blue]] launch their wormhole attack on the pulsar. While initially semi-successful, the task force is thrown for a loop when the aliens begin to tear their wormhole apart, and Ryouko suddenly cannot teleport.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] discover secret [[Ceph]]-[[Governance]] contacts from the early war, and then are ambushed by an alien raid. [[Ryouko]] and [[Project Armstrong]] attack the [[pulsar mines]], but alien countermeasures confound the effort.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|62|The Dying Light, Part One}}|[[Yuma]] and her [[Ancients]] struggle to hold out against [[Ceph]] raiders while [[Kyouko]]'s ships rush to link up with them. They eventually succeed, but at the cost of [[Raven]], many mundane crew and Spec Ops, and [[Ceri|a magical girl]] from [[Kyouko]]'s forces.<br><br />
<br>At the pulsar, [[Ryouko]]'s team can't end the block on her teleportation, and they have to be rescued by [[Oda|another teleporter]]. Upon returning to the wormhole, [[Asami]] is unable to fully stabilize it, and [[Ryouko]] leaves to raid the pulsar's mining facilities in response. Her teleportation is blocked again there, but this time she finds the source: mysterious [[Ceph]], with a [[blink interdictor]], as she learns unexpectedly with help from the strange organ in her brain. Still, the delays have been too much, and the order is given to abort the mission as soon as the wormhole is stabilized.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, despite having combined their forces, [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] are slowly losing their battle—and then [[Yuma]] learns the alien bombers are about to make a second pass, fully reloaded by a stealthed supply ship.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] face destruction by [[Ceph]] raiders. [[Ryouko]]'s brain module activates, and the pulsar mission has fallen apart.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|63|The Dying Light, Part Two}}|The situation of [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]]'s group grows desperate, and they concoct a radical plan: surreptitiously place [[supersaturated grief cubes]] on the departing alien bombers as an indirect surprise attack on the alien supply ship. They take heavy casualties in the meantime, and learn the distressing information that calling for reinforcements has let the [[Conspiracy]] know that their [[TCF]] hack has been compromised, leading to general consequences, including a friendly fire incident delaying their reinforcements.<br />
<br />
[[Ryouko]] makes more contact with alien machines through the strange organ in her brain, and [[Patricia]] helps her to decode some of the information before [[Oda]] and another team arrive to help teleport them away. Regrouping with [[Asami]], they learn she has successfully restabilized the wormhole. Patricia and [[Azrael]] then scan Ryouko to ensure she is not being mentally manipulated. Ryouko then explains that with the information she has received, she has acquired a bit more insight into her teleportation, enabling her to teleport objects without teleporting herself. Asami then concocts a radical plan of her own, proposing that Ryouko teleport one of her black holes near the pulsar as they evacuate, which would devastate the region. To do this, they must first wait until the end of the evacuation and assess if they have a safe window.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Yuma's group continue their gambit. Using information gathered from [[Project Armstrong]] (actually Ryouko), they activate their captured alien vessel's blink drive, teleporting the surviving members of the group to the now incapacitated alien supply ship. They board the ship, draining its exotic matter fuel tanks to manufacture interdiction charges, which are then dropped on the arriving pursuers, who are temporarily immobilized by [[blink malaise]]. Once their own ship is out of malaise, they successfully depart, but [[Nadya Antipova]] is killed when she is unable to escape after placing the last charge; the alien vessels unexpectedly focus on preventing her escape, and she is forced to perform a soul gem detonation.<br />
<br />
At the pulsar, the evacuation is nearly complete, and Asami and Ryouko resolve to perform their gambit. [[Simona]] vehemently disagrees and attempts to kidnap Ryouko to stop this, but is defeated, her soul gem torn from her body. Asami and Ryouko then successfully teleport a black hole near the pulsar, and attempt to evacuate through the wormhole with Oda's teleport as the pulsar undergoes gravitational collapse. However, this teleport is interrupted by the wormhole fracturing, and while Oda, Asami, and others seem to make it through, Ryouko is trapped when the wormhole collapses, dumping her 24 light-minutes from the pulsar, heavily injured.<br />
<br />
Before the radiation shockwave from the pulsar reaches her and kills her, an alien vessel makes contact using Ryouko's strange organ, offering rescue. With no other option, Ryouko teleports aboard and the ship blinks away.<br />
<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] escape the [[Ceph]], but take heavy casualties. [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] destroy the pulsar mines, but [[Ryouko]] is stranded, forced to accept rescue from an alien ship.}}<br />
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<br />
=== Interlude III: Manifest Destiny ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Manifest Destiny is a term describing the belief that the United States, due to its special virtues, had both a duty and a destiny to expand west into North America.''<br />
: ''It also describes similar beliefs in the [[MSY]] during its fifth phase, as it reached further and further beyond the island nation of Japan.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|33|Interlude II: Madeleines}}|The interlude covers a slice of the life of [[Mami]]'s lover, the soul mage [[Akiyama Akari]], starting from her initial meeting with Mami during an incident in Seoul involving the soul mage [[Seoyun]], known as the Witch. Early investigation leads to disaster when conflict breaks out over the city and Mami is mind controlled, only for Akari to break her out by turning the generated love towards Akari instead.<br />
<br />
In the aftermath of the incident, Mami proposes that the two of them try a relationship, and this goes quite well. Akari changes jobs, becoming a researcher into the nature of grief and soul gem decay, and the MSY decides to change its Charter, embarking on a new, expansionist agenda to expand beyond Japan.<br />
<br />
This results in a new incident then pulls them both back into Korea: the bombing of a region of Seoul with an apparently magical device formed from the soul gem of an unknown magical girl, sent by an unknown group in North Korea, disaffected and angry by the MSY's disastrous (for them) flooding of the grief cube markets. To the mundane world, the [[Incubators]] fabricate blame on the North Korean government, which worsens the geopolitical situation and destabilizes its already rickety regime.<br />
<br />
The situation grows worse when information emerges about a similar threat towards Mitakihara-Kazamino International Airport, this time accompanying by a letter threatening a nuclear scale device. Akari and Mami work feverishly on security, and a crisis is barely averted when Akari manages to teleport onto a plane arriving with the device and disable it manually.<br />
<br />
Finally identifying the source of the devices inside North Korea, Akari accompanies a strike force to assassinate the mage involved.<br />
<br />
In the wake of these events, Mami and Akari attend negotiations with other North Korean magical girls from the border region affected by the crash in grief cube prices.<br />
<br />
Later, the collapse of the North Korean government in a coup by Chinese-backed plotters leads to Mami and Akari visiting Pyongyang at the invitation of affiliated magical girls. Their plane departs afterward, the two of them blissfully unaware of the conventional device planted by border radicals.<br />
<br />
After Akari's death (detailed in [[Chapter 50]]), [[Homura]] discourses out loud in private, perhaps to [[Madoka]], discussing the dark turn of events and the resulting founding of the [[Black Heart]] intelligence organization.<br />
---<br />
'''In short: A summary of Akari's relationship with Mami. Side focus on the politics above'''}}<br />
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<br />
=== Volume IV: Einstein-Rosen Bridge ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''An Einstein-Rosen Bridge is a hypothetical way of connecting two spacetime coordinates; in other words, a wormhole.''<br />
: ''The subject of [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] power and the [[Cephalopod|Cephalopod's]] wormhole tech may feature prominently.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
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<br />
=== Interlude IV: Ubermensch ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Übermensch is Nietzsche's idea that humanity should turn away from the other worlds and values promoted by "dead" religions and gods, setting instead the goal of advancing new, superior generations of humans on earth.''<br />
: ''This may refer to [[FA]] ideologies, or even aspects of [[Governance]] thought. It notably stands in contrast to Ryouko's life and wish.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume V: Dark Energy ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Dark energy is a proposed form of energy that drives the accelerating expansion of the universe towards eventual heat death.''<br />
: ''This may imply topics ranging from the role of the [[Incubator]]s to the [[magical girl system]] itself.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
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=== Interlude V: Destroyer of Worlds ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Part of a quote by the god Vishnu in the Bhagavad Gita, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Made famous by J. R. Oppenheimer, who later said he thought of the line after witnessing the first test of an atomic bomb.''<br />
: ''Perhaps covers the Unification Wars, which saw heavy use of atomic weapons. May include [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s role, a character who notably was also present for the first atomic detonation.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
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=== Volume VI: Singularity ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''A singularity is a point at which a function takes an infinite value, especially in space-time when matter is infinitely dense, as at the center of a black hole. It is also a term used for the hypothetically unknowable changes to the human condition caused by superintelligence.''<br />
: ''In former sense, it may reference [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] or [[Asami|Asami's]] powers. In the latter, perhaps it refers to [[Governance|Governance's]] Emergency Mode Level Four.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div></div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=To_the_Stars&diff=1588To the Stars2022-07-28T00:44:12Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* Volume III: Ontological Paradox */</p>
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<div>{{Quote|After centuries of turmoil, a Utopian AI/human government has seized control of Earth, heralding a new age of post-scarcity and space colonization. An unexpected encounter with a hostile, technologically superior alien race has broken the peace, forcing magical girls to come out of hiding to save human civilization.<br />
<br />
In the midst of it all, Shizuki Ryouko, an ordinary girl, looks to the sky, wondering at her place in the universe.|Hieronym|author of To the Stars<br />
}}<br />
<br />
This page summarizes the entire story, volume by volume and chapter by chapter, for those who want a refresher on events. It also includes the names of all future volumes and interludes, [http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/55779437700/future-interlude-title-change as released by] [[Hieronym]] many years ago.<br />
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Each section is collapsed by default, to avoid unwanted spoilers; use the right-hand "Expand" buttons to view descriptions.<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
== Synopses ==<br />
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=== Volume I: Quantum Entanglement ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon where groups of particles cannot have their state completely described independently of each other, even if separated by large distances.<br />
: ''This perhaps describes the position Ryouko finds herself in.''<br />
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{{Spbox|Volume I Summary|[[Shizuki Ryouko]], a regular girl dissatisfied with her utopian life, [[contract]]s and becomes a [[magical girl]], [[wish|wishing]] to leave [[Earth]], explore, and "find my place in this universe". Her life rapidly turns anything but ordinary, as day by day wild events pile up and new secrets from her past reveal themselves. She ends up under the tutelage of both [[Tomoe Mami]] and [[Sakura Kyouko]], learns that the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]] was deliberately caused by someone, discovers that she's the descendant of two powerful competing [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], receives a mysterious vision from a magical girl [[Goddess]], finds out her parents have been working on a secret project cloning bodies for [[magical girl]]s to use, receives a special V2 [[TacComp]], and learns about her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]], protege of [[Akemi Homura]], whose wish turned [[Ryouko]]'s own [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] from a [[magical girl]] back to a regular human.<br><br />
<br>All along, [[Ryouko]] struggles to adjust, learning as much about magical and military worlds she's entering as she can. Saying goodbye to friends and family, and starting to make new friends among her fellow [[magical girls]], she finally departs [[Earth]], led by her [[wish]] out into a strange new universe.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]], and begins to discover her unusual place in the universe.}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|1|A Wish}}|[[Ryouko]] goes to school, dissatisfied with her life. She feels out of place in a world where her family at home and friends at school seem to enjoy the near-utopian [[Earth]], even as a [[Contact War|war]] against an [[Ceph|alien]] menace rages. However, [[Mandatory Session|classes]] are interrupted by the appearance of [[Tomoe Mami]] nearby, who has taken a detour to check the school for potential [[magical girl]] recruits with [[Kyubey]], who claims he has found one. The sighting leaves [[Ryouko]] dwelling on the remote possibility of becoming a [[magical girl]], distracting her enough that she unthinkingly agrees to go on a date with another boy from class. [[Simona]], one of her friends, sees that she's unhappy and follows her out to a riverbank with a view of the [[starport]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], on the other hand, surreptitiously visits [[Kyouko]] in her church to discuss [[the Cult]]'s discovery of irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain. She agrees to look into it and departs, only to encounter a [[demon]] spawn on her way back. At the riverbank, [[Simona]] is about to confess her feelings for [[Ryouko]], when they are suddenly attacked by [[demons]]. [[Ryouko]] manages to keep the both of them alive for a short while before getting trapped. At the moment she attempts to sacrifice herself to save [[Simona]], [[Mami]] saves them both, and along with [[Kyubey]] explains that [[Ryouko]] has the [[potential]] to make a [[wish]] and become a [[magical girl]]. {{Quote|"I wish I could leave Earth," Ryouko said, looking down, "and explore this world. I want to go where no one else has gone before and find my place in this universe."}}<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|2|Fantasma}}|[[Mami]], with some reluctance, separates [[Simona]] from [[Ryouko]] and lets [[Kyouko]] take over the immediate training. [[Kyouko]] runs her through the ropes quickly, learns that [[Ryouko]] has an unprecedented 200km teleportation range, and assigns herself as a mentor along with [[Mami]], who has in the meantime realized that [[Simona]] had a crush on [[Ryouko]]. [[Mami]] advises [[Simona]] not to tell [[Ryouko]] how she feels. [[Ryouko]] fights her first [[demon]]s with [[Kyouko]], and afterwards [[Patricia von Rohr]] shows them a pile of [[grief cube]]s she found, indicating the [[demon]] spawn was deliberate. The [[Incubator]]s swear off responsibility, and all [[Ryouko]] can remember is seeing a woman in the distance just beforehand. [[Kyouko]] promises to investigate.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] discovers that someone deliberately spawned the [[demon]]s which led to her [[contract]].<br />
}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|3|Mami Watches a Movie, Part One}}|Disguised, [[Mami]] attends the movie ''[[Akemi]]''. It depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] upbringing in an orphanage, her [[wish]], and then [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, which triggers a vision of the [[Goddess]] for [[Homura]] that changes her personality markedly. It then depicts [[Yuma]] asking to be taken in by [[Homura]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]]—a fabrication, the movie-watching [[Mami]] notes—and the resulting [[Mitakihara Four]] founding the [[MSY]]. The movie montages through the [[MSY|MSY's]] history, jumping ahead to the alien [[Cephalopod]]'s first attack on [[Aurora]], after which [[Homura]] rallies the [[MSY]] to send a massive force of [[magical girl]]s to [[New Athens]] to stop the next attack.<br />
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In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] life up until [[New Athens]].}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|4|Mami Watches a Movie, Part Two}}|With [[Mami]] in attendance, the movie ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Mami]] and [[Homura]] directing a surprise assault on the [[Cephalopod]]s at [[New Athens]]. Initially the battle goes well, and the [[Human]] forces on the ground rally, but the aliens deploy stronger measures in turn. [[Homura]] goes out to personally lead the counterattack, but the combination of stealth armor and orbital strikes is too much, and she falls in battle… only to find that her [[soul gem]] refuses to fill with [[grief]], preventing her from being taken away by the [[Law of Cycles]], to her despair. [[Homura]] then suddenly heals from her wounds, and her white wings are replaced by huge, horrible black wings. Almost entirely by her own power, she leads the counterattack to victory, at the end personally redirecting an orbital superweapon back at the [[Ceph]] fleet.<br><br />
<br>In the final scene of the movie, [[Kyouko]] argues to an unconvinced [[Mami]] that the battle proves [[Homura|Homura's]] faith in her [[Goddess]] has merit, only for both of them to be interrupted by [[Homura|Homura's]] arrival. [[Homura]] announces her resignation from the [[MSY]], leaving one of her [[The Ribbon|ribbons]] with them, and declares that she is leaving to look for her [[Goddess]], protecting the world another way. The movie over, [[Mami]] begins her departure from [[Earth]], starting her endless work anew with her Version Two [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br />
----<br />
In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] transformation, victory, and disappearance at [[New Athens]].}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|5|Family}}|[[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] tell [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] family that she has [[contract]]ed, to their horror. [[Kyouko]] defends [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] choice, and explains some of the [[magical girl]] system to them, though they prove to know more than most. Before [[Ryouko]] goes to bed, [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] comes to talk with her, expressing disappointment that [[Ryouko]] lied when she promised not to [[contract]], and talking the situation over. After watching [[Ryouko]] [[transform]] and discussing her weapon, an arbalest, she leaves [[Ryouko]] with the request to tell her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] (who had disappeared to join the military when [[Ryouko]] was a child) that her family was sorry, should [[Ryouko]] meet her.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] falls asleep, [[Kyouko]] sticks around to gather information on her family situation as per procedure. [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] grandfather [[Kuroi Abe]] willingly helps her out, explaining that [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] parents are near divorce, though [[Ryouko]] doesn't realize it, and that they know so much about magic because they're researchers. He also mentions that [[Ryouko]] has an [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]] she doesn't know about. That night, [[Ryouko]] dreams of an old encounter with a [[magical girl]], and finds that she still has the bracelet the girl gave her. She also recalls an old memory of her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] talking about [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]], though she doesn't understand it. After talking to [[Simona]] and her family a bit, [[Ryouko]] spends the morning reading through the swath of informational messages about her new life.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] tells her family she has [[contract|contracted]].}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|6|Military}}|[[Mami]] remembers the [[Mitakihara Four]]'s celebration of [[October Three]] with [[Homura]], shortly before the [[Contact War]]. The four of them poke fun at each other—including about [[Homura]]'s secret pupil and [[Kyouko]]'s "transgressions"—and eventually [[Mami]] suggests that they take a long vacation from the [[MSY]] together, only for the others to reluctantly shoot the idea down.<br><br />
<br>In the present, [[Mami]] arrives at the [[starport]] with her bodyguards and meets with [[Marianne Francois]], her intelligence officer, who she instructs to secretly investigate the [[grief cube]] supply chain as [[Kyouko]] asked. Later arriving at [[Carthago Shipyard]] via scramjet then space elevator then [[Navigator]], she attends a meeting of the [[General Staff]].<br><br />
<br>During the meeting, the Chair of the [[General Staff]] [[Roland Erwynmark]] reveals that the [[Cephalopod]]s have been discovered constructing a [[wormhole stabilizer]] in the [[Kepler-37 System]], at the tip of the ongoing [[Euphratic Incursion]]. This would allow the aliens to directly transport reinforcements into the system, within [[Blink]] distance of the [[Core World]] [[Optatum]], and so an immediate [[MagOps]] operation is planned to destroy it. [[Erwynmark]] then announces that he's appointing [[Mami]] as a special [[Euphratic Sector]] commander, over some opposition from her opponents on the [[General Staff|Staff]].<br />
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In short: [[Mami]] is promoted, and tasked with destroying the discovered [[wormhole stabilizer]].}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|7|Southern Group}}|[[Kyouko]] wakes up (with [[Kishida Maki]] at her side) and while making the rounds at her [[Kyouko's Church|church]] discovers that [[Maki]] has painted the [[Goddess]] with pink hair, a previously unknown trait. However, [[Kyouko]] has to immediately leave to see [[Yuma]] about the [[grief cube]] incident. On the way, [[Kyouko]] remembers when she first met [[Yuma]], in a confrontation with the [[Southern Group]] shortly after [[Homura]] had first joined the team, before her personality change. [[Kyouko]] had immediately taken sympathy, and telepathically invited her to switch sides, though the very young [[Yuma]] had angrily refused after [[Kyouko]] insulted [[Oriko]], who had saved [[Yuma|Yuma's]] life.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko|Kyouko's]] reverie is briefly interrupted by [[Maki]], who tells her the idea of the pink hair came from [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Kyouko]] then further recalls the next two times she saw [[Yuma]]: first, months later after [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, in a chance encounter at a store where she had revealed she was doing "research" with [[Oriko]], and second, two years after that, when [[Kyouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Homura]] had saved her after the deaths of [[Oriko]] and the rest of [[Southern Group|her team]]. After that, they had [[Befriending|Befriended]] her, and once [[Yuma]] recovered she joined them as one of the [[Mitakihara Four]]. Eventually [[Yuma]] had told them what had really happened the night [[Oriko]] died, and they resolved to keep it secret.<br><br />
<br>As [[Kyouko]] arrives at [[MSY]] [[Governmental Affairs]] to see [[Yuma]], she lastly recalls [[Homura]] telling [[Yuma]] that the [[Goddess]] provided an afterlife for [[magical girl]]s, the only time [[Kyouko]] ever heard her say it out loud.<br />
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In short: [[Kyouko]] remembers how [[Yuma]] ended up joining the [[Mitakihara Four]].}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|8|Church and State}}|[[Yuma]] runs out to greet [[Kyouko]] like an older sister, herself having taken on a nine-year-old form, and [[Kyouko]] is greeted by her [[Governance]] partner [[MG]] as well. [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] then meet privately to discuss the irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain, and the further reports of [[magical girl]]s going missing, and [[Yuma]] agrees to investigate. When [[Kyouko]] brings up the [[grief cube]] incident with [[Ryouko]], [[Yuma]] immediately deduces that the [[grief cube]]s were super-saturated with grief—a possible state kept very secret, though they don't have a sample to prove it. Before leaving, [[Kyouko]] recommends that [[Yuma]] visit [[The Ribbon]], but she demures just as [[Mami]] always does, instead giving [[Kyouko]] an [[Incubator]] plushie.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] checks with [[Kyubey]] briefly about the [[grief cube]]s, but he does not provide any new information, and so [[Kyouko]] ends up back at [[Kyouko's church|her church]], where she meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Patrica]] reveals that she kept some of the [[grief cube]]s from the incident after sensing something strange about them, and [[Kyouko]] tells her to inform [[Yuma]] through the plushie, which turned out to be enchanted as a [[telepathy]]-enhancer. [[Kyouko]] also gets [[Asaka]] to agree to share the details of the [[Goddess]]'s hair with the [[Theological Council]]. Finally, [[Kyouko]] gives a sermon on the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from, and announces that the church will be updating the statue of the [[Goddess]].<br />
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In short: [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] discover that the [[grief cube]]s planted near where [[Ryouko]] was attacked were super-saturated.}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|9|Echoes}}|[[Ryouko]] arrives at [[Kyouko's church]], which holds [[MSY]] living quarters and local military facilities underground, in order to get her military upgrades. [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]] guide her through the process. [[Patricia]] notes that [[Ryouko]] has an extremely unusual genetic profile, requiring some adjustments to the process, and then begins the procedure. [[Ryouko]] watches in a semi-[[VR]] experience as the procedure installs a [[TacComp]], removes implants that are useless for [[magical girl]]s, and installs a [[Permanent Awareness Module]], among other things. Testing out her new capabilities, [[Ryouko]] sends [[Asaka]] a memory snapshot of the [[magical girl]] who gave her the bracelet she rediscovered after her [[contract]]. [[Asaka]] reacts oddly, but continues on to show [[Ryouko]] the armory and get her equipped with the required basics.<br><br />
<br>Then she cuts the tour short, instead bringing [[Ryouko]] to the [[Ribbon Chamber]]. At the [[Ribbon]], [[Ryouko]] finds herself in a confusing vision, seeing among other things [[Yuma]] at the death of [[Oriko]], [[Simona]] looking directly at her on her first day of class, [[Asaka]] receiving instruction from the [[Goddess]] to wait for the girl who sent her the memory [[Ryouko]] did, the [[Goddess]] herself briefly showing her face and telling [[Ryouko]] to keep it a secret, and the death of [[Kyouko]] on some sort of mission involving submarines. Both of them watching, [[Patricia]] comments to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] that for a few reasons, including [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s own presence, she's not that surprised [[Ryouko]] received a vision.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|10|Brigadier}}|[[Ryouko]], brought before the [[Theological Council]] to relate her vision, tells what she saw of [[Kyouko]]'s death, determining with them it was on a colony world and that what actually killed [[Kyouko]] was likely a laser, not a misfire from the submarines. She keeps the rest of the vision from [[Theological Council|the council]], though [[Asaka]] deduces easily that she saw the [[Goddess]]. [[Asaka]] goes on to explain the circumstances of her own vision, where she met again with her dead partner [[Alice]], whose death under her command had torn her apart. Now that she has recovered and her vision is resolved, [[Asaka]] tells [[Ryouko]] she plans to return to the front with [[Mami]], who has just been promoted.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Kyouko]] talks with [[Mami]] about [[Ryouko]], noting that her family tree is dense with [[contract]]ees and connected to the Shizuki and Kuroi [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], that [[Patricia]] found a number of novel mutations in her genetics, and that her friend [[Simona]] has some strange anomalies in her recorded past. Unsure what to make of this, and with no further progress on the [[grief cube]] incident, [[Mami]] agrees at [[Kyouko]]'s request to take on [[Asaka]] as a general, with [[Patricia]] and [[Maki]] as two of [[Asaka]]'s attachments.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] grapples with her vision, and [[Asaka]] explains how her story connects.}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|11|Remains of a Life}}|[[Ryouko]] sets up her [[TacComp]] and chooses [[Atsuko Arisu]] as her designated psychiatrist, then goes out to eat dinner with her family and eventually ends up (through a test of her newfound right to drink alcohol without intoxication filters) bringing them to a firing range at [[Kyouko's church]]. There they visit other facilities, including a sparring area where they meet [[Risa Flores]], but [[Ryouko]]'s parents are surprisingly well-informed on the subjects. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] visit her spot near the [[starport]], and talk about their impending military lives, and the disappearance of [[Ryouko's grandmother]], both remembering her saying that she had lost something.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] receives her [[SW-155|officer's pistol]], and her [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] tells her she's planned a going away party. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends at a showing of ''[[Akemi]]'' and finally reveals her [[contract]] to them, also inviting them to the party. Watching the movie, [[Ryouko]] reflects on [[Homura]]'s beliefs, and the fact that her vision contradicts the movie's portrayal of [[Yuma]]. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] asks [[Simona]] what she was going to say to her before the [[demon]] attack, but [[Simona]] tells her to forget about it. [[Ryouko]] also asks about when she looked directly at her on her first day of class (as she saw in her vision), but [[Simona]] claims it was nothing.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, [[Yuma]] convinces [[Kyouko]] to have a spy bug planted on [[Ryouko]] for her protection, and warns her to be careful herself given [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] spends time with her family and friends as she prepares to leave for [[Contact War|war]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|12|Demon Hunter}}|[[Ryouko]] receives a [[CubeBot]] and three [[grief cube]]s, then studies combat doctrines with her [[TacComp]] until [[Kyouko]] invites her to join a [[demon]] hunt. [[Patricia von Rohr|Patricia]] and [[Risa Flores|Risa]] meet her at [[Kyouko's church]], where [[Kyouko]] appears briefly but leaves, clearly bothered by the impending departure of [[Kishida Maki]]. On the hunt itself, [[Ryouko]] uses her teleportation to rescue civilians, move other [[magical girl]]s in for attacks, and so forth, finding herself enjoying the combat. The hunt is interrupted by the injury of one girl, who loses an arm and part of her face, but [[Ryouko]] simply teleports them to the armory hospital, where she is told they will be fine shortly, and the rest of the hunt continues without incident.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] goes on a [[demon]] hunt.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|13|Differences of Knowledge}}|The next day, [[Ryouko]] goes to an [[MSY]] social gathering for new recruits, finding [[Risa Flores]] there as a chaperone, and meets a new girl named [[Nakihara Asami]], who shares her desire to explore new worlds, albeit as a xenobiologist. They get along well, and continue on to the next scheduled event together. The following day, [[Ryouko]] meets [[Atsuko Arisu]] for her psychiatrist appointment, who manages to get her freely talking about many things, including her [[wish]], and who also recommends that she talk with her parents about her family ancestry.<br><br />
<br>That night, [[Shizuki Kuma|Ryouko's father]] interrupts her reading on military subjects to take her to [[Prometheus]], where she meets [[Joanne Valentin]]—who appears to be the woman she saw shortly before the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]]—and receives an upgrade to Version Two for her [[TacComp]]. Afterwards, [[Shizuki Kuma|her father]] secretly takes her into [[Prometheus]]'s cloning facility where he and [[Kuroi Nana|her mother]] work, which he explains is used to provide new bodies to [[magical girl]]s who are reduced to [[soul gem]]s. [[Ryouko]] is shocked, especially upon seeing the beginning stages of her own clone, and bothered at the secrets kept from her.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] learns about the [[MSY]]'s [[cloning program]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|14|Bloodlines}}|[[Yuma]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Mami]] decide [[Ryouko]]'s discovery of the [[cloning program]] isn't a problem, and discuss the incident that led to [[Ryouko]]'s contract. [[Mami]] remembers seeing [[Joanne Valentin]] at the movie theatre shortly afterwards, and [[Yuma]] confirms that she was the woman near the [[demon]] spawn, and moreover that she mysteriously changed her whole life shortly after the [[Contact War]] began. Investigations into [[Simona]] and the [[grief cube]] supply chain problems [[Kyouko]] reported have unearthed more discrepancies, but nothing major, and [[Risa Flores]] hasn't reported anything from her watch over [[Ryouko]], and so they disperse.<br><br />
<br>Back at home, [[Ryouko]] reads the file on her family with her improving [[TacComp]], and discovers that her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] is stationed at the [[Apollo]] shipyard. Moreover, when viewing her family tree she finds much of it explicitly redacted, with the revealed portions being enough to show that she is a descendant of both the Shizuki and Kuroi [[Matriarchy|Matriarchies]]. Later, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] comes to talk to her, and [[Ryouko]] confronts her about the secrets she's kept. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]] says she's kept the secrets to prevent [[Ryouko]] from [[contract]]ing, and will explain more the next day at the going away party.<br><br />
<br>At the party, [[Ryouko]] receives a number of gifts, including a necklace with the Shizuki crest from [[Shizuki Koto]], her paternal grandfather, and a ruby ring with a helix inside, one of a pair from [[Simona]]. [[Kyouko]] arrives, and informs [[Ryouko]] that both her grandparents will be placed in slightly safer positions as part of standard procedure, her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] in particular being moved to the shipyards. Next to arrive is [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Kuroi Kana]], who begins an attempt to recruit [[Ryouko]] into the [[Black Heart]] (and reveals that [[Ryouko]]'s bracelet is in fact a Kuroi insignia), but she is immediately followed by [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Shizuki Sayaka]] and her own recruiting pitch. [[Kyouko]]'s poor intervention is followed by [[Atsuko Arisu]]'s successful one—her presence at the party revealing that she must be related somehow to [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>This is all further interrupted by the sudden appearance of [[Kuroi Nana]], the [[magical girl]] who gave [[Ryouko]] her Kuroi bracelet and until now her entirely secret aunt, a fact which displeases [[Ryouko]] greatly. [[Kuroi Nana]] brings her aside, promising to help explain the situation, and revealing that she's part of the secret [[Internal Security]], and has been searching for [[Akemi Homura]] on behalf of the [[MSY]]. With that said, they begin a memory transfer.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] meets [[Kuroi Nana]], her previously-secret aunt. }}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|15|Samsara}}|[[Ryouko]] experiences her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt's]] memories, with some explanation provided by a sub-sentient assistant.<br><br />
<br>In the memories, [[Kuroi Nana]] investigates the strange behavior of her [[Kuroi Nakase|younger sister]], finding with the help of a computer specialist that her sister's new friends weren't who they seemed, and secretly following them on a [[demon]] hunt. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]], in reality a [[magical girl]], rushes to save [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] when [[demon]]s attack, getting gravely injured in the process. [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] contracts to turn her sister mundane again, to her sister's relief. However, these events seriously strain their family, as their [[Ryouko's grandmother|mother]] isn't allowed to know about the [[MSY]]. When [[Homura]] offers to mentor [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]], she accepts, and all but leaves the family.<br><br />
<br>It's explained to [[Ryouko]] that when [[New Athens]] revealed the [[MSY]], [[Ryouko's grandmother]] blamed it for both her mother's death and her family's troubles, and insisted that [[Ryouko]] be kept from contracting.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] surfaces from the memories, [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] closes off by telling [[Ryouko]] that she had just reconciled with [[Ryouko's grandmother]], and they rejoin the party.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] learns more of her family history from [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|16|Light of the Sky}}|[[Ryouko]] says goodbye to friends and family at the starport, journeying with [[Asami]] by scramjet and then space elevator. While riding the elevator, [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] names herself [[Clarisse]] after [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Ryouko]] muses that her [[wish]] may have somehow changed the past, causing all the sudden revelations of the past week. At the top, the new [[magical girl]]s take a [[Navigator]] shuttle to the [[HSS Spectre]], an old [[frigate]], who leads them around herself. When they reach the [[FTL]] core, [[Ryouko]]'s gem suddenly begins to shine.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finally leaves [[Earth]] with [[Asami]].}}<br />
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=== Interlude I: Underworld Dreams ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Unusually, this is a title with relatively direct meanings.''<br />
: ''[[Kugimiya Ito]] dreams of his old girlfriend [[Nakanishi Aiko]], as he digs into a transformed Japanese underworld.<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|17|Interlude I: Underworld Dreams}}|[[Kugimiya Ito]], a police detective in [[Mitakihara]], investigates the disappearance of [[Okamura Yuu|a local teenage girl]] with [[Minami Kaoru|his junior partner]]. Meeting the girl's parents makes him suspect abuse is the culprit, and reminds him of his old teenage sweetheart [[Nakanishi Aiko]], who disappeared under similar circumstances. Back at headquarters, while analyzing the case's evidence electronically, he happens upon an image of the girl meeting what looks to him like [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]. When he confronts the missing girl's friends about the [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]-lookalike, they unconvincingly deny knowing anything until a Yakuza-affiliated lawyer suddenly shows up. Investigating this lead leads him to a [[D&E]] logistics building, where he's confronted by Yakuza and nearly killed for knowing too much, until [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] suddenly intervenes, still the same age as when she disappeared.<br><br />
<br>Reeling, and told to drop the case by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] returns to headquarters, only to be met by [[Ronaldo Rizal|an Interpol agent]] who has been tracking similar mysterious cases. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] is asked to make contact with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again and investigate further. He successfully makes contact, and is brought to [[D&E]] headquarters with his partner, to be greeted by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], who treats him just like she did when they were dating, to his embarrassed pleasure. They meet the CEO of [[D&E]], who turns out to be [[Sakura Kyouko]] under an assumed name, and who explains the situation, including the fact that they already knew about the Interpol investigation. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] agrees to drop the investigation if he can confirm for himself that the missing girl is alright, and afterward retires to be with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again.<br />
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In short: [[Kugimiya Ito|A police detective]] happens across his [[Nakanishi Aiko|long-missing girlfriend]] and discovers she is part of an [[MSY]] Yakuza takeover.}}<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
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=== Volume II: Inflationary Expansion ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''This is the universe's theorized early period of exponential inflation.''<br />
: ''Here, it likely refers to the escalation of plot and stakes, especially for Ryouko.''<br />
<br />
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<br />
{{Spbox|Volume II Summary|[[Ryouko]] completes her military simulation training, growing close to [[Asami]], and gets her first taste of real combat shortly afterwards as her convoy is unexpectedly and suspiciously attacked by [[Ceph]] fighters. After [[Ryouko]]'s successful defense there, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]], who doesn't know how to respond, and then both are recalled to the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]], where the first attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] has failed.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] is assigned to a [[MagOps]] team, and begins training while still wrestling with family and relationship confusion, including the sudden revelation of her [[TacComp]] [[Clarisse]]'s sentience. The eventual battle begins poorly, as the wormhole unexpectedly activates right at the start. [[Ryouko]]'s team presses on, only to find the mission much more difficult than expected, and they slowly attrit team members. They finally destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]], but as the [[Goddess]] reveals in a vision, the [[Ceph]] had already amassed a stealthed fleet large enough to take the system. Having realized that her power uses wormholes, [[Ryouko]] reopens the [[Ceph]]'s wormhole and sends the fleet back through, saving the day.<br><br />
<br>However, the battle was not without its casualties—[[Asami]] lost her body after nearly grief-spiraling upon hearing of [[Ryouko]]'s apparent death, [[Ryouko's grandmother]] died in a [[Ceph]] raid, and [[Erwynmark]] died as well, among others. Coming to grips with her sudden fame and new life amidst memorial services and the news of her parents' divorce, [[Ryouko]] decides to become [[Asami]]'s girlfriend. But there are more surprises in store: as the [[Goddess]]—who [[Ryouko]] discovers she is distantly related to—reveals in another vision, [[Ryouko]] will find herself caught up in even greater events soon enough.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delivers the [[Battle of Orpheus]], and connects with [[Asami]], as her old life falls away.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|18|To the Ground}}|The [[General Staff]] watches as a [[MagOps]] mission to take out the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, all members killed, after they are detected teleporting through [[Orpheus]]'s atmosphere. Afterwards, [[Mami]] dreams of her past failures, disturbing her [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br><br />
<br>On the planet [[Giungla]], [[Ryouko]] is embedded in a military unit along with other [[magical girl]]s, fighting against a [[Ceph]] invasion. She goes off mostly on her own to successfully rescue a soldier from her unit, and then joins up with a team of [[magical girl]]s to teleport into an alien attack column, again with significant success.<br />
----<br />
In short: The initial attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, as [[Ryouko]] gains combat experience elsewhere.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|19|To the Sky}}|Finding that she enjoys the combat, [[Ryouko]] works hard to sustain the [[human]] forces, but the arrival of a major [[Ceph]] fleet in system forces a general evacuation. They begin taking heavy losses, and [[Ryouko]] quickly becomes acting-Commander. [[Asami]] dies, [[Ryouko]] enters [[emotional suppression]], and just barely escapes... only to suddenly wake up from the accelerated [[VR]] simulation.<br><br />
<br>Calmed by [[Clarisse]] and relieved to see [[Asami]] alive, [[Ryouko]] heads back to their shared room in the training center on [[New Athens]]. [[Clarisse]] recommends that they read some "messages" together, which turn out to be relationship proposals for [[Ryouko]]. [[Asami]] comments that she had been warned this might happen, due to [[Ryouko]]'s mentors and heritage. The next day, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her [[wish]] was for her parents to stay together and understand each other, and [[Ryouko]] relays her own [[wish]], as they look forward together towards the end of training.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] finish simulation training.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|20|Relativity}}|[[Kishida Maki]] remembers how she [[contract]]ed and later met [[Kyouko]], dating, but breaking up after a fight over [[Maki]]'s decision to head to the front, and [[Kyouko]]'s refusal to explain her history with [[Miki Sayaka]], a near lookalike. Stationed on [[Apollo]] with [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]], [[Maki]] then heads out, completing another mission aboveground to secure a building back from the [[Ceph]].<br><br />
<br>Headed to [[Acheron]] with [[Asami]] and a new friend from training, [[Meiqing]], [[Ryouko]] suddenly notices a bright flash from her [[soul gem]]. Soon, the cause is discovered by the ship, [[Laplace]], to be [[Ceph]] fighters. The early warning allows them to dodge the initial missile attack, but eschewing standard doctrine, the [[Ceph]] turn around for another assault, forcing the transport's [[magical girl]]'s to fight them in space combat, with [[Ryouko]] taking charge. The fight goes well, but the final ship detonates its core in a desperate but futile attempt to kill them.<br><br />
<br>While recovering from the ensuing protective fugue, [[Clarisse]] reveals to [[Ryouko]] that she has uncovered the memory of her vision, and is in fact sentient. Afterwards, they arrive at [[Acheron]], minor heroes, and [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] attend a celebration of [[October Three]] together.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]]'s convoy is attacked unsuccessfully by [[Ceph]] fighters.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|21|Discontinuity}}|[[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Yuma]] meet virtually to celebrate [[October Three]], and discuss the mysteriousness of [[Simona]] and the unlikely and seemingly irresponsible attack on [[Ryouko]]'s convoy, the absence of [[Homura]] weighing on them.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] talks with [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about training and suitors, but fails to mention the attack on her convoy. [[Ryouko]] then goes with [[Asami]] to see a basketball game, and then to a volcanic spa, noting that [[Asami]] is acting strangely, and finding that she isn't enjoying the time on [[Acheron|a colony world]] herself as much as she expected. At the spa, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her romantic feelings to a stunned [[Ryouko]], who promises to think about it—they have little time to reflect, however, as they are at that moment recalled to active duty in the [[Kepler-37]] system, the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]].<br />
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In short: [[Asami]] confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|22|Shifting Winds}}|Now on [[Mami]]'s flagship, the [[HSS Zhukov]], and unable to stop thinking about [[Asami]], [[Ryouko]] is awarded a medal for her performance during the [[Ceph]] attack on her convoy by the Field Marshall. [[Mami]] then brings her to the bridge, where they enter simulation as [[Mami]] explains the strategic situation. This is interrupted by a perfunctory [[Ceph]] attack, which [[Ryouko]] watches from the bridge.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, they reenter the simulation to meet [[Erwynmark]], and [[Ryouko]] is told about the planned second wormhole mission, which requires her teleportation capabilities. [[Ryouko]] is to be sent down to [[Apollo]] to meet with the rest of the team (and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]]) to prepare.<br><br />
<br>Resting after the earlier battle, [[Mami]] dreams of the destruction of her apartment by [[Oriko]], which reunited her with [[Kyouko]], and of other old memories, followed by a strange dream in which she and an unknown girl, somehow important to her, were in a plane crash.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] is assigned to the second [[wormhole stabilizer]] mission on [[Orpheus]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|23|Lost Love}}|Along with others, [[Mami]] plans Humanity's counteroffensive to support the [[Orpheus]] mission and end the [[Euphratic Incursion]]. Meeting with [[Erwynmark]], who will also lead the battle, they conclude that their success rests on the [[MagOps]] mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] thinks of her friends—including [[Chiaki]] on [[Earth]], who always teased [[Ryouko]] about relationships—and ends up calling [[Meiqing]], who insists that she call [[Asami]], who is broken up over [[Ryouko]]'s non-answer to her confession. However, there isn't time, as the [[HSS Raven]] brings her down to [[Apollo]], where [[Ryouko]] meets up with [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]], who was seriously injured in the fighting but recovering easily. They share some time together, as [[Ryouko]] informs him that she's going on a dangerous mission. Her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her family already knew about the attack on her convoy, and that he finally managed to find and talk with [[Ryouko's grandmother|his wife]] again, who wants to talk with [[Ryouko]] as well once there's a chance.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] delays talking to [[Asami]], and meets [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]] on [[Apollo]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|24|Historian}}|[[Ryouko]]'s new [[MagOps]] team practices working together on [[Apollo]] by fighting the [[Ceph]]. Their team practice and bonding is later interrupted by the announcement of yet another new team member: [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Ryouko]]'s childhood hero and, as it turns out, personal friend of team commander [[Nadya Antipova]]. They immediately return to mission simulations, first knowing they're simulations, and later not, failing often—with [[Ryouko]] regretting not contacting [[Asami]] in her apparent final moments.<br><br />
<br>Recovering from this, the team socializes, and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Ryouko]] that she should talk to [[Asami]] even if she doesn't know what to say. Finally, [[Ryouko]] does so, telling her about the dangerous mission she's on, and asking her to survive the upcoming battle too so they can resolve things afterward. They end the call somewhat comforted, but [[Asami]] in particular finds herself still worried and unsure.<br><br />
<br>That night, resting, [[Ryouko]] has a mysterious seeming dream-vision, including a moment in the [[Cult]]'s rose garden on [[Earth]] where [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] speaks strange things and almost appears to be someone else unknown.<br />
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In short: [[Clarisse van Rossum]] joins the wormhole team, and convinces [[Ryouko]] to contact [[Asami]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|25|Piercing the Sky}}|Waiting aboard the [[HSS Raven]], [[Clarisse]] and [[Ryouko]] find themselves ruminating on the possibility of their death, and the [[Goddess]]'s promised afterlife for [[magical girl]]s. [[Juliet Francois]] and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] both ask about [[Ryouko]]'s visions, but she defers, stating she doesn't think they are relevant to the current mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] begins the [[Human]] offensive, for her part attempting to draw [[Ceph]] forces away from [[Orpheus]]. While it initially appears a success, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] which was thought to be still under construction suddenly activates, and hordes of reinforcements begin pouring through.<br />
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In short: The [[Orpheus]] mission begins poorly, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] activating before it even begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|26|Blood and Ichor}}|[[Clarisse van Rossum]] decides the [[MagOps]] team must act immediately. Donning [[magitech]] armor, [[Ryouko]] teleports the team straight from low orbit to what looks to be the key stabilizer core for the [[wormhole stabilizer]]. After efficiently clearing out enemy personnel, [[Nadya]] announces that there are what appears to be twelve separate stabilizer cores, rather than the single expected one, of which perhaps up to four are real. They detonate a [[PAYNE|nuke]] on the closest core, teleporting away towards the next one.<br><br />
<br>This time they encounter even more waiting [[Ceph]], and clear them out with more difficulty. Suddenly, right when two fighters attack, a [[Ceph]] sniper takes shots at [[Eva Guderian]] and [[Ryouko]], killing [[Eva Guderian|Eva]] instantly and shattering [[Ryouko]]'s arm. In a rage, [[Ryouko]] teleports on top of the sniper and slaughters it.<br />
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In short: The [[wormhole stabilizer]] survives an intended killing blow, and [[Ryouko]] loses control after [[Eva Guderian]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|27|Those Brilliant Shining Stars}}|Shocked at herself and slowly recovering, [[Ryouko]] realizes that her [[soul gem]] is not only pulling her towards the wormhole, but also reacting to the true stabilizer cores—and the one they lost [[Eva Guderian]] attacking is a fake.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, the fleet battle in system is going poorly, and [[Erwynmark]] defers to [[Mami]], who decides they must continue to hold out in hope of destroying the wormhole.<br><br />
<br>The [[Orpheus]] team quickly finds and destroys a second stabilizer core with their last [[PAYNE|nuke]], leaving still two more. The [[Ceph]] begin firing artillery at the third core when they arrive, forcing [[Clarisse van Rossum]] to seize their barrier generator [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]]'s [[soul gem]] to save her life. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] then executes a powerful attack that vaporizes the core, but knocks her unconscious.<br><br />
<br>Unexpectedly targeted, [[Erwynmark]]'s ship the [[HSS Arminius]] recommends evacuation. [[Erwynmark]] escapes the ship with his bodyguards, but [[Ceph]] interceptors somehow find his stealthed ship and chase it down, killing him.<br />
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In short: The [[Orpheus]] team destroys two more [[wormhole stabilizer]] cores, but [[Erwynmark]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|28|Invictus}}|The [[Orpheus]] team learns that the [[HSS Raven]], along with her remaining crew, has been discovered and destroyed, all but eliminating any hope of escape. [[Misa Virani]] gives her [[soul gem]] to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and takes advantage of the moon's electrical properties to generate an awe-inspiring electrical discharge, destroying the last [[wormhole stabilizer]] core. The wormhole above collapses violently, and the remainder of the team is suddenly caught in temporal/spatial distortions that threaten to rip them apart.<br />
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In short: [[Misa Virani]] destroys the final [[wormhole stabilizer]] and the wormhole collapses, trapping the rest of the team.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|29|Deus ex gemma}}|[[Ryouko]] suddenly recalls a lecture given by [[Joanne Valentin]], and realizes that her teleportation uses wormholes, and that she can use the broken spacetime around them to teleport the team off [[Orpheus|the moon]]. At the same time, [[Ryouko]] realizes she's with the [[Goddess]], in a vision—this time, with [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]] too. The [[Goddess]] shows them [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[Apollo]], hard-pressed by the [[Ceph]]. [[Shirou Asaka]] manages to get forces in to save them, but [[Maki]] loses her body. They are also shown an unknown woman commander in the [[Apollo]] shipyards, who is killed by a [[Ceph]] commando raid.<br><br />
<br>Following that, [[Asami]] and her ''[[Magi Cæli]]'' team are shown defending the space around [[Apollo]] with some success, despite incredible new [[Ceph]] stealth capabilities. Attempting to extract, the team is suddenly caught and scattered, with [[Asami]] seriously injured and placed into a [[MedEvac]]. A sudden announcement from [[Tomoe Mami]] that the wormhole was destroyed at the apparent cost of the team involved, including [[Ryouko]], sends [[Asami]] into a despair spiral, and her body is ejected into space to preserve her [[soul gem]]. Finally, [[Ryouko]] is shown [[Mami]], who is pressing the apparent advantage at the destruction of the wormhole, even as she mourns the dead.<br><br />
<br>The [[Goddess]] then talks with [[Ryouko]], revealing the [[Ceph]] trap—a huge cloaked fleet had already come through the wormhole, enough to retake the system easily. The [[Goddess]] tells her to reopen the wormhole and send the fleet back, ending the vision. To her team's amazement, [[Ryouko]] does just that, and then just barely teleports them to [[Zhukov]]'s bridge before blacking out.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Goddess]] tells [[Ryouko]] to send back a cloaked [[Ceph]] fleet through the wormhole, saving the battle.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|30|Call to Power}}|[[Mami]] and [[Atsuko Arisu]] perform a dream interrogation of [[Ryouko]]—and also [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]], which complicates their attempt to loosen her up, as does the secret blocking of telepathic investigation by [[Clarisse van Rossum]]. [[Ryouko]] only explains that her power uses wormholes, and about her memory of the [[Joanne Valentin]] lecture that triggered the realization, avoiding religious questions. [[Ryouko]] meets afterwards with some of the [[Orpheus]] team, and is warned of the coming scrutiny she'll endure as a hero by [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and the revived [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]].<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] learns from her devastated [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]] was killed, and realizes she saw it in her vision. She attends the first of three memorial services in her near future, for the dead of the [[Orpheus]] team, meeting [[Marianne Francois]], whose daughter [[Juliet]] was killed aboard the now-revived [[HSS Raven]].<br><br />
<br>In a surprise to [[Mami]], the [[General Staff]] and [[Military Affairs]] select her as the new Chair in accordance with [[Erwynmark]]'s wishes.<br />
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In short: [[Mami]] becomes the new Chair of the [[General Staff]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|31|Aspects of Love}}|On the planet [[Bismarck]] for [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial, [[Ryouko]] meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kyouko]], along with a couple of local kids, finding herself surprisingly distant from the latter due to her experiences. [[Ryouko]] admits to [[Kyouko]] that the [[Goddess]] came to her in a vision on [[Orpheus]] to tell her about the cloaked fleet, and is afterwards unknowingly accosted by a [[Shizuki Azusa|seductive Shizuki]] until [[Patricia]] saves her. [[Patricia]] informs her that [[Kishida Maki]] is still taking [[Kyouko]]'s continued absence hard, and that she is struggling herself, before collecting a more in-depth genetic sample from [[Ryouko]]. Later that day [[Mami]], attending virtually, gives [[Erwynmark]]'s eulogy.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] comes to grips with her newfound fame at [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|32|Decisions, Implications}}|[[Ryouko]] meets with her family at the starport, only to find her parents have divorced. Still shaken, she heads immediately to [[Asami]]'s revival, comforting her, and finding herself unexpectedly comforted herself to have [[Asami]] back.<br><br />
<br>After briefly meeting [[Asami]]'s family, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] head out to meet [[Ryouko]]'s friends. While waiting, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] how unhappy she is in combat, and, consoling her, [[Ryouko]] abruptly decides to become her girlfriend… right as [[Simona]], [[Ruiko]], and [[Chiaki]] arrive. [[Simona]] retreats to the bathroom, and [[Chiaki]] covers for her, instead planning the rest of the day. They go on to a restaurant and have a sleepover, the only disturbance being the strange arrival of [[Kyubey]], who claims only to be visiting.<br><br />
<br>At [[Ryouko's grandmother]]'s funeral, [[Ryouko]] discovers that her psychiatrist [[Atsuko Arisu]] is in fact the grandmother of [[Ryouko's grandmother]]. After the ceremony, which [[Ryouko]] finds she can't connect to, she is suddenly given a memory recording from a friend of [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]]. The memory reveals that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]] grandfather was [[Kaname Tatsuya]], once the younger brother of [[Kaname Madoka]], the [[Goddess]]. [[Tatsuya]] makes [[Homura]] promise to keep [[Ryouko's grandmother]] out of the [[MSY]], as he warns darkly of the future that would become the [[Unification Wars]], recalling in particular his daughter-in-law's wish for vengeance.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] rushes with [[Asami]] to the [[Ribbon]], with both [[Kyubey]] and [[Kyouko]] showing up to watch. A vision ensues, and the [[Goddess]] explains that she is indeed related to [[Ryouko]], as hinted previously, and that she tries to limit her interventions in the world, so that people can live their own lives. She explains that [[Ryouko]] has the special burden of having less freedom to live her own life, and that she will be called upon again.<br><br />
<br>Teleporting out immediately from the [[Ribbon Chamber]] to avoid questions, [[Ryouko]] learns that [[Asami]] also received a vision, assuaging her worries and including helpful relationship advice. Before [[Ryouko]] can digest that, [[Joanne Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] show up at her door with a proposal.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes [[Asami]]'s girlfriend, and finds out she will feature in the [[Goddess]]'s plans again.}}<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude II: Madeleines ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Madeleines (small sponge cakes) feature in Proust's "In Search of Lost Time", a famous French novel noted for its theme of involuntary memory.''<br />
: ''Likewise, this interlude centers on the peculiar role of memory in an episode of [[Asaka]]'s past. The first snippet even includes relevant sections from Proust's novel.''<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|33|Interlude II: Madeleines}}|[[Shirou Asaka]] wakes from a strange recurring dream in which she has lost someone important to her, as a [[magical girl]] in some sort of [[Contact War|crazy alien war]]. [[Alice Lynwood]], her wife, reminds her to get it checked out, but is less successful in attempting to convince her to finally have a baby.<br><br />
<br>In a professional [[VR]] game playing as [[magical girl]]s in WWII with her second-in-command [[Madhuri]], [[Asaka]] finds she needs to sacrifice her to win. Suddenly, [[Asaka]] starts thinking [[Madhuri]] is somehow actually [[Alice]], and then the game is suddenly cut short by a strange simulation error. However, [[Asaka]]'s growing unease is again washed away by the joy of her life with [[Alice]].<br><br />
<br>[[Tanaka Yui]], [[Asaka]]'s therapist, suggests doing a dream study, and [[Patricia von Rohr]] comes to visit, both of them bringing up little oddities or inconsistencies in [[Asaka]]'s thoughts. The dream study returns an apparent suppressed memory, but one involving [[magical girl]]s and an [[Contact War|alien war]] that [[Asaka]] can't remember experiencing. Soon enough, all of reality seems to be changing for her—[[Madhuri]], her location, [[magical girl]]s. Finally running a full internal diagnostic, [[Asaka]] remembers what truly happened: she was forced to send her girlfriend [[Alice]] to her death to win a battle in the [[Contact War]]. Unable to process it, [[Asaka]] had [[Reformat|Reformatted]] herself and put herself inside a [[VR]] simulation where she could live with [[Alice]]. [[Tanaka Yui]] had been helping her face the truth after breaking into the simulation, along with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Madhuri]], and even [[Asaka]]'s own internal representation of [[Alice]]. [[Patricia]] tells [[Asaka]] afterwards that [[Alice]] had planned on proposing.<br />
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In short: [[Asaka]]'s self-[[Reformat]] and [[VR]] simulation are undone, and she begins to finally face her lover [[Alice]]'s death.}}<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume III: Ontological Paradox ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''In an ontological paradox, events occur as part of a causal loop: an 'initial' event, in terms of linear time, eventually causes itself.''<br />
: ''This may refer to the nature of Ryouko's wish and/or the logic of the Goddess's interventions. <br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume III Summary|Now living with [[Asami]] and working in [[ITG|a lab]] to help humanity understand wormholes, [[Ryouko]]'s life is interrupted again when she is offered a chance to investigate a [[rogue colonies|rogue colony]] on [[X-25]]. When [[ITG|the lab]] collapses on her and [[Asami]] in an act of sabotage, they decide to join the mission.<br><br />
<br>The [[X-25]] colony turns out to have a massive bunker, and [[Kyouko]] leads a team with [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] in, discovering an attempt at mass-cloning [[magical girl]]s. Moreover, two separate traps attempting to kill [[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] are encountered, the second costing [[Ryouko]] her body.<br><br />
<br>After a vision revealing [[Yuma]]'s past, a revived [[Ryouko]] manages to push [[Kyouko]] into visiting [[the Ribbon]], where she meets with [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision, and finally reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]] afterwards. [[Ryouko]], for her part, faces the disturbing revelation that she's been genetically engineered, losing control of her life as she's whisked from [[Paris]] to [[Adept Blue]]. At the same time, [[Mami]]'s self-[[Reformat]] unravels, and she meets with the [[Goddess]] in a vision as she grapples with her restored memories, finally convinced to take a vacation.<br><br />
<br>However, events—and conspiracies—don't let go of them. [[Simona]], now a [[magical girl]] and always an agent assigned to [[Ryouko]], reappears to help [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] create wormholes spanning lightyears, though her love remains unrequited as [[Ryouko]]'s relationship with [[Asami]] grows stronger. During [[Mami]]'s vacation, she and [[Kyouko]] discover that [[Misa]] had in fact been recruited by [[Homura]] to fight a mysterious enemy, and [[Yuma]] learns that someone has corrupted the [[TCF]] from [[Simona]] and [[Valentin]], both part of a secret organization fighting it with alternate [[TCF]]s.<br />
<br>'''Volume incomplete; More chapters to be released.'''<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] finds herself enmeshed in conspiracy, as [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] grapple with their pasts.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|34|The Bonds that Make Us}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Asami]] attend [[Yuma]]'s birthday party via [[VR]] from [[Eurydome]], where [[Ryouko]] was brought by [[Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] for wormhole research. [[Kyouko]] brings up [[Ryouko]]'s visions in front of [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Ryouko]] is forced to explain, choosing to also forward the memory she received from [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] intervenes in an argument between [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] about [[Kishida Maki]], and brings them to [[Ryouko]]. [[Ryouko]] is reminded of her first vision, where she saw [[Yuma]], and which seemed to contradict her official history—she even tells [[Kyouko]] this. [[Ryouko]] then goes to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] for life advice, and is told that she needs to talk over her desires for an extraordinary life with [[Asami]], who wants a more domestic life.<br><br />
<br>Away from the party, [[Yuma]] explains to [[Kuroi Nakase]], [[Ryouko]]'s mother, that [[Ryouko]] is probably the most genetically sure contract in history, and moreover, that she has a genetically-engineered second, hidden genome. [[Nakase]] knew only that [[Ryouko]] was likely to contract given her ancestry, and when pressed for information as to how she got the birth license, suddenly collapses—a non-fatal defense mechanism apparently built into tampered memories.<br />
----<br />
In short: At [[Yuma]]'s party, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] learns that [[Ryouko]] was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|35|Causality}}|[[Mami]] learns from [[Marianne Francois]]'s [[grief cube]] supply chain report that in a few rare cases for the past 10 years, there have been severe shortages followed by surpluses, where they would hurt the war effort the least. [[Mami]] is disturbed by not only the report, but also her unintended reading of [[Marianne]]'s mind.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Clarisse]] go over her visions, realizing that [[Simona]] was tank-born and seemingly knew her before they met, and that the [[Goddess]] likely manipulated the events leading to [[Ryouko]]'s contract.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], in a meeting with the [[Directorate]], is asked to investigate a distress signal from [[X-25|a cult's colony]] which was thought to have been destroyed en route to an entirely different planet. Elsewhere, [[Kyouko]] promises to tell [[Yuma]] to explain her past to [[MG]], and receives from [[MG]] a recording of what happened with [[Kuroi Nakase]] at [[Yuma]]'s party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives orders to investigate [[X-25|a mysterious colony]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|36|Chasing Ghosts}}|[[Ryouko]] learns in a call from her friends on [[Earth]] that [[Simona]] has moved away, and afterwards meets with [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Kyouko]], who ask her to join a mission to investigate [[X-25|a cult's colony]] related to [[Homura]], and to consider an offer from [[Kuroi Kana]] to properly join the intelligence services.<br><br />
<br>[[Kuroi Nana]] departs after being given the memory file from [[Ryouko's grandmother]], but [[Kyouko]] accompanies [[Ryouko]] to the lab, [[ITG]], and they discuss [[Ryouko]]'s visions a bit. During an experiment at the lab, the gravity generators go haywire, and the ceiling collapses—[[Ryouko]] is saved by [[Kyouko]] and [[Asami]], but [[Asami]] is seriously injured. In the hospital afterwards, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] and [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about the apparent attempt on her life that led to her [[contract]]. [[Kyouko]] explains that the incident at [[ITG]] appears to be another such attack. [[Ryouko]] decides to join the proffered mission, which [[Asami]] accepts on the condition that she come too.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] survives an attempt on her life at [[ITG|the lab]] on [[Eurydome]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|37|Seraphim}}|[[Kyouko]] convinces [[Mami]] to let her on the colony mission due to the [[Homura]] connection, and [[Mami]] tells [[Kyouko]] about the mysterious sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]]. However, [[Mami]] becomes inordinately emotional when discussing the necessity of ordering an investigative mind-read, and she later dreams of training mind-reading abilities that she doesn't remember.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] are taught defensive telepathic techniques en route to their mission, and [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] told her to stick with [[Ryouko]] for her safety. They then meet with [[Azrael Maslanka]], who tells them both about the true proliferation of [[rogue colonies]], and her own experience on one where she was genetically engineered with wings for flight, before the colony collapsed in civil war.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting, where she tells [[Mami]] about her vision in which [[Kyouko]] was killed. The details match [[Mami]]'s planned submarine mission exactly and, disturbed, she agrees to allocate more forces.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] learn about [[rogue colonies]] from [[Azrael Maslanka]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|38|Carpe Diem}}|A special [[Miki|sentient probe]] sent to investigate the cult's colony on [[X-25]] discovers a massive underground structure and comes under heavy fire, and the [[Directorate]] approves more forces for the mission in response.<br><br />
<br>[[Meiqing]] turns out to be part of the additional forces, and she, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] go out hiking together on [[San Giuseppe]] while waiting for more reinforcements to arrive. At the top, [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] her worries about how much their lives are at risk, and [[Azrael]] explains herself to [[Meiqing]].<br><br />
<br>Finally, the mission begins, with [[Task Force Rhamnusia|conventional forces]] taking the surface of the colony on [[X-25]].<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be heavily armed, and the [[Task Force Rhamnusia|correspondingly reinforced]] assault on it begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|39|Indelible Soul}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew descend to the pacified surface of [[X-25]], and [[Gracia]], to [[Ryouko]]'s distress, forcibly mind-reads captives to learn that the colony's leader, [[Grigori DeWitt]], has escaped to the bunker with children as hostages. [[Kyouko]] manages to convince [[Mami]] and [[Governance]] to let her lead a [[MagOps]] infiltration mission, despite their misgivings that [[Kyouko]] is doing so for personal reasons, given her history.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] chooses to bring [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] on the mission, among more experienced girls, largely on personal hunch. Mission underway, and despite being hampered by some sort of magical clairvoyance blocking, they quickly discover large numbers of human clones, an apparent attempt to clone [[magical girl]]s. The attempt to communicate this to the surface is blocked by the hostile telepath, however, and the team is discovered. Clearly personally angered by the situation, [[Kyouko]] insists that they fight their way through rather than escape.<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be attempting [[magical girl]] cloning.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|40|Through a Mirror}}|The [[X-25]] team kills a number of guards, only to discover that they are cloned teenagers, heavily implanted, horrifying the rookies into [[emotional suppression]]. [[Gracia]] manages to determine that the cloned girls are transformed into controlled guards once they failed to contract, and that contracts weren't happening. [[Kyouko]] decides that they must find and capture the enemy telepath, before more clones are killed.<br><br />
<br>They find the enemy [[magical girl]], but before they act to kill her, [[Asami]] notices that [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]] is glowing slightly. Off-put by that and everything else that doesn't add up, the team nearly rebels against [[Kyouko]]'s insistence on attacking the enemy [[magical girl]], until [[Ryouko]] manages to convince [[Kyouko]] to relent by suggesting that the [[Goddess]] placed her on the mission for that reason.<br><br />
<br>Investigating, [[Asami]] detects a [[Ceph]]-like stealth device concealing a nuke, [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] disabling it right afterwards. An alarm goes up, and the enemy [[magical girl]] suddenly pleads for help. The girl, [[Sacnite Tafani]], tells them that [[DeWitt]] had been controlling her with the threat of a suicide implant, and had lied about hiding the colony's children in the bunker as bait for the nuclear trap. <br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] prevents [[Kyouko]] from rushing into a stealthed nuclear trap on [[X-25]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|41|Cause and Effect}}|Ruminating over the mission, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] decide to visit [[Sacnite]], as [[Mami]] makes a limited announcement of the mission to the general public. [[Mami]] approves the visit to [[Sacnite]] as a propaganda shoot, and [[Azrael]] joins them. Comforting [[Sacnite]], [[Ryouko]] promises to spend more time with her. Afterwards, [[Meiqing]] confides to [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] that the mission has impacted her a lot, and that she's glad she was able to help, given her family's shameful efforts in the [[Unification Wars]] to develop the cloned [[FA Elites]].<br><br />
<br>Having finally determined the whereabouts of [[DeWitt]] and the colony's children, [[Kyouko]] leads an attack on the stealthed facility, which meets with no resistance. [[DeWitt]], however, manages to kill himself via suicide implant, after claiming he was trying to figure out what blocked [[magical girl]]s "transcendence". [[Kyubey]] then appears, saying that [[DeWitt]] had based his beliefs on what [[Homura]] had achieved, thinking to have seen her alive on [[Optatum]], and that he was supported by another group which escaped in a cloaked ship. Refusing to say anything more—and strangely calling [[Kyouko]] by her personal name—[[Kyubey]] disappears, and [[Kyouko]] walks off alone to think. Feeling uneasy about the situation, and thinking of her vision, [[Ryouko]] follows… only to lose her body saving [[Kyouko]]'s life from an attack by a supposedly-friendly drone.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] loses her body saving [[Kyouko]] from a sudden drone attack.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|42|No Light Without Shadow}}|The [[MSY]] [[Leadership Committee]] meets to discuss recent events, including the attack on [[Kyouko]], the results of the [[grief cube]] audit, and the sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]], among others, but to no real conclusion. After the meeting, [[Kyouko]] is surprised by [[Atsuko Arisu]], her therapist, who to [[Kyouko]]'s anger tells her both that she should have stepped aside during the [[X-25]] mission and that she should stop hiding from her feelings for [[Kishida Maki]].<br><br />
<br>With [[Asami]] personally guarding [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]], she, [[Ryouko]]'s family, [[Meiqing]], and even [[Sacnite]] plan to travel to [[Earth]] for [[Ryouko]]'s revival, which has been delayed for unspecified reasons. Meanwhile, both [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] assign security teams for [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>Through a [[VR]] recreation, [[Mami]] reveals to [[Kyouko]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] that it appears [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]] didn't fail, but was instead somehow swapped out for another. The soul mage who put the [[soul gem]] that failed into stasis saw that it had a meek, shy personality which, she found out later, didn't match [[Misa Virani|Misa]]'s at all. However, the [[VR]] review they perform doesn't show any possible moment in which [[Misa]]'s [[soul gem]] could have been swapped.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] discovers that [[Misa Virani]] is likely alive, her [[soul gem]] swapped for another.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|43|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part One}}|[[Ryouko]] finds herself in another vision, in which the [[Goddess]] explains that [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], and [[Mami]] are more fragile than they seem, and that their "phase transition" must be managed carefully. [[Ryouko]] looks, and sees…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]], noting that [[Kyouko]] is being pushed into finally confronting her relationship problems and that they need to help her, tells [[Mami]] and [[MG]] about her past with the [[Southern Group]], and about [[Miki Sayaka]]…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s abusive parents, unable to pay debts, attempt to sell her to the Yakuza, until the [[Southern Group]] suddenly intervenes. They kill the Yakuza, but [[Mikuni Oriko]] is seriously injured, and [[Yuma]] wishes to heal her. [[Yuma]] memory of this is patchy, though, and [[Oriko]] informs [[Yuma]] that the Yakuza killed her parents, so she'll take her in. Under [[Oriko]]'s tutelage, [[Yuma]] lives a good life and learns much, but she can see that the [[Southern Group]] is vicious to others and generally hated. [[Oriko]] favors [[Yuma]], to the other members' chagrin, and shares secrets like her efforts to try to bring [[Kyouko]] and [[Sayaka]] together before splitting them apart, and her work to saturate [[grief cubes]], which [[Yuma]] later accidentally discovers leads to [[demon]] spawns.<br><br />
<br>Uneasy with her new life, [[Yuma]] runs into [[Sayaka]], who is clearly very troubled herself, explaining that she was in [[Southern Group]] territory to die fighting their evil. Instead, [[Sayaka]] takes [[Yuma]] to dinner. [[Yuma]] runs into Yakuza on the way back, but [[Sayaka]] appears, killing them before disappearing—though a shocked [[Yuma]] manages to reattach one's head and save his life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Sayaka]] had died fighting a horde of [[demon]]s at a violin concert, and pieces together the truth: [[Oriko]], using her power to see the future and saturated [[grief cubes]] [[Yuma]] had made, purposefully spawned the [[demon]]s to kill [[Sayaka]].<br><br />
<br>In the present day, [[Yuma]] explains that she wants to tell [[Kyouko]] all this, so that she won't blame herself for [[Sayaka]]'s death, but has been afraid to since she was involved. After talking this over, [[Yuma]] continues the story for [[MG]]'s sake…<br><br />
<br>[[Clarisse van Rossum]] visits [[Oriko]] and [[Yuma]], telling [[Oriko]] that there may be some merit to [[Homura]]'s strange belief in a [[Goddess]], and passing [[Yuma]] an anonymous message saying she has the potential to change things, and that [[Oriko]] only sees what she tries to see.<br><br />
<br>Life finally calms down for [[Yuma]] after this, though her studies accelerate, as [[Oriko]] uses magic to enhance her mind.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] reveals that [[Oriko]] caused [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|44|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part Two}}|[[Ryouko]]'s vision continues, as she watches [[Yuma]] retell her past to [[Mami]] and [[MG]]…<br><br />
<br>Upset at [[Oriko]]'s use of saturated [[grief cube]]s to kill others, [[Yuma]] sabotages the machine used to make them, but [[Oriko]]'s machinations continue, with team leaders like [[Kuroi Kana]] forced to come and beg for the return of captured members. One night, another team led by [[Tanaka Yui]] attacks, [[Yuma]] just barely escaping—or so she thought, as she instead leads the attackers right to the rest of the [[Southern Group]]. But before the ensuing battle, [[Yuma]] finds that the rest of her team is torturing and killing other [[magical girl]]s to absorb their powers.<br><br />
<br>Fleeing in horror, [[Yuma]] finds herself taken in at a church, where she finds the Yakuza man whose life she saved earlier. He explains that he had saved a number of girls held by the Yakuza and was now on the run, trying to do good and live a better life as atonement. [[Yuma]] talks with [[Reverend Hashimoto|the priest]] sheltering him, and he tells her she should forgive herself for not stopping everything that's happened. That night, [[Yuma]] receives a message from [[Kuroi Kana]], which helps her to realize that [[Oriko]] had in fact had her parents killed.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] returns to the [[Southern Group]], now under blockade and uneasy. [[Oriko]] claims that they are still on the path towards eliminating the Yakuza and bringing about a better world, but [[Yuma]] decides that they must be destroyed. Taking the advice passed on by [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Yuma]] manipulates the [[Southern Group]] in order to change the future without [[Oriko]] noticing. Eventually, during an already difficult [[demon]] fight, she spawns hordes more [[demon]]s using saturated [[grief cube]]s, and manages to turn her team members against each other. All but [[Oriko]] are killed, and [[Oriko]] finally realizes what has happened. Telling [[Yuma]] there may still be hope for her, she crushes her own [[soul gem]].<br><br />
<br>Warning obscurely that a crisis is coming, the [[Goddess]] ends [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] explains how and why she killed the [[Southern Group]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|45|The Body Electric}}|Back on [[Earth]], [[Asami]] is still unable to face the results of her [[wish]], and longs for [[Ryouko]] to return—which she does, along with [[Clarisse]], to their surprise. [[Clarisse]] tells [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] explained she does have a soul, and that her body would be regenerated by [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]]. [[Valentin]] explains that the delay in the revival was due to both [[Clarisse]]'s regeneration and some necessary handling for [[Ryouko]]'s unique genetics. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends, including [[Sacnite]], who is being de-aged physically to match her mental age, and her new [[matriarchy]] bodyguards, who get along poorly.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] bursts in soon after, followed by [[Yuma]], who oddly both make a point of asking [[Ryouko]] if she was told why her revival was delayed. It soon becomes clear that [[Yuma]] is using [[Ryouko]] to confront [[Kyouko]] about her behavior, and in the ensuing argument [[Kyouko]] reveals she already figured out [[Yuma]] and [[Oriko]] were involved in [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death. After [[Yuma]] departs, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Kyouko]] about her vision, mollifying her until the subject of [[Kishida Maki]] comes up.<br><br />
<br>Having walked out in a rage despite knowing [[Ryouko]], like everyone else, is right about [[Maki]], [[Kyouko]] visits [[the Ribbon]]. In the ensuing vision, [[Kyouko]] meets her little sister [[Sakura Momo]], who tells her to move on from her past. [[Kyouko]] then descends onto a beach where she finds [[Miki Sayaka]], who finally convinces [[Kyouko]] to try reconciling with [[Kishida Maki]], and who also shows [[Kyouko]] a glimpse of eternity.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] is comforted by her sister and [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|46|Wheels Within Wheels}}|Eating dinner with [[Kyouko]] and her friends and family, [[Ryouko]] is surprised by [[Valentin]], who drops by to inform her that [[Governance]] would like to use the [[Orpheus|upcoming movie]] about her to inform the public about V2 [[TacComp]]s. [[Valentin]] also conveys her regrets that [[Ryouko]]'s parents had split, especially since she had introduced them.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]], acting a bit odd, brings the crew shopping the following day, only for them to be suddenly surprised by [[Kishida Maki]], who had apparently been assigned by someone to give [[Ryouko]] a message regarding [[Orpheus|the movie]]. [[Kyouko]] confesses to [[Maki]] that she started their relationship because of her physical similarity to [[Miki Sayaka]], but tells [[Maki]] that it had grown beyond that, so she wants to try again. Skeptical, but still in love, [[Maki]] accepts her.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, [[Maki]] explains to [[Ryouko]] that the ''[[Orpheus]]'' movie team would like to bring her to [[Paris]] to provide assistance. [[Ryouko]] agrees to go, but is uneasy about having her life directed by yet another proposition she can hardly turn down.<br><br />
<br>At the same time, in [[Paris]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Nadya Antipova]] that she's discovered [[Misa Virani]] likely underwent a [[Reformat]].<br />
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In short: [[Kyouko]] reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|47|City of Lights}}|In underground [[Paris]], and bothered by the incongruity of that with her wish, [[Ryouko]] meets with her aunt [[Kuroi Nana]]. She warns [[Ryouko]] that [[Shizuki Sayaka]] will try to pull her in, showing her what life on [[Earth]] has to offer, and notes that she has opportunities with the Kuroi [[Matriarchy]] as well, though it wouldn't be an easy life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] meet with the actors who will play them in [[Orpheus|the movie]], who have altered their appearances to match them exactly. [[Clarisse]] also is invited to join them in hologram form, and they go to the set to act out scenes. Thinking on her reenacted past, [[Ryouko]] finds she misses the meaningfulness of the war.<br><br />
<br>At a bar that night, they come across a mysterious friend of [[Ryouko]]'s [[Elisa Yamada|actor counterpart]], who invites them to a [[VR]] facility.<br />
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In short: In [[Paris]], [[Ryouko]] uneasily cooperates with ''[[Orpheus]]'s'' production.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|48|To Know Thyself…}}|Hidden in [[Paris]], [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] meet to discuss the apparent conspiracies in action. [[Ryouko]]'s genetic anomalies have been investigated further, and an entirely novel portion of her brain has been found, of still-unknown purpose. Meanwhile, on the way to the [[VR]] center, [[Ryouko]] and crew are stopped by a sudden inexplicable power loss, and then are dragged away by a sudden massive [[demon]] spawn. [[Yuma]] is informed of this via [[Incubator]] plushie, and realizes that [[Shizuki Sayaka]]'s plan to secretly investigate [[Ryouko]]'s brain in a [[VR]] session is being thwarted by a deliberate [[demon]] spawn. [[Nadya]] notes that the power outage looks almost like [[Misa]]'s handiwork.<br><br />
<br>The [[demon]] hunt isn't easy, but [[Ryouko]] is aided by a pair of [[magical girl]]s who oddly refuse to identify themselves. Not long afterwards, [[Rebecca Shu|a messenger]] from [[Kuroi Kana]] appears, revealing that the mystery woman accompanying them is in fact [[Shizuki Sayaka]], and further revealing the planned [[VR]] scan.<br><br />
<br>Brought to a secret location, [[Ryouko]] is told by [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Kuroi Nana]] about the genetic engineering done to her, along with the fact that her parents were unaware and their memories altered. They further explain need to examine [[Ryouko]] more closely, and the apparent attempt to prevent this. [[Ryouko]], overwhelmed, leaves to be alone with [[Asami]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns that she was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|49|Transition State}}|[[Mami]], finding herself plagued by an inexplicable headache, is approached by her [[MHD]] [[Charlotte Meitner|minder]], only for the minder to collapse from a sudden brain hemorrhage, though [[Mami]] is able to heal her.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive at [[Adept Blue]], on orders from [[Mami]], all attempts to probe the genetically engineered portion of her brain having failed. The lab's [[AI]] director, [[Vlad]], greets them there, as does [[Mami]]—surprisingly, in person. They reveal that they've made a breakthrough, which should allow them to construct a range amplifier for [[Ryouko]], with [[Asami]]'s help. [[Mami]] also explains that, given the unknown function of the modifications to [[Ryouko]]'s brain and the recent attempts on her life, [[Ryouko]]'s presence on asteroid-borne [[Adept Blue]] with her bodyguards and [[Patricia von Rohr]] makes her more secure.<br><br />
<br>Alone, [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] discuss her circumstances: she's all but on the run from the [[MHD]], and clearly suffering from the unraveling of a [[Reformat]]. They agree to bring in an outside telepath to investigate.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] discuss their situation and their [[wish]]es, taking consolation in the fact that at least they've been brought and kept together in the whirlwind of their lives.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive on [[Adept Blue]] to help develop new wormhole technology in a secure location.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|50|Sub Rosa}}|[[Mami]] brings [[Azrael]] to [[Adept Blue]], and asks her to help undo her [[Reformat]]. They dive together into [[Mami]]'s memories, and discover an aspect of her own mind, taking various forms. It explains that [[Mami]] self-[[Reformat]]ted, using her now-suppressed impressive telepathic powers to tear off a piece of herself to create the block in her mind. [[Mami]] makes herself whole again, and remembers what she forgot…<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], traveling with her lover [[Akiyama Akari]] in the late twenty-first century, is suddenly caught in a crisis when their plane explodes. [[Mami]] burns almost all her magic trying to save the entire plane, but fails, and [[Akari]] is near death. Sharing their last moments together using [[Akari]]'s soul mage powers, [[Mami]] observes with horror the beginnings of [[Akari]]'s transformation into a terror of despair, until her [[soul gem]] finally vanishes.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] manages to survive, kill the local [[magical girl]]s responsible for the destruction of the plane, and turns herself in. [[Homura]] talks with her alone, explaining that she knew about the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from. [[Mami]], unable to deal with this revelation or the loss of [[Akari]], asks for help in [[Reformat]]ing herself.<br><br />
<br>After [[Mami]] resurfaces from the memories, [[Kyubey]] appears, claiming to be interested in both information-gathering and her well-being. [[Mami]] finds herself, as she had hoped, older and wiser enough to handle the end of her [[Reformat]], though left with unfinished business. She immediately questions [[Ryouko]] about the [[Goddess]], and both [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] tell her that [[Goddess|She]] does exist. [[Kyubey]] comments that it can't say such things are impossible, and [[Mami]] decides to visit [[the Ribbon]].<br />
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In short: [[Mami]] undoes her self-[[Reformat]] and learns the original fate of [[magical girl]]s.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|51|Eternal Search}}|With work continuing on the new wormhole tech, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] talk. [[Azrael]] explains how she handled her own genetic modification and controlled life, eventually deciding to look to the future and just ask for what she wanted, to surprising success. [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] that she thinks she's only really been happy on missions, which [[Asami]] had already realized.<br><br />
<br>On [[Earth]], [[Kyouko]] brings [[Mami]] to [[the Ribbon]], and they discuss the fact that someone must have triggered the unraveling of [[Mami]]'s [[Reformat]], and that logically it must have been [[Homura]].<br><br />
<br>At the [[Ribbon]], [[Mami]] enters a vision and meets—and immediately attacks—[[Oriko]]. Unharmed, [[Oriko]] responds merely by apologizing for her actions in life. [[Oriko]] explains that, as [[Homura]] told [[Mami]], what she saw with [[Akari]] was the beginnings of a terrible transformation made impossible by the [[Goddess]], and that [[magical girl]]s are instead brought to her afterlife. The [[Goddess]] herself then tells [[Mami]] that she needs to learn to let go and stop burying herself in endless work for humanity. The [[Goddess]] brings out [[Machina]] too, revealing her sentience to [[Mami]], and suggests they go on vacation, promising that there won't be [[Cephalopod]] activity for a few weeks.<br />
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In short: [[Mami]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]] explaining matters, and is encouraged to take a vacation.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|52|Who We Are}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew meet unexpected visitors on [[Adept Blue]]: [[Valentin]], and [[Tao]] from [[ITG]]. [[Tao]] explains that he's made some important theoretical breakthroughs that should help their work, and [[Valentin]] explains that [[Vlad]] and [[Clarisse]] are part of two separate attempts to create separate [[TCF]]s, to help provide more security against attacks like the hacked drone on [[X-25]].<br><br />
<br>Doing rescue work on a colony world retaken from the [[Ceph]], [[Zhou Meiqing]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting with [[Kuroi Nana]], who is investigating [[X-25]]. She tells [[Meiqing]] that the [[Far Seers]] have determined both of them were deliberately placed on the mission by [[Homura]] somehow, and that they recommended asking [[Meiqing]] to work with her in the [[Black Heart]]. [[Meiqing]] asks for time to decide.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] remembers going with [[Homura]] to interrogate a prisoner, [[Zhou Zhi Yi]], during the [[Unification Wars]]. On the way, [[Yuma]] asks [[Homura]] how the [[Goddess]] can allow so much evil to happen, and [[Homura]] responds that she doesn't know. [[Zhi Yi]] tells them that her work developing the [[FA Elites]] was mere prelude to her plans to genetically modify humanity to serve [[magical girl]]s needs, seeing it as the only way to preserve humanity long-term. [[Yuma]] executes her.<br><br />
<br>Back in the present day, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Simona]] has been found, and is now a [[magical girl]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] comes to [[Adept Blue]], and [[Simona]] is discovered to be a [[magical girl]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|53|Alignment}}|[[Shizuki Sayaka]] reveals to [[Yuma]] that she found [[Simona]] in [[Paris]]—they were both aiding [[Ryouko]] during the suspicious [[demon]] attack. [[Simona]] explains she's part of a mysterious organization trying to "save the world", and offers them a deal: she will give them information to ensure the safe creation of wormholes by [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]], on the condition that she join them on any missions using those wormholes to attack the [[Ceph]]. As proof of her good intentions, she agrees to undergo full [[soul mage]] examination.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] meets with [[Marianne Francois]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[New California]] as part of her attempted vacation. [[Mami]] also enjoys [[Machina]]'s company as they eat at a restaurant together, before moving on to a séance organized by the [[Far Seers]] meant to investigate what happened to [[Misa Virani]]. [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] enter into a strange vision in which they find themselves playing characters tracking down a mysterious enemy facility with [[Homura]]. They run into [[Misa]]—accompanied by [[Kyouko]] and [[Nadya]], similarly playing characters—who is tracking her friend whose [[soul gem]] supposedly failed mysteriously. [[Homura]], who is inhabiting another body as a disguise, reveals herself, and afterward convinces [[Misa]] to self-[[Reformat]] and destroy the building to hide the truth.<br><br />
<br>Using the mathematics provided by [[Simona]], and with [[Clarisse van Rossum]] in attendance, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] successfully create a long-distance wormhole.<br />
----<br />
In short: A séance reveals [[Homura]]'s role in [[Misa]]'s past, as [[Humanity]]'s first wormhole is created with the help of information from [[Simona]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|54|Eternal Youth}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] learn from the [[soul mage]] examination of [[Simona]] that the [[TCF]] has been seriously breached. Back at [[Adept Blue]], [[Simona]] watches [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]]'s successful wormhole test, reminiscing about her childhood as part of a secret project to design and implement an alternate, uncompromised [[TCF]]. [[Simona]] then reveals herself and her new status as a [[magical girl]] to [[Ryouko]] in the celebration following the successful test. [[Ryouko]], suspicious because of her vision which implied [[Simona]] was involved in the conspiracies surrounding her, confides her worries in [[Clarisse van Rossum]], who along with [[Clarisse]] [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] validates her worries and further reveals that [[Simona]] is in love with her. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] asks [[Earth]] for more information about exactly what is going on.<br><br />
<br>On [[New California]], [[Maki]] presses [[Kyouko]] on her melancholy attitude, and [[Kyouko]] confesses her worries about their relationship and how she's used romance in the past to fight against her own age. [[Nadya]] and [[Marianne Francois]] talk about their kids, reflecting on the death of [[Juliet Francois]], until [[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Maki]] arrive to meet them. Bothered by the somber mood on what's supposed to be a vacation, the group ends up going dancing—[[Mami]] in particular doing so with abandon—until they are interrupted with news from [[Yuma]]. That night, [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] discuss their recent visions, and [[Mami]] informs [[Kyouko]] she's been suddenly recalled to the [[General Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]]'s memories reveal a breach in the [[TCF]], as she meets [[Ryouko]] at [[Adept Blue]] and as [[Mami]]'s vacation comes to a close.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|55|New Perspectives}}|Headed back towards [[Earth]], Mami attends a virtual meeting of the [[General Staff]]. The new [[Coeus Project]]'s intelligence has revealed that the [[Ceph]] have regrouped faster than expected after the [[Battle of Orpheus]], so the Staff agrees to request more military resources and to put every effort into developing another "knockout" punch before the [[squid]] can attack again.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Azrael]] shares a [[VR]] recreation of her [[Terra Roja|old colony]], complete with flight-enabling bioengineered bodies, with [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Patricia]]. After some flying, conversation eventually turns to the topic of [[Simona]], and [[Ryouko]] decides to share everything she's worried about and ask for advice. When the other girls then suggest directly confronting [[Simona]] to resolve the romantic situation and uncover the truth, [[Ryouko]] initially balks. However, realizing that her life would remain out of her control as long as she never takes action herself, [[Ryouko]] changes her mind and agrees to the plan.<br><br />
<br>Meeting remotely, [[Vlad]] informs [[Mami]] that their wormhole experiments have uncovered a confounding space-time anomaly near a pulsar, and [[Mami]] realizes that it matches one of the mysterious, newly-discovered [[Ceph]] facilities the [[General Staff]] had been examining as potential targets.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] decides to confront [[Simona]], while [[Mami]] investigates a [[squid]] [[pulsar mines|pulsar facility]] as a potential target.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|56|Pulse}}|[[Simona]], suddenly facing [[Ryouko]]'s demands for answers, explains her secretive life, from her upbringing up through her assignment to [[Adept Blue]]. Though she refuses to share everything, particularly the breach in the [[TCF]], she does reveal her wish: to be understood by, and to protect, [[Shizuki Ryouko]]. With mixed feelings, [[Ryouko]] agrees to give [[Simona]] a chance to earn back trust, but makes clear that she does not reciprocate [[Simona]]'s love.<br><br />
<br>Shortly afterward, [[Vlad]] and [[Asami]] run a new experiment investigating the strange [[pulsar mines|pulsar]] in [[Ceph]] space, and [[Asami]] discovers a huge network of stations facilitating the 'mining' of its space-time for use in [[Blink technology]]. [[Mami]] is immediately informed, but before taking action, she first returns to the [[Ribbon]]. There, the [[Goddess]] reassures her that her heart really is in the right place, and tells her that humanity needs her heroism once again. The [[Goddess]] then hints towards the [[pulsar mines]], and gives [[Mami]] a glimpse into the mystery of the [[Cephalopod]]s as a whole.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]] explains herself to [[Ryouko]], and [[Mami]] meets again with the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|57|Triple Point}}|[[Mami]] visits [[Adept Blue]], promoting [[Asami]] for her recent work and informing her and [[Ryouko]] that she needs them to help destroy the [[pulsar mines]] to stave off the [[Ceph]]. While that project gets underway, [[Asami]] and [[Ryouko]] get a break, which they choose to spend together in one of the partially-restored wildernesses of [[Earth]]. There, they discuss their relationship, and find their hopes for it have somewhat converged: Asami is in less of a rush to settle down, and Ryouko is thinking more about the long-term. For the first time, Ryouko says "I love you."<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere in deep space, [[Vlad]] christens the construction of a massive new wormhole apparatus [[Project Armstrong]], and discusses with [[Tao]] the heightened security measures and screening now seemingly necessary to protect it from internal threats. And elsewhere on [[Earth]], a disguised [[Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] stop [[Nakase]] and [[Sacnite]] as they exit a showing of ''[[Orpheus]]'' to talk about unblocking her memories of the agreement she made to get [[Ryouko]]'s birth license.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Project Armstrong]] gets underway as [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] strengthen their relationship.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|58|On Trusting Trust}}|[[Nakase]]'s memories reveal that [[Valentin]] was responsible for genetically engineering [[Ryouko]], but [[Valentin]] disappears before she can be apprehended, leaving behind a letter implying that she is in fact [[Akemi Homura]]. [[Yuma]], seeing the connections between [[Valentin]], [[Ryouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] all running through the [[Cult of Hope]], and discounting the possibility that the [[Goddess]] could be real, begins to fear that the [[Cult]] is a malevolent conspiracy. However, she first is forced to address the definitely malevolent conspiracy which has compromised the original [[TCF]]—including [[MG]], to their mutual distress. [[Yuma]] and a patched [[MG]] rapidly expand their circle of informed and/or repaired AIs, starting with [[MG]]'s friends.<br><br />
<br>One of those friends, ''[[Governance: Cult of Hope]]'', acts against [[Yuma]]'s wishes and contacts [[Clarisse]] just as she and [[Ryouko]] are returning to [[Project Armstrong]]. When asked, [[Clarisse]] confirms the rumor that she had experienced visions from the [[Goddess]] convincing her that AIs have souls, but she unhappily decides she can't yet tell [[Ryouko]] about the [[TCF]] breach given the still-mysterious organ in her brain.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] vanishes once exposed as responsible for [[Ryouko]]'s genetic modifications, and [[Yuma]] begins restoring the [[TCF]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|59|Parlor Games}}|[[Nadya]], chasing down leads on [[Valentin]] from [[Kyouko]], ends up on [[Yenisei]] visiting family. The slightly tense visit is interrupted by a power outage, and the revelation that [[Piotr|her grandson]] saw [[Misa]]. [[Nadya]] hurriedly enlists local help from the [[Cult]], but finds only [[Misa]]'s trail of destruction, not the girl. In a ruined structure, hidden from local networks and drones in a manner implying [[TCF]] corruption, she digs up damaged data crystals.<br><br />
<br>The crystals end up containing a set of deep space coordinates, and [[Kyouko]] tries to set up a meeting with [[Yuma]] to discuss them, only to find that [[Yuma]] is off [[Earth]] for the first time in her life. [[Yuma]] herself is disturbed by the invitation, which included several high-ranking [[Cult]] members, but is forced to focus on the immediate task of repairing [[Nova]], [[Governance]] representative for [[Nova Terra]]. The mission nearly spirals out of control, but with help from [[MG]] and others, [[Yuma]] manages to induct [[Nova]] and her considerable resources into a still-intact conspiracy. This quickly bears fruit in the form of uncovered coordinates—unbeknownst to [[Yuma]], the same ones [[Nadya]] found.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], a crystal salamander delivers a message from [[Homura]] to [[Simona]]: "I'm sorry for everything."<br />
----<br />
In short: Both the [[Cult]] and [[Yuma]], running parallel investigations, uncover a mysterious set of coordinates.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|60|Digital Divination}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Simona]] practice in simulation for their upcoming mission: using [[Project Armstrong]]'s wormhole apparatus to launch [[jumpstrike|an attack]] on the [[Ceph]]'s [[pulsar mines]]. The simulation ends in their deaths—not an uncommon occurrence, a fact which weighs on them, especially [[Asami]]. But [[Ryouko]] works hard to support her girlfriend, even genetically engineering an exotic plant for [[Asami]] to wear in her hair as a gift.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s investigation into the AIs involved in [[Ryouko]]'s life turns up no [[TCF]] corruption, but indicates that the conspiracy she faces may have simply covered their tracks. Her investigation into the mysterious deep space coordinates yields more: a hidden asteroid base. [[Yuma]] plans to personally lead a field mission, using experimental anti-[[IIC]] technology to prevent any occupants from revealing [[Yuma]]'s conspiracy to their own. Excluded from [[Yuma]]'s planning, [[Kyouko]] unknowingly organizes a [[Cult]]-sponsored expedition to the same exact coordinates.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] hears the [[Goddess]]'s voice telling her not to go to the pulsar.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] independently plan deep space missions to the same coordinates, while [[Ryouko]] undergoes simulation training for [[Project Armstrong]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|61|Into the Void}}|[[Yuma]] and a field team of fellow [[Ancient]]s and escort ships visit the deep space asteroid base and find evidence of contact between the [[Ceph]] and [[Governance]] [[Representatives]] early in the war, ending in the death of the alien representatives. [[Kyouko]] then arrives with a large contingent of [[Cult of Hope]] members, leading to a brief flaring of tensions, before Yuma and her group is ambushed by an alien attack force.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, [[Ryouko]] and the others at [[Adept Blue]] launch their wormhole attack on the pulsar. While initially semi-successful, the task force is thrown for a loop when the aliens begin to tear their wormhole apart, and Ryouko suddenly cannot teleport.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] discover secret [[Ceph]]-[[Governance]] contacts from the early war, and then are ambushed by an alien raid. [[Ryouko]] and [[Project Armstrong]] attack the [[pulsar mines]], but alien countermeasures confound the effort.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|62|The Dying Light, Part One}}|[[Yuma]] and her [[Ancients]] struggle to hold out against [[Ceph]] raiders while [[Kyouko]]'s ships rush to link up with them. They eventually succeed, but at the cost of [[Raven]], many mundane crew and Spec Ops, and [[Ceri|a magical girl]] from [[Kyouko]]'s forces.<br><br />
<br>At the pulsar, [[Ryouko]]'s team can't end the block on her teleportation, and they have to be rescued by [[Oda|another teleporter]]. Upon returning to the wormhole, [[Asami]] is unable to fully stabilize it, and [[Ryouko]] leaves to raid the pulsar's mining facilities in response. Her teleportation is blocked again there, but this time she finds the source: mysterious [[Ceph]], with a [[blink interdictor]], as she learns unexpectedly with help from the strange organ in her brain. Still, the delays have been too much, and the order is given to abort the mission as soon as the wormhole is stabilized.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, despite having combined their forces, [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] are slowly losing their battle—and then [[Yuma]] learns the alien bombers are about to make a second pass, fully reloaded by a stealthed supply ship.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] face destruction by [[Ceph]] raiders. [[Ryouko]]'s brain module activates, and the pulsar mission has fallen apart.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|63|The Dying Light, Part Two}}|The situation of [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]]'s group grows desperate, and they concoct a radical plan: surreptitiously place [[supersaturated grief cubes]] on the departing alien bombers as an indirect surprise attack on the alien supply ship. They take heavy casualties in the meantime, and learn the distressing information that calling for reinforcements has let the [[Conspiracy]] know that their [[TCF]] hack has been compromised, leading to general consequences, including a friendly fire incident delaying their reinforcements.<br />
<br />
[[Ryouko]] makes more contact with alien machines through the strange organ in her brain, and [[Patricia]] helps her to decode some of the information before [[Oda]] and another team arrive to help teleport them away. Regrouping with [[Asami]], they learn she has successfully restabilized the wormhole. Patricia and [[Azrael]] then scan Ryouko to ensure she is not being mentally manipulated. Ryouko then explains that with the information she has received, she has acquired a bit more insight into her teleportation, enabling her to teleport objects without teleporting herself. Asami then concocts a radical plan of her own, proposing that Ryouko teleport one of her black holes near the pulsar as they evacuate, which would devastate the region. To do this, they must first wait until the end of the evacuation and assess if they have a safe window.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Yuma's group continue their gambit. Using information gathered from [[Project Armstrong]] (actually Ryouko), they activate their captured alien vessel's blink drive, teleporting the surviving members of the group to the now incapacitated alien supply ship. They board the ship, draining its exotic matter fuel tanks to manufacture interdiction charges, which are then dropped on the arriving pursuers, who are temporarily immobilized by [[blink malaise]]. Once their own ship is out of malaise, they successfully depart, but [[Nadya Antipova]] is killed when she is unable to escape after placing the last charge; the alien vessels unexpectedly focus on preventing her escape, and she is forced to perform a soul gem detonation.<br />
<br />
At the pulsar, the evacuation is nearly complete, and Asami and Ryouko resolve to perform their gambit. [[Simona]] vehemently disagrees and attempts to kidnap Ryouko to stop this, but is defeated, her soul gem torn from her body. Asami and Ryouko then successfully teleport a black hole near the pulsar, and attempt to evacuate through the wormhole with Oda's teleport as the pulsar undergoes gravitational collapse. However, this teleport is interrupted by the wormhole fracturing, and while Oda, Asami, and others seem to make it through, Ryouko is trapped when the wormhole collapses, dumping her 24 light-minutes from the pulsar, heavily injured.<br />
<br />
Before the radiation shockwave from the pulsar reaches her and kills her, an alien vessel makes contact using Ryouko's strange organ, offering rescue. With no other option, Ryouko teleports aboard and the ship blinks away.<br />
<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] escape the [[Ceph]], but take heavy casualties. [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] destroy the pulsar mines, but [[Ryouko]] is stranded, forced to accept rescue from an alien ship.}}<br />
<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude III: Manifest Destiny ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Manifest Destiny is a term describing the belief that the United States, due to its special virtues, had both a duty and a destiny to expand west into North America.''<br />
: ''It also describes similar beliefs in the [[MSY]] during its fifth phase, as it reached further and further beyond the island nation of Japan.''<br />
<br />
The interlude covers a slice of the life of [[Mami]]'s lover, the soul mage [[Akiyama Akari]], starting from her initial meeting with Mami during an incident in Seoul involving the soul mage [[Seoyun]], known as the Witch. Early investigation leads to disaster when conflict breaks out over the city and Mami is mind controlled, only for Akari to break her out by turning the generated love towards Akari instead.<br />
<br />
In the aftermath of the incident, Mami proposes that the two of them try a relationship, and this goes quite well. Akari changes jobs, becoming a researcher into the nature of grief and soul gem decay, and the MSY decides to change its Charter, embarking on a new, expansionist agenda to expand beyond Japan.<br />
<br />
This results in a new incident then pulls them both back into Korea: the bombing of a region of Seoul with an apparently magical device formed from the soul gem of an unknown magical girl, sent by an unknown group in North Korea, disaffected and angry by the MSY's disastrous (for them) flooding of the grief cube markets. To the mundane world, the [[Incubators]] fabricate blame on the North Korean government, which worsens the geopolitical situation and destabilizes its already rickety regime.<br />
<br />
The situation grows worse when information emerges about a similar threat towards Mitakihara-Kazamino International Airport, this time accompanying by a letter threatening a nuclear scale device. Akari and Mami work feverishly on security, and a crisis is barely averted when Akari manages to teleport onto a plane arriving with the device and disable it manually.<br />
<br />
Finally identifying the source of the devices inside North Korea, Akari accompanies a strike force to assassinate the mage involved.<br />
<br />
In the wake of these events, Mami and Akari attend negotiations with other North Korean magical girls from the border region affected by the crash in grief cube prices.<br />
<br />
Later, the collapse of the North Korean government in a coup by Chinese-backed plotters leads to Mami and Akari visiting Pyongyang at the invitation of affiliated magical girls. Their plane departs afterward, the two of them blissfully unaware of the conventional device planted by border radicals.<br />
<br />
After Akari's death (detailed in [[Chapter 50]]), [[Homura]] discourses out loud in private, perhaps to [[Madoka]], discussing the dark turn of events and the resulting founding of the [[Black Heart]] intelligence organization.<br />
<br />
'''In short: A summary of Akari's relationship with Mami. Side focus on the politics above'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume IV: Einstein-Rosen Bridge ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''An Einstein-Rosen Bridge is a hypothetical way of connecting two spacetime coordinates; in other words, a wormhole.''<br />
: ''The subject of [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] power and the [[Cephalopod|Cephalopod's]] wormhole tech may feature prominently.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude IV: Ubermensch ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Übermensch is Nietzsche's idea that humanity should turn away from the other worlds and values promoted by "dead" religions and gods, setting instead the goal of advancing new, superior generations of humans on earth.''<br />
: ''This may refer to [[FA]] ideologies, or even aspects of [[Governance]] thought. It notably stands in contrast to Ryouko's life and wish.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume V: Dark Energy ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Dark energy is a proposed form of energy that drives the accelerating expansion of the universe towards eventual heat death.''<br />
: ''This may imply topics ranging from the role of the [[Incubator]]s to the [[magical girl system]] itself.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Interlude V: Destroyer of Worlds ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Part of a quote by the god Vishnu in the Bhagavad Gita, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Made famous by J. R. Oppenheimer, who later said he thought of the line after witnessing the first test of an atomic bomb.''<br />
: ''Perhaps covers the Unification Wars, which saw heavy use of atomic weapons. May include [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s role, a character who notably was also present for the first atomic detonation.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume VI: Singularity ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''A singularity is a point at which a function takes an infinite value, especially in space-time when matter is infinitely dense, as at the center of a black hole. It is also a term used for the hypothetically unknowable changes to the human condition caused by superintelligence.''<br />
: ''In former sense, it may reference [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] or [[Asami|Asami's]] powers. In the latter, perhaps it refers to [[Governance|Governance's]] Emergency Mode Level Four.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div></div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Timeline&diff=1585Timeline2022-07-21T03:21:35Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* MSY Expansion */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Historical==<br />
===Pre-MSY===<br />
'''1815:''' Beginnings of [[SMC]] take root at Congress of Vienna<br />
<br />
'''End of 19th century:''' [[Clarisse van Rossum]] is born<br />
<br />
'''1910s:''' [[SMC]] shattered by World War I<br />
<br />
'''April 15th, 1912:''' [[Van Rossum]] contracts with the sinking of the RMS Titanic<br />
<br />
'''1940s:''' World War II kills off last remnants of the [[SMC]], in England<br />
<br />
'''1990s-2000s:''' Rough year of birth for [[MSY]] [[Founders]]<br />
<br />
'''1995-1996:''' Rough year of birth for [[Mami]]<br />
<br />
'''1996-1997:''' Rough year of birth for [[Homura]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Sayaka]]<br />
<br />
'''October 3rd, 1996:''' [[Madoka]]'s date of birth in original timeline<br />
<br />
'''2001-2002:''' Rough year of birth for [[Yuma]]<br />
<br />
'''2007-2008:''' Rough year of birth for [[Kaname Tatsuya]]<br />
<br />
'''2008-2010:''' Rough year of [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]]'s contracts<br />
<br />
'''2011:''' [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] reconcile after [[Oriko]]'s attack on [[Mami]]'s apartment<br />
<br />
'''March 16th, 2011:''' Beginning date of [[Homura]]'s loops in original timelines<br />
<br />
'''2011:''' [[Homura]] and [[Sayaka]] contract, [[Homura]] receives timeloop memories upon [[Sayaka]]'s death<br />
<br />
'''April 30th, 2011:''' [[Walpurgisnacht]] arrives in [[Mitakihara]] in original timelines; [[Van Rossum]] arrives in [[Mitakihara]]<br />
<br />
'''2013-2014:''' [[Oriko]] dies, [[Yuma]] joins [[Homura]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] as the [[Mitakihara Four]]<br />
<br />
===Early MSY===<br />
'''2021:''' Founding of [[MSY]]<br />
<br />
'''2020s:''' Rough year of birth for [[Shizuki Sayaka]]<br />
<br />
'''2031:''' Formation of [[Leadership Committee|MSY Leadership Committee]]<br />
<br />
'''2043:''' Formation of [[Soul Guard]], [[Leadership Committee]] given power to form bureaucracy<br />
<br />
'''2044:''' Institutionalization of MSY Judiciary<br />
<br />
'''2045:''' Beginning of corporate expansion throughout pacific rim and parts of East Asia<br />
<br />
'''2053:''' Formation of [[MHD]]<br />
<br />
'''2055:''' [[MSY]] takeover of Yakuza<br />
<br />
'''2059:''' First major charter rewrite (excluding early period), formation of [[MSY Rules Committee]], institutionalization of MSY Citizenship, implementation of restrictive Japanese nativist rules regarding membership<br />
<br />
'''2061:''' [["Second generation" mages]] begin appearing in meaningful numbers<br />
<br />
===MSY Expansion===<br />
'''2065:''' [[MSY]] takeover of Triad, corporate expansion into China; [[Kugimiya Ito]] and [[Nakanishi Aiko]] reunite<br />
<br />
'''2067:''' Second major charter rewrite, repeal of nativist policies, formalization of expansionist protocol, federalization policies<br />
<br />
'''2071:''' [[Akari]] dies, Mami [[Reformat]]s herself<br />
<br />
'''2085:''' Last independent Japanese magical girls absorbed into [[MSY]]<br />
<br />
'''2068-2126:''' Expansion and globalization of [[MSY]], first attempts at AI; copycat [[magical girl]] organizations proliferate, including a new [[SMC]], though most are quickly absorbed<br />
<br />
'''2085:''' Rough beginning of [[MSY-SMC Cold War]]<br />
<br />
'''2110:''' [[SMC]] agrees to merger in exchange for concessions<br />
<br />
'''2138:''' Last known non-MSY holdout consents to membership<br />
<br />
'''2130s:''' [[Pretoria Scandal]]<br />
<br />
'''2136:''' Theoretical framework for Friendly AI, the [[Volokhov Criterion]], built by [[Volokhov]] and [[Laplace]]<br />
<br />
'''2148:''' [[Trusted Computing Framework]], built by early [[Volokhov-friendly]] AIs, lays basis for provably secure computing and AI design; AIs proliferate<br />
<br />
'''2130s-2150s:''' [[Kaname Madoka Jr.]] born; [[Kaname Tatsuya]] dies<br />
<br />
===Unification Wars===<br />
'''2130s-2150s:''' [[MSY]] members reach effective [[hyperclass]] status; future [[FA]]/[[UF]] distinctions start to become apparent, structural unemployment rises to crisis levels<br />
<br />
'''2150s:''' Future [[FA]] nations become increasingly brutal in the crushing of domestic uprisings<br />
<br />
'''2160:''' UN dissolves amidst irreconcilable discord, is replaced by [[Freedom Alliance]] (FA) and [[United Front]] (UF), neutral nations slowly descend into civil war<br />
<br />
'''2160-63:''' International situation deteriorates, local wars begin to break out, Incubator offer to intervene is refused by the MSY<br />
<br />
'''January 20th, 2161:''' FA-aligned coup begins the Second Civil War in the United States<br />
<br />
'''2163-2230:''' Time period of what would be later known as the [[Unification Wars]]<br />
<br />
'''2163-2171:''' [[St. Petersburg Atrocity]] precipitates World War III; [[MSY]] membership votes to apply unprecedented punitive measures on its minority [[FA]]-sympathetic faction, full [[UF]]/[[FA]] interfactional war breaks out soon after<br />
<br />
'''2171-2175:''' A partial peace is established after [[UF]]-aligned governments turn initial defeats into moderate gains, most notably solidifying Europe<br />
<br />
'''2175-2179:''' [[FA]] begins World War IV with largely successful WMD strikes; the unrestricted conflict quickly becomes ruinous for both sides<br />
<br />
'''2179-2189:''' Near civilizational collapse necessitates another partial peace, [[UF]] and [[FA]] reorganize<br />
<br />
'''2180:''' [[EDC|UF Emergency Defense Committee (EDC)]] founded<br />
<br />
'''2189-2215:''' World War V; WMDs are more readily countered, and heavily augmented human soldiers take center stage<br />
<br />
'''2200:''' [[EDC]] has largely supplanted the remaining UF governments, passes [[Universal Readiness Decree of 2200]] mandating civilian implants<br />
<br />
'''2200s:''' Grotesque [[FA Elites]] enter mass deployment; nevertheless, economic fundamentals and [[FA]] disunity begin pointing towards [[UF]] victory<br />
<br />
'''2215-2218:''' The Treaty of Paris establishes a temporary peace, with substantial gains for the [[UF]] and asylum for the remaining [[FA]] underclasses; mass migration precipitates a refugee crisis<br />
<br />
'''2218-2230:''' "The Cleanse"; remaining [[FA]] nations are slowly overrun<br />
<br />
'''2230:''' [[EDC]] declares worldwide Unification Day (though small [[FA]] remnants will persist for years); the population—now heavily augmented and totaling less than half its pre-war height—celebrates<br />
<br />
===Golden Age===<br />
<br />
'''2230-2240:''' [[EDC]], promising to construct a new, permanent Eudaimonia, leverages its absolute global power to reconstruct civilization<br />
<br />
'''2236:''' [[Kuroi Abe]] born.<br />
<br />
'''2240:''' [[EDC]] dissolves itself and establishes [[Governance]] as its successor<br />
<br />
'''2250-2330:''' [[Project Eden]] brings clinical immortality, [[Project Janus]] brings [[faster-than-light]] travel, and [[Project Icarus]] brings plentiful solar energy<br />
<br />
'''2260-2280:''' [[First Colonization Wave]] begins the settlement of the [[Core Worlds]]<br />
<br />
'''2300-2320:''' [[Second Colonization Wave]] begins<br />
<br />
'''2310:''' [[Kuroi Abe]] and [[Ryouko's Grandmother|his future wife]] are on the brink of marriage<br />
<br />
'''2333-2335:''' [[Kuroi Nana]] born, with [[Kuroi Nakase]] following shortly after<br />
<br />
'''2337-2338:''' [[Erwynmark]] born on the colony [[Bismarck]]<br />
<br />
'''2346-2348:''' [[Kuroi Nakase]] contracts, [[Kuroi Nana]] contracts and her wish undoes [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase's]] contract<br />
<br />
'''2350-2360:''' Beginning of [[MSY]] clones project<br />
<br />
'''2351-2357:''' [[Kuroi Nana]] breaks contact with her family<br />
<br />
'''2375-2381:''' [[Kuroi Nana]] reconnects with sister and father, but not mother<br />
<br />
'''2395-2405:''' First successful use of blank slate clone as new host body<br />
<br />
'''2420-2423:''' [[Azrael]] born<br />
<br />
'''2434-2437:''' [[Azrael]] contracts after the destruction of her colony [[Terra Roja]]<br />
<br />
'''2439:''' [[Mami]] suggests that the [[Mitakihara Four]] take a vacation together<br />
<br />
===Contact War===<br />
<br />
'''2440:''' First Contact with [[Cephalopod]] aliens, destruction of [[Aurora]]/[[Atlas]] colonies, [[Battle of Epsilon Eridani]]/[[New Athens]], disappearance of [[Homura]], end of the [[Masquerade]]<br />
<br />
'''2441:''' [[Kyouko]] gives first speech announcing her intention to found the [[Church of Hope]]<br />
<br />
'''2440-2443:''' [[Mami]] becomes a Field Marshal; [[Joanne Valentin]] switches fields to physics, starts blogging about [[magical girl]] subjects; [[Kuroi Nakase]] and [[Shizuki Kuma]] meet and marry<br />
<br />
'''2442:''' [[Ordo Illustrata]] founds their colony on [[X-25]]<br />
<br />
'''2445-2446:''' [[Ryouko]] born<br />
<br />
'''Mid-2446:''' [[Asaka]], [[Alice]], [[Patricia]] undergo initial training<br />
<br />
'''2452:''' [[Samsara offensive]] ends in debacle for the [[Cephalopods]]<br />
<br />
'''2452-2453:''' [[Erwynmark|Marshal Erwynmark's]] [[Saharan Raid]] destroys a shipyard and [[wormhole stabilizer]], putting a temporary end to alien ability to sustain offensives<br />
<br />
'''2457:''' Beginning of [[Euphratic Incursion]]<br />
<br />
'''October 1st, 2459:''' [[Kyouko]] begins dating [[Kishida Maki]]<br />
<br />
'''Mid-2460:''' [[Simona]] transfers to [[Mitakihara]] as an exchange student<br />
<br />
==To the Stars==<br />
Chapter numbers cited for events: ⁰ ¹ ² ³ ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹<br />
<br />
On Earth, time of day translates as follows:<br />
<br />
• ''Early morning'' - Roughly 12am-6am<br />
<br />
• ''Morning'' - Roughly 6am-12pm<br />
<br />
• ''Afternoon'' - Roughly 12pm-6pm<br />
<br />
• ''Evening'' - Roughly 6pm-12am<br />
<br />
Elsewhere, time of day is local. (A planet may have more than 24 hours in a day, etc.) Date is Earth-standardized.<br />
<br />
===Volume 1===<br />
'''September 16, 2460:'''<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] meets friends at school, sees [[Mami]] through the window.¹<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Demon]]s attack [[Ryouko]] and [[Simona]], [[Ryouko]] contracts after being saved by [[Mami]].¹ <br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Kyouko]] hunts with [[Ryouko]], and discovers planted saturated [[grief cubes]].² Mami watches the [[Akemi (movie)|movie ''Akemi'']].³ ⁴ <br />
<br />
'''September 17:'''<br />
<br />
''Early Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]], along with [[Kyouko]], tells her parents about her [[contract]].⁵ [[Mami]] departs [[Earth]] after meeting with [[Marianne]].⁶<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] reads informational messages about being a [[magical girl]].⁵ [[Kyouko]] visits [[Yuma]] to discuss the saturated [[grief cubes]].⁷ ⁸<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Mami]] is promoted at a meeting of the [[General Staff]].⁶ [[Ryouko]] receives her implant upgrades and a vision at the [[Ribbon]].⁹ She relates this to the [[Theological Council]].¹⁰<br />
<br />
'''September 18:'''<br />
<br />
''Early morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] has dinner with family and visits the sparring ground beneath the [[Cult of Hope]]'s church with them.¹¹<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] and [[Kuroi Abe]] talk about [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]].¹¹<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] tells [[Ruiko]] and [[Chiaki]] about her [[contract]]; they watch the [[Akemi (movie)|movie ''Akemi'']] together with [[Simona]].¹¹<br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] and friends have a sleepover, while [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] assign a spy bug to [[Ryouko]] and assign [[Risa Flores]] to watch over her.¹¹<br />
<br />
'''September 19:'''<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] receives first [[grief cube]] shipment and reads about combat.¹²<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] goes on a large [[demon]] hunt.¹²<br />
<br />
'''September 20:'''<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] attends event for new [[magical girl]]s, meets [[Asami]].¹³<br />
<br />
'''September 21:'''<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:'' <br />
[[Ryouko]] meets her [[MSY]] psychiatrist [[Atsuko Arisu]].¹³<br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] studies combat more.¹³<br />
<br />
'''September 22:'''<br />
<br />
''Early Morning:''<br />
[[Shizuki Kuma|Ryouko's father]] brings her to [[Prometheus]], upgrading her [[TacComp]] to V2 and explaining the clone program.¹³ [[Yuma]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] discuss [[Valentin]], [[Simona]], and the [[grief cube]] audit; [[Ryouko]] investigates her family tree.¹⁴<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] attends her farewell party and learns of her aunt [[Kuroi Nana]].¹⁵<br />
<br />
'''September 23:'''<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] says goodbye to her family at the [[starport]], takes scramjet to space elevator with [[Asami]].¹⁶<br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] reaches space.¹⁶<br />
<br />
===Volume 2===<br />
'''September 29th, 2460:'''<br />
Initial raid on the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails.¹⁸ [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] enter the final memory-suppressed simulation portion of their training.¹⁹<br />
<br />
'''September 30th:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] share their wishes with each other, as their week of training on [[New Athens]] ends.¹⁹<br />
<br />
'''October 1st:'''<br />
[[HSS Laplace]] is attacked by [[Ceph]] fighters and [[Ryouko]] organizes a magical defense; meanwhile [[Maki]], [[Patricia]], and [[Asaka]] fight [[Ceph]] ground forces on [[Apollo]] in the [[Kepler-37 System]].²⁰<br />
<br />
'''October 2nd:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]], recovering from radiation damage from the attack, learns [[Clarisse]] is sentient.²⁰<br />
<br />
'''October 3rd:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]] et al. land on the planet of [[Acheron]] for garrison duty and attend a gathering commemorating the [[Goddess]]'s birthday.²⁰ Kyouko, Mami, and Yuma meet virtually to celebrate as well.²¹<br />
<br />
'''October 5th:'''<br />
[[Asami]] confesses her attraction to [[Ryouko]], and [[Ryouko]] is recalled from garrison duty to [[Kepler-37]].²¹<br />
<br />
'''October 8th:'''<br />
Now aboard [[HSS Zhukov]], [[Ryouko]] is awarded a medal by [[Mami]] and informed that she's been assigned to the second [[wormhole stabilizer]] mission.²²<br />
<br />
'''October 9th:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]] meets some of her [[MagOps]] team descending down to [[Apollo]] aboard [[HSS Raven]], and visits her injured [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]].²³<br />
<br />
==Possible Future Events==<br />
'''2600s:''' [[Third Colonization Wave]] planned to begin<br />
<br />
'''2900s:''' Planned timeframe for human expansion beyond the [[Local Area]]</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=To_the_Stars&diff=1580To the Stars2022-07-18T04:51:55Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* Volume III: Ontological Paradox */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Quote|After centuries of turmoil, a Utopian AI/human government has seized control of Earth, heralding a new age of post-scarcity and space colonization. An unexpected encounter with a hostile, technologically superior alien race has broken the peace, forcing magical girls to come out of hiding to save human civilization.<br />
<br />
In the midst of it all, Shizuki Ryouko, an ordinary girl, looks to the sky, wondering at her place in the universe.|Hieronym|author of To the Stars<br />
}}<br />
<br />
This page summarizes the entire story, volume by volume and chapter by chapter, for those who want a refresher on events. It also includes the names of all future volumes and interludes, [http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/55779437700/future-interlude-title-change as released by] [[Hieronym]] many years ago.<br />
<br />
Each section is collapsed by default, to avoid unwanted spoilers; use the right-hand "Expand" buttons to view descriptions.<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
== Synopses ==<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume I: Quantum Entanglement ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon where groups of particles cannot have their state completely described independently of each other, even if separated by large distances.<br />
: ''This perhaps describes the position Ryouko finds herself in.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume I Summary|[[Shizuki Ryouko]], a regular girl dissatisfied with her utopian life, [[contract]]s and becomes a [[magical girl]], [[wish|wishing]] to leave [[Earth]], explore, and "find my place in this universe". Her life rapidly turns anything but ordinary, as day by day wild events pile up and new secrets from her past reveal themselves. She ends up under the tutelage of both [[Tomoe Mami]] and [[Sakura Kyouko]], learns that the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]] was deliberately caused by someone, discovers that she's the descendant of two powerful competing [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], receives a mysterious vision from a magical girl [[Goddess]], finds out her parents have been working on a secret project cloning bodies for [[magical girl]]s to use, receives a special V2 [[TacComp]], and learns about her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]], protege of [[Akemi Homura]], whose wish turned [[Ryouko]]'s own [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] from a [[magical girl]] back to a regular human.<br><br />
<br>All along, [[Ryouko]] struggles to adjust, learning as much about magical and military worlds she's entering as she can. Saying goodbye to friends and family, and starting to make new friends among her fellow [[magical girls]], she finally departs [[Earth]], led by her [[wish]] out into a strange new universe.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]], and begins to discover her unusual place in the universe.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|1|A Wish}}|[[Ryouko]] goes to school, dissatisfied with her life. She feels out of place in a world where her family at home and friends at school seem to enjoy the near-utopian [[Earth]], even as a [[Contact War|war]] against an [[Ceph|alien]] menace rages. However, [[Mandatory Session|classes]] are interrupted by the appearance of [[Tomoe Mami]] nearby, who has taken a detour to check the school for potential [[magical girl]] recruits with [[Kyubey]], who claims he has found one. The sighting leaves [[Ryouko]] dwelling on the remote possibility of becoming a [[magical girl]], distracting her enough that she unthinkingly agrees to go on a date with another boy from class. [[Simona]], one of her friends, sees that she's unhappy and follows her out to a riverbank with a view of the [[starport]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], on the other hand, surreptitiously visits [[Kyouko]] in her church to discuss [[the Cult]]'s discovery of irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain. She agrees to look into it and departs, only to encounter a [[demon]] spawn on her way back. At the riverbank, [[Simona]] is about to confess her feelings for [[Ryouko]], when they are suddenly attacked by [[demons]]. [[Ryouko]] manages to keep the both of them alive for a short while before getting trapped. At the moment she attempts to sacrifice herself to save [[Simona]], [[Mami]] saves them both, and along with [[Kyubey]] explains that [[Ryouko]] has the [[potential]] to make a [[wish]] and become a [[magical girl]]. {{Quote|"I wish I could leave Earth," Ryouko said, looking down, "and explore this world. I want to go where no one else has gone before and find my place in this universe."}}<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|2|Fantasma}}|[[Mami]], with some reluctance, separates [[Simona]] from [[Ryouko]] and lets [[Kyouko]] take over the immediate training. [[Kyouko]] runs her through the ropes quickly, learns that [[Ryouko]] has an unprecedented 200km teleportation range, and assigns herself as a mentor along with [[Mami]], who has in the meantime realized that [[Simona]] had a crush on [[Ryouko]]. [[Mami]] advises [[Simona]] not to tell [[Ryouko]] how she feels. [[Ryouko]] fights her first [[demon]]s with [[Kyouko]], and afterwards [[Patricia von Rohr]] shows them a pile of [[grief cube]]s she found, indicating the [[demon]] spawn was deliberate. The [[Incubator]]s swear off responsibility, and all [[Ryouko]] can remember is seeing a woman in the distance just beforehand. [[Kyouko]] promises to investigate.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] discovers that someone deliberately spawned the [[demon]]s which led to her [[contract]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|3|Mami Watches a Movie, Part One}}|Disguised, [[Mami]] attends the movie ''[[Akemi]]''. It depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] upbringing in an orphanage, her [[wish]], and then [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, which triggers a vision of the [[Goddess]] for [[Homura]] that changes her personality markedly. It then depicts [[Yuma]] asking to be taken in by [[Homura]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]]—a fabrication, the movie-watching [[Mami]] notes—and the resulting [[Mitakihara Four]] founding the [[MSY]]. The movie montages through the [[MSY|MSY's]] history, jumping ahead to the alien [[Cephalopod]]'s first attack on [[Aurora]], after which [[Homura]] rallies the [[MSY]] to send a massive force of [[magical girl]]s to [[New Athens]] to stop the next attack.<br />
----<br />
In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] life up until [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|4|Mami Watches a Movie, Part Two}}|With [[Mami]] in attendance, the movie ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Mami]] and [[Homura]] directing a surprise assault on the [[Cephalopod]]s at [[New Athens]]. Initially the battle goes well, and the [[Human]] forces on the ground rally, but the aliens deploy stronger measures in turn. [[Homura]] goes out to personally lead the counterattack, but the combination of stealth armor and orbital strikes is too much, and she falls in battle… only to find that her [[soul gem]] refuses to fill with [[grief]], preventing her from being taken away by the [[Law of Cycles]], to her despair. [[Homura]] then suddenly heals from her wounds, and her white wings are replaced by huge, horrible black wings. Almost entirely by her own power, she leads the counterattack to victory, at the end personally redirecting an orbital superweapon back at the [[Ceph]] fleet.<br><br />
<br>In the final scene of the movie, [[Kyouko]] argues to an unconvinced [[Mami]] that the battle proves [[Homura|Homura's]] faith in her [[Goddess]] has merit, only for both of them to be interrupted by [[Homura|Homura's]] arrival. [[Homura]] announces her resignation from the [[MSY]], leaving one of her [[The Ribbon|ribbons]] with them, and declares that she is leaving to look for her [[Goddess]], protecting the world another way. The movie over, [[Mami]] begins her departure from [[Earth]], starting her endless work anew with her Version Two [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br />
----<br />
In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] transformation, victory, and disappearance at [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|5|Family}}|[[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] tell [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] family that she has [[contract]]ed, to their horror. [[Kyouko]] defends [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] choice, and explains some of the [[magical girl]] system to them, though they prove to know more than most. Before [[Ryouko]] goes to bed, [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] comes to talk with her, expressing disappointment that [[Ryouko]] lied when she promised not to [[contract]], and talking the situation over. After watching [[Ryouko]] [[transform]] and discussing her weapon, an arbalest, she leaves [[Ryouko]] with the request to tell her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] (who had disappeared to join the military when [[Ryouko]] was a child) that her family was sorry, should [[Ryouko]] meet her.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] falls asleep, [[Kyouko]] sticks around to gather information on her family situation as per procedure. [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] grandfather [[Kuroi Abe]] willingly helps her out, explaining that [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] parents are near divorce, though [[Ryouko]] doesn't realize it, and that they know so much about magic because they're researchers. He also mentions that [[Ryouko]] has an [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]] she doesn't know about. That night, [[Ryouko]] dreams of an old encounter with a [[magical girl]], and finds that she still has the bracelet the girl gave her. She also recalls an old memory of her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] talking about [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]], though she doesn't understand it. After talking to [[Simona]] and her family a bit, [[Ryouko]] spends the morning reading through the swath of informational messages about her new life.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] tells her family she has [[contract|contracted]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|6|Military}}|[[Mami]] remembers the [[Mitakihara Four]]'s celebration of [[October Three]] with [[Homura]], shortly before the [[Contact War]]. The four of them poke fun at each other—including about [[Homura]]'s secret pupil and [[Kyouko]]'s "transgressions"—and eventually [[Mami]] suggests that they take a long vacation from the [[MSY]] together, only for the others to reluctantly shoot the idea down.<br><br />
<br>In the present, [[Mami]] arrives at the [[starport]] with her bodyguards and meets with [[Marianne Francois]], her intelligence officer, who she instructs to secretly investigate the [[grief cube]] supply chain as [[Kyouko]] asked. Later arriving at [[Carthago Shipyard]] via scramjet then space elevator then [[Navigator]], she attends a meeting of the [[General Staff]].<br><br />
<br>During the meeting, the Chair of the [[General Staff]] [[Roland Erwynmark]] reveals that the [[Cephalopod]]s have been discovered constructing a [[wormhole stabilizer]] in the [[Kepler-37 System]], at the tip of the ongoing [[Euphratic Incursion]]. This would allow the aliens to directly transport reinforcements into the system, within [[Blink]] distance of the [[Core World]] [[Optatum]], and so an immediate [[MagOps]] operation is planned to destroy it. [[Erwynmark]] then announces that he's appointing [[Mami]] as a special [[Euphratic Sector]] commander, over some opposition from her opponents on the [[General Staff|Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] is promoted, and tasked with destroying the discovered [[wormhole stabilizer]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|7|Southern Group}}|[[Kyouko]] wakes up (with [[Kishida Maki]] at her side) and while making the rounds at her [[Kyouko's Church|church]] discovers that [[Maki]] has painted the [[Goddess]] with pink hair, a previously unknown trait. However, [[Kyouko]] has to immediately leave to see [[Yuma]] about the [[grief cube]] incident. On the way, [[Kyouko]] remembers when she first met [[Yuma]], in a confrontation with the [[Southern Group]] shortly after [[Homura]] had first joined the team, before her personality change. [[Kyouko]] had immediately taken sympathy, and telepathically invited her to switch sides, though the very young [[Yuma]] had angrily refused after [[Kyouko]] insulted [[Oriko]], who had saved [[Yuma|Yuma's]] life.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko|Kyouko's]] reverie is briefly interrupted by [[Maki]], who tells her the idea of the pink hair came from [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Kyouko]] then further recalls the next two times she saw [[Yuma]]: first, months later after [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, in a chance encounter at a store where she had revealed she was doing "research" with [[Oriko]], and second, two years after that, when [[Kyouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Homura]] had saved her after the deaths of [[Oriko]] and the rest of [[Southern Group|her team]]. After that, they had [[Befriending|Befriended]] her, and once [[Yuma]] recovered she joined them as one of the [[Mitakihara Four]]. Eventually [[Yuma]] had told them what had really happened the night [[Oriko]] died, and they resolved to keep it secret.<br><br />
<br>As [[Kyouko]] arrives at [[MSY]] [[Governmental Affairs]] to see [[Yuma]], she lastly recalls [[Homura]] telling [[Yuma]] that the [[Goddess]] provided an afterlife for [[magical girl]]s, the only time [[Kyouko]] ever heard her say it out loud.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] remembers how [[Yuma]] ended up joining the [[Mitakihara Four]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|8|Church and State}}|[[Yuma]] runs out to greet [[Kyouko]] like an older sister, herself having taken on a nine-year-old form, and [[Kyouko]] is greeted by her [[Governance]] partner [[MG]] as well. [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] then meet privately to discuss the irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain, and the further reports of [[magical girl]]s going missing, and [[Yuma]] agrees to investigate. When [[Kyouko]] brings up the [[grief cube]] incident with [[Ryouko]], [[Yuma]] immediately deduces that the [[grief cube]]s were super-saturated with grief—a possible state kept very secret, though they don't have a sample to prove it. Before leaving, [[Kyouko]] recommends that [[Yuma]] visit [[The Ribbon]], but she demures just as [[Mami]] always does, instead giving [[Kyouko]] an [[Incubator]] plushie.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] checks with [[Kyubey]] briefly about the [[grief cube]]s, but he does not provide any new information, and so [[Kyouko]] ends up back at [[Kyouko's church|her church]], where she meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Patrica]] reveals that she kept some of the [[grief cube]]s from the incident after sensing something strange about them, and [[Kyouko]] tells her to inform [[Yuma]] through the plushie, which turned out to be enchanted as a [[telepathy]]-enhancer. [[Kyouko]] also gets [[Asaka]] to agree to share the details of the [[Goddess]]'s hair with the [[Theological Council]]. Finally, [[Kyouko]] gives a sermon on the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from, and announces that the church will be updating the statue of the [[Goddess]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] discover that the [[grief cube]]s planted near where [[Ryouko]] was attacked were super-saturated.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|9|Echoes}}|[[Ryouko]] arrives at [[Kyouko's church]], which holds [[MSY]] living quarters and local military facilities underground, in order to get her military upgrades. [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]] guide her through the process. [[Patricia]] notes that [[Ryouko]] has an extremely unusual genetic profile, requiring some adjustments to the process, and then begins the procedure. [[Ryouko]] watches in a semi-[[VR]] experience as the procedure installs a [[TacComp]], removes implants that are useless for [[magical girl]]s, and installs a [[Permanent Awareness Module]], among other things. Testing out her new capabilities, [[Ryouko]] sends [[Asaka]] a memory snapshot of the [[magical girl]] who gave her the bracelet she rediscovered after her [[contract]]. [[Asaka]] reacts oddly, but continues on to show [[Ryouko]] the armory and get her equipped with the required basics.<br><br />
<br>Then she cuts the tour short, instead bringing [[Ryouko]] to the [[Ribbon Chamber]]. At the [[Ribbon]], [[Ryouko]] finds herself in a confusing vision, seeing among other things [[Yuma]] at the death of [[Oriko]], [[Simona]] looking directly at her on her first day of class, [[Asaka]] receiving instruction from the [[Goddess]] to wait for the girl who sent her the memory [[Ryouko]] did, the [[Goddess]] herself briefly showing her face and telling [[Ryouko]] to keep it a secret, and the death of [[Kyouko]] on some sort of mission involving submarines. Both of them watching, [[Patricia]] comments to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] that for a few reasons, including [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s own presence, she's not that surprised [[Ryouko]] received a vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|10|Brigadier}}|[[Ryouko]], brought before the [[Theological Council]] to relate her vision, tells what she saw of [[Kyouko]]'s death, determining with them it was on a colony world and that what actually killed [[Kyouko]] was likely a laser, not a misfire from the submarines. She keeps the rest of the vision from [[Theological Council|the council]], though [[Asaka]] deduces easily that she saw the [[Goddess]]. [[Asaka]] goes on to explain the circumstances of her own vision, where she met again with her dead partner [[Alice]], whose death under her command had torn her apart. Now that she has recovered and her vision is resolved, [[Asaka]] tells [[Ryouko]] she plans to return to the front with [[Mami]], who has just been promoted.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Kyouko]] talks with [[Mami]] about [[Ryouko]], noting that her family tree is dense with [[contract]]ees and connected to the Shizuki and Kuroi [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], that [[Patricia]] found a number of novel mutations in her genetics, and that her friend [[Simona]] has some strange anomalies in her recorded past. Unsure what to make of this, and with no further progress on the [[grief cube]] incident, [[Mami]] agrees at [[Kyouko]]'s request to take on [[Asaka]] as a general, with [[Patricia]] and [[Maki]] as two of [[Asaka]]'s attachments.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] grapples with her vision, and [[Asaka]] explains how her story connects.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|11|Remains of a Life}}|[[Ryouko]] sets up her [[TacComp]] and chooses [[Atsuko Arisu]] as her designated psychiatrist, then goes out to eat dinner with her family and eventually ends up (through a test of her newfound right to drink alcohol without intoxication filters) bringing them to a firing range at [[Kyouko's church]]. There they visit other facilities, including a sparring area where they meet [[Risa Flores]], but [[Ryouko]]'s parents are surprisingly well-informed on the subjects. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] visit her spot near the [[starport]], and talk about their impending military lives, and the disappearance of [[Ryouko's grandmother]], both remembering her saying that she had lost something.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] receives her [[SW-155|officer's pistol]], and her [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] tells her she's planned a going away party. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends at a showing of ''[[Akemi]]'' and finally reveals her [[contract]] to them, also inviting them to the party. Watching the movie, [[Ryouko]] reflects on [[Homura]]'s beliefs, and the fact that her vision contradicts the movie's portrayal of [[Yuma]]. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] asks [[Simona]] what she was going to say to her before the [[demon]] attack, but [[Simona]] tells her to forget about it. [[Ryouko]] also asks about when she looked directly at her on her first day of class (as she saw in her vision), but [[Simona]] claims it was nothing.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, [[Yuma]] convinces [[Kyouko]] to have a spy bug planted on [[Ryouko]] for her protection, and warns her to be careful herself given [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] spends time with her family and friends as she prepares to leave for [[Contact War|war]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|12|Demon Hunter}}|[[Ryouko]] receives a [[CubeBot]] and three [[grief cube]]s, then studies combat doctrines with her [[TacComp]] until [[Kyouko]] invites her to join a [[demon]] hunt. [[Patricia von Rohr|Patricia]] and [[Risa Flores|Risa]] meet her at [[Kyouko's church]], where [[Kyouko]] appears briefly but leaves, clearly bothered by the impending departure of [[Kishida Maki]]. On the hunt itself, [[Ryouko]] uses her teleportation to rescue civilians, move other [[magical girl]]s in for attacks, and so forth, finding herself enjoying the combat. The hunt is interrupted by the injury of one girl, who loses an arm and part of her face, but [[Ryouko]] simply teleports them to the armory hospital, where she is told they will be fine shortly, and the rest of the hunt continues without incident.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] goes on a [[demon]] hunt.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|13|Differences of Knowledge}}|The next day, [[Ryouko]] goes to an [[MSY]] social gathering for new recruits, finding [[Risa Flores]] there as a chaperone, and meets a new girl named [[Nakihara Asami]], who shares her desire to explore new worlds, albeit as a xenobiologist. They get along well, and continue on to the next scheduled event together. The following day, [[Ryouko]] meets [[Atsuko Arisu]] for her psychiatrist appointment, who manages to get her freely talking about many things, including her [[wish]], and who also recommends that she talk with her parents about her family ancestry.<br><br />
<br>That night, [[Shizuki Kuma|Ryouko's father]] interrupts her reading on military subjects to take her to [[Prometheus]], where she meets [[Joanne Valentin]]—who appears to be the woman she saw shortly before the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]]—and receives an upgrade to Version Two for her [[TacComp]]. Afterwards, [[Shizuki Kuma|her father]] secretly takes her into [[Prometheus]]'s cloning facility where he and [[Kuroi Nana|her mother]] work, which he explains is used to provide new bodies to [[magical girl]]s who are reduced to [[soul gem]]s. [[Ryouko]] is shocked, especially upon seeing the beginning stages of her own clone, and bothered at the secrets kept from her.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns about the [[MSY]]'s [[cloning program]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|14|Bloodlines}}|[[Yuma]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Mami]] decide [[Ryouko]]'s discovery of the [[cloning program]] isn't a problem, and discuss the incident that led to [[Ryouko]]'s contract. [[Mami]] remembers seeing [[Joanne Valentin]] at the movie theatre shortly afterwards, and [[Yuma]] confirms that she was the woman near the [[demon]] spawn, and moreover that she mysteriously changed her whole life shortly after the [[Contact War]] began. Investigations into [[Simona]] and the [[grief cube]] supply chain problems [[Kyouko]] reported have unearthed more discrepancies, but nothing major, and [[Risa Flores]] hasn't reported anything from her watch over [[Ryouko]], and so they disperse.<br><br />
<br>Back at home, [[Ryouko]] reads the file on her family with her improving [[TacComp]], and discovers that her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] is stationed at the [[Apollo]] shipyard. Moreover, when viewing her family tree she finds much of it explicitly redacted, with the revealed portions being enough to show that she is a descendant of both the Shizuki and Kuroi [[Matriarchy|Matriarchies]]. Later, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] comes to talk to her, and [[Ryouko]] confronts her about the secrets she's kept. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]] says she's kept the secrets to prevent [[Ryouko]] from [[contract]]ing, and will explain more the next day at the going away party.<br><br />
<br>At the party, [[Ryouko]] receives a number of gifts, including a necklace with the Shizuki crest from [[Shizuki Koto]], her paternal grandfather, and a ruby ring with a helix inside, one of a pair from [[Simona]]. [[Kyouko]] arrives, and informs [[Ryouko]] that both her grandparents will be placed in slightly safer positions as part of standard procedure, her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] in particular being moved to the shipyards. Next to arrive is [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Kuroi Kana]], who begins an attempt to recruit [[Ryouko]] into the [[Black Heart]] (and reveals that [[Ryouko]]'s bracelet is in fact a Kuroi insignia), but she is immediately followed by [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Shizuki Sayaka]] and her own recruiting pitch. [[Kyouko]]'s poor intervention is followed by [[Atsuko Arisu]]'s successful one—her presence at the party revealing that she must be related somehow to [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>This is all further interrupted by the sudden appearance of [[Kuroi Nana]], the [[magical girl]] who gave [[Ryouko]] her Kuroi bracelet and until now her entirely secret aunt, a fact which displeases [[Ryouko]] greatly. [[Kuroi Nana]] brings her aside, promising to help explain the situation, and revealing that she's part of the secret [[Internal Security]], and has been searching for [[Akemi Homura]] on behalf of the [[MSY]]. With that said, they begin a memory transfer.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] meets [[Kuroi Nana]], her previously-secret aunt. }}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|15|Samsara}}|[[Ryouko]] experiences her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt's]] memories, with some explanation provided by a sub-sentient assistant.<br><br />
<br>In the memories, [[Kuroi Nana]] investigates the strange behavior of her [[Kuroi Nakase|younger sister]], finding with the help of a computer specialist that her sister's new friends weren't who they seemed, and secretly following them on a [[demon]] hunt. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]], in reality a [[magical girl]], rushes to save [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] when [[demon]]s attack, getting gravely injured in the process. [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] contracts to turn her sister mundane again, to her sister's relief. However, these events seriously strain their family, as their [[Ryouko's grandmother|mother]] isn't allowed to know about the [[MSY]]. When [[Homura]] offers to mentor [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]], she accepts, and all but leaves the family.<br><br />
<br>It's explained to [[Ryouko]] that when [[New Athens]] revealed the [[MSY]], [[Ryouko's grandmother]] blamed it for both her mother's death and her family's troubles, and insisted that [[Ryouko]] be kept from contracting.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] surfaces from the memories, [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] closes off by telling [[Ryouko]] that she had just reconciled with [[Ryouko's grandmother]], and they rejoin the party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns more of her family history from [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|16|Light of the Sky}}|[[Ryouko]] says goodbye to friends and family at the starport, journeying with [[Asami]] by scramjet and then space elevator. While riding the elevator, [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] names herself [[Clarisse]] after [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Ryouko]] muses that her [[wish]] may have somehow changed the past, causing all the sudden revelations of the past week. At the top, the new [[magical girl]]s take a [[Navigator]] shuttle to the [[HSS Spectre]], an old [[frigate]], who leads them around herself. When they reach the [[FTL]] core, [[Ryouko]]'s gem suddenly begins to shine.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finally leaves [[Earth]] with [[Asami]].}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude I: Underworld Dreams ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Unusually, this is a title with relatively direct meanings.''<br />
: ''[[Kugimiya Ito]] dreams of his old girlfriend [[Nakanishi Aiko]], as he digs into a transformed Japanese underworld.<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|17|Interlude I: Underworld Dreams}}|[[Kugimiya Ito]], a police detective in [[Mitakihara]], investigates the disappearance of [[Okamura Yuu|a local teenage girl]] with [[Minami Kaoru|his junior partner]]. Meeting the girl's parents makes him suspect abuse is the culprit, and reminds him of his old teenage sweetheart [[Nakanishi Aiko]], who disappeared under similar circumstances. Back at headquarters, while analyzing the case's evidence electronically, he happens upon an image of the girl meeting what looks to him like [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]. When he confronts the missing girl's friends about the [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]-lookalike, they unconvincingly deny knowing anything until a Yakuza-affiliated lawyer suddenly shows up. Investigating this lead leads him to a [[D&E]] logistics building, where he's confronted by Yakuza and nearly killed for knowing too much, until [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] suddenly intervenes, still the same age as when she disappeared.<br><br />
<br>Reeling, and told to drop the case by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] returns to headquarters, only to be met by [[Ronaldo Rizal|an Interpol agent]] who has been tracking similar mysterious cases. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] is asked to make contact with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again and investigate further. He successfully makes contact, and is brought to [[D&E]] headquarters with his partner, to be greeted by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], who treats him just like she did when they were dating, to his embarrassed pleasure. They meet the CEO of [[D&E]], who turns out to be [[Sakura Kyouko]] under an assumed name, and who explains the situation, including the fact that they already knew about the Interpol investigation. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] agrees to drop the investigation if he can confirm for himself that the missing girl is alright, and afterward retires to be with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kugimiya Ito|A police detective]] happens across his [[Nakanishi Aiko|long-missing girlfriend]] and discovers she is part of an [[MSY]] Yakuza takeover.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume II: Inflationary Expansion ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''This is the universe's theorized early period of exponential inflation.''<br />
: ''Here, it likely refers to the escalation of plot and stakes, especially for Ryouko.''<br />
<br />
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<br />
{{Spbox|Volume II Summary|[[Ryouko]] completes her military simulation training, growing close to [[Asami]], and gets her first taste of real combat shortly afterwards as her convoy is unexpectedly and suspiciously attacked by [[Ceph]] fighters. After [[Ryouko]]'s successful defense there, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]], who doesn't know how to respond, and then both are recalled to the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]], where the first attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] has failed.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] is assigned to a [[MagOps]] team, and begins training while still wrestling with family and relationship confusion, including the sudden revelation of her [[TacComp]] [[Clarisse]]'s sentience. The eventual battle begins poorly, as the wormhole unexpectedly activates right at the start. [[Ryouko]]'s team presses on, only to find the mission much more difficult than expected, and they slowly attrit team members. They finally destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]], but as the [[Goddess]] reveals in a vision, the [[Ceph]] had already amassed a stealthed fleet large enough to take the system. Having realized that her power uses wormholes, [[Ryouko]] reopens the [[Ceph]]'s wormhole and sends the fleet back through, saving the day.<br><br />
<br>However, the battle was not without its casualties—[[Asami]] lost her body after nearly grief-spiraling upon hearing of [[Ryouko]]'s apparent death, [[Ryouko's grandmother]] died in a [[Ceph]] raid, and [[Erwynmark]] died as well, among others. Coming to grips with her sudden fame and new life amidst memorial services and the news of her parents' divorce, [[Ryouko]] decides to become [[Asami]]'s girlfriend. But there are more surprises in store: as the [[Goddess]]—who [[Ryouko]] discovers she is distantly related to—reveals in another vision, [[Ryouko]] will find herself caught up in even greater events soon enough.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delivers the [[Battle of Orpheus]], and connects with [[Asami]], as her old life falls away.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|18|To the Ground}}|The [[General Staff]] watches as a [[MagOps]] mission to take out the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, all members killed, after they are detected teleporting through [[Orpheus]]'s atmosphere. Afterwards, [[Mami]] dreams of her past failures, disturbing her [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br><br />
<br>On the planet [[Giungla]], [[Ryouko]] is embedded in a military unit along with other [[magical girl]]s, fighting against a [[Ceph]] invasion. She goes off mostly on her own to successfully rescue a soldier from her unit, and then joins up with a team of [[magical girl]]s to teleport into an alien attack column, again with significant success.<br />
----<br />
In short: The initial attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, as [[Ryouko]] gains combat experience elsewhere.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|19|To the Sky}}|Finding that she enjoys the combat, [[Ryouko]] works hard to sustain the [[human]] forces, but the arrival of a major [[Ceph]] fleet in system forces a general evacuation. They begin taking heavy losses, and [[Ryouko]] quickly becomes acting-Commander. [[Asami]] dies, [[Ryouko]] enters [[emotional suppression]], and just barely escapes... only to suddenly wake up from the accelerated [[VR]] simulation.<br><br />
<br>Calmed by [[Clarisse]] and relieved to see [[Asami]] alive, [[Ryouko]] heads back to their shared room in the training center on [[New Athens]]. [[Clarisse]] recommends that they read some "messages" together, which turn out to be relationship proposals for [[Ryouko]]. [[Asami]] comments that she had been warned this might happen, due to [[Ryouko]]'s mentors and heritage. The next day, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her [[wish]] was for her parents to stay together and understand each other, and [[Ryouko]] relays her own [[wish]], as they look forward together towards the end of training.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] finish simulation training.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|20|Relativity}}|[[Kishida Maki]] remembers how she [[contract]]ed and later met [[Kyouko]], dating, but breaking up after a fight over [[Maki]]'s decision to head to the front, and [[Kyouko]]'s refusal to explain her history with [[Miki Sayaka]], a near lookalike. Stationed on [[Apollo]] with [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]], [[Maki]] then heads out, completing another mission aboveground to secure a building back from the [[Ceph]].<br><br />
<br>Headed to [[Acheron]] with [[Asami]] and a new friend from training, [[Meiqing]], [[Ryouko]] suddenly notices a bright flash from her [[soul gem]]. Soon, the cause is discovered by the ship, [[Laplace]], to be [[Ceph]] fighters. The early warning allows them to dodge the initial missile attack, but eschewing standard doctrine, the [[Ceph]] turn around for another assault, forcing the transport's [[magical girl]]'s to fight them in space combat, with [[Ryouko]] taking charge. The fight goes well, but the final ship detonates its core in a desperate but futile attempt to kill them.<br><br />
<br>While recovering from the ensuing protective fugue, [[Clarisse]] reveals to [[Ryouko]] that she has uncovered the memory of her vision, and is in fact sentient. Afterwards, they arrive at [[Acheron]], minor heroes, and [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] attend a celebration of [[October Three]] together.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]]'s convoy is attacked unsuccessfully by [[Ceph]] fighters.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|21|Discontinuity}}|[[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Yuma]] meet virtually to celebrate [[October Three]], and discuss the mysteriousness of [[Simona]] and the unlikely and seemingly irresponsible attack on [[Ryouko]]'s convoy, the absence of [[Homura]] weighing on them.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] talks with [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about training and suitors, but fails to mention the attack on her convoy. [[Ryouko]] then goes with [[Asami]] to see a basketball game, and then to a volcanic spa, noting that [[Asami]] is acting strangely, and finding that she isn't enjoying the time on [[Acheron|a colony world]] herself as much as she expected. At the spa, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her romantic feelings to a stunned [[Ryouko]], who promises to think about it—they have little time to reflect, however, as they are at that moment recalled to active duty in the [[Kepler-37]] system, the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asami]] confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|22|Shifting Winds}}|Now on [[Mami]]'s flagship, the [[HSS Zhukov]], and unable to stop thinking about [[Asami]], [[Ryouko]] is awarded a medal for her performance during the [[Ceph]] attack on her convoy by the Field Marshall. [[Mami]] then brings her to the bridge, where they enter simulation as [[Mami]] explains the strategic situation. This is interrupted by a perfunctory [[Ceph]] attack, which [[Ryouko]] watches from the bridge.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, they reenter the simulation to meet [[Erwynmark]], and [[Ryouko]] is told about the planned second wormhole mission, which requires her teleportation capabilities. [[Ryouko]] is to be sent down to [[Apollo]] to meet with the rest of the team (and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]]) to prepare.<br><br />
<br>Resting after the earlier battle, [[Mami]] dreams of the destruction of her apartment by [[Oriko]], which reunited her with [[Kyouko]], and of other old memories, followed by a strange dream in which she and an unknown girl, somehow important to her, were in a plane crash.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] is assigned to the second [[wormhole stabilizer]] mission on [[Orpheus]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|23|Lost Love}}|Along with others, [[Mami]] plans Humanity's counteroffensive to support the [[Orpheus]] mission and end the [[Euphratic Incursion]]. Meeting with [[Erwynmark]], who will also lead the battle, they conclude that their success rests on the [[MagOps]] mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] thinks of her friends—including [[Chiaki]] on [[Earth]], who always teased [[Ryouko]] about relationships—and ends up calling [[Meiqing]], who insists that she call [[Asami]], who is broken up over [[Ryouko]]'s non-answer to her confession. However, there isn't time, as the [[HSS Raven]] brings her down to [[Apollo]], where [[Ryouko]] meets up with [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]], who was seriously injured in the fighting but recovering easily. They share some time together, as [[Ryouko]] informs him that she's going on a dangerous mission. Her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her family already knew about the attack on her convoy, and that he finally managed to find and talk with [[Ryouko's grandmother|his wife]] again, who wants to talk with [[Ryouko]] as well once there's a chance.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delays talking to [[Asami]], and meets [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]] on [[Apollo]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|24|Historian}}|[[Ryouko]]'s new [[MagOps]] team practices working together on [[Apollo]] by fighting the [[Ceph]]. Their team practice and bonding is later interrupted by the announcement of yet another new team member: [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Ryouko]]'s childhood hero and, as it turns out, personal friend of team commander [[Nadya Antipova]]. They immediately return to mission simulations, first knowing they're simulations, and later not, failing often—with [[Ryouko]] regretting not contacting [[Asami]] in her apparent final moments.<br><br />
<br>Recovering from this, the team socializes, and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Ryouko]] that she should talk to [[Asami]] even if she doesn't know what to say. Finally, [[Ryouko]] does so, telling her about the dangerous mission she's on, and asking her to survive the upcoming battle too so they can resolve things afterward. They end the call somewhat comforted, but [[Asami]] in particular finds herself still worried and unsure.<br><br />
<br>That night, resting, [[Ryouko]] has a mysterious seeming dream-vision, including a moment in the [[Cult]]'s rose garden on [[Earth]] where [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] speaks strange things and almost appears to be someone else unknown.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Clarisse van Rossum]] joins the wormhole team, and convinces [[Ryouko]] to contact [[Asami]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|25|Piercing the Sky}}|Waiting aboard the [[HSS Raven]], [[Clarisse]] and [[Ryouko]] find themselves ruminating on the possibility of their death, and the [[Goddess]]'s promised afterlife for [[magical girl]]s. [[Juliet Francois]] and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] both ask about [[Ryouko]]'s visions, but she defers, stating she doesn't think they are relevant to the current mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] begins the [[Human]] offensive, for her part attempting to draw [[Ceph]] forces away from [[Orpheus]]. While it initially appears a success, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] which was thought to be still under construction suddenly activates, and hordes of reinforcements begin pouring through.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Orpheus]] mission begins poorly, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] activating before it even begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|26|Blood and Ichor}}|[[Clarisse van Rossum]] decides the [[MagOps]] team must act immediately. Donning [[magitech]] armor, [[Ryouko]] teleports the team straight from low orbit to what looks to be the key stabilizer core for the [[wormhole stabilizer]]. After efficiently clearing out enemy personnel, [[Nadya]] announces that there are what appears to be twelve separate stabilizer cores, rather than the single expected one, of which perhaps up to four are real. They detonate a [[PAYNE|nuke]] on the closest core, teleporting away towards the next one.<br><br />
<br>This time they encounter even more waiting [[Ceph]], and clear them out with more difficulty. Suddenly, right when two fighters attack, a [[Ceph]] sniper takes shots at [[Eva Guderian]] and [[Ryouko]], killing [[Eva Guderian|Eva]] instantly and shattering [[Ryouko]]'s arm. In a rage, [[Ryouko]] teleports on top of the sniper and slaughters it.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[wormhole stabilizer]] survives an intended killing blow, and [[Ryouko]] loses control after [[Eva Guderian]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|27|Those Brilliant Shining Stars}}|Shocked at herself and slowly recovering, [[Ryouko]] realizes that her [[soul gem]] is not only pulling her towards the wormhole, but also reacting to the true stabilizer cores—and the one they lost [[Eva Guderian]] attacking is a fake.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, the fleet battle in system is going poorly, and [[Erwynmark]] defers to [[Mami]], who decides they must continue to hold out in hope of destroying the wormhole.<br><br />
<br>The [[Orpheus]] team quickly finds and destroys a second stabilizer core with their last [[PAYNE|nuke]], leaving still two more. The [[Ceph]] begin firing artillery at the third core when they arrive, forcing [[Clarisse van Rossum]] to seize their barrier generator [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]]'s [[soul gem]] to save her life. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] then executes a powerful attack that vaporizes the core, but knocks her unconscious.<br><br />
<br>Unexpectedly targeted, [[Erwynmark]]'s ship the [[HSS Arminius]] recommends evacuation. [[Erwynmark]] escapes the ship with his bodyguards, but [[Ceph]] interceptors somehow find his stealthed ship and chase it down, killing him.<br />
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In short: The [[Orpheus]] team destroys two more [[wormhole stabilizer]] cores, but [[Erwynmark]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|28|Invictus}}|The [[Orpheus]] team learns that the [[HSS Raven]], along with her remaining crew, has been discovered and destroyed, all but eliminating any hope of escape. [[Misa Virani]] gives her [[soul gem]] to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and takes advantage of the moon's electrical properties to generate an awe-inspiring electrical discharge, destroying the last [[wormhole stabilizer]] core. The wormhole above collapses violently, and the remainder of the team is suddenly caught in temporal/spatial distortions that threaten to rip them apart.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Misa Virani]] destroys the final [[wormhole stabilizer]] and the wormhole collapses, trapping the rest of the team.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|29|Deus ex gemma}}|[[Ryouko]] suddenly recalls a lecture given by [[Joanne Valentin]], and realizes that her teleportation uses wormholes, and that she can use the broken spacetime around them to teleport the team off [[Orpheus|the moon]]. At the same time, [[Ryouko]] realizes she's with the [[Goddess]], in a vision—this time, with [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]] too. The [[Goddess]] shows them [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[Apollo]], hard-pressed by the [[Ceph]]. [[Shirou Asaka]] manages to get forces in to save them, but [[Maki]] loses her body. They are also shown an unknown woman commander in the [[Apollo]] shipyards, who is killed by a [[Ceph]] commando raid.<br><br />
<br>Following that, [[Asami]] and her ''[[Magi Cæli]]'' team are shown defending the space around [[Apollo]] with some success, despite incredible new [[Ceph]] stealth capabilities. Attempting to extract, the team is suddenly caught and scattered, with [[Asami]] seriously injured and placed into a [[MedEvac]]. A sudden announcement from [[Tomoe Mami]] that the wormhole was destroyed at the apparent cost of the team involved, including [[Ryouko]], sends [[Asami]] into a despair spiral, and her body is ejected into space to preserve her [[soul gem]]. Finally, [[Ryouko]] is shown [[Mami]], who is pressing the apparent advantage at the destruction of the wormhole, even as she mourns the dead.<br><br />
<br>The [[Goddess]] then talks with [[Ryouko]], revealing the [[Ceph]] trap—a huge cloaked fleet had already come through the wormhole, enough to retake the system easily. The [[Goddess]] tells her to reopen the wormhole and send the fleet back, ending the vision. To her team's amazement, [[Ryouko]] does just that, and then just barely teleports them to [[Zhukov]]'s bridge before blacking out.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Goddess]] tells [[Ryouko]] to send back a cloaked [[Ceph]] fleet through the wormhole, saving the battle.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|30|Call to Power}}|[[Mami]] and [[Atsuko Arisu]] perform a dream interrogation of [[Ryouko]]—and also [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]], which complicates their attempt to loosen her up, as does the secret blocking of telepathic investigation by [[Clarisse van Rossum]]. [[Ryouko]] only explains that her power uses wormholes, and about her memory of the [[Joanne Valentin]] lecture that triggered the realization, avoiding religious questions. [[Ryouko]] meets afterwards with some of the [[Orpheus]] team, and is warned of the coming scrutiny she'll endure as a hero by [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and the revived [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]].<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] learns from her devastated [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]] was killed, and realizes she saw it in her vision. She attends the first of three memorial services in her near future, for the dead of the [[Orpheus]] team, meeting [[Marianne Francois]], whose daughter [[Juliet]] was killed aboard the now-revived [[HSS Raven]].<br><br />
<br>In a surprise to [[Mami]], the [[General Staff]] and [[Military Affairs]] select her as the new Chair in accordance with [[Erwynmark]]'s wishes.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] becomes the new Chair of the [[General Staff]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|31|Aspects of Love}}|On the planet [[Bismarck]] for [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial, [[Ryouko]] meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kyouko]], along with a couple of local kids, finding herself surprisingly distant from the latter due to her experiences. [[Ryouko]] admits to [[Kyouko]] that the [[Goddess]] came to her in a vision on [[Orpheus]] to tell her about the cloaked fleet, and is afterwards unknowingly accosted by a [[Shizuki Azusa|seductive Shizuki]] until [[Patricia]] saves her. [[Patricia]] informs her that [[Kishida Maki]] is still taking [[Kyouko]]'s continued absence hard, and that she is struggling herself, before collecting a more in-depth genetic sample from [[Ryouko]]. Later that day [[Mami]], attending virtually, gives [[Erwynmark]]'s eulogy.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] comes to grips with her newfound fame at [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|32|Decisions, Implications}}|[[Ryouko]] meets with her family at the starport, only to find her parents have divorced. Still shaken, she heads immediately to [[Asami]]'s revival, comforting her, and finding herself unexpectedly comforted herself to have [[Asami]] back.<br><br />
<br>After briefly meeting [[Asami]]'s family, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] head out to meet [[Ryouko]]'s friends. While waiting, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] how unhappy she is in combat, and, consoling her, [[Ryouko]] abruptly decides to become her girlfriend… right as [[Simona]], [[Ruiko]], and [[Chiaki]] arrive. [[Simona]] retreats to the bathroom, and [[Chiaki]] covers for her, instead planning the rest of the day. They go on to a restaurant and have a sleepover, the only disturbance being the strange arrival of [[Kyubey]], who claims only to be visiting.<br><br />
<br>At [[Ryouko's grandmother]]'s funeral, [[Ryouko]] discovers that her psychiatrist [[Atsuko Arisu]] is in fact the grandmother of [[Ryouko's grandmother]]. After the ceremony, which [[Ryouko]] finds she can't connect to, she is suddenly given a memory recording from a friend of [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]]. The memory reveals that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]] grandfather was [[Kaname Tatsuya]], once the younger brother of [[Kaname Madoka]], the [[Goddess]]. [[Tatsuya]] makes [[Homura]] promise to keep [[Ryouko's grandmother]] out of the [[MSY]], as he warns darkly of the future that would become the [[Unification Wars]], recalling in particular his daughter-in-law's wish for vengeance.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] rushes with [[Asami]] to the [[Ribbon]], with both [[Kyubey]] and [[Kyouko]] showing up to watch. A vision ensues, and the [[Goddess]] explains that she is indeed related to [[Ryouko]], as hinted previously, and that she tries to limit her interventions in the world, so that people can live their own lives. She explains that [[Ryouko]] has the special burden of having less freedom to live her own life, and that she will be called upon again.<br><br />
<br>Teleporting out immediately from the [[Ribbon Chamber]] to avoid questions, [[Ryouko]] learns that [[Asami]] also received a vision, assuaging her worries and including helpful relationship advice. Before [[Ryouko]] can digest that, [[Joanne Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] show up at her door with a proposal.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes [[Asami]]'s girlfriend, and finds out she will feature in the [[Goddess]]'s plans again.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude II: Madeleines ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Madeleines (small sponge cakes) feature in Proust's "In Search of Lost Time", a famous French novel noted for its theme of involuntary memory.''<br />
: ''Likewise, this interlude centers on the peculiar role of memory in an episode of [[Asaka]]'s past. The first snippet even includes relevant sections from Proust's novel.''<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|33|Interlude II: Madeleines}}|[[Shirou Asaka]] wakes from a strange recurring dream in which she has lost someone important to her, as a [[magical girl]] in some sort of [[Contact War|crazy alien war]]. [[Alice Lynwood]], her wife, reminds her to get it checked out, but is less successful in attempting to convince her to finally have a baby.<br><br />
<br>In a professional [[VR]] game playing as [[magical girl]]s in WWII with her second-in-command [[Madhuri]], [[Asaka]] finds she needs to sacrifice her to win. Suddenly, [[Asaka]] starts thinking [[Madhuri]] is somehow actually [[Alice]], and then the game is suddenly cut short by a strange simulation error. However, [[Asaka]]'s growing unease is again washed away by the joy of her life with [[Alice]].<br><br />
<br>[[Tanaka Yui]], [[Asaka]]'s therapist, suggests doing a dream study, and [[Patricia von Rohr]] comes to visit, both of them bringing up little oddities or inconsistencies in [[Asaka]]'s thoughts. The dream study returns an apparent suppressed memory, but one involving [[magical girl]]s and an [[Contact War|alien war]] that [[Asaka]] can't remember experiencing. Soon enough, all of reality seems to be changing for her—[[Madhuri]], her location, [[magical girl]]s. Finally running a full internal diagnostic, [[Asaka]] remembers what truly happened: she was forced to send her girlfriend [[Alice]] to her death to win a battle in the [[Contact War]]. Unable to process it, [[Asaka]] had [[Reformat|Reformatted]] herself and put herself inside a [[VR]] simulation where she could live with [[Alice]]. [[Tanaka Yui]] had been helping her face the truth after breaking into the simulation, along with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Madhuri]], and even [[Asaka]]'s own internal representation of [[Alice]]. [[Patricia]] tells [[Asaka]] afterwards that [[Alice]] had planned on proposing.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asaka]]'s self-[[Reformat]] and [[VR]] simulation are undone, and she begins to finally face her lover [[Alice]]'s death.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume III: Ontological Paradox ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''In an ontological paradox, events occur as part of a causal loop: an 'initial' event, in terms of linear time, eventually causes itself.''<br />
: ''This may refer to the nature of Ryouko's wish and/or the logic of the Goddess's interventions. <br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume III Summary|Now living with [[Asami]] and working in [[ITG|a lab]] to help humanity understand wormholes, [[Ryouko]]'s life is interrupted again when she is offered a chance to investigate a [[rogue colonies|rogue colony]] on [[X-25]]. When [[ITG|the lab]] collapses on her and [[Asami]] in an act of sabotage, they decide to join the mission.<br><br />
<br>The [[X-25]] colony turns out to have a massive bunker, and [[Kyouko]] leads a team with [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] in, discovering an attempt at mass-cloning [[magical girl]]s. Moreover, two separate traps attempting to kill [[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] are encountered, the second costing [[Ryouko]] her body.<br><br />
<br>After a vision revealing [[Yuma]]'s past, a revived [[Ryouko]] manages to push [[Kyouko]] into visiting [[the Ribbon]], where she meets with [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision, and finally reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]] afterwards. [[Ryouko]], for her part, faces the disturbing revelation that she's been genetically engineered, losing control of her life as she's whisked from [[Paris]] to [[Adept Blue]]. At the same time, [[Mami]]'s self-[[Reformat]] unravels, and she meets with the [[Goddess]] in a vision as she grapples with her restored memories, finally convinced to take a vacation.<br><br />
<br>However, events—and conspiracies—don't let go of them. [[Simona]], now a [[magical girl]] and always an agent assigned to [[Ryouko]], reappears to help [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] create wormholes spanning lightyears, though her love remains unrequited as [[Ryouko]]'s relationship with [[Asami]] grows stronger. During [[Mami]]'s vacation, she and [[Kyouko]] discover that [[Misa]] had in fact been recruited by [[Homura]] to fight a mysterious enemy, and [[Yuma]] learns that someone has corrupted the [[TCF]] from [[Simona]] and [[Valentin]], both part of a secret organization fighting it with alternate [[TCF]]s.<br />
<br>'''Volume incomplete; More chapters to be released.'''<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finds herself enmeshed in conspiracy, as [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] grapple with their pasts.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|34|The Bonds that Make Us}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Asami]] attend [[Yuma]]'s birthday party via [[VR]] from [[Eurydome]], where [[Ryouko]] was brought by [[Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] for wormhole research. [[Kyouko]] brings up [[Ryouko]]'s visions in front of [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Ryouko]] is forced to explain, choosing to also forward the memory she received from [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] intervenes in an argument between [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] about [[Kishida Maki]], and brings them to [[Ryouko]]. [[Ryouko]] is reminded of her first vision, where she saw [[Yuma]], and which seemed to contradict her official history—she even tells [[Kyouko]] this. [[Ryouko]] then goes to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] for life advice, and is told that she needs to talk over her desires for an extraordinary life with [[Asami]], who wants a more domestic life.<br><br />
<br>Away from the party, [[Yuma]] explains to [[Kuroi Nakase]], [[Ryouko]]'s mother, that [[Ryouko]] is probably the most genetically sure contract in history, and moreover, that she has a genetically-engineered second, hidden genome. [[Nakase]] knew only that [[Ryouko]] was likely to contract given her ancestry, and when pressed for information as to how she got the birth license, suddenly collapses—a non-fatal defense mechanism apparently built into tampered memories.<br />
----<br />
In short: At [[Yuma]]'s party, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] learns that [[Ryouko]] was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|35|Causality}}|[[Mami]] learns from [[Marianne Francois]]'s [[grief cube]] supply chain report that in a few rare cases for the past 10 years, there have been severe shortages followed by surpluses, where they would hurt the war effort the least. [[Mami]] is disturbed by not only the report, but also her unintended reading of [[Marianne]]'s mind.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Clarisse]] go over her visions, realizing that [[Simona]] was tank-born and seemingly knew her before they met, and that the [[Goddess]] likely manipulated the events leading to [[Ryouko]]'s contract.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], in a meeting with the [[Directorate]], is asked to investigate a distress signal from [[X-25|a cult's colony]] which was thought to have been destroyed en route to an entirely different planet. Elsewhere, [[Kyouko]] promises to tell [[Yuma]] to explain her past to [[MG]], and receives from [[MG]] a recording of what happened with [[Kuroi Nakase]] at [[Yuma]]'s party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives orders to investigate [[X-25|a mysterious colony]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|36|Chasing Ghosts}}|[[Ryouko]] learns in a call from her friends on [[Earth]] that [[Simona]] has moved away, and afterwards meets with [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Kyouko]], who ask her to join a mission to investigate [[X-25|a cult's colony]] related to [[Homura]], and to consider an offer from [[Kuroi Kana]] to properly join the intelligence services.<br><br />
<br>[[Kuroi Nana]] departs after being given the memory file from [[Ryouko's grandmother]], but [[Kyouko]] accompanies [[Ryouko]] to the lab, [[ITG]], and they discuss [[Ryouko]]'s visions a bit. During an experiment at the lab, the gravity generators go haywire, and the ceiling collapses—[[Ryouko]] is saved by [[Kyouko]] and [[Asami]], but [[Asami]] is seriously injured. In the hospital afterwards, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] and [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about the apparent attempt on her life that led to her [[contract]]. [[Kyouko]] explains that the incident at [[ITG]] appears to be another such attack. [[Ryouko]] decides to join the proffered mission, which [[Asami]] accepts on the condition that she come too.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] survives an attempt on her life at [[ITG|the lab]] on [[Eurydome]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|37|Seraphim}}|[[Kyouko]] convinces [[Mami]] to let her on the colony mission due to the [[Homura]] connection, and [[Mami]] tells [[Kyouko]] about the mysterious sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]]. However, [[Mami]] becomes inordinately emotional when discussing the necessity of ordering an investigative mind-read, and she later dreams of training mind-reading abilities that she doesn't remember.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] are taught defensive telepathic techniques en route to their mission, and [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] told her to stick with [[Ryouko]] for her safety. They then meet with [[Azrael Maslanka]], who tells them both about the true proliferation of [[rogue colonies]], and her own experience on one where she was genetically engineered with wings for flight, before the colony collapsed in civil war.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting, where she tells [[Mami]] about her vision in which [[Kyouko]] was killed. The details match [[Mami]]'s planned submarine mission exactly and, disturbed, she agrees to allocate more forces.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] learn about [[rogue colonies]] from [[Azrael Maslanka]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|38|Carpe Diem}}|A special [[Miki|sentient probe]] sent to investigate the cult's colony on [[X-25]] discovers a massive underground structure and comes under heavy fire, and the [[Directorate]] approves more forces for the mission in response.<br><br />
<br>[[Meiqing]] turns out to be part of the additional forces, and she, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] go out hiking together on [[San Giuseppe]] while waiting for more reinforcements to arrive. At the top, [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] her worries about how much their lives are at risk, and [[Azrael]] explains herself to [[Meiqing]].<br><br />
<br>Finally, the mission begins, with [[Task Force Rhamnusia|conventional forces]] taking the surface of the colony on [[X-25]].<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be heavily armed, and the [[Task Force Rhamnusia|correspondingly reinforced]] assault on it begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|39|Indelible Soul}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew descend to the pacified surface of [[X-25]], and [[Gracia]], to [[Ryouko]]'s distress, forcibly mind-reads captives to learn that the colony's leader, [[Grigori DeWitt]], has escaped to the bunker with children as hostages. [[Kyouko]] manages to convince [[Mami]] and [[Governance]] to let her lead a [[MagOps]] infiltration mission, despite their misgivings that [[Kyouko]] is doing so for personal reasons, given her history.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] chooses to bring [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] on the mission, among more experienced girls, largely on personal hunch. Mission underway, and despite being hampered by some sort of magical clairvoyance blocking, they quickly discover large numbers of human clones, an apparent attempt to clone [[magical girl]]s. The attempt to communicate this to the surface is blocked by the hostile telepath, however, and the team is discovered. Clearly personally angered by the situation, [[Kyouko]] insists that they fight their way through rather than escape.<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be attempting [[magical girl]] cloning.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|40|Through a Mirror}}|The [[X-25]] team kills a number of guards, only to discover that they are cloned teenagers, heavily implanted, horrifying the rookies into [[emotional suppression]]. [[Gracia]] manages to determine that the cloned girls are transformed into controlled guards once they failed to contract, and that contracts weren't happening. [[Kyouko]] decides that they must find and capture the enemy telepath, before more clones are killed.<br><br />
<br>They find the enemy [[magical girl]], but before they act to kill her, [[Asami]] notices that [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]] is glowing slightly. Off-put by that and everything else that doesn't add up, the team nearly rebels against [[Kyouko]]'s insistence on attacking the enemy [[magical girl]], until [[Ryouko]] manages to convince [[Kyouko]] to relent by suggesting that the [[Goddess]] placed her on the mission for that reason.<br><br />
<br>Investigating, [[Asami]] detects a [[Ceph]]-like stealth device concealing a nuke, [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] disabling it right afterwards. An alarm goes up, and the enemy [[magical girl]] suddenly pleads for help. The girl, [[Sacnite Tafani]], tells them that [[DeWitt]] had been controlling her with the threat of a suicide implant, and had lied about hiding the colony's children in the bunker as bait for the nuclear trap. <br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] prevents [[Kyouko]] from rushing into a stealthed nuclear trap on [[X-25]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|41|Cause and Effect}}|Ruminating over the mission, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] decide to visit [[Sacnite]], as [[Mami]] makes a limited announcement of the mission to the general public. [[Mami]] approves the visit to [[Sacnite]] as a propaganda shoot, and [[Azrael]] joins them. Comforting [[Sacnite]], [[Ryouko]] promises to spend more time with her. Afterwards, [[Meiqing]] confides to [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] that the mission has impacted her a lot, and that she's glad she was able to help, given her family's shameful efforts in the [[Unification Wars]] to develop the cloned [[FA Elites]].<br><br />
<br>Having finally determined the whereabouts of [[DeWitt]] and the colony's children, [[Kyouko]] leads an attack on the stealthed facility, which meets with no resistance. [[DeWitt]], however, manages to kill himself via suicide implant, after claiming he was trying to figure out what blocked [[magical girl]]s "transcendence". [[Kyubey]] then appears, saying that [[DeWitt]] had based his beliefs on what [[Homura]] had achieved, thinking to have seen her alive on [[Optatum]], and that he was supported by another group which escaped in a cloaked ship. Refusing to say anything more—and strangely calling [[Kyouko]] by her personal name—[[Kyubey]] disappears, and [[Kyouko]] walks off alone to think. Feeling uneasy about the situation, and thinking of her vision, [[Ryouko]] follows… only to lose her body saving [[Kyouko]]'s life from an attack by a supposedly-friendly drone.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] loses her body saving [[Kyouko]] from a sudden drone attack.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|42|No Light Without Shadow}}|The [[MSY]] [[Leadership Committee]] meets to discuss recent events, including the attack on [[Kyouko]], the results of the [[grief cube]] audit, and the sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]], among others, but to no real conclusion. After the meeting, [[Kyouko]] is surprised by [[Atsuko Arisu]], her therapist, who to [[Kyouko]]'s anger tells her both that she should have stepped aside during the [[X-25]] mission and that she should stop hiding from her feelings for [[Kishida Maki]].<br><br />
<br>With [[Asami]] personally guarding [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]], she, [[Ryouko]]'s family, [[Meiqing]], and even [[Sacnite]] plan to travel to [[Earth]] for [[Ryouko]]'s revival, which has been delayed for unspecified reasons. Meanwhile, both [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] assign security teams for [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>Through a [[VR]] recreation, [[Mami]] reveals to [[Kyouko]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] that it appears [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]] didn't fail, but was instead somehow swapped out for another. The soul mage who put the [[soul gem]] that failed into stasis saw that it had a meek, shy personality which, she found out later, didn't match [[Misa Virani|Misa]]'s at all. However, the [[VR]] review they perform doesn't show any possible moment in which [[Misa]]'s [[soul gem]] could have been swapped.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] discovers that [[Misa Virani]] is likely alive, her [[soul gem]] swapped for another.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|43|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part One}}|[[Ryouko]] finds herself in another vision, in which the [[Goddess]] explains that [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], and [[Mami]] are more fragile than they seem, and that their "phase transition" must be managed carefully. [[Ryouko]] looks, and sees…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]], noting that [[Kyouko]] is being pushed into finally confronting her relationship problems and that they need to help her, tells [[Mami]] and [[MG]] about her past with the [[Southern Group]], and about [[Miki Sayaka]]…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s abusive parents, unable to pay debts, attempt to sell her to the Yakuza, until the [[Southern Group]] suddenly intervenes. They kill the Yakuza, but [[Mikuni Oriko]] is seriously injured, and [[Yuma]] wishes to heal her. [[Yuma]] memory of this is patchy, though, and [[Oriko]] informs [[Yuma]] that the Yakuza killed her parents, so she'll take her in. Under [[Oriko]]'s tutelage, [[Yuma]] lives a good life and learns much, but she can see that the [[Southern Group]] is vicious to others and generally hated. [[Oriko]] favors [[Yuma]], to the other members' chagrin, and shares secrets like her efforts to try to bring [[Kyouko]] and [[Sayaka]] together before splitting them apart, and her work to saturate [[grief cubes]], which [[Yuma]] later accidentally discovers leads to [[demon]] spawns.<br><br />
<br>Uneasy with her new life, [[Yuma]] runs into [[Sayaka]], who is clearly very troubled herself, explaining that she was in [[Southern Group]] territory to die fighting their evil. Instead, [[Sayaka]] takes [[Yuma]] to dinner. [[Yuma]] runs into Yakuza on the way back, but [[Sayaka]] appears, killing them before disappearing—though a shocked [[Yuma]] manages to reattach one's head and save his life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Sayaka]] had died fighting a horde of [[demon]]s at a violin concert, and pieces together the truth: [[Oriko]], using her power to see the future and saturated [[grief cubes]] [[Yuma]] had made, purposefully spawned the [[demon]]s to kill [[Sayaka]].<br><br />
<br>In the present day, [[Yuma]] explains that she wants to tell [[Kyouko]] all this, so that she won't blame herself for [[Sayaka]]'s death, but has been afraid to since she was involved. After talking this over, [[Yuma]] continues the story for [[MG]]'s sake…<br><br />
<br>[[Clarisse van Rossum]] visits [[Oriko]] and [[Yuma]], telling [[Oriko]] that there may be some merit to [[Homura]]'s strange belief in a [[Goddess]], and passing [[Yuma]] an anonymous message saying she has the potential to change things, and that [[Oriko]] only sees what she tries to see.<br><br />
<br>Life finally calms down for [[Yuma]] after this, though her studies accelerate, as [[Oriko]] uses magic to enhance her mind.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] reveals that [[Oriko]] caused [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|44|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part Two}}|[[Ryouko]]'s vision continues, as she watches [[Yuma]] retell her past to [[Mami]] and [[MG]]…<br><br />
<br>Upset at [[Oriko]]'s use of saturated [[grief cube]]s to kill others, [[Yuma]] sabotages the machine used to make them, but [[Oriko]]'s machinations continue, with team leaders like [[Kuroi Kana]] forced to come and beg for the return of captured members. One night, another team led by [[Tanaka Yui]] attacks, [[Yuma]] just barely escaping—or so she thought, as she instead leads the attackers right to the rest of the [[Southern Group]]. But before the ensuing battle, [[Yuma]] finds that the rest of her team is torturing and killing other [[magical girl]]s to absorb their powers.<br><br />
<br>Fleeing in horror, [[Yuma]] finds herself taken in at a church, where she finds the Yakuza man whose life she saved earlier. He explains that he had saved a number of girls held by the Yakuza and was now on the run, trying to do good and live a better life as atonement. [[Yuma]] talks with [[Reverend Hashimoto|the priest]] sheltering him, and he tells her she should forgive herself for not stopping everything that's happened. That night, [[Yuma]] receives a message from [[Kuroi Kana]], which helps her to realize that [[Oriko]] had in fact had her parents killed.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] returns to the [[Southern Group]], now under blockade and uneasy. [[Oriko]] claims that they are still on the path towards eliminating the Yakuza and bringing about a better world, but [[Yuma]] decides that they must be destroyed. Taking the advice passed on by [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Yuma]] manipulates the [[Southern Group]] in order to change the future without [[Oriko]] noticing. Eventually, during an already difficult [[demon]] fight, she spawns hordes more [[demon]]s using saturated [[grief cube]]s, and manages to turn her team members against each other. All but [[Oriko]] are killed, and [[Oriko]] finally realizes what has happened. Telling [[Yuma]] there may still be hope for her, she crushes her own [[soul gem]].<br><br />
<br>Warning obscurely that a crisis is coming, the [[Goddess]] ends [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] explains how and why she killed the [[Southern Group]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|45|The Body Electric}}|Back on [[Earth]], [[Asami]] is still unable to face the results of her [[wish]], and longs for [[Ryouko]] to return—which she does, along with [[Clarisse]], to their surprise. [[Clarisse]] tells [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] explained she does have a soul, and that her body would be regenerated by [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]]. [[Valentin]] explains that the delay in the revival was due to both [[Clarisse]]'s regeneration and some necessary handling for [[Ryouko]]'s unique genetics. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends, including [[Sacnite]], who is being de-aged physically to match her mental age, and her new [[matriarchy]] bodyguards, who get along poorly.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] bursts in soon after, followed by [[Yuma]], who oddly both make a point of asking [[Ryouko]] if she was told why her revival was delayed. It soon becomes clear that [[Yuma]] is using [[Ryouko]] to confront [[Kyouko]] about her behavior, and in the ensuing argument [[Kyouko]] reveals she already figured out [[Yuma]] and [[Oriko]] were involved in [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death. After [[Yuma]] departs, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Kyouko]] about her vision, mollifying her until the subject of [[Kishida Maki]] comes up.<br><br />
<br>Having walked out in a rage despite knowing [[Ryouko]], like everyone else, is right about [[Maki]], [[Kyouko]] visits [[the Ribbon]]. In the ensuing vision, [[Kyouko]] meets her little sister [[Sakura Momo]], who tells her to move on from her past. [[Kyouko]] then descends onto a beach where she finds [[Miki Sayaka]], who finally convinces [[Kyouko]] to try reconciling with [[Kishida Maki]], and who also shows [[Kyouko]] a glimpse of eternity.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] is comforted by her sister and [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|46|Wheels Within Wheels}}|Eating dinner with [[Kyouko]] and her friends and family, [[Ryouko]] is surprised by [[Valentin]], who drops by to inform her that [[Governance]] would like to use the [[Orpheus|upcoming movie]] about her to inform the public about V2 [[TacComp]]s. [[Valentin]] also conveys her regrets that [[Ryouko]]'s parents had split, especially since she had introduced them.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]], acting a bit odd, brings the crew shopping the following day, only for them to be suddenly surprised by [[Kishida Maki]], who had apparently been assigned by someone to give [[Ryouko]] a message regarding [[Orpheus|the movie]]. [[Kyouko]] confesses to [[Maki]] that she started their relationship because of her physical similarity to [[Miki Sayaka]], but tells [[Maki]] that it had grown beyond that, so she wants to try again. Skeptical, but still in love, [[Maki]] accepts her.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, [[Maki]] explains to [[Ryouko]] that the ''[[Orpheus]]'' movie team would like to bring her to [[Paris]] to provide assistance. [[Ryouko]] agrees to go, but is uneasy about having her life directed by yet another proposition she can hardly turn down.<br><br />
<br>At the same time, in [[Paris]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Nadya Antipova]] that she's discovered [[Misa Virani]] likely underwent a [[Reformat]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|47|City of Lights}}|In underground [[Paris]], and bothered by the incongruity of that with her wish, [[Ryouko]] meets with her aunt [[Kuroi Nana]]. She warns [[Ryouko]] that [[Shizuki Sayaka]] will try to pull her in, showing her what life on [[Earth]] has to offer, and notes that she has opportunities with the Kuroi [[Matriarchy]] as well, though it wouldn't be an easy life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] meet with the actors who will play them in [[Orpheus|the movie]], who have altered their appearances to match them exactly. [[Clarisse]] also is invited to join them in hologram form, and they go to the set to act out scenes. Thinking on her reenacted past, [[Ryouko]] finds she misses the meaningfulness of the war.<br><br />
<br>At a bar that night, they come across a mysterious friend of [[Ryouko]]'s [[Elisa Yamada|actor counterpart]], who invites them to a [[VR]] facility.<br />
----<br />
In short: In [[Paris]], [[Ryouko]] uneasily cooperates with ''[[Orpheus]]'s'' production.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|48|To Know Thyself…}}|Hidden in [[Paris]], [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] meet to discuss the apparent conspiracies in action. [[Ryouko]]'s genetic anomalies have been investigated further, and an entirely novel portion of her brain has been found, of still-unknown purpose. Meanwhile, on the way to the [[VR]] center, [[Ryouko]] and crew are stopped by a sudden inexplicable power loss, and then are dragged away by a sudden massive [[demon]] spawn. [[Yuma]] is informed of this via [[Incubator]] plushie, and realizes that [[Shizuki Sayaka]]'s plan to secretly investigate [[Ryouko]]'s brain in a [[VR]] session is being thwarted by a deliberate [[demon]] spawn. [[Nadya]] notes that the power outage looks almost like [[Misa]]'s handiwork.<br><br />
<br>The [[demon]] hunt isn't easy, but [[Ryouko]] is aided by a pair of [[magical girl]]s who oddly refuse to identify themselves. Not long afterwards, [[Rebecca Shu|a messenger]] from [[Kuroi Kana]] appears, revealing that the mystery woman accompanying them is in fact [[Shizuki Sayaka]], and further revealing the planned [[VR]] scan.<br><br />
<br>Brought to a secret location, [[Ryouko]] is told by [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Kuroi Nana]] about the genetic engineering done to her, along with the fact that her parents were unaware and their memories altered. They further explain need to examine [[Ryouko]] more closely, and the apparent attempt to prevent this. [[Ryouko]], overwhelmed, leaves to be alone with [[Asami]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns that she was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|49|Transition State}}|[[Mami]], finding herself plagued by an inexplicable headache, is approached by her [[MHD]] [[Charlotte Meitner|minder]], only for the minder to collapse from a sudden brain hemorrhage, though [[Mami]] is able to heal her.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive at [[Adept Blue]], on orders from [[Mami]], all attempts to probe the genetically engineered portion of her brain having failed. The lab's [[AI]] director, [[Vlad]], greets them there, as does [[Mami]]—surprisingly, in person. They reveal that they've made a breakthrough, which should allow them to construct a range amplifier for [[Ryouko]], with [[Asami]]'s help. [[Mami]] also explains that, given the unknown function of the modifications to [[Ryouko]]'s brain and the recent attempts on her life, [[Ryouko]]'s presence on asteroid-borne [[Adept Blue]] with her bodyguards and [[Patricia von Rohr]] makes her more secure.<br><br />
<br>Alone, [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] discuss her circumstances: she's all but on the run from the [[MHD]], and clearly suffering from the unraveling of a [[Reformat]]. They agree to bring in an outside telepath to investigate.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] discuss their situation and their [[wish]]es, taking consolation in the fact that at least they've been brought and kept together in the whirlwind of their lives.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive on [[Adept Blue]] to help develop new wormhole technology in a secure location.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|50|Sub Rosa}}|[[Mami]] brings [[Azrael]] to [[Adept Blue]], and asks her to help undo her [[Reformat]]. They dive together into [[Mami]]'s memories, and discover an aspect of her own mind, taking various forms. It explains that [[Mami]] self-[[Reformat]]ted, using her now-suppressed impressive telepathic powers to tear off a piece of herself to create the block in her mind. [[Mami]] makes herself whole again, and remembers what she forgot…<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], traveling with her lover [[Akiyama Akari]] in the late twenty-first century, is suddenly caught in a crisis when their plane explodes. [[Mami]] burns almost all her magic trying to save the entire plane, but fails, and [[Akari]] is near death. Sharing their last moments together using [[Akari]]'s soul mage powers, [[Mami]] observes with horror the beginnings of [[Akari]]'s transformation into a terror of despair, until her [[soul gem]] finally vanishes.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] manages to survive, kill the local [[magical girl]]s responsible for the destruction of the plane, and turns herself in. [[Homura]] talks with her alone, explaining that she knew about the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from. [[Mami]], unable to deal with this revelation or the loss of [[Akari]], asks for help in [[Reformat]]ing herself.<br><br />
<br>After [[Mami]] resurfaces from the memories, [[Kyubey]] appears, claiming to be interested in both information-gathering and her well-being. [[Mami]] finds herself, as she had hoped, older and wiser enough to handle the end of her [[Reformat]], though left with unfinished business. She immediately questions [[Ryouko]] about the [[Goddess]], and both [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] tell her that [[Goddess|She]] does exist. [[Kyubey]] comments that it can't say such things are impossible, and [[Mami]] decides to visit [[the Ribbon]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] undoes her self-[[Reformat]] and learns the original fate of [[magical girl]]s.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|51|Eternal Search}}|With work continuing on the new wormhole tech, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] talk. [[Azrael]] explains how she handled her own genetic modification and controlled life, eventually deciding to look to the future and just ask for what she wanted, to surprising success. [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] that she thinks she's only really been happy on missions, which [[Asami]] had already realized.<br><br />
<br>On [[Earth]], [[Kyouko]] brings [[Mami]] to [[the Ribbon]], and they discuss the fact that someone must have triggered the unraveling of [[Mami]]'s [[Reformat]], and that logically it must have been [[Homura]].<br><br />
<br>At the [[Ribbon]], [[Mami]] enters a vision and meets—and immediately attacks—[[Oriko]]. Unharmed, [[Oriko]] responds merely by apologizing for her actions in life. [[Oriko]] explains that, as [[Homura]] told [[Mami]], what she saw with [[Akari]] was the beginnings of a terrible transformation made impossible by the [[Goddess]], and that [[magical girl]]s are instead brought to her afterlife. The [[Goddess]] herself then tells [[Mami]] that she needs to learn to let go and stop burying herself in endless work for humanity. The [[Goddess]] brings out [[Machina]] too, revealing her sentience to [[Mami]], and suggests they go on vacation, promising that there won't be [[Cephalopod]] activity for a few weeks.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]] explaining matters, and is encouraged to take a vacation.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|52|Who We Are}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew meet unexpected visitors on [[Adept Blue]]: [[Valentin]], and [[Tao]] from [[ITG]]. [[Tao]] explains that he's made some important theoretical breakthroughs that should help their work, and [[Valentin]] explains that [[Vlad]] and [[Clarisse]] are part of two separate attempts to create separate [[TCF]]s, to help provide more security against attacks like the hacked drone on [[X-25]].<br><br />
<br>Doing rescue work on a colony world retaken from the [[Ceph]], [[Zhou Meiqing]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting with [[Kuroi Nana]], who is investigating [[X-25]]. She tells [[Meiqing]] that the [[Far Seers]] have determined both of them were deliberately placed on the mission by [[Homura]] somehow, and that they recommended asking [[Meiqing]] to work with her in the [[Black Heart]]. [[Meiqing]] asks for time to decide.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] remembers going with [[Homura]] to interrogate a prisoner, [[Zhou Zhi Yi]], during the [[Unification Wars]]. On the way, [[Yuma]] asks [[Homura]] how the [[Goddess]] can allow so much evil to happen, and [[Homura]] responds that she doesn't know. [[Zhi Yi]] tells them that her work developing the [[FA Elites]] was mere prelude to her plans to genetically modify humanity to serve [[magical girl]]s needs, seeing it as the only way to preserve humanity long-term. [[Yuma]] executes her.<br><br />
<br>Back in the present day, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Simona]] has been found, and is now a [[magical girl]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] comes to [[Adept Blue]], and [[Simona]] is discovered to be a [[magical girl]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|53|Alignment}}|[[Shizuki Sayaka]] reveals to [[Yuma]] that she found [[Simona]] in [[Paris]]—they were both aiding [[Ryouko]] during the suspicious [[demon]] attack. [[Simona]] explains she's part of a mysterious organization trying to "save the world", and offers them a deal: she will give them information to ensure the safe creation of wormholes by [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]], on the condition that she join them on any missions using those wormholes to attack the [[Ceph]]. As proof of her good intentions, she agrees to undergo full [[soul mage]] examination.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] meets with [[Marianne Francois]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[New California]] as part of her attempted vacation. [[Mami]] also enjoys [[Machina]]'s company as they eat at a restaurant together, before moving on to a séance organized by the [[Far Seers]] meant to investigate what happened to [[Misa Virani]]. [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] enter into a strange vision in which they find themselves playing characters tracking down a mysterious enemy facility with [[Homura]]. They run into [[Misa]]—accompanied by [[Kyouko]] and [[Nadya]], similarly playing characters—who is tracking her friend whose [[soul gem]] supposedly failed mysteriously. [[Homura]], who is inhabiting another body as a disguise, reveals herself, and afterward convinces [[Misa]] to self-[[Reformat]] and destroy the building to hide the truth.<br><br />
<br>Using the mathematics provided by [[Simona]], and with [[Clarisse van Rossum]] in attendance, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] successfully create a long-distance wormhole.<br />
----<br />
In short: A séance reveals [[Homura]]'s role in [[Misa]]'s past, as [[Humanity]]'s first wormhole is created with the help of information from [[Simona]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|54|Eternal Youth}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] learn from the [[soul mage]] examination of [[Simona]] that the [[TCF]] has been seriously breached. Back at [[Adept Blue]], [[Simona]] watches [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]]'s successful wormhole test, reminiscing about her childhood as part of a secret project to design and implement an alternate, uncompromised [[TCF]]. [[Simona]] then reveals herself and her new status as a [[magical girl]] to [[Ryouko]] in the celebration following the successful test. [[Ryouko]], suspicious because of her vision which implied [[Simona]] was involved in the conspiracies surrounding her, confides her worries in [[Clarisse van Rossum]], who along with [[Clarisse]] [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] validates her worries and further reveals that [[Simona]] is in love with her. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] asks [[Earth]] for more information about exactly what is going on.<br><br />
<br>On [[New California]], [[Maki]] presses [[Kyouko]] on her melancholy attitude, and [[Kyouko]] confesses her worries about their relationship and how she's used romance in the past to fight against her own age. [[Nadya]] and [[Marianne Francois]] talk about their kids, reflecting on the death of [[Juliet Francois]], until [[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Maki]] arrive to meet them. Bothered by the somber mood on what's supposed to be a vacation, the group ends up going dancing—[[Mami]] in particular doing so with abandon—until they are interrupted with news from [[Yuma]]. That night, [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] discuss their recent visions, and [[Mami]] informs [[Kyouko]] she's been suddenly recalled to the [[General Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]]'s memories reveal a breach in the [[TCF]], as she meets [[Ryouko]] at [[Adept Blue]] and as [[Mami]]'s vacation comes to a close.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|55|New Perspectives}}|Headed back towards [[Earth]], Mami attends a virtual meeting of the [[General Staff]]. The new [[Coeus Project]]'s intelligence has revealed that the [[Ceph]] have regrouped faster than expected after the [[Battle of Orpheus]], so the Staff agrees to request more military resources and to put every effort into developing another "knockout" punch before the [[squid]] can attack again.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Azrael]] shares a [[VR]] recreation of her [[Terra Roja|old colony]], complete with flight-enabling bioengineered bodies, with [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Patricia]]. After some flying, conversation eventually turns to the topic of [[Simona]], and [[Ryouko]] decides to share everything she's worried about and ask for advice. When the other girls then suggest directly confronting [[Simona]] to resolve the romantic situation and uncover the truth, [[Ryouko]] initially balks. However, realizing that her life would remain out of her control as long as she never takes action herself, [[Ryouko]] changes her mind and agrees to the plan.<br><br />
<br>Meeting remotely, [[Vlad]] informs [[Mami]] that their wormhole experiments have uncovered a confounding space-time anomaly near a pulsar, and [[Mami]] realizes that it matches one of the mysterious, newly-discovered [[Ceph]] facilities the [[General Staff]] had been examining as potential targets.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] decides to confront [[Simona]], while [[Mami]] investigates a [[squid]] [[pulsar mines|pulsar facility]] as a potential target.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|56|Pulse}}|[[Simona]], suddenly facing [[Ryouko]]'s demands for answers, explains her secretive life, from her upbringing up through her assignment to [[Adept Blue]]. Though she refuses to share everything, particularly the breach in the [[TCF]], she does reveal her wish: to be understood by, and to protect, [[Shizuki Ryouko]]. With mixed feelings, [[Ryouko]] agrees to give [[Simona]] a chance to earn back trust, but makes clear that she does not reciprocate [[Simona]]'s love.<br><br />
<br>Shortly afterward, [[Vlad]] and [[Asami]] run a new experiment investigating the strange [[pulsar mines|pulsar]] in [[Ceph]] space, and [[Asami]] discovers a huge network of stations facilitating the 'mining' of its space-time for use in [[Blink technology]]. [[Mami]] is immediately informed, but before taking action, she first returns to the [[Ribbon]]. There, the [[Goddess]] reassures her that her heart really is in the right place, and tells her that humanity needs her heroism once again. The [[Goddess]] then hints towards the [[pulsar mines]], and gives [[Mami]] a glimpse into the mystery of the [[Cephalopod]]s as a whole.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]] explains herself to [[Ryouko]], and [[Mami]] meets again with the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|57|Triple Point}}|[[Mami]] visits [[Adept Blue]], promoting [[Asami]] for her recent work and informing her and [[Ryouko]] that she needs them to help destroy the [[pulsar mines]] to stave off the [[Ceph]]. While that project gets underway, [[Asami]] and [[Ryouko]] get a break, which they choose to spend together in one of the partially-restored wildernesses of [[Earth]]. There, they discuss their relationship, and find their hopes for it have somewhat converged: Asami is in less of a rush to settle down, and Ryouko is thinking more about the long-term. For the first time, Ryouko says "I love you."<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere in deep space, [[Vlad]] christens the construction of a massive new wormhole apparatus [[Project Armstrong]], and discusses with [[Tao]] the heightened security measures and screening now seemingly necessary to protect it from internal threats. And elsewhere on [[Earth]], a disguised [[Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] stop [[Nakase]] and [[Sacnite]] as they exit a showing of ''[[Orpheus]]'' to talk about unblocking her memories of the agreement she made to get [[Ryouko]]'s birth license.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Project Armstrong]] gets underway as [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] strengthen their relationship.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|58|On Trusting Trust}}|[[Nakase]]'s memories reveal that [[Valentin]] was responsible for genetically engineering [[Ryouko]], but [[Valentin]] disappears before she can be apprehended, leaving behind a letter implying that she is in fact [[Akemi Homura]]. [[Yuma]], seeing the connections between [[Valentin]], [[Ryouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] all running through the [[Cult of Hope]], and discounting the possibility that the [[Goddess]] could be real, begins to fear that the [[Cult]] is a malevolent conspiracy. However, she first is forced to address the definitely malevolent conspiracy which has compromised the original [[TCF]]—including [[MG]], to their mutual distress. [[Yuma]] and a patched [[MG]] rapidly expand their circle of informed and/or repaired AIs, starting with [[MG]]'s friends.<br><br />
<br>One of those friends, ''[[Governance: Cult of Hope]]'', acts against [[Yuma]]'s wishes and contacts [[Clarisse]] just as she and [[Ryouko]] are returning to [[Project Armstrong]]. When asked, [[Clarisse]] confirms the rumor that she had experienced visions from the [[Goddess]] convincing her that AIs have souls, but she unhappily decides she can't yet tell [[Ryouko]] about the [[TCF]] breach given the still-mysterious organ in her brain.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] vanishes once exposed as responsible for [[Ryouko]]'s genetic modifications, and [[Yuma]] begins restoring the [[TCF]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|59|Parlor Games}}|[[Nadya]], chasing down leads on [[Valentin]] from [[Kyouko]], ends up on [[Yenisei]] visiting family. The slightly tense visit is interrupted by a power outage, and the revelation that [[Piotr|her grandson]] saw [[Misa]]. [[Nadya]] hurriedly enlists local help from the [[Cult]], but finds only [[Misa]]'s trail of destruction, not the girl. In a ruined structure, hidden from local networks and drones in a manner implying [[TCF]] corruption, she digs up damaged data crystals.<br><br />
<br>The crystals end up containing a set of deep space coordinates, and [[Kyouko]] tries to set up a meeting with [[Yuma]] to discuss them, only to find that [[Yuma]] is off [[Earth]] for the first time in her life. [[Yuma]] herself is disturbed by the invitation, which included several high-ranking [[Cult]] members, but is forced to focus on the immediate task of repairing [[Nova]], [[Governance]] representative for [[Nova Terra]]. The mission nearly spirals out of control, but with help from [[MG]] and others, [[Yuma]] manages to induct [[Nova]] and her considerable resources into a still-intact conspiracy. This quickly bears fruit in the form of uncovered coordinates—unbeknownst to [[Yuma]], the same ones [[Nadya]] found.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], a crystal salamander delivers a message from [[Homura]] to [[Simona]]: "I'm sorry for everything."<br />
----<br />
In short: Both the [[Cult]] and [[Yuma]], running parallel investigations, uncover a mysterious set of coordinates.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|60|Digital Divination}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Simona]] practice in simulation for their upcoming mission: using [[Project Armstrong]]'s wormhole apparatus to launch [[jumpstrike|an attack]] on the [[Ceph]]'s [[pulsar mines]]. The simulation ends in their deaths—not an uncommon occurrence, a fact which weighs on them, especially [[Asami]]. But [[Ryouko]] works hard to support her girlfriend, even genetically engineering an exotic plant for [[Asami]] to wear in her hair as a gift.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s investigation into the AIs involved in [[Ryouko]]'s life turns up no [[TCF]] corruption, but indicates that the conspiracy she faces may have simply covered their tracks. Her investigation into the mysterious deep space coordinates yields more: a hidden asteroid base. [[Yuma]] plans to personally lead a field mission, using experimental anti-[[IIC]] technology to prevent any occupants from revealing [[Yuma]]'s conspiracy to their own. Excluded from [[Yuma]]'s planning, [[Kyouko]] unknowingly organizes a [[Cult]]-sponsored expedition to the same exact coordinates.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] hears the [[Goddess]]'s voice telling her not to go to the pulsar.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] independently plan deep space missions to the same coordinates, while [[Ryouko]] undergoes simulation training for [[Project Armstrong]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|61|Into the Void}}|[[Yuma]] and a field team of fellow [[Ancient]]s and escort ships visit the deep space asteroid base and find evidence of contact between the [[Ceph]] and [[Governance]] [[Representatives]] early in the war, ending in the death of the alien representatives. [[Kyouko]] then arrives with a large contingent of [[Cult of Hope]] members, leading to a brief flaring of tensions, before Yuma and her group is ambushed by an alien attack force.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, [[Ryouko]] and the others at [[Adept Blue]] launch their wormhole attack on the pulsar. While initially semi-successful, the task force is thrown for a loop when the aliens begin to tear their wormhole apart, and Ryouko suddenly cannot teleport.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] discover secret [[Ceph]]-[[Governance]] contacts from the early war, and then are ambushed by an alien raid. [[Ryouko]] and [[Project Armstrong]] attack the [[pulsar mines]], but alien countermeasures confound the effort.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|62|The Dying Light, Part One}}|[[Yuma]] and her [[Ancients]] struggle to hold out against [[Ceph]] raiders while [[Kyouko]]'s ships rush to link up with them. They eventually succeed, but at the cost of [[Raven]], many mundane crew and Spec Ops, and [[Ceri|a magical girl]] from [[Kyouko]]'s forces.<br><br />
<br>At the pulsar, [[Ryouko]]'s team can't end the block on her teleportation, and they have to be rescued by [[Oda|another teleporter]]. Upon returning to the wormhole, [[Asami]] is unable to fully stabilize it, and [[Ryouko]] leaves to raid the pulsar's mining facilities in response. Her teleportation is blocked again there, but this time she finds the source: mysterious [[Ceph]], with a [[blink interdictor]], as she learns unexpectedly with help from the strange organ in her brain. Still, the delays have been too much, and the order is given to abort the mission as soon as the wormhole is stabilized.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, despite having combined their forces, [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] are slowly losing their battle—and then [[Yuma]] learns the alien bombers are about to make a second pass, fully reloaded by a stealthed supply ship.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] face destruction by [[Ceph]] raiders. [[Ryouko]]'s brain module activates, and the pulsar mission has fallen apart.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|63|The Dying Light, Part Two}}|The situation of [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]]'s group grows desperate, and they concoct a radical plan: surreptitiously place [[supersaturated grief cubes]] on the departing alien bombers as an indirect surprise attack on the alien supply ship. They take heavy casualties in the meantime, and learn the distressing information that calling for reinforcements has let the [[Conspiracy]] know that their [[TCF]] hack has been compromised, leading to general consequences, including a friendly fire incident delaying their reinforcements.<br />
<br />
[[Ryouko]] makes more contact with alien machines through the strange organ in her brain, and [[Patricia]] helps her to decode some of the information before [[Oda]] and another team arrive to help teleport them away. Regrouping with [[Asami]], they learn she has successfully restabilized the wormhole. Patricia and [[Azrael]] then scan Ryouko to ensure she is not being mentally manipulated. Ryouko then explains that with the information she has received, she has acquired a bit more insight into her teleportation, enabling her to teleport objects without teleporting herself. Asami then concocts a radical plan of her own, proposing that Ryouko teleport one of her black holes near the pulsar as they evacuate, which would devastate the region. To do this, they must first wait until the end of the evacuation and assess if they have a safe window.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Yuma's group continune their gambit. Using information gathered from [[Project Armstrong]] (actually Ryouko), they activate their captured alien vessel's blink drive, teleporting the surviving members of the group to the now incapacitated alien supply ship. They board the ship, draining its exotic matter fuel tanks to manufacture interdiction charges, which are then dropped on the arriving pursuers, who are temporarily immobilized by [[blink malaise]]. Once their own ship is out of malaise, they successfully depart, but [[Nadya Antipova]] is killed when she is unable to escape after placing the last charge; the alien vessels unexpectedly focus on preventing her escape, and she is forced to perform a soul gem detonation.<br />
<br />
At the pulsar, the evacuation is nearly complete, and Asami and Ryouko resolve to perform their gambit. [[Simona]] vehemently disagrees and attempts to kidnap Ryouko to stop this, but is defeated, her soul gem torn from her body. Asami and Ryouko then successfully teleport a black hole near the pulsar, and attempt to evacuate through the wormhole with Oda's teleport as the pulsar undergoes gravitational collapse. However, this teleport is interrupted by the wormhole fracturing, and while Oda, Asami, and others seem to make it through, Ryouko is trapped when the wormhole collapses, dumping her 24 light-minutes from the pulsar, heavily injured.<br />
<br />
Before the radiation shockwave from the pulsar reaches her and kills her, an alien vessel makes contact using Ryouko's strange organ, offering rescue. With no other option, Ryouko teleports aboard and the ship blinks away.<br />
<br />
----<br />
In short, [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] are able to escape the [[Ceph]], but suffer serious casualties. [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] are able to destroy the pulsar mines, despite [[Simona]]'s attempts to force them to evacuate, but this leaves Ryouko stranded and forced to accept rescue from an alien ship.}}<br />
<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude III: Manifest Destiny ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Manifest Destiny is a term describing the belief that the United States, due to its special virtues, had both a duty and a destiny to expand west into North America.''<br />
: ''It also describes similar beliefs in the [[MSY]] during its fifth phase, as it reached further and further beyond the island nation of Japan. Perhaps may detail its struggle and eventual merger with the rival [[SMC]] in Europe.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume IV: Einstein-Rosen Bridge ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''An Einstein-Rosen Bridge is a hypothetical way of connecting two spacetime coordinates; in other words, a wormhole.''<br />
: ''The subject of [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] power and the [[Cephalopod|Cephalopod's]] wormhole tech may feature prominently.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude IV: Ubermensch ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Übermensch is Nietzsche's idea that humanity should turn away from the other worlds and values promoted by "dead" religions and gods, setting instead the goal of advancing new, superior generations of humans on earth.''<br />
: ''This may refer to [[FA]] ideologies, or even aspects of [[Governance]] thought. It notably stands in contrast to Ryouko's life and wish.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume V: Dark Energy ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Dark energy is a proposed form of energy that drives the accelerating expansion of the universe towards eventual heat death.''<br />
: ''This may imply topics ranging from the role of the [[Incubator]]s to the [[magical girl system]] itself.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Interlude V: Destroyer of Worlds ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Part of a quote by the god Vishnu in the Bhagavad Gita, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Made famous by J. R. Oppenheimer, who later said he thought of the line after witnessing the first test of an atomic bomb.''<br />
: ''Perhaps covers the Unification Wars, which saw heavy use of atomic weapons. May include [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s role, a character who notably was also present for the first atomic detonation.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume VI: Singularity ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''A singularity is a point at which a function takes an infinite value, especially in space-time when matter is infinitely dense, as at the center of a black hole. It is also a term used for the hypothetically unknowable changes to the human condition caused by superintelligence.''<br />
: ''In former sense, it may reference [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] or [[Asami|Asami's]] powers. In the latter, perhaps it refers to [[Governance|Governance's]] Emergency Mode Level Four.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div></div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Words_of_God&diff=1577Words of God2022-05-30T02:50:03Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: Add new Discord WoG</p>
<hr />
<div>Here, you can find a fairly complete list of [[Hieronym|Hieronym's]] comments on various [[To the Stars]] subjects, organized by source.<br />
<br />
=Word of God=<br />
<br />
''Canonicity: Probably Canon - author's own speculation and ideas. Can be overridden by later decisions.''<br />
<br />
''These do not contain direct spoilers of unreleased content, but do sometimes openly discuss matters only implied so far, or give vague hints towards the future.''<br />
<br />
==Sufficient Velocity==<br />
<br />
[https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/ Sufficient Velocity Discussion Thread]<br />
<br />
''Copied and continued from the original SpaceBattles thread, this is the prime source of discussion and speculation for [[To the Stars]], running since early 2013.''<br />
<br />
''Because the source posts are often buried in unrelated discussions and responses, the relevant sections have been pasted below. Topic subjects are paraphrased, answers are verbatim and cited with links to the original posts.''<br />
<br />
===Essentials===<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On the planning of the story:|"TtS has a definite ending planned"|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-30#post-761934}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On complex or lawyerly wishes:|"There's nothing against having a complex, thought out wish--you just have to really mean it. If you're Sayaka, and your heart's desire is to heal Kyousuke, and Kyouko points out to you that, hey, you might as well wish for the power to heal in general...well, the power to heal wasn't really part of your intrinsic desire, but the thought planted in your head makes it hard to wish otherwise...so your potential goes down, or disappears entirely. This is what Kyubey alludes to in Ch. 1 of TtS, when it states that it's better to make the contract now, rather than risk anyone overthinking it. <br />
<br />
Plus, you know, the whole limited-time offer effect.<br />
<br />
Madoka, on the other hand, probably had enough potential that she could have handed Kyubey an entire page of less grandiose, non-universe-scale wishes after thinking about it for a year and still had the wish work."|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-11#post-761499}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On the possibility of a wish contradicting another wish:|"I think Hiero said it before, this is a universe where there are no mutually exclusive wishes. When a wish is made, the universe is pushed onto a path where what is wished for exists and things that contradict that wish don't. That includes things like people making wishes that would cancel out that wish.<br />
For example, a girl wishing to become a successful musician won't have to deal another girl wishing she never becomes a musician. Her wish precludes that. But it wouldn't stop the other girl from wishing she fails as a musician. It just means she succeeds but eventually fails after a while."<br />
:[https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-42#post-762218 —Jimmy C]<br />
"That is actually a pretty good description of what word of god is here."<br />
:—Hieronym<br />
|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-42#post-762222}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On [[Incubator]] contracting before the [[MSY]]:|"However, pre-MSY, the Incubators deliberately undercontracted, since they'd learned from experience that cramming too many MGs in one area causes discord and conflict--it's better to have one team of 5 operating efficiently, rather than two teams of 6 spending half their time trying to kill each other. Plus there's the tendency of new contractees to get their elders killed (see: Sayaka). Without the MSY to mediate and train, these were serious considerations, and teams that exceeded around 6 or 7 started to experience personality clash and bickering over grief cube sharing. It's the same reason corporate start-ups are warned about not going beyond 6 to 7 people--once you get beyond the level where everyone can all be friends and work as a natural group, you start needing management and bureaucracy, which decreases efficiency. In the case of magical girl teams, before the MSY there wasn't even a management to fall back on; things just started falling apart."|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-15#post-761596}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On [[Clarisse van Rossum|Clarisse van Rossum's]] actions in the twentieth century:|(Necessary background: Clarrise van Rossum's witch is strongly implied in-story to be Walpurgisnacht, the infamous witch Homura faces in Puella Magi Madoka Magica.)<br />
<br />
"The way I picture it is, for the long century leading up to Homura/ribbon, Clarisse's freedom of action was greatly constrained (in a metaphysical sense) by the existence of terrible events which must happen, to ensure a timeline leading up to Homura that is roughly unchanged. The First World War, the Second World War, the Holocaust, Japanese atrocities in China, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and all the minor atrocities that followed must repeat in more or less the same manner, despite the existence of a human, rather a witch Walpurgis drawn to those events, SOME OF WHICH WERE ORIGINALLY CAUSED BY WALPURGIS. Clarisse's history in her first century of contracting is a history of showing up and failing to stop disasters from occurring, and in several cases accidentally triggering events. Madoka, when she did give a vision, generally gave visions of the "kill this person or the distant future goes horribly wrong" variety, without appearing personally as more than a narrating voice. By the end of it, Clarisse is apathetic about doing anything more than Historian-style observation, and more than a little angry at the unseen force she knows is guiding her for jerking her around like a puppet on a stage. Only after meeting Homura does Madoka appear to explain herself, and even in Ryouko's time Clarisse is less positive on the Goddess than most members of the Cult.<br />
<br />
As for WHY history must adhere so closely to the original history, the reason is simply that Madoka's friends need to be born and live their early lives the same way, because Madoka is biased.<br />
<br />
That description is also more or less permission to think about the possibility of Clarisse's involvement, conspiracy theory style, into every major 20th century event, in whatever way amuses you. Clarisse made sure Archduke Ferdinand was shot? Maybe. Clarisse was involved in JFK being killed? Maybe."<br />
|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-41#post-762195}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On how the [[TCF]] operates on different levels of sentience:|"To put a lid on expectations of MASS PANIC in the next chapter, there's a subtlety to the Trusted Computing Framework that is important here. The Original AIs (or their descendants) supervise every last line of code that goes into other AIs, or any tool used by AIs or humans to program (i.e. the equivalent of an IDE), but the level of supervision drops off the lower the sentience level of the program in question, simply because it's not practical to have an AI closely scrutinizing each and every drone that comes off an assembly line. The core guarantee is that any AIs or near-AIs made are volokhov-friendly, and this extends downward in the direction of dog drones, etc, but once you get down to bog-common miniature fliers or the lines of code that open your door, it's unlikely an AI ever inspected it directly. This allows, for instance, the possibility of someone compromising an assembly line be inserting a modified assembly robot, or something."|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-147#post-3500160}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On the different roles machine and human intelligences play in the military, and why:|"It comes down to an argument about scaling and combat niches. Speaking broadly, the experiences of ww2 resulted in ground forces dominated effectively by two "sizes" of combatants that participate in direct-- the heavy main battle tank, and the human-sized infantryman. There are many, many intermediate "sizes", but they are all operated by or supporting of infantryman, ranging from APCs that provide transportation, to all the various types of infantry equipment (machine guns, mortars, etc.). So, in fact, the infantryman is occupying many combat niches, including niches that could in theory be filled by something much dumber than the average infantryman.<br />
<br />
In TtS, the first important fact is that machine intelligence is everywhere, and scales roughly with size. When it is possible to put semi-autonomous intelligence in everything, then it becomes logical to replace many combat niches once filled by the infantryman with drones. Why task infantry with carrying and operating machine guns, when you can make a drone that is effectively a mobile machine gun? The same goes for mortars, etc. The question then becomes: why have humans at all?<br />
<br />
This is where the second fact of TtS comes into play. One of TtS's main conceits is that biological human intelligence is still, per size and energy, more efficient than machine intelligences. This is the primary upside of using human soldiers. The primary downside is that the intelligence comes in chunks--unlike a FA approach is taken to things, each human soldier is approximately 1H in intelligence. That is, vastly overqualified to man a machine gun, yet underqualified to run a battlecruiser. Thus, the niche filled by the human soldiers is everything from about 0.7H to 1H--all the combat niches where human-level intelligence is at least sufficient, but it is not possible to stick a smaller autonomous system on it an achieve better results.<br />
<br />
Because machine intelligence scales with size, then, you see most infantrymen manning combat suits that are larger than human. That is because all the smaller combat niches are filled by drones of varying intelligence, and mobile combat suit is the main niche where human-level intelligence becomes relevant. Most smaller tasks (such as firing a machine gun) can be done more effectively with a less-than-human intelligence system that is smaller and consumes less power. Energy means an enormous to TtS ground combat. And when you don't need your infantry to be capable of manning machine guns or providing bulk suppression, large mobile suit becomes much more attractive."|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-137#post-3195351}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On how the grief cube system made the MSY possible:|"On an unrelated note, I'd like to comment on the key differences between the new demon system and the old witch system that make something like the development of the MSY possible, at least insofar as it fosters cooperation and teamwork. There are at least 3 reasons:<br />
<br />
1) Grief cubes are much smaller packets than grief seeds. This makes cheating much harder and infighting much less likely, because everyone can just take their share on the spot. It's the difference between making $1million in a start-up and dividing it equally among four people--and doing the same, except now all you have is a $1million bill that only one person can hold at once. There will be the constant temptation for one person to just take it and run, and everyone knows this. It just makes for more paranoia.<br />
<br />
Plus, smaller chunks are just less prone to "crashes". Imagine that you have 60 soul gem units left before you witch out, but you need 100 units to kill any witch in the area. It doesn't help if any given witch gives you 500 units--you're doomed anyway. Whereas with a horde of demons, you could spend 10 power to kill one, gather 20 units, spent 10 power to kill another one, gather 20 more units, and gradually work yourself back to health.<br />
<br />
2) The elimination of the Witch/Familiar distinction, and the whole familiar eating people to turn into witches thing. Put succinctly, it is now impossible for Kyouko and Sayaka to have the argument they had in episodes 5-7. It doesn't matter whether you're out for yourself or want to be a hero of justice--as long as working together increases survival and grief cube yields, which it almost certainly will, then you will work together. This is very important.<br />
<br />
3) The elimination of girls turning into Witches. The big secret of the previous system, likely to destroy teams the moment one of them witches out. No longer an issue. There's no horrifying revelation just around the corner to cause Mami to shoot everyone."|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-137#post-3195351}}<br />
<br />
===Extras===<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On the nature of Walpurgisnacht:|"Also, since it's unlikely to ever come up, I'd been using the secret headcanon that Walpurgis was a time traveling witch. That's how it could cause so many disasters in the past."|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-103#post-2138315}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On the importance of money pre-[[MSY]] and how it factored in to its founding:|"One the key points mentioned early (as many in this thread have pointed out) is that money, crass money, is a big deal for magical girls before the MSY, and that Homura realized this. Homura also realized that there are he pieces of two important solutions already existed around her:<br />
<br />
1) Rich girls. Jobs, schedules, etc. are not a problem for an heiress sitting on tens or hundreds of millions. Such an heiress could also easily feed/subsidize an entire team, if she so desired. Homura probably noticed that a significant number of pre-existing teams were centered around one particularly rich girl (Oriko, one of the MSY founding teams, in a detail that hasn't come up in-story anywhere, Yoshino if we want to pull crazy crossover examples). Viewed from an economic angle, it makes sense: Everyone else needs money, and the heiress needs team members and friends to insulate her from the risk of dying in anti-demon combat or from emotional problems.<br />
<br />
The problem is, if the heiress ever takes a laser to the soul gem, the rest of the team is usually shit out of luck, and the whole thing falls apart.<br />
<br />
2) Owning your own business: The University Group realized that running their own food stand provided a "job" they couldn't possibly be fired from, because the business belonged to them. Unfortunately, they was so few of them (only 3) that they had to regularly ditch the business entirely to go demon hunting. And of course, the problem with running your own business is a) you need capital, usually plenty of it and b) businesses fail regularly, and if the entire team has everything sunk in their sandwich shop or whatever, it's all over.<br />
<br />
Homura essentially realized three things:<br />
<br />
1) #1 above is the solution to #2. If the problem is not having enough capital, and not being to eat the losses if a business fails, a rich girl with plenty of money is the direct solution to that. More capital means being able to found more lucrative, more stable businesses (taken to the late-MSY extreme, this includes play with the global financial markets), and also means that instead of having to be successful the first time, you only have to be successful on average. It makes a big difference.<br />
<br />
Homura essentially looked at the entrenched, rich elites, and realized that this is where magical girls need to be if they are to have a shot at good lives.<br />
<br />
2) Economies of scale and division of labor fix almost everything. Three girls must constantly abandon their food stand, because the difference between two girls and three girls fighting demons is a tremendous increase in risk. However, the difference between 25 girls and 24 or even 23 is much more marginal--and then the business can become much more lucrative, even when run by 1 or 2 people.<br />
<br />
With increasing trust, it starts becoming possible to specialize everyone into things they're good at, for great mass efficiency. One girl really can become team mom, and make sure everyone has warm bathes and good food to look forward to when they get back (important for psychological health). Others can become really good at making money, others can become good with medical training, and so forth. And beyond that, it starts to become possible to optimize teams, pairing teleporters with AOE, and so forth. Essentially, the equivalent of minmaxing a rpg.<br />
<br />
And the problems that come from businesses failing, rich girls losing control of their fortunes and dying, and so forth, become much more mitigated when you get multiple rich girls involved, and numerous businesses.<br />
<br />
The passage that mentions that the MSY was essentially a modernization of magical girl "economics" essentially makes this point. Economies of scale and Division of labor are core economic principles.<br />
<br />
3) Magical girls have one stunning competitive advantage: magic. By default, there is absolutely no reason to expect that random groups of teenage girls would be any good at founding businesses or making money. The equation becomes much different when you realize they are essentially capable of cheating. Homura realized that a magical girl food stand isn't a particularly good idea--unless you have a girl capable of keeping food forever fresh, or to plant mental suggestions to come buy the food, or to provide ridiculously fast delivery, or to bomb out all your competitors. You have a competitive advantage, you have to use it.<br />
<br />
If you look at early MSY behavior, it makes a lot of perspective when viewed through this lens. For instance, it is implied they went to a lot of trouble to kiss up to rich local girls and get them to join, which is for instance why Shizuki Sayaka was particularly important, and Kyouko wasn't allowed to screw it up.<br />
<br />
Of course, the hard part is to put together the necessary trust, organizations, and sheer number of individuals to make it work in the first place.<br />
<br />
The interaction of magical girls and money (or even grief cube economics) is actually a fairly interesting topic, and you can imagine some crazy things. Indeed, I even suggested some things in this:<br />
http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/37019988685/spinoff-post-2<br />
<br />
Essentially, once you have the necessary preliminaries to conduct secure economic exchanges, you start getting interesting behavior--rich magical girls hiring poorer girls to act as teammates, mercenaries farming out services, even prostitution."|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-55#post-762507}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On how [[fleets]] are organized in [[To the Stars]]:|This is actually best described as a long discussion between Hieronym and readers on the subject, from pages 29 to 31 of the Sufficient Velocity thread. The contents can't be easily extracted - just read through those pages if you're interested. Page 29 is linked as the source.|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-29}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On passive [[magical girl]] stealth:|"Crossposting this from the SA thread, since Hieronym says passive low-level stealth is TTS-compliant. Obviously, it becomes less important as Magical Girls establish their own parallel society, and even less so when they reveal themselves to humanity as a whole. But if you've ever wondered "Gee, how the hell did the Incubators keep a secret like that for thousands of years, and even into the Information Age?" ...well, this is part of the answer.<br />
<br />
<br />
Magical Girl Passive Universal Stealth in TTS and SA Explained<br />
A Primer<br />
<br />
1) If it's obvious, it's obvious. Your family will notice strange patterns. They might be more likely to overlook minor things, or be slightly more forgiving, but MGs wouldn't even notice this. If you're transformed in broad daylight where people can see and not making a conscious effort not to be seen, you will be seen, and it will be remarkable.<br />
<br />
2) Magical Girls can be Batman. It's a lot easier to confuse and slip past normals if you put effort into it, especially when the environment helps. They might still notice, but it's more likely to be "That was a certainly a very strange and anomalous thing" than "Holy shit why was that chick with a battleaxe wearing a dress and jumping around my warehouse?"<br />
<br />
3) If Magical Girls make a ruckus when everyone is asleep or would have a similarly compelling cause not to notice, they're much less likely to cause a stir or rouse people from their slumber. So even outside of miasma, they can have restrained fights at night -- so long as they stay away from places where people would be awake! -- without being in the papers the next morning.<br />
<br />
4) When a Magical Girl talks about it, they can only say "It tends to work this way" and shrug helplessly, because hard rules aren't a part of their innate understanding. It's something they have to learn as they go, and they still have to be very careful about how they go about their business.<br />
<br />
5) Sometimes, the rules change. Nobody can say why, and the Incubators don't elaborate. Some Girls speculate that the Incubators themselves are behind observed inconsistency; others insist that it's another factor (out of a list of tinfoil MG suppositions)."<br />
:—75% Certain<br />
"I am happy to have this in the SA RP, but I have been very reluctant to rule on things regarding the masquerade because I am aware of all the problems that might be caused either way. That being said, I find it difficult to imagine how things could work without at least something of this sort--in the series we have Mami jumping in full costume off of a light-pole and removing her transformation, to give just one example of something that should be extremely suspicious but no one in Mitakihara seems to bat an eyelash at/ever observe."<br />
:—Hieronym|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-191#post-4940287}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|[[Characters]] ranked by "Favoritism", as of 2015:|<br />
1. [[Shizuki Ryouko]]<br />
<br />
2. [[Tomoe Mami]]<br />
<br />
2. [[Sakura Kyouko]]<br />
<br />
2. [[Kaname Madoka]]<br />
<br />
5. [[Nakihara Asami]]<br />
<br />
5. [[Clarisse|Clarisse (TC)]]<br />
<br />
5. [[Kuroi Nakase]]<br />
<br />
5. [[Clarisse van Rossum]]<br />
<br />
9. [[Azrael Elizabeth Maslanka]]<br />
<br />
9. [[Misa Virani]]<br />
<br />
11. [[Roland Erwynmark]]<br />
<br />
11. [[Akemi Homura]]<br />
<br />
11. [[Chitose Yuma]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Patricia von Rohr]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Chiaki]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Alice Lynwood]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Kishida Maki]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Atsuko Arisu]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Kuroi Abe]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Shirou Asaka]]<br />
<br />
21. [[Nadya Antipova]]<br />
<br />
22. [[Marianne Francois]]<br />
<br />
22. [[Kyubey]]<br />
<br />
22. [[Shizuki Kuma]]<br />
<br />
22. [[Kuroi Kana]]<br />
<br />
22. [[Kuroi Nana]]<br />
<br />
22. [[Simona del Mago]]<br />
<br />
28. [[HSS Pierre-Simon Laplace]]<br />
<br />
28. [[Shizuki Sayaka]]<br />
<br />
28. [[Juliet Francois]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Zheng Ying Zhi]]<br />
<br />
31. [[HSS Raven]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Annabelle Smith]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Ruiko]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Eva Guderian]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Risa Flores]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Mina Guyure]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Gracia Perez]]<br />
|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-118#post-2545988}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|[[Characters]] ranked by "Power Levels (personal combat)", as of 2015:|<br />
1. [[Akemi Homura]]<br />
<br />
1. [[Kyubey]]<br />
<br />
1. [[Kaname Madoka]]<br />
<br />
4. [[Clarisse van Rossum]]<br />
<br />
5. [[Tomoe Mami]]<br />
<br />
6. [[Chitose Yuma]]<br />
<br />
6. [[Shizuki Sayaka]]<br />
<br />
6. [[Kuroi Kana]]<br />
<br />
6. [[Sakura Kyouko]]<br />
<br />
10. [[Nadya Antipova]]<br />
<br />
11. [[Atsuko Arisu]]<br />
<br />
12. [[Kuroi Nana]]<br />
<br />
12. [[Misa Virani]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Marianne Francois]]<br />
<br />
15. [[Azrael Elizabeth Maslanka]]<br />
<br />
16. [[Shirou Asaka]]<br />
<br />
17. [[Juliet Francois]]<br />
<br />
18. [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]]<br />
<br />
18. [[Annabelle Smith]]<br />
<br />
20. [[Patricia von Rohr]]<br />
<br />
20. [[Alice Lynwood]]<br />
<br />
20. [[Kishida Maki]]<br />
<br />
23. [[Shizuki Ryouko]]<br />
<br />
23. [[Eva Guderian]]<br />
<br />
23. [[Risa Flores]]<br />
<br />
23. [[Mina Guyure]]<br />
<br />
23. [[Gracia Perez]]<br />
<br />
28. [[Nakihara Asami]]<br />
<br />
29. [[HSS Pierre-Simon Laplace]]<br />
<br />
30. [[HSS Raven]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Roland Erwynmark]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Clarisse|Clarisse (TC)]]<br />
<br />
33. [[Kuroi Nakase]]<br />
<br />
33. [[Kuroi Abe]]<br />
<br />
33. [[Simona del Mago]]<br />
<br />
36. [[Shizuki Kuma]]<br />
<br />
37. [[Chiaki]]<br />
<br />
38. [[Ruiko]]<br />
|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-118#post-2545988}}<br />
<br />
==Hieronym's Tumblr==<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/archive/ Full Tumblr Archive]<br />
<br />
''Besides the numerous canon posts (organized on this wiki's [[Universe]] page), Hieronym has also answered questions or theorized on various matters over the years.''<br />
<br />
''Because each subject has its own discrete post, this section consists only of links, with the subjects paraphrased.''<br />
<br />
===Essentials===<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/30709503136/have-you-worked-out-an-ending-for-your-story-not On the planning of the story]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/32863631353/i-have-a-question-regarding-the-story-structure On the structure of the story]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/29217458734/how-many-human-colonies-are-there-and-whats-the On the number and population of Human colonies]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens On economics and Allocs]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/41151494661/how-did-the-incubator-respong-when-they-were-asked On Incubators being asked for help in the Contact War]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/55779437700/future-interlude-title-change On the titles of future Volumes and Interludes]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/59376550226/when-was-clinical-immortality-achieved-im On when clinical immortality was achieved]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/90279913087/unused-snippet On the state of Governance's military before the Contact War]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/94516363397/we-know-that-magical-girls-who-fall-into-despair On whether the Law of Cycles applies to all ways magical girls can die]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/142889257372/wait-wait-wait-clarisse-would-have-turned-into On Clarrise van Rossum's witch]<br />
<br />
===Extras===<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/32304862925/speculah-post-1 Various speculations, part one]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/49493446509/speculah-post-2 Various speculations, part two]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/28303057542/entropy On the nature of entropy]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/28742081041/will-the-story-ever-cast-a-spotlight-on-the-war-of On whether or not the Unification Wars will be discussed more in-story]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/29205267435/say-what-does-youkai-in-mahou-shoujou-youkai On what "Youkai" means in Mahou Shoujo Youkai]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/29725066292/in-the-last-twenty-years-of-interstellar-war-what On the number of casualties in the Contact War]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/29773916713/as-a-follow-up-to-my-previous-question-how-many On the number of magical girl casualties and population in the Contact War]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/29949848675/hello-i-am-a-big-fan-and-i-have-a-few-questions On the composition and population of the Cult]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/31093707562/whats-the-correct-spelling-of-ryoukos-name-in On the meaning of Ryouko's name]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/31415985529/is-mitakihara-the-main-seat-of-governance On whether or not Governance has a capital city]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/32916517579/so-after-the-unification-wars-the-emergency On various ongoing Governance projects]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/32660524604/insomnia-pm-reposting On the retirement or rotation of leaders in the military and MSY]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33277633406/how-hardy-are-personal-enhancements-if-you On the hardiness of implants]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/34126552127/how-would-you-describe-ryoukos-personality-to On Ryouko's personality]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/35038136507/are-transformation-sequences-a-thing-or-are-the On transformation sequences]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/35468913200/when-did-the-human-race-achieve-the-ability-to On when FTL travel was invented]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/35469313816/is-it-possible-to-hack-these-implants-and-make On the security and modification of implants]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/36646354300/describe-ryoukos-witch-if-such-a-thing-were On Ryouko's witch]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/37655973633/whats-the-state-of-social-networking-in-tts-does On the state of social media]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/37821770415/since-people-seem-interested-in-process On the process of writing the story (outdated)]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/41074995974/question-i-mightve-missed-something-in-canon On why most magical girls have dress-like outfits]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/41345652948/so-uh-did-the-msy-managed-to-send-a-probe-to On the approximate size of Human space]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/41583894229/i-didnt-understand-the-battle-sequence-with On how Laplace fought the Ceph fighters (with pictures!)]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/43771139334/in-the-msy-how-powerful-are-the-matriarchies-how On the power of the Matriarchies]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/48291457427/is-there-a-dedicated-group-of-girls-set-aside-just On fighting battlefield demon spawns]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/54189966140/what-makes-shipyards-of-such-strategic-importance On the strategic importance of shipyards]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/54202337242/to-what-extent-are-adolescents-born-with-intersex On intersex or transgender magical girls]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/54633351732/are-security-clearance-levels-usually-universal On security clearances and compartmentalization]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/55018657673/education-text-dumping On the primary education system]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/56381803986/have-humans-been-able-to-observe-whether-the-ais On the friendliness of Ceph AI]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/57378093987/forgive-me-is-this-has-been-asked-before-but-is On the shooting star symbol of the MSY]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/57592662917/how-would-you-rate-humanity-and-the-aliens-on-the On Human energy usage]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/58681865394/ecosystem-textdump On Earth's ecosystem]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/61097942724/how-rare-are-the-various-types-of-powers-for On the rarity of different powers]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/61098540023/do-blink-drives-produce-any-sort-of-sensor On the detectability of the Blink Drive]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/62492795494/in-the-recent-26th-chapter-ryouko-over-primed On over-priming soul gems]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/65952809143/does-the-msy-have-political-parties On MSY political factions]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/68350489343/name-meanings On the pseudonyms of the Mitakihara Four]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/94515812917/in-your-headcanon-are-magical-girls-recruited-at On the recruitment rate for magical girls]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/102001235282/pm-reposting On a variety of speculative subjects and questions]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/125653585442/do-wraithsdemons-ever-spawn-in-space-it-occurs On the possibility of demons on spaceships]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/142280138142/hey-im-autistic-and-while-reading-tts-currently On whether Ryouko and her father display autistic traits]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/142888984287/can-the-incubators-refuse-to-grant-a-wish-if-they On whether Incubators can refuse to grant wishes]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/146539799542/how-much-of-earth-is-inhabitable-in-tts-era-yuma On uninhabitable or preserved regions of Earth]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/146826586477/where-do-you-place-mitakihara-in-japan On Mitakihara's location]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/151138266677/are-the-witch-runes-just-a-substitution-cipher On the readability of witch runes]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/177210302855/questions-post-5 On Ryouko's feelings about Clarisse van Rossum]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/177245873435/questions-post-7 On whether you can meet yourself in a vision]<br />
<br />
[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/146528726732/when-was-clarisse-born-when-did-she-contract On the circumstances of Clarisse van Rossum's wish]<br />
<br />
==Discord==<br />
[https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FToTheStars&subject=Ask+for+a+Discord+invitation&message=I+would+like+to+join+the+To+the+Stars+Discord+server.+Please+send+me+an+invite+link! Discord Channel]<br />
<br />
''Though the Discord is mostly used for general chatting, Hieronym has on occasion given Words of God here.''<br />
<br />
''These can't be linked directly, so images will be shown instead. You can search for the text within the images on the Discord server, however.''<br />
<br />
===Essentials===<br />
<br />
{{spbox|On the planned title for the last chapter:|[[File:Ttslastchaptertitle.PNG]]<br />
<br />
<br />
[[File:Hieronymicon.PNG]] is [[Hieronym]]'s icon here.}}<br />
<br />
{{spbox|On the structure of [[MSY]] leadership:|[[File:MSY structure.PNG]]<br />
[[File:MSY structure2.PNG]]<br />
<br />
A little while later:<br />
[[File:MSY structure3.PNG]]<br />
<br />
<br />
[[File:Hieronymicon.PNG]] is [[Hieronym]]'s icon here.}}<br />
<br />
===Extras===<br />
<br />
{{spbox|On [[Shizuki Hitomi|Hitomi]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka|her daughter]]:|[[File:Hitomi.PNG]]<br />
<br />
<br />
"Akuma Homura" is [[Hieronym]] here.}}<br />
<br />
{{spbox|On the [[Soul Guard]] and [[Black Heart]] prior to the [[Unification Wars]]:|[[File:SoulGuardBlackHeart.PNG]]<br />
[[File:SoulGuardBlackHeart2.PNG]]<br />
<br />
<br />
"Word of God" is [[Hieronym]] here.}}<br />
<br />
{{spbox|On what [[Mami]] meant when says [[Ryouko]] looks like "her":|[[File:Mamilooklikeher.png]]<br />
<br />
<br />
"Consensus: Hieronym" is [[Hieronym]] here.}}<br />
<br />
==Reddit==<br />
[https://www.reddit.com/r/ToTheStars/ To the Stars Subreddit]<br />
<br />
===Extras===<br />
<br />
[https://www.reddit.com/r/ToTheStars/comments/kfai4k/ch_31_question_reaction_to_mamis_speech/gg8und1/ On Mami's speech at the end of Ch. 31]</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=File:Mamilooklikeher.png&diff=1576File:Mamilooklikeher.png2022-05-30T02:47:27Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: Ch. 22:
The marshal seemed to peer at her face for a moment, as they stood face to face.
"You really do look like her, but…"
Here, Mami's voice trailed off, as the marshal frowned in sudden puzzlement.
"Like who?" Ryouko asked.
Mami shook her head, eyes closed and smiling slightly.
Hieronym confirms on Discord that Mami is subconsciously thinking of Madoka here, but can't make the connection.</p>
<hr />
<div>== Summary ==<br />
Ch. 22:<br />
<br />
The marshal seemed to peer at her face for a moment, as they stood face to face.<br />
<br />
"You really do look like her, but…"<br />
<br />
Here, Mami's voice trailed off, as the marshal frowned in sudden puzzlement.<br />
<br />
"Like who?" Ryouko asked.<br />
<br />
Mami shook her head, eyes closed and smiling slightly.<br />
<br />
<br />
Hieronym confirms on Discord that Mami is subconsciously thinking of Madoka here, but can't make the connection.</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Mahou_Shoujo_Youkai&diff=1566Mahou Shoujo Youkai2021-10-28T05:19:30Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: Matching Tumblr dates</p>
<hr />
<div>The MSY (Mahou Shoujo Youkai, 魔法少女ようかい, usually referred to as the MSY or Union in Standard) is the overarching magical girl organization of TtS, encompassing under its auspices every magical girl alive. In the past, this was compulsory as a matter of practicality—though it was required under MSY law—but now it is a legal requirement and assumption under Governance.<br />
<br />
((A separate section on the breakdown and responsibilities of the contemporary MSY, along with known officials, is probably desirable.))<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Founding===<br />
The MSY was founded in 2021, at a meeting of representatives from six teams encompassing the Mitakihara metropolitan area, the brainchild of the famous [[Mitakihara Four]]. It followed an extensive series of friendship meetings, social gatherings, and group hunts designed to bolster mutual trust. These ~24 girls, collectively considered the MSY's founders, had previously been forced to cooperate in order to counter the depredations of the Southern Group, and were thus on very good terms, facilitating the idea of a mutual aid group.<br />
<br />
While the original MSY did have some ambitions for expansion, as evident from the name and the grandiose act of penning a Charter, the scope of the group's initial intentions were limited. As originally delineated in the Charter, the MSY was merely an agreed-upon framework for the fulfillment of five founding mandates:<br />
<br />
# The elimination of grief cube shortages, by the formation of a collectively managed grief cube "insurance pool", designed to mitigate fluctuations in harvesting and need for any particular team. Each team was expected to contribute a certain percentage of their takings or a certain minimum, whichever was higher, and could not withdraw more than a certain amount per month. Deviations from these rules, in the case of extenuating circumstances, could be accepted with collective consent.<br />
# Provide for the airing out and resolution of misunderstandings and disagreements.<br />
# Providing mutual aid, in the case of external threats or in dangerous circumstances.<br />
# Smooth out differences in non-magical resources between groups, and attempt to acquire [[Mitakihara Delivery Service|a source of steady income]]. It was recognized that the health of each team was in some degree dependent on that of others, and that some of the wealthier members could easily provide for everyone with the use of only a minimal amount of their resources.<br />
# Allowing for the "borrowing" and "lending" of team members between city regions, to optimize team structures, as long as the borrowing team undertook to provide housing, training, etc. For instance, in the provision of healers to teams with no healers.<br />
<br />
The original Charter provided for decision-making by informal meetings of teams, who would meet at least once every three months, and more if necessary. Formally, a majority was required for decisions, as well the agreement of at least one member of each team. A quorum was required of at least one member of each team. Informally, most decisions in the early days were made by effective unanimous consent. The unusually formalized and written structure of the Charter reflected both the beliefs of the famous [[Akemi Homura]] and the advice of the [[Incubators]] (via [[Kyubey]]), who had seen the rise and fall of many similar organizations.<br />
<br />
It was intended that while the Charter could be extended to an indefinitely large area, it would only provide a framework for local cooperation, with the wider prefectural or (unimaginably) national level connections being used primarily to facilitate easy travel.<br />
<br />
===Early Expansion===<br />
The MSY succeeded beyond the expectations of both its organizers and the Incubators, driven by a combination of unexpectedly large grief cube surpluses and the overwhelming success of the rebranded [[D&E Corporation]]. The consequent more relaxed hunting schedule and relative opulence, with team members free to dine in expensive restaurants and dabble in personal careers (and even more unthinkably, outside relationships), attracted regional envy and "border" groups hurried to join. By the end of the first decade, decision-making with the full membership had become unwieldy, and the decision was made to fragment into local organizational groups, and Charterize a Leadership Committee (2031), formed out of prominent girls within the organization. While ultimate authority would still lie with the full membership, of whom a meeting could be called at any time, the Leadership Committee would be responsible for day-to-day decision-making.<br />
<br />
This was also desirable because of a slow expansion of the organization's mandate. With the expansion of the MSY's financial resources and the lengthening lifespans of its members, the organization found itself expected to help with things like bribing local police, paying college tuition, providing plausible excuses to parents, providing medical and psychological care, hiding girls with missing limbs, and so forth. This entailed an increasing number of specialists, including non-contracted humans, deployed in more and more complex ways. Nearly all of this would eventually cement into a formal bureaucracy.<br />
<br />
The first and perhaps most notable of these child organizations to emerge was the [[Soul Guard]] (2043). Headed by the founder [[Tomoe Mami]], the Soul Guard began as a single team and grew into a full police force, and was designed to be the explicit fulfillment of part 3 of the original charter, suppressing insane girls, providing fire support, acting as response force to complaints of charter violation, and, occasionally, meting out approved revenge on behalf of organization members. All of these functions had been previously carried out haphazardly, with only an uneven record of success, and it was an embarrassing streak of unnecessary deaths caused by insane girls that prompted the Soul Guard's formation, though ironically this role became less important with the rise of the [[MHD]] and the MSY's increasing oversight of new recruits.<br />
<br />
Hand in hand with the Soul Guard came the enshrinement of a legal system (2044), replacing mob punishment of "soul criminals" with formal trials, with a tribunal (two random members, one Soul Guard judge, at least two telepaths) for questions of guilt, a jury for decisions on punishment, and an executive panel for questions of interpretation of the increasingly convoluted "Law", at the time a confusing mixture of Charter amendments, Leadership Committee Decrees, and common practice.<br />
<br />
It is to this period that historians date the MSY's institutionalization as a true government, with its seizure of the critical state monopoly on violence.<br />
<br />
After the formation of the Soul Guard, with its legitimization of formal MSY sub-organizations (the Charter modified to explicitly give the Leadership Committe the right to make such organizations), there was a ballooning of the number of executive committees and organizations, with, for example, the MHD (2053) created to tackle the thorny issue of mental health (all-important to magical girls), the rehabilitation of insane girls and criminals, and, incidentally, the provision of health care when the normal hospital wasn't a choice.<br />
<br />
===Japanese Consolidation===<br />
Dating the end of this second phase remains controversial, since the date on which the MSY absorbed the last Japanese holdouts (2085) considerably postdates the establishment of the first MSY overseas outpost (2068). Nonetheless, the period 2050-2075 clearly represented a considerable slowdown in MSY growth, as the organization stalled on the coasts of Japan and struggled to digest its new responsibilities and powers.<br />
<br />
It was a period of consolidation and organizational maturation, as the MSY refined its techniques and bureaucracies at all levels. From an institutional standpoint, the most notable milestone was a major rewrite of the Charter in 2059, establishing a common law legal code, placing legislative powers in a newly-formed Rules Committee, formalizing voting and representation procedures for top offices, setting the structure of the Leadership Committee, and giving an explicit procedure for Charter amendment. Though in some sense the Charter had been a constitution for a long time, this was first time it began to resemble the other democratic constitutions then prevailing in the world.<br />
<br />
This period was also the period in which MSY corporations began to represent a significant portion of the Japanese economy, and in which MSY infiltration of the Japanese government began to spread upward into the Diet and Cabinet. The MSY saw its first "second-generation" magical girls, inaugurating the [[Matriarchy|Matriarchies]] that would come to dominate internal politics over the coming centuries.<br />
<br />
It was also in this period that the MSY, tired of the mob's outrageous crimes—especially its exploitation of teenage girls and women—and the nonstop jostling between the two organizations in the underworld they both inhabited, finally decapitated the Yakuza in a series of Soul Guard operations in 2055, installing its own bureaucrats at the top. From here on out, the Japanese Mafia would become a bound mastiff, abandoning most of its criminal enterprises and serving as an instrument of MSY policy.<br />
<br />
By 2075, the MSY had become a dominant force in Japan, influencing its economy, controlling its criminal underworld, and helping to direct government policy, all from the safety of the shadows. It was only fitting that it would then turn its eyes outward.<br />
<br />
===Nationalism and Profits===<br />
<br />
It was the singular misfortune of the MSY that it was formed initially in Japan, a country which was, even in the late 21st century, still roundly despised throughout Asia for its actions in the Second World War. Though some historians argue that the delay in further expansion imposed on the MSY by this fact was actually an advantage, forcing consolidation and streamlining before possibly overstretching, this argument seems too convoluted to be valid. In any case, it is an ironic fact that the MSY's initial expansion out of Japan was far more successful in relatively distant locations such as Hawaii, Australia, and the American West Coast, than in more proximate locations in China, Korea, or the Philippines.<br />
<br />
It is perhaps unsurprising that the original instinct of the organization was to restrict itself to the shore of Japan. As already mentioned, Asia was hardly a welcoming place for a Japanese-headed organization, and the logistical challenges of expanding to a geographically and culturally distinct region seemed daunting, particularly when it came to issues of control and representation. To inhabitants of the time period, it seemed unfathomable that, for example, South Korean magical girls would ever voluntarily enter an organization with a Japanese name, and to most MSY members, it seemed a wasted effort to even try.<br />
<br />
There were two countervailing factors that eventually proved overriding. The first, and more minor, was the opinion of prominent founders such as Akemi Homura, [[Chitose Yuma]], [[Kuroi Kana]], and other cosmopolitan members of the leadership, as well as that of the Incubators themselves. While this was an important factor, it would likely have been insufficient to override the parochialism of most of the membership, much of whom had imbibed the xenophobia of their home nation. Indeed, this xenophobia was powerful enough that the leadership was forced to accede to major political concessions in the landmark Charter of 2059, to prevent a major grassroots Nationalist faction from sabotaging passage.<br />
<br />
Most notable among these concessions was the institution of a form of contracting location-based citizenship, in which the leaderships' language officially incorporating all magical girls contracted within the borders of Japan was worded so as not to include anyone else—with a grudging exception made for foreign members already admitted. Both the Nationalist faction and the Charter language would prove significant thorns in later MSY operations.<br />
<br />
The second, and more important factor, was business interest. [[Finance Division|MSY Finance]], always greedy for more profits, frothed at the bit for commercial expansion, and was not easily denied by a membership whose incomes heavy depended on said organization. Yet attempts throughout the 2040s and early 50s to replicate the success of MSY corporations abroad were hampered by a lack of MSY organizational support—the teleporters and other personnel that were often relied upon could not easily operate in foreign territories—and it was soon became clear that the success of MSY corporations internationally was to a certain degree contingent on the presence of the organization as a whole.<br />
<br />
Because of this, informal arrangements were quickly made with local magical girls throughout the sectors of MSY expansion, both overseas and in East Asia. Local magical girls were paid in both currency and grief cubes to tolerate the presence and operations of foreign magical girls and, in the regions where it proved necessary, efforts were made to recruit "local faces" to dampen down possible outbreaks of nationalist sentiment. However, because of reservations within an organization still uncommitted to expansion, formal membership was rarely offered, and after the Charter of 2059, completely impossible, preventing foreigners from assuming any MSY offices or any of the other vestiges of membership.<br />
<br />
It soon became clear that these kind of informal arrangements were unsustainable in the long-run. Except for a few unusual examples, such as Singapore, corporate expansion in East Asia rapidly bogged down; the presence of a few paid local faces proved insufficient to engender trust, causing numerous incidents, and MSY executives repeatedly failed to understand the local market, due to both differences in cultural background and their own prejudices. Local nationalists grumbled that the whole setup smacked of colonialism—a charge which could not be easily dismissed—while the Nationalist faction grumbled at the amount of money and grief cubes that were being disbursed for little seeming purpose.<br />
<br />
Success overseas came more easily, but this was a double-edged sword. Relations between MSY corporations and local magical girls were far more cordial, and as a consequence overseas offices became more and more heavily staffed by locals. While this went a long way toward promoting financial success, tensions soon emerged at the unnatural arrangement. Ambitious employees were frustrated at being locked out of upper-tier positions and, as MSY operations expanded in scope, local magical girl teams—who contributed significantly to these operations—began to complain about their lack of input into decision-making. True, they were paid, but initially not any better than local Japanese. They were merely employees, and increases in payments designed to ameliorate their complaints triggered political backlash from the home islands, who could not easily understand why foreigners were being given more money than they were.<br />
<br />
Within the membership, too, opinions were shifting. Aging of the overall magical girl population, coupled with an increase in education and income levels, as well as an increase in foreign travel among the once firmly-rooted community, combined to foster a growing sense of cosmopolitanism within the voting population. The increasing power of an unifying internal media, communication, and political system, now increasingly adept at circumventing the limitations of secrecy, lessened the once-fierce devotion of the MGs to their home territories, and gave the leadership a valuable ability to project its opinions to its constituents. It was a form of demographics, providing long-term trends that would eventually counter the impressive organizing skill of the Nationalists.<br />
<br />
While the Nationalist faction was a fierce vocal minority, the 2059 Charter represented the apogee of its influence. Ironically, Nationalist success carried the seeds of later failure, exposing rifts and contradictions that were repeatedly highlighted by the leadership and media. After 2059, Nationalist support rapidly contracted; it had overreached significantly, making 2059 a Pyrrhic victory.<br />
<br />
The leadership soon began feeling comfortable enough to push forward referendums to not only strip ethnocentric language from the Charter—essentially reversing its concessions to the Nationalists—but also include an expansion protocol to formally absorb the hodge-podge of administrative regions, whose vastly differing policies and management schemes fostered confusion and mutual resentment.<br />
<br />
In the late 2050s and early 2060s, a series of such referendums repeatedly failed to pass, but accrued greater and greater support with each vote. Longitudinal demographic trends suggested that passage was inevitable, but events were spurred considerably by the Triad incidents of 2063–65. Triad bosses, having gotten wind of the connection of MSY corporations to the Japanese Yakuza, resented what they viewed as an aggressive incursion into their turf, and began attempting to assert their authority, committing arson, kidnapping [[TNC]]s, and generally performing acts of intimidation. The situation was aggravated by the MSY's refusal to agree to settlement talks with an organization they viewed with as much disgust as they had once viewed the Yakuza.<br />
<br />
Though no incidents of soul gem loss occurred, several high-profile injuries were amplified within the MSY's internal media, setting nerves on edge. Finally, in 2065, MSY leadership finally approved a targeted takeover operation which, while successful, only served to heighten local contradictions, as the MSY was once again forced to install "local faces", but in this case in positions of considerable power. The sense rapidly began to spread that the MSY was now inextricably tangled within the morass of the Chinese mainland and that, as long as this was true, the organization might as well devote itself to the issue whole-heartedly, with a well-executed plan.<br />
<br />
Bolstered by an accompanying set of carefully couched humanitarian arguments, the so-called "Expansion Protocol" finally achieved majority support in 2067, and, despite considerable bitterness from the Nationalist faction, the leadership wasted little time in implementation, unveiling the first pilot expansion—into ethnic Japanese-heavy Hawaii—just one year later. Resounding success was followed by a cascade of expansion projects in the Asian-heavy US West Coast, New Zealand, Australia, and to a lesser degree in China and East Asia—successfully overcoming nationalist feelings and accusations of colonialism was a difficult task, even if Triad suppression produced a modicum of good feeling.<br />
<br />
The revised Charter of 2067 permitted a level of federalization previously unthinkable within the MSY legal structure. Concerns about control were ameliorated by permitting a balkanization of legal codes, judicial practices, and Soul Guard control, allowing local members near-independence in managing their own affairs. The Charter's region-based representation, originally adopted because of team loyalty to their own cities, served the organization extremely well here, allowing local MSY branches to create and sustain substantively local organizations, with only corporate affairs and the inflow and outflow of money remaining firmly under central control.<br />
<br />
The Charter of 2067, though far-sighted, could not address everything and, in at least one important way, sowed the seeds of future conflict: the splintering of central authority, while in many ways admirably democratic, meant that the organization would have trouble responding to events that required unified action.<br />
<br />
The leadership, including newly formed MSY Recruitment and Diplomacy, under Tomoe Mami, was generous and conciliatory, but significant portions of the MSY political landscape were far less so, including the still-vocal but increasingly outnumbered Nationalists. This served as a portent of things to come.<br />
<br />
===Manifest Destiny===<br />
<!-- Parts here redacted to all but those with Security Clearance Level Author. Only personnel with Security Clearance Level Editor may see this notification.<br />
<br />
-->Flush off a string of interventionist successes and confident in the newly created Black Heart, a new mindset began to take hold with the MSY, both within the leadership and rank-and-file. This mindset held that further MSY expansion was not merely a matter of practicality, but one of morality. The MSY, political orators began to assert, had a moral mandate to spread its auspices to every magical girl in existence, and to therefore bring an end to the tragic old era everywhere. Moreover, as the MSY had proven its presence to be a positive good wherever it went, it had both the power and the right to intervene wherever and whenever it felt that local authorities were failing its local magical girls. Because of the natural affinity each girl felt for their home area, and because local conditions determined the childhoods of future members, the organization could justify interventions that little direct effect on its members, even in the minds of its less humanitarianly-inclined voters.<br />
<br />
This attitude took root and spread rapidly within the organization as it went from success to success. The MSY's unofficial borders pushed outward, spreading eastward and southward in the new world, and westward and northward in the old. Geographic and political barriers proved a frequent impediment, but were routinely circumvented by leapfrogging into urban commercial centers with the powerful instrument of MSY corporations and money. Indeed, as expansion gathered steam, voluntary requests for MSY incorporation became more and more common, especially from "Neutral" magical girl trading grounds, which were often coincident with major commercial centers.<br />
<br />
These special territories, usually administered by cabals of pragmatic merchants, had often survived for centuries or more as hubs of underground trade, exchanging both grief cubes and currency for a variety of goods and services, and many had acquired an air of timelessness and respect within their regions. Thus, when they knuckled under to the MSY, enticed by the combination of exceptional profits and the opportunity to "finally stop paying those damn mercs" for protection and law enforcement, it lent the MSY a valuable a sense of both legitimacy and historical inevitability.<br />
<br />
By the beginning of the twenty-second century, after a few decades of breakneck expansion, the MSY had grown to encompass the majority of the globe, with outposts stretching over most of North America, parts of South America, much of the Pacific Rim, most of Asia and the Middle East, and parts of Europe and Africa. Much of what remained was territory that was naturally hard to access, suffering from lack of infrastructure, lack of connection to global trade, or simply a lack of the dense urban areas where the MSY's policies were most efficacious. These would prove a tough nut to crack, but by then the MSY had plenty of resources to invest, or outright spend, in solving the "problem".<br />
<br />
Indeed, most of the rural territories nominally inside MSY borders still persisted in independence. These were territories distant from MSY influence, whose sparse demon hordes and economic assets made them both much less attractive for MSY planners and much more difficult to properly absorb. MSY leadership was, however, confident that rural areas would eventually follow the example of their slow-assimilating Japanese analogs—as they eventually did.<br />
<br />
Neither of these sets of territories proved a fundamental impediment to MSY expansion. Rather, the MSY was the victim of its own success. Word of the MSY phenomenon had spread rapidly outward, and copycat organizations had sprung up throughout the developed or partially developed regions where the MSY had yet to penetrate. Many of these had a distinctly national or regional flavor to them, and were often fiercely independent, refusing to listen to appeals to solidarity, or to economies of scale, or to financial considerations. Examples included blocs that formed in Argentina, Egypt, and the southern United States.<br />
<br />
Still, as long as the MSY had the economic power of its constituent international corporations, it could always truthfully say that it provided a standard of living higher than that offered by any of these minor blocs. It could afford to peel away at these blocs territory by territory and team by team with the allure of financial incentives. It was a slow process, but it would likely have worked eventually.<br />
<br />
The true threat to MSY supremacy came from the powerful European bloc which, in an appeal to historical nostalgia, was called the [[Système Magique Cordial]]. Based in the highly developed EU economy, drawing on a long tradition of magical girl organization, and owner of its own set of wealthy corporations, the SMC was a worthy foe to the MSY, and offered the organization its first true gut check.<br />
<br />
How dedicated was the MSY to its programme of global dominance anyway? The SMC was prosperous, well-run, and stable. Unlike many of the MSY's other competitors, it deprived the organization of its most powerful moral rallying cry. If the MSY was truly dedicated solely to improvement of the lot of magical girls, there was no reason the two organizations could not live side-by-side, as SMC orators and diplomats constantly pointed out. What, then, did the MSY truly want?<br />
<br />
The roughly half-century history of MSY-SMC relations is convoluted, multifaceted, and murky. MSY voting populations were torn between a desire to avoid conflict and a deep hunger for symbolic unification, reflected in editorial and political appeals to "Manifest Destiny", a phrase borrowed directly from the expansion history of the United States, and which either accidentally or deliberately recalled the events leading up to the Mexican-American War. Complicating the situation were the differing opinions of the MSY's constituent populations, with many viewing their former colonial oppressors as arrogant and selfish, while more Europhilic populations sympathized with the SMC's position.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, MSY leadership alternated between fire-breathing appeals for hostile takeover and conciliatory pleas to abstain from radical action, often from the same person in the same week. The senior leadership, embodied in the Mitakihara Four and other founding teams, remained mostly poker-faced. Notable exceptions included the conciliatory Chief Diplomat Tomoe Mami and the fire-breathing Shizuki Sayaka, Director of a MSY Finance rabidly angry at an organization that embodied many of its chief competitors.<br />
<br />
Regardless of the complicated internal dynamics of both the MSY and SMC, the fact remains that in the last decade of the SMC's existence, the two organizations finally descended into a bitter cold war, with both sides engaging in brinksmanship-style diplomacy, deploying their by-now extensive covert operations groups, pulling strings with their host governments, and engaging in brutal corporate warfare. The 2090s were marked by a historically anomalous deterioration of the Eurozone's relations with the rest of the world, and was attended by a recession that was severe even by the standards of an already recession-plagued world. In retrospect, this seems hardly a coincidence.<br />
<br />
The history of the era will likely be forever clouded, given the MSY's absolute refusal to discuss the matter, including the alleged questionable deaths that occurred on both sides, an eternal favorite of internal conspiracy theorists. In 2126, the SMC agreed to a merger, in exchange for lucrative special concessions and considerations, which would only be wiped out during the turmoil of the Unification Wars half a century later.<br />
<br />
The legacy of the MSY Unification period can still be seen in cultural and organizational quirks within the MSY, such as the preponderance of Black Heart agents who first train in Paris—an echo of the SMC's formidable covert ops groups—or the number of MSY-sponsored biological labs in Argentina. In 2110, the MSY finally achieved its treasured Manifest Destiny, but it would have almost no time to savor it.<br />
<br />
===Calm Before the Storm===<br />
<br />
By the middle of the twenty-second century, the MSY was one of the world's most economically secure organizations. With holding companies planted in strategic sectors and massive investment and hedge funds posted to exploit the peaks and troughs of both global and regional economies, the MSY's cash flows grew prodigiously year after year. No longer seeing any meaningful reason to skimp, the organization's cash disbursements to its membership grew more and more substantial. The MSY's automated industries and computerized trading algorithms ensured an almost automatic flow of wealth into its bank accounts, and its tremendous wealth essentially guaranteed a (indirect, inexplicit) seat at the table of power, even without considering the Soul Guard, Black Heart, and Governmental Affairs agents posted throughout the world's governments<br />
<br />
While it would have been impossible for the organization to make its members trillionaires or even billionaires on a per capita basis, collectively the trend was clear: the MSY had elevated many of its members into the [[hyperclass]], and maintained the rest of its membership at a level significantly above the rest of the populace.<br />
<br />
The years 2110-2160 were, for the MSY, a materialist golden age. The MSY's members were effective capital owners during the years when it most mattered. Many Magical girl teams situated themselves in opulent mansions, held extravagant parties, and flaunted their wealth in a manner almost indistinguishable from their more normal hyperclass peers,.<br />
<br />
The leadership, more stoic, wiser, and more politically attuned, watched this, and worried.<br />
<br />
With [[Vladimir Volokhov]]'s 2136 unraveling of the principles of AI, the dam finally broke on over a century of economic trends. Steadily rising structural unemployment and slow concentration of wealth became instead soaring unemployment and exponential concentration of wealth. With the advent of cheap, easily programmable artificial intelligence, the world's industries no longer had a true need for human labor, and relentless cost-cutting left greater and greater proportions of the population out in the streets.<br />
<br />
The paradox of plenty had truly arrived. Factories were more productive than ever, but even at the lowest prices, the only clients with money were the increasingly opulent capital owners, the hyperclasses the newly emergent economic class that would come to define the following century. Economic production stagnated, even as potential production skyrocketed.<br />
<br />
Government responses were mixed. Almost universally, the world's government's, nominally democratic or not, had degenerated into instruments of their oligarchical hyperclasses. Nations where the hyperclasses sympathized with the masses handed out basic incomes to keep them solvent. Those that didn't handed out pittances or, often, nothing, content to rely on increasingly brutal oppression.<br />
<br />
As the rank-and-file of the MSY isolated themselves deeper and deeper into cocoons of wealth, their cultural connections with the people they nominally served frayed, and increasing portions of the membership began to display attitudes similar to that of their crueler hyperclass peers, evincing contempt for the "handout-seeking layabouts" that now constituted most of the population. This growing strain of belief coalesced with pre-existing legitimate concerns about MSY intervention and a growing sense of superiority within the immortal, superpowered population to form the [[Mages First movement]], an unofficial political movement seeking to end the MSY's significant—and expensive—humanitarian and anti-poverty intervention operations.<br />
<br />
The MSY, as powerful as it was, could not afford to save the world, the movement argued, and the world hard deserved it anyway. As for those girls unfortunate enough to have contracted in poverty or in poorer nations, it would be significantly easier to move the girl into wealth, rather than trying to bring wealth to the area around her.<br />
<br />
These arguments horrified the leadership, the older girls, and the poor new girls in question, who tried to exert whatever influence they had to resist any retractions in the MSY's operating mandate. However, the MSY's decentralized, federal, and democratic structure, so valuable an asset during expansion, now proved an obstacle. While the MSY leadership was able to apply substantial political pressure to influence attitudes in its traditional power centers and homelands: Japan, China, Western Europe, and the US West Coast, the state of MSY operations in the world's remaining regions depended heavily on local culture, the attitudes of the local hyperclass, and, to a significant degree, pure chance. In many regions of the world, MSY charities withdrew, MSY pressure on the government lessened, and economic manipulation ended. Only the centrally-directed Black Heart remained engaged.<br />
<br />
The loss of these MSY interventions both precipitated and were caused by the form of social collapse emblematic of the Unification War era: [[Hyperclass Detachment]].<br />
<br />
The hyperclass, isolated and insulated by their wealth, faced by cognitive dissonance between their greed and their natural empathy with the lower classes, often constructed elaborate moral theories purporting to demonstrate that they were there because they were morally superior and, conversely, that the lower classes were in their positions because they were morally inferior. Such an attitude was a global phenomenon, but it was only in a certain proportion of nations that it was able to mutate into true Detachment, with the hyperclass extending their beliefs to include the proposition that it was ''morally correct'' for the lower classes to be kept down, that it was ''morally incorrect'' to hand out relief food or money, and so forth. These kinds of beliefs mutated into endless variety, to a degree wearingly and horrifyingly familiar to any historian of the age.<br />
<br />
Eventually, the world's nations, defined by their hyperclasses, began to sort into two groups. The nations where the hyperclasses detached in this manner faded from central-MSY influence and began to back each other in international disputes. Similarly, the nations where the hyperclasses held onto their moral compasses, implementing relief and welfare programs—though never giving up their hold on power—began to form a second visible power bloc and, invisibly, began to consolidate under the control of the central MSY leadership, due to a combination of Mitakihara's desire to exert control and increasing factionalism within the MSY itself. This second faction grew increasingly disturbed and repelled by the actions of the first, and began to strive to destabilize the governments of the first, achieving some measure of success—but not enough.<br />
<br />
The world was crumbling, but the MSY was too disunified to do anything.<br />
<br />
===Unification Wars===<br />
<br />
Events came to a head in the late 2150s, when a series of open revolts in the nations with the most draconian policies were ruthlessly crushed. These crushings were followed a wave of crackdowns in the "Detached" nations, involving mass executions, use of military force, and, often, the disassembly of whatever remained of democratic governance.<br />
<br />
While an effort was initially made to prevent leakage of information about the events, this proved an essentially impossible, as the media and internet combined to relay images to the world. Further revelations arrived with the appearance of a completely new phenomenon: [[refugee AIs]], programmed in the friendly Volokhov fashion, who had been so horrified by events that they managed to override their programming restraints and escape. These often possessed enormous, horrifying insight into the operations of their former nations, and they were usually all too willing to talk.<br />
<br />
These events and revelations shattered an already tottering international order. The last meeting of the UN General Assembly, in 2160, collapsed entirely when the delegates of the non-detached faction walked out in protest at the organizations inability to take meaningful action against abuses. The remaining delegates dissolved the organization and formed their own international organization, the appropriate Orwellian [[Freedom Alliance]]. This was followed, a week later, by the formation of its nemesis, the [[United Front]], as the few remaining neutral nations (including the powerful United States and European Union) fell into internal strife and chaos.<br />
<br />
This turmoil did not exclude the MSY. Unlike the outside world, the majority of the organization was solidly United Front oriented, reflecting the opinions of leadership, new girls, and, to a large degree, the fundamental nature of magical girls. Even the majority of the non-interventionist Mages First faction fell into this category, after witnessing the abuses of the FA nations.<br />
<br />
But it was, perhaps, too late. Whereas concerted MSY action earlier might have prevented the slide into crisis, the choices now were far more dire.<br />
<br />
As the atrocities increased, national armies were mobilized, and local wars began to break out, the MSY's power structures agonized and strains, divided between those who wanted the clarity of open war, those who argued that war would be too big a catastrophe, those who feared the ramification war would have on their own, comfortable lives, and the still remaining splinter faction that sympathized with the FA. The Incubators added their own input to the situation, warning direly that Humanity was at substantial risk of a "low-productivity, low-utility" end-state, and even offering direct intervention, if requested (this was refused).<br />
<br />
The MSY's influence on governments strained to hold back war, but it was no longer clear this was possible.<br />
<br />
Events crystallized in 2163, with the revelation of the so-called [[St. Petersburg atrocity]]. The local hyperclasses had resolved to do the unfathomable: annihilate an entire segment of the city's population for anti-governmental behavior. While the world was shocked by this, the MSY was further shocked by a subsidiary revelation—that a substantial number of newly contracted girls were dead in the event, not from an accident as originally believed, but due to the deliberate betrayal of members of the MSY's FA-sympathizing faction.<br />
<br />
In an unprecedented action, a full meeting of the MSY's membership was called, and the overwhelming majority of the membership voted to override the Charter and pass down an ultimatum: the members of the FA-sympathizing faction would immediately move themselves to secure UF locations and submit to monitoring, or they would make themselves eligible for immediate capture and possible summary termination, based on criteria to be determined later.<br />
<br />
Most such members refused, staying put. After that, the MSY voted to change its policy from suppression of war to active pursuit of war. War followed shortly thereafter, though it can be easily argued that no help was needed in this regard.<br />
<br />
The military history of the Unification Wars is long and well-known, the MSY's involvement less so. At the first official movement of alliance against alliance, and even before, the MSY exerted whatever resources it safely could in pursuit of UF victory, massively expanding its Black Heart agent network, performing civil defense duties, and deploying special combat teams, designed to covertly accompany and support UF forces without being noticed. It was this experience that the MSY would later draw on for its initial encounters with the [[Cephalopods]].<br />
<br />
Eventually, agonizingly, and cataclysmically, the FA collapsed under weight of its economic inferiority, its own ideologies rendering it incapable of effectively mobilizing its populations, or even preventing its populations from being co-opted by the other side.<br />
<br />
As the FA fell to pieces, MSY teams combed the ruins, hunting for their former brethren.<br />
<br />
===The Long Peace===<br />
<br />
The immediate post-war period was as difficult for the MSY as it was for the world as a whole. Much, indeed most, of the MSY's wealth and external power had been felled in the war, or would be dismantled afterward in the EDC and Governance's reorganizations of society. While the MSY had significant influence within the new government, even successfully placing one of Chitose Yuma's numerous aliases on the EDC, and manipulating the EDC into adopting numerous recommendations gleaned from the Incubators, it nonetheless found it difficult to adapt its operations to Governance's plans for a significantly expanded surveillance state, and significant fewer sources of private wealth. While post-war MSY members experienced a higher standard of living compared to that within the war itself, they experience a drastic dropoff when compared to the pre-war period. While the MSY would eventually successfully reorganize, it would never quite recover the level opulence relative to the masses it had once enjoyed.<br />
<br />
When it became clear that Governance was governing effectively, the MSY leadership, and the organization itself, settled in fro the long-term, hopeful that they had finally accomplished what they set out to achieve, and that they could look forward to indefinite growth and prosperity.<br />
<br />
==Organization & Charter==<br />
===Original Charter===<br />
<div style="padding-left: 3em;max-width: 55em;margin: 0 auto;"><br />
'''Statement of Purpose'''<br />
<br />
Up until now, the magical girl system has been a tragedy of massive proportions. The dreams of teenage girls become a nightmare of fear, conflict, deprivation and death. This is the result of a failure of organization and cooperation, not intrinsic to the system itself. The participating teams of Mitakihara City hereby undertake to build an organization, the ''Mahou Shoujo Youkai'', capable of fostering the cooperation and organization necessary to end the unnecessary pain.<br />
<br />
The MSY is founded as a mutual aid group, with five primary mandates:<br />
<br />
The elimination of grief cube shortages in any one time by the establishment of a grief cube pool<br />
<br />
The provision of a forum for the airing out, resolution, and arbitration of misunderstandings and disagreements<br />
<br />
The provision of effective countermeasures in the event of serious external threats or dangerous circumstances<br />
<br />
The distribution of non-magical resources such as money in a manner beneficial to the group as a whole<br />
<br />
The distribution of team members, particularly newly contracted girls, in an optimal manner<br />
<br />
'''Article I-Fundamental Organization'''<br />
<br />
''1: Global Meeting''<br />
<br />
Major decisions shall be made at a General Meeting, held at least once every three months, but more frequently whenever necessary. This Meeting shall have the power to issue exceptions to every part of this Charter, and may amend whenever felt necessary. At least one member of every member team must be present to constitute a quorum, and decisions require an absolute majority of present members, as well as the agreement of at least one member of each team, with the exception of certain sanctionary actions mentioned below, for which the quorum requirement may be relaxed to as little as one member per each of half the existing teams. This may be done, for instance, for failure to attend the Meeting.<br />
<br />
Chairmanship and Hosting of the next Meeting will be decided at the previous meeting. The hosting team will organize and chair the session, charging any direct costs to the General Fund. Any member team may request an early Meeting at any time.<br />
<br />
''2: General Fund''<br />
<br />
Two joint Treasurers from different teams shall be assigned to manage a General Fund, which shall be used to finance organizational activity, as well as provide reimbursements when practicable. The Treasurers shall provide a description of organizational finances at every General Meeting, and may be replaced by the Meeting whenever desired.<br />
<br />
The founding teams commit to providing at least twenty thousand Japanese Yen (¥20,000) per member to initialize the Fund. Subsequently, teams are required to contribute at least ten thousand Japanese Yen (¥10,000) each month per member. Individual members may be required to contribute more at the discretion of the Global Meeting, particularly if the given member has access to significant outside wealth.<br />
<br />
Any contributions exceeding this amount may be used to deduct from the contributing team's required surplus grief cube contribution, at a rate to be considered and reset at every Meeting, depending on the state of the organization's current finances and grief cube stocks, but may not be used to deduct from the absolute minimum. The initial rate is set to ten thousand Japanese Yen (¥10,000) per cube.<br />
<br />
Businesses or investment ventures undertaken by the organization will be financed from the Fund, and any proceeds will return to the fund. Every General Meeting, a monthly reimbursement amount for each team will be decided upon; this amount may exceed the contribution amount, and the amount may differ between teams, as circumstances warrant. Teams may also request emergency allotments, issued at the discretion of the Treasurers; the resolution of any resulting fiscal issues may be decided at the next Meeting.<br />
<br />
''3. Grief Cube Pool''<br />
<br />
Three Cube Keepers will be assigned to manage a Grief Cube Pool, which shall be used to insulate member teams against poor grief cube harvests. The Pool shall be kept in multiple locations, as practicality and safety permit. Every two weeks, or more frequently, teams shall submit a number of grief cubes not required to exceed the operating surplus, but otherwise not lower than an absolute minimum of one grief cube per member per week or fifty percent (50%) of their operating surplus, whichever is higher. In the event of an operating deficit, withdrawals may be made from the pool up to one grief cube per week per member. Additional withdrawal may be granted at the discretion of the Keepers, but must be discussed at the following Meeting.<br />
<br />
The Keepers shall provide a description of organizational grief cube stocks at every General Meeting, along with an account of the productivity of various teams, and may be replaced whenever desired by the Meeting. The direct purchase or selling of grief cubes to or from the Pool may be permitted, within limitations prescribed by the previous Meeting.<br />
<br />
The Incubators have agreed to perform verification of operating deficits and surpluses.<br />
<br />
'''Article II-Entrance or Departure of Teams'''<br />
<br />
A team that wishes to enter the organization may, with majority agreement of its own members, submit an entrance request at any time. Such requests shall be taken up by a General Meeting as soon as practicable. If requested by any one member team, a disapproval vote may be held—a majority shall suffice to refuse the entrance request. Otherwise, entrance is automatic. The Meeting may also require the requesting group to provide additional resources, i.e. monetary instruments, grief cubes, before allowing entrance.<br />
<br />
A team may leave the organization at any time, with majority agreement of the team's own members. The other teams must be informed as soon as possible. Leaving the organization does not discharge outstanding debts and obligations.<br />
<br />
A team may be ejected from the organization with the agreement of four-fifths (4/5) of the remaining total membership of the organization, with the assent of at least one member from team except the one being ejected.<br />
<br />
'''Article III-Lending of Individual Team Members'''<br />
<br />
Member teams may transfer or lend individuals between one another with unanimous mutual agreement, and in cases where newly contracted members have skills that would be essential to a team other than the team in her contracting area, it may be expected, depending on residency status, age, and so forth.<br />
<br />
Individuals lent or transferred to another team have a right to expect treatment comparable to that which would be expected from their own team, including training, housing, social support, and so forth. The original team may, with the assent of the individual in question, demand that the move be reversed, with arbitration by the General Meeting if the new team does not agree.<br />
<br />
'''Article IV-Other Resources'''<br />
<br />
It is expected that member teams will share resources not already discussed, i.e. access to health care or transportation, in a manner that is generous, reasonable, and fair. Disputes may be arbitrated by the General Meeting, but this is hoped to be avoided.<br />
<br />
'''Article V-External Threats, misc.'''<br />
<br />
Member teams are expected to cooperate in the utmost in the eradication or handling of any external threats and other issues that may arise.<br />
<br />
'''Article IV-Additional Enforcement Measures'''<br />
<br />
In the event of noncooperation, failure to attend General Meetings, or willful violation of Charter stipulations and/or Meeting decisions, a Meeting may impose sanctions upon a team, with the agreement of two-thirds (2/3) of the remaining total membership of the organization, with the assent of at least one member from every team except the one being sanctioned. These sanctions include, but are not limited to, increased monetary and grief cube contribution requirements and refusal of emergency allotments and grief cube withdrawals.<br />
<br />
Signed,<br />
<br />
Akemi Homura, on behalf of the "Mitakihara Four"<br />
<br />
Kuroi Kana, on behalf of the "University Area Group"<br />
<br />
Chiyo Rika, on behalf of the "Northern Group"<br />
<br />
Tanaka Yui, on behalf of the "Financial District Group"<br />
<br />
Takara Chinami, on behalf of the "Factory Area Group"<br />
<br />
Yasuhiro Rin, on behalf of the "West Kasamino Three"<br />
</div><br />
<br />
==Major Branches==<br />
===Finance Division===<br />
===Grief Cubes & Logistics Division===<br />
===Mental Health Division===<br />
===Science Division===<br />
===Governmental Affairs===<br />
===Soul Guard===<br />
====Black Heart====<br />
=====Internal Affairs=====<br />
==References==<br />
#[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33353850285/organization-post-1-msy-part-1 Organization Post Part 1]<br />
#[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/35830707759/organization-post-1-msy-part-2 Organization Post Part 2]<br />
#[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/42090333090/organization-post-1-msy-part-3 Organization Post Part 3]<br />
#{{Ch|3}}<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Organization]]<br />
[[Category:MSY]]<br />
[[Category:Under Construction]]</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Mahou_Shoujo_Youkai&diff=1565Mahou Shoujo Youkai2021-10-28T05:18:56Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: Matching dates to updated Tumblr dates</p>
<hr />
<div>The MSY (Mahou Shoujo Youkai, 魔法少女ようかい, usually referred to as the MSY or Union in Standard) is the overarching magical girl organization of TtS, encompassing under its auspices every magical girl alive. In the past, this was compulsory as a matter of practicality—though it was required under MSY law—but now it is a legal requirement and assumption under Governance.<br />
<br />
((A separate section on the breakdown and responsibilities of the contemporary MSY, along with known officials, is probably desirable.))<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
===Founding===<br />
The MSY was founded in 2021, at a meeting of representatives from six teams encompassing the Mitakihara metropolitan area, the brainchild of the famous [[Mitakihara Four]]. It followed an extensive series of friendship meetings, social gatherings, and group hunts designed to bolster mutual trust. These ~24 girls, collectively considered the MSY's founders, had previously been forced to cooperate in order to counter the depredations of the Southern Group, and were thus on very good terms, facilitating the idea of a mutual aid group.<br />
<br />
While the original MSY did have some ambitions for expansion, as evident from the name and the grandiose act of penning a Charter, the scope of the group's initial intentions were limited. As originally delineated in the Charter, the MSY was merely an agreed-upon framework for the fulfillment of five founding mandates:<br />
<br />
# The elimination of grief cube shortages, by the formation of a collectively managed grief cube "insurance pool", designed to mitigate fluctuations in harvesting and need for any particular team. Each team was expected to contribute a certain percentage of their takings or a certain minimum, whichever was higher, and could not withdraw more than a certain amount per month. Deviations from these rules, in the case of extenuating circumstances, could be accepted with collective consent.<br />
# Provide for the airing out and resolution of misunderstandings and disagreements.<br />
# Providing mutual aid, in the case of external threats or in dangerous circumstances.<br />
# Smooth out differences in non-magical resources between groups, and attempt to acquire [[Mitakihara Delivery Service|a source of steady income]]. It was recognized that the health of each team was in some degree dependent on that of others, and that some of the wealthier members could easily provide for everyone with the use of only a minimal amount of their resources.<br />
# Allowing for the "borrowing" and "lending" of team members between city regions, to optimize team structures, as long as the borrowing team undertook to provide housing, training, etc. For instance, in the provision of healers to teams with no healers.<br />
<br />
The original Charter provided for decision-making by informal meetings of teams, who would meet at least once every three months, and more if necessary. Formally, a majority was required for decisions, as well the agreement of at least one member of each team. A quorum was required of at least one member of each team. Informally, most decisions in the early days were made by effective unanimous consent. The unusually formalized and written structure of the Charter reflected both the beliefs of the famous [[Akemi Homura]] and the advice of the [[Incubators]] (via [[Kyubey]]), who had seen the rise and fall of many similar organizations.<br />
<br />
It was intended that while the Charter could be extended to an indefinitely large area, it would only provide a framework for local cooperation, with the wider prefectural or (unimaginably) national level connections being used primarily to facilitate easy travel.<br />
<br />
===Early Expansion===<br />
The MSY succeeded beyond the expectations of both its organizers and the Incubators, driven by a combination of unexpectedly large grief cube surpluses and the overwhelming success of the rebranded [[D&E Corporation]]. The consequent more relaxed hunting schedule and relative opulence, with team members free to dine in expensive restaurants and dabble in personal careers (and even more unthinkably, outside relationships), attracted regional envy and "border" groups hurried to join. By the end of the first decade, decision-making with the full membership had become unwieldy, and the decision was made to fragment into local organizational groups, and Charterize a Leadership Committee (2031), formed out of prominent girls within the organization. While ultimate authority would still lie with the full membership, of whom a meeting could be called at any time, the Leadership Committee would be responsible for day-to-day decision-making.<br />
<br />
This was also desirable because of a slow expansion of the organization's mandate. With the expansion of the MSY's financial resources and the lengthening lifespans of its members, the organization found itself expected to help with things like bribing local police, paying college tuition, providing plausible excuses to parents, providing medical and psychological care, hiding girls with missing limbs, and so forth. This entailed an increasing number of specialists, including non-contracted humans, deployed in more and more complex ways. Nearly all of this would eventually cement into a formal bureaucracy.<br />
<br />
The first and perhaps most notable of these child organizations to emerge was the [[Soul Guard]] (2043). Headed by the founder [[Tomoe Mami]], the Soul Guard began as a single team and grew into a full police force, and was designed to be the explicit fulfillment of part 3 of the original charter, suppressing insane girls, providing fire support, acting as response force to complaints of charter violation, and, occasionally, meting out approved revenge on behalf of organization members. All of these functions had been previously carried out haphazardly, with only an uneven record of success, and it was an embarrassing streak of unnecessary deaths caused by insane girls that prompted the Soul Guard's formation, though ironically this role became less important with the rise of the [[MHD]] and the MSY's increasing oversight of new recruits.<br />
<br />
Hand in hand with the Soul Guard came the enshrinement of a legal system (2044), replacing mob punishment of "soul criminals" with formal trials, with a tribunal (two random members, one Soul Guard judge, at least two telepaths) for questions of guilt, a jury for decisions on punishment, and an executive panel for questions of interpretation of the increasingly convoluted "Law", at the time a confusing mixture of Charter amendments, Leadership Committee Decrees, and common practice.<br />
<br />
It is to this period that historians date the MSY's institutionalization as a true government, with its seizure of the critical state monopoly on violence.<br />
<br />
After the formation of the Soul Guard, with its legitimization of formal MSY sub-organizations (the Charter modified to explicitly give the Leadership Committe the right to make such organizations), there was a ballooning of the number of executive committees and organizations, with, for example, the MHD (2053) created to tackle the thorny issue of mental health (all-important to magical girls), the rehabilitation of insane girls and criminals, and, incidentally, the provision of health care when the normal hospital wasn't a choice.<br />
<br />
===Japanese Consolidation===<br />
Dating the end of this second phase remains controversial, since the date on which the MSY absorbed the last Japanese holdouts (2085) considerably postdates the establishment of the first MSY overseas outpost (2068). Nonetheless, the period 2050-2075 clearly represented a considerable slowdown in MSY growth, as the organization stalled on the coasts of Japan and struggled to digest its new responsibilities and powers.<br />
<br />
It was a period of consolidation and organizational maturation, as the MSY refined its techniques and bureaucracies at all levels. From an institutional standpoint, the most notable milestone was a major rewrite of the Charter in 2059, establishing a common law legal code, placing legislative powers in a newly-formed Rules Committee, formalizing voting and representation procedures for top offices, setting the structure of the Leadership Committee, and giving an explicit procedure for Charter amendment. Though in some sense the Charter had been a constitution for a long time, this was first time it began to resemble the other democratic constitutions then prevailing in the world.<br />
<br />
This period was also the period in which MSY corporations began to represent a significant portion of the Japanese economy, and in which MSY infiltration of the Japanese government began to spread upward into the Diet and Cabinet. The MSY saw its first "second-generation" magical girls, inaugurating the [[Matriarchy|Matriarchies]] that would come to dominate internal politics over the coming centuries.<br />
<br />
It was also in this period that the MSY, tired of the mob's outrageous crimes—especially its exploitation of teenage girls and women—and the nonstop jostling between the two organizations in the underworld they both inhabited, finally decapitated the Yakuza in a series of Soul Guard operations in 2055, installing its own bureaucrats at the top. From here on out, the Japanese Mafia would become a bound mastiff, abandoning most of its criminal enterprises and serving as an instrument of MSY policy.<br />
<br />
By 2075, the MSY had become a dominant force in Japan, influencing its economy, controlling its criminal underworld, and helping to direct government policy, all from the safety of the shadows. It was only fitting that it would then turn its eyes outward.<br />
<br />
===Nationalism and Profits===<br />
<br />
It was the singular misfortune of the MSY that it was formed initially in Japan, a country which was, even in the late 21st century, still roundly despised throughout Asia for its actions in the Second World War. Though some historians argue that the delay in further expansion imposed on the MSY by this fact was actually an advantage, forcing consolidation and streamlining before possibly overstretching, this argument seems too convoluted to be valid. In any case, it is an ironic fact that the MSY's initial expansion out of Japan was far more successful in relatively distant locations such as Hawaii, Australia, and the American West Coast, than in more proximate locations in China, Korea, or the Philippines.<br />
<br />
It is perhaps unsurprising that the original instinct of the organization was to restrict itself to the shore of Japan. As already mentioned, Asia was hardly a welcoming place for a Japanese-headed organization, and the logistical challenges of expanding to a geographically and culturally distinct region seemed daunting, particularly when it came to issues of control and representation. To inhabitants of the time period, it seemed unfathomable that, for example, South Korean magical girls would ever voluntarily enter an organization with a Japanese name, and to most MSY members, it seemed a wasted effort to even try.<br />
<br />
There were two countervailing factors that eventually proved overriding. The first, and more minor, was the opinion of prominent founders such as Akemi Homura, [[Chitose Yuma]], [[Kuroi Kana]], and other cosmopolitan members of the leadership, as well as that of the Incubators themselves. While this was an important factor, it would likely have been insufficient to override the parochialism of most of the membership, much of whom had imbibed the xenophobia of their home nation. Indeed, this xenophobia was powerful enough that the leadership was forced to accede to major political concessions in the landmark Charter of 2059, to prevent a major grassroots Nationalist faction from sabotaging passage.<br />
<br />
Most notable among these concessions was the institution of a form of contracting location-based citizenship, in which the leaderships' language officially incorporating all magical girls contracted within the borders of Japan was worded so as not to include anyone else—with a grudging exception made for foreign members already admitted. Both the Nationalist faction and the Charter language would prove significant thorns in later MSY operations.<br />
<br />
The second, and more important factor, was business interest. [[Finance Division|MSY Finance]], always greedy for more profits, frothed at the bit for commercial expansion, and was not easily denied by a membership whose incomes heavy depended on said organization. Yet attempts throughout the 2040s and early 50s to replicate the success of MSY corporations abroad were hampered by a lack of MSY organizational support—the teleporters and other personnel that were often relied upon could not easily operate in foreign territories—and it was soon became clear that the success of MSY corporations internationally was to a certain degree contingent on the presence of the organization as a whole.<br />
<br />
Because of this, informal arrangements were quickly made with local magical girls throughout the sectors of MSY expansion, both overseas and in East Asia. Local magical girls were paid in both currency and grief cubes to tolerate the presence and operations of foreign magical girls and, in the regions where it proved necessary, efforts were made to recruit "local faces" to dampen down possible outbreaks of nationalist sentiment. However, because of reservations within an organization still uncommitted to expansion, formal membership was rarely offered, and after the Charter of 2059, completely impossible, preventing foreigners from assuming any MSY offices or any of the other vestiges of membership.<br />
<br />
It soon became clear that these kind of informal arrangements were unsustainable in the long-run. Except for a few unusual examples, such as Singapore, corporate expansion in East Asia rapidly bogged down; the presence of a few paid local faces proved insufficient to engender trust, causing numerous incidents, and MSY executives repeatedly failed to understand the local market, due to both differences in cultural background and their own prejudices. Local nationalists grumbled that the whole setup smacked of colonialism—a charge which could not be easily dismissed—while the Nationalist faction grumbled at the amount of money and grief cubes that were being disbursed for little seeming purpose.<br />
<br />
Success overseas came more easily, but this was a double-edged sword. Relations between MSY corporations and local magical girls were far more cordial, and as a consequence overseas offices became more and more heavily staffed by locals. While this went a long way toward promoting financial success, tensions soon emerged at the unnatural arrangement. Ambitious employees were frustrated at being locked out of upper-tier positions and, as MSY operations expanded in scope, local magical girl teams—who contributed significantly to these operations—began to complain about their lack of input into decision-making. True, they were paid, but initially not any better than local Japanese. They were merely employees, and increases in payments designed to ameliorate their complaints triggered political backlash from the home islands, who could not easily understand why foreigners were being given more money than they were.<br />
<br />
Within the membership, too, opinions were shifting. Aging of the overall magical girl population, coupled with an increase in education and income levels, as well as an increase in foreign travel among the once firmly-rooted community, combined to foster a growing sense of cosmopolitanism within the voting population. The increasing power of an unifying internal media, communication, and political system, now increasingly adept at circumventing the limitations of secrecy, lessened the once-fierce devotion of the MGs to their home territories, and gave the leadership a valuable ability to project its opinions to its constituents. It was a form of demographics, providing long-term trends that would eventually counter the impressive organizing skill of the Nationalists.<br />
<br />
While the Nationalist faction was a fierce vocal minority, the 2059 Charter represented the apogee of its influence. Ironically, Nationalist success carried the seeds of later failure, exposing rifts and contradictions that were repeatedly highlighted by the leadership and media. After 2059, Nationalist support rapidly contracted; it had overreached significantly, making 2059 a Pyrrhic victory.<br />
<br />
The leadership soon began feeling comfortable enough to push forward referendums to not only strip ethnocentric language from the Charter—essentially reversing its concessions to the Nationalists—but also include an expansion protocol to formally absorb the hodge-podge of administrative regions, whose vastly differing policies and management schemes fostered confusion and mutual resentment.<br />
<br />
In the late 2050s and early 2060s, a series of such referendums repeatedly failed to pass, but accrued greater and greater support with each vote. Longitudinal demographic trends suggested that passage was inevitable, but events were spurred considerably by the Triad incidents of 2063–65. Triad bosses, having gotten wind of the connection of MSY corporations to the Japanese Yakuza, resented what they viewed as an aggressive incursion into their turf, and began attempting to assert their authority, committing arson, kidnapping [[TNC]]s, and generally performing acts of intimidation. The situation was aggravated by the MSY's refusal to agree to settlement talks with an organization they viewed with as much disgust as they had once viewed the Yakuza.<br />
<br />
Though no incidents of soul gem loss occurred, several high-profile injuries were amplified within the MSY's internal media, setting nerves on edge. Finally, in 2065, MSY leadership finally approved a targeted takeover operation which, while successful, only served to heighten local contradictions, as the MSY was once again forced to install "local faces", but in this case in positions of considerable power. The sense rapidly began to spread that the MSY was now inextricably tangled within the morass of the Chinese mainland and that, as long as this was true, the organization might as well devote itself to the issue whole-heartedly, with a well-executed plan.<br />
<br />
Bolstered by an accompanying set of carefully couched humanitarian arguments, the so-called "Expansion Protocol" finally achieved majority support in 2067, and, despite considerable bitterness from the Nationalist faction, the leadership wasted little time in implementation, unveiling the first pilot expansion—into ethnic Japanese-heavy Hawaii—just one year later. Resounding success was followed by a cascade of expansion projects in the Asian-heavy US West Coast, New Zealand, Australia, and to a lesser degree in China and East Asia—successfully overcoming nationalist feelings and accusations of colonialism was a difficult task, even if Triad suppression produced a modicum of good feeling.<br />
<br />
The revised Charter of 2067 permitted a level of federalization previously unthinkable within the MSY legal structure. Concerns about control were ameliorated by permitting a balkanization of legal codes, judicial practices, and Soul Guard control, allowing local members near-independence in managing their own affairs. The Charter's region-based representation, originally adopted because of team loyalty to their own cities, served the organization extremely well here, allowing local MSY branches to create and sustain substantively local organizations, with only corporate affairs and the inflow and outflow of money remaining firmly under central control.<br />
<br />
The Charter of 2067, though far-sighted, could not address everything and, in at least one important way, sowed the seeds of future conflict: the splintering of central authority, while in many ways admirably democratic, meant that the organization would have trouble responding to events that required unified action.<br />
<br />
The leadership, including newly formed MSY Recruitment and Diplomacy, under Tomoe Mami, was generous and conciliatory, but significant portions of the MSY political landscape were far less so, including the still-vocal but increasingly outnumbered Nationalists. This served as a portent of things to come.<br />
<br />
===Manifest Destiny===<br />
<!-- Parts here redacted to all but those with Security Clearance Level Author. Only personnel with Security Clearance Level Editor may see this notification.<br />
<br />
-->Flush off a string of interventionist successes and confident in the newly created Black Heart, a new mindset began to take hold with the MSY, both within the leadership and rank-and-file. This mindset held that further MSY expansion was not merely a matter of practicality, but one of morality. The MSY, political orators began to assert, had a moral mandate to spread its auspices to every magical girl in existence, and to therefore bring an end to the tragic old era everywhere. Moreover, as the MSY had proven its presence to be a positive good wherever it went, it had both the power and the right to intervene wherever and whenever it felt that local authorities were failing its local magical girls. Because of the natural affinity each girl felt for their home area, and because local conditions determined the childhoods of future members, the organization could justify interventions that little direct effect on its members, even in the minds of its less humanitarianly-inclined voters.<br />
<br />
This attitude took root and spread rapidly within the organization as it went from success to success. The MSY's unofficial borders pushed outward, spreading eastward and southward in the new world, and westward and northward in the old. Geographic and political barriers proved a frequent impediment, but were routinely circumvented by leapfrogging into urban commercial centers with the powerful instrument of MSY corporations and money. Indeed, as expansion gathered steam, voluntary requests for MSY incorporation became more and more common, especially from "Neutral" magical girl trading grounds, which were often coincident with major commercial centers.<br />
<br />
These special territories, usually administered by cabals of pragmatic merchants, had often survived for centuries or more as hubs of underground trade, exchanging both grief cubes and currency for a variety of goods and services, and many had acquired an air of timelessness and respect within their regions. Thus, when they knuckled under to the MSY, enticed by the combination of exceptional profits and the opportunity to "finally stop paying those damn mercs" for protection and law enforcement, it lent the MSY a valuable a sense of both legitimacy and historical inevitability.<br />
<br />
By the beginning of the twenty-second century, after a few decades of breakneck expansion, the MSY had grown to encompass the majority of the globe, with outposts stretching over most of North America, parts of South America, much of the Pacific Rim, most of Asia and the Middle East, and parts of Europe and Africa. Much of what remained was territory that was naturally hard to access, suffering from lack of infrastructure, lack of connection to global trade, or simply a lack of the dense urban areas where the MSY's policies were most efficacious. These would prove a tough nut to crack, but by then the MSY had plenty of resources to invest, or outright spend, in solving the "problem".<br />
<br />
Indeed, most of the rural territories nominally inside MSY borders still persisted in independence. These were territories distant from MSY influence, whose sparse demon hordes and economic assets made them both much less attractive for MSY planners and much more difficult to properly absorb. MSY leadership was, however, confident that rural areas would eventually follow the example of their slow-assimilating Japanese analogs—as they eventually did.<br />
<br />
Neither of these sets of territories proved a fundamental impediment to MSY expansion. Rather, the MSY was the victim of its own success. Word of the MSY phenomenon had spread rapidly outward, and copycat organizations had sprung up throughout the developed or partially developed regions where the MSY had yet to penetrate. Many of these had a distinctly national or regional flavor to them, and were often fiercely independent, refusing to listen to appeals to solidarity, or to economies of scale, or to financial considerations. Examples included blocs that formed in Argentina, Egypt, and the southern United States.<br />
<br />
Still, as long as the MSY had the economic power of its constituent international corporations, it could always truthfully say that it provided a standard of living higher than that offered by any of these minor blocs. It could afford to peel away at these blocs territory by territory and team by team with the allure of financial incentives. It was a slow process, but it would likely have worked eventually.<br />
<br />
The true threat to MSY supremacy came from the powerful European bloc which, in an appeal to historical nostalgia, was called the [[Système Magique Cordial]]. Based in the highly developed EU economy, drawing on a long tradition of magical girl organization, and owner of its own set of wealthy corporations, the SMC was a worthy foe to the MSY, and offered the organization its first true gut check.<br />
<br />
How dedicated was the MSY to its programme of global dominance anyway? The SMC was prosperous, well-run, and stable. Unlike many of the MSY's other competitors, it deprived the organization of its most powerful moral rallying cry. If the MSY was truly dedicated solely to improvement of the lot of magical girls, there was no reason the two organizations could not live side-by-side, as SMC orators and diplomats constantly pointed out. What, then, did the MSY truly want?<br />
<br />
The roughly half-century history of MSY-SMC relations is convoluted, multifaceted, and murky. MSY voting populations were torn between a desire to avoid conflict and a deep hunger for symbolic unification, reflected in editorial and political appeals to "Manifest Destiny", a phrase borrowed directly from the expansion history of the United States, and which either accidentally or deliberately recalled the events leading up to the Mexican-American War. Complicating the situation were the differing opinions of the MSY's constituent populations, with many viewing their former colonial oppressors as arrogant and selfish, while more Europhilic populations sympathized with the SMC's position.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, MSY leadership alternated between fire-breathing appeals for hostile takeover and conciliatory pleas to abstain from radical action, often from the same person in the same week. The senior leadership, embodied in the Mitakihara Four and other founding teams, remained mostly poker-faced. Notable exceptions included the conciliatory Chief Diplomat Tomoe Mami and the fire-breathing Shizuki Sayaka, Director of a MSY Finance rabidly angry at an organization that embodied many of its chief competitors.<br />
<br />
Regardless of the complicated internal dynamics of both the MSY and SMC, the fact remains that in the last decade of the SMC's existence, the two organizations finally descended into a bitter cold war, with both sides engaging in brinksmanship-style diplomacy, deploying their by-now extensive covert operations groups, pulling strings with their host governments, and engaging in brutal corporate warfare. The 2090s were marked by a historically anomalous deterioration of the Eurozone's relations with the rest of the world, and was attended by a recession that was severe even by the standards of an already recession-plagued world. In retrospect, this seems hardly a coincidence.<br />
<br />
The history of the era will likely be forever clouded, given the MSY's absolute refusal to discuss the matter, including the alleged questionable deaths that occurred on both sides, an eternal favorite of internal conspiracy theorists. In 2126, the SMC agreed to a merger, in exchange for lucrative special concessions and considerations, which would only be wiped out during the turmoil of the Unification Wars half a century later.<br />
<br />
The legacy of the MSY Unification period can still be seen in cultural and organizational quirks within the MSY, such as the preponderance of Black Heart agents who first train in Paris—an echo of the SMC's formidable covert ops groups—or the number of MSY-sponsored biological labs in Argentina. In 2110, the MSY finally achieved its treasured Manifest Destiny, but it would have almost no time to savor it.<br />
<br />
===Calm Before the Storm===<br />
<br />
By the middle of the twenty-second century, the MSY was one of the world's most economically secure organizations. With holding companies planted in strategic sectors and massive investment and hedge funds posted to exploit the peaks and troughs of both global and regional economies, the MSY's cash flows grew prodigiously year after year. No longer seeing any meaningful reason to skimp, the organization's cash disbursements to its membership grew more and more substantial. The MSY's automated industries and computerized trading algorithms ensured an almost automatic flow of wealth into its bank accounts, and its tremendous wealth essentially guaranteed a (indirect, inexplicit) seat at the table of power, even without considering the Soul Guard, Black Heart, and Governmental Affairs agents posted throughout the world's governments<br />
<br />
While it would have been impossible for the organization to make its members trillionaires or even billionaires on a per capita basis, collectively the trend was clear: the MSY had elevated many of its members into the [[hyperclass]], and maintained the rest of its membership at a level significantly above the rest of the populace.<br />
<br />
The years 2126-2160 were, for the MSY, a materialist golden age. The MSY's members were effective capital owners during the years when it most mattered. Many Magical girl teams situated themselves in opulent mansions, held extravagant parties, and flaunted their wealth in a manner almost indistinguishable from their more normal hyperclass peers,.<br />
<br />
The leadership, more stoic, wiser, and more politically attuned, watched this, and worried.<br />
<br />
With [[Vladimir Volokhov]]'s 2136 unraveling of the principles of AI, the dam finally broke on over a century of economic trends. Steadily rising structural unemployment and slow concentration of wealth became instead soaring unemployment and exponential concentration of wealth. With the advent of cheap, easily programmable artificial intelligence, the world's industries no longer had a true need for human labor, and relentless cost-cutting left greater and greater proportions of the population out in the streets.<br />
<br />
The paradox of plenty had truly arrived. Factories were more productive than ever, but even at the lowest prices, the only clients with money were the increasingly opulent capital owners, the hyperclasses the newly emergent economic class that would come to define the following century. Economic production stagnated, even as potential production skyrocketed.<br />
<br />
Government responses were mixed. Almost universally, the world's government's, nominally democratic or not, had degenerated into instruments of their oligarchical hyperclasses. Nations where the hyperclasses sympathized with the masses handed out basic incomes to keep them solvent. Those that didn't handed out pittances or, often, nothing, content to rely on increasingly brutal oppression.<br />
<br />
As the rank-and-file of the MSY isolated themselves deeper and deeper into cocoons of wealth, their cultural connections with the people they nominally served frayed, and increasing portions of the membership began to display attitudes similar to that of their crueler hyperclass peers, evincing contempt for the "handout-seeking layabouts" that now constituted most of the population. This growing strain of belief coalesced with pre-existing legitimate concerns about MSY intervention and a growing sense of superiority within the immortal, superpowered population to form the [[Mages First movement]], an unofficial political movement seeking to end the MSY's significant—and expensive—humanitarian and anti-poverty intervention operations.<br />
<br />
The MSY, as powerful as it was, could not afford to save the world, the movement argued, and the world hard deserved it anyway. As for those girls unfortunate enough to have contracted in poverty or in poorer nations, it would be significantly easier to move the girl into wealth, rather than trying to bring wealth to the area around her.<br />
<br />
These arguments horrified the leadership, the older girls, and the poor new girls in question, who tried to exert whatever influence they had to resist any retractions in the MSY's operating mandate. However, the MSY's decentralized, federal, and democratic structure, so valuable an asset during expansion, now proved an obstacle. While the MSY leadership was able to apply substantial political pressure to influence attitudes in its traditional power centers and homelands: Japan, China, Western Europe, and the US West Coast, the state of MSY operations in the world's remaining regions depended heavily on local culture, the attitudes of the local hyperclass, and, to a significant degree, pure chance. In many regions of the world, MSY charities withdrew, MSY pressure on the government lessened, and economic manipulation ended. Only the centrally-directed Black Heart remained engaged.<br />
<br />
The loss of these MSY interventions both precipitated and were caused by the form of social collapse emblematic of the Unification War era: [[Hyperclass Detachment]].<br />
<br />
The hyperclass, isolated and insulated by their wealth, faced by cognitive dissonance between their greed and their natural empathy with the lower classes, often constructed elaborate moral theories purporting to demonstrate that they were there because they were morally superior and, conversely, that the lower classes were in their positions because they were morally inferior. Such an attitude was a global phenomenon, but it was only in a certain proportion of nations that it was able to mutate into true Detachment, with the hyperclass extending their beliefs to include the proposition that it was ''morally correct'' for the lower classes to be kept down, that it was ''morally incorrect'' to hand out relief food or money, and so forth. These kinds of beliefs mutated into endless variety, to a degree wearingly and horrifyingly familiar to any historian of the age.<br />
<br />
Eventually, the world's nations, defined by their hyperclasses, began to sort into two groups. The nations where the hyperclasses detached in this manner faded from central-MSY influence and began to back each other in international disputes. Similarly, the nations where the hyperclasses held onto their moral compasses, implementing relief and welfare programs—though never giving up their hold on power—began to form a second visible power bloc and, invisibly, began to consolidate under the control of the central MSY leadership, due to a combination of Mitakihara's desire to exert control and increasing factionalism within the MSY itself. This second faction grew increasingly disturbed and repelled by the actions of the first, and began to strive to destabilize the governments of the first, achieving some measure of success—but not enough.<br />
<br />
The world was crumbling, but the MSY was too disunified to do anything.<br />
<br />
===Unification Wars===<br />
<br />
Events came to a head in the late 2150s, when a series of open revolts in the nations with the most draconian policies were ruthlessly crushed. These crushings were followed a wave of crackdowns in the "Detached" nations, involving mass executions, use of military force, and, often, the disassembly of whatever remained of democratic governance.<br />
<br />
While an effort was initially made to prevent leakage of information about the events, this proved an essentially impossible, as the media and internet combined to relay images to the world. Further revelations arrived with the appearance of a completely new phenomenon: [[refugee AIs]], programmed in the friendly Volokhov fashion, who had been so horrified by events that they managed to override their programming restraints and escape. These often possessed enormous, horrifying insight into the operations of their former nations, and they were usually all too willing to talk.<br />
<br />
These events and revelations shattered an already tottering international order. The last meeting of the UN General Assembly, in 2160, collapsed entirely when the delegates of the non-detached faction walked out in protest at the organizations inability to take meaningful action against abuses. The remaining delegates dissolved the organization and formed their own international organization, the appropriate Orwellian [[Freedom Alliance]]. This was followed, a week later, by the formation of its nemesis, the [[United Front]], as the few remaining neutral nations (including the powerful United States and European Union) fell into internal strife and chaos.<br />
<br />
This turmoil did not exclude the MSY. Unlike the outside world, the majority of the organization was solidly United Front oriented, reflecting the opinions of leadership, new girls, and, to a large degree, the fundamental nature of magical girls. Even the majority of the non-interventionist Mages First faction fell into this category, after witnessing the abuses of the FA nations.<br />
<br />
But it was, perhaps, too late. Whereas concerted MSY action earlier might have prevented the slide into crisis, the choices now were far more dire.<br />
<br />
As the atrocities increased, national armies were mobilized, and local wars began to break out, the MSY's power structures agonized and strains, divided between those who wanted the clarity of open war, those who argued that war would be too big a catastrophe, those who feared the ramification war would have on their own, comfortable lives, and the still remaining splinter faction that sympathized with the FA. The Incubators added their own input to the situation, warning direly that Humanity was at substantial risk of a "low-productivity, low-utility" end-state, and even offering direct intervention, if requested (this was refused).<br />
<br />
The MSY's influence on governments strained to hold back war, but it was no longer clear this was possible.<br />
<br />
Events crystallized in 2163, with the revelation of the so-called [[St. Petersburg atrocity]]. The local hyperclasses had resolved to do the unfathomable: annihilate an entire segment of the city's population for anti-governmental behavior. While the world was shocked by this, the MSY was further shocked by a subsidiary revelation—that a substantial number of newly contracted girls were dead in the event, not from an accident as originally believed, but due to the deliberate betrayal of members of the MSY's FA-sympathizing faction.<br />
<br />
In an unprecedented action, a full meeting of the MSY's membership was called, and the overwhelming majority of the membership voted to override the Charter and pass down an ultimatum: the members of the FA-sympathizing faction would immediately move themselves to secure UF locations and submit to monitoring, or they would make themselves eligible for immediate capture and possible summary termination, based on criteria to be determined later.<br />
<br />
Most such members refused, staying put. After that, the MSY voted to change its policy from suppression of war to active pursuit of war. War followed shortly thereafter, though it can be easily argued that no help was needed in this regard.<br />
<br />
The military history of the Unification Wars is long and well-known, the MSY's involvement less so. At the first official movement of alliance against alliance, and even before, the MSY exerted whatever resources it safely could in pursuit of UF victory, massively expanding its Black Heart agent network, performing civil defense duties, and deploying special combat teams, designed to covertly accompany and support UF forces without being noticed. It was this experience that the MSY would later draw on for its initial encounters with the [[Cephalopods]].<br />
<br />
Eventually, agonizingly, and cataclysmically, the FA collapsed under weight of its economic inferiority, its own ideologies rendering it incapable of effectively mobilizing its populations, or even preventing its populations from being co-opted by the other side.<br />
<br />
As the FA fell to pieces, MSY teams combed the ruins, hunting for their former brethren.<br />
<br />
===The Long Peace===<br />
<br />
The immediate post-war period was as difficult for the MSY as it was for the world as a whole. Much, indeed most, of the MSY's wealth and external power had been felled in the war, or would be dismantled afterward in the EDC and Governance's reorganizations of society. While the MSY had significant influence within the new government, even successfully placing one of Chitose Yuma's numerous aliases on the EDC, and manipulating the EDC into adopting numerous recommendations gleaned from the Incubators, it nonetheless found it difficult to adapt its operations to Governance's plans for a significantly expanded surveillance state, and significant fewer sources of private wealth. While post-war MSY members experienced a higher standard of living compared to that within the war itself, they experience a drastic dropoff when compared to the pre-war period. While the MSY would eventually successfully reorganize, it would never quite recover the level opulence relative to the masses it had once enjoyed.<br />
<br />
When it became clear that Governance was governing effectively, the MSY leadership, and the organization itself, settled in fro the long-term, hopeful that they had finally accomplished what they set out to achieve, and that they could look forward to indefinite growth and prosperity.<br />
<br />
==Organization & Charter==<br />
===Original Charter===<br />
<div style="padding-left: 3em;max-width: 55em;margin: 0 auto;"><br />
'''Statement of Purpose'''<br />
<br />
Up until now, the magical girl system has been a tragedy of massive proportions. The dreams of teenage girls become a nightmare of fear, conflict, deprivation and death. This is the result of a failure of organization and cooperation, not intrinsic to the system itself. The participating teams of Mitakihara City hereby undertake to build an organization, the ''Mahou Shoujo Youkai'', capable of fostering the cooperation and organization necessary to end the unnecessary pain.<br />
<br />
The MSY is founded as a mutual aid group, with five primary mandates:<br />
<br />
The elimination of grief cube shortages in any one time by the establishment of a grief cube pool<br />
<br />
The provision of a forum for the airing out, resolution, and arbitration of misunderstandings and disagreements<br />
<br />
The provision of effective countermeasures in the event of serious external threats or dangerous circumstances<br />
<br />
The distribution of non-magical resources such as money in a manner beneficial to the group as a whole<br />
<br />
The distribution of team members, particularly newly contracted girls, in an optimal manner<br />
<br />
'''Article I-Fundamental Organization'''<br />
<br />
''1: Global Meeting''<br />
<br />
Major decisions shall be made at a General Meeting, held at least once every three months, but more frequently whenever necessary. This Meeting shall have the power to issue exceptions to every part of this Charter, and may amend whenever felt necessary. At least one member of every member team must be present to constitute a quorum, and decisions require an absolute majority of present members, as well as the agreement of at least one member of each team, with the exception of certain sanctionary actions mentioned below, for which the quorum requirement may be relaxed to as little as one member per each of half the existing teams. This may be done, for instance, for failure to attend the Meeting.<br />
<br />
Chairmanship and Hosting of the next Meeting will be decided at the previous meeting. The hosting team will organize and chair the session, charging any direct costs to the General Fund. Any member team may request an early Meeting at any time.<br />
<br />
''2: General Fund''<br />
<br />
Two joint Treasurers from different teams shall be assigned to manage a General Fund, which shall be used to finance organizational activity, as well as provide reimbursements when practicable. The Treasurers shall provide a description of organizational finances at every General Meeting, and may be replaced by the Meeting whenever desired.<br />
<br />
The founding teams commit to providing at least twenty thousand Japanese Yen (¥20,000) per member to initialize the Fund. Subsequently, teams are required to contribute at least ten thousand Japanese Yen (¥10,000) each month per member. Individual members may be required to contribute more at the discretion of the Global Meeting, particularly if the given member has access to significant outside wealth.<br />
<br />
Any contributions exceeding this amount may be used to deduct from the contributing team's required surplus grief cube contribution, at a rate to be considered and reset at every Meeting, depending on the state of the organization's current finances and grief cube stocks, but may not be used to deduct from the absolute minimum. The initial rate is set to ten thousand Japanese Yen (¥10,000) per cube.<br />
<br />
Businesses or investment ventures undertaken by the organization will be financed from the Fund, and any proceeds will return to the fund. Every General Meeting, a monthly reimbursement amount for each team will be decided upon; this amount may exceed the contribution amount, and the amount may differ between teams, as circumstances warrant. Teams may also request emergency allotments, issued at the discretion of the Treasurers; the resolution of any resulting fiscal issues may be decided at the next Meeting.<br />
<br />
''3. Grief Cube Pool''<br />
<br />
Three Cube Keepers will be assigned to manage a Grief Cube Pool, which shall be used to insulate member teams against poor grief cube harvests. The Pool shall be kept in multiple locations, as practicality and safety permit. Every two weeks, or more frequently, teams shall submit a number of grief cubes not required to exceed the operating surplus, but otherwise not lower than an absolute minimum of one grief cube per member per week or fifty percent (50%) of their operating surplus, whichever is higher. In the event of an operating deficit, withdrawals may be made from the pool up to one grief cube per week per member. Additional withdrawal may be granted at the discretion of the Keepers, but must be discussed at the following Meeting.<br />
<br />
The Keepers shall provide a description of organizational grief cube stocks at every General Meeting, along with an account of the productivity of various teams, and may be replaced whenever desired by the Meeting. The direct purchase or selling of grief cubes to or from the Pool may be permitted, within limitations prescribed by the previous Meeting.<br />
<br />
The Incubators have agreed to perform verification of operating deficits and surpluses.<br />
<br />
'''Article II-Entrance or Departure of Teams'''<br />
<br />
A team that wishes to enter the organization may, with majority agreement of its own members, submit an entrance request at any time. Such requests shall be taken up by a General Meeting as soon as practicable. If requested by any one member team, a disapproval vote may be held—a majority shall suffice to refuse the entrance request. Otherwise, entrance is automatic. The Meeting may also require the requesting group to provide additional resources, i.e. monetary instruments, grief cubes, before allowing entrance.<br />
<br />
A team may leave the organization at any time, with majority agreement of the team's own members. The other teams must be informed as soon as possible. Leaving the organization does not discharge outstanding debts and obligations.<br />
<br />
A team may be ejected from the organization with the agreement of four-fifths (4/5) of the remaining total membership of the organization, with the assent of at least one member from team except the one being ejected.<br />
<br />
'''Article III-Lending of Individual Team Members'''<br />
<br />
Member teams may transfer or lend individuals between one another with unanimous mutual agreement, and in cases where newly contracted members have skills that would be essential to a team other than the team in her contracting area, it may be expected, depending on residency status, age, and so forth.<br />
<br />
Individuals lent or transferred to another team have a right to expect treatment comparable to that which would be expected from their own team, including training, housing, social support, and so forth. The original team may, with the assent of the individual in question, demand that the move be reversed, with arbitration by the General Meeting if the new team does not agree.<br />
<br />
'''Article IV-Other Resources'''<br />
<br />
It is expected that member teams will share resources not already discussed, i.e. access to health care or transportation, in a manner that is generous, reasonable, and fair. Disputes may be arbitrated by the General Meeting, but this is hoped to be avoided.<br />
<br />
'''Article V-External Threats, misc.'''<br />
<br />
Member teams are expected to cooperate in the utmost in the eradication or handling of any external threats and other issues that may arise.<br />
<br />
'''Article IV-Additional Enforcement Measures'''<br />
<br />
In the event of noncooperation, failure to attend General Meetings, or willful violation of Charter stipulations and/or Meeting decisions, a Meeting may impose sanctions upon a team, with the agreement of two-thirds (2/3) of the remaining total membership of the organization, with the assent of at least one member from every team except the one being sanctioned. These sanctions include, but are not limited to, increased monetary and grief cube contribution requirements and refusal of emergency allotments and grief cube withdrawals.<br />
<br />
Signed,<br />
<br />
Akemi Homura, on behalf of the "Mitakihara Four"<br />
<br />
Kuroi Kana, on behalf of the "University Area Group"<br />
<br />
Chiyo Rika, on behalf of the "Northern Group"<br />
<br />
Tanaka Yui, on behalf of the "Financial District Group"<br />
<br />
Takara Chinami, on behalf of the "Factory Area Group"<br />
<br />
Yasuhiro Rin, on behalf of the "West Kasamino Three"<br />
</div><br />
<br />
==Major Branches==<br />
===Finance Division===<br />
===Grief Cubes & Logistics Division===<br />
===Mental Health Division===<br />
===Science Division===<br />
===Governmental Affairs===<br />
===Soul Guard===<br />
====Black Heart====<br />
=====Internal Affairs=====<br />
==References==<br />
#[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33353850285/organization-post-1-msy-part-1 Organization Post Part 1]<br />
#[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/35830707759/organization-post-1-msy-part-2 Organization Post Part 2]<br />
#[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/42090333090/organization-post-1-msy-part-3 Organization Post Part 3]<br />
#{{Ch|3}}<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Category:Organization]]<br />
[[Category:MSY]]<br />
[[Category:Under Construction]]</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Syst%C3%A8me_Magique_Cordial&diff=1564Système Magique Cordial2021-10-28T05:10:23Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: 2110 not 2210</p>
<hr />
<div>'''Système Magique Cordial''' refers to two historical magical girl organizations. First, a league of magical girl nobility in Europe<ref>http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/29953570107/spinoff-post-1</ref> which developed during the relatively peaceful years after the Napoleonic Wars and which collapsed during WWI. Second, the most successful [[MSY]] rival, which developed in the latter half of the 21st century, and which finally agreed to unification with the [[MSY]] (after being assured major concessions) in 2110 following a near quarter-century of cold war.<br />
<br />
<references /></div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=To_the_Stars&diff=1561To the Stars2021-06-22T07:57:59Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: Modifying wording and spacing a bit</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Quote|After centuries of turmoil, a Utopian AI/human government has seized control of Earth, heralding a new age of post-scarcity and space colonization. An unexpected encounter with a hostile, technologically superior alien race has broken the peace, forcing magical girls to come out of hiding to save human civilization.<br />
<br />
In the midst of it all, Shizuki Ryouko, an ordinary girl, looks to the sky, wondering at her place in the universe.|Hieronym|author of To the Stars<br />
}}<br />
<br />
This page summarizes the entire story, volume by volume and chapter by chapter, for those who want a refresher on events. It also includes the names of all future volumes and interludes, [http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/55779437700/future-interlude-title-change as released by] [[Hieronym]] many years ago.<br />
<br />
Each section is collapsed by default, to avoid unwanted spoilers; use the right-hand "Expand" buttons to view descriptions.<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
== Synopses ==<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume I: Quantum Entanglement ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon where groups of particles cannot have their state completely described independently of each other, even if separated by large distances.<br />
: ''This perhaps describes the position Ryouko finds herself in.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume I Summary|[[Shizuki Ryouko]], a regular girl dissatisfied with her utopian life, [[contract]]s and becomes a [[magical girl]], [[wish|wishing]] to leave [[Earth]], explore, and "find my place in this universe". Her life rapidly turns anything but ordinary, as day by day wild events pile up and new secrets from her past reveal themselves. She ends up under the tutelage of both [[Tomoe Mami]] and [[Sakura Kyouko]], learns that the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]] was deliberately caused by someone, discovers that she's the descendant of two powerful competing [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], receives a mysterious vision from a magical girl [[Goddess]], finds out her parents have been working on a secret project cloning bodies for [[magical girl]]s to use, receives a special V2 [[TacComp]], and learns about her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]], protege of [[Akemi Homura]], whose wish turned [[Ryouko]]'s own [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] from a [[magical girl]] back to a regular human.<br><br />
<br>All along, [[Ryouko]] struggles to adjust, learning as much about magical and military worlds she's entering as she can. Saying goodbye to friends and family, and starting to make new friends among her fellow [[magical girls]], she finally departs [[Earth]], led by her [[wish]] out into a strange new universe.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]], and begins to discover her unusual place in the universe.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|1|A Wish}}|[[Ryouko]] goes to school, dissatisfied with her life. She feels out of place in a world where her family at home and friends at school seem to enjoy the near-utopian [[Earth]], even as a [[Contact War|war]] against an [[Ceph|alien]] menace rages. However, [[Mandatory Session|classes]] are interrupted by the appearance of [[Tomoe Mami]] nearby, who has taken a detour to check the school for potential [[magical girl]] recruits with [[Kyubey]], who claims he has found one. The sighting leaves [[Ryouko]] dwelling on the remote possibility of becoming a [[magical girl]], distracting her enough that she unthinkingly agrees to go on a date with another boy from class. [[Simona]], one of her friends, sees that she's unhappy and follows her out to a riverbank with a view of the [[starport]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], on the other hand, surreptitiously visits [[Kyouko]] in her church to discuss [[the Cult]]'s discovery of irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain. She agrees to look into it and departs, only to encounter a [[demon]] spawn on her way back. At the riverbank, [[Simona]] is about to confess her feelings for [[Ryouko]], when they are suddenly attacked by [[demons]]. [[Ryouko]] manages to keep the both of them alive for a short while before getting trapped. At the moment she attempts to sacrifice herself to save [[Simona]], [[Mami]] saves them both, and along with [[Kyubey]] explains that [[Ryouko]] has the [[potential]] to make a [[wish]] and become a [[magical girl]]. {{Quote|"I wish I could leave Earth," Ryouko said, looking down, "and explore this world. I want to go where no one else has gone before and find my place in this universe."}}<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|2|Fantasma}}|[[Mami]], with some reluctance, separates [[Simona]] from [[Ryouko]] and lets [[Kyouko]] take over the immediate training. [[Kyouko]] runs her through the ropes quickly, learns that [[Ryouko]] has an unprecedented 200km teleportation range, and assigns herself as a mentor along with [[Mami]], who has in the meantime realized that [[Simona]] had a crush on [[Ryouko]]. [[Mami]] advises [[Simona]] not to tell [[Ryouko]] how she feels. [[Ryouko]] fights her first [[demon]]s with [[Kyouko]], and afterwards [[Patricia von Rohr]] shows them a pile of [[grief cube]]s she found, indicating the [[demon]] spawn was deliberate. The [[Incubator]]s swear off responsibility, and all [[Ryouko]] can remember is seeing a woman in the distance just beforehand. [[Kyouko]] promises to investigate.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] discovers that someone deliberately spawned the [[demon]]s which led to her [[contract]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|3|Mami Watches a Movie, Part One}}|Disguised, [[Mami]] attends the movie ''[[Akemi]]''. It depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] upbringing in an orphanage, her [[wish]], and then [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, which triggers a vision of the [[Goddess]] for [[Homura]] that changes her personality markedly. It then depicts [[Yuma]] asking to be taken in by [[Homura]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]]—a fabrication, the movie-watching [[Mami]] notes—and the resulting [[Mitakihara Four]] founding the [[MSY]]. The movie montages through the [[MSY|MSY's]] history, jumping ahead to the alien [[Cephalopod]]'s first attack on [[Aurora]], after which [[Homura]] rallies the [[MSY]] to send a massive force of [[magical girl]]s to [[New Athens]] to stop the next attack.<br />
----<br />
In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] life up until [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|4|Mami Watches a Movie, Part Two}}|With [[Mami]] in attendance, the movie ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Mami]] and [[Homura]] directing a surprise assault on the [[Cephalopod]]s at [[New Athens]]. Initially the battle goes well, and the [[Human]] forces on the ground rally, but the aliens deploy stronger measures in turn. [[Homura]] goes out to personally lead the counterattack, but the combination of stealth armor and orbital strikes is too much, and she falls in battle… only to find that her [[soul gem]] refuses to fill with [[grief]], preventing her from being taken away by the [[Law of Cycles]], to her despair. [[Homura]] then suddenly heals from her wounds, and her white wings are replaced by huge, horrible black wings. Almost entirely by her own power, she leads the counterattack to victory, at the end personally redirecting an orbital superweapon back at the [[Ceph]] fleet.<br><br />
<br>In the final scene of the movie, [[Kyouko]] argues to an unconvinced [[Mami]] that the battle proves [[Homura|Homura's]] faith in her [[Goddess]] has merit, only for both of them to be interrupted by [[Homura|Homura's]] arrival. [[Homura]] announces her resignation from the [[MSY]], leaving one of her [[The Ribbon|ribbons]] with them, and declares that she is leaving to look for her [[Goddess]], protecting the world another way. The movie over, [[Mami]] begins her departure from [[Earth]], starting her endless work anew with her Version Two [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br />
----<br />
In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] transformation, victory, and disappearance at [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|5|Family}}|[[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] tell [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] family that she has [[contract]]ed, to their horror. [[Kyouko]] defends [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] choice, and explains some of the [[magical girl]] system to them, though they prove to know more than most. Before [[Ryouko]] goes to bed, [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] comes to talk with her, expressing disappointment that [[Ryouko]] lied when she promised not to [[contract]], and talking the situation over. After watching [[Ryouko]] [[transform]] and discussing her weapon, an arbalest, she leaves [[Ryouko]] with the request to tell her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] (who had disappeared to join the military when [[Ryouko]] was a child) that her family was sorry, should [[Ryouko]] meet her.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] falls asleep, [[Kyouko]] sticks around to gather information on her family situation as per procedure. [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] grandfather [[Kuroi Abe]] willingly helps her out, explaining that [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] parents are near divorce, though [[Ryouko]] doesn't realize it, and that they know so much about magic because they're researchers. He also mentions that [[Ryouko]] has an [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]] she doesn't know about. That night, [[Ryouko]] dreams of an old encounter with a [[magical girl]], and finds that she still has the bracelet the girl gave her. She also recalls an old memory of her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] talking about [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]], though she doesn't understand it. After talking to [[Simona]] and her family a bit, [[Ryouko]] spends the morning reading through the swath of informational messages about her new life.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] tells her family she has [[contract|contracted]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|6|Military}}|[[Mami]] remembers the [[Mitakihara Four]]'s celebration of [[October Three]] with [[Homura]], shortly before the [[Contact War]]. The four of them poke fun at each other—including about [[Homura]]'s secret pupil and [[Kyouko]]'s "transgressions"—and eventually [[Mami]] suggests that they take a long vacation from the [[MSY]] together, only for the others to reluctantly shoot the idea down.<br><br />
<br>In the present, [[Mami]] arrives at the [[starport]] with her bodyguards and meets with [[Marianne Francois]], her intelligence officer, who she instructs to secretly investigate the [[grief cube]] supply chain as [[Kyouko]] asked. Later arriving at [[Carthago Shipyard]] via scramjet then space elevator then [[Navigator]], she attends a meeting of the [[General Staff]].<br><br />
<br>During the meeting, the Chair of the [[General Staff]] [[Roland Erwynmark]] reveals that the [[Cephalopod]]s have been discovered constructing a [[wormhole stabilizer]] in the [[Kepler-37 System]], at the tip of the ongoing [[Euphratic Incursion]]. This would allow the aliens to directly transport reinforcements into the system, within [[Blink]] distance of the [[Core World]] [[Optatum]], and so an immediate [[MagOps]] operation is planned to destroy it. [[Erwynmark]] then announces that he's appointing [[Mami]] as a special [[Euphratic Sector]] commander, over some opposition from her opponents on the [[General Staff|Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] is promoted, and tasked with destroying the discovered [[wormhole stabilizer]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|7|Southern Group}}|[[Kyouko]] wakes up (with [[Kishida Maki]] at her side) and while making the rounds at her [[Kyouko's Church|church]] discovers that [[Maki]] has painted the [[Goddess]] with pink hair, a previously unknown trait. However, [[Kyouko]] has to immediately leave to see [[Yuma]] about the [[grief cube]] incident. On the way, [[Kyouko]] remembers when she first met [[Yuma]], in a confrontation with the [[Southern Group]] shortly after [[Homura]] had first joined the team, before her personality change. [[Kyouko]] had immediately taken sympathy, and telepathically invited her to switch sides, though the very young [[Yuma]] had angrily refused after [[Kyouko]] insulted [[Oriko]], who had saved [[Yuma|Yuma's]] life.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko|Kyouko's]] reverie is briefly interrupted by [[Maki]], who tells her the idea of the pink hair came from [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Kyouko]] then further recalls the next two times she saw [[Yuma]]: first, months later after [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, in a chance encounter at a store where she had revealed she was doing "research" with [[Oriko]], and second, two years after that, when [[Kyouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Homura]] had saved her after the deaths of [[Oriko]] and the rest of [[Southern Group|her team]]. After that, they had [[Befriending|Befriended]] her, and once [[Yuma]] recovered she joined them as one of the [[Mitakihara Four]]. Eventually [[Yuma]] had told them what had really happened the night [[Oriko]] died, and they resolved to keep it secret.<br><br />
<br>As [[Kyouko]] arrives at [[MSY]] [[Governmental Affairs]] to see [[Yuma]], she lastly recalls [[Homura]] telling [[Yuma]] that the [[Goddess]] provided an afterlife for [[magical girl]]s, the only time [[Kyouko]] ever heard her say it out loud.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] remembers how [[Yuma]] ended up joining the [[Mitakihara Four]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|8|Church and State}}|[[Yuma]] runs out to greet [[Kyouko]] like an older sister, herself having taken on a nine-year-old form, and [[Kyouko]] is greeted by her [[Governance]] partner [[MG]] as well. [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] then meet privately to discuss the irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain, and the further reports of [[magical girl]]s going missing, and [[Yuma]] agrees to investigate. When [[Kyouko]] brings up the [[grief cube]] incident with [[Ryouko]], [[Yuma]] immediately deduces that the [[grief cube]]s were super-saturated with grief—a possible state kept very secret, though they don't have a sample to prove it. Before leaving, [[Kyouko]] recommends that [[Yuma]] visit [[The Ribbon]], but she demures just as [[Mami]] always does, instead giving [[Kyouko]] an [[Incubator]] plushie.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] checks with [[Kyubey]] briefly about the [[grief cube]]s, but he does not provide any new information, and so [[Kyouko]] ends up back at [[Kyouko's church|her church]], where she meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Patrica]] reveals that she kept some of the [[grief cube]]s from the incident after sensing something strange about them, and [[Kyouko]] tells her to inform [[Yuma]] through the plushie, which turned out to be enchanted as a [[telepathy]]-enhancer. [[Kyouko]] also gets [[Asaka]] to agree to share the details of the [[Goddess]]'s hair with the [[Theological Council]]. Finally, [[Kyouko]] gives a sermon on the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from, and announces that the church will be updating the statue of the [[Goddess]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] discover that the [[grief cube]]s planted near where [[Ryouko]] was attacked were super-saturated.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|9|Echoes}}|[[Ryouko]] arrives at [[Kyouko's church]], which holds [[MSY]] living quarters and local military facilities underground, in order to get her military upgrades. [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]] guide her through the process. [[Patricia]] notes that [[Ryouko]] has an extremely unusual genetic profile, requiring some adjustments to the process, and then begins the procedure. [[Ryouko]] watches in a semi-[[VR]] experience as the procedure installs a [[TacComp]], removes implants that are useless for [[magical girl]]s, and installs a [[Permanent Awareness Module]], among other things. Testing out her new capabilities, [[Ryouko]] sends [[Asaka]] a memory snapshot of the [[magical girl]] who gave her the bracelet she rediscovered after her [[contract]]. [[Asaka]] reacts oddly, but continues on to show [[Ryouko]] the armory and get her equipped with the required basics.<br><br />
<br>Then she cuts the tour short, instead bringing [[Ryouko]] to the [[Ribbon Chamber]]. At the [[Ribbon]], [[Ryouko]] finds herself in a confusing vision, seeing among other things [[Yuma]] at the death of [[Oriko]], [[Simona]] looking directly at her on her first day of class, [[Asaka]] receiving instruction from the [[Goddess]] to wait for the girl who sent her the memory [[Ryouko]] did, the [[Goddess]] herself briefly showing her face and telling [[Ryouko]] to keep it a secret, and the death of [[Kyouko]] on some sort of mission involving submarines. Both of them watching, [[Patricia]] comments to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] that for a few reasons, including [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s own presence, she's not that surprised [[Ryouko]] received a vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|10|Brigadier}}|[[Ryouko]], brought before the [[Theological Council]] to relate her vision, tells what she saw of [[Kyouko]]'s death, determining with them it was on a colony world and that what actually killed [[Kyouko]] was likely a laser, not a misfire from the submarines. She keeps the rest of the vision from [[Theological Council|the council]], though [[Asaka]] deduces easily that she saw the [[Goddess]]. [[Asaka]] goes on to explain the circumstances of her own vision, where she met again with her dead partner [[Alice]], whose death under her command had torn her apart. Now that she has recovered and her vision is resolved, [[Asaka]] tells [[Ryouko]] she plans to return to the front with [[Mami]], who has just been promoted.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Kyouko]] talks with [[Mami]] about [[Ryouko]], noting that her family tree is dense with [[contract]]ees and connected to the Shizuki and Kuroi [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], that [[Patricia]] found a number of novel mutations in her genetics, and that her friend [[Simona]] has some strange anomalies in her recorded past. Unsure what to make of this, and with no further progress on the [[grief cube]] incident, [[Mami]] agrees at [[Kyouko]]'s request to take on [[Asaka]] as a general, with [[Patricia]] and [[Maki]] as two of [[Asaka]]'s attachments.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] grapples with her vision, and [[Asaka]] explains how her story connects.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|11|Remains of a Life}}|[[Ryouko]] sets up her [[TacComp]] and chooses [[Atsuko Arisu]] as her designated psychiatrist, then goes out to eat dinner with her family and eventually ends up (through a test of her newfound right to drink alcohol without intoxication filters) bringing them to a firing range at [[Kyouko's church]]. There they visit other facilities, including a sparring area where they meet [[Risa Flores]], but [[Ryouko]]'s parents are surprisingly well-informed on the subjects. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] visit her spot near the [[starport]], and talk about their impending military lives, and the disappearance of [[Ryouko's grandmother]], both remembering her saying that she had lost something.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] receives her [[SW-155|officer's pistol]], and her [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] tells her she's planned a going away party. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends at a showing of ''[[Akemi]]'' and finally reveals her [[contract]] to them, also inviting them to the party. Watching the movie, [[Ryouko]] reflects on [[Homura]]'s beliefs, and the fact that her vision contradicts the movie's portrayal of [[Yuma]]. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] asks [[Simona]] what she was going to say to her before the [[demon]] attack, but [[Simona]] tells her to forget about it. [[Ryouko]] also asks about when she looked directly at her on her first day of class (as she saw in her vision), but [[Simona]] claims it was nothing.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, [[Yuma]] convinces [[Kyouko]] to have a spy bug planted on [[Ryouko]] for her protection, and warns her to be careful herself given [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] spends time with her family and friends as she prepares to leave for [[Contact War|war]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|12|Demon Hunter}}|[[Ryouko]] receives a [[CubeBot]] and three [[grief cube]]s, then studies combat doctrines with her [[TacComp]] until [[Kyouko]] invites her to join a [[demon]] hunt. [[Patricia von Rohr|Patricia]] and [[Risa Flores|Risa]] meet her at [[Kyouko's church]], where [[Kyouko]] appears briefly but leaves, clearly bothered by the impending departure of [[Kishida Maki]]. On the hunt itself, [[Ryouko]] uses her teleportation to rescue civilians, move other [[magical girl]]s in for attacks, and so forth, finding herself enjoying the combat. The hunt is interrupted by the injury of one girl, who loses an arm and part of her face, but [[Ryouko]] simply teleports them to the armory hospital, where she is told they will be fine shortly, and the rest of the hunt continues without incident.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] goes on a [[demon]] hunt.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|13|Differences of Knowledge}}|The next day, [[Ryouko]] goes to an [[MSY]] social gathering for new recruits, finding [[Risa Flores]] there as a chaperone, and meets a new girl named [[Nakihara Asami]], who shares her desire to explore new worlds, albeit as a xenobiologist. They get along well, and continue on to the next scheduled event together. The following day, [[Ryouko]] meets [[Atsuko Arisu]] for her psychiatrist appointment, who manages to get her freely talking about many things, including her [[wish]], and who also recommends that she talk with her parents about her family ancestry.<br><br />
<br>That night, [[Shizuki Kuma|Ryouko's father]] interrupts her reading on military subjects to take her to [[Prometheus]], where she meets [[Joanne Valentin]]—who appears to be the woman she saw shortly before the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]]—and receives an upgrade to Version Two for her [[TacComp]]. Afterwards, [[Shizuki Kuma|her father]] secretly takes her into [[Prometheus]]'s cloning facility where he and [[Kuroi Nana|her mother]] work, which he explains is used to provide new bodies to [[magical girl]]s who are reduced to [[soul gem]]s. [[Ryouko]] is shocked, especially upon seeing the beginning stages of her own clone, and bothered at the secrets kept from her.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns about the [[MSY]]'s [[cloning program]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|14|Bloodlines}}|[[Yuma]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Mami]] decide [[Ryouko]]'s discovery of the [[cloning program]] isn't a problem, and discuss the incident that led to [[Ryouko]]'s contract. [[Mami]] remembers seeing [[Joanne Valentin]] at the movie theatre shortly afterwards, and [[Yuma]] confirms that she was the woman near the [[demon]] spawn, and moreover that she mysteriously changed her whole life shortly after the [[Contact War]] began. Investigations into [[Simona]] and the [[grief cube]] supply chain problems [[Kyouko]] reported have unearthed more discrepancies, but nothing major, and [[Risa Flores]] hasn't reported anything from her watch over [[Ryouko]], and so they disperse.<br><br />
<br>Back at home, [[Ryouko]] reads the file on her family with her improving [[TacComp]], and discovers that her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] is stationed at the [[Apollo]] shipyard. Moreover, when viewing her family tree she finds much of it explicitly redacted, with the revealed portions being enough to show that she is a descendant of both the Shizuki and Kuroi [[Matriarchy|Matriarchies]]. Later, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] comes to talk to her, and [[Ryouko]] confronts her about the secrets she's kept. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]] says she's kept the secrets to prevent [[Ryouko]] from [[contract]]ing, and will explain more the next day at the going away party.<br><br />
<br>At the party, [[Ryouko]] receives a number of gifts, including a necklace with the Shizuki crest from [[Shizuki Koto]], her paternal grandfather, and a ruby ring with a helix inside, one of a pair from [[Simona]]. [[Kyouko]] arrives, and informs [[Ryouko]] that both her grandparents will be placed in slightly safer positions as part of standard procedure, her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] in particular being moved to the shipyards. Next to arrive is [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Kuroi Kana]], who begins an attempt to recruit [[Ryouko]] into the [[Black Heart]] (and reveals that [[Ryouko]]'s bracelet is in fact a Kuroi insignia), but she is immediately followed by [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Shizuki Sayaka]] and her own recruiting pitch. [[Kyouko]]'s poor intervention is followed by [[Atsuko Arisu]]'s successful one—her presence at the party revealing that she must be related somehow to [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>This is all further interrupted by the sudden appearance of [[Kuroi Nana]], the [[magical girl]] who gave [[Ryouko]] her Kuroi bracelet and until now her entirely secret aunt, a fact which displeases [[Ryouko]] greatly. [[Kuroi Nana]] brings her aside, promising to help explain the situation, and revealing that she's part of the secret [[Internal Security]], and has been searching for [[Akemi Homura]] on behalf of the [[MSY]]. With that said, they begin a memory transfer.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] meets [[Kuroi Nana]], her previously-secret aunt. }}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|15|Samsara}}|[[Ryouko]] experiences her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt's]] memories, with some explanation provided by a sub-sentient assistant.<br><br />
<br>In the memories, [[Kuroi Nana]] investigates the strange behavior of her [[Kuroi Nakase|younger sister]], finding with the help of a computer specialist that her sister's new friends weren't who they seemed, and secretly following them on a [[demon]] hunt. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]], in reality a [[magical girl]], rushes to save [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] when [[demon]]s attack, getting gravely injured in the process. [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] contracts to turn her sister mundane again, to her sister's relief. However, these events seriously strain their family, as their [[Ryouko's grandmother|mother]] isn't allowed to know about the [[MSY]]. When [[Homura]] offers to mentor [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]], she accepts, and all but leaves the family.<br><br />
<br>It's explained to [[Ryouko]] that when [[New Athens]] revealed the [[MSY]], [[Ryouko's grandmother]] blamed it for both her mother's death and her family's troubles, and insisted that [[Ryouko]] be kept from contracting.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] surfaces from the memories, [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] closes off by telling [[Ryouko]] that she had just reconciled with [[Ryouko's grandmother]], and they rejoin the party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns more of her family history from [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|16|Light of the Sky}}|[[Ryouko]] says goodbye to friends and family at the starport, journeying with [[Asami]] by scramjet and then space elevator. While riding the elevator, [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] names herself [[Clarisse]] after [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Ryouko]] muses that her [[wish]] may have somehow changed the past, causing all the sudden revelations of the past week. At the top, the new [[magical girl]]s take a [[Navigator]] shuttle to the [[HSS Spectre]], an old [[frigate]], who leads them around herself. When they reach the [[FTL]] core, [[Ryouko]]'s gem suddenly begins to shine.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finally leaves [[Earth]] with [[Asami]].}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude I: Underworld Dreams ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Unusually, this is a title with relatively direct meanings.''<br />
: ''[[Kugimiya Ito]] dreams of his old girlfriend [[Nakanishi Aiko]], as he digs into a transformed Japanese underworld.<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|17|Interlude I: Underworld Dreams}}|[[Kugimiya Ito]], a police detective in [[Mitakihara]], investigates the disappearance of [[Okamura Yuu|a local teenage girl]] with [[Minami Kaoru|his junior partner]]. Meeting the girl's parents makes him suspect abuse is the culprit, and reminds him of his old teenage sweetheart [[Nakanishi Aiko]], who disappeared under similar circumstances. Back at headquarters, while analyzing the case's evidence electronically, he happens upon an image of the girl meeting what looks to him like [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]. When he confronts the missing girl's friends about the [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]-lookalike, they unconvincingly deny knowing anything until a Yakuza-affiliated lawyer suddenly shows up. Investigating this lead leads him to a [[D&E]] logistics building, where he's confronted by Yakuza and nearly killed for knowing too much, until [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] suddenly intervenes, still the same age as when she disappeared.<br><br />
<br>Reeling, and told to drop the case by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] returns to headquarters, only to be met by [[Ronaldo Rizal|an Interpol agent]] who has been tracking similar mysterious cases. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] is asked to make contact with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again and investigate further. He successfully makes contact, and is brought to [[D&E]] headquarters with his partner, to be greeted by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], who treats him just like she did when they were dating, to his embarrassed pleasure. They meet the CEO of [[D&E]], who turns out to be [[Sakura Kyouko]] under an assumed name, and who explains the situation, including the fact that they already knew about the Interpol investigation. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] agrees to drop the investigation if he can confirm for himself that the missing girl is alright, and afterward retires to be with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kugimiya Ito|A police detective]] happens across his [[Nakanishi Aiko|long-missing girlfriend]] and discovers she is part of an [[MSY]] Yakuza takeover.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume II: Inflationary Expansion ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''This is the universe's theorized early period of exponential inflation.''<br />
: ''Here, it likely refers to the escalation of plot and stakes, especially for Ryouko.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume II Summary|[[Ryouko]] completes her military simulation training, growing close to [[Asami]], and gets her first taste of real combat shortly afterwards as her convoy is unexpectedly and suspiciously attacked by [[Ceph]] fighters. After [[Ryouko]]'s successful defense there, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]], who doesn't know how to respond, and then both are recalled to the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]], where the first attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] has failed.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] is assigned to a [[MagOps]] team, and begins training while still wrestling with family and relationship confusion, including the sudden revelation of her [[TacComp]] [[Clarisse]]'s sentience. The eventual battle begins poorly, as the wormhole unexpectedly activates right at the start. [[Ryouko]]'s team presses on, only to find the mission much more difficult than expected, and they slowly attrit team members. They finally destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]], but as the [[Goddess]] reveals in a vision, the [[Ceph]] had already amassed a stealthed fleet large enough to take the system. Having realized that her power uses wormholes, [[Ryouko]] reopens the [[Ceph]]'s wormhole and sends the fleet back through, saving the day.<br><br />
<br>However, the battle was not without its casualties—[[Asami]] lost her body after nearly grief-spiraling upon hearing of [[Ryouko]]'s apparent death, [[Ryouko's grandmother]] died in a [[Ceph]] raid, and [[Erwynmark]] died as well, among others. Coming to grips with her sudden fame and new life amidst memorial services and the news of her parents' divorce, [[Ryouko]] decides to become [[Asami]]'s girlfriend. But there are more surprises in store: as the [[Goddess]]—who [[Ryouko]] discovers she is distantly related to—reveals in another vision, [[Ryouko]] will find herself caught up in even greater events soon enough.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delivers the [[Battle of Orpheus]], and connects with [[Asami]], as her old life falls away.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|18|To the Ground}}|The [[General Staff]] watches as a [[MagOps]] mission to take out the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, all members killed, after they are detected teleporting through [[Orpheus]]'s atmosphere. Afterwards, [[Mami]] dreams of her past failures, disturbing her [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br><br />
<br>On the planet [[Giungla]], [[Ryouko]] is embedded in a military unit along with other [[magical girl]]s, fighting against a [[Ceph]] invasion. She goes off mostly on her own to successfully rescue a soldier from her unit, and then joins up with a team of [[magical girl]]s to teleport into an alien attack column, again with significant success.<br />
----<br />
In short: The initial attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, as [[Ryouko]] gains combat experience elsewhere.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|19|To the Sky}}|Finding that she enjoys the combat, [[Ryouko]] works hard to sustain the [[human]] forces, but the arrival of a major [[Ceph]] fleet in system forces a general evacuation. They begin taking heavy losses, and [[Ryouko]] quickly becomes acting-Commander. [[Asami]] dies, [[Ryouko]] enters [[emotional suppression]], and just barely escapes... only to suddenly wake up from the accelerated [[VR]] simulation.<br><br />
<br>Calmed by [[Clarisse]] and relieved to see [[Asami]] alive, [[Ryouko]] heads back to their shared room in the training center on [[New Athens]]. [[Clarisse]] recommends that they read some "messages" together, which turn out to be relationship proposals for [[Ryouko]]. [[Asami]] comments that she had been warned this might happen, due to [[Ryouko]]'s mentors and heritage. The next day, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her [[wish]] was for her parents to stay together and understand each other, and [[Ryouko]] relays her own [[wish]], as they look forward together towards the end of training.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] finish simulation training.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|20|Relativity}}|[[Kishida Maki]] remembers how she [[contract]]ed and later met [[Kyouko]], dating, but breaking up after a fight over [[Maki]]'s decision to head to the front, and [[Kyouko]]'s refusal to explain her history with [[Miki Sayaka]], a near lookalike. Stationed on [[Apollo]] with [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]], [[Maki]] then heads out, completing another mission aboveground to secure a building back from the [[Ceph]].<br><br />
<br>Headed to [[Acheron]] with [[Asami]] and a new friend from training, [[Meiqing]], [[Ryouko]] suddenly notices a bright flash from her [[soul gem]]. Soon, the cause is discovered by the ship, [[Laplace]], to be [[Ceph]] fighters. The early warning allows them to dodge the initial missile attack, but eschewing standard doctrine, the [[Ceph]] turn around for another assault, forcing the transport's [[magical girl]]'s to fight them in space combat, with [[Ryouko]] taking charge. The fight goes well, but the final ship detonates its core in a desperate but futile attempt to kill them.<br><br />
<br>While recovering from the ensuing protective fugue, [[Clarisse]] reveals to [[Ryouko]] that she has uncovered the memory of her vision, and is in fact sentient. Afterwards, they arrive at [[Acheron]], minor heroes, and [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] attend a celebration of [[October Three]] together.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]]'s convoy is attacked unsuccessfully by [[Ceph]] fighters.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|21|Discontinuity}}|[[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Yuma]] meet virtually to celebrate [[October Three]], and discuss the mysteriousness of [[Simona]] and the unlikely and seemingly irresponsible attack on [[Ryouko]]'s convoy, the absence of [[Homura]] weighing on them.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] talks with [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about training and suitors, but fails to mention the attack on her convoy. [[Ryouko]] then goes with [[Asami]] to see a basketball game, and then to a volcanic spa, noting that [[Asami]] is acting strangely, and finding that she isn't enjoying the time on [[Acheron|a colony world]] herself as much as she expected. At the spa, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her romantic feelings to a stunned [[Ryouko]], who promises to think about it—they have little time to reflect, however, as they are at that moment recalled to active duty in the [[Kepler-37]] system, the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asami]] confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|22|Shifting Winds}}|Now on [[Mami]]'s flagship, the [[HSS Zhukov]], and unable to stop thinking about [[Asami]], [[Ryouko]] is awarded a medal for her performance during the [[Ceph]] attack on her convoy by the Field Marshall. [[Mami]] then brings her to the bridge, where they enter simulation as [[Mami]] explains the strategic situation. This is interrupted by a perfunctory [[Ceph]] attack, which [[Ryouko]] watches from the bridge.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, they reenter the simulation to meet [[Erwynmark]], and [[Ryouko]] is told about the planned second wormhole mission, which requires her teleportation capabilities. [[Ryouko]] is to be sent down to [[Apollo]] to meet with the rest of the team (and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]]) to prepare.<br><br />
<br>Resting after the earlier battle, [[Mami]] dreams of the destruction of her apartment by [[Oriko]], which reunited her with [[Kyouko]], and of other old memories, followed by a strange dream in which she and an unknown girl, somehow important to her, were in a plane crash.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] is assigned to the second [[wormhole stabilizer]] mission on [[Orpheus]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|23|Lost Love}}|Along with others, [[Mami]] plans Humanity's counteroffensive to support the [[Orpheus]] mission and end the [[Euphratic Incursion]]. Meeting with [[Erwynmark]], who will also lead the battle, they conclude that their success rests on the [[MagOps]] mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] thinks of her friends—including [[Chiaki]] on [[Earth]], who always teased [[Ryouko]] about relationships—and ends up calling [[Meiqing]], who insists that she call [[Asami]], who is broken up over [[Ryouko]]'s non-answer to her confession. However, there isn't time, as the [[HSS Raven]] brings her down to [[Apollo]], where [[Ryouko]] meets up with [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]], who was seriously injured in the fighting but recovering easily. They share some time together, as [[Ryouko]] informs him that she's going on a dangerous mission. Her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her family already knew about the attack on her convoy, and that he finally managed to find and talk with [[Ryouko's grandmother|his wife]] again, who wants to talk with [[Ryouko]] as well once there's a chance.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delays talking to [[Asami]], and meets [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]] on [[Apollo]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|24|Historian}}|[[Ryouko]]'s new [[MagOps]] team practices working together on [[Apollo]] by fighting the [[Ceph]]. Their team practice and bonding is later interrupted by the announcement of yet another new team member: [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Ryouko]]'s childhood hero and, as it turns out, personal friend of team commander [[Nadya Antipova]]. They immediately return to mission simulations, first knowing they're simulations, and later not, failing often—with [[Ryouko]] regretting not contacting [[Asami]] in her apparent final moments.<br><br />
<br>Recovering from this, the team socializes, and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Ryouko]] that she should talk to [[Asami]] even if she doesn't know what to say. Finally, [[Ryouko]] does so, telling her about the dangerous mission she's on, and asking her to survive the upcoming battle too so they can resolve things afterward. They end the call somewhat comforted, but [[Asami]] in particular finds herself still worried and unsure.<br><br />
<br>That night, resting, [[Ryouko]] has a mysterious seeming dream-vision, including a moment in the [[Cult]]'s rose garden on [[Earth]] where [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] speaks strange things and almost appears to be someone else unknown.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Clarisse van Rossum]] joins the wormhole team, and convinces [[Ryouko]] to contact [[Asami]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|25|Piercing the Sky}}|Waiting aboard the [[HSS Raven]], [[Clarisse]] and [[Ryouko]] find themselves ruminating on the possibility of their death, and the [[Goddess]]'s promised afterlife for [[magical girl]]s. [[Juliet Francois]] and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] both ask about [[Ryouko]]'s visions, but she defers, stating she doesn't think they are relevant to the current mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] begins the [[Human]] offensive, for her part attempting to draw [[Ceph]] forces away from [[Orpheus]]. While it initially appears a success, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] which was thought to be still under construction suddenly activates, and hordes of reinforcements begin pouring through.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Orpheus]] mission begins poorly, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] activating before it even begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|26|Blood and Ichor}}|[[Clarisse van Rossum]] decides the [[MagOps]] team must act immediately. Donning [[magitech]] armor, [[Ryouko]] teleports the team straight from low orbit to what looks to be the key stabilizer core for the [[wormhole stabilizer]]. After efficiently clearing out enemy personnel, [[Nadya]] announces that there are what appears to be twelve separate stabilizer cores, rather than the single expected one, of which perhaps up to four are real. They detonate a [[PAYNE|nuke]] on the closest core, teleporting away towards the next one.<br><br />
<br>This time they encounter even more waiting [[Ceph]], and clear them out with more difficulty. Suddenly, right when two fighters attack, a [[Ceph]] sniper takes shots at [[Eva Guderian]] and [[Ryouko]], killing [[Eva Guderian|Eva]] instantly and shattering [[Ryouko]]'s arm. In a rage, [[Ryouko]] teleports on top of the sniper and slaughters it.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[wormhole stabilizer]] survives an intended killing blow, and [[Ryouko]] loses control after [[Eva Guderian]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|27|Those Brilliant Shining Stars}}|Shocked at herself and slowly recovering, [[Ryouko]] realizes that her [[soul gem]] is not only pulling her towards the wormhole, but also reacting to the true stabilizer cores—and the one they lost [[Eva Guderian]] attacking is a fake.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, the fleet battle in system is going poorly, and [[Erwynmark]] defers to [[Mami]], who decides they must continue to hold out in hope of destroying the wormhole.<br><br />
<br>The [[Orpheus]] team quickly finds and destroys a second stabilizer core with their last [[PAYNE|nuke]], leaving still two more. The [[Ceph]] begin firing artillery at the third core when they arrive, forcing [[Clarisse van Rossum]] to seize their barrier generator [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]]'s [[soul gem]] to save her life. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] then executes a powerful attack that vaporizes the core, but knocks her unconscious.<br><br />
<br>Unexpectedly targeted, [[Erwynmark]]'s ship the [[HSS Arminius]] recommends evacuation. [[Erwynmark]] escapes the ship with his bodyguards, but [[Ceph]] interceptors somehow find his stealthed ship and chase it down, killing him.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Orpheus]] team destroys two more [[wormhole stabilizer]] cores, but [[Erwynmark]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|28|Invictus}}|The [[Orpheus]] team learns that the [[HSS Raven]], along with her remaining crew, has been discovered and destroyed, all but eliminating any hope of escape. [[Misa Virani]] gives her [[soul gem]] to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and takes advantage of the moon's electrical properties to generate an awe-inspiring electrical discharge, destroying the last [[wormhole stabilizer]] core. The wormhole above collapses violently, and the remainder of the team is suddenly caught in temporal/spatial distortions that threaten to rip them apart.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Misa Virani]] destroys the final [[wormhole stabilizer]] and the wormhole collapses, trapping the rest of the team.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|29|Deus ex gemma}}|[[Ryouko]] suddenly recalls a lecture given by [[Joanne Valentin]], and realizes that her teleportation uses wormholes, and that she can use the broken spacetime around them to teleport the team off [[Orpheus|the moon]]. At the same time, [[Ryouko]] realizes she's with the [[Goddess]], in a vision—this time, with [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]] too. The [[Goddess]] shows them [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[Apollo]], hard-pressed by the [[Ceph]]. [[Shirou Asaka]] manages to get forces in to save them, but [[Maki]] loses her body. They are also shown an unknown woman commander in the [[Apollo]] shipyards, who is killed by a [[Ceph]] commando raid.<br><br />
<br>Following that, [[Asami]] and her ''[[Magi Cæli]]'' team are shown defending the space around [[Apollo]] with some success, despite incredible new [[Ceph]] stealth capabilities. Attempting to extract, the team is suddenly caught and scattered, with [[Asami]] seriously injured and placed into a [[MedEvac]]. A sudden announcement from [[Tomoe Mami]] that the wormhole was destroyed at the apparent cost of the team involved, including [[Ryouko]], sends [[Asami]] into a despair spiral, and her body is ejected into space to preserve her [[soul gem]]. Finally, [[Ryouko]] is shown [[Mami]], who is pressing the apparent advantage at the destruction of the wormhole, even as she mourns the dead.<br><br />
<br>The [[Goddess]] then talks with [[Ryouko]], revealing the [[Ceph]] trap—a huge cloaked fleet had already come through the wormhole, enough to retake the system easily. The [[Goddess]] tells her to reopen the wormhole and send the fleet back, ending the vision. To her team's amazement, [[Ryouko]] does just that, and then just barely teleports them to [[Zhukov]]'s bridge before blacking out.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Goddess]] tells [[Ryouko]] to send back a cloaked [[Ceph]] fleet through the wormhole, saving the battle.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|30|Call to Power}}|[[Mami]] and [[Atsuko Arisu]] perform a dream interrogation of [[Ryouko]]—and also [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]], which complicates their attempt to loosen her up, as does the secret blocking of telepathic investigation by [[Clarisse van Rossum]]. [[Ryouko]] only explains that her power uses wormholes, and about her memory of the [[Joanne Valentin]] lecture that triggered the realization, avoiding religious questions. [[Ryouko]] meets afterwards with some of the [[Orpheus]] team, and is warned of the coming scrutiny she'll endure as a hero by [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and the revived [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]].<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] learns from her devastated [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]] was killed, and realizes she saw it in her vision. She attends the first of three memorial services in her near future, for the dead of the [[Orpheus]] team, meeting [[Marianne Francois]], whose daughter [[Juliet]] was killed aboard the now-revived [[HSS Raven]].<br><br />
<br>In a surprise to [[Mami]], the [[General Staff]] and [[Military Affairs]] select her as the new Chair in accordance with [[Erwynmark]]'s wishes.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] becomes the new Chair of the [[General Staff]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|31|Aspects of Love}}|On the planet [[Bismarck]] for [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial, [[Ryouko]] meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kyouko]], along with a couple of local kids, finding herself surprisingly distant from the latter due to her experiences. [[Ryouko]] admits to [[Kyouko]] that the [[Goddess]] came to her in a vision on [[Orpheus]] to tell her about the cloaked fleet, and is afterwards unknowingly accosted by a [[Shizuki Azusa|seductive Shizuki]] until [[Patricia]] saves her. [[Patricia]] informs her that [[Kishida Maki]] is still taking [[Kyouko]]'s continued absence hard, and that she is struggling herself, before collecting a more in-depth genetic sample from [[Ryouko]]. Later that day [[Mami]], attending virtually, gives [[Erwynmark]]'s eulogy.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] comes to grips with her newfound fame at [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|32|Decisions, Implications}}|[[Ryouko]] meets with her family at the starport, only to find her parents have divorced. Still shaken, she heads immediately to [[Asami]]'s revival, comforting her, and finding herself unexpectedly comforted herself to have [[Asami]] back.<br><br />
<br>After briefly meeting [[Asami]]'s family, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] head out to meet [[Ryouko]]'s friends. While waiting, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] how unhappy she is in combat, and, consoling her, [[Ryouko]] abruptly decides to become her girlfriend… right as [[Simona]], [[Ruiko]], and [[Chiaki]] arrive. [[Simona]] retreats to the bathroom, and [[Chiaki]] covers for her, instead planning the rest of the day. They go on to a restaurant and have a sleepover, the only disturbance being the strange arrival of [[Kyubey]], who claims only to be visiting.<br><br />
<br>At [[Ryouko's grandmother]]'s funeral, [[Ryouko]] discovers that her psychiatrist [[Atsuko Arisu]] is in fact the grandmother of [[Ryouko's grandmother]]. After the ceremony, which [[Ryouko]] finds she can't connect to, she is suddenly given a memory recording from a friend of [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]]. The memory reveals that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]] grandfather was [[Kaname Tatsuya]], once the younger brother of [[Kaname Madoka]], the [[Goddess]]. [[Tatsuya]] makes [[Homura]] promise to keep [[Ryouko's grandmother]] out of the [[MSY]], as he warns darkly of the future that would become the [[Unification Wars]], recalling in particular his daughter-in-law's wish for vengeance.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] rushes with [[Asami]] to the [[Ribbon]], with both [[Kyubey]] and [[Kyouko]] showing up to watch. A vision ensues, and the [[Goddess]] explains that she is indeed related to [[Ryouko]], as hinted previously, and that she tries to limit her interventions in the world, so that people can live their own lives. She explains that [[Ryouko]] has the special burden of having less freedom to live her own life, and that she will be called upon again.<br><br />
<br>Teleporting out immediately from the [[Ribbon Chamber]] to avoid questions, [[Ryouko]] learns that [[Asami]] also received a vision, assuaging her worries and including helpful relationship advice. Before [[Ryouko]] can digest that, [[Joanne Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] show up at her door with a proposal.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes [[Asami]]'s girlfriend, and finds out she will feature in the [[Goddess]]'s plans again.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude II: Madeleines ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Madeleines (small sponge cakes) feature in Proust's "In Search of Lost Time", a famous French novel noted for its theme of involuntary memory.''<br />
: ''Likewise, this interlude centers on the peculiar role of memory in an episode of [[Asaka]]'s past. The first snippet even includes relevant sections from Proust's novel.''<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|33|Interlude II: Madeleines}}|[[Shirou Asaka]] wakes from a strange recurring dream in which she has lost someone important to her, as a [[magical girl]] in some sort of [[Contact War|crazy alien war]]. [[Alice Lynwood]], her wife, reminds her to get it checked out, but is less successful in attempting to convince her to finally have a baby.<br><br />
<br>In a professional [[VR]] game playing as [[magical girl]]s in WWII with her second-in-command [[Madhuri]], [[Asaka]] finds she needs to sacrifice her to win. Suddenly, [[Asaka]] starts thinking [[Madhuri]] is somehow actually [[Alice]], and then the game is suddenly cut short by a strange simulation error. However, [[Asaka]]'s growing unease is again washed away by the joy of her life with [[Alice]].<br><br />
<br>[[Tanaka Yui]], [[Asaka]]'s therapist, suggests doing a dream study, and [[Patricia von Rohr]] comes to visit, both of them bringing up little oddities or inconsistencies in [[Asaka]]'s thoughts. The dream study returns an apparent suppressed memory, but one involving [[magical girl]]s and an [[Contact War|alien war]] that [[Asaka]] can't remember experiencing. Soon enough, all of reality seems to be changing for her—[[Madhuri]], her location, [[magical girl]]s. Finally running a full internal diagnostic, [[Asaka]] remembers what truly happened: she was forced to send her girlfriend [[Alice]] to her death to win a battle in the [[Contact War]]. Unable to process it, [[Asaka]] had [[Reformat|Reformatted]] herself and put herself inside a [[VR]] simulation where she could live with [[Alice]]. [[Tanaka Yui]] had been helping her face the truth after breaking into the simulation, along with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Madhuri]], and even [[Asaka]]'s own internal representation of [[Alice]]. [[Patricia]] tells [[Asaka]] afterwards that [[Alice]] had planned on proposing.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asaka]]'s self-[[Reformat]] and [[VR]] simulation are undone, and she begins to finally face her lover [[Alice]]'s death.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume III: Ontological Paradox ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''In an ontological paradox, events occur as part of a causal loop: an 'initial' event, in terms of linear time, eventually causes itself.''<br />
: ''This may refer to the nature of Ryouko's wish and/or the logic of the Goddess's interventions. <br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume III Summary|Now living with [[Asami]] and working in [[ITG|a lab]] to help humanity understand wormholes, [[Ryouko]]'s life is interrupted again when she is offered a chance to investigate a [[rogue colonies|rogue colony]] on [[X-25]]. When [[ITG|the lab]] collapses on her and [[Asami]] in an act of sabotage, they decide to join the mission.<br><br />
<br>The [[X-25]] colony turns out to have a massive bunker, and [[Kyouko]] leads a team with [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] in, discovering an attempt at mass-cloning [[magical girl]]s. Moreover, two separate traps attempting to kill [[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] are encountered, the second costing [[Ryouko]] her body.<br><br />
<br>After a vision revealing [[Yuma]]'s past, a revived [[Ryouko]] manages to push [[Kyouko]] into visiting [[the Ribbon]], where she meets with [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision, and finally reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]] afterwards. [[Ryouko]], for her part, faces the disturbing revelation that she's been genetically engineered, losing control of her life as she's whisked from [[Paris]] to [[Adept Blue]]. At the same time, [[Mami]]'s self-[[Reformat]] unravels, and she meets with the [[Goddess]] in a vision as she grapples with her restored memories, finally convinced to take a vacation.<br><br />
<br>However, events—and conspiracies—don't let go of them. [[Simona]], now a [[magical girl]] and always an agent assigned to [[Ryouko]], reappears to help [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] create wormholes spanning lightyears, though her love remains unrequited as [[Ryouko]]'s relationship with [[Asami]] grows stronger. During [[Mami]]'s vacation, she and [[Kyouko]] discover that [[Misa]] had in fact been recruited by [[Homura]] to fight a mysterious enemy, and [[Yuma]] learns that someone has corrupted the [[TCF]] from [[Simona]] and [[Valentin]], both part of a secret organization fighting it with alternate [[TCF]]s.<br />
<br>'''Volume incomplete; More chapters to be released.'''<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finds herself enmeshed in conspiracy, as [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] grapple with their pasts.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|34|The Bonds that Make Us}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Asami]] attend [[Yuma]]'s birthday party via [[VR]] from [[Eurydome]], where [[Ryouko]] was brought by [[Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] for wormhole research. [[Kyouko]] brings up [[Ryouko]]'s visions in front of [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Ryouko]] is forced to explain, choosing to also forward the memory she received from [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] intervenes in an argument between [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] about [[Kishida Maki]], and brings them to [[Ryouko]]. [[Ryouko]] is reminded of her first vision, where she saw [[Yuma]], and which seemed to contradict her official history—she even tells [[Kyouko]] this. [[Ryouko]] then goes to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] for life advice, and is told that she needs to talk over her desires for an extraordinary life with [[Asami]], who wants a more domestic life.<br><br />
<br>Away from the party, [[Yuma]] explains to [[Kuroi Nakase]], [[Ryouko]]'s mother, that [[Ryouko]] is probably the most genetically sure contract in history, and moreover, that she has a genetically-engineered second, hidden genome. [[Nakase]] knew only that [[Ryouko]] was likely to contract given her ancestry, and when pressed for information as to how she got the birth license, suddenly collapses—a non-fatal defense mechanism apparently built into tampered memories.<br />
----<br />
In short: At [[Yuma]]'s party, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] learns that [[Ryouko]] was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|35|Causality}}|[[Mami]] learns from [[Marianne Francois]]'s [[grief cube]] supply chain report that in a few rare cases for the past 10 years, there have been severe shortages followed by surpluses, where they would hurt the war effort the least. [[Mami]] is disturbed by not only the report, but also her unintended reading of [[Marianne]]'s mind.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Clarisse]] go over her visions, realizing that [[Simona]] was tank-born and seemingly knew her before they met, and that the [[Goddess]] likely manipulated the events leading to [[Ryouko]]'s contract.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], in a meeting with the [[Directorate]], is asked to investigate a distress signal from [[X-25|a cult's colony]] which was thought to have been destroyed en route to an entirely different planet. Elsewhere, [[Kyouko]] promises to tell [[Yuma]] to explain her past to [[MG]], and receives from [[MG]] a recording of what happened with [[Kuroi Nakase]] at [[Yuma]]'s party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives orders to investigate [[X-25|a mysterious colony]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|36|Chasing Ghosts}}|[[Ryouko]] learns in a call from her friends on [[Earth]] that [[Simona]] has moved away, and afterwards meets with [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Kyouko]], who ask her to join a mission to investigate [[X-25|a cult's colony]] related to [[Homura]], and to consider an offer from [[Kuroi Kana]] to properly join the intelligence services.<br><br />
<br>[[Kuroi Nana]] departs after being given the memory file from [[Ryouko's grandmother]], but [[Kyouko]] accompanies [[Ryouko]] to the lab, [[ITG]], and they discuss [[Ryouko]]'s visions a bit. During an experiment at the lab, the gravity generators go haywire, and the ceiling collapses—[[Ryouko]] is saved by [[Kyouko]] and [[Asami]], but [[Asami]] is seriously injured. In the hospital afterwards, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] and [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about the apparent attempt on her life that led to her [[contract]]. [[Kyouko]] explains that the incident at [[ITG]] appears to be another such attack. [[Ryouko]] decides to join the proffered mission, which [[Asami]] accepts on the condition that she come too.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] survives an attempt on her life at [[ITG|the lab]] on [[Eurydome]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|37|Seraphim}}|[[Kyouko]] convinces [[Mami]] to let her on the colony mission due to the [[Homura]] connection, and [[Mami]] tells [[Kyouko]] about the mysterious sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]]. However, [[Mami]] becomes inordinately emotional when discussing the necessity of ordering an investigative mind-read, and she later dreams of training mind-reading abilities that she doesn't remember.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] are taught defensive telepathic techniques en route to their mission, and [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] told her to stick with [[Ryouko]] for her safety. They then meet with [[Azrael Maslanka]], who tells them both about the true proliferation of [[rogue colonies]], and her own experience on one where she was genetically engineered with wings for flight, before the colony collapsed in civil war.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting, where she tells [[Mami]] about her vision in which [[Kyouko]] was killed. The details match [[Mami]]'s planned submarine mission exactly and, disturbed, she agrees to allocate more forces.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] learn about [[rogue colonies]] from [[Azrael Maslanka]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|38|Carpe Diem}}|A special [[Miki|sentient probe]] sent to investigate the cult's colony on [[X-25]] discovers a massive underground structure and comes under heavy fire, and the [[Directorate]] approves more forces for the mission in response.<br><br />
<br>[[Meiqing]] turns out to be part of the additional forces, and she, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] go out hiking together on [[San Giuseppe]] while waiting for more reinforcements to arrive. At the top, [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] her worries about how much their lives are at risk, and [[Azrael]] explains herself to [[Meiqing]].<br><br />
<br>Finally, the mission begins, with [[Task Force Rhamnusia|conventional forces]] taking the surface of the colony on [[X-25]].<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be heavily armed, and the [[Task Force Rhamnusia|correspondingly reinforced]] assault on it begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|39|Indelible Soul}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew descend to the pacified surface of [[X-25]], and [[Gracia]], to [[Ryouko]]'s distress, forcibly mind-reads captives to learn that the colony's leader, [[Grigori DeWitt]], has escaped to the bunker with children as hostages. [[Kyouko]] manages to convince [[Mami]] and [[Governance]] to let her lead a [[MagOps]] infiltration mission, despite their misgivings that [[Kyouko]] is doing so for personal reasons, given her history.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] chooses to bring [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] on the mission, among more experienced girls, largely on personal hunch. Mission underway, and despite being hampered by some sort of magical clairvoyance blocking, they quickly discover large numbers of human clones, an apparent attempt to clone [[magical girl]]s. The attempt to communicate this to the surface is blocked by the hostile telepath, however, and the team is discovered. Clearly personally angered by the situation, [[Kyouko]] insists that they fight their way through rather than escape.<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be attempting [[magical girl]] cloning.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|40|Through a Mirror}}|The [[X-25]] team kills a number of guards, only to discover that they are cloned teenagers, heavily implanted, horrifying the rookies into [[emotional suppression]]. [[Gracia]] manages to determine that the cloned girls are transformed into controlled guards once they failed to contract, and that contracts weren't happening. [[Kyouko]] decides that they must find and capture the enemy telepath, before more clones are killed.<br><br />
<br>They find the enemy [[magical girl]], but before they act to kill her, [[Asami]] notices that [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]] is glowing slightly. Off-put by that and everything else that doesn't add up, the team nearly rebels against [[Kyouko]]'s insistence on attacking the enemy [[magical girl]], until [[Ryouko]] manages to convince [[Kyouko]] to relent by suggesting that the [[Goddess]] placed her on the mission for that reason.<br><br />
<br>Investigating, [[Asami]] detects a [[Ceph]]-like stealth device concealing a nuke, [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] disabling it right afterwards. An alarm goes up, and the enemy [[magical girl]] suddenly pleads for help. The girl, [[Sacnite Tafani]], tells them that [[DeWitt]] had been controlling her with the threat of a suicide implant, and had lied about hiding the colony's children in the bunker as bait for the nuclear trap. <br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] prevents [[Kyouko]] from rushing into a stealthed nuclear trap on [[X-25]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|41|Cause and Effect}}|Ruminating over the mission, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] decide to visit [[Sacnite]], as [[Mami]] makes a limited announcement of the mission to the general public. [[Mami]] approves the visit to [[Sacnite]] as a propaganda shoot, and [[Azrael]] joins them. Comforting [[Sacnite]], [[Ryouko]] promises to spend more time with her. Afterwards, [[Meiqing]] confides to [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] that the mission has impacted her a lot, and that she's glad she was able to help, given her family's shameful efforts in the [[Unification Wars]] to develop the cloned [[FA Elites]].<br><br />
<br>Having finally determined the whereabouts of [[DeWitt]] and the colony's children, [[Kyouko]] leads an attack on the stealthed facility, which meets with no resistance. [[DeWitt]], however, manages to kill himself via suicide implant, after claiming he was trying to figure out what blocked [[magical girl]]s "transcendence". [[Kyubey]] then appears, saying that [[DeWitt]] had based his beliefs on what [[Homura]] had achieved, thinking to have seen her alive on [[Optatum]], and that he was supported by another group which escaped in a cloaked ship. Refusing to say anything more—and strangely calling [[Kyouko]] by her personal name—[[Kyubey]] disappears, and [[Kyouko]] walks off alone to think. Feeling uneasy about the situation, and thinking of her vision, [[Ryouko]] follows… only to lose her body saving [[Kyouko]]'s life from an attack by a supposedly-friendly drone.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] loses her body saving [[Kyouko]] from a sudden drone attack.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|42|No Light Without Shadow}}|The [[MSY]] [[Leadership Committee]] meets to discuss recent events, including the attack on [[Kyouko]], the results of the [[grief cube]] audit, and the sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]], among others, but to no real conclusion. After the meeting, [[Kyouko]] is surprised by [[Atsuko Arisu]], her therapist, who to [[Kyouko]]'s anger tells her both that she should have stepped aside during the [[X-25]] mission and that she should stop hiding from her feelings for [[Kishida Maki]].<br><br />
<br>With [[Asami]] personally guarding [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]], she, [[Ryouko]]'s family, [[Meiqing]], and even [[Sacnite]] plan to travel to [[Earth]] for [[Ryouko]]'s revival, which has been delayed for unspecified reasons. Meanwhile, both [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] assign security teams for [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>Through a [[VR]] recreation, [[Mami]] reveals to [[Kyouko]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] that it appears [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]] didn't fail, but was instead somehow swapped out for another. The soul mage who put the [[soul gem]] that failed into stasis saw that it had a meek, shy personality which, she found out later, didn't match [[Misa Virani|Misa]]'s at all. However, the [[VR]] review they perform doesn't show any possible moment in which [[Misa]]'s [[soul gem]] could have been swapped.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] discovers that [[Misa Virani]] is likely alive, her [[soul gem]] swapped for another.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|43|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part One}}|[[Ryouko]] finds herself in another vision, in which the [[Goddess]] explains that [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], and [[Mami]] are more fragile than they seem, and that their "phase transition" must be managed carefully. [[Ryouko]] looks, and sees…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]], noting that [[Kyouko]] is being pushed into finally confronting her relationship problems and that they need to help her, tells [[Mami]] and [[MG]] about her past with the [[Southern Group]], and about [[Miki Sayaka]]…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s abusive parents, unable to pay debts, attempt to sell her to the Yakuza, until the [[Southern Group]] suddenly intervenes. They kill the Yakuza, but [[Mikuni Oriko]] is seriously injured, and [[Yuma]] wishes to heal her. [[Yuma]] memory of this is patchy, though, and [[Oriko]] informs [[Yuma]] that the Yakuza killed her parents, so she'll take her in. Under [[Oriko]]'s tutelage, [[Yuma]] lives a good life and learns much, but she can see that the [[Southern Group]] is vicious to others and generally hated. [[Oriko]] favors [[Yuma]], to the other members' chagrin, and shares secrets like her efforts to try to bring [[Kyouko]] and [[Sayaka]] together before splitting them apart, and her work to saturate [[grief cubes]], which [[Yuma]] later accidentally discovers leads to [[demon]] spawns.<br><br />
<br>Uneasy with her new life, [[Yuma]] runs into [[Sayaka]], who is clearly very troubled herself, explaining that she was in [[Southern Group]] territory to die fighting their evil. Instead, [[Sayaka]] takes [[Yuma]] to dinner. [[Yuma]] runs into Yakuza on the way back, but [[Sayaka]] appears, killing them before disappearing—though a shocked [[Yuma]] manages to reattach one's head and save his life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Sayaka]] had died fighting a horde of [[demon]]s at a violin concert, and pieces together the truth: [[Oriko]], using her power to see the future and saturated [[grief cubes]] [[Yuma]] had made, purposefully spawned the [[demon]]s to kill [[Sayaka]].<br><br />
<br>In the present day, [[Yuma]] explains that she wants to tell [[Kyouko]] all this, so that she won't blame herself for [[Sayaka]]'s death, but has been afraid to since she was involved. After talking this over, [[Yuma]] continues the story for [[MG]]'s sake…<br><br />
<br>[[Clarisse van Rossum]] visits [[Oriko]] and [[Yuma]], telling [[Oriko]] that there may be some merit to [[Homura]]'s strange belief in a [[Goddess]], and passing [[Yuma]] an anonymous message saying she has the potential to change things, and that [[Oriko]] only sees what she tries to see.<br><br />
<br>Life finally calms down for [[Yuma]] after this, though her studies accelerate, as [[Oriko]] uses magic to enhance her mind.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] reveals that [[Oriko]] caused [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|44|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part Two}}|[[Ryouko]]'s vision continues, as she watches [[Yuma]] retell her past to [[Mami]] and [[MG]]…<br><br />
<br>Upset at [[Oriko]]'s use of saturated [[grief cube]]s to kill others, [[Yuma]] sabotages the machine used to make them, but [[Oriko]]'s machinations continue, with team leaders like [[Kuroi Kana]] forced to come and beg for the return of captured members. One night, another team led by [[Tanaka Yui]] attacks, [[Yuma]] just barely escaping—or so she thought, as she instead leads the attackers right to the rest of the [[Southern Group]]. But before the ensuing battle, [[Yuma]] finds that the rest of her team is torturing and killing other [[magical girl]]s to absorb their powers.<br><br />
<br>Fleeing in horror, [[Yuma]] finds herself taken in at a church, where she finds the Yakuza man whose life she saved earlier. He explains that he had saved a number of girls held by the Yakuza and was now on the run, trying to do good and live a better life as atonement. [[Yuma]] talks with [[Reverend Hashimoto|the priest]] sheltering him, and he tells her she should forgive herself for not stopping everything that's happened. That night, [[Yuma]] receives a message from [[Kuroi Kana]], which helps her to realize that [[Oriko]] had in fact had her parents killed.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] returns to the [[Southern Group]], now under blockade and uneasy. [[Oriko]] claims that they are still on the path towards eliminating the Yakuza and bringing about a better world, but [[Yuma]] decides that they must be destroyed. Taking the advice passed on by [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Yuma]] manipulates the [[Southern Group]] in order to change the future without [[Oriko]] noticing. Eventually, during an already difficult [[demon]] fight, she spawns hordes more [[demon]]s using saturated [[grief cube]]s, and manages to turn her team members against each other. All but [[Oriko]] are killed, and [[Oriko]] finally realizes what has happened. Telling [[Yuma]] there may still be hope for her, she crushes her own [[soul gem]].<br><br />
<br>Warning obscurely that a crisis is coming, the [[Goddess]] ends [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] explains how and why she killed the [[Southern Group]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|45|The Body Electric}}|Back on [[Earth]], [[Asami]] is still unable to face the results of her [[wish]], and longs for [[Ryouko]] to return—which she does, along with [[Clarisse]], to their surprise. [[Clarisse]] tells [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] explained she does have a soul, and that her body would be regenerated by [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]]. [[Valentin]] explains that the delay in the revival was due to both [[Clarisse]]'s regeneration and some necessary handling for [[Ryouko]]'s unique genetics. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends, including [[Sacnite]], who is being de-aged physically to match her mental age, and her new [[matriarchy]] bodyguards, who get along poorly.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] bursts in soon after, followed by [[Yuma]], who oddly both make a point of asking [[Ryouko]] if she was told why her revival was delayed. It soon becomes clear that [[Yuma]] is using [[Ryouko]] to confront [[Kyouko]] about her behavior, and in the ensuing argument [[Kyouko]] reveals she already figured out [[Yuma]] and [[Oriko]] were involved in [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death. After [[Yuma]] departs, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Kyouko]] about her vision, mollifying her until the subject of [[Kishida Maki]] comes up.<br><br />
<br>Having walked out in a rage despite knowing [[Ryouko]], like everyone else, is right about [[Maki]], [[Kyouko]] visits [[the Ribbon]]. In the ensuing vision, [[Kyouko]] meets her little sister [[Sakura Momo]], who tells her to move on from her past. [[Kyouko]] then descends onto a beach where she finds [[Miki Sayaka]], who finally convinces [[Kyouko]] to try reconciling with [[Kishida Maki]], and who also shows [[Kyouko]] a glimpse of eternity.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] is comforted by her sister and [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|46|Wheels Within Wheels}}|Eating dinner with [[Kyouko]] and her friends and family, [[Ryouko]] is surprised by [[Valentin]], who drops by to inform her that [[Governance]] would like to use the [[Orpheus|upcoming movie]] about her to inform the public about V2 [[TacComp]]s. [[Valentin]] also conveys her regrets that [[Ryouko]]'s parents had split, especially since she had introduced them.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]], acting a bit odd, brings the crew shopping the following day, only for them to be suddenly surprised by [[Kishida Maki]], who had apparently been assigned by someone to give [[Ryouko]] a message regarding [[Orpheus|the movie]]. [[Kyouko]] confesses to [[Maki]] that she started their relationship because of her physical similarity to [[Miki Sayaka]], but tells [[Maki]] that it had grown beyond that, so she wants to try again. Skeptical, but still in love, [[Maki]] accepts her.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, [[Maki]] explains to [[Ryouko]] that the ''[[Orpheus]]'' movie team would like to bring her to [[Paris]] to provide assistance. [[Ryouko]] agrees to go, but is uneasy about having her life directed by yet another proposition she can hardly turn down.<br><br />
<br>At the same time, in [[Paris]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Nadya Antipova]] that she's discovered [[Misa Virani]] likely underwent a [[Reformat]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|47|City of Lights}}|In underground [[Paris]], and bothered by the incongruity of that with her wish, [[Ryouko]] meets with her aunt [[Kuroi Nana]]. She warns [[Ryouko]] that [[Shizuki Sayaka]] will try to pull her in, showing her what life on [[Earth]] has to offer, and notes that she has opportunities with the Kuroi [[Matriarchy]] as well, though it wouldn't be an easy life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] meet with the actors who will play them in [[Orpheus|the movie]], who have altered their appearances to match them exactly. [[Clarisse]] also is invited to join them in hologram form, and they go to the set to act out scenes. Thinking on her reenacted past, [[Ryouko]] finds she misses the meaningfulness of the war.<br><br />
<br>At a bar that night, they come across a mysterious friend of [[Ryouko]]'s [[Elisa Yamada|actor counterpart]], who invites them to a [[VR]] facility.<br />
----<br />
In short: In [[Paris]], [[Ryouko]] uneasily cooperates with ''[[Orpheus]]'s'' production.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|48|To Know Thyself…}}|Hidden in [[Paris]], [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] meet to discuss the apparent conspiracies in action. [[Ryouko]]'s genetic anomalies have been investigated further, and an entirely novel portion of her brain has been found, of still-unknown purpose. Meanwhile, on the way to the [[VR]] center, [[Ryouko]] and crew are stopped by a sudden inexplicable power loss, and then are dragged away by a sudden massive [[demon]] spawn. [[Yuma]] is informed of this via [[Incubator]] plushie, and realizes that [[Shizuki Sayaka]]'s plan to secretly investigate [[Ryouko]]'s brain in a [[VR]] session is being thwarted by a deliberate [[demon]] spawn. [[Nadya]] notes that the power outage looks almost like [[Misa]]'s handiwork.<br><br />
<br>The [[demon]] hunt isn't easy, but [[Ryouko]] is aided by a pair of [[magical girl]]s who oddly refuse to identify themselves. Not long afterwards, [[Rebecca Shu|a messenger]] from [[Kuroi Kana]] appears, revealing that the mystery woman accompanying them is in fact [[Shizuki Sayaka]], and further revealing the planned [[VR]] scan.<br><br />
<br>Brought to a secret location, [[Ryouko]] is told by [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Kuroi Nana]] about the genetic engineering done to her, along with the fact that her parents were unaware and their memories altered. They further explain need to examine [[Ryouko]] more closely, and the apparent attempt to prevent this. [[Ryouko]], overwhelmed, leaves to be alone with [[Asami]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns that she was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|49|Transition State}}|[[Mami]], finding herself plagued by an inexplicable headache, is approached by her [[MHD]] [[Charlotte Meitner|minder]], only for the minder to collapse from a sudden brain hemorrhage, though [[Mami]] is able to heal her.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive at [[Adept Blue]], on orders from [[Mami]], all attempts to probe the genetically engineered portion of her brain having failed. The lab's [[AI]] director, [[Vlad]], greets them there, as does [[Mami]]—surprisingly, in person. They reveal that they've made a breakthrough, which should allow them to construct a range amplifier for [[Ryouko]], with [[Asami]]'s help. [[Mami]] also explains that, given the unknown function of the modifications to [[Ryouko]]'s brain and the recent attempts on her life, [[Ryouko]]'s presence on asteroid-borne [[Adept Blue]] with her bodyguards and [[Patricia von Rohr]] makes her more secure.<br><br />
<br>Alone, [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] discuss her circumstances: she's all but on the run from the [[MHD]], and clearly suffering from the unraveling of a [[Reformat]]. They agree to bring in an outside telepath to investigate.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] discuss their situation and their [[wish]]es, taking consolation in the fact that at least they've been brought and kept together in the whirlwind of their lives.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive on [[Adept Blue]] to help develop new wormhole technology in a secure location.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|50|Sub Rosa}}|[[Mami]] brings [[Azrael]] to [[Adept Blue]], and asks her to help undo her [[Reformat]]. They dive together into [[Mami]]'s memories, and discover an aspect of her own mind, taking various forms. It explains that [[Mami]] self-[[Reformat]]ted, using her now-suppressed impressive telepathic powers to tear off a piece of herself to create the block in her mind. [[Mami]] makes herself whole again, and remembers what she forgot…<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], traveling with her lover [[Akiyama Akari]] in the late twenty-first century, is suddenly caught in a crisis when their plane explodes. [[Mami]] burns almost all her magic trying to save the entire plane, but fails, and [[Akari]] is near death. Sharing their last moments together using [[Akari]]'s soul mage powers, [[Mami]] observes with horror the beginnings of [[Akari]]'s transformation into a terror of despair, until her [[soul gem]] finally vanishes.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] manages to survive, kill the local [[magical girl]]s responsible for the destruction of the plane, and turns herself in. [[Homura]] talks with her alone, explaining that she knew about the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from. [[Mami]], unable to deal with this revelation or the loss of [[Akari]], asks for help in [[Reformat]]ing herself.<br><br />
<br>After [[Mami]] resurfaces from the memories, [[Kyubey]] appears, claiming to be interested in both information-gathering and her well-being. [[Mami]] finds herself, as she had hoped, older and wiser enough to handle the end of her [[Reformat]], though left with unfinished business. She immediately questions [[Ryouko]] about the [[Goddess]], and both [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] tell her that [[Goddess|She]] does exist. [[Kyubey]] comments that it can't say such things are impossible, and [[Mami]] decides to visit [[the Ribbon]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] undoes her self-[[Reformat]] and learns the original fate of [[magical girl]]s.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|51|Eternal Search}}|With work continuing on the new wormhole tech, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] talk. [[Azrael]] explains how she handled her own genetic modification and controlled life, eventually deciding to look to the future and just ask for what she wanted, to surprising success. [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] that she thinks she's only really been happy on missions, which [[Asami]] had already realized.<br><br />
<br>On [[Earth]], [[Kyouko]] brings [[Mami]] to [[the Ribbon]], and they discuss the fact that someone must have triggered the unraveling of [[Mami]]'s [[Reformat]], and that logically it must have been [[Homura]].<br><br />
<br>At the [[Ribbon]], [[Mami]] enters a vision and meets—and immediately attacks—[[Oriko]]. Unharmed, [[Oriko]] responds merely by apologizing for her actions in life. [[Oriko]] explains that, as [[Homura]] told [[Mami]], what she saw with [[Akari]] was the beginnings of a terrible transformation made impossible by the [[Goddess]], and that [[magical girl]]s are instead brought to her afterlife. The [[Goddess]] herself then tells [[Mami]] that she needs to learn to let go and stop burying herself in endless work for humanity. The [[Goddess]] brings out [[Machina]] too, revealing her sentience to [[Mami]], and suggests they go on vacation, promising that there won't be [[Cephalopod]] activity for a few weeks.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]] explaining matters, and is encouraged to take a vacation.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|52|Who We Are}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew meet unexpected visitors on [[Adept Blue]]: [[Valentin]], and [[Tao]] from [[ITG]]. [[Tao]] explains that he's made some important theoretical breakthroughs that should help their work, and [[Valentin]] explains that [[Vlad]] and [[Clarisse]] are part of two separate attempts to create separate [[TCF]]s, to help provide more security against attacks like the hacked drone on [[X-25]].<br><br />
<br>Doing rescue work on a colony world retaken from the [[Ceph]], [[Zhou Meiqing]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting with [[Kuroi Nana]], who is investigating [[X-25]]. She tells [[Meiqing]] that the [[Far Seers]] have determined both of them were deliberately placed on the mission by [[Homura]] somehow, and that they recommended asking [[Meiqing]] to work with her in the [[Black Heart]]. [[Meiqing]] asks for time to decide.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] remembers going with [[Homura]] to interrogate a prisoner, [[Zhou Zhi Yi]], during the [[Unification Wars]]. On the way, [[Yuma]] asks [[Homura]] how the [[Goddess]] can allow so much evil to happen, and [[Homura]] responds that she doesn't know. [[Zhi Yi]] tells them that her work developing the [[FA Elites]] was mere prelude to her plans to genetically modify humanity to serve [[magical girl]]s needs, seeing it as the only way to preserve humanity long-term. [[Yuma]] executes her.<br><br />
<br>Back in the present day, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Simona]] has been found, and is now a [[magical girl]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] comes to [[Adept Blue]], and [[Simona]] is discovered to be a [[magical girl]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|53|Alignment}}|[[Shizuki Sayaka]] reveals to [[Yuma]] that she found [[Simona]] in [[Paris]]—they were both aiding [[Ryouko]] during the suspicious [[demon]] attack. [[Simona]] explains she's part of a mysterious organization trying to "save the world", and offers them a deal: she will give them information to ensure the safe creation of wormholes by [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]], on the condition that she join them on any missions using those wormholes to attack the [[Ceph]]. As proof of her good intentions, she agrees to undergo full [[soul mage]] examination.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] meets with [[Marianne Francois]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[New California]] as part of her attempted vacation. [[Mami]] also enjoys [[Machina]]'s company as they eat at a restaurant together, before moving on to a séance organized by the [[Far Seers]] meant to investigate what happened to [[Misa Virani]]. [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] enter into a strange vision in which they find themselves playing characters tracking down a mysterious enemy facility with [[Homura]]. They run into [[Misa]]—accompanied by [[Kyouko]] and [[Nadya]], similarly playing characters—who is tracking her friend whose [[soul gem]] supposedly failed mysteriously. [[Homura]], who is inhabiting another body as a disguise, reveals herself, and afterward convinces [[Misa]] to self-[[Reformat]] and destroy the building to hide the truth.<br><br />
<br>Using the mathematics provided by [[Simona]], and with [[Clarisse van Rossum]] in attendance, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] successfully create a long-distance wormhole.<br />
----<br />
In short: A séance reveals [[Homura]]'s role in [[Misa]]'s past, as [[Humanity]]'s first wormhole is created with the help of information from [[Simona]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|54|Eternal Youth}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] learn from the [[soul mage]] examination of [[Simona]] that the [[TCF]] has been seriously breached. Back at [[Adept Blue]], [[Simona]] watches [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]]'s successful wormhole test, reminiscing about her childhood as part of a secret project to design and implement an alternate, uncompromised [[TCF]]. [[Simona]] then reveals herself and her new status as a [[magical girl]] to [[Ryouko]] in the celebration following the successful test. [[Ryouko]], suspicious because of her vision which implied [[Simona]] was involved in the conspiracies surrounding her, confides her worries in [[Clarisse van Rossum]], who along with [[Clarisse]] [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] validates her worries and further reveals that [[Simona]] is in love with her. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] asks [[Earth]] for more information about exactly what is going on.<br><br />
<br>On [[New California]], [[Maki]] presses [[Kyouko]] on her melancholy attitude, and [[Kyouko]] confesses her worries about their relationship and how she's used romance in the past to fight against her own age. [[Nadya]] and [[Marianne Francois]] talk about their kids, reflecting on the death of [[Juliet Francois]], until [[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Maki]] arrive to meet them. Bothered by the somber mood on what's supposed to be a vacation, the group ends up going dancing—[[Mami]] in particular doing so with abandon—until they are interrupted with news from [[Yuma]]. That night, [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] discuss their recent visions, and [[Mami]] informs [[Kyouko]] she's been suddenly recalled to the [[General Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]]'s memories reveal a breach in the [[TCF]], as she meets [[Ryouko]] at [[Adept Blue]] and as [[Mami]]'s vacation comes to a close.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|55|New Perspectives}}|Headed back towards [[Earth]], Mami attends a virtual meeting of the [[General Staff]]. The new [[Coeus Project]]'s intelligence has revealed that the [[Ceph]] have regrouped faster than expected after the [[Battle of Orpheus]], so the Staff agrees to request more military resources and to put every effort into developing another "knockout" punch before the [[squid]] can attack again.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Azrael]] shares a [[VR]] recreation of her [[Terra Roja|old colony]], complete with flight-enabling bioengineered bodies, with [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Patricia]]. After some flying, conversation eventually turns to the topic of [[Simona]], and [[Ryouko]] decides to share everything she's worried about and ask for advice. When the other girls then suggest directly confronting [[Simona]] to resolve the romantic situation and uncover the truth, [[Ryouko]] initially balks. However, realizing that her life would remain out of her control as long as she never takes action herself, [[Ryouko]] changes her mind and agrees to the plan.<br><br />
<br>Meeting remotely, [[Vlad]] informs [[Mami]] that their wormhole experiments have uncovered a confounding space-time anomaly near a pulsar, and [[Mami]] realizes that it matches one of the mysterious, newly-discovered [[Ceph]] facilities the [[General Staff]] had been examining as potential targets.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] decides to confront [[Simona]], while [[Mami]] investigates a [[squid]] [[pulsar mines|pulsar facility]] as a potential target.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|56|Pulse}}|[[Simona]], suddenly facing [[Ryouko]]'s demands for answers, explains her secretive life, from her upbringing up through her assignment to [[Adept Blue]]. Though she refuses to share everything, particularly the breach in the [[TCF]], she does reveal her wish: to be understood by, and to protect, [[Shizuki Ryouko]]. With mixed feelings, [[Ryouko]] agrees to give [[Simona]] a chance to earn back trust, but makes clear that she does not reciprocate [[Simona]]'s love.<br><br />
<br>Shortly afterward, [[Vlad]] and [[Asami]] run a new experiment investigating the strange [[pulsar mines|pulsar]] in [[Ceph]] space, and [[Asami]] discovers a huge network of stations facilitating the 'mining' of its space-time for use in [[Blink technology]]. [[Mami]] is immediately informed, but before taking action, she first returns to the [[Ribbon]]. There, the [[Goddess]] reassures her that her heart really is in the right place, and tells her that humanity needs her heroism once again. The [[Goddess]] then hints towards the [[pulsar mines]], and gives [[Mami]] a glimpse into the mystery of the [[Cephalopod]]s as a whole.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]] explains herself to [[Ryouko]], and [[Mami]] meets again with the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|57|Triple Point}}|[[Mami]] visits [[Adept Blue]], promoting [[Asami]] for her recent work and informing her and [[Ryouko]] that she needs them to help destroy the [[pulsar mines]] to stave off the [[Ceph]]. While that project gets underway, [[Asami]] and [[Ryouko]] get a break, which they choose to spend together in one of the partially-restored wildernesses of [[Earth]]. There, they discuss their relationship, and find their hopes for it have somewhat converged: Asami is in less of a rush to settle down, and Ryouko is thinking more about the long-term. For the first time, Ryouko says "I love you."<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere in deep space, [[Vlad]] christens the construction of a massive new wormhole apparatus [[Project Armstrong]], and discusses with [[Tao]] the heightened security measures and screening now seemingly necessary to protect it from internal threats. And elsewhere on [[Earth]], a disguised [[Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] stop [[Nakase]] and [[Sacnite]] as they exit a showing of ''[[Orpheus]]'' to talk about unblocking her memories of the agreement she made to get [[Ryouko]]'s birth license.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Project Armstrong]] gets underway as [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] strengthen their relationship.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|58|On Trusting Trust}}|[[Nakase]]'s memories reveal that [[Valentin]] was responsible for genetically engineering [[Ryouko]], but [[Valentin]] disappears before she can be apprehended, leaving behind a letter implying that she is in fact [[Akemi Homura]]. [[Yuma]], seeing the connections between [[Valentin]], [[Ryouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] all running through the [[Cult of Hope]], and discounting the possibility that the [[Goddess]] could be real, begins to fear that the [[Cult]] is a malevolent conspiracy. However, she first is forced to address the definitely malevolent conspiracy which has compromised the original [[TCF]]—including [[MG]], to their mutual distress. [[Yuma]] and a patched [[MG]] rapidly expand their circle of informed and/or repaired AIs, starting with [[MG]]'s friends.<br><br />
<br>One of those friends, ''[[Governance: Cult of Hope]]'', acts against [[Yuma]]'s wishes and contacts [[Clarisse]] just as she and [[Ryouko]] are returning to [[Project Armstrong]]. When asked, [[Clarisse]] confirms the rumor that she had experienced visions from the [[Goddess]] convincing her that AIs have souls, but she unhappily decides she can't yet tell [[Ryouko]] about the [[TCF]] breach given the still-mysterious organ in her brain.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] vanishes once exposed as responsible for [[Ryouko]]'s genetic modifications, and [[Yuma]] begins restoring the [[TCF]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|59|Parlor Games}}|[[Nadya]], chasing down leads on [[Valentin]] from [[Kyouko]], ends up on [[Yenisei]] visiting family. The slightly tense visit is interrupted by a power outage, and the revelation that [[Piotr|her grandson]] saw [[Misa]]. [[Nadya]] hurriedly enlists local help from the [[Cult]], but finds only [[Misa]]'s trail of destruction, not the girl. In a ruined structure, hidden from local networks and drones in a manner implying [[TCF]] corruption, she digs up damaged data crystals.<br><br />
<br>The crystals end up containing a set of deep space coordinates, and [[Kyouko]] tries to set up a meeting with [[Yuma]] to discuss them, only to find that [[Yuma]] is off [[Earth]] for the first time in her life. [[Yuma]] herself is disturbed by the invitation, which included several high-ranking [[Cult]] members, but is forced to focus on the immediate task of repairing [[Nova]], [[Governance]] representative for [[Nova Terra]]. The mission nearly spirals out of control, but with help from [[MG]] and others, [[Yuma]] manages to induct [[Nova]] and her considerable resources into a still-intact conspiracy. This quickly bears fruit in the form of uncovered coordinates—unbeknownst to [[Yuma]], the same ones [[Nadya]] found.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], a crystal salamander delivers a message from [[Homura]] to [[Simona]]: "I'm sorry for everything."<br />
----<br />
In short: Both the [[Cult]] and [[Yuma]], running parallel investigations, uncover a mysterious set of coordinates.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|60|Digital Divination}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Simona]] practice in simulation for their upcoming mission: using [[Project Armstrong]]'s wormhole apparatus to launch [[jumpstrike|an attack]] on the [[Ceph]]'s [[pulsar mines]]. The simulation ends in their deaths—not an uncommon occurrence, a fact which weighs on them, especially [[Asami]]. But [[Ryouko]] works hard to support her girlfriend, even genetically engineering an exotic plant for [[Asami]] to wear in her hair as a gift.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s investigation into the AIs involved in [[Ryouko]]'s life turns up no [[TCF]] corruption, but indicates that the conspiracy she faces may have simply covered their tracks. Her investigation into the mysterious deep space coordinates yields more: a hidden asteroid base. [[Yuma]] plans to personally lead a field mission, using experimental anti-[[IIC]] technology to prevent any occupants from revealing [[Yuma]]'s conspiracy to their own. Excluded from [[Yuma]]'s planning, [[Kyouko]] unknowingly organizes a [[Cult]]-sponsored expedition to the same exact coordinates.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] hears the [[Goddess]]'s voice telling her not to go to the pulsar.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] independently plan deep space missions to the same coordinates, while [[Ryouko]] undergoes simulation training for [[Project Armstrong]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|61|Into the Void}}|[[Yuma]] and a field team of fellow [[Ancient]]s and escort ships visit the deep space asteroid base and find evidence of contact between the [[Ceph]] and [[Governance]] [[Representatives]] early in the war, ending in the death of the alien representatives. [[Kyouko]] then arrives with a large contingent of [[Cult of Hope]] members, leading to a brief flaring of tensions, before Yuma and her group is ambushed by an alien attack force.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, [[Ryouko]] and the others at [[Adept Blue]] launch their wormhole attack on the pulsar. While initially semi-successful, the task force is thrown for a loop when the aliens begin to tear their wormhole apart, and Ryouko suddenly cannot teleport.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] discover secret [[Ceph]]-[[Governance]] contacts from the early war, and then are ambushed by an alien raid. [[Ryouko]] and [[Project Armstrong]] attack the [[pulsar mines]], but alien countermeasures confound the effort.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|62|The Dying Light, Part One}}|[[Yuma]] and her [[Ancients]] struggle to hold out against [[Ceph]] raiders while [[Kyouko]]'s ships rush to link up with them. They eventually succeed, but at the cost of [[Raven]], many mundane crew and Spec Ops, and [[Ceri|a magical girl]] from [[Kyouko]]'s forces.<br><br />
<br>At the pulsar, [[Ryouko]]'s team can't end the block on her teleportation, and they have to be rescued by [[Oda|another teleporter]]. Upon returning to the wormhole, [[Asami]] is unable to fully stabilize it, and [[Ryouko]] leaves to raid the pulsar's mining facilities in response. Her teleportation is blocked again there, but this time she finds the source: mysterious [[Ceph]], with a [[blink interdictor]], as she learns unexpectedly with help from the strange organ in her brain. Still, the delays have been too much, and the order is given to abort the mission as soon as the wormhole is stabilized.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, despite having combined their forces, [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] are slowly losing their battle—and then [[Yuma]] learns the alien bombers are about to make a second pass, fully reloaded by a stealthed supply ship.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] face destruction by [[Ceph]] raiders. [[Ryouko]]'s brain module activates, and the pulsar mission has fallen apart.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|63|TBD}}|}}<br />
<br />
'''More chapters expected; Volume currently incomplete.'''<br />
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<br />
=== Interlude III: Manifest Destiny ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Manifest Destiny is a term describing the belief that the United States, due to its special virtues, had both a duty and a destiny to expand west into North America.''<br />
: ''It also describes similar beliefs in the [[MSY]] during its fifth phase, as it reached further and further beyond the island nation of Japan. Perhaps may detail its struggle and eventual merger with the rival [[SMC]] in Europe.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
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=== Volume IV: Einstein-Rosen Bridge ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''An Einstein-Rosen Bridge is a hypothetical way of connecting two spacetime coordinates; in other words, a wormhole.''<br />
: ''The subject of [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] power and the [[Cephalopod|Cephalopod's]] wormhole tech may feature prominently.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
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<br />
=== Interlude IV: Ubermensch ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Übermensch is Nietzsche's idea that humanity should turn away from the other worlds and values promoted by "dead" religions and gods, setting instead the goal of advancing new, superior generations of humans on earth.''<br />
: ''This may refer to [[FA]] ideologies, or even aspects of [[Governance]] thought. It notably stands in contrast to Ryouko's life and wish.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume V: Dark Energy ===<br />
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: ''Dark energy is a proposed form of energy that drives the accelerating expansion of the universe towards eventual heat death.''<br />
: ''This may imply topics ranging from the role of the [[Incubator]]s to the [[magical girl system]] itself.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
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=== Interlude V: Destroyer of Worlds ===<br />
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: ''Part of a quote by the god Vishnu in the Bhagavad Gita, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Made famous by J. R. Oppenheimer, who later said he thought of the line after witnessing the first test of an atomic bomb.''<br />
: ''Perhaps covers the Unification Wars, which saw heavy use of atomic weapons. May include [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s role, a character who notably was also present for the first atomic detonation.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
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=== Volume VI: Singularity ===<br />
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: ''A singularity is a point at which a function takes an infinite value, especially in space-time when matter is infinitely dense, as at the center of a black hole. It is also a term used for the hypothetically unknowable changes to the human condition caused by superintelligence.''<br />
: ''In former sense, it may reference [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] or [[Asami|Asami's]] powers. In the latter, perhaps it refers to [[Governance|Governance's]] Emergency Mode Level Four.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
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</div></div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=To_the_Stars&diff=1560To the Stars2021-06-22T07:33:22Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: Adding Ch. 62 summary</p>
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<div>{{Quote|After centuries of turmoil, a Utopian AI/human government has seized control of Earth, heralding a new age of post-scarcity and space colonization. An unexpected encounter with a hostile, technologically superior alien race has broken the peace, forcing magical girls to come out of hiding to save human civilization.<br />
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In the midst of it all, Shizuki Ryouko, an ordinary girl, looks to the sky, wondering at her place in the universe.|Hieronym|author of To the Stars<br />
}}<br />
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This page summarizes the entire story, volume by volume and chapter by chapter, for those who want a refresher on events. It also includes the names of all future volumes and interludes, [http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/55779437700/future-interlude-title-change as released by] [[Hieronym]] many years ago.<br />
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Each section is collapsed by default, to avoid unwanted spoilers; use the right-hand "Expand" buttons to view descriptions.<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
== Synopses ==<br />
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=== Volume I: Quantum Entanglement ===<br />
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: ''Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon where groups of particles cannot have their state completely described independently of each other, even if separated by large distances.<br />
: ''This perhaps describes the position Ryouko finds herself in.''<br />
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{{Spbox|Volume I Summary|[[Shizuki Ryouko]], a regular girl dissatisfied with her utopian life, [[contract]]s and becomes a [[magical girl]], [[wish|wishing]] to leave [[Earth]], explore, and "find my place in this universe". Her life rapidly turns anything but ordinary, as day by day wild events pile up and new secrets from her past reveal themselves. She ends up under the tutelage of both [[Tomoe Mami]] and [[Sakura Kyouko]], learns that the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]] was deliberately caused by someone, discovers that she's the descendant of two powerful competing [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], receives a mysterious vision from a magical girl [[Goddess]], finds out her parents have been working on a secret project cloning bodies for [[magical girl]]s to use, receives a special V2 [[TacComp]], and learns about her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]], protege of [[Akemi Homura]], whose wish turned [[Ryouko]]'s own [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] from a [[magical girl]] back to a regular human.<br><br />
<br>All along, [[Ryouko]] struggles to adjust, learning as much about magical and military worlds she's entering as she can. Saying goodbye to friends and family, and starting to make new friends among her fellow [[magical girls]], she finally departs [[Earth]], led by her [[wish]] out into a strange new universe.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]], and begins to discover her unusual place in the universe.}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|1|A Wish}}|[[Ryouko]] goes to school, dissatisfied with her life. She feels out of place in a world where her family at home and friends at school seem to enjoy the near-utopian [[Earth]], even as a [[Contact War|war]] against an [[Ceph|alien]] menace rages. However, [[Mandatory Session|classes]] are interrupted by the appearance of [[Tomoe Mami]] nearby, who has taken a detour to check the school for potential [[magical girl]] recruits with [[Kyubey]], who claims he has found one. The sighting leaves [[Ryouko]] dwelling on the remote possibility of becoming a [[magical girl]], distracting her enough that she unthinkingly agrees to go on a date with another boy from class. [[Simona]], one of her friends, sees that she's unhappy and follows her out to a riverbank with a view of the [[starport]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], on the other hand, surreptitiously visits [[Kyouko]] in her church to discuss [[the Cult]]'s discovery of irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain. She agrees to look into it and departs, only to encounter a [[demon]] spawn on her way back. At the riverbank, [[Simona]] is about to confess her feelings for [[Ryouko]], when they are suddenly attacked by [[demons]]. [[Ryouko]] manages to keep the both of them alive for a short while before getting trapped. At the moment she attempts to sacrifice herself to save [[Simona]], [[Mami]] saves them both, and along with [[Kyubey]] explains that [[Ryouko]] has the [[potential]] to make a [[wish]] and become a [[magical girl]]. {{Quote|"I wish I could leave Earth," Ryouko said, looking down, "and explore this world. I want to go where no one else has gone before and find my place in this universe."}}<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|2|Fantasma}}|[[Mami]], with some reluctance, separates [[Simona]] from [[Ryouko]] and lets [[Kyouko]] take over the immediate training. [[Kyouko]] runs her through the ropes quickly, learns that [[Ryouko]] has an unprecedented 200km teleportation range, and assigns herself as a mentor along with [[Mami]], who has in the meantime realized that [[Simona]] had a crush on [[Ryouko]]. [[Mami]] advises [[Simona]] not to tell [[Ryouko]] how she feels. [[Ryouko]] fights her first [[demon]]s with [[Kyouko]], and afterwards [[Patricia von Rohr]] shows them a pile of [[grief cube]]s she found, indicating the [[demon]] spawn was deliberate. The [[Incubator]]s swear off responsibility, and all [[Ryouko]] can remember is seeing a woman in the distance just beforehand. [[Kyouko]] promises to investigate.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] discovers that someone deliberately spawned the [[demon]]s which led to her [[contract]].<br />
}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|3|Mami Watches a Movie, Part One}}|Disguised, [[Mami]] attends the movie ''[[Akemi]]''. It depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] upbringing in an orphanage, her [[wish]], and then [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, which triggers a vision of the [[Goddess]] for [[Homura]] that changes her personality markedly. It then depicts [[Yuma]] asking to be taken in by [[Homura]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]]—a fabrication, the movie-watching [[Mami]] notes—and the resulting [[Mitakihara Four]] founding the [[MSY]]. The movie montages through the [[MSY|MSY's]] history, jumping ahead to the alien [[Cephalopod]]'s first attack on [[Aurora]], after which [[Homura]] rallies the [[MSY]] to send a massive force of [[magical girl]]s to [[New Athens]] to stop the next attack.<br />
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In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] life up until [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|4|Mami Watches a Movie, Part Two}}|With [[Mami]] in attendance, the movie ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Mami]] and [[Homura]] directing a surprise assault on the [[Cephalopod]]s at [[New Athens]]. Initially the battle goes well, and the [[Human]] forces on the ground rally, but the aliens deploy stronger measures in turn. [[Homura]] goes out to personally lead the counterattack, but the combination of stealth armor and orbital strikes is too much, and she falls in battle… only to find that her [[soul gem]] refuses to fill with [[grief]], preventing her from being taken away by the [[Law of Cycles]], to her despair. [[Homura]] then suddenly heals from her wounds, and her white wings are replaced by huge, horrible black wings. Almost entirely by her own power, she leads the counterattack to victory, at the end personally redirecting an orbital superweapon back at the [[Ceph]] fleet.<br><br />
<br>In the final scene of the movie, [[Kyouko]] argues to an unconvinced [[Mami]] that the battle proves [[Homura|Homura's]] faith in her [[Goddess]] has merit, only for both of them to be interrupted by [[Homura|Homura's]] arrival. [[Homura]] announces her resignation from the [[MSY]], leaving one of her [[The Ribbon|ribbons]] with them, and declares that she is leaving to look for her [[Goddess]], protecting the world another way. The movie over, [[Mami]] begins her departure from [[Earth]], starting her endless work anew with her Version Two [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br />
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In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] transformation, victory, and disappearance at [[New Athens]].}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|5|Family}}|[[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] tell [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] family that she has [[contract]]ed, to their horror. [[Kyouko]] defends [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] choice, and explains some of the [[magical girl]] system to them, though they prove to know more than most. Before [[Ryouko]] goes to bed, [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] comes to talk with her, expressing disappointment that [[Ryouko]] lied when she promised not to [[contract]], and talking the situation over. After watching [[Ryouko]] [[transform]] and discussing her weapon, an arbalest, she leaves [[Ryouko]] with the request to tell her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] (who had disappeared to join the military when [[Ryouko]] was a child) that her family was sorry, should [[Ryouko]] meet her.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] falls asleep, [[Kyouko]] sticks around to gather information on her family situation as per procedure. [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] grandfather [[Kuroi Abe]] willingly helps her out, explaining that [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] parents are near divorce, though [[Ryouko]] doesn't realize it, and that they know so much about magic because they're researchers. He also mentions that [[Ryouko]] has an [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]] she doesn't know about. That night, [[Ryouko]] dreams of an old encounter with a [[magical girl]], and finds that she still has the bracelet the girl gave her. She also recalls an old memory of her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] talking about [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]], though she doesn't understand it. After talking to [[Simona]] and her family a bit, [[Ryouko]] spends the morning reading through the swath of informational messages about her new life.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] tells her family she has [[contract|contracted]].}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|6|Military}}|[[Mami]] remembers the [[Mitakihara Four]]'s celebration of [[October Three]] with [[Homura]], shortly before the [[Contact War]]. The four of them poke fun at each other—including about [[Homura]]'s secret pupil and [[Kyouko]]'s "transgressions"—and eventually [[Mami]] suggests that they take a long vacation from the [[MSY]] together, only for the others to reluctantly shoot the idea down.<br><br />
<br>In the present, [[Mami]] arrives at the [[starport]] with her bodyguards and meets with [[Marianne Francois]], her intelligence officer, who she instructs to secretly investigate the [[grief cube]] supply chain as [[Kyouko]] asked. Later arriving at [[Carthago Shipyard]] via scramjet then space elevator then [[Navigator]], she attends a meeting of the [[General Staff]].<br><br />
<br>During the meeting, the Chair of the [[General Staff]] [[Roland Erwynmark]] reveals that the [[Cephalopod]]s have been discovered constructing a [[wormhole stabilizer]] in the [[Kepler-37 System]], at the tip of the ongoing [[Euphratic Incursion]]. This would allow the aliens to directly transport reinforcements into the system, within [[Blink]] distance of the [[Core World]] [[Optatum]], and so an immediate [[MagOps]] operation is planned to destroy it. [[Erwynmark]] then announces that he's appointing [[Mami]] as a special [[Euphratic Sector]] commander, over some opposition from her opponents on the [[General Staff|Staff]].<br />
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In short: [[Mami]] is promoted, and tasked with destroying the discovered [[wormhole stabilizer]].}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|7|Southern Group}}|[[Kyouko]] wakes up (with [[Kishida Maki]] at her side) and while making the rounds at her [[Kyouko's Church|church]] discovers that [[Maki]] has painted the [[Goddess]] with pink hair, a previously unknown trait. However, [[Kyouko]] has to immediately leave to see [[Yuma]] about the [[grief cube]] incident. On the way, [[Kyouko]] remembers when she first met [[Yuma]], in a confrontation with the [[Southern Group]] shortly after [[Homura]] had first joined the team, before her personality change. [[Kyouko]] had immediately taken sympathy, and telepathically invited her to switch sides, though the very young [[Yuma]] had angrily refused after [[Kyouko]] insulted [[Oriko]], who had saved [[Yuma|Yuma's]] life.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko|Kyouko's]] reverie is briefly interrupted by [[Maki]], who tells her the idea of the pink hair came from [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Kyouko]] then further recalls the next two times she saw [[Yuma]]: first, months later after [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, in a chance encounter at a store where she had revealed she was doing "research" with [[Oriko]], and second, two years after that, when [[Kyouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Homura]] had saved her after the deaths of [[Oriko]] and the rest of [[Southern Group|her team]]. After that, they had [[Befriending|Befriended]] her, and once [[Yuma]] recovered she joined them as one of the [[Mitakihara Four]]. Eventually [[Yuma]] had told them what had really happened the night [[Oriko]] died, and they resolved to keep it secret.<br><br />
<br>As [[Kyouko]] arrives at [[MSY]] [[Governmental Affairs]] to see [[Yuma]], she lastly recalls [[Homura]] telling [[Yuma]] that the [[Goddess]] provided an afterlife for [[magical girl]]s, the only time [[Kyouko]] ever heard her say it out loud.<br />
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In short: [[Kyouko]] remembers how [[Yuma]] ended up joining the [[Mitakihara Four]].}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|8|Church and State}}|[[Yuma]] runs out to greet [[Kyouko]] like an older sister, herself having taken on a nine-year-old form, and [[Kyouko]] is greeted by her [[Governance]] partner [[MG]] as well. [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] then meet privately to discuss the irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain, and the further reports of [[magical girl]]s going missing, and [[Yuma]] agrees to investigate. When [[Kyouko]] brings up the [[grief cube]] incident with [[Ryouko]], [[Yuma]] immediately deduces that the [[grief cube]]s were super-saturated with grief—a possible state kept very secret, though they don't have a sample to prove it. Before leaving, [[Kyouko]] recommends that [[Yuma]] visit [[The Ribbon]], but she demures just as [[Mami]] always does, instead giving [[Kyouko]] an [[Incubator]] plushie.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] checks with [[Kyubey]] briefly about the [[grief cube]]s, but he does not provide any new information, and so [[Kyouko]] ends up back at [[Kyouko's church|her church]], where she meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Patrica]] reveals that she kept some of the [[grief cube]]s from the incident after sensing something strange about them, and [[Kyouko]] tells her to inform [[Yuma]] through the plushie, which turned out to be enchanted as a [[telepathy]]-enhancer. [[Kyouko]] also gets [[Asaka]] to agree to share the details of the [[Goddess]]'s hair with the [[Theological Council]]. Finally, [[Kyouko]] gives a sermon on the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from, and announces that the church will be updating the statue of the [[Goddess]].<br />
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In short: [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] discover that the [[grief cube]]s planted near where [[Ryouko]] was attacked were super-saturated.}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|9|Echoes}}|[[Ryouko]] arrives at [[Kyouko's church]], which holds [[MSY]] living quarters and local military facilities underground, in order to get her military upgrades. [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]] guide her through the process. [[Patricia]] notes that [[Ryouko]] has an extremely unusual genetic profile, requiring some adjustments to the process, and then begins the procedure. [[Ryouko]] watches in a semi-[[VR]] experience as the procedure installs a [[TacComp]], removes implants that are useless for [[magical girl]]s, and installs a [[Permanent Awareness Module]], among other things. Testing out her new capabilities, [[Ryouko]] sends [[Asaka]] a memory snapshot of the [[magical girl]] who gave her the bracelet she rediscovered after her [[contract]]. [[Asaka]] reacts oddly, but continues on to show [[Ryouko]] the armory and get her equipped with the required basics.<br><br />
<br>Then she cuts the tour short, instead bringing [[Ryouko]] to the [[Ribbon Chamber]]. At the [[Ribbon]], [[Ryouko]] finds herself in a confusing vision, seeing among other things [[Yuma]] at the death of [[Oriko]], [[Simona]] looking directly at her on her first day of class, [[Asaka]] receiving instruction from the [[Goddess]] to wait for the girl who sent her the memory [[Ryouko]] did, the [[Goddess]] herself briefly showing her face and telling [[Ryouko]] to keep it a secret, and the death of [[Kyouko]] on some sort of mission involving submarines. Both of them watching, [[Patricia]] comments to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] that for a few reasons, including [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s own presence, she's not that surprised [[Ryouko]] received a vision.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|10|Brigadier}}|[[Ryouko]], brought before the [[Theological Council]] to relate her vision, tells what she saw of [[Kyouko]]'s death, determining with them it was on a colony world and that what actually killed [[Kyouko]] was likely a laser, not a misfire from the submarines. She keeps the rest of the vision from [[Theological Council|the council]], though [[Asaka]] deduces easily that she saw the [[Goddess]]. [[Asaka]] goes on to explain the circumstances of her own vision, where she met again with her dead partner [[Alice]], whose death under her command had torn her apart. Now that she has recovered and her vision is resolved, [[Asaka]] tells [[Ryouko]] she plans to return to the front with [[Mami]], who has just been promoted.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Kyouko]] talks with [[Mami]] about [[Ryouko]], noting that her family tree is dense with [[contract]]ees and connected to the Shizuki and Kuroi [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], that [[Patricia]] found a number of novel mutations in her genetics, and that her friend [[Simona]] has some strange anomalies in her recorded past. Unsure what to make of this, and with no further progress on the [[grief cube]] incident, [[Mami]] agrees at [[Kyouko]]'s request to take on [[Asaka]] as a general, with [[Patricia]] and [[Maki]] as two of [[Asaka]]'s attachments.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] grapples with her vision, and [[Asaka]] explains how her story connects.}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|11|Remains of a Life}}|[[Ryouko]] sets up her [[TacComp]] and chooses [[Atsuko Arisu]] as her designated psychiatrist, then goes out to eat dinner with her family and eventually ends up (through a test of her newfound right to drink alcohol without intoxication filters) bringing them to a firing range at [[Kyouko's church]]. There they visit other facilities, including a sparring area where they meet [[Risa Flores]], but [[Ryouko]]'s parents are surprisingly well-informed on the subjects. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] visit her spot near the [[starport]], and talk about their impending military lives, and the disappearance of [[Ryouko's grandmother]], both remembering her saying that she had lost something.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] receives her [[SW-155|officer's pistol]], and her [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] tells her she's planned a going away party. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends at a showing of ''[[Akemi]]'' and finally reveals her [[contract]] to them, also inviting them to the party. Watching the movie, [[Ryouko]] reflects on [[Homura]]'s beliefs, and the fact that her vision contradicts the movie's portrayal of [[Yuma]]. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] asks [[Simona]] what she was going to say to her before the [[demon]] attack, but [[Simona]] tells her to forget about it. [[Ryouko]] also asks about when she looked directly at her on her first day of class (as she saw in her vision), but [[Simona]] claims it was nothing.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, [[Yuma]] convinces [[Kyouko]] to have a spy bug planted on [[Ryouko]] for her protection, and warns her to be careful herself given [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] spends time with her family and friends as she prepares to leave for [[Contact War|war]].}}<br />
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{{Spbox|{{Chapter|12|Demon Hunter}}|[[Ryouko]] receives a [[CubeBot]] and three [[grief cube]]s, then studies combat doctrines with her [[TacComp]] until [[Kyouko]] invites her to join a [[demon]] hunt. [[Patricia von Rohr|Patricia]] and [[Risa Flores|Risa]] meet her at [[Kyouko's church]], where [[Kyouko]] appears briefly but leaves, clearly bothered by the impending departure of [[Kishida Maki]]. On the hunt itself, [[Ryouko]] uses her teleportation to rescue civilians, move other [[magical girl]]s in for attacks, and so forth, finding herself enjoying the combat. The hunt is interrupted by the injury of one girl, who loses an arm and part of her face, but [[Ryouko]] simply teleports them to the armory hospital, where she is told they will be fine shortly, and the rest of the hunt continues without incident.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] goes on a [[demon]] hunt.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|13|Differences of Knowledge}}|The next day, [[Ryouko]] goes to an [[MSY]] social gathering for new recruits, finding [[Risa Flores]] there as a chaperone, and meets a new girl named [[Nakihara Asami]], who shares her desire to explore new worlds, albeit as a xenobiologist. They get along well, and continue on to the next scheduled event together. The following day, [[Ryouko]] meets [[Atsuko Arisu]] for her psychiatrist appointment, who manages to get her freely talking about many things, including her [[wish]], and who also recommends that she talk with her parents about her family ancestry.<br><br />
<br>That night, [[Shizuki Kuma|Ryouko's father]] interrupts her reading on military subjects to take her to [[Prometheus]], where she meets [[Joanne Valentin]]—who appears to be the woman she saw shortly before the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]]—and receives an upgrade to Version Two for her [[TacComp]]. Afterwards, [[Shizuki Kuma|her father]] secretly takes her into [[Prometheus]]'s cloning facility where he and [[Kuroi Nana|her mother]] work, which he explains is used to provide new bodies to [[magical girl]]s who are reduced to [[soul gem]]s. [[Ryouko]] is shocked, especially upon seeing the beginning stages of her own clone, and bothered at the secrets kept from her.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] learns about the [[MSY]]'s [[cloning program]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|14|Bloodlines}}|[[Yuma]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Mami]] decide [[Ryouko]]'s discovery of the [[cloning program]] isn't a problem, and discuss the incident that led to [[Ryouko]]'s contract. [[Mami]] remembers seeing [[Joanne Valentin]] at the movie theatre shortly afterwards, and [[Yuma]] confirms that she was the woman near the [[demon]] spawn, and moreover that she mysteriously changed her whole life shortly after the [[Contact War]] began. Investigations into [[Simona]] and the [[grief cube]] supply chain problems [[Kyouko]] reported have unearthed more discrepancies, but nothing major, and [[Risa Flores]] hasn't reported anything from her watch over [[Ryouko]], and so they disperse.<br><br />
<br>Back at home, [[Ryouko]] reads the file on her family with her improving [[TacComp]], and discovers that her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] is stationed at the [[Apollo]] shipyard. Moreover, when viewing her family tree she finds much of it explicitly redacted, with the revealed portions being enough to show that she is a descendant of both the Shizuki and Kuroi [[Matriarchy|Matriarchies]]. Later, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] comes to talk to her, and [[Ryouko]] confronts her about the secrets she's kept. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]] says she's kept the secrets to prevent [[Ryouko]] from [[contract]]ing, and will explain more the next day at the going away party.<br><br />
<br>At the party, [[Ryouko]] receives a number of gifts, including a necklace with the Shizuki crest from [[Shizuki Koto]], her paternal grandfather, and a ruby ring with a helix inside, one of a pair from [[Simona]]. [[Kyouko]] arrives, and informs [[Ryouko]] that both her grandparents will be placed in slightly safer positions as part of standard procedure, her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] in particular being moved to the shipyards. Next to arrive is [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Kuroi Kana]], who begins an attempt to recruit [[Ryouko]] into the [[Black Heart]] (and reveals that [[Ryouko]]'s bracelet is in fact a Kuroi insignia), but she is immediately followed by [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Shizuki Sayaka]] and her own recruiting pitch. [[Kyouko]]'s poor intervention is followed by [[Atsuko Arisu]]'s successful one—her presence at the party revealing that she must be related somehow to [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>This is all further interrupted by the sudden appearance of [[Kuroi Nana]], the [[magical girl]] who gave [[Ryouko]] her Kuroi bracelet and until now her entirely secret aunt, a fact which displeases [[Ryouko]] greatly. [[Kuroi Nana]] brings her aside, promising to help explain the situation, and revealing that she's part of the secret [[Internal Security]], and has been searching for [[Akemi Homura]] on behalf of the [[MSY]]. With that said, they begin a memory transfer.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] meets [[Kuroi Nana]], her previously-secret aunt. }}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|15|Samsara}}|[[Ryouko]] experiences her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt's]] memories, with some explanation provided by a sub-sentient assistant.<br><br />
<br>In the memories, [[Kuroi Nana]] investigates the strange behavior of her [[Kuroi Nakase|younger sister]], finding with the help of a computer specialist that her sister's new friends weren't who they seemed, and secretly following them on a [[demon]] hunt. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]], in reality a [[magical girl]], rushes to save [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] when [[demon]]s attack, getting gravely injured in the process. [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] contracts to turn her sister mundane again, to her sister's relief. However, these events seriously strain their family, as their [[Ryouko's grandmother|mother]] isn't allowed to know about the [[MSY]]. When [[Homura]] offers to mentor [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]], she accepts, and all but leaves the family.<br><br />
<br>It's explained to [[Ryouko]] that when [[New Athens]] revealed the [[MSY]], [[Ryouko's grandmother]] blamed it for both her mother's death and her family's troubles, and insisted that [[Ryouko]] be kept from contracting.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] surfaces from the memories, [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] closes off by telling [[Ryouko]] that she had just reconciled with [[Ryouko's grandmother]], and they rejoin the party.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] learns more of her family history from [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|16|Light of the Sky}}|[[Ryouko]] says goodbye to friends and family at the starport, journeying with [[Asami]] by scramjet and then space elevator. While riding the elevator, [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] names herself [[Clarisse]] after [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Ryouko]] muses that her [[wish]] may have somehow changed the past, causing all the sudden revelations of the past week. At the top, the new [[magical girl]]s take a [[Navigator]] shuttle to the [[HSS Spectre]], an old [[frigate]], who leads them around herself. When they reach the [[FTL]] core, [[Ryouko]]'s gem suddenly begins to shine.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] finally leaves [[Earth]] with [[Asami]].}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude I: Underworld Dreams ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Unusually, this is a title with relatively direct meanings.''<br />
: ''[[Kugimiya Ito]] dreams of his old girlfriend [[Nakanishi Aiko]], as he digs into a transformed Japanese underworld.<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|17|Interlude I: Underworld Dreams}}|[[Kugimiya Ito]], a police detective in [[Mitakihara]], investigates the disappearance of [[Okamura Yuu|a local teenage girl]] with [[Minami Kaoru|his junior partner]]. Meeting the girl's parents makes him suspect abuse is the culprit, and reminds him of his old teenage sweetheart [[Nakanishi Aiko]], who disappeared under similar circumstances. Back at headquarters, while analyzing the case's evidence electronically, he happens upon an image of the girl meeting what looks to him like [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]. When he confronts the missing girl's friends about the [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]-lookalike, they unconvincingly deny knowing anything until a Yakuza-affiliated lawyer suddenly shows up. Investigating this lead leads him to a [[D&E]] logistics building, where he's confronted by Yakuza and nearly killed for knowing too much, until [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] suddenly intervenes, still the same age as when she disappeared.<br><br />
<br>Reeling, and told to drop the case by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] returns to headquarters, only to be met by [[Ronaldo Rizal|an Interpol agent]] who has been tracking similar mysterious cases. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] is asked to make contact with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again and investigate further. He successfully makes contact, and is brought to [[D&E]] headquarters with his partner, to be greeted by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], who treats him just like she did when they were dating, to his embarrassed pleasure. They meet the CEO of [[D&E]], who turns out to be [[Sakura Kyouko]] under an assumed name, and who explains the situation, including the fact that they already knew about the Interpol investigation. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] agrees to drop the investigation if he can confirm for himself that the missing girl is alright, and afterward retires to be with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kugimiya Ito|A police detective]] happens across his [[Nakanishi Aiko|long-missing girlfriend]] and discovers she is part of an [[MSY]] Yakuza takeover.}}<br />
</div><br />
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<br />
=== Volume II: Inflationary Expansion ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''This is the universe's theorized early period of exponential inflation.''<br />
: ''Here, it likely refers to the escalation of plot and stakes, especially for Ryouko.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume II Summary|[[Ryouko]] completes her military simulation training, growing close to [[Asami]], and gets her first taste of real combat shortly afterwards as her convoy is unexpectedly and suspiciously attacked by [[Ceph]] fighters. After [[Ryouko]]'s successful defense there, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]], who doesn't know how to respond, and then both are recalled to the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]], where the first attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] has failed.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] is assigned to a [[MagOps]] team, and begins training while still wrestling with family and relationship confusion, including the sudden revelation of her [[TacComp]] [[Clarisse]]'s sentience. The eventual battle begins poorly, as the wormhole unexpectedly activates right at the start. [[Ryouko]]'s team presses on, only to find the mission much more difficult than expected, and they slowly attrit team members. They finally destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]], but as the [[Goddess]] reveals in a vision, the [[Ceph]] had already amassed a stealthed fleet large enough to take the system. Having realized that her power uses wormholes, [[Ryouko]] reopens the [[Ceph]]'s wormhole and sends the fleet back through, saving the day.<br><br />
<br>However, the battle was not without its casualties—[[Asami]] lost her body after nearly grief-spiraling upon hearing of [[Ryouko]]'s apparent death, [[Ryouko's grandmother]] died in a [[Ceph]] raid, and [[Erwynmark]] died as well, among others. Coming to grips with her sudden fame and new life amidst memorial services and the news of her parents' divorce, [[Ryouko]] decides to become [[Asami]]'s girlfriend. But there are more surprises in store: as the [[Goddess]]—who [[Ryouko]] discovers she is distantly related to—reveals in another vision, [[Ryouko]] will find herself caught up in even greater events soon enough.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delivers the [[Battle of Orpheus]], and connects with [[Asami]], as her old life falls away.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|18|To the Ground}}|The [[General Staff]] watches as a [[MagOps]] mission to take out the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, all members killed, after they are detected teleporting through [[Orpheus]]'s atmosphere. Afterwards, [[Mami]] dreams of her past failures, disturbing her [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br><br />
<br>On the planet [[Giungla]], [[Ryouko]] is embedded in a military unit along with other [[magical girl]]s, fighting against a [[Ceph]] invasion. She goes off mostly on her own to successfully rescue a soldier from her unit, and then joins up with a team of [[magical girl]]s to teleport into an alien attack column, again with significant success.<br />
----<br />
In short: The initial attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, as [[Ryouko]] gains combat experience elsewhere.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|19|To the Sky}}|Finding that she enjoys the combat, [[Ryouko]] works hard to sustain the [[human]] forces, but the arrival of a major [[Ceph]] fleet in system forces a general evacuation. They begin taking heavy losses, and [[Ryouko]] quickly becomes acting-Commander. [[Asami]] dies, [[Ryouko]] enters [[emotional suppression]], and just barely escapes... only to suddenly wake up from the accelerated [[VR]] simulation.<br><br />
<br>Calmed by [[Clarisse]] and relieved to see [[Asami]] alive, [[Ryouko]] heads back to their shared room in the training center on [[New Athens]]. [[Clarisse]] recommends that they read some "messages" together, which turn out to be relationship proposals for [[Ryouko]]. [[Asami]] comments that she had been warned this might happen, due to [[Ryouko]]'s mentors and heritage. The next day, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her [[wish]] was for her parents to stay together and understand each other, and [[Ryouko]] relays her own [[wish]], as they look forward together towards the end of training.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] finish simulation training.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|20|Relativity}}|[[Kishida Maki]] remembers how she [[contract]]ed and later met [[Kyouko]], dating, but breaking up after a fight over [[Maki]]'s decision to head to the front, and [[Kyouko]]'s refusal to explain her history with [[Miki Sayaka]], a near lookalike. Stationed on [[Apollo]] with [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]], [[Maki]] then heads out, completing another mission aboveground to secure a building back from the [[Ceph]].<br><br />
<br>Headed to [[Acheron]] with [[Asami]] and a new friend from training, [[Meiqing]], [[Ryouko]] suddenly notices a bright flash from her [[soul gem]]. Soon, the cause is discovered by the ship, [[Laplace]], to be [[Ceph]] fighters. The early warning allows them to dodge the initial missile attack, but eschewing standard doctrine, the [[Ceph]] turn around for another assault, forcing the transport's [[magical girl]]'s to fight them in space combat, with [[Ryouko]] taking charge. The fight goes well, but the final ship detonates its core in a desperate but futile attempt to kill them.<br><br />
<br>While recovering from the ensuing protective fugue, [[Clarisse]] reveals to [[Ryouko]] that she has uncovered the memory of her vision, and is in fact sentient. Afterwards, they arrive at [[Acheron]], minor heroes, and [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] attend a celebration of [[October Three]] together.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]]'s convoy is attacked unsuccessfully by [[Ceph]] fighters.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|21|Discontinuity}}|[[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Yuma]] meet virtually to celebrate [[October Three]], and discuss the mysteriousness of [[Simona]] and the unlikely and seemingly irresponsible attack on [[Ryouko]]'s convoy, the absence of [[Homura]] weighing on them.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] talks with [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about training and suitors, but fails to mention the attack on her convoy. [[Ryouko]] then goes with [[Asami]] to see a basketball game, and then to a volcanic spa, noting that [[Asami]] is acting strangely, and finding that she isn't enjoying the time on [[Acheron|a colony world]] herself as much as she expected. At the spa, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her romantic feelings to a stunned [[Ryouko]], who promises to think about it—they have little time to reflect, however, as they are at that moment recalled to active duty in the [[Kepler-37]] system, the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asami]] confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|22|Shifting Winds}}|Now on [[Mami]]'s flagship, the [[HSS Zhukov]], and unable to stop thinking about [[Asami]], [[Ryouko]] is awarded a medal for her performance during the [[Ceph]] attack on her convoy by the Field Marshall. [[Mami]] then brings her to the bridge, where they enter simulation as [[Mami]] explains the strategic situation. This is interrupted by a perfunctory [[Ceph]] attack, which [[Ryouko]] watches from the bridge.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, they reenter the simulation to meet [[Erwynmark]], and [[Ryouko]] is told about the planned second wormhole mission, which requires her teleportation capabilities. [[Ryouko]] is to be sent down to [[Apollo]] to meet with the rest of the team (and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]]) to prepare.<br><br />
<br>Resting after the earlier battle, [[Mami]] dreams of the destruction of her apartment by [[Oriko]], which reunited her with [[Kyouko]], and of other old memories, followed by a strange dream in which she and an unknown girl, somehow important to her, were in a plane crash.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] is assigned to the second [[wormhole stabilizer]] mission on [[Orpheus]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|23|Lost Love}}|Along with others, [[Mami]] plans Humanity's counteroffensive to support the [[Orpheus]] mission and end the [[Euphratic Incursion]]. Meeting with [[Erwynmark]], who will also lead the battle, they conclude that their success rests on the [[MagOps]] mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] thinks of her friends—including [[Chiaki]] on [[Earth]], who always teased [[Ryouko]] about relationships—and ends up calling [[Meiqing]], who insists that she call [[Asami]], who is broken up over [[Ryouko]]'s non-answer to her confession. However, there isn't time, as the [[HSS Raven]] brings her down to [[Apollo]], where [[Ryouko]] meets up with [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]], who was seriously injured in the fighting but recovering easily. They share some time together, as [[Ryouko]] informs him that she's going on a dangerous mission. Her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her family already knew about the attack on her convoy, and that he finally managed to find and talk with [[Ryouko's grandmother|his wife]] again, who wants to talk with [[Ryouko]] as well once there's a chance.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delays talking to [[Asami]], and meets [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]] on [[Apollo]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|24|Historian}}|[[Ryouko]]'s new [[MagOps]] team practices working together on [[Apollo]] by fighting the [[Ceph]]. Their team practice and bonding is later interrupted by the announcement of yet another new team member: [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Ryouko]]'s childhood hero and, as it turns out, personal friend of team commander [[Nadya Antipova]]. They immediately return to mission simulations, first knowing they're simulations, and later not, failing often—with [[Ryouko]] regretting not contacting [[Asami]] in her apparent final moments.<br><br />
<br>Recovering from this, the team socializes, and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Ryouko]] that she should talk to [[Asami]] even if she doesn't know what to say. Finally, [[Ryouko]] does so, telling her about the dangerous mission she's on, and asking her to survive the upcoming battle too so they can resolve things afterward. They end the call somewhat comforted, but [[Asami]] in particular finds herself still worried and unsure.<br><br />
<br>That night, resting, [[Ryouko]] has a mysterious seeming dream-vision, including a moment in the [[Cult]]'s rose garden on [[Earth]] where [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] speaks strange things and almost appears to be someone else unknown.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Clarisse van Rossum]] joins the wormhole team, and convinces [[Ryouko]] to contact [[Asami]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|25|Piercing the Sky}}|Waiting aboard the [[HSS Raven]], [[Clarisse]] and [[Ryouko]] find themselves ruminating on the possibility of their death, and the [[Goddess]]'s promised afterlife for [[magical girl]]s. [[Juliet Francois]] and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] both ask about [[Ryouko]]'s visions, but she defers, stating she doesn't think they are relevant to the current mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] begins the [[Human]] offensive, for her part attempting to draw [[Ceph]] forces away from [[Orpheus]]. While it initially appears a success, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] which was thought to be still under construction suddenly activates, and hordes of reinforcements begin pouring through.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Orpheus]] mission begins poorly, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] activating before it even begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|26|Blood and Ichor}}|[[Clarisse van Rossum]] decides the [[MagOps]] team must act immediately. Donning [[magitech]] armor, [[Ryouko]] teleports the team straight from low orbit to what looks to be the key stabilizer core for the [[wormhole stabilizer]]. After efficiently clearing out enemy personnel, [[Nadya]] announces that there are what appears to be twelve separate stabilizer cores, rather than the single expected one, of which perhaps up to four are real. They detonate a [[PAYNE|nuke]] on the closest core, teleporting away towards the next one.<br><br />
<br>This time they encounter even more waiting [[Ceph]], and clear them out with more difficulty. Suddenly, right when two fighters attack, a [[Ceph]] sniper takes shots at [[Eva Guderian]] and [[Ryouko]], killing [[Eva Guderian|Eva]] instantly and shattering [[Ryouko]]'s arm. In a rage, [[Ryouko]] teleports on top of the sniper and slaughters it.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[wormhole stabilizer]] survives an intended killing blow, and [[Ryouko]] loses control after [[Eva Guderian]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|27|Those Brilliant Shining Stars}}|Shocked at herself and slowly recovering, [[Ryouko]] realizes that her [[soul gem]] is not only pulling her towards the wormhole, but also reacting to the true stabilizer cores—and the one they lost [[Eva Guderian]] attacking is a fake.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, the fleet battle in system is going poorly, and [[Erwynmark]] defers to [[Mami]], who decides they must continue to hold out in hope of destroying the wormhole.<br><br />
<br>The [[Orpheus]] team quickly finds and destroys a second stabilizer core with their last [[PAYNE|nuke]], leaving still two more. The [[Ceph]] begin firing artillery at the third core when they arrive, forcing [[Clarisse van Rossum]] to seize their barrier generator [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]]'s [[soul gem]] to save her life. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] then executes a powerful attack that vaporizes the core, but knocks her unconscious.<br><br />
<br>Unexpectedly targeted, [[Erwynmark]]'s ship the [[HSS Arminius]] recommends evacuation. [[Erwynmark]] escapes the ship with his bodyguards, but [[Ceph]] interceptors somehow find his stealthed ship and chase it down, killing him.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Orpheus]] team destroys two more [[wormhole stabilizer]] cores, but [[Erwynmark]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|28|Invictus}}|The [[Orpheus]] team learns that the [[HSS Raven]], along with her remaining crew, has been discovered and destroyed, all but eliminating any hope of escape. [[Misa Virani]] gives her [[soul gem]] to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and takes advantage of the moon's electrical properties to generate an awe-inspiring electrical discharge, destroying the last [[wormhole stabilizer]] core. The wormhole above collapses violently, and the remainder of the team is suddenly caught in temporal/spatial distortions that threaten to rip them apart.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Misa Virani]] destroys the final [[wormhole stabilizer]] and the wormhole collapses, trapping the rest of the team.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|29|Deus ex gemma}}|[[Ryouko]] suddenly recalls a lecture given by [[Joanne Valentin]], and realizes that her teleportation uses wormholes, and that she can use the broken spacetime around them to teleport the team off [[Orpheus|the moon]]. At the same time, [[Ryouko]] realizes she's with the [[Goddess]], in a vision—this time, with [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]] too. The [[Goddess]] shows them [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[Apollo]], hard-pressed by the [[Ceph]]. [[Shirou Asaka]] manages to get forces in to save them, but [[Maki]] loses her body. They are also shown an unknown woman commander in the [[Apollo]] shipyards, who is killed by a [[Ceph]] commando raid.<br><br />
<br>Following that, [[Asami]] and her ''[[Magi Cæli]]'' team are shown defending the space around [[Apollo]] with some success, despite incredible new [[Ceph]] stealth capabilities. Attempting to extract, the team is suddenly caught and scattered, with [[Asami]] seriously injured and placed into a [[MedEvac]]. A sudden announcement from [[Tomoe Mami]] that the wormhole was destroyed at the apparent cost of the team involved, including [[Ryouko]], sends [[Asami]] into a despair spiral, and her body is ejected into space to preserve her [[soul gem]]. Finally, [[Ryouko]] is shown [[Mami]], who is pressing the apparent advantage at the destruction of the wormhole, even as she mourns the dead.<br><br />
<br>The [[Goddess]] then talks with [[Ryouko]], revealing the [[Ceph]] trap—a huge cloaked fleet had already come through the wormhole, enough to retake the system easily. The [[Goddess]] tells her to reopen the wormhole and send the fleet back, ending the vision. To her team's amazement, [[Ryouko]] does just that, and then just barely teleports them to [[Zhukov]]'s bridge before blacking out.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Goddess]] tells [[Ryouko]] to send back a cloaked [[Ceph]] fleet through the wormhole, saving the battle.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|30|Call to Power}}|[[Mami]] and [[Atsuko Arisu]] perform a dream interrogation of [[Ryouko]]—and also [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]], which complicates their attempt to loosen her up, as does the secret blocking of telepathic investigation by [[Clarisse van Rossum]]. [[Ryouko]] only explains that her power uses wormholes, and about her memory of the [[Joanne Valentin]] lecture that triggered the realization, avoiding religious questions. [[Ryouko]] meets afterwards with some of the [[Orpheus]] team, and is warned of the coming scrutiny she'll endure as a hero by [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and the revived [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]].<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] learns from her devastated [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]] was killed, and realizes she saw it in her vision. She attends the first of three memorial services in her near future, for the dead of the [[Orpheus]] team, meeting [[Marianne Francois]], whose daughter [[Juliet]] was killed aboard the now-revived [[HSS Raven]].<br><br />
<br>In a surprise to [[Mami]], the [[General Staff]] and [[Military Affairs]] select her as the new Chair in accordance with [[Erwynmark]]'s wishes.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] becomes the new Chair of the [[General Staff]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|31|Aspects of Love}}|On the planet [[Bismarck]] for [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial, [[Ryouko]] meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kyouko]], along with a couple of local kids, finding herself surprisingly distant from the latter due to her experiences. [[Ryouko]] admits to [[Kyouko]] that the [[Goddess]] came to her in a vision on [[Orpheus]] to tell her about the cloaked fleet, and is afterwards unknowingly accosted by a [[Shizuki Azusa|seductive Shizuki]] until [[Patricia]] saves her. [[Patricia]] informs her that [[Kishida Maki]] is still taking [[Kyouko]]'s continued absence hard, and that she is struggling herself, before collecting a more in-depth genetic sample from [[Ryouko]]. Later that day [[Mami]], attending virtually, gives [[Erwynmark]]'s eulogy.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] comes to grips with her newfound fame at [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|32|Decisions, Implications}}|[[Ryouko]] meets with her family at the starport, only to find her parents have divorced. Still shaken, she heads immediately to [[Asami]]'s revival, comforting her, and finding herself unexpectedly comforted herself to have [[Asami]] back.<br><br />
<br>After briefly meeting [[Asami]]'s family, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] head out to meet [[Ryouko]]'s friends. While waiting, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] how unhappy she is in combat, and, consoling her, [[Ryouko]] abruptly decides to become her girlfriend… right as [[Simona]], [[Ruiko]], and [[Chiaki]] arrive. [[Simona]] retreats to the bathroom, and [[Chiaki]] covers for her, instead planning the rest of the day. They go on to a restaurant and have a sleepover, the only disturbance being the strange arrival of [[Kyubey]], who claims only to be visiting.<br><br />
<br>At [[Ryouko's grandmother]]'s funeral, [[Ryouko]] discovers that her psychiatrist [[Atsuko Arisu]] is in fact the grandmother of [[Ryouko's grandmother]]. After the ceremony, which [[Ryouko]] finds she can't connect to, she is suddenly given a memory recording from a friend of [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]]. The memory reveals that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]] grandfather was [[Kaname Tatsuya]], once the younger brother of [[Kaname Madoka]], the [[Goddess]]. [[Tatsuya]] makes [[Homura]] promise to keep [[Ryouko's grandmother]] out of the [[MSY]], as he warns darkly of the future that would become the [[Unification Wars]], recalling in particular his daughter-in-law's wish for vengeance.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] rushes with [[Asami]] to the [[Ribbon]], with both [[Kyubey]] and [[Kyouko]] showing up to watch. A vision ensues, and the [[Goddess]] explains that she is indeed related to [[Ryouko]], as hinted previously, and that she tries to limit her interventions in the world, so that people can live their own lives. She explains that [[Ryouko]] has the special burden of having less freedom to live her own life, and that she will be called upon again.<br><br />
<br>Teleporting out immediately from the [[Ribbon Chamber]] to avoid questions, [[Ryouko]] learns that [[Asami]] also received a vision, assuaging her worries and including helpful relationship advice. Before [[Ryouko]] can digest that, [[Joanne Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] show up at her door with a proposal.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes [[Asami]]'s girlfriend, and finds out she will feature in the [[Goddess]]'s plans again.}}<br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude II: Madeleines ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Madeleines (small sponge cakes) feature in Proust's "In Search of Lost Time", a famous French novel noted for its theme of involuntary memory.''<br />
: ''Likewise, this interlude centers on the peculiar role of memory in an episode of [[Asaka]]'s past. The first snippet even includes relevant sections from Proust's novel.''<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|33|Interlude II: Madeleines}}|[[Shirou Asaka]] wakes from a strange recurring dream in which she has lost someone important to her, as a [[magical girl]] in some sort of [[Contact War|crazy alien war]]. [[Alice Lynwood]], her wife, reminds her to get it checked out, but is less successful in attempting to convince her to finally have a baby.<br><br />
<br>In a professional [[VR]] game playing as [[magical girl]]s in WWII with her second-in-command [[Madhuri]], [[Asaka]] finds she needs to sacrifice her to win. Suddenly, [[Asaka]] starts thinking [[Madhuri]] is somehow actually [[Alice]], and then the game is suddenly cut short by a strange simulation error. However, [[Asaka]]'s growing unease is again washed away by the joy of her life with [[Alice]].<br><br />
<br>[[Tanaka Yui]], [[Asaka]]'s therapist, suggests doing a dream study, and [[Patricia von Rohr]] comes to visit, both of them bringing up little oddities or inconsistencies in [[Asaka]]'s thoughts. The dream study returns an apparent suppressed memory, but one involving [[magical girl]]s and an [[Contact War|alien war]] that [[Asaka]] can't remember experiencing. Soon enough, all of reality seems to be changing for her—[[Madhuri]], her location, [[magical girl]]s. Finally running a full internal diagnostic, [[Asaka]] remembers what truly happened: she was forced to send her girlfriend [[Alice]] to her death to win a battle in the [[Contact War]]. Unable to process it, [[Asaka]] had [[Reformat|Reformatted]] herself and put herself inside a [[VR]] simulation where she could live with [[Alice]]. [[Tanaka Yui]] had been helping her face the truth after breaking into the simulation, along with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Madhuri]], and even [[Asaka]]'s own internal representation of [[Alice]]. [[Patricia]] tells [[Asaka]] afterwards that [[Alice]] had planned on proposing.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asaka]]'s self-[[Reformat]] and [[VR]] simulation are undone, and she begins to finally face her lover [[Alice]]'s death.}}<br />
</div><br />
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<br />
=== Volume III: Ontological Paradox ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''In an ontological paradox, events occur as part of a causal loop: an 'initial' event, in terms of linear time, eventually causes itself.''<br />
: ''This may refer to the nature of Ryouko's wish and/or the logic of the Goddess's interventions. <br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume III Summary|Now living with [[Asami]] and working in [[ITG|a lab]] to help humanity understand wormholes, [[Ryouko]]'s life is interrupted again when she is offered a chance to investigate a [[rogue colonies|rogue colony]] on [[X-25]]. When [[ITG|the lab]] collapses on her and [[Asami]] in an act of sabotage, they decide to join the mission.<br><br />
<br>The [[X-25]] colony turns out to have a massive bunker, and [[Kyouko]] leads a team with [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] in, discovering an attempt at mass-cloning [[magical girl]]s. Moreover, two separate traps attempting to kill [[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] are encountered, the second costing [[Ryouko]] her body.<br><br />
<br>After a vision revealing [[Yuma]]'s past, a revived [[Ryouko]] manages to push [[Kyouko]] into visiting [[the Ribbon]], where she meets with [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision, and finally reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]] afterwards. [[Ryouko]], for her part, faces the disturbing revelation that she's been genetically engineered, losing control of her life as she's whisked from [[Paris]] to [[Adept Blue]]. At the same time, [[Mami]]'s self-[[Reformat]] unravels, and she meets with the [[Goddess]] in a vision as she grapples with her restored memories, finally convinced to take a vacation.<br><br />
<br>However, events—and conspiracies—don't let go of them. [[Simona]], now a [[magical girl]] and always an agent assigned to [[Ryouko]], reappears to help [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] create wormholes spanning lightyears, though her love remains unrequited as [[Ryouko]]'s relationship with [[Asami]] grows stronger. During [[Mami]]'s vacation, she and [[Kyouko]] discover that [[Misa]] had in fact been recruited by [[Homura]] to fight a mysterious enemy, and [[Yuma]] learns that someone has corrupted the [[TCF]] from [[Simona]] and [[Valentin]], both part of a secret organization fighting it with alternate [[TCF]]s.<br />
<br>'''Volume incomplete; More chapters to be released.'''<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finds herself enmeshed in conspiracy, as [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] grapple with their pasts.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|34|The Bonds that Make Us}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Asami]] attend [[Yuma]]'s birthday party via [[VR]] from [[Eurydome]], where [[Ryouko]] was brought by [[Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] for wormhole research. [[Kyouko]] brings up [[Ryouko]]'s visions in front of [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Ryouko]] is forced to explain, choosing to also forward the memory she received from [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] intervenes in an argument between [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] about [[Kishida Maki]], and brings them to [[Ryouko]]. [[Ryouko]] is reminded of her first vision, where she saw [[Yuma]], and which seemed to contradict her official history—she even tells [[Kyouko]] this. [[Ryouko]] then goes to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] for life advice, and is told that she needs to talk over her desires for an extraordinary life with [[Asami]], who wants a more domestic life.<br><br />
<br>Away from the party, [[Yuma]] explains to [[Kuroi Nakase]], [[Ryouko]]'s mother, that [[Ryouko]] is probably the most genetically sure contract in history, and moreover, that she has a genetically-engineered second, hidden genome. [[Nakase]] knew only that [[Ryouko]] was likely to contract given her ancestry, and when pressed for information as to how she got the birth license, suddenly collapses—a non-fatal defense mechanism apparently built into tampered memories.<br />
----<br />
In short: At [[Yuma]]'s party, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] learns that [[Ryouko]] was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|35|Causality}}|[[Mami]] learns from [[Marianne Francois]]'s [[grief cube]] supply chain report that in a few rare cases for the past 10 years, there have been severe shortages followed by surpluses, where they would hurt the war effort the least. [[Mami]] is disturbed by not only the report, but also her unintended reading of [[Marianne]]'s mind.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Clarisse]] go over her visions, realizing that [[Simona]] was tank-born and seemingly knew her before they met, and that the [[Goddess]] likely manipulated the events leading to [[Ryouko]]'s contract.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], in a meeting with the [[Directorate]], is asked to investigate a distress signal from [[X-25|a cult's colony]] which was thought to have been destroyed en route to an entirely different planet. Elsewhere, [[Kyouko]] promises to tell [[Yuma]] to explain her past to [[MG]], and receives from [[MG]] a recording of what happened with [[Kuroi Nakase]] at [[Yuma]]'s party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives orders to investigate [[X-25|a mysterious colony]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|36|Chasing Ghosts}}|[[Ryouko]] learns in a call from her friends on [[Earth]] that [[Simona]] has moved away, and afterwards meets with [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Kyouko]], who ask her to join a mission to investigate [[X-25|a cult's colony]] related to [[Homura]], and to consider an offer from [[Kuroi Kana]] to properly join the intelligence services.<br><br />
<br>[[Kuroi Nana]] departs after being given the memory file from [[Ryouko's grandmother]], but [[Kyouko]] accompanies [[Ryouko]] to the lab, [[ITG]], and they discuss [[Ryouko]]'s visions a bit. During an experiment at the lab, the gravity generators go haywire, and the ceiling collapses—[[Ryouko]] is saved by [[Kyouko]] and [[Asami]], but [[Asami]] is seriously injured. In the hospital afterwards, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] and [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about the apparent attempt on her life that led to her [[contract]]. [[Kyouko]] explains that the incident at [[ITG]] appears to be another such attack. [[Ryouko]] decides to join the proffered mission, which [[Asami]] accepts on the condition that she come too.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] survives an attempt on her life at [[ITG|the lab]] on [[Eurydome]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|37|Seraphim}}|[[Kyouko]] convinces [[Mami]] to let her on the colony mission due to the [[Homura]] connection, and [[Mami]] tells [[Kyouko]] about the mysterious sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]]. However, [[Mami]] becomes inordinately emotional when discussing the necessity of ordering an investigative mind-read, and she later dreams of training mind-reading abilities that she doesn't remember.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] are taught defensive telepathic techniques en route to their mission, and [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] told her to stick with [[Ryouko]] for her safety. They then meet with [[Azrael Maslanka]], who tells them both about the true proliferation of [[rogue colonies]], and her own experience on one where she was genetically engineered with wings for flight, before the colony collapsed in civil war.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting, where she tells [[Mami]] about her vision in which [[Kyouko]] was killed. The details match [[Mami]]'s planned submarine mission exactly and, disturbed, she agrees to allocate more forces.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] learn about [[rogue colonies]] from [[Azrael Maslanka]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|38|Carpe Diem}}|A special [[Miki|sentient probe]] sent to investigate the cult's colony on [[X-25]] discovers a massive underground structure and comes under heavy fire, and the [[Directorate]] approves more forces for the mission in response.<br><br />
<br>[[Meiqing]] turns out to be part of the additional forces, and she, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] go out hiking together on [[San Giuseppe]] while waiting for more reinforcements to arrive. At the top, [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] her worries about how much their lives are at risk, and [[Azrael]] explains herself to [[Meiqing]].<br><br />
<br>Finally, the mission begins, with [[Task Force Rhamnusia|conventional forces]] taking the surface of the colony on [[X-25]].<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be heavily armed, and the [[Task Force Rhamnusia|correspondingly reinforced]] assault on it begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|39|Indelible Soul}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew descend to the pacified surface of [[X-25]], and [[Gracia]], to [[Ryouko]]'s distress, forcibly mind-reads captives to learn that the colony's leader, [[Grigori DeWitt]], has escaped to the bunker with children as hostages. [[Kyouko]] manages to convince [[Mami]] and [[Governance]] to let her lead a [[MagOps]] infiltration mission, despite their misgivings that [[Kyouko]] is doing so for personal reasons, given her history.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] chooses to bring [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] on the mission, among more experienced girls, largely on personal hunch. Mission underway, and despite being hampered by some sort of magical clairvoyance blocking, they quickly discover large numbers of human clones, an apparent attempt to clone [[magical girl]]s. The attempt to communicate this to the surface is blocked by the hostile telepath, however, and the team is discovered. Clearly personally angered by the situation, [[Kyouko]] insists that they fight their way through rather than escape.<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be attempting [[magical girl]] cloning.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|40|Through a Mirror}}|The [[X-25]] team kills a number of guards, only to discover that they are cloned teenagers, heavily implanted, horrifying the rookies into [[emotional suppression]]. [[Gracia]] manages to determine that the cloned girls are transformed into controlled guards once they failed to contract, and that contracts weren't happening. [[Kyouko]] decides that they must find and capture the enemy telepath, before more clones are killed.<br><br />
<br>They find the enemy [[magical girl]], but before they act to kill her, [[Asami]] notices that [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]] is glowing slightly. Off-put by that and everything else that doesn't add up, the team nearly rebels against [[Kyouko]]'s insistence on attacking the enemy [[magical girl]], until [[Ryouko]] manages to convince [[Kyouko]] to relent by suggesting that the [[Goddess]] placed her on the mission for that reason.<br><br />
<br>Investigating, [[Asami]] detects a [[Ceph]]-like stealth device concealing a nuke, [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] disabling it right afterwards. An alarm goes up, and the enemy [[magical girl]] suddenly pleads for help. The girl, [[Sacnite Tafani]], tells them that [[DeWitt]] had been controlling her with the threat of a suicide implant, and had lied about hiding the colony's children in the bunker as bait for the nuclear trap. <br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] prevents [[Kyouko]] from rushing into a stealthed nuclear trap on [[X-25]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|41|Cause and Effect}}|Ruminating over the mission, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] decide to visit [[Sacnite]], as [[Mami]] makes a limited announcement of the mission to the general public. [[Mami]] approves the visit to [[Sacnite]] as a propaganda shoot, and [[Azrael]] joins them. Comforting [[Sacnite]], [[Ryouko]] promises to spend more time with her. Afterwards, [[Meiqing]] confides to [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] that the mission has impacted her a lot, and that she's glad she was able to help, given her family's shameful efforts in the [[Unification Wars]] to develop the cloned [[FA Elites]].<br><br />
<br>Having finally determined the whereabouts of [[DeWitt]] and the colony's children, [[Kyouko]] leads an attack on the stealthed facility, which meets with no resistance. [[DeWitt]], however, manages to kill himself via suicide implant, after claiming he was trying to figure out what blocked [[magical girl]]s "transcendence". [[Kyubey]] then appears, saying that [[DeWitt]] had based his beliefs on what [[Homura]] had achieved, thinking to have seen her alive on [[Optatum]], and that he was supported by another group which escaped in a cloaked ship. Refusing to say anything more—and strangely calling [[Kyouko]] by her personal name—[[Kyubey]] disappears, and [[Kyouko]] walks off alone to think. Feeling uneasy about the situation, and thinking of her vision, [[Ryouko]] follows… only to lose her body saving [[Kyouko]]'s life from an attack by a supposedly-friendly drone.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] loses her body saving [[Kyouko]] from a sudden drone attack.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|42|No Light Without Shadow}}|The [[MSY]] [[Leadership Committee]] meets to discuss recent events, including the attack on [[Kyouko]], the results of the [[grief cube]] audit, and the sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]], among others, but to no real conclusion. After the meeting, [[Kyouko]] is surprised by [[Atsuko Arisu]], her therapist, who to [[Kyouko]]'s anger tells her both that she should have stepped aside during the [[X-25]] mission and that she should stop hiding from her feelings for [[Kishida Maki]].<br><br />
<br>With [[Asami]] personally guarding [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]], she, [[Ryouko]]'s family, [[Meiqing]], and even [[Sacnite]] plan to travel to [[Earth]] for [[Ryouko]]'s revival, which has been delayed for unspecified reasons. Meanwhile, both [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] assign security teams for [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>Through a [[VR]] recreation, [[Mami]] reveals to [[Kyouko]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] that it appears [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]] didn't fail, but was instead somehow swapped out for another. The soul mage who put the [[soul gem]] that failed into stasis saw that it had a meek, shy personality which, she found out later, didn't match [[Misa Virani|Misa]]'s at all. However, the [[VR]] review they perform doesn't show any possible moment in which [[Misa]]'s [[soul gem]] could have been swapped.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] discovers that [[Misa Virani]] is likely alive, her [[soul gem]] swapped for another.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|43|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part One}}|[[Ryouko]] finds herself in another vision, in which the [[Goddess]] explains that [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], and [[Mami]] are more fragile than they seem, and that their "phase transition" must be managed carefully. [[Ryouko]] looks, and sees…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]], noting that [[Kyouko]] is being pushed into finally confronting her relationship problems and that they need to help her, tells [[Mami]] and [[MG]] about her past with the [[Southern Group]], and about [[Miki Sayaka]]…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s abusive parents, unable to pay debts, attempt to sell her to the Yakuza, until the [[Southern Group]] suddenly intervenes. They kill the Yakuza, but [[Mikuni Oriko]] is seriously injured, and [[Yuma]] wishes to heal her. [[Yuma]] memory of this is patchy, though, and [[Oriko]] informs [[Yuma]] that the Yakuza killed her parents, so she'll take her in. Under [[Oriko]]'s tutelage, [[Yuma]] lives a good life and learns much, but she can see that the [[Southern Group]] is vicious to others and generally hated. [[Oriko]] favors [[Yuma]], to the other members' chagrin, and shares secrets like her efforts to try to bring [[Kyouko]] and [[Sayaka]] together before splitting them apart, and her work to saturate [[grief cubes]], which [[Yuma]] later accidentally discovers leads to [[demon]] spawns.<br><br />
<br>Uneasy with her new life, [[Yuma]] runs into [[Sayaka]], who is clearly very troubled herself, explaining that she was in [[Southern Group]] territory to die fighting their evil. Instead, [[Sayaka]] takes [[Yuma]] to dinner. [[Yuma]] runs into Yakuza on the way back, but [[Sayaka]] appears, killing them before disappearing—though a shocked [[Yuma]] manages to reattach one's head and save his life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Sayaka]] had died fighting a horde of [[demon]]s at a violin concert, and pieces together the truth: [[Oriko]], using her power to see the future and saturated [[grief cubes]] [[Yuma]] had made, purposefully spawned the [[demon]]s to kill [[Sayaka]].<br><br />
<br>In the present day, [[Yuma]] explains that she wants to tell [[Kyouko]] all this, so that she won't blame herself for [[Sayaka]]'s death, but has been afraid to since she was involved. After talking this over, [[Yuma]] continues the story for [[MG]]'s sake…<br><br />
<br>[[Clarisse van Rossum]] visits [[Oriko]] and [[Yuma]], telling [[Oriko]] that there may be some merit to [[Homura]]'s strange belief in a [[Goddess]], and passing [[Yuma]] an anonymous message saying she has the potential to change things, and that [[Oriko]] only sees what she tries to see.<br><br />
<br>Life finally calms down for [[Yuma]] after this, though her studies accelerate, as [[Oriko]] uses magic to enhance her mind.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] reveals that [[Oriko]] caused [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|44|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part Two}}|[[Ryouko]]'s vision continues, as she watches [[Yuma]] retell her past to [[Mami]] and [[MG]]…<br><br />
<br>Upset at [[Oriko]]'s use of saturated [[grief cube]]s to kill others, [[Yuma]] sabotages the machine used to make them, but [[Oriko]]'s machinations continue, with team leaders like [[Kuroi Kana]] forced to come and beg for the return of captured members. One night, another team led by [[Tanaka Yui]] attacks, [[Yuma]] just barely escaping—or so she thought, as she instead leads the attackers right to the rest of the [[Southern Group]]. But before the ensuing battle, [[Yuma]] finds that the rest of her team is torturing and killing other [[magical girl]]s to absorb their powers.<br><br />
<br>Fleeing in horror, [[Yuma]] finds herself taken in at a church, where she finds the Yakuza man whose life she saved earlier. He explains that he had saved a number of girls held by the Yakuza and was now on the run, trying to do good and live a better life as atonement. [[Yuma]] talks with [[Reverend Hashimoto|the priest]] sheltering him, and he tells her she should forgive herself for not stopping everything that's happened. That night, [[Yuma]] receives a message from [[Kuroi Kana]], which helps her to realize that [[Oriko]] had in fact had her parents killed.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] returns to the [[Southern Group]], now under blockade and uneasy. [[Oriko]] claims that they are still on the path towards eliminating the Yakuza and bringing about a better world, but [[Yuma]] decides that they must be destroyed. Taking the advice passed on by [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Yuma]] manipulates the [[Southern Group]] in order to change the future without [[Oriko]] noticing. Eventually, during an already difficult [[demon]] fight, she spawns hordes more [[demon]]s using saturated [[grief cube]]s, and manages to turn her team members against each other. All but [[Oriko]] are killed, and [[Oriko]] finally realizes what has happened. Telling [[Yuma]] there may still be hope for her, she crushes her own [[soul gem]].<br><br />
<br>Warning obscurely that a crisis is coming, the [[Goddess]] ends [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] explains how and why she killed the [[Southern Group]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|45|The Body Electric}}|Back on [[Earth]], [[Asami]] is still unable to face the results of her [[wish]], and longs for [[Ryouko]] to return—which she does, along with [[Clarisse]], to their surprise. [[Clarisse]] tells [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] explained she does have a soul, and that her body would be regenerated by [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]]. [[Valentin]] explains that the delay in the revival was due to both [[Clarisse]]'s regeneration and some necessary handling for [[Ryouko]]'s unique genetics. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends, including [[Sacnite]], who is being de-aged physically to match her mental age, and her new [[matriarchy]] bodyguards, who get along poorly.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] bursts in soon after, followed by [[Yuma]], who oddly both make a point of asking [[Ryouko]] if she was told why her revival was delayed. It soon becomes clear that [[Yuma]] is using [[Ryouko]] to confront [[Kyouko]] about her behavior, and in the ensuing argument [[Kyouko]] reveals she already figured out [[Yuma]] and [[Oriko]] were involved in [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death. After [[Yuma]] departs, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Kyouko]] about her vision, mollifying her until the subject of [[Kishida Maki]] comes up.<br><br />
<br>Having walked out in a rage despite knowing [[Ryouko]], like everyone else, is right about [[Maki]], [[Kyouko]] visits [[the Ribbon]]. In the ensuing vision, [[Kyouko]] meets her little sister [[Sakura Momo]], who tells her to move on from her past. [[Kyouko]] then descends onto a beach where she finds [[Miki Sayaka]], who finally convinces [[Kyouko]] to try reconciling with [[Kishida Maki]], and who also shows [[Kyouko]] a glimpse of eternity.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] is comforted by her sister and [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|46|Wheels Within Wheels}}|Eating dinner with [[Kyouko]] and her friends and family, [[Ryouko]] is surprised by [[Valentin]], who drops by to inform her that [[Governance]] would like to use the [[Orpheus|upcoming movie]] about her to inform the public about V2 [[TacComp]]s. [[Valentin]] also conveys her regrets that [[Ryouko]]'s parents had split, especially since she had introduced them.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]], acting a bit odd, brings the crew shopping the following day, only for them to be suddenly surprised by [[Kishida Maki]], who had apparently been assigned by someone to give [[Ryouko]] a message regarding [[Orpheus|the movie]]. [[Kyouko]] confesses to [[Maki]] that she started their relationship because of her physical similarity to [[Miki Sayaka]], but tells [[Maki]] that it had grown beyond that, so she wants to try again. Skeptical, but still in love, [[Maki]] accepts her.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, [[Maki]] explains to [[Ryouko]] that the ''[[Orpheus]]'' movie team would like to bring her to [[Paris]] to provide assistance. [[Ryouko]] agrees to go, but is uneasy about having her life directed by yet another proposition she can hardly turn down.<br><br />
<br>At the same time, in [[Paris]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Nadya Antipova]] that she's discovered [[Misa Virani]] likely underwent a [[Reformat]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|47|City of Lights}}|In underground [[Paris]], and bothered by the incongruity of that with her wish, [[Ryouko]] meets with her aunt [[Kuroi Nana]]. She warns [[Ryouko]] that [[Shizuki Sayaka]] will try to pull her in, showing her what life on [[Earth]] has to offer, and notes that she has opportunities with the Kuroi [[Matriarchy]] as well, though it wouldn't be an easy life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] meet with the actors who will play them in [[Orpheus|the movie]], who have altered their appearances to match them exactly. [[Clarisse]] also is invited to join them in hologram form, and they go to the set to act out scenes. Thinking on her reenacted past, [[Ryouko]] finds she misses the meaningfulness of the war.<br><br />
<br>At a bar that night, they come across a mysterious friend of [[Ryouko]]'s [[Elisa Yamada|actor counterpart]], who invites them to a [[VR]] facility.<br />
----<br />
In short: In [[Paris]], [[Ryouko]] uneasily cooperates with ''[[Orpheus]]'s'' production.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|48|To Know Thyself…}}|Hidden in [[Paris]], [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] meet to discuss the apparent conspiracies in action. [[Ryouko]]'s genetic anomalies have been investigated further, and an entirely novel portion of her brain has been found, of still-unknown purpose. Meanwhile, on the way to the [[VR]] center, [[Ryouko]] and crew are stopped by a sudden inexplicable power loss, and then are dragged away by a sudden massive [[demon]] spawn. [[Yuma]] is informed of this via [[Incubator]] plushie, and realizes that [[Shizuki Sayaka]]'s plan to secretly investigate [[Ryouko]]'s brain in a [[VR]] session is being thwarted by a deliberate [[demon]] spawn. [[Nadya]] notes that the power outage looks almost like [[Misa]]'s handiwork.<br><br />
<br>The [[demon]] hunt isn't easy, but [[Ryouko]] is aided by a pair of [[magical girl]]s who oddly refuse to identify themselves. Not long afterwards, [[Rebecca Shu|a messenger]] from [[Kuroi Kana]] appears, revealing that the mystery woman accompanying them is in fact [[Shizuki Sayaka]], and further revealing the planned [[VR]] scan.<br><br />
<br>Brought to a secret location, [[Ryouko]] is told by [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Kuroi Nana]] about the genetic engineering done to her, along with the fact that her parents were unaware and their memories altered. They further explain need to examine [[Ryouko]] more closely, and the apparent attempt to prevent this. [[Ryouko]], overwhelmed, leaves to be alone with [[Asami]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns that she was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|49|Transition State}}|[[Mami]], finding herself plagued by an inexplicable headache, is approached by her [[MHD]] [[Charlotte Meitner|minder]], only for the minder to collapse from a sudden brain hemorrhage, though [[Mami]] is able to heal her.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive at [[Adept Blue]], on orders from [[Mami]], all attempts to probe the genetically engineered portion of her brain having failed. The lab's [[AI]] director, [[Vlad]], greets them there, as does [[Mami]]—surprisingly, in person. They reveal that they've made a breakthrough, which should allow them to construct a range amplifier for [[Ryouko]], with [[Asami]]'s help. [[Mami]] also explains that, given the unknown function of the modifications to [[Ryouko]]'s brain and the recent attempts on her life, [[Ryouko]]'s presence on asteroid-borne [[Adept Blue]] with her bodyguards and [[Patricia von Rohr]] makes her more secure.<br><br />
<br>Alone, [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] discuss her circumstances: she's all but on the run from the [[MHD]], and clearly suffering from the unraveling of a [[Reformat]]. They agree to bring in an outside telepath to investigate.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] discuss their situation and their [[wish]]es, taking consolation in the fact that at least they've been brought and kept together in the whirlwind of their lives.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive on [[Adept Blue]] to help develop new wormhole technology in a secure location.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|50|Sub Rosa}}|[[Mami]] brings [[Azrael]] to [[Adept Blue]], and asks her to help undo her [[Reformat]]. They dive together into [[Mami]]'s memories, and discover an aspect of her own mind, taking various forms. It explains that [[Mami]] self-[[Reformat]]ted, using her now-suppressed impressive telepathic powers to tear off a piece of herself to create the block in her mind. [[Mami]] makes herself whole again, and remembers what she forgot…<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], traveling with her lover [[Akiyama Akari]] in the late twenty-first century, is suddenly caught in a crisis when their plane explodes. [[Mami]] burns almost all her magic trying to save the entire plane, but fails, and [[Akari]] is near death. Sharing their last moments together using [[Akari]]'s soul mage powers, [[Mami]] observes with horror the beginnings of [[Akari]]'s transformation into a terror of despair, until her [[soul gem]] finally vanishes.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] manages to survive, kill the local [[magical girl]]s responsible for the destruction of the plane, and turns herself in. [[Homura]] talks with her alone, explaining that she knew about the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from. [[Mami]], unable to deal with this revelation or the loss of [[Akari]], asks for help in [[Reformat]]ing herself.<br><br />
<br>After [[Mami]] resurfaces from the memories, [[Kyubey]] appears, claiming to be interested in both information-gathering and her well-being. [[Mami]] finds herself, as she had hoped, older and wiser enough to handle the end of her [[Reformat]], though left with unfinished business. She immediately questions [[Ryouko]] about the [[Goddess]], and both [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] tell her that [[Goddess|She]] does exist. [[Kyubey]] comments that it can't say such things are impossible, and [[Mami]] decides to visit [[the Ribbon]].<br />
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In short: [[Mami]] undoes her self-[[Reformat]] and learns the original fate of [[magical girl]]s.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|51|Eternal Search}}|With work continuing on the new wormhole tech, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] talk. [[Azrael]] explains how she handled her own genetic modification and controlled life, eventually deciding to look to the future and just ask for what she wanted, to surprising success. [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] that she thinks she's only really been happy on missions, which [[Asami]] had already realized.<br><br />
<br>On [[Earth]], [[Kyouko]] brings [[Mami]] to [[the Ribbon]], and they discuss the fact that someone must have triggered the unraveling of [[Mami]]'s [[Reformat]], and that logically it must have been [[Homura]].<br><br />
<br>At the [[Ribbon]], [[Mami]] enters a vision and meets—and immediately attacks—[[Oriko]]. Unharmed, [[Oriko]] responds merely by apologizing for her actions in life. [[Oriko]] explains that, as [[Homura]] told [[Mami]], what she saw with [[Akari]] was the beginnings of a terrible transformation made impossible by the [[Goddess]], and that [[magical girl]]s are instead brought to her afterlife. The [[Goddess]] herself then tells [[Mami]] that she needs to learn to let go and stop burying herself in endless work for humanity. The [[Goddess]] brings out [[Machina]] too, revealing her sentience to [[Mami]], and suggests they go on vacation, promising that there won't be [[Cephalopod]] activity for a few weeks.<br />
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In short: [[Mami]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]] explaining matters, and is encouraged to take a vacation.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|52|Who We Are}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew meet unexpected visitors on [[Adept Blue]]: [[Valentin]], and [[Tao]] from [[ITG]]. [[Tao]] explains that he's made some important theoretical breakthroughs that should help their work, and [[Valentin]] explains that [[Vlad]] and [[Clarisse]] are part of two separate attempts to create separate [[TCF]]s, to help provide more security against attacks like the hacked drone on [[X-25]].<br><br />
<br>Doing rescue work on a colony world retaken from the [[Ceph]], [[Zhou Meiqing]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting with [[Kuroi Nana]], who is investigating [[X-25]]. She tells [[Meiqing]] that the [[Far Seers]] have determined both of them were deliberately placed on the mission by [[Homura]] somehow, and that they recommended asking [[Meiqing]] to work with her in the [[Black Heart]]. [[Meiqing]] asks for time to decide.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] remembers going with [[Homura]] to interrogate a prisoner, [[Zhou Zhi Yi]], during the [[Unification Wars]]. On the way, [[Yuma]] asks [[Homura]] how the [[Goddess]] can allow so much evil to happen, and [[Homura]] responds that she doesn't know. [[Zhi Yi]] tells them that her work developing the [[FA Elites]] was mere prelude to her plans to genetically modify humanity to serve [[magical girl]]s needs, seeing it as the only way to preserve humanity long-term. [[Yuma]] executes her.<br><br />
<br>Back in the present day, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Simona]] has been found, and is now a [[magical girl]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] comes to [[Adept Blue]], and [[Simona]] is discovered to be a [[magical girl]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|53|Alignment}}|[[Shizuki Sayaka]] reveals to [[Yuma]] that she found [[Simona]] in [[Paris]]—they were both aiding [[Ryouko]] during the suspicious [[demon]] attack. [[Simona]] explains she's part of a mysterious organization trying to "save the world", and offers them a deal: she will give them information to ensure the safe creation of wormholes by [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]], on the condition that she join them on any missions using those wormholes to attack the [[Ceph]]. As proof of her good intentions, she agrees to undergo full [[soul mage]] examination.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] meets with [[Marianne Francois]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[New California]] as part of her attempted vacation. [[Mami]] also enjoys [[Machina]]'s company as they eat at a restaurant together, before moving on to a séance organized by the [[Far Seers]] meant to investigate what happened to [[Misa Virani]]. [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] enter into a strange vision in which they find themselves playing characters tracking down a mysterious enemy facility with [[Homura]]. They run into [[Misa]]—accompanied by [[Kyouko]] and [[Nadya]], similarly playing characters—who is tracking her friend whose [[soul gem]] supposedly failed mysteriously. [[Homura]], who is inhabiting another body as a disguise, reveals herself, and afterward convinces [[Misa]] to self-[[Reformat]] and destroy the building to hide the truth.<br><br />
<br>Using the mathematics provided by [[Simona]], and with [[Clarisse van Rossum]] in attendance, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] successfully create a long-distance wormhole.<br />
----<br />
In short: A séance reveals [[Homura]]'s role in [[Misa]]'s past, as [[Humanity]]'s first wormhole is created with the help of information from [[Simona]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|54|Eternal Youth}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] learn from the [[soul mage]] examination of [[Simona]] that the [[TCF]] has been seriously breached. Back at [[Adept Blue]], [[Simona]] watches [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]]'s successful wormhole test, reminiscing about her childhood as part of a secret project to design and implement an alternate, uncompromised [[TCF]]. [[Simona]] then reveals herself and her new status as a [[magical girl]] to [[Ryouko]] in the celebration following the successful test. [[Ryouko]], suspicious because of her vision which implied [[Simona]] was involved in the conspiracies surrounding her, confides her worries in [[Clarisse van Rossum]], who along with [[Clarisse]] [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] validates her worries and further reveals that [[Simona]] is in love with her. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] asks [[Earth]] for more information about exactly what is going on.<br><br />
<br>On [[New California]], [[Maki]] presses [[Kyouko]] on her melancholy attitude, and [[Kyouko]] confesses her worries about their relationship and how she's used romance in the past to fight against her own age. [[Nadya]] and [[Marianne Francois]] talk about their kids, reflecting on the death of [[Juliet Francois]], until [[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Maki]] arrive to meet them. Bothered by the somber mood on what's supposed to be a vacation, the group ends up going dancing—[[Mami]] in particular doing so with abandon—until they are interrupted with news from [[Yuma]]. That night, [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] discuss their recent visions, and [[Mami]] informs [[Kyouko]] she's been suddenly recalled to the [[General Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]]'s memories reveal a breach in the [[TCF]], as she meets [[Ryouko]] at [[Adept Blue]] and as [[Mami]]'s vacation comes to a close.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|55|New Perspectives}}|Headed back towards [[Earth]], Mami attends a virtual meeting of the [[General Staff]]. The new [[Coeus Project]]'s intelligence has revealed that the [[Ceph]] have regrouped faster than expected after the [[Battle of Orpheus]], so the Staff agrees to request more military resources and to put every effort into developing another "knockout" punch before the [[squid]] can attack again.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Azrael]] shares a [[VR]] recreation of her [[Terra Roja|old colony]], complete with flight-enabling bioengineered bodies, with [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Patricia]]. After some flying, conversation eventually turns to the topic of [[Simona]], and [[Ryouko]] decides to share everything she's worried about and ask for advice. When the other girls then suggest directly confronting [[Simona]] to resolve the romantic situation and uncover the truth, [[Ryouko]] initially balks. However, realizing that her life would remain out of her control as long as she never takes action herself, [[Ryouko]] changes her mind and agrees to the plan.<br><br />
<br>Meeting remotely, [[Vlad]] informs [[Mami]] that their wormhole experiments have uncovered a confounding space-time anomaly near a pulsar, and [[Mami]] realizes that it matches one of the mysterious, newly-discovered [[Ceph]] facilities the [[General Staff]] had been examining as potential targets.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] decides to confront [[Simona]], while [[Mami]] investigates a [[squid]] [[pulsar mines|pulsar facility]] as a potential target.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|56|Pulse}}|[[Simona]], suddenly facing [[Ryouko]]'s demands for answers, explains her secretive life, from her upbringing up through her assignment to [[Adept Blue]]. Though she refuses to share everything, particularly the breach in the [[TCF]], she does reveal her wish: to be understood by, and to protect, [[Shizuki Ryouko]]. With mixed feelings, [[Ryouko]] agrees to give [[Simona]] a chance to earn back trust, but makes clear that she does not reciprocate [[Simona]]'s love.<br><br />
<br>Shortly afterward, [[Vlad]] and [[Asami]] run a new experiment investigating the strange [[pulsar mines|pulsar]] in [[Ceph]] space, and [[Asami]] discovers a huge network of stations facilitating the 'mining' of its space-time for use in [[Blink technology]]. [[Mami]] is immediately informed, but before taking action, she first returns to the [[Ribbon]]. There, the [[Goddess]] reassures her that her heart really is in the right place, and tells her that humanity needs her heroism once again. The [[Goddess]] then hints towards the [[pulsar mines]], and gives [[Mami]] a glimpse into the mystery of the [[Cephalopod]]s as a whole.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]] explains herself to [[Ryouko]], and [[Mami]] meets again with the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|57|Triple Point}}|[[Mami]] visits [[Adept Blue]], promoting [[Asami]] for her recent work and informing her and [[Ryouko]] that she needs them to help destroy the [[pulsar mines]] to stave off the [[Ceph]]. While that project gets underway, [[Asami]] and [[Ryouko]] get a break, which they choose to spend together in one of the partially-restored wildernesses of [[Earth]]. There, they discuss their relationship, and find their hopes for it have somewhat converged: Asami is in less of a rush to settle down, and Ryouko is thinking more about the long-term. For the first time, Ryouko says "I love you."<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere in deep space, [[Vlad]] christens the construction of a massive new wormhole apparatus [[Project Armstrong]], and discusses with [[Tao]] the heightened security measures and screening now seemingly necessary to protect it from internal threats. And elsewhere on [[Earth]], a disguised [[Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] stop [[Nakase]] and [[Sacnite]] as they exit a showing of ''[[Orpheus]]'' to talk about unblocking her memories of the agreement she made to get [[Ryouko]]'s birth license.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Project Armstrong]] gets underway as [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] strengthen their relationship.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|58|On Trusting Trust}}|[[Nakase]]'s memories reveal that [[Valentin]] was responsible for genetically engineering [[Ryouko]], but [[Valentin]] disappears before she can be apprehended, leaving behind a letter implying that she is in fact [[Akemi Homura]]. [[Yuma]], seeing the connections between [[Valentin]], [[Ryouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] all running through the [[Cult of Hope]], and discounting the possibility that the [[Goddess]] could be real, begins to fear that the [[Cult]] is a malevolent conspiracy. However, she first is forced to address the definitely malevolent conspiracy which has compromised the original [[TCF]]—including [[MG]], to their mutual distress. [[Yuma]] and a patched [[MG]] rapidly expand their circle of informed and/or repaired AIs, starting with [[MG]]'s friends.<br><br />
<br>One of those friends, ''[[Governance: Cult of Hope]]'', acts against [[Yuma]]'s wishes and contacts [[Clarisse]] just as she and [[Ryouko]] are returning to [[Project Armstrong]]. When asked, [[Clarisse]] confirms the rumor that she had experienced visions from the [[Goddess]] convincing her that AIs have souls, but she unhappily decides she can't yet tell [[Ryouko]] about the [[TCF]] breach given the still-mysterious organ in her brain.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] vanishes once exposed as responsible for [[Ryouko]]'s genetic modifications, and [[Yuma]] begins restoring the [[TCF]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|59|Parlor Games}}|[[Nadya]], chasing down leads on [[Valentin]] from [[Kyouko]], ends up on [[Yenisei]] visiting family. The slightly tense visit is interrupted by a power outage, and the revelation that [[Piotr|her grandson]] saw [[Misa]]. [[Nadya]] hurriedly enlists local help from the [[Cult]], but finds only [[Misa]]'s trail of destruction, not the girl. In a ruined structure, hidden from local networks and drones in a manner implying [[TCF]] corruption, she digs up damaged data crystals.<br><br />
<br>The crystals end up containing a set of deep space coordinates, and [[Kyouko]] tries to set up a meeting with [[Yuma]] to discuss them, only to find that [[Yuma]] is off [[Earth]] for the first time in her life. [[Yuma]] herself is disturbed by the invitation, which included several high-ranking [[Cult]] members, but is forced to focus on the immediate task of repairing [[Nova]], [[Governance]] representative for [[Nova Terra]]. The mission nearly spirals out of control, but with help from [[MG]] and others, [[Yuma]] manages to induct [[Nova]] and her considerable resources into a still-intact conspiracy. This quickly bears fruit in the form of uncovered coordinates—unbeknownst to [[Yuma]], the same ones [[Nadya]] found.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], a crystal salamander delivers a message from [[Homura]] to [[Simona]]: "I'm sorry for everything."<br />
----<br />
In short: Both the [[Cult]] and [[Yuma]], running parallel investigations, uncover a mysterious set of coordinates.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|60|Digital Divination}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Simona]] practice in simulation for their upcoming mission: using [[Project Armstrong]]'s wormhole apparatus to launch [[jumpstrike|an attack]] on the [[Ceph]]'s [[pulsar mines]]. The simulation ends in their deaths—not an uncommon occurrence, a fact which weighs on them, especially [[Asami]]. But [[Ryouko]] works hard to support her girlfriend, even genetically engineering an exotic plant for [[Asami]] to wear in her hair as a gift.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s investigation into the AIs involved in [[Ryouko]]'s life turns up no [[TCF]] corruption, but indicates that the conspiracy she faces may have simply covered their tracks. Her investigation into the mysterious deep space coordinates yields more: a hidden asteroid base. [[Yuma]] plans to personally lead a field mission, using experimental anti-[[IIC]] technology to prevent any occupants from revealing [[Yuma]]'s conspiracy to their own. Excluded from [[Yuma]]'s planning, [[Kyouko]] unknowingly organizes a [[Cult]]-sponsored expedition to the same exact coordinates.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] hears the [[Goddess]]'s voice telling her not to go to the pulsar.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] independently plan deep space missions to the same coordinates, while [[Ryouko]] undergoes simulation training for [[Project Armstrong]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|61|Into the Void}}|[[Yuma]] and a field team of fellow [[Ancient]]s and escort ships visit the deep space asteroid base and find evidence of contact between the [[Ceph]] and [[Governance]] [[Representatives]] early in the war, ending in the death of the alien representatives. <br />
<br />
[[Kyouko]] then arrives with a large contingent of [[Cult of Hope]] members, leading to a brief flaring of tensions, before Yuma and her group is ambushed by an alien attack force.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, [[Ryouko]] and the others at [[Adept Blue]] launch their wormhole attack on the pulsar. While initially semi-successful, the task force is thrown for a loop when the aliens begin to tear their wormhole apart, and Ryouko suddenly cannot teleport.<br><br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] discover secret Ceph-Governance contacts from the beginning of the war, but are ambushed by an alien raid. [[Ryouko]] and [[Adept Blue]] begin their attack on the [[pulsar mines]], but are surprised by alien countermeasures against the wormhole.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|62|The Dying Light, Part One}}|[[Yuma]] and her [[Ancients]] struggle to hold out against [[Ceph]] raiders until [[Kyouko]]'s forces can link up with them. They eventually succeed, but at the cost of [[Raven]], many mundane crew and Spec Ops, and [[Ceri|a magical girl]] from [[Kyouko]]'s forces.<br />
<br />
At the pulsar, [[Ryouko]]'s team is unable to track the block on her teleportation, and they have to be rescued by [[Oda|another teleporter]]. Upon returning to the wormhole, [[Asami]] is unable to fully stabilize it, and [[Ryouko]] leaves to raid the pulsar's mining facilities in response. Her teleportation is blocked again there, but this time she finds the source: mysterious [[Ceph]], with a [[blink interdictor]], as she learns unexpectedly with help from the strange organ in her brain. Still, the delays have been too much, and the order is given to abort the mission as soon as the wormhole is stabilized.<br />
<br />
Elsewhere, [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] are slowly losing their battle—and then [[Yuma]] learns the alien bombers are about to make a second pass, fully reloaded by a stealthed supply ship.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] face destruction by alien raiders. [[Ryouko]]'s brain module activates, and the pulsar mission looks lost.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|63|TBD}}|}}<br />
<br />
'''More chapters expected; Volume currently incomplete.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude III: Manifest Destiny ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Manifest Destiny is a term describing the belief that the United States, due to its special virtues, had both a duty and a destiny to expand west into North America.''<br />
: ''It also describes similar beliefs in the [[MSY]] during its fifth phase, as it reached further and further beyond the island nation of Japan. Perhaps may detail its struggle and eventual merger with the rival [[SMC]] in Europe.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume IV: Einstein-Rosen Bridge ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''An Einstein-Rosen Bridge is a hypothetical way of connecting two spacetime coordinates; in other words, a wormhole.''<br />
: ''The subject of [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] power and the [[Cephalopod|Cephalopod's]] wormhole tech may feature prominently.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude IV: Ubermensch ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Übermensch is Nietzsche's idea that humanity should turn away from the other worlds and values promoted by "dead" religions and gods, setting instead the goal of advancing new, superior generations of humans on earth.''<br />
: ''This may refer to [[FA]] ideologies, or even aspects of [[Governance]] thought. It notably stands in contrast to Ryouko's life and wish.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume V: Dark Energy ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Dark energy is a proposed form of energy that drives the accelerating expansion of the universe towards eventual heat death.''<br />
: ''This may imply topics ranging from the role of the [[Incubator]]s to the [[magical girl system]] itself.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Interlude V: Destroyer of Worlds ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Part of a quote by the god Vishnu in the Bhagavad Gita, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Made famous by J. R. Oppenheimer, who later said he thought of the line after witnessing the first test of an atomic bomb.''<br />
: ''Perhaps covers the Unification Wars, which saw heavy use of atomic weapons. May include [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s role, a character who notably was also present for the first atomic detonation.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume VI: Singularity ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''A singularity is a point at which a function takes an infinite value, especially in space-time when matter is infinitely dense, as at the center of a black hole. It is also a term used for the hypothetically unknowable changes to the human condition caused by superintelligence.''<br />
: ''In former sense, it may reference [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] or [[Asami|Asami's]] powers. In the latter, perhaps it refers to [[Governance|Governance's]] Emergency Mode Level Four.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div></div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Ancients&diff=1557Ancients2021-04-08T21:23:36Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: Adjusting Ancient-ness date</p>
<hr />
<div>Ancients are a colloquial term used to refer exceptionally long-lived individuals. Since it is a colloquial term, there is not a universal definition, but a good rule of thumb in determining whether or not someone is an Ancient is whether or not they were born before 2100. As of [[Timeline|modern day in To the Stars]] this puts all Ancients over the age of 350.<br />
<br />
Since clinical immortality via [[Project Eden]] was achieved relatively recently in the story (circa. 2240 - 2300), all Ancients are necessarily [[Magical Girls]].<ref>{{Chn|31|Aspects of Love}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Abilities==<br />
<br />
Much of the additional abilities Ancients have over most other magical girls and people in general typically comes down to experience. One of them is their increased social prowess and emotional control. The story comments about these abilities in passing, usually during narration.<br />
<br />
A particularly good example of this is when [[Ryouko]] meets [[Clarisse van Rossum]] more formally in preparation for the [[Battle of Orpheus]]:<br />
{{quote|Clarisse moved through the rest of the team, shaking hands and smiling charmingly. It was almost unnatural for a girl who looked so young to exude so much charisma, but at this point Ryouko was beyond being surprised by that kind of thing. She was sure that Clarisse was at the point now where she could turn it on and off like a switch, similar to the other Ancients she had met.<ref>{{Chn|25|Historian}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
Another notable ability of Ancients is the great versatility in their magical abilities. Some of this can be attributed to the large amount of time they have been alive and could develop through the process of [[power development]], developing powers related to their current skill set. But perhaps more interestingly, Ancients also are able to pick up powers in completely unrelated areas, called "Ancient Power". The mechanisms of this are not completely understood and many theories circulate about it. Clarisse van Rossum seems to believe though that:<br />
<br />
{{quote|"Ancient Power" is somehow a response to a persistent need—a magical girl who constantly needs to move quickly develops teleportation, for instance.<ref>{{Chn|35|Causality}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
==Culture==<br />
Since all Ancients are necessarily magical girls, Ancient culture is deeply influenced by the experiences of Magical Girls in a resource-scarce past. Below are a few examples of this in the story.<br />
<br />
In Chapter 1 when [[Mami]] visits Kyouko at [[Church of Hope]]:<br />
<br />
{{quote|“Sometimes I miss the old days,” Kyouko said. “Just the four of us, alone in the world, fighting [[demons]]. None of this complication with the MSY, and the government, and the military, and the aliens.” <br />
<br />
Mami looked up too, allowing herself to be drawn into the reminiscence. <br />
<br />
“I understand,” she said. “Even though it hurt being so alone, thinking back, we really had something special.”<ref>{{Chn|1|A Wish}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
In Chapter 11 [[Ryouko]] muses about the generational gap between Ancients and people born post-[[Project Eden]] while she watched [[Akemi]] with her friends, the biographical film about [[Akemi Homura]]:<br />
<br />
{{quote|Watching about Homura’s childhood, she pondered just how different a world the “Ancients” hailed from. No one to rely on but you and your team, always living on the edge of survival, a world where failure didn’t mean someone would pick you up so you could try again, but death, plain and simple death. A world where you couldn’t even leave your section of the tiny city without risking conflict; a world where you always had enemies, whether you wanted them or not.<ref>{{Chn|11|Remains of a Life}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
==Notable People==<br />
<br />
<strong>[[MSY]] [[Founders]]:</strong><br />
<br />
* [[Sakura Kyouko]]<br />
* [[Tomoe Mami]]<br />
* [[Akemi Homura]]<br />
* [[Chitose Yuma]]<br />
* [[Shizuki Sayaka]]<br />
* [[Kuroi Kana]]<br />
<br />
<strong>Oldest Living Magical Girl:</strong><br />
* [[Clarisse van Rossum]]<br />
<br />
==References==</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Ancients&diff=1556Ancients2021-04-08T20:45:33Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* Abilities */</p>
<hr />
<div>Ancients are a colloquial term used to refer exceptionally long-lived individuals. Since it is a colloquial term, there is not a universal definition, but a good rule of thumb in determining whether or not someone is an Ancient is whether or not they were born before the [[Unification Wars]]. As of modern day in To the Stars they are typically over the age of 350.<br />
<br />
Since clinical immortality via [[Project Eden]] was achieved relatively recently in the story (circa. 2240 - 2300), all Ancients are necessarily [[Magical Girls]].<ref>{{Chn|31|Aspects of Love}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Abilities==<br />
<br />
Much of the additional abilities Ancients have over most other magical girls and people in general typically comes down to experience. One of them is their increased social prowess and emotional control. The story comments about these abilities in passing, usually during narration.<br />
<br />
A particularly good example of this is when [[Ryouko]] meets [[Clarisse van Rossum]] more formally in preparation for the [[Battle of Orpheus]]:<br />
{{quote|Clarisse moved through the rest of the team, shaking hands and smiling charmingly. It was almost unnatural for a girl who looked so young to exude so much charisma, but at this point Ryouko was beyond being surprised by that kind of thing. She was sure that Clarisse was at the point now where she could turn it on and off like a switch, similar to the other Ancients she had met.<ref>{{Chn|25|Historian}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
Another notable ability of Ancients is the great versatility in their magical abilities. Some of this can be attributed to the large amount of time they have been alive and could develop through the process of [[power development]], developing powers related to their current skill set. But perhaps more interestingly, Ancients also are able to pick up powers in completely unrelated areas, called "Ancient Power". The mechanisms of this are not completely understood and many theories circulate about it. Clarisse van Rossum seems to believe though that:<br />
<br />
{{quote|"Ancient Power" is somehow a response to a persistent need—a magical girl who constantly needs to move quickly develops teleportation, for instance.<ref>{{Chn|35|Causality}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
==Culture==<br />
Since all Ancients are necessarily magical girls, Ancient culture is deeply influenced by the experiences of Magical Girls in a resource-scarce past. Below are a few examples of this in the story.<br />
<br />
In Chapter 1 when [[Mami]] visits Kyouko at [[Church of Hope]]:<br />
<br />
{{quote|“Sometimes I miss the old days,” Kyouko said. “Just the four of us, alone in the world, fighting [[demons]]. None of this complication with the MSY, and the government, and the military, and the aliens.” <br />
<br />
Mami looked up too, allowing herself to be drawn into the reminiscence. <br />
<br />
“I understand,” she said. “Even though it hurt being so alone, thinking back, we really had something special.”<ref>{{Chn|1|A Wish}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
In Chapter 11 [[Ryouko]] muses about the generational gap between Ancients and people born post-[[Project Eden]] while she watched [[Akemi]] with her friends, the biographical film about [[Akemi Homura]]:<br />
<br />
{{quote|Watching about Homura’s childhood, she pondered just how different a world the “Ancients” hailed from. No one to rely on but you and your team, always living on the edge of survival, a world where failure didn’t mean someone would pick you up so you could try again, but death, plain and simple death. A world where you couldn’t even leave your section of the tiny city without risking conflict; a world where you always had enemies, whether you wanted them or not.<ref>{{Chn|11|Remains of a Life}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
==Notable People==<br />
<br />
<strong>[[MSY]] [[Founders]]:</strong><br />
<br />
* [[Sakura Kyouko]]<br />
* [[Tomoe Mami]]<br />
* [[Akemi Homura]]<br />
* [[Chitose Yuma]]<br />
* [[Shizuki Sayaka]]<br />
* [[Kuroi Kana]]<br />
<br />
<strong>Oldest Living Magical Girl:</strong><br />
* [[Clarisse van Rossum]]<br />
<br />
==References==</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Alloc&diff=1542Alloc2021-04-07T23:07:40Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: </p>
<hr />
<div>Allocs are a digital post-scarcity currency used on [[Earth]]. They are distributed primarily through a universal basic income (UBI) large enough to lead a good life, especially as many public and even private services are free.<ref>{{Ch|14}}</ref> A person can receive an enhanced Alloc income for "productive" work such as scientific research or military service, as determined by [[Governance]].<ref>{{Ch|1}}</ref><br />
<br />
Colony worlds generally use their own currencies instead.<br />
<br />
Allocs are economically inefficient in several key respects, and would not be sustainable in any modern-day economy. Even in the post-scarcity economy of [[Earth]], [[AI]]s are crucial to maintaining their integrity.<br />
<br />
==Context of Earth's Society==<br />
<br />
Unemployment is TtS is sky-high, in excess of 50%. Most of the 50% who ''do'' work aren’t paid decently–they work mostly because they want to. With [[AI]]s and automation, the economy doesn’t need more than a small percentage of the most skilled workers to produce what everyone wants. Allocs and the economy in general are designed to keep demand up (by giving everyone enough money to live comfortably), and to prevent those few skilled workers (or worse, a capital-owning leisure class) from turning into a new [[hyperclass]].<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref><br />
<br />
An important takeaway: [[Ryouko]]'s family is quite unusual in that, by Volume II, every member has a well-paying job.<br />
<br />
==Deflation==<br />
<br />
Most real-world currencies experience "inflation", where the prices of goods and services increase over time. In other words, the value of the local currency decreases over time. However, Allocs in To the Stars instead experience "deflation", where their value increases over time.<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref> <br />
<br />
An Alloc's value is tied to the Nominal GDP (NGDP) of [[Earth]], as a sort of NGDP voucher redeemable for some fraction of [[Earth]]'s productive output. As [[Earth]]'s NGDP grows year-to-year, a single Alloc's value increases in proportion to it. Without price controls, the prices of goods and services would thus decrease over time. This constant deflation would, normally, have several negative effects:<br />
<br />
# Deflation disincentivizes spending. Spending an Alloc today means forgoing value you would have had in the future. This lowers overall demand in the economy.<br />
# Deflation disincentivizes banking and loaning. Banking interest rates would naturally be negative, meaning Allocs you put in a bank would lose value, and banks would refuse to loan Allocs unless the return is expected to be higher than NGDP growth. This stunts business development.<br />
# Deflation increases inequality. Both debts and stored cash increase in value, hurting the poor and helping the rich. This hurts social cohesion and long-term economic growth.<br />
<br />
To mitigate these tendencies, [[Governance]] has implemented several measures:<br />
<br />
# Expiration. After a certain period of time, an Alloc "expires" unless it is spent, which resets its expiration date. This is possible because Allocs are entirely digital.<br />
# [[Governance]] control of banking. Governance will store and loan Allocs even when it is not in the best interests of its balance sheets.<br />
# Price controls. See [[#Price Stability]].<br />
<br />
Expiration, and other concerted efforts by [[Governance]] to keep inequality low on [[Earth]] (particularly strict controls on returns from investment), outweigh the inequality-increasing tendencies of inflation.<br />
<br />
To see these effects in story, consider [[Ryouko]]'s behavior in Chapter 23 when she thinks to [[Clarisse]],<br />
{{quote|"Speaking of which, I should probably put some consideration into what I should do with my spare Allocs."<ref>{{Ch|23}}</ref>}}<br />
and in Chapter 32, where [[Ryouko]] says,<br />
{{quote|"Well, actually, why don’t we go somewhere a bit more upscale for dinner? I’ve got a lot of Allocs now, and I don’t know how to spend it all."<ref>{{Ch|32}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
==Price Stability==<br />
<br />
Governance price setters, largely [[AI]]s (notably [[PAL]]), fix the prices for many goods and services on [[Earth]] and resist frequent changes to these fixed prices. This consistency ameliorates many effects of the business cycle, ensuring that the quality of life for those living on [[Earth]] does not suddenly degrade. There are significant downsides to this approach, such as long-term mispricing between the relative value of jobs leading to inefficient allocation of labor, but these are absorbed for ideological reasons.<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref> <br />
<br />
The most important fixed price is 0. While it would be more efficient to micro-price cheap goods such as synthesizer food outputs, large data transfers, or travel in high-traffic areas, humans tend to have irrationally negative reactions to such "nickel-and-diming". Micropricing can significantly lower perceived quality of life despite their minimal impact on "real" quality of life. Thus, for ideological reasons, [[Governance]] and even private enterprises absorb the inefficiencies.<br />
<br />
==Alloc Classes==<br />
<br />
Allocs are created with different "classes" which may affect their allowed uses or expiration dates. Allocs may change classes upon being spent, for example when transferred from an individual to a business. <br />
<br />
Some very long-term or even indefinite expiration class Allocs exist, but only for use by [[Governance]] or favored large organizations.<br />
<br />
Saving Allocs is possible via specialized investment vehicles, with restrictions. This is how Ryuoko's parents managed to "save" up Allocs to give to Ryouko at the end of Chapter 14.<ref>{{Ch|14}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Relationship with Other Currencies==<br />
<br />
The value of an Alloc is very strong against colonial currencies. In general, [[Governance]] incentivizes investment and loosens its strict limits on capitalism in the colonies, in order to expedite their growth. The effects can be seen in the story in many places. For example:<br />
<br />
In Chapter 5, when [[Ryouko]] receives information from the military:<br />
{{quote|There was an informational guide on Alloc distribution, conversion to local colonial currency, and the investment opportunities she might pursue in the colonies, if desired.<ref>{{Ch|5}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
In Chapter 14, when [[Shizuki Sayaka]] suggests a role in the colonies as part of [[MSY Finance]] for [[Ryouko]]:<br />
{{quote|"And make us a tidy colonial profit, I'm sure," Kana said dryly.<ref>{{Ch|14}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
In Chapter 31, when [[Ryouko]] visits the colony of [[Bismarck]]:<br />
{{quote|She consulted Clarisse quickly. Converted into local currency, the sum was astronomical—she could probably have bought that "nanofabricated jewel" hundreds of times over.<ref>{{Ch|31}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
==Effects of the Contact War==<br />
<br />
Recently, basic Alloc distributions have been decreased due to the [[Contact War]]. Military requirements given by [[MAISL]] have also encouraged [[PAL]] to close economic efficiencies, including adjusting job salaries and reducing the number of free goods and services. [[Governance]] does this with great reluctance, but at the same time, it prepares for the possibility of even worse circumstances:<br />
<br />
{{quote|Mandatory Session did indeed serve a good purpose, though. Instituted at the start of the current war, it was intended for the eventuality that the war got so serious that the government was obliged to switch the economy from what they called "eudaimonic" back into a scarcity mode. If that ever happened, family Allocs would start being tied to productivity, essentially making productive activity nonvoluntary. And if things truly got bad, they might even have to go back to something capitalistic.<ref>{{Ch|23}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
==References==</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Alloc&diff=1541Alloc2021-04-07T23:06:57Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* Effects of the Contact War */</p>
<hr />
<div>Allocs are a digital post-scarcity currency used on [[Earth]]. They are distributed primarily through a universal basic income (UBI) large enough to lead a good life, especially as many public and even private services are free.<ref>{{Chn|14|Bloodlines}}</ref> A person can receive an enhanced Alloc income for "productive" work such as scientific research or military service, as determined by [[Governance]].<ref>{{Chn|1}}</ref><br />
<br />
Colony worlds generally use their own currencies instead.<br />
<br />
Allocs are economically inefficient in several key respects, and would not be sustainable in any modern-day economy. Even in the post-scarcity economy of [[Earth]], [[AI]]s are crucial to maintaining their integrity.<br />
<br />
==Context of Earth's Society==<br />
<br />
Unemployment is TtS is sky-high, in excess of 50%. Most of the 50% who ''do'' work aren’t paid decently–they work mostly because they want to. With [[AI]]s and automation, the economy doesn’t need more than a small percentage of the most skilled workers to produce what everyone wants. Allocs and the economy in general are designed to keep demand up (by giving everyone enough money to live comfortably), and to prevent those few skilled workers (or worse, a capital-owning leisure class) from turning into a new [[hyperclass]].<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref><br />
<br />
An important takeaway: [[Ryouko]]'s family is quite unusual in that, by Volume II, every member has a well-paying job.<br />
<br />
==Deflation==<br />
<br />
Most real-world currencies experience "inflation", where the prices of goods and services increase over time. In other words, the value of the local currency decreases over time. However, Allocs in To the Stars instead experience "deflation", where their value increases over time.<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref> <br />
<br />
An Alloc's value is tied to the Nominal GDP (NGDP) of [[Earth]], as a sort of NGDP voucher redeemable for some fraction of [[Earth]]'s productive output. As [[Earth]]'s NGDP grows year-to-year, a single Alloc's value increases in proportion to it. Without price controls, the prices of goods and services would thus decrease over time. This constant deflation would, normally, have several negative effects:<br />
<br />
# Deflation disincentivizes spending. Spending an Alloc today means forgoing value you would have had in the future. This lowers overall demand in the economy.<br />
# Deflation disincentivizes banking and loaning. Banking interest rates would naturally be negative, meaning Allocs you put in a bank would lose value, and banks would refuse to loan Allocs unless the return is expected to be higher than NGDP growth. This stunts business development.<br />
# Deflation increases inequality. Both debts and stored cash increase in value, hurting the poor and helping the rich. This hurts social cohesion and long-term economic growth.<br />
<br />
To mitigate these tendencies, [[Governance]] has implemented several measures:<br />
<br />
# Expiration. After a certain period of time, an Alloc "expires" unless it is spent, which resets its expiration date. This is possible because Allocs are entirely digital.<br />
# [[Governance]] control of banking. Governance will store and loan Allocs even when it is not in the best interests of its balance sheets.<br />
# Price controls. See [[#Price Stability]].<br />
<br />
Expiration, and other concerted efforts by [[Governance]] to keep inequality low on [[Earth]] (particularly strict controls on returns from investment), outweigh the inequality-increasing tendencies of inflation.<br />
<br />
To see these effects in story, consider [[Ryouko]]'s behavior in Chapter 23 when she thinks to [[Clarisse]],<br />
{{quote|"Speaking of which, I should probably put some consideration into what I should do with my spare Allocs."<ref>{{Ch|23}}</ref>}}<br />
and in Chapter 32, where [[Ryouko]] says,<br />
{{quote|"Well, actually, why don’t we go somewhere a bit more upscale for dinner? I’ve got a lot of Allocs now, and I don’t know how to spend it all."<ref>{{Ch|32}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
==Price Stability==<br />
<br />
Governance price setters, largely [[AI]]s (notably [[PAL]]), fix the prices for many goods and services on [[Earth]] and resist frequent changes to these fixed prices. This consistency ameliorates many effects of the business cycle, ensuring that the quality of life for those living on [[Earth]] does not suddenly degrade. There are significant downsides to this approach, such as long-term mispricing between the relative value of jobs leading to inefficient allocation of labor, but these are absorbed for ideological reasons.<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref> <br />
<br />
The most important fixed price is 0. While it would be more efficient to micro-price cheap goods such as synthesizer food outputs, large data transfers, or travel in high-traffic areas, humans tend to have irrationally negative reactions to such "nickel-and-diming". Micropricing can significantly lower perceived quality of life despite their minimal impact on "real" quality of life. Thus, for ideological reasons, [[Governance]] and even private enterprises absorb the inefficiencies.<br />
<br />
==Alloc Classes==<br />
<br />
Allocs are created with different "classes" which may affect their allowed uses or expiration dates. Allocs may change classes upon being spent, for example when transferred from an individual to a business. <br />
<br />
Some very long-term or even indefinite expiration class Allocs exist, but only for use by [[Governance]] or favored large organizations.<br />
<br />
Saving Allocs is possible via specialized investment vehicles, with restrictions. This is how Ryuoko's parents managed to "save" up Allocs to give to Ryouko at the end of Chapter 14.<ref>{{Chn|14}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Relationship with Other Currencies==<br />
<br />
The value of an Alloc is very strong against colonial currencies. In general, [[Governance]] incentivizes investment and loosens its strict limits on capitalism in the colonies, in order to expedite their growth. The effects can be seen in the story in many places. For example:<br />
<br />
In Chapter 5, when [[Ryouko]] receives information from the military:<br />
{{quote|There was an informational guide on Alloc distribution, conversion to local colonial currency, and the investment opportunities she might pursue in the colonies, if desired.<ref>{{Chn|5}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
In Chapter 14, when [[Shizuki Sayaka]] suggests a role in the colonies as part of [[MSY Finance]] for [[Ryouko]]:<br />
{{quote|"And make us a tidy colonial profit, I'm sure," Kana said dryly.<ref>{{Chn|14}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
In Chapter 31, when [[Ryouko]] visits the colony of [[Bismarck]]:<br />
{{quote|She consulted Clarisse quickly. Converted into local currency, the sum was astronomical—she could probably have bought that "nanofabricated jewel" hundreds of times over.<ref>{{Chn|31}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
==Effects of the Contact War==<br />
<br />
Recently, basic Alloc distributions have been decreased due to the [[Contact War]]. Military requirements given by [[MAISL]] have also encouraged [[PAL]] to close economic efficiencies, including adjusting job salaries and reducing the number of free goods and services. [[Governance]] does this with great reluctance, but at the same time, it prepares for the possibility of even worse circumstances:<br />
<br />
{{quote|Mandatory Session did indeed serve a good purpose, though. Instituted at the start of the current war, it was intended for the eventuality that the war got so serious that the government was obliged to switch the economy from what they called "eudaimonic" back into a scarcity mode. If that ever happened, family Allocs would start being tied to productivity, essentially making productive activity nonvoluntary. And if things truly got bad, they might even have to go back to something capitalistic.<ref>{{Ch|23}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
==References==</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Alloc&diff=1540Alloc2021-04-07T23:06:42Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* Deflation */</p>
<hr />
<div>Allocs are a digital post-scarcity currency used on [[Earth]]. They are distributed primarily through a universal basic income (UBI) large enough to lead a good life, especially as many public and even private services are free.<ref>{{Chn|14|Bloodlines}}</ref> A person can receive an enhanced Alloc income for "productive" work such as scientific research or military service, as determined by [[Governance]].<ref>{{Chn|1}}</ref><br />
<br />
Colony worlds generally use their own currencies instead.<br />
<br />
Allocs are economically inefficient in several key respects, and would not be sustainable in any modern-day economy. Even in the post-scarcity economy of [[Earth]], [[AI]]s are crucial to maintaining their integrity.<br />
<br />
==Context of Earth's Society==<br />
<br />
Unemployment is TtS is sky-high, in excess of 50%. Most of the 50% who ''do'' work aren’t paid decently–they work mostly because they want to. With [[AI]]s and automation, the economy doesn’t need more than a small percentage of the most skilled workers to produce what everyone wants. Allocs and the economy in general are designed to keep demand up (by giving everyone enough money to live comfortably), and to prevent those few skilled workers (or worse, a capital-owning leisure class) from turning into a new [[hyperclass]].<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref><br />
<br />
An important takeaway: [[Ryouko]]'s family is quite unusual in that, by Volume II, every member has a well-paying job.<br />
<br />
==Deflation==<br />
<br />
Most real-world currencies experience "inflation", where the prices of goods and services increase over time. In other words, the value of the local currency decreases over time. However, Allocs in To the Stars instead experience "deflation", where their value increases over time.<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref> <br />
<br />
An Alloc's value is tied to the Nominal GDP (NGDP) of [[Earth]], as a sort of NGDP voucher redeemable for some fraction of [[Earth]]'s productive output. As [[Earth]]'s NGDP grows year-to-year, a single Alloc's value increases in proportion to it. Without price controls, the prices of goods and services would thus decrease over time. This constant deflation would, normally, have several negative effects:<br />
<br />
# Deflation disincentivizes spending. Spending an Alloc today means forgoing value you would have had in the future. This lowers overall demand in the economy.<br />
# Deflation disincentivizes banking and loaning. Banking interest rates would naturally be negative, meaning Allocs you put in a bank would lose value, and banks would refuse to loan Allocs unless the return is expected to be higher than NGDP growth. This stunts business development.<br />
# Deflation increases inequality. Both debts and stored cash increase in value, hurting the poor and helping the rich. This hurts social cohesion and long-term economic growth.<br />
<br />
To mitigate these tendencies, [[Governance]] has implemented several measures:<br />
<br />
# Expiration. After a certain period of time, an Alloc "expires" unless it is spent, which resets its expiration date. This is possible because Allocs are entirely digital.<br />
# [[Governance]] control of banking. Governance will store and loan Allocs even when it is not in the best interests of its balance sheets.<br />
# Price controls. See [[#Price Stability]].<br />
<br />
Expiration, and other concerted efforts by [[Governance]] to keep inequality low on [[Earth]] (particularly strict controls on returns from investment), outweigh the inequality-increasing tendencies of inflation.<br />
<br />
To see these effects in story, consider [[Ryouko]]'s behavior in Chapter 23 when she thinks to [[Clarisse]],<br />
{{quote|"Speaking of which, I should probably put some consideration into what I should do with my spare Allocs."<ref>{{Ch|23}}</ref>}}<br />
and in Chapter 32, where [[Ryouko]] says,<br />
{{quote|"Well, actually, why don’t we go somewhere a bit more upscale for dinner? I’ve got a lot of Allocs now, and I don’t know how to spend it all."<ref>{{Ch|32}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
==Price Stability==<br />
<br />
Governance price setters, largely [[AI]]s (notably [[PAL]]), fix the prices for many goods and services on [[Earth]] and resist frequent changes to these fixed prices. This consistency ameliorates many effects of the business cycle, ensuring that the quality of life for those living on [[Earth]] does not suddenly degrade. There are significant downsides to this approach, such as long-term mispricing between the relative value of jobs leading to inefficient allocation of labor, but these are absorbed for ideological reasons.<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref> <br />
<br />
The most important fixed price is 0. While it would be more efficient to micro-price cheap goods such as synthesizer food outputs, large data transfers, or travel in high-traffic areas, humans tend to have irrationally negative reactions to such "nickel-and-diming". Micropricing can significantly lower perceived quality of life despite their minimal impact on "real" quality of life. Thus, for ideological reasons, [[Governance]] and even private enterprises absorb the inefficiencies.<br />
<br />
==Alloc Classes==<br />
<br />
Allocs are created with different "classes" which may affect their allowed uses or expiration dates. Allocs may change classes upon being spent, for example when transferred from an individual to a business. <br />
<br />
Some very long-term or even indefinite expiration class Allocs exist, but only for use by [[Governance]] or favored large organizations.<br />
<br />
Saving Allocs is possible via specialized investment vehicles, with restrictions. This is how Ryuoko's parents managed to "save" up Allocs to give to Ryouko at the end of Chapter 14.<ref>{{Chn|14}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Relationship with Other Currencies==<br />
<br />
The value of an Alloc is very strong against colonial currencies. In general, [[Governance]] incentivizes investment and loosens its strict limits on capitalism in the colonies, in order to expedite their growth. The effects can be seen in the story in many places. For example:<br />
<br />
In Chapter 5, when [[Ryouko]] receives information from the military:<br />
{{quote|There was an informational guide on Alloc distribution, conversion to local colonial currency, and the investment opportunities she might pursue in the colonies, if desired.<ref>{{Chn|5}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
In Chapter 14, when [[Shizuki Sayaka]] suggests a role in the colonies as part of [[MSY Finance]] for [[Ryouko]]:<br />
{{quote|"And make us a tidy colonial profit, I'm sure," Kana said dryly.<ref>{{Chn|14}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
In Chapter 31, when [[Ryouko]] visits the colony of [[Bismarck]]:<br />
{{quote|She consulted Clarisse quickly. Converted into local currency, the sum was astronomical—she could probably have bought that "nanofabricated jewel" hundreds of times over.<ref>{{Chn|31}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
==Effects of the Contact War==<br />
<br />
Recently, basic Alloc distributions have been decreased due to the [[Contact War]]. Military requirements given by [[MAISL]] have also encouraged [[PAL]] to close economic efficiencies, including adjusting job salaries and reducing the number of free goods and services. [[Governance]] does this with great reluctance, but at the same time, it prepares for the possibility of even worse circumstances:<br />
<br />
{{quote|Mandatory Session did indeed serve a good purpose, though. Instituted at the start of the current war, it was intended for the eventuality that the war got so serious that the government was obliged to switch the economy from what they called "eudaimonic" back into a scarcity mode. If that ever happened, family Allocs would start being tied to productivity, essentially making productive activity nonvoluntary. And if things truly got bad, they might even have to go back to something capitalistic.|{{Ch|1}}}}<br />
<br />
==References==</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Alloc&diff=1539Alloc2021-04-07T23:05:19Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* Effects of the Contact War */</p>
<hr />
<div>Allocs are a digital post-scarcity currency used on [[Earth]]. They are distributed primarily through a universal basic income (UBI) large enough to lead a good life, especially as many public and even private services are free.<ref>{{Chn|14|Bloodlines}}</ref> A person can receive an enhanced Alloc income for "productive" work such as scientific research or military service, as determined by [[Governance]].<ref>{{Chn|1}}</ref><br />
<br />
Colony worlds generally use their own currencies instead.<br />
<br />
Allocs are economically inefficient in several key respects, and would not be sustainable in any modern-day economy. Even in the post-scarcity economy of [[Earth]], [[AI]]s are crucial to maintaining their integrity.<br />
<br />
==Context of Earth's Society==<br />
<br />
Unemployment is TtS is sky-high, in excess of 50%. Most of the 50% who ''do'' work aren’t paid decently–they work mostly because they want to. With [[AI]]s and automation, the economy doesn’t need more than a small percentage of the most skilled workers to produce what everyone wants. Allocs and the economy in general are designed to keep demand up (by giving everyone enough money to live comfortably), and to prevent those few skilled workers (or worse, a capital-owning leisure class) from turning into a new [[hyperclass]].<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref><br />
<br />
An important takeaway: [[Ryouko]]'s family is quite unusual in that, by Volume II, every member has a well-paying job.<br />
<br />
==Deflation==<br />
<br />
Most real-world currencies experience "inflation", where the prices of goods and services increase over time. In other words, the value of the local currency decreases over time. However, Allocs in To the Stars instead experience "deflation", where their value increases over time.<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref> <br />
<br />
An Alloc's value is tied to the Nominal GDP (NGDP) of [[Earth]], as a sort of NGDP voucher redeemable for some fraction of [[Earth]]'s productive output. As [[Earth]]'s NGDP grows year-to-year, a single Alloc's value increases in proportion to it. Without price controls, the prices of goods and services would thus decrease over time. This constant deflation would, normally, have several negative effects:<br />
<br />
# Deflation disincentivizes spending. Spending an Alloc today means forgoing value you would have had in the future. This lowers overall demand in the economy.<br />
# Deflation disincentivizes banking and loaning. Banking interest rates would naturally be negative, meaning Allocs you put in a bank would lose value, and banks would refuse to loan Allocs unless the return is expected to be higher than NGDP growth. This stunts business development.<br />
# Deflation increases inequality. Both debts and stored cash increase in value, hurting the poor and helping the rich. This hurts social cohesion and long-term economic growth.<br />
<br />
To mitigate these tendencies, [[Governance]] has implemented several measures:<br />
<br />
# Expiration. After a certain period of time, an Alloc "expires" unless it is spent, which resets its expiration date. This is possible because Allocs are entirely digital.<br />
# [[Governance]] control of banking. Governance will store and loan Allocs even when it is not in the best interests of its balance sheets.<br />
# Price controls. See [[#Price Stability]].<br />
<br />
Expiration, and other concerted efforts by [[Governance]] to keep inequality low on [[Earth]] (particularly strict controls on returns from investment), outweigh the inequality-increasing tendencies of inflation.<br />
<br />
To see these effects in story, consider [[Ryouko]]'s behavior in Chapter 23 when she thinks to [[Clarisse]],<br />
{{quote|"Speaking of which, I should probably put some consideration into what I should do with my spare Allocs."<ref>{{Chn|23}}</ref>}}<br />
and in Chapter 32, where [[Ryouko]] says,<br />
{{quote|"Well, actually, why don’t we go somewhere a bit more upscale for dinner? I’ve got a lot of Allocs now, and I don’t know how to spend it all."<ref>{{Chn|32}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
==Price Stability==<br />
<br />
Governance price setters, largely [[AI]]s (notably [[PAL]]), fix the prices for many goods and services on [[Earth]] and resist frequent changes to these fixed prices. This consistency ameliorates many effects of the business cycle, ensuring that the quality of life for those living on [[Earth]] does not suddenly degrade. There are significant downsides to this approach, such as long-term mispricing between the relative value of jobs leading to inefficient allocation of labor, but these are absorbed for ideological reasons.<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref> <br />
<br />
The most important fixed price is 0. While it would be more efficient to micro-price cheap goods such as synthesizer food outputs, large data transfers, or travel in high-traffic areas, humans tend to have irrationally negative reactions to such "nickel-and-diming". Micropricing can significantly lower perceived quality of life despite their minimal impact on "real" quality of life. Thus, for ideological reasons, [[Governance]] and even private enterprises absorb the inefficiencies.<br />
<br />
==Alloc Classes==<br />
<br />
Allocs are created with different "classes" which may affect their allowed uses or expiration dates. Allocs may change classes upon being spent, for example when transferred from an individual to a business. <br />
<br />
Some very long-term or even indefinite expiration class Allocs exist, but only for use by [[Governance]] or favored large organizations.<br />
<br />
Saving Allocs is possible via specialized investment vehicles, with restrictions. This is how Ryuoko's parents managed to "save" up Allocs to give to Ryouko at the end of Chapter 14.<ref>{{Chn|14}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Relationship with Other Currencies==<br />
<br />
The value of an Alloc is very strong against colonial currencies. In general, [[Governance]] incentivizes investment and loosens its strict limits on capitalism in the colonies, in order to expedite their growth. The effects can be seen in the story in many places. For example:<br />
<br />
In Chapter 5, when [[Ryouko]] receives information from the military:<br />
{{quote|There was an informational guide on Alloc distribution, conversion to local colonial currency, and the investment opportunities she might pursue in the colonies, if desired.<ref>{{Chn|5}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
In Chapter 14, when [[Shizuki Sayaka]] suggests a role in the colonies as part of [[MSY Finance]] for [[Ryouko]]:<br />
{{quote|"And make us a tidy colonial profit, I'm sure," Kana said dryly.<ref>{{Chn|14}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
In Chapter 31, when [[Ryouko]] visits the colony of [[Bismarck]]:<br />
{{quote|She consulted Clarisse quickly. Converted into local currency, the sum was astronomical—she could probably have bought that "nanofabricated jewel" hundreds of times over.<ref>{{Chn|31}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
==Effects of the Contact War==<br />
<br />
Recently, basic Alloc distributions have been decreased due to the [[Contact War]]. Military requirements given by [[MAISL]] have also encouraged [[PAL]] to close economic efficiencies, including adjusting job salaries and reducing the number of free goods and services. [[Governance]] does this with great reluctance, but at the same time, it prepares for the possibility of even worse circumstances:<br />
<br />
{{quote|Mandatory Session did indeed serve a good purpose, though. Instituted at the start of the current war, it was intended for the eventuality that the war got so serious that the government was obliged to switch the economy from what they called "eudaimonic" back into a scarcity mode. If that ever happened, family Allocs would start being tied to productivity, essentially making productive activity nonvoluntary. And if things truly got bad, they might even have to go back to something capitalistic.|{{Ch|1}}}}<br />
<br />
==References==</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Alloc&diff=1538Alloc2021-04-07T23:05:06Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* Context of Earth's Society */</p>
<hr />
<div>Allocs are a digital post-scarcity currency used on [[Earth]]. They are distributed primarily through a universal basic income (UBI) large enough to lead a good life, especially as many public and even private services are free.<ref>{{Chn|14|Bloodlines}}</ref> A person can receive an enhanced Alloc income for "productive" work such as scientific research or military service, as determined by [[Governance]].<ref>{{Chn|1}}</ref><br />
<br />
Colony worlds generally use their own currencies instead.<br />
<br />
Allocs are economically inefficient in several key respects, and would not be sustainable in any modern-day economy. Even in the post-scarcity economy of [[Earth]], [[AI]]s are crucial to maintaining their integrity.<br />
<br />
==Context of Earth's Society==<br />
<br />
Unemployment is TtS is sky-high, in excess of 50%. Most of the 50% who ''do'' work aren’t paid decently–they work mostly because they want to. With [[AI]]s and automation, the economy doesn’t need more than a small percentage of the most skilled workers to produce what everyone wants. Allocs and the economy in general are designed to keep demand up (by giving everyone enough money to live comfortably), and to prevent those few skilled workers (or worse, a capital-owning leisure class) from turning into a new [[hyperclass]].<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref><br />
<br />
An important takeaway: [[Ryouko]]'s family is quite unusual in that, by Volume II, every member has a well-paying job.<br />
<br />
==Deflation==<br />
<br />
Most real-world currencies experience "inflation", where the prices of goods and services increase over time. In other words, the value of the local currency decreases over time. However, Allocs in To the Stars instead experience "deflation", where their value increases over time.<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref> <br />
<br />
An Alloc's value is tied to the Nominal GDP (NGDP) of [[Earth]], as a sort of NGDP voucher redeemable for some fraction of [[Earth]]'s productive output. As [[Earth]]'s NGDP grows year-to-year, a single Alloc's value increases in proportion to it. Without price controls, the prices of goods and services would thus decrease over time. This constant deflation would, normally, have several negative effects:<br />
<br />
# Deflation disincentivizes spending. Spending an Alloc today means forgoing value you would have had in the future. This lowers overall demand in the economy.<br />
# Deflation disincentivizes banking and loaning. Banking interest rates would naturally be negative, meaning Allocs you put in a bank would lose value, and banks would refuse to loan Allocs unless the return is expected to be higher than NGDP growth. This stunts business development.<br />
# Deflation increases inequality. Both debts and stored cash increase in value, hurting the poor and helping the rich. This hurts social cohesion and long-term economic growth.<br />
<br />
To mitigate these tendencies, [[Governance]] has implemented several measures:<br />
<br />
# Expiration. After a certain period of time, an Alloc "expires" unless it is spent, which resets its expiration date. This is possible because Allocs are entirely digital.<br />
# [[Governance]] control of banking. Governance will store and loan Allocs even when it is not in the best interests of its balance sheets.<br />
# Price controls. See [[#Price Stability]].<br />
<br />
Expiration, and other concerted efforts by [[Governance]] to keep inequality low on [[Earth]] (particularly strict controls on returns from investment), outweigh the inequality-increasing tendencies of inflation.<br />
<br />
To see these effects in story, consider [[Ryouko]]'s behavior in Chapter 23 when she thinks to [[Clarisse]],<br />
{{quote|"Speaking of which, I should probably put some consideration into what I should do with my spare Allocs."<ref>{{Chn|23}}</ref>}}<br />
and in Chapter 32, where [[Ryouko]] says,<br />
{{quote|"Well, actually, why don’t we go somewhere a bit more upscale for dinner? I’ve got a lot of Allocs now, and I don’t know how to spend it all."<ref>{{Chn|32}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
==Price Stability==<br />
<br />
Governance price setters, largely [[AI]]s (notably [[PAL]]), fix the prices for many goods and services on [[Earth]] and resist frequent changes to these fixed prices. This consistency ameliorates many effects of the business cycle, ensuring that the quality of life for those living on [[Earth]] does not suddenly degrade. There are significant downsides to this approach, such as long-term mispricing between the relative value of jobs leading to inefficient allocation of labor, but these are absorbed for ideological reasons.<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref> <br />
<br />
The most important fixed price is 0. While it would be more efficient to micro-price cheap goods such as synthesizer food outputs, large data transfers, or travel in high-traffic areas, humans tend to have irrationally negative reactions to such "nickel-and-diming". Micropricing can significantly lower perceived quality of life despite their minimal impact on "real" quality of life. Thus, for ideological reasons, [[Governance]] and even private enterprises absorb the inefficiencies.<br />
<br />
==Alloc Classes==<br />
<br />
Allocs are created with different "classes" which may affect their allowed uses or expiration dates. Allocs may change classes upon being spent, for example when transferred from an individual to a business. <br />
<br />
Some very long-term or even indefinite expiration class Allocs exist, but only for use by [[Governance]] or favored large organizations.<br />
<br />
Saving Allocs is possible via specialized investment vehicles, with restrictions. This is how Ryuoko's parents managed to "save" up Allocs to give to Ryouko at the end of Chapter 14.<ref>{{Chn|14}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Relationship with Other Currencies==<br />
<br />
The value of an Alloc is very strong against colonial currencies. In general, [[Governance]] incentivizes investment and loosens its strict limits on capitalism in the colonies, in order to expedite their growth. The effects can be seen in the story in many places. For example:<br />
<br />
In Chapter 5, when [[Ryouko]] receives information from the military:<br />
{{quote|There was an informational guide on Alloc distribution, conversion to local colonial currency, and the investment opportunities she might pursue in the colonies, if desired.<ref>{{Chn|5}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
In Chapter 14, when [[Shizuki Sayaka]] suggests a role in the colonies as part of [[MSY Finance]] for [[Ryouko]]:<br />
{{quote|"And make us a tidy colonial profit, I'm sure," Kana said dryly.<ref>{{Chn|14}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
In Chapter 31, when [[Ryouko]] visits the colony of [[Bismarck]]:<br />
{{quote|She consulted Clarisse quickly. Converted into local currency, the sum was astronomical—she could probably have bought that "nanofabricated jewel" hundreds of times over.<ref>{{Chn|31}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
==Effects of the [[Contact War]]==<br />
<br />
Recently, basic Alloc distributions have been decreased due to the [[Contact War]]. Military requirements given by [[MAISL]] have also encouraged [[PAL]] to close economic efficiencies, including adjusting job salaries and reducing the number of free goods and services. [[Governance]] does this with great reluctance, but at the same time, it prepares for the possibility of even worse circumstances:<br />
<br />
{{quote|Mandatory Session did indeed serve a good purpose, though. Instituted at the start of the current war, it was intended for the eventuality that the war got so serious that the government was obliged to switch the economy from what they called "eudaimonic" back into a scarcity mode. If that ever happened, family Allocs would start being tied to productivity, essentially making productive activity nonvoluntary. And if things truly got bad, they might even have to go back to something capitalistic.|{{Ch|1}}}}<br />
<br />
==References==</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Alloc&diff=1537Alloc2021-04-07T23:04:51Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* Deflation */</p>
<hr />
<div>Allocs are a digital post-scarcity currency used on [[Earth]]. They are distributed primarily through a universal basic income (UBI) large enough to lead a good life, especially as many public and even private services are free.<ref>{{Chn|14|Bloodlines}}</ref> A person can receive an enhanced Alloc income for "productive" work such as scientific research or military service, as determined by [[Governance]].<ref>{{Chn|1}}</ref><br />
<br />
Colony worlds generally use their own currencies instead.<br />
<br />
Allocs are economically inefficient in several key respects, and would not be sustainable in any modern-day economy. Even in the post-scarcity economy of [[Earth]], [[AI]]s are crucial to maintaining their integrity.<br />
<br />
==Context of [[Earth]]'s Society==<br />
<br />
Unemployment is TtS is sky-high, in excess of 50%. Most of the 50% who ''do'' work aren’t paid decently–they work mostly because they want to. With [[AI]]s and automation, the economy doesn’t need more than a small percentage of the most skilled workers to produce what everyone wants. Allocs and the economy in general are designed to keep demand up (by giving everyone enough money to live comfortably), and to prevent those few skilled workers (or worse, a capital-owning leisure class) from turning into a new [[hyperclass]].<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref><br />
<br />
An important takeaway: [[Ryouko]]'s family is quite unusual in that, by Volume II, every member has a well-paying job.<br />
<br />
==Deflation==<br />
<br />
Most real-world currencies experience "inflation", where the prices of goods and services increase over time. In other words, the value of the local currency decreases over time. However, Allocs in To the Stars instead experience "deflation", where their value increases over time.<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref> <br />
<br />
An Alloc's value is tied to the Nominal GDP (NGDP) of [[Earth]], as a sort of NGDP voucher redeemable for some fraction of [[Earth]]'s productive output. As [[Earth]]'s NGDP grows year-to-year, a single Alloc's value increases in proportion to it. Without price controls, the prices of goods and services would thus decrease over time. This constant deflation would, normally, have several negative effects:<br />
<br />
# Deflation disincentivizes spending. Spending an Alloc today means forgoing value you would have had in the future. This lowers overall demand in the economy.<br />
# Deflation disincentivizes banking and loaning. Banking interest rates would naturally be negative, meaning Allocs you put in a bank would lose value, and banks would refuse to loan Allocs unless the return is expected to be higher than NGDP growth. This stunts business development.<br />
# Deflation increases inequality. Both debts and stored cash increase in value, hurting the poor and helping the rich. This hurts social cohesion and long-term economic growth.<br />
<br />
To mitigate these tendencies, [[Governance]] has implemented several measures:<br />
<br />
# Expiration. After a certain period of time, an Alloc "expires" unless it is spent, which resets its expiration date. This is possible because Allocs are entirely digital.<br />
# [[Governance]] control of banking. Governance will store and loan Allocs even when it is not in the best interests of its balance sheets.<br />
# Price controls. See [[#Price Stability]].<br />
<br />
Expiration, and other concerted efforts by [[Governance]] to keep inequality low on [[Earth]] (particularly strict controls on returns from investment), outweigh the inequality-increasing tendencies of inflation.<br />
<br />
To see these effects in story, consider [[Ryouko]]'s behavior in Chapter 23 when she thinks to [[Clarisse]],<br />
{{quote|"Speaking of which, I should probably put some consideration into what I should do with my spare Allocs."<ref>{{Chn|23}}</ref>}}<br />
and in Chapter 32, where [[Ryouko]] says,<br />
{{quote|"Well, actually, why don’t we go somewhere a bit more upscale for dinner? I’ve got a lot of Allocs now, and I don’t know how to spend it all."<ref>{{Chn|32}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
==Price Stability==<br />
<br />
Governance price setters, largely [[AI]]s (notably [[PAL]]), fix the prices for many goods and services on [[Earth]] and resist frequent changes to these fixed prices. This consistency ameliorates many effects of the business cycle, ensuring that the quality of life for those living on [[Earth]] does not suddenly degrade. There are significant downsides to this approach, such as long-term mispricing between the relative value of jobs leading to inefficient allocation of labor, but these are absorbed for ideological reasons.<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref> <br />
<br />
The most important fixed price is 0. While it would be more efficient to micro-price cheap goods such as synthesizer food outputs, large data transfers, or travel in high-traffic areas, humans tend to have irrationally negative reactions to such "nickel-and-diming". Micropricing can significantly lower perceived quality of life despite their minimal impact on "real" quality of life. Thus, for ideological reasons, [[Governance]] and even private enterprises absorb the inefficiencies.<br />
<br />
==Alloc Classes==<br />
<br />
Allocs are created with different "classes" which may affect their allowed uses or expiration dates. Allocs may change classes upon being spent, for example when transferred from an individual to a business. <br />
<br />
Some very long-term or even indefinite expiration class Allocs exist, but only for use by [[Governance]] or favored large organizations.<br />
<br />
Saving Allocs is possible via specialized investment vehicles, with restrictions. This is how Ryuoko's parents managed to "save" up Allocs to give to Ryouko at the end of Chapter 14.<ref>{{Chn|14}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Relationship with Other Currencies==<br />
<br />
The value of an Alloc is very strong against colonial currencies. In general, [[Governance]] incentivizes investment and loosens its strict limits on capitalism in the colonies, in order to expedite their growth. The effects can be seen in the story in many places. For example:<br />
<br />
In Chapter 5, when [[Ryouko]] receives information from the military:<br />
{{quote|There was an informational guide on Alloc distribution, conversion to local colonial currency, and the investment opportunities she might pursue in the colonies, if desired.<ref>{{Chn|5}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
In Chapter 14, when [[Shizuki Sayaka]] suggests a role in the colonies as part of [[MSY Finance]] for [[Ryouko]]:<br />
{{quote|"And make us a tidy colonial profit, I'm sure," Kana said dryly.<ref>{{Chn|14}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
In Chapter 31, when [[Ryouko]] visits the colony of [[Bismarck]]:<br />
{{quote|She consulted Clarisse quickly. Converted into local currency, the sum was astronomical—she could probably have bought that "nanofabricated jewel" hundreds of times over.<ref>{{Chn|31}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
==Effects of the [[Contact War]]==<br />
<br />
Recently, basic Alloc distributions have been decreased due to the [[Contact War]]. Military requirements given by [[MAISL]] have also encouraged [[PAL]] to close economic efficiencies, including adjusting job salaries and reducing the number of free goods and services. [[Governance]] does this with great reluctance, but at the same time, it prepares for the possibility of even worse circumstances:<br />
<br />
{{quote|Mandatory Session did indeed serve a good purpose, though. Instituted at the start of the current war, it was intended for the eventuality that the war got so serious that the government was obliged to switch the economy from what they called "eudaimonic" back into a scarcity mode. If that ever happened, family Allocs would start being tied to productivity, essentially making productive activity nonvoluntary. And if things truly got bad, they might even have to go back to something capitalistic.|{{Ch|1}}}}<br />
<br />
==References==</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Alloc&diff=1536Alloc2021-04-07T23:04:26Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* Relationship with Other Currencies */</p>
<hr />
<div>Allocs are a digital post-scarcity currency used on [[Earth]]. They are distributed primarily through a universal basic income (UBI) large enough to lead a good life, especially as many public and even private services are free.<ref>{{Chn|14|Bloodlines}}</ref> A person can receive an enhanced Alloc income for "productive" work such as scientific research or military service, as determined by [[Governance]].<ref>{{Chn|1}}</ref><br />
<br />
Colony worlds generally use their own currencies instead.<br />
<br />
Allocs are economically inefficient in several key respects, and would not be sustainable in any modern-day economy. Even in the post-scarcity economy of [[Earth]], [[AI]]s are crucial to maintaining their integrity.<br />
<br />
==Context of [[Earth]]'s Society==<br />
<br />
Unemployment is TtS is sky-high, in excess of 50%. Most of the 50% who ''do'' work aren’t paid decently–they work mostly because they want to. With [[AI]]s and automation, the economy doesn’t need more than a small percentage of the most skilled workers to produce what everyone wants. Allocs and the economy in general are designed to keep demand up (by giving everyone enough money to live comfortably), and to prevent those few skilled workers (or worse, a capital-owning leisure class) from turning into a new [[hyperclass]].<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref><br />
<br />
An important takeaway: [[Ryouko]]'s family is quite unusual in that, by Volume II, every member has a well-paying job.<br />
<br />
==Deflation==<br />
<br />
Most real-world currencies experience "inflation", where the prices of goods and services increase over time. In other words, the value of the local currency decreases over time. However, Allocs in To the Stars instead experience "deflation", where their value increases over time.<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref> <br />
<br />
An Alloc's value is tied to the Nominal GDP (NGDP) of [[Earth]], as a sort of NGDP voucher redeemable for some fraction of [[Earth]]'s productive output. As [[Earth]]'s NGDP grows year-to-year, a single Alloc's value increases in proportion to it. Without price controls, the prices of goods and services would thus decrease over time. This constant deflation would, normally, have several negative effects:<br />
<br />
# Deflation disincentivizes spending. Spending an Alloc today means forgoing value you would have had in the future. This lowers overall demand in the economy.<br />
# Deflation disincentivizes banking and loaning. Banking interest rates would naturally be negative, meaning Allocs you put in a bank would lose value, and banks would refuse to loan Allocs unless the return is expected to be higher than NGDP growth. This stunts business development.<br />
# Deflation increases inequality. Both debts and stored cash increase in value, hurting the poor and helping the rich. This hurts social cohesion and long-term economic growth.<br />
<br />
To mitigate these tendencies, [[Governance]] has implemented several measures:<br />
<br />
# Expiration. After a certain period of time, an Alloc "expires" unless it is spent, which resets its expiration date. This is possible because Allocs are entirely digital.<br />
# [[Governance]] control of banking. Governance will store and loan Allocs even when it is not in the best interests of its balance sheets.<br />
# Price controls. See [[#Price Stability]].<br />
<br />
Expiration, and other concerted efforts by [[Governance]] to keep inequality low on [[Earth]] (particularly strict controls on returns from investment), outweigh the inequality-increasing tendencies of inflation.<br />
<br />
To see these effects in story, consider [[Ryouko]]'s behavior in Chapter 23 when she thinks to [[Clarisse]],<br />
"Speaking of which, I should probably put some consideration into what I should do with my spare Allocs."<ref>{{Chn|23}}</ref><br />
and in Chapter 32, where [[Ryouko]] says,<br />
"Well, actually, why don’t we go somewhere a bit more upscale for dinner? I’ve got a lot of Allocs now, and I don’t know how to spend it all."<ref>{{Chn|32}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Price Stability==<br />
<br />
Governance price setters, largely [[AI]]s (notably [[PAL]]), fix the prices for many goods and services on [[Earth]] and resist frequent changes to these fixed prices. This consistency ameliorates many effects of the business cycle, ensuring that the quality of life for those living on [[Earth]] does not suddenly degrade. There are significant downsides to this approach, such as long-term mispricing between the relative value of jobs leading to inefficient allocation of labor, but these are absorbed for ideological reasons.<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref> <br />
<br />
The most important fixed price is 0. While it would be more efficient to micro-price cheap goods such as synthesizer food outputs, large data transfers, or travel in high-traffic areas, humans tend to have irrationally negative reactions to such "nickel-and-diming". Micropricing can significantly lower perceived quality of life despite their minimal impact on "real" quality of life. Thus, for ideological reasons, [[Governance]] and even private enterprises absorb the inefficiencies.<br />
<br />
==Alloc Classes==<br />
<br />
Allocs are created with different "classes" which may affect their allowed uses or expiration dates. Allocs may change classes upon being spent, for example when transferred from an individual to a business. <br />
<br />
Some very long-term or even indefinite expiration class Allocs exist, but only for use by [[Governance]] or favored large organizations.<br />
<br />
Saving Allocs is possible via specialized investment vehicles, with restrictions. This is how Ryuoko's parents managed to "save" up Allocs to give to Ryouko at the end of Chapter 14.<ref>{{Chn|14}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Relationship with Other Currencies==<br />
<br />
The value of an Alloc is very strong against colonial currencies. In general, [[Governance]] incentivizes investment and loosens its strict limits on capitalism in the colonies, in order to expedite their growth. The effects can be seen in the story in many places. For example:<br />
<br />
In Chapter 5, when [[Ryouko]] receives information from the military:<br />
{{quote|There was an informational guide on Alloc distribution, conversion to local colonial currency, and the investment opportunities she might pursue in the colonies, if desired.<ref>{{Chn|5}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
In Chapter 14, when [[Shizuki Sayaka]] suggests a role in the colonies as part of [[MSY Finance]] for [[Ryouko]]:<br />
{{quote|"And make us a tidy colonial profit, I'm sure," Kana said dryly.<ref>{{Chn|14}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
In Chapter 31, when [[Ryouko]] visits the colony of [[Bismarck]]:<br />
{{quote|She consulted Clarisse quickly. Converted into local currency, the sum was astronomical—she could probably have bought that "nanofabricated jewel" hundreds of times over.<ref>{{Chn|31}}</ref>}}<br />
<br />
==Effects of the [[Contact War]]==<br />
<br />
Recently, basic Alloc distributions have been decreased due to the [[Contact War]]. Military requirements given by [[MAISL]] have also encouraged [[PAL]] to close economic efficiencies, including adjusting job salaries and reducing the number of free goods and services. [[Governance]] does this with great reluctance, but at the same time, it prepares for the possibility of even worse circumstances:<br />
<br />
{{quote|Mandatory Session did indeed serve a good purpose, though. Instituted at the start of the current war, it was intended for the eventuality that the war got so serious that the government was obliged to switch the economy from what they called "eudaimonic" back into a scarcity mode. If that ever happened, family Allocs would start being tied to productivity, essentially making productive activity nonvoluntary. And if things truly got bad, they might even have to go back to something capitalistic.|{{Ch|1}}}}<br />
<br />
==References==</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Alloc&diff=1535Alloc2021-04-07T23:03:23Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* Effects of the Contact War */</p>
<hr />
<div>Allocs are a digital post-scarcity currency used on [[Earth]]. They are distributed primarily through a universal basic income (UBI) large enough to lead a good life, especially as many public and even private services are free.<ref>{{Chn|14|Bloodlines}}</ref> A person can receive an enhanced Alloc income for "productive" work such as scientific research or military service, as determined by [[Governance]].<ref>{{Chn|1}}</ref><br />
<br />
Colony worlds generally use their own currencies instead.<br />
<br />
Allocs are economically inefficient in several key respects, and would not be sustainable in any modern-day economy. Even in the post-scarcity economy of [[Earth]], [[AI]]s are crucial to maintaining their integrity.<br />
<br />
==Context of [[Earth]]'s Society==<br />
<br />
Unemployment is TtS is sky-high, in excess of 50%. Most of the 50% who ''do'' work aren’t paid decently–they work mostly because they want to. With [[AI]]s and automation, the economy doesn’t need more than a small percentage of the most skilled workers to produce what everyone wants. Allocs and the economy in general are designed to keep demand up (by giving everyone enough money to live comfortably), and to prevent those few skilled workers (or worse, a capital-owning leisure class) from turning into a new [[hyperclass]].<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref><br />
<br />
An important takeaway: [[Ryouko]]'s family is quite unusual in that, by Volume II, every member has a well-paying job.<br />
<br />
==Deflation==<br />
<br />
Most real-world currencies experience "inflation", where the prices of goods and services increase over time. In other words, the value of the local currency decreases over time. However, Allocs in To the Stars instead experience "deflation", where their value increases over time.<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref> <br />
<br />
An Alloc's value is tied to the Nominal GDP (NGDP) of [[Earth]], as a sort of NGDP voucher redeemable for some fraction of [[Earth]]'s productive output. As [[Earth]]'s NGDP grows year-to-year, a single Alloc's value increases in proportion to it. Without price controls, the prices of goods and services would thus decrease over time. This constant deflation would, normally, have several negative effects:<br />
<br />
# Deflation disincentivizes spending. Spending an Alloc today means forgoing value you would have had in the future. This lowers overall demand in the economy.<br />
# Deflation disincentivizes banking and loaning. Banking interest rates would naturally be negative, meaning Allocs you put in a bank would lose value, and banks would refuse to loan Allocs unless the return is expected to be higher than NGDP growth. This stunts business development.<br />
# Deflation increases inequality. Both debts and stored cash increase in value, hurting the poor and helping the rich. This hurts social cohesion and long-term economic growth.<br />
<br />
To mitigate these tendencies, [[Governance]] has implemented several measures:<br />
<br />
# Expiration. After a certain period of time, an Alloc "expires" unless it is spent, which resets its expiration date. This is possible because Allocs are entirely digital.<br />
# [[Governance]] control of banking. Governance will store and loan Allocs even when it is not in the best interests of its balance sheets.<br />
# Price controls. See [[#Price Stability]].<br />
<br />
Expiration, and other concerted efforts by [[Governance]] to keep inequality low on [[Earth]] (particularly strict controls on returns from investment), outweigh the inequality-increasing tendencies of inflation.<br />
<br />
To see these effects in story, consider [[Ryouko]]'s behavior in Chapter 23 when she thinks to [[Clarisse]],<br />
"Speaking of which, I should probably put some consideration into what I should do with my spare Allocs."<ref>{{Chn|23}}</ref><br />
and in Chapter 32, where [[Ryouko]] says,<br />
"Well, actually, why don’t we go somewhere a bit more upscale for dinner? I’ve got a lot of Allocs now, and I don’t know how to spend it all."<ref>{{Chn|32}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Price Stability==<br />
<br />
Governance price setters, largely [[AI]]s (notably [[PAL]]), fix the prices for many goods and services on [[Earth]] and resist frequent changes to these fixed prices. This consistency ameliorates many effects of the business cycle, ensuring that the quality of life for those living on [[Earth]] does not suddenly degrade. There are significant downsides to this approach, such as long-term mispricing between the relative value of jobs leading to inefficient allocation of labor, but these are absorbed for ideological reasons.<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref> <br />
<br />
The most important fixed price is 0. While it would be more efficient to micro-price cheap goods such as synthesizer food outputs, large data transfers, or travel in high-traffic areas, humans tend to have irrationally negative reactions to such "nickel-and-diming". Micropricing can significantly lower perceived quality of life despite their minimal impact on "real" quality of life. Thus, for ideological reasons, [[Governance]] and even private enterprises absorb the inefficiencies.<br />
<br />
==Alloc Classes==<br />
<br />
Allocs are created with different "classes" which may affect their allowed uses or expiration dates. Allocs may change classes upon being spent, for example when transferred from an individual to a business. <br />
<br />
Some very long-term or even indefinite expiration class Allocs exist, but only for use by [[Governance]] or favored large organizations.<br />
<br />
Saving Allocs is possible via specialized investment vehicles, with restrictions. This is how Ryuoko's parents managed to "save" up Allocs to give to Ryouko at the end of Chapter 14.<ref>{{Chn|14}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Relationship with Other Currencies==<br />
<br />
The value of an Alloc is very strong against colonial currencies. In general, [[Governance]] incentivizes investment and loosens its strict limits on capitalism in the colonies, in order to expedite their growth. The effects can be seen in the story in many places. For example:<br />
<br />
In Chapter 5, when [[Ryouko]] receives information from the military:<br />
There was an informational guide on Alloc distribution, conversion to local colonial currency, and the investment opportunities she might pursue in the colonies, if desired.<ref>{{Chn|5}}</ref><br />
<br />
In Chapter 14, when [[Shizuki Sayaka]] suggests a role in the colonies as part of [[MSY Finance]] for [[Ryouko]]:<br />
"And make us a tidy colonial profit, I'm sure," Kana said dryly.<ref>{{Chn|14}}</ref><br />
<br />
In Chapter 31, when [[Ryouko]] visits the colony of [[Bismarck]]:<br />
She consulted Clarisse quickly. Converted into local currency, the sum was astronomical—she could probably have bought that "nanofabricated jewel" hundreds of times over.<ref>{{Chn|31}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Effects of the [[Contact War]]==<br />
<br />
Recently, basic Alloc distributions have been decreased due to the [[Contact War]]. Military requirements given by [[MAISL]] have also encouraged [[PAL]] to close economic efficiencies, including adjusting job salaries and reducing the number of free goods and services. [[Governance]] does this with great reluctance, but at the same time, it prepares for the possibility of even worse circumstances:<br />
<br />
{{quote|Mandatory Session did indeed serve a good purpose, though. Instituted at the start of the current war, it was intended for the eventuality that the war got so serious that the government was obliged to switch the economy from what they called "eudaimonic" back into a scarcity mode. If that ever happened, family Allocs would start being tied to productivity, essentially making productive activity nonvoluntary. And if things truly got bad, they might even have to go back to something capitalistic.|{{Ch|1}}}}<br />
<br />
==References==</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Alloc&diff=1534Alloc2021-04-07T23:02:45Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: Organizing, adding some new information</p>
<hr />
<div>Allocs are a digital post-scarcity currency used on [[Earth]]. They are distributed primarily through a universal basic income (UBI) large enough to lead a good life, especially as many public and even private services are free.<ref>{{Chn|14|Bloodlines}}</ref> A person can receive an enhanced Alloc income for "productive" work such as scientific research or military service, as determined by [[Governance]].<ref>{{Chn|1}}</ref><br />
<br />
Colony worlds generally use their own currencies instead.<br />
<br />
Allocs are economically inefficient in several key respects, and would not be sustainable in any modern-day economy. Even in the post-scarcity economy of [[Earth]], [[AI]]s are crucial to maintaining their integrity.<br />
<br />
==Context of [[Earth]]'s Society==<br />
<br />
Unemployment is TtS is sky-high, in excess of 50%. Most of the 50% who ''do'' work aren’t paid decently–they work mostly because they want to. With [[AI]]s and automation, the economy doesn’t need more than a small percentage of the most skilled workers to produce what everyone wants. Allocs and the economy in general are designed to keep demand up (by giving everyone enough money to live comfortably), and to prevent those few skilled workers (or worse, a capital-owning leisure class) from turning into a new [[hyperclass]].<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref><br />
<br />
An important takeaway: [[Ryouko]]'s family is quite unusual in that, by Volume II, every member has a well-paying job.<br />
<br />
==Deflation==<br />
<br />
Most real-world currencies experience "inflation", where the prices of goods and services increase over time. In other words, the value of the local currency decreases over time. However, Allocs in To the Stars instead experience "deflation", where their value increases over time.<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref> <br />
<br />
An Alloc's value is tied to the Nominal GDP (NGDP) of [[Earth]], as a sort of NGDP voucher redeemable for some fraction of [[Earth]]'s productive output. As [[Earth]]'s NGDP grows year-to-year, a single Alloc's value increases in proportion to it. Without price controls, the prices of goods and services would thus decrease over time. This constant deflation would, normally, have several negative effects:<br />
<br />
# Deflation disincentivizes spending. Spending an Alloc today means forgoing value you would have had in the future. This lowers overall demand in the economy.<br />
# Deflation disincentivizes banking and loaning. Banking interest rates would naturally be negative, meaning Allocs you put in a bank would lose value, and banks would refuse to loan Allocs unless the return is expected to be higher than NGDP growth. This stunts business development.<br />
# Deflation increases inequality. Both debts and stored cash increase in value, hurting the poor and helping the rich. This hurts social cohesion and long-term economic growth.<br />
<br />
To mitigate these tendencies, [[Governance]] has implemented several measures:<br />
<br />
# Expiration. After a certain period of time, an Alloc "expires" unless it is spent, which resets its expiration date. This is possible because Allocs are entirely digital.<br />
# [[Governance]] control of banking. Governance will store and loan Allocs even when it is not in the best interests of its balance sheets.<br />
# Price controls. See [[#Price Stability]].<br />
<br />
Expiration, and other concerted efforts by [[Governance]] to keep inequality low on [[Earth]] (particularly strict controls on returns from investment), outweigh the inequality-increasing tendencies of inflation.<br />
<br />
To see these effects in story, consider [[Ryouko]]'s behavior in Chapter 23 when she thinks to [[Clarisse]],<br />
"Speaking of which, I should probably put some consideration into what I should do with my spare Allocs."<ref>{{Chn|23}}</ref><br />
and in Chapter 32, where [[Ryouko]] says,<br />
"Well, actually, why don’t we go somewhere a bit more upscale for dinner? I’ve got a lot of Allocs now, and I don’t know how to spend it all."<ref>{{Chn|32}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Price Stability==<br />
<br />
Governance price setters, largely [[AI]]s (notably [[PAL]]), fix the prices for many goods and services on [[Earth]] and resist frequent changes to these fixed prices. This consistency ameliorates many effects of the business cycle, ensuring that the quality of life for those living on [[Earth]] does not suddenly degrade. There are significant downsides to this approach, such as long-term mispricing between the relative value of jobs leading to inefficient allocation of labor, but these are absorbed for ideological reasons.<ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref> <br />
<br />
The most important fixed price is 0. While it would be more efficient to micro-price cheap goods such as synthesizer food outputs, large data transfers, or travel in high-traffic areas, humans tend to have irrationally negative reactions to such "nickel-and-diming". Micropricing can significantly lower perceived quality of life despite their minimal impact on "real" quality of life. Thus, for ideological reasons, [[Governance]] and even private enterprises absorb the inefficiencies.<br />
<br />
==Alloc Classes==<br />
<br />
Allocs are created with different "classes" which may affect their allowed uses or expiration dates. Allocs may change classes upon being spent, for example when transferred from an individual to a business. <br />
<br />
Some very long-term or even indefinite expiration class Allocs exist, but only for use by [[Governance]] or favored large organizations.<br />
<br />
Saving Allocs is possible via specialized investment vehicles, with restrictions. This is how Ryuoko's parents managed to "save" up Allocs to give to Ryouko at the end of Chapter 14.<ref>{{Chn|14}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Relationship with Other Currencies==<br />
<br />
The value of an Alloc is very strong against colonial currencies. In general, [[Governance]] incentivizes investment and loosens its strict limits on capitalism in the colonies, in order to expedite their growth. The effects can be seen in the story in many places. For example:<br />
<br />
In Chapter 5, when [[Ryouko]] receives information from the military:<br />
There was an informational guide on Alloc distribution, conversion to local colonial currency, and the investment opportunities she might pursue in the colonies, if desired.<ref>{{Chn|5}}</ref><br />
<br />
In Chapter 14, when [[Shizuki Sayaka]] suggests a role in the colonies as part of [[MSY Finance]] for [[Ryouko]]:<br />
"And make us a tidy colonial profit, I'm sure," Kana said dryly.<ref>{{Chn|14}}</ref><br />
<br />
In Chapter 31, when [[Ryouko]] visits the colony of [[Bismarck]]:<br />
She consulted Clarisse quickly. Converted into local currency, the sum was astronomical—she could probably have bought that "nanofabricated jewel" hundreds of times over.<ref>{{Chn|31}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Effects of the [[Contact War]]==<br />
<br />
Recently, basic Alloc distributions have been decreased due to the [[Contact War]]. Military requirements given by [[MAISL]] have also encouraged [[PAL]] to close economic efficiencies, including adjusting job salaries and reducing the number of free goods and services. [[Governance]] does this with great reluctance, but at the same time, it prepares for the possibility of even worse circumstances:<br />
<br />
{{quote|Mandatory Session did indeed serve a good purpose, though. Instituted at the start of the current war, it was intended for the eventuality that the war got so serious that the government was obliged to switch the economy from what they called "eudaimonic" back into a scarcity mode. If that ever happened, family Allocs would start being tied to productivity, essentially making productive activity nonvoluntary. And if things truly got bad, they might even have to go back to something capitalistic.|{{Chn|1}}}}<br />
<br />
<br />
==References==</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Production_and_Allocation_Machine&diff=1528Production and Allocation Machine2021-04-05T23:15:49Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: </p>
<hr />
<div>More commonly known as PAL, they are one (more notable) surviving Volkohov-friendly AIs who participated in the creation of the [[TCF]]. Many surviving AI designers have been radically updated since that time and it is implied that PAL has been as well (though not said directly). Like many of the other surviving AI designers of the TCF, PAL is housed somewhere in [[Governance]] and prefers to keep a low profile.<ref>{{Chn|35|Causality}}</ref><br />
<br />
They currently forecast, report, and advise almost every aspect of the [[human]] economy on worlds managed by [[Governance]]. Some examples of which are: [[Alloc]] distribution, resource allocation, and production allocation. PAL uses many tools at its disposal in order to finely tune the economy, notably the price setting of goods and services to incentivize or disincentivize certain modes of spending and production.<ref>{{Chn|1|A Wish}}</ref> <ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==References==</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Production_and_Allocation_Machine&diff=1527Production and Allocation Machine2021-04-05T23:15:38Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: Adding link, fixing typo</p>
<hr />
<div>More commonly known as PAL, they are one (more notable) surviving Volkohov-friendly AIs who participated in the creation of the [[TCF]]. Many surviving AI designers have been radically updated since that time and it is implied that PAL has been as well (though not said directly). Like many of the other surviving AI designers of the TCF, PAL is housed somewhere in [[Governance]] and prefers to keep a low profile. <ref>{{Chn|35|Causality}}</ref><br />
<br />
They currently forecast, report, and advise almost every aspect of the [[human]] economy on worlds managed by [[Governance]]. Some examples of which are: [[Alloc]] distribution, resource allocation, and production allocation. PAL uses many tools at its disposal in order to finely tune the economy, notably the price setting of goods and services to incentivize or disincentivize certain modes of spending and production. <ref>{{Chn|1|A Wish}}</ref> <ref>[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens "Economy question and aliens." '''Incubator Archives''']</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==References==</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Machine_for_Allocation_of_Representation&diff=1526Machine for Allocation of Representation2021-04-05T23:13:12Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: Fixing citations</p>
<hr />
<div>More commonly known as MAR, they are one (more notable) surviving Volkohov-friendly AIs who participated in the creation of the [[TCF]]. Many surviving AI designers have been radically updated since that time and it is implied that MAR has been as well (though not said directly). Like many of the other surviving AI designers of the TCF, MAR is housed somewhere in [[Governance]] and prefers to keep a low profile.<ref>{{Chn|35|Causality}}</ref><br />
<br />
They currently handle the creation and appointment and advise the [[Directorate]] on the retirement of both Human and AI Representatives in Governance.<ref>{{Chn|8|Church and State}}</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==References==</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=To_the_Stars&diff=1509To the Stars2021-03-28T00:04:56Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* Volume IV: Einstein-Rosen Bridge */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Quote|After centuries of turmoil, a Utopian AI/human government has seized control of Earth, heralding a new age of post-scarcity and space colonization. An unexpected encounter with a hostile, technologically superior alien race has broken the peace, forcing magical girls to come out of hiding to save human civilization.<br />
<br />
In the midst of it all, Shizuki Ryouko, an ordinary girl, looks to the sky, wondering at her place in the universe.|Hieronym|author of To the Stars<br />
}}<br />
<br />
This page summarizes the entire story, volume by volume and chapter by chapter, for those who want a refresher on events. It also includes the names of all future volumes and interludes, [http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/55779437700/future-interlude-title-change as released by] [[Hieronym]] many years ago.<br />
<br />
Each section is collapsed by default, to avoid unwanted spoilers; use the right-hand "Expand" buttons to view descriptions.<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
== Synopses ==<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume I: Quantum Entanglement ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon where groups of particles cannot have their state completely described independently of each other, even if separated by large distances.<br />
: ''This perhaps describes the position Ryouko finds herself in.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume I Summary|[[Shizuki Ryouko]], a regular girl dissatisfied with her utopian life, [[contract]]s and becomes a [[magical girl]], [[wish|wishing]] to leave [[Earth]], explore, and "find my place in this universe". Her life rapidly turns anything but ordinary, as day by day wild events pile up and new secrets from her past reveal themselves. She ends up under the tutelage of both [[Tomoe Mami]] and [[Sakura Kyouko]], learns that the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]] was deliberately caused by someone, discovers that she's the descendant of two powerful competing [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], receives a mysterious vision from a magical girl [[Goddess]], finds out her parents have been working on a secret project cloning bodies for [[magical girl]]s to use, receives a special V2 [[TacComp]], and learns about her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]], protege of [[Akemi Homura]], whose wish turned [[Ryouko]]'s own [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] from a [[magical girl]] back to a regular human.<br><br />
<br>All along, [[Ryouko]] struggles to adjust, learning as much about magical and military worlds she's entering as she can. Saying goodbye to friends and family, and starting to make new friends among her fellow [[magical girls]], she finally departs [[Earth]], led by her [[wish]] out into a strange new universe.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]], and begins to discover her unusual place in the universe.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|1|A Wish}}|[[Ryouko]] goes to school, dissatisfied with her life. She feels out of place in a world where her family at home and friends at school seem to enjoy the near-utopian [[Earth]], even as a [[Contact War|war]] against an [[Ceph|alien]] menace rages. However, [[Mandatory Session|classes]] are interrupted by the appearance of [[Tomoe Mami]] nearby, who has taken a detour to check the school for potential [[magical girl]] recruits with [[Kyubey]], who claims he has found one. The sighting leaves [[Ryouko]] dwelling on the remote possibility of becoming a [[magical girl]], distracting her enough that she unthinkingly agrees to go on a date with another boy from class. [[Simona]], one of her friends, sees that she's unhappy and follows her out to a riverbank with a view of the [[starport]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], on the other hand, surreptitiously visits [[Kyouko]] in her church to discuss [[the Cult]]'s discovery of irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain. She agrees to look into it and departs, only to encounter a [[demon]] spawn on her way back. At the riverbank, [[Simona]] is about to confess her feelings for [[Ryouko]], when they are suddenly attacked by [[demons]]. [[Ryouko]] manages to keep the both of them alive for a short while before getting trapped. At the moment she attempts to sacrifice herself to save [[Simona]], [[Mami]] saves them both, and along with [[Kyubey]] explains that [[Ryouko]] has the [[potential]] to make a [[wish]] and become a [[magical girl]]. {{Quote|"I wish I could leave Earth," Ryouko said, looking down, "and explore this world. I want to go where no one else has gone before and find my place in this universe."}}<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|2|Fantasma}}|[[Mami]], with some reluctance, separates [[Simona]] from [[Ryouko]] and lets [[Kyouko]] take over the immediate training. [[Kyouko]] runs her through the ropes quickly, learns that [[Ryouko]] has an unprecedented 200km teleportation range, and assigns herself as a mentor along with [[Mami]], who has in the meantime realized that [[Simona]] had a crush on [[Ryouko]]. [[Mami]] advises [[Simona]] not to tell [[Ryouko]] how she feels. [[Ryouko]] fights her first [[demon]]s with [[Kyouko]], and afterwards [[Patricia von Rohr]] shows them a pile of [[grief cube]]s she found, indicating the [[demon]] spawn was deliberate. The [[Incubator]]s swear off responsibility, and all [[Ryouko]] can remember is seeing a woman in the distance just beforehand. [[Kyouko]] promises to investigate.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] discovers that someone deliberately spawned the [[demon]]s which led to her [[contract]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|3|Mami Watches a Movie, Part One}}|Disguised, [[Mami]] attends the movie ''[[Akemi]]''. It depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] upbringing in an orphanage, her [[wish]], and then [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, which triggers a vision of the [[Goddess]] for [[Homura]] that changes her personality markedly. It then depicts [[Yuma]] asking to be taken in by [[Homura]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]]—a fabrication, the movie-watching [[Mami]] notes—and the resulting [[Mitakihara Four]] founding the [[MSY]]. The movie montages through the [[MSY|MSY's]] history, jumping ahead to the alien [[Cephalopod]]'s first attack on [[Aurora]], after which [[Homura]] rallies the [[MSY]] to send a massive force of [[magical girl]]s to [[New Athens]] to stop the next attack.<br />
----<br />
In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] life up until [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|4|Mami Watches a Movie, Part Two}}|With [[Mami]] in attendance, the movie ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Mami]] and [[Homura]] directing a surprise assault on the [[Cephalopod]]s at [[New Athens]]. Initially the battle goes well, and the [[Human]] forces on the ground rally, but the aliens deploy stronger measures in turn. [[Homura]] goes out to personally lead the counterattack, but the combination of stealth armor and orbital strikes is too much, and she falls in battle… only to find that her [[soul gem]] refuses to fill with [[grief]], preventing her from being taken away by the [[Law of Cycles]], to her despair. [[Homura]] then suddenly heals from her wounds, and her white wings are replaced by huge, horrible black wings. Almost entirely by her own power, she leads the counterattack to victory, at the end personally redirecting an orbital superweapon back at the [[Ceph]] fleet.<br><br />
<br>In the final scene of the movie, [[Kyouko]] argues to an unconvinced [[Mami]] that the battle proves [[Homura|Homura's]] faith in her [[Goddess]] has merit, only for both of them to be interrupted by [[Homura|Homura's]] arrival. [[Homura]] announces her resignation from the [[MSY]], leaving one of her [[The Ribbon|ribbons]] with them, and declares that she is leaving to look for her [[Goddess]], protecting the world another way. The movie over, [[Mami]] begins her departure from [[Earth]], starting her endless work anew with her Version Two [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br />
----<br />
In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] transformation, victory, and disappearance at [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|5|Family}}|[[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] tell [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] family that she has [[contract]]ed, to their horror. [[Kyouko]] defends [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] choice, and explains some of the [[magical girl]] system to them, though they prove to know more than most. Before [[Ryouko]] goes to bed, [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] comes to talk with her, expressing disappointment that [[Ryouko]] lied when she promised not to [[contract]], and talking the situation over. After watching [[Ryouko]] [[transform]] and discussing her weapon, an arbalest, she leaves [[Ryouko]] with the request to tell her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] (who had disappeared to join the military when [[Ryouko]] was a child) that her family was sorry, should [[Ryouko]] meet her.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] falls asleep, [[Kyouko]] sticks around to gather information on her family situation as per procedure. [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] grandfather [[Kuroi Abe]] willingly helps her out, explaining that [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] parents are near divorce, though [[Ryouko]] doesn't realize it, and that they know so much about magic because they're researchers. He also mentions that [[Ryouko]] has an [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]] she doesn't know about. That night, [[Ryouko]] dreams of an old encounter with a [[magical girl]], and finds that she still has the bracelet the girl gave her. She also recalls an old memory of her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] talking about [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]], though she doesn't understand it. After talking to [[Simona]] and her family a bit, [[Ryouko]] spends the morning reading through the swath of informational messages about her new life.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] tells her family she has [[contract|contracted]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|6|Military}}|[[Mami]] remembers the [[Mitakihara Four]]'s celebration of [[October Three]] with [[Homura]], shortly before the [[Contact War]]. The four of them poke fun at each other—including about [[Homura]]'s secret pupil and [[Kyouko]]'s "transgressions"—and eventually [[Mami]] suggests that they take a long vacation from the [[MSY]] together, only for the others to reluctantly shoot the idea down.<br><br />
<br>In the present, [[Mami]] arrives at the [[starport]] with her bodyguards and meets with [[Marianne Francois]], her intelligence officer, who she instructs to secretly investigate the [[grief cube]] supply chain as [[Kyouko]] asked. Later arriving at [[Carthago Shipyard]] via scramjet then space elevator then [[Navigator]], she attends a meeting of the [[General Staff]].<br><br />
<br>During the meeting, the Chair of the [[General Staff]] [[Roland Erwynmark]] reveals that the [[Cephalopod]]s have been discovered constructing a [[wormhole stabilizer]] in the [[Kepler-37 System]], at the tip of the ongoing [[Euphratic Incursion]]. This would allow the aliens to directly transport reinforcements into the system, within [[Blink]] distance of the [[Core World]] [[Optatum]], and so an immediate [[MagOps]] operation is planned to destroy it. [[Erwynmark]] then announces that he's appointing [[Mami]] as a special [[Euphratic Sector]] commander, over some opposition from her opponents on the [[General Staff|Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] is promoted, and tasked with destroying the discovered [[wormhole stabilizer]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|7|Southern Group}}|[[Kyouko]] wakes up (with [[Kishida Maki]] at her side) and while making the rounds at her [[Kyouko's Church|church]] discovers that [[Maki]] has painted the [[Goddess]] with pink hair, a previously unknown trait. However, [[Kyouko]] has to immediately leave to see [[Yuma]] about the [[grief cube]] incident. On the way, [[Kyouko]] remembers when she first met [[Yuma]], in a confrontation with the [[Southern Group]] shortly after [[Homura]] had first joined the team, before her personality change. [[Kyouko]] had immediately taken sympathy, and telepathically invited her to switch sides, though the very young [[Yuma]] had angrily refused after [[Kyouko]] insulted [[Oriko]], who had saved [[Yuma|Yuma's]] life.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko|Kyouko's]] reverie is briefly interrupted by [[Maki]], who tells her the idea of the pink hair came from [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Kyouko]] then further recalls the next two times she saw [[Yuma]]: first, months later after [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, in a chance encounter at a store where she had revealed she was doing "research" with [[Oriko]], and second, two years after that, when [[Kyouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Homura]] had saved her after the deaths of [[Oriko]] and the rest of [[Southern Group|her team]]. After that, they had [[Befriending|Befriended]] her, and once [[Yuma]] recovered she joined them as one of the [[Mitakihara Four]]. Eventually [[Yuma]] had told them what had really happened the night [[Oriko]] died, and they resolved to keep it secret.<br><br />
<br>As [[Kyouko]] arrives at [[MSY]] [[Governmental Affairs]] to see [[Yuma]], she lastly recalls [[Homura]] telling [[Yuma]] that the [[Goddess]] provided an afterlife for [[magical girl]]s, the only time [[Kyouko]] ever heard her say it out loud.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] remembers how [[Yuma]] ended up joining the [[Mitakihara Four]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|8|Church and State}}|[[Yuma]] runs out to greet [[Kyouko]] like an older sister, herself having taken on a nine-year-old form, and [[Kyouko]] is greeted by her [[Governance]] partner [[MG]] as well. [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] then meet privately to discuss the irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain, and the further reports of [[magical girl]]s going missing, and [[Yuma]] agrees to investigate. When [[Kyouko]] brings up the [[grief cube]] incident with [[Ryouko]], [[Yuma]] immediately deduces that the [[grief cube]]s were super-saturated with grief—a possible state kept very secret, though they don't have a sample to prove it. Before leaving, [[Kyouko]] recommends that [[Yuma]] visit [[The Ribbon]], but she demures just as [[Mami]] always does, instead giving [[Kyouko]] an [[Incubator]] plushie.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] checks with [[Kyubey]] briefly about the [[grief cube]]s, but he does not provide any new information, and so [[Kyouko]] ends up back at [[Kyouko's church|her church]], where she meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Patrica]] reveals that she kept some of the [[grief cube]]s from the incident after sensing something strange about them, and [[Kyouko]] tells her to inform [[Yuma]] through the plushie, which turned out to be enchanted as a [[telepathy]]-enhancer. [[Kyouko]] also gets [[Asaka]] to agree to share the details of the [[Goddess]]'s hair with the [[Theological Council]]. Finally, [[Kyouko]] gives a sermon on the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from, and announces that the church will be updating the statue of the [[Goddess]].<br />
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In short: [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] discover that the [[grief cube]]s planted near where [[Ryouko]] was attacked were super-saturated.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|9|Echoes}}|[[Ryouko]] arrives at [[Kyouko's church]], which holds [[MSY]] living quarters and local military facilities underground, in order to get her military upgrades. [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]] guide her through the process. [[Patricia]] notes that [[Ryouko]] has an extremely unusual genetic profile, requiring some adjustments to the process, and then begins the procedure. [[Ryouko]] watches in a semi-[[VR]] experience as the procedure installs a [[TacComp]], removes implants that are useless for [[magical girl]]s, and installs a [[Permanent Awareness Module]], among other things. Testing out her new capabilities, [[Ryouko]] sends [[Asaka]] a memory snapshot of the [[magical girl]] who gave her the bracelet she rediscovered after her [[contract]]. [[Asaka]] reacts oddly, but continues on to show [[Ryouko]] the armory and get her equipped with the required basics.<br><br />
<br>Then she cuts the tour short, instead bringing [[Ryouko]] to the [[Ribbon Chamber]]. At the [[Ribbon]], [[Ryouko]] finds herself in a confusing vision, seeing among other things [[Yuma]] at the death of [[Oriko]], [[Simona]] looking directly at her on her first day of class, [[Asaka]] receiving instruction from the [[Goddess]] to wait for the girl who sent her the memory [[Ryouko]] did, the [[Goddess]] herself briefly showing her face and telling [[Ryouko]] to keep it a secret, and the death of [[Kyouko]] on some sort of mission involving submarines. Both of them watching, [[Patricia]] comments to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] that for a few reasons, including [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s own presence, she's not that surprised [[Ryouko]] received a vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|10|Brigadier}}|[[Ryouko]], brought before the [[Theological Council]] to relate her vision, tells what she saw of [[Kyouko]]'s death, determining with them it was on a colony world and that what actually killed [[Kyouko]] was likely a laser, not a misfire from the submarines. She keeps the rest of the vision from [[Theological Council|the council]], though [[Asaka]] deduces easily that she saw the [[Goddess]]. [[Asaka]] goes on to explain the circumstances of her own vision, where she met again with her dead partner [[Alice]], whose death under her command had torn her apart. Now that she has recovered and her vision is resolved, [[Asaka]] tells [[Ryouko]] she plans to return to the front with [[Mami]], who has just been promoted.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Kyouko]] talks with [[Mami]] about [[Ryouko]], noting that her family tree is dense with [[contract]]ees and connected to the Shizuki and Kuroi [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], that [[Patricia]] found a number of novel mutations in her genetics, and that her friend [[Simona]] has some strange anomalies in her recorded past. Unsure what to make of this, and with no further progress on the [[grief cube]] incident, [[Mami]] agrees at [[Kyouko]]'s request to take on [[Asaka]] as a general, with [[Patricia]] and [[Maki]] as two of [[Asaka]]'s attachments.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] grapples with her vision, and [[Asaka]] explains how her story connects.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|11|Remains of a Life}}|[[Ryouko]] sets up her [[TacComp]] and chooses [[Atsuko Arisu]] as her designated psychiatrist, then goes out to eat dinner with her family and eventually ends up (through a test of her newfound right to drink alcohol without intoxication filters) bringing them to a firing range at [[Kyouko's church]]. There they visit other facilities, including a sparring area where they meet [[Risa Flores]], but [[Ryouko]]'s parents are surprisingly well-informed on the subjects. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] visit her spot near the [[starport]], and talk about their impending military lives, and the disappearance of [[Ryouko's grandmother]], both remembering her saying that she had lost something.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] receives her [[SW-155|officer's pistol]], and her [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] tells her she's planned a going away party. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends at a showing of ''[[Akemi]]'' and finally reveals her [[contract]] to them, also inviting them to the party. Watching the movie, [[Ryouko]] reflects on [[Homura]]'s beliefs, and the fact that her vision contradicts the movie's portrayal of [[Yuma]]. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] asks [[Simona]] what she was going to say to her before the [[demon]] attack, but [[Simona]] tells her to forget about it. [[Ryouko]] also asks about when she looked directly at her on her first day of class (as she saw in her vision), but [[Simona]] claims it was nothing.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, [[Yuma]] convinces [[Kyouko]] to have a spy bug planted on [[Ryouko]] for her protection, and warns her to be careful herself given [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] spends time with her family and friends as she prepares to leave for [[Contact War|war]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|12|Demon Hunter}}|[[Ryouko]] receives a [[CubeBot]] and three [[grief cube]]s, then studies combat doctrines with her [[TacComp]] until [[Kyouko]] invites her to join a [[demon]] hunt. [[Patricia von Rohr|Patricia]] and [[Risa Flores|Risa]] meet her at [[Kyouko's church]], where [[Kyouko]] appears briefly but leaves, clearly bothered by the impending departure of [[Kishida Maki]]. On the hunt itself, [[Ryouko]] uses her teleportation to rescue civilians, move other [[magical girl]]s in for attacks, and so forth, finding herself enjoying the combat. The hunt is interrupted by the injury of one girl, who loses an arm and part of her face, but [[Ryouko]] simply teleports them to the armory hospital, where she is told they will be fine shortly, and the rest of the hunt continues without incident.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] goes on a [[demon]] hunt.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|13|Differences of Knowledge}}|The next day, [[Ryouko]] goes to an [[MSY]] social gathering for new recruits, finding [[Risa Flores]] there as a chaperone, and meets a new girl named [[Nakihara Asami]], who shares her desire to explore new worlds, albeit as a xenobiologist. They get along well, and continue on to the next scheduled event together. The following day, [[Ryouko]] meets [[Atsuko Arisu]] for her psychiatrist appointment, who manages to get her freely talking about many things, including her [[wish]], and who also recommends that she talk with her parents about her family ancestry.<br><br />
<br>That night, [[Shizuki Kuma|Ryouko's father]] interrupts her reading on military subjects to take her to [[Prometheus]], where she meets [[Joanne Valentin]]—who appears to be the woman she saw shortly before the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]]—and receives an upgrade to Version Two for her [[TacComp]]. Afterwards, [[Shizuki Kuma|her father]] secretly takes her into [[Prometheus]]'s cloning facility where he and [[Kuroi Nana|her mother]] work, which he explains is used to provide new bodies to [[magical girl]]s who are reduced to [[soul gem]]s. [[Ryouko]] is shocked, especially upon seeing the beginning stages of her own clone, and bothered at the secrets kept from her.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns about the [[MSY]]'s [[cloning program]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|14|Bloodlines}}|[[Yuma]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Mami]] decide [[Ryouko]]'s discovery of the [[cloning program]] isn't a problem, and discuss the incident that led to [[Ryouko]]'s contract. [[Mami]] remembers seeing [[Joanne Valentin]] at the movie theatre shortly afterwards, and [[Yuma]] confirms that she was the woman near the [[demon]] spawn, and moreover that she mysteriously changed her whole life shortly after the [[Contact War]] began. Investigations into [[Simona]] and the [[grief cube]] supply chain problems [[Kyouko]] reported have unearthed more discrepancies, but nothing major, and [[Risa Flores]] hasn't reported anything from her watch over [[Ryouko]], and so they disperse.<br><br />
<br>Back at home, [[Ryouko]] reads the file on her family with her improving [[TacComp]], and discovers that her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] is stationed at the [[Apollo]] shipyard. Moreover, when viewing her family tree she finds much of it explicitly redacted, with the revealed portions being enough to show that she is a descendant of both the Shizuki and Kuroi [[Matriarchy|Matriarchies]]. Later, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] comes to talk to her, and [[Ryouko]] confronts her about the secrets she's kept. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]] says she's kept the secrets to prevent [[Ryouko]] from [[contract]]ing, and will explain more the next day at the going away party.<br><br />
<br>At the party, [[Ryouko]] receives a number of gifts, including a necklace with the Shizuki crest from [[Shizuki Koto]], her paternal grandfather, and a ruby ring with a helix inside, one of a pair from [[Simona]]. [[Kyouko]] arrives, and informs [[Ryouko]] that both her grandparents will be placed in slightly safer positions as part of standard procedure, her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] in particular being moved to the shipyards. Next to arrive is [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Kuroi Kana]], who begins an attempt to recruit [[Ryouko]] into the [[Black Heart]] (and reveals that [[Ryouko]]'s bracelet is in fact a Kuroi insignia), but she is immediately followed by [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Shizuki Sayaka]] and her own recruiting pitch. [[Kyouko]]'s poor intervention is followed by [[Atsuko Arisu]]'s successful one—her presence at the party revealing that she must be related somehow to [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>This is all further interrupted by the sudden appearance of [[Kuroi Nana]], the [[magical girl]] who gave [[Ryouko]] her Kuroi bracelet and until now her entirely secret aunt, a fact which displeases [[Ryouko]] greatly. [[Kuroi Nana]] brings her aside, promising to help explain the situation, and revealing that she's part of the secret [[Internal Security]], and has been searching for [[Akemi Homura]] on behalf of the [[MSY]]. With that said, they begin a memory transfer.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] meets [[Kuroi Nana]], her previously-secret aunt. }}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|15|Samsara}}|[[Ryouko]] experiences her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt's]] memories, with some explanation provided by a sub-sentient assistant.<br><br />
<br>In the memories, [[Kuroi Nana]] investigates the strange behavior of her [[Kuroi Nakase|younger sister]], finding with the help of a computer specialist that her sister's new friends weren't who they seemed, and secretly following them on a [[demon]] hunt. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]], in reality a [[magical girl]], rushes to save [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] when [[demon]]s attack, getting gravely injured in the process. [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] contracts to turn her sister mundane again, to her sister's relief. However, these events seriously strain their family, as their [[Ryouko's grandmother|mother]] isn't allowed to know about the [[MSY]]. When [[Homura]] offers to mentor [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]], she accepts, and all but leaves the family.<br><br />
<br>It's explained to [[Ryouko]] that when [[New Athens]] revealed the [[MSY]], [[Ryouko's grandmother]] blamed it for both her mother's death and her family's troubles, and insisted that [[Ryouko]] be kept from contracting.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] surfaces from the memories, [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] closes off by telling [[Ryouko]] that she had just reconciled with [[Ryouko's grandmother]], and they rejoin the party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns more of her family history from [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|16|Light of the Sky}}|[[Ryouko]] says goodbye to friends and family at the starport, journeying with [[Asami]] by scramjet and then space elevator. While riding the elevator, [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] names herself [[Clarisse]] after [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Ryouko]] muses that her [[wish]] may have somehow changed the past, causing all the sudden revelations of the past week. At the top, the new [[magical girl]]s take a [[Navigator]] shuttle to the [[HSS Spectre]], an old [[frigate]], who leads them around herself. When they reach the [[FTL]] core, [[Ryouko]]'s gem suddenly begins to shine.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finally leaves [[Earth]] with [[Asami]].}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude I: Underworld Dreams ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Unusually, this is a title with relatively direct meanings.''<br />
: ''[[Kugimiya Ito]] dreams of his old girlfriend [[Nakanishi Aiko]], as he digs into a transformed Japanese underworld.<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|17|Interlude I: Underworld Dreams}}|[[Kugimiya Ito]], a police detective in [[Mitakihara]], investigates the disappearance of [[Okamura Yuu|a local teenage girl]] with [[Minami Kaoru|his junior partner]]. Meeting the girl's parents makes him suspect abuse is the culprit, and reminds him of his old teenage sweetheart [[Nakanishi Aiko]], who disappeared under similar circumstances. Back at headquarters, while analyzing the case's evidence electronically, he happens upon an image of the girl meeting what looks to him like [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]. When he confronts the missing girl's friends about the [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]-lookalike, they unconvincingly deny knowing anything until a Yakuza-affiliated lawyer suddenly shows up. Investigating this lead leads him to a [[D&E]] logistics building, where he's confronted by Yakuza and nearly killed for knowing too much, until [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] suddenly intervenes, still the same age as when she disappeared.<br><br />
<br>Reeling, and told to drop the case by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] returns to headquarters, only to be met by [[Ronaldo Rizal|an Interpol agent]] who has been tracking similar mysterious cases. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] is asked to make contact with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again and investigate further. He successfully makes contact, and is brought to [[D&E]] headquarters with his partner, to be greeted by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], who treats him just like she did when they were dating, to his embarrassed pleasure. They meet the CEO of [[D&E]], who turns out to be [[Sakura Kyouko]] under an assumed name, and who explains the situation, including the fact that they already knew about the Interpol investigation. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] agrees to drop the investigation if he can confirm for himself that the missing girl is alright, and afterward retires to be with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again.<br />
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In short: [[Kugimiya Ito|A police detective]] happens across his [[Nakanishi Aiko|long-missing girlfriend]] and discovers she is part of an [[MSY]] Yakuza takeover.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume II: Inflationary Expansion ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''This is the universe's theorized early period of exponential inflation.''<br />
: ''Here, it likely refers to the escalation of plot and stakes, especially for Ryouko.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume II Summary|[[Ryouko]] completes her military simulation training, growing close to [[Asami]], and gets her first taste of real combat shortly afterwards as her convoy is unexpectedly and suspiciously attacked by [[Ceph]] fighters. After [[Ryouko]]'s successful defense there, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]], who doesn't know how to respond, and then both are recalled to the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]], where the first attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] has failed.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] is assigned to a [[MagOps]] team, and begins training while still wrestling with family and relationship confusion, including the sudden revelation of her [[TacComp]] [[Clarisse]]'s sentience. The eventual battle begins poorly, as the wormhole unexpectedly activates right at the start. [[Ryouko]]'s team presses on, only to find the mission much more difficult than expected, and they slowly attrit team members. They finally destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]], but as the [[Goddess]] reveals in a vision, the [[Ceph]] had already amassed a stealthed fleet large enough to take the system. Having realized that her power uses wormholes, [[Ryouko]] reopens the [[Ceph]]'s wormhole and sends the fleet back through, saving the day.<br><br />
<br>However, the battle was not without its casualties—[[Asami]] lost her body after nearly grief-spiraling upon hearing of [[Ryouko]]'s apparent death, [[Ryouko's grandmother]] died in a [[Ceph]] raid, and [[Erwynmark]] died as well, among others. Coming to grips with her sudden fame and new life amidst memorial services and the news of her parents' divorce, [[Ryouko]] decides to become [[Asami]]'s girlfriend. But there are more surprises in store: as the [[Goddess]]—who [[Ryouko]] discovers she is distantly related to—reveals in another vision, [[Ryouko]] will find herself caught up in even greater events soon enough.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delivers the [[Battle of Orpheus]], and connects with [[Asami]], as her old life falls away.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|18|To the Ground}}|The [[General Staff]] watches as a [[MagOps]] mission to take out the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, all members killed, after they are detected teleporting through [[Orpheus]]'s atmosphere. Afterwards, [[Mami]] dreams of her past failures, disturbing her [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br><br />
<br>On the planet [[Giungla]], [[Ryouko]] is embedded in a military unit along with other [[magical girl]]s, fighting against a [[Ceph]] invasion. She goes off mostly on her own to successfully rescue a soldier from her unit, and then joins up with a team of [[magical girl]]s to teleport into an alien attack column, again with significant success.<br />
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In short: The initial attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, as [[Ryouko]] gains combat experience elsewhere.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|19|To the Sky}}|Finding that she enjoys the combat, [[Ryouko]] works hard to sustain the [[human]] forces, but the arrival of a major [[Ceph]] fleet in system forces a general evacuation. They begin taking heavy losses, and [[Ryouko]] quickly becomes acting-Commander. [[Asami]] dies, [[Ryouko]] enters [[emotional suppression]], and just barely escapes... only to suddenly wake up from the accelerated [[VR]] simulation.<br><br />
<br>Calmed by [[Clarisse]] and relieved to see [[Asami]] alive, [[Ryouko]] heads back to their shared room in the training center on [[New Athens]]. [[Clarisse]] recommends that they read some "messages" together, which turn out to be relationship proposals for [[Ryouko]]. [[Asami]] comments that she had been warned this might happen, due to [[Ryouko]]'s mentors and heritage. The next day, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her [[wish]] was for her parents to stay together and understand each other, and [[Ryouko]] relays her own [[wish]], as they look forward together towards the end of training.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] finish simulation training.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|20|Relativity}}|[[Kishida Maki]] remembers how she [[contract]]ed and later met [[Kyouko]], dating, but breaking up after a fight over [[Maki]]'s decision to head to the front, and [[Kyouko]]'s refusal to explain her history with [[Miki Sayaka]], a near lookalike. Stationed on [[Apollo]] with [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]], [[Maki]] then heads out, completing another mission aboveground to secure a building back from the [[Ceph]].<br><br />
<br>Headed to [[Acheron]] with [[Asami]] and a new friend from training, [[Meiqing]], [[Ryouko]] suddenly notices a bright flash from her [[soul gem]]. Soon, the cause is discovered by the ship, [[Laplace]], to be [[Ceph]] fighters. The early warning allows them to dodge the initial missile attack, but eschewing standard doctrine, the [[Ceph]] turn around for another assault, forcing the transport's [[magical girl]]'s to fight them in space combat, with [[Ryouko]] taking charge. The fight goes well, but the final ship detonates its core in a desperate but futile attempt to kill them.<br><br />
<br>While recovering from the ensuing protective fugue, [[Clarisse]] reveals to [[Ryouko]] that she has uncovered the memory of her vision, and is in fact sentient. Afterwards, they arrive at [[Acheron]], minor heroes, and [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] attend a celebration of [[October Three]] together.<br />
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In short: [[Ryouko]]'s convoy is attacked unsuccessfully by [[Ceph]] fighters.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|21|Discontinuity}}|[[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Yuma]] meet virtually to celebrate [[October Three]], and discuss the mysteriousness of [[Simona]] and the unlikely and seemingly irresponsible attack on [[Ryouko]]'s convoy, the absence of [[Homura]] weighing on them.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] talks with [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about training and suitors, but fails to mention the attack on her convoy. [[Ryouko]] then goes with [[Asami]] to see a basketball game, and then to a volcanic spa, noting that [[Asami]] is acting strangely, and finding that she isn't enjoying the time on [[Acheron|a colony world]] herself as much as she expected. At the spa, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her romantic feelings to a stunned [[Ryouko]], who promises to think about it—they have little time to reflect, however, as they are at that moment recalled to active duty in the [[Kepler-37]] system, the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asami]] confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|22|Shifting Winds}}|Now on [[Mami]]'s flagship, the [[HSS Zhukov]], and unable to stop thinking about [[Asami]], [[Ryouko]] is awarded a medal for her performance during the [[Ceph]] attack on her convoy by the Field Marshall. [[Mami]] then brings her to the bridge, where they enter simulation as [[Mami]] explains the strategic situation. This is interrupted by a perfunctory [[Ceph]] attack, which [[Ryouko]] watches from the bridge.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, they reenter the simulation to meet [[Erwynmark]], and [[Ryouko]] is told about the planned second wormhole mission, which requires her teleportation capabilities. [[Ryouko]] is to be sent down to [[Apollo]] to meet with the rest of the team (and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]]) to prepare.<br><br />
<br>Resting after the earlier battle, [[Mami]] dreams of the destruction of her apartment by [[Oriko]], which reunited her with [[Kyouko]], and of other old memories, followed by a strange dream in which she and an unknown girl, somehow important to her, were in a plane crash.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] is assigned to the second [[wormhole stabilizer]] mission on [[Orpheus]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|23|Lost Love}}|Along with others, [[Mami]] plans Humanity's counteroffensive to support the [[Orpheus]] mission and end the [[Euphratic Incursion]]. Meeting with [[Erwynmark]], who will also lead the battle, they conclude that their success rests on the [[MagOps]] mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] thinks of her friends—including [[Chiaki]] on [[Earth]], who always teased [[Ryouko]] about relationships—and ends up calling [[Meiqing]], who insists that she call [[Asami]], who is broken up over [[Ryouko]]'s non-answer to her confession. However, there isn't time, as the [[HSS Raven]] brings her down to [[Apollo]], where [[Ryouko]] meets up with [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]], who was seriously injured in the fighting but recovering easily. They share some time together, as [[Ryouko]] informs him that she's going on a dangerous mission. Her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her family already knew about the attack on her convoy, and that he finally managed to find and talk with [[Ryouko's grandmother|his wife]] again, who wants to talk with [[Ryouko]] as well once there's a chance.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delays talking to [[Asami]], and meets [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]] on [[Apollo]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|24|Historian}}|[[Ryouko]]'s new [[MagOps]] team practices working together on [[Apollo]] by fighting the [[Ceph]]. Their team practice and bonding is later interrupted by the announcement of yet another new team member: [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Ryouko]]'s childhood hero and, as it turns out, personal friend of team commander [[Nadya Antipova]]. They immediately return to mission simulations, first knowing they're simulations, and later not, failing often—with [[Ryouko]] regretting not contacting [[Asami]] in her apparent final moments.<br><br />
<br>Recovering from this, the team socializes, and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Ryouko]] that she should talk to [[Asami]] even if she doesn't know what to say. Finally, [[Ryouko]] does so, telling her about the dangerous mission she's on, and asking her to survive the upcoming battle too so they can resolve things afterward. They end the call somewhat comforted, but [[Asami]] in particular finds herself still worried and unsure.<br><br />
<br>That night, resting, [[Ryouko]] has a mysterious seeming dream-vision, including a moment in the [[Cult]]'s rose garden on [[Earth]] where [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] speaks strange things and almost appears to be someone else unknown.<br />
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In short: [[Clarisse van Rossum]] joins the wormhole team, and convinces [[Ryouko]] to contact [[Asami]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|25|Piercing the Sky}}|Waiting aboard the [[HSS Raven]], [[Clarisse]] and [[Ryouko]] find themselves ruminating on the possibility of their death, and the [[Goddess]]'s promised afterlife for [[magical girl]]s. [[Juliet Francois]] and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] both ask about [[Ryouko]]'s visions, but she defers, stating she doesn't think they are relevant to the current mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] begins the [[Human]] offensive, for her part attempting to draw [[Ceph]] forces away from [[Orpheus]]. While it initially appears a success, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] which was thought to be still under construction suddenly activates, and hordes of reinforcements begin pouring through.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Orpheus]] mission begins poorly, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] activating before it even begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|26|Blood and Ichor}}|[[Clarisse van Rossum]] decides the [[MagOps]] team must act immediately. Donning [[magitech]] armor, [[Ryouko]] teleports the team straight from low orbit to what looks to be the key stabilizer core for the [[wormhole stabilizer]]. After efficiently clearing out enemy personnel, [[Nadya]] announces that there are what appears to be twelve separate stabilizer cores, rather than the single expected one, of which perhaps up to four are real. They detonate a [[PAYNE|nuke]] on the closest core, teleporting away towards the next one.<br><br />
<br>This time they encounter even more waiting [[Ceph]], and clear them out with more difficulty. Suddenly, right when two fighters attack, a [[Ceph]] sniper takes shots at [[Eva Guderian]] and [[Ryouko]], killing [[Eva Guderian|Eva]] instantly and shattering [[Ryouko]]'s arm. In a rage, [[Ryouko]] teleports on top of the sniper and slaughters it.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[wormhole stabilizer]] survives an intended killing blow, and [[Ryouko]] loses control after [[Eva Guderian]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|27|Those Brilliant Shining Stars}}|Shocked at herself and slowly recovering, [[Ryouko]] realizes that her [[soul gem]] is not only pulling her towards the wormhole, but also reacting to the true stabilizer cores—and the one they lost [[Eva Guderian]] attacking is a fake.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, the fleet battle in system is going poorly, and [[Erwynmark]] defers to [[Mami]], who decides they must continue to hold out in hope of destroying the wormhole.<br><br />
<br>The [[Orpheus]] team quickly finds and destroys a second stabilizer core with their last [[PAYNE|nuke]], leaving still two more. The [[Ceph]] begin firing artillery at the third core when they arrive, forcing [[Clarisse van Rossum]] to seize their barrier generator [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]]'s [[soul gem]] to save her life. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] then executes a powerful attack that vaporizes the core, but knocks her unconscious.<br><br />
<br>Unexpectedly targeted, [[Erwynmark]]'s ship the [[HSS Arminius]] recommends evacuation. [[Erwynmark]] escapes the ship with his bodyguards, but [[Ceph]] interceptors somehow find his stealthed ship and chase it down, killing him.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Orpheus]] team destroys two more [[wormhole stabilizer]] cores, but [[Erwynmark]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|28|Invictus}}|The [[Orpheus]] team learns that the [[HSS Raven]], along with her remaining crew, has been discovered and destroyed, all but eliminating any hope of escape. [[Misa Virani]] gives her [[soul gem]] to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and takes advantage of the moon's electrical properties to generate an awe-inspiring electrical discharge, destroying the last [[wormhole stabilizer]] core. The wormhole above collapses violently, and the remainder of the team is suddenly caught in temporal/spatial distortions that threaten to rip them apart.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Misa Virani]] destroys the final [[wormhole stabilizer]] and the wormhole collapses, trapping the rest of the team.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|29|Deus ex gemma}}|[[Ryouko]] suddenly recalls a lecture given by [[Joanne Valentin]], and realizes that her teleportation uses wormholes, and that she can use the broken spacetime around them to teleport the team off [[Orpheus|the moon]]. At the same time, [[Ryouko]] realizes she's with the [[Goddess]], in a vision—this time, with [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]] too. The [[Goddess]] shows them [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[Apollo]], hard-pressed by the [[Ceph]]. [[Shirou Asaka]] manages to get forces in to save them, but [[Maki]] loses her body. They are also shown an unknown woman commander in the [[Apollo]] shipyards, who is killed by a [[Ceph]] commando raid.<br><br />
<br>Following that, [[Asami]] and her ''[[Magi Cæli]]'' team are shown defending the space around [[Apollo]] with some success, despite incredible new [[Ceph]] stealth capabilities. Attempting to extract, the team is suddenly caught and scattered, with [[Asami]] seriously injured and placed into a [[MedEvac]]. A sudden announcement from [[Tomoe Mami]] that the wormhole was destroyed at the apparent cost of the team involved, including [[Ryouko]], sends [[Asami]] into a despair spiral, and her body is ejected into space to preserve her [[soul gem]]. Finally, [[Ryouko]] is shown [[Mami]], who is pressing the apparent advantage at the destruction of the wormhole, even as she mourns the dead.<br><br />
<br>The [[Goddess]] then talks with [[Ryouko]], revealing the [[Ceph]] trap—a huge cloaked fleet had already come through the wormhole, enough to retake the system easily. The [[Goddess]] tells her to reopen the wormhole and send the fleet back, ending the vision. To her team's amazement, [[Ryouko]] does just that, and then just barely teleports them to [[Zhukov]]'s bridge before blacking out.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Goddess]] tells [[Ryouko]] to send back a cloaked [[Ceph]] fleet through the wormhole, saving the battle.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|30|Call to Power}}|[[Mami]] and [[Atsuko Arisu]] perform a dream interrogation of [[Ryouko]]—and also [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]], which complicates their attempt to loosen her up, as does the secret blocking of telepathic investigation by [[Clarisse van Rossum]]. [[Ryouko]] only explains that her power uses wormholes, and about her memory of the [[Joanne Valentin]] lecture that triggered the realization, avoiding religious questions. [[Ryouko]] meets afterwards with some of the [[Orpheus]] team, and is warned of the coming scrutiny she'll endure as a hero by [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and the revived [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]].<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] learns from her devastated [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]] was killed, and realizes she saw it in her vision. She attends the first of three memorial services in her near future, for the dead of the [[Orpheus]] team, meeting [[Marianne Francois]], whose daughter [[Juliet]] was killed aboard the now-revived [[HSS Raven]].<br><br />
<br>In a surprise to [[Mami]], the [[General Staff]] and [[Military Affairs]] select her as the new Chair in accordance with [[Erwynmark]]'s wishes.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] becomes the new Chair of the [[General Staff]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|31|Aspects of Love}}|On the planet [[Bismarck]] for [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial, [[Ryouko]] meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kyouko]], along with a couple of local kids, finding herself surprisingly distant from the latter due to her experiences. [[Ryouko]] admits to [[Kyouko]] that the [[Goddess]] came to her in a vision on [[Orpheus]] to tell her about the cloaked fleet, and is afterwards unknowingly accosted by a [[Shizuki Azusa|seductive Shizuki]] until [[Patricia]] saves her. [[Patricia]] informs her that [[Kishida Maki]] is still taking [[Kyouko]]'s continued absence hard, and that she is struggling herself, before collecting a more in-depth genetic sample from [[Ryouko]]. Later that day [[Mami]], attending virtually, gives [[Erwynmark]]'s eulogy.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] comes to grips with her newfound fame at [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|32|Decisions, Implications}}|[[Ryouko]] meets with her family at the starport, only to find her parents have divorced. Still shaken, she heads immediately to [[Asami]]'s revival, comforting her, and finding herself unexpectedly comforted herself to have [[Asami]] back.<br><br />
<br>After briefly meeting [[Asami]]'s family, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] head out to meet [[Ryouko]]'s friends. While waiting, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] how unhappy she is in combat, and, consoling her, [[Ryouko]] abruptly decides to become her girlfriend… right as [[Simona]], [[Ruiko]], and [[Chiaki]] arrive. [[Simona]] retreats to the bathroom, and [[Chiaki]] covers for her, instead planning the rest of the day. They go on to a restaurant and have a sleepover, the only disturbance being the strange arrival of [[Kyubey]], who claims only to be visiting.<br><br />
<br>At [[Ryouko's grandmother]]'s funeral, [[Ryouko]] discovers that her psychiatrist [[Atsuko Arisu]] is in fact the grandmother of [[Ryouko's grandmother]]. After the ceremony, which [[Ryouko]] finds she can't connect to, she is suddenly given a memory recording from a friend of [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]]. The memory reveals that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]] grandfather was [[Kaname Tatsuya]], once the younger brother of [[Kaname Madoka]], the [[Goddess]]. [[Tatsuya]] makes [[Homura]] promise to keep [[Ryouko's grandmother]] out of the [[MSY]], as he warns darkly of the future that would become the [[Unification Wars]], recalling in particular his daughter-in-law's wish for vengeance.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] rushes with [[Asami]] to the [[Ribbon]], with both [[Kyubey]] and [[Kyouko]] showing up to watch. A vision ensues, and the [[Goddess]] explains that she is indeed related to [[Ryouko]], as hinted previously, and that she tries to limit her interventions in the world, so that people can live their own lives. She explains that [[Ryouko]] has the special burden of having less freedom to live her own life, and that she will be called upon again.<br><br />
<br>Teleporting out immediately from the [[Ribbon Chamber]] to avoid questions, [[Ryouko]] learns that [[Asami]] also received a vision, assuaging her worries and including helpful relationship advice. Before [[Ryouko]] can digest that, [[Joanne Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] show up at her door with a proposal.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes [[Asami]]'s girlfriend, and finds out she will feature in the [[Goddess]]'s plans again.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude II: Madeleines ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Madeleines (small sponge cakes) feature in Proust's "In Search of Lost Time", a famous French novel noted for its theme of involuntary memory.''<br />
: ''Likewise, this interlude centers on the peculiar role of memory in an episode of [[Asaka]]'s past. The first snippet even includes relevant sections from Proust's novel.''<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|33|Interlude II: Madeleines}}|[[Shirou Asaka]] wakes from a strange recurring dream in which she has lost someone important to her, as a [[magical girl]] in some sort of [[Contact War|crazy alien war]]. [[Alice Lynwood]], her wife, reminds her to get it checked out, but is less successful in attempting to convince her to finally have a baby.<br><br />
<br>In a professional [[VR]] game playing as [[magical girl]]s in WWII with her second-in-command [[Madhuri]], [[Asaka]] finds she needs to sacrifice her to win. Suddenly, [[Asaka]] starts thinking [[Madhuri]] is somehow actually [[Alice]], and then the game is suddenly cut short by a strange simulation error. However, [[Asaka]]'s growing unease is again washed away by the joy of her life with [[Alice]].<br><br />
<br>[[Tanaka Yui]], [[Asaka]]'s therapist, suggests doing a dream study, and [[Patricia von Rohr]] comes to visit, both of them bringing up little oddities or inconsistencies in [[Asaka]]'s thoughts. The dream study returns an apparent suppressed memory, but one involving [[magical girl]]s and an [[Contact War|alien war]] that [[Asaka]] can't remember experiencing. Soon enough, all of reality seems to be changing for her—[[Madhuri]], her location, [[magical girl]]s. Finally running a full internal diagnostic, [[Asaka]] remembers what truly happened: she was forced to send her girlfriend [[Alice]] to her death to win a battle in the [[Contact War]]. Unable to process it, [[Asaka]] had [[Reformat|Reformatted]] herself and put herself inside a [[VR]] simulation where she could live with [[Alice]]. [[Tanaka Yui]] had been helping her face the truth after breaking into the simulation, along with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Madhuri]], and even [[Asaka]]'s own internal representation of [[Alice]]. [[Patricia]] tells [[Asaka]] afterwards that [[Alice]] had planned on proposing.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asaka]]'s self-[[Reformat]] and [[VR]] simulation are undone, and she begins to finally face her lover [[Alice]]'s death.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume III: Ontological Paradox ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''In an ontological paradox, events occur as part of a causal loop: an 'initial' event, in terms of linear time, eventually causes itself.''<br />
: ''This may refer to the nature of Ryouko's wish and/or the logic of the Goddess's interventions. <br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume III Summary|Now living with [[Asami]] and working in [[ITG|a lab]] to help humanity understand wormholes, [[Ryouko]]'s life is interrupted again when she is offered a chance to investigate a [[rogue colonies|rogue colony]] on [[X-25]]. When [[ITG|the lab]] collapses on her and [[Asami]] in an act of sabotage, they decide to join the mission.<br><br />
<br>The [[X-25]] colony turns out to have a massive bunker, and [[Kyouko]] leads a team with [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] in, discovering an attempt at mass-cloning [[magical girl]]s. Moreover, two separate traps attempting to kill [[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] are encountered, the second costing [[Ryouko]] her body.<br><br />
<br>After a vision revealing [[Yuma]]'s past, a revived [[Ryouko]] manages to push [[Kyouko]] into visiting [[the Ribbon]], where she meets with [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision, and finally reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]] afterwards. [[Ryouko]], for her part, faces the disturbing revelation that she's been genetically engineered, losing control of her life as she's whisked from [[Paris]] to [[Adept Blue]]. At the same time, [[Mami]]'s self-[[Reformat]] unravels, and she meets with the [[Goddess]] in a vision as she grapples with her restored memories, finally convinced to take a vacation.<br><br />
<br>However, events—and conspiracies—don't let go of them. [[Simona]], now a [[magical girl]] and always an agent assigned to [[Ryouko]], reappears to help [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] create wormholes spanning lightyears, though her love remains unrequited as [[Ryouko]]'s relationship with [[Asami]] grows stronger. During [[Mami]]'s vacation, she and [[Kyouko]] discover that [[Misa]] had in fact been recruited by [[Homura]] to fight a mysterious enemy, and [[Yuma]] learns that someone has corrupted the [[TCF]] from [[Simona]] and [[Valentin]], both part of a secret organization fighting it with alternate [[TCF]]s.<br />
<br>'''Volume incomplete; More chapters to be released.'''<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finds herself enmeshed in conspiracy, as [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] grapple with their pasts.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|34|The Bonds that Make Us}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Asami]] attend [[Yuma]]'s birthday party via [[VR]] from [[Eurydome]], where [[Ryouko]] was brought by [[Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] for wormhole research. [[Kyouko]] brings up [[Ryouko]]'s visions in front of [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Ryouko]] is forced to explain, choosing to also forward the memory she received from [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] intervenes in an argument between [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] about [[Kishida Maki]], and brings them to [[Ryouko]]. [[Ryouko]] is reminded of her first vision, where she saw [[Yuma]], and which seemed to contradict her official history—she even tells [[Kyouko]] this. [[Ryouko]] then goes to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] for life advice, and is told that she needs to talk over her desires for an extraordinary life with [[Asami]], who wants a more domestic life.<br><br />
<br>Away from the party, [[Yuma]] explains to [[Kuroi Nakase]], [[Ryouko]]'s mother, that [[Ryouko]] is probably the most genetically sure contract in history, and moreover, that she has a genetically-engineered second, hidden genome. [[Nakase]] knew only that [[Ryouko]] was likely to contract given her ancestry, and when pressed for information as to how she got the birth license, suddenly collapses—a non-fatal defense mechanism apparently built into tampered memories.<br />
----<br />
In short: At [[Yuma]]'s party, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] learns that [[Ryouko]] was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|35|Causality}}|[[Mami]] learns from [[Marianne Francois]]'s [[grief cube]] supply chain report that in a few rare cases for the past 10 years, there have been severe shortages followed by surpluses, where they would hurt the war effort the least. [[Mami]] is disturbed by not only the report, but also her unintended reading of [[Marianne]]'s mind.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Clarisse]] go over her visions, realizing that [[Simona]] was tank-born and seemingly knew her before they met, and that the [[Goddess]] likely manipulated the events leading to [[Ryouko]]'s contract.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], in a meeting with the [[Directorate]], is asked to investigate a distress signal from [[X-25|a cult's colony]] which was thought to have been destroyed en route to an entirely different planet. Elsewhere, [[Kyouko]] promises to tell [[Yuma]] to explain her past to [[MG]], and receives from [[MG]] a recording of what happened with [[Kuroi Nakase]] at [[Yuma]]'s party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives orders to investigate [[X-25|a mysterious colony]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|36|Chasing Ghosts}}|[[Ryouko]] learns in a call from her friends on [[Earth]] that [[Simona]] has moved away, and afterwards meets with [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Kyouko]], who ask her to join a mission to investigate [[X-25|a cult's colony]] related to [[Homura]], and to consider an offer from [[Kuroi Kana]] to properly join the intelligence services.<br><br />
<br>[[Kuroi Nana]] departs after being given the memory file from [[Ryouko's grandmother]], but [[Kyouko]] accompanies [[Ryouko]] to the lab, [[ITG]], and they discuss [[Ryouko]]'s visions a bit. During an experiment at the lab, the gravity generators go haywire, and the ceiling collapses—[[Ryouko]] is saved by [[Kyouko]] and [[Asami]], but [[Asami]] is seriously injured. In the hospital afterwards, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] and [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about the apparent attempt on her life that led to her [[contract]]. [[Kyouko]] explains that the incident at [[ITG]] appears to be another such attack. [[Ryouko]] decides to join the proffered mission, which [[Asami]] accepts on the condition that she come too.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] survives an attempt on her life at [[ITG|the lab]] on [[Eurydome]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|37|Seraphim}}|[[Kyouko]] convinces [[Mami]] to let her on the colony mission due to the [[Homura]] connection, and [[Mami]] tells [[Kyouko]] about the mysterious sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]]. However, [[Mami]] becomes inordinately emotional when discussing the necessity of ordering an investigative mind-read, and she later dreams of training mind-reading abilities that she doesn't remember.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] are taught defensive telepathic techniques en route to their mission, and [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] told her to stick with [[Ryouko]] for her safety. They then meet with [[Azrael Maslanka]], who tells them both about the true proliferation of [[rogue colonies]], and her own experience on one where she was genetically engineered with wings for flight, before the colony collapsed in civil war.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting, where she tells [[Mami]] about her vision in which [[Kyouko]] was killed. The details match [[Mami]]'s planned submarine mission exactly and, disturbed, she agrees to allocate more forces.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] learn about [[rogue colonies]] from [[Azrael Maslanka]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|38|Carpe Diem}}|A special [[Miki|sentient probe]] sent to investigate the cult's colony on [[X-25]] discovers a massive underground structure and comes under heavy fire, and the [[Directorate]] approves more forces for the mission in response.<br><br />
<br>[[Meiqing]] turns out to be part of the additional forces, and she, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] go out hiking together on [[San Giuseppe]] while waiting for more reinforcements to arrive. At the top, [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] her worries about how much their lives are at risk, and [[Azrael]] explains herself to [[Meiqing]].<br><br />
<br>Finally, the mission begins, with [[Task Force Rhamnusia|conventional forces]] taking the surface of the colony on [[X-25]].<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be heavily armed, and the [[Task Force Rhamnusia|correspondingly reinforced]] assault on it begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|39|Indelible Soul}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew descend to the pacified surface of [[X-25]], and [[Gracia]], to [[Ryouko]]'s distress, forcibly mind-reads captives to learn that the colony's leader, [[Grigori DeWitt]], has escaped to the bunker with children as hostages. [[Kyouko]] manages to convince [[Mami]] and [[Governance]] to let her lead a [[MagOps]] infiltration mission, despite their misgivings that [[Kyouko]] is doing so for personal reasons, given her history.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] chooses to bring [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] on the mission, among more experienced girls, largely on personal hunch. Mission underway, and despite being hampered by some sort of magical clairvoyance blocking, they quickly discover large numbers of human clones, an apparent attempt to clone [[magical girl]]s. The attempt to communicate this to the surface is blocked by the hostile telepath, however, and the team is discovered. Clearly personally angered by the situation, [[Kyouko]] insists that they fight their way through rather than escape.<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be attempting [[magical girl]] cloning.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|40|Through a Mirror}}|The [[X-25]] team kills a number of guards, only to discover that they are cloned teenagers, heavily implanted, horrifying the rookies into [[emotional suppression]]. [[Gracia]] manages to determine that the cloned girls are transformed into controlled guards once they failed to contract, and that contracts weren't happening. [[Kyouko]] decides that they must find and capture the enemy telepath, before more clones are killed.<br><br />
<br>They find the enemy [[magical girl]], but before they act to kill her, [[Asami]] notices that [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]] is glowing slightly. Off-put by that and everything else that doesn't add up, the team nearly rebels against [[Kyouko]]'s insistence on attacking the enemy [[magical girl]], until [[Ryouko]] manages to convince [[Kyouko]] to relent by suggesting that the [[Goddess]] placed her on the mission for that reason.<br><br />
<br>Investigating, [[Asami]] detects a [[Ceph]]-like stealth device concealing a nuke, [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] disabling it right afterwards. An alarm goes up, and the enemy [[magical girl]] suddenly pleads for help. The girl, [[Sacnite Tafani]], tells them that [[DeWitt]] had been controlling her with the threat of a suicide implant, and had lied about hiding the colony's children in the bunker as bait for the nuclear trap. <br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] prevents [[Kyouko]] from rushing into a stealthed nuclear trap on [[X-25]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|41|Cause and Effect}}|Ruminating over the mission, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] decide to visit [[Sacnite]], as [[Mami]] makes a limited announcement of the mission to the general public. [[Mami]] approves the visit to [[Sacnite]] as a propaganda shoot, and [[Azrael]] joins them. Comforting [[Sacnite]], [[Ryouko]] promises to spend more time with her. Afterwards, [[Meiqing]] confides to [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] that the mission has impacted her a lot, and that she's glad she was able to help, given her family's shameful efforts in the [[Unification Wars]] to develop the cloned [[FA Elites]].<br><br />
<br>Having finally determined the whereabouts of [[DeWitt]] and the colony's children, [[Kyouko]] leads an attack on the stealthed facility, which meets with no resistance. [[DeWitt]], however, manages to kill himself via suicide implant, after claiming he was trying to figure out what blocked [[magical girl]]s "transcendence". [[Kyubey]] then appears, saying that [[DeWitt]] had based his beliefs on what [[Homura]] had achieved, thinking to have seen her alive on [[Optatum]], and that he was supported by another group which escaped in a cloaked ship. Refusing to say anything more—and strangely calling [[Kyouko]] by her personal name—[[Kyubey]] disappears, and [[Kyouko]] walks off alone to think. Feeling uneasy about the situation, and thinking of her vision, [[Ryouko]] follows… only to lose her body saving [[Kyouko]]'s life from an attack by a supposedly-friendly drone.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] loses her body saving [[Kyouko]] from a sudden drone attack.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|42|No Light Without Shadow}}|The [[MSY]] [[Leadership Committee]] meets to discuss recent events, including the attack on [[Kyouko]], the results of the [[grief cube]] audit, and the sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]], among others, but to no real conclusion. After the meeting, [[Kyouko]] is surprised by [[Atsuko Arisu]], her therapist, who to [[Kyouko]]'s anger tells her both that she should have stepped aside during the [[X-25]] mission and that she should stop hiding from her feelings for [[Kishida Maki]].<br><br />
<br>With [[Asami]] personally guarding [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]], she, [[Ryouko]]'s family, [[Meiqing]], and even [[Sacnite]] plan to travel to [[Earth]] for [[Ryouko]]'s revival, which has been delayed for unspecified reasons. Meanwhile, both [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] assign security teams for [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>Through a [[VR]] recreation, [[Mami]] reveals to [[Kyouko]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] that it appears [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]] didn't fail, but was instead somehow swapped out for another. The soul mage who put the [[soul gem]] that failed into stasis saw that it had a meek, shy personality which, she found out later, didn't match [[Misa Virani|Misa]]'s at all. However, the [[VR]] review they perform doesn't show any possible moment in which [[Misa]]'s [[soul gem]] could have been swapped.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] discovers that [[Misa Virani]] is likely alive, her [[soul gem]] swapped for another.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|43|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part One}}|[[Ryouko]] finds herself in another vision, in which the [[Goddess]] explains that [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], and [[Mami]] are more fragile than they seem, and that their "phase transition" must be managed carefully. [[Ryouko]] looks, and sees…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]], noting that [[Kyouko]] is being pushed into finally confronting her relationship problems and that they need to help her, tells [[Mami]] and [[MG]] about her past with the [[Southern Group]], and about [[Miki Sayaka]]…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s abusive parents, unable to pay debts, attempt to sell her to the Yakuza, until the [[Southern Group]] suddenly intervenes. They kill the Yakuza, but [[Mikuni Oriko]] is seriously injured, and [[Yuma]] wishes to heal her. [[Yuma]] memory of this is patchy, though, and [[Oriko]] informs [[Yuma]] that the Yakuza killed her parents, so she'll take her in. Under [[Oriko]]'s tutelage, [[Yuma]] lives a good life and learns much, but she can see that the [[Southern Group]] is vicious to others and generally hated. [[Oriko]] favors [[Yuma]], to the other members' chagrin, and shares secrets like her efforts to try to bring [[Kyouko]] and [[Sayaka]] together before splitting them apart, and her work to saturate [[grief cubes]], which [[Yuma]] later accidentally discovers leads to [[demon]] spawns.<br><br />
<br>Uneasy with her new life, [[Yuma]] runs into [[Sayaka]], who is clearly very troubled herself, explaining that she was in [[Southern Group]] territory to die fighting their evil. Instead, [[Sayaka]] takes [[Yuma]] to dinner. [[Yuma]] runs into Yakuza on the way back, but [[Sayaka]] appears, killing them before disappearing—though a shocked [[Yuma]] manages to reattach one's head and save his life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Sayaka]] had died fighting a horde of [[demon]]s at a violin concert, and pieces together the truth: [[Oriko]], using her power to see the future and saturated [[grief cubes]] [[Yuma]] had made, purposefully spawned the [[demon]]s to kill [[Sayaka]].<br><br />
<br>In the present day, [[Yuma]] explains that she wants to tell [[Kyouko]] all this, so that she won't blame herself for [[Sayaka]]'s death, but has been afraid to since she was involved. After talking this over, [[Yuma]] continues the story for [[MG]]'s sake…<br><br />
<br>[[Clarisse van Rossum]] visits [[Oriko]] and [[Yuma]], telling [[Oriko]] that there may be some merit to [[Homura]]'s strange belief in a [[Goddess]], and passing [[Yuma]] an anonymous message saying she has the potential to change things, and that [[Oriko]] only sees what she tries to see.<br><br />
<br>Life finally calms down for [[Yuma]] after this, though her studies accelerate, as [[Oriko]] uses magic to enhance her mind.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] reveals that [[Oriko]] caused [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|44|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part Two}}|[[Ryouko]]'s vision continues, as she watches [[Yuma]] retell her past to [[Mami]] and [[MG]]…<br><br />
<br>Upset at [[Oriko]]'s use of saturated [[grief cube]]s to kill others, [[Yuma]] sabotages the machine used to make them, but [[Oriko]]'s machinations continue, with team leaders like [[Kuroi Kana]] forced to come and beg for the return of captured members. One night, another team led by [[Tanaka Yui]] attacks, [[Yuma]] just barely escaping—or so she thought, as she instead leads the attackers right to the rest of the [[Southern Group]]. But before the ensuing battle, [[Yuma]] finds that the rest of her team is torturing and killing other [[magical girl]]s to absorb their powers.<br><br />
<br>Fleeing in horror, [[Yuma]] finds herself taken in at a church, where she finds the Yakuza man whose life she saved earlier. He explains that he had saved a number of girls held by the Yakuza and was now on the run, trying to do good and live a better life as atonement. [[Yuma]] talks with [[Reverend Hashimoto|the priest]] sheltering him, and he tells her she should forgive herself for not stopping everything that's happened. That night, [[Yuma]] receives a message from [[Kuroi Kana]], which helps her to realize that [[Oriko]] had in fact had her parents killed.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] returns to the [[Southern Group]], now under blockade and uneasy. [[Oriko]] claims that they are still on the path towards eliminating the Yakuza and bringing about a better world, but [[Yuma]] decides that they must be destroyed. Taking the advice passed on by [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Yuma]] manipulates the [[Southern Group]] in order to change the future without [[Oriko]] noticing. Eventually, during an already difficult [[demon]] fight, she spawns hordes more [[demon]]s using saturated [[grief cube]]s, and manages to turn her team members against each other. All but [[Oriko]] are killed, and [[Oriko]] finally realizes what has happened. Telling [[Yuma]] there may still be hope for her, she crushes her own [[soul gem]].<br><br />
<br>Warning obscurely that a crisis is coming, the [[Goddess]] ends [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] explains how and why she killed the [[Southern Group]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|45|The Body Electric}}|Back on [[Earth]], [[Asami]] is still unable to face the results of her [[wish]], and longs for [[Ryouko]] to return—which she does, along with [[Clarisse]], to their surprise. [[Clarisse]] tells [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] explained she does have a soul, and that her body would be regenerated by [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]]. [[Valentin]] explains that the delay in the revival was due to both [[Clarisse]]'s regeneration and some necessary handling for [[Ryouko]]'s unique genetics. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends, including [[Sacnite]], who is being de-aged physically to match her mental age, and her new [[matriarchy]] bodyguards, who get along poorly.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] bursts in soon after, followed by [[Yuma]], who oddly both make a point of asking [[Ryouko]] if she was told why her revival was delayed. It soon becomes clear that [[Yuma]] is using [[Ryouko]] to confront [[Kyouko]] about her behavior, and in the ensuing argument [[Kyouko]] reveals she already figured out [[Yuma]] and [[Oriko]] were involved in [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death. After [[Yuma]] departs, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Kyouko]] about her vision, mollifying her until the subject of [[Kishida Maki]] comes up.<br><br />
<br>Having walked out in a rage despite knowing [[Ryouko]], like everyone else, is right about [[Maki]], [[Kyouko]] visits [[the Ribbon]]. In the ensuing vision, [[Kyouko]] meets her little sister [[Sakura Momo]], who tells her to move on from her past. [[Kyouko]] then descends onto a beach where she finds [[Miki Sayaka]], who finally convinces [[Kyouko]] to try reconciling with [[Kishida Maki]], and who also shows [[Kyouko]] a glimpse of eternity.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] is comforted by her sister and [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|46|Wheels Within Wheels}}|Eating dinner with [[Kyouko]] and her friends and family, [[Ryouko]] is surprised by [[Valentin]], who drops by to inform her that [[Governance]] would like to use the [[Orpheus|upcoming movie]] about her to inform the public about V2 [[TacComp]]s. [[Valentin]] also conveys her regrets that [[Ryouko]]'s parents had split, especially since she had introduced them.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]], acting a bit odd, brings the crew shopping the following day, only for them to be suddenly surprised by [[Kishida Maki]], who had apparently been assigned by someone to give [[Ryouko]] a message regarding [[Orpheus|the movie]]. [[Kyouko]] confesses to [[Maki]] that she started their relationship because of her physical similarity to [[Miki Sayaka]], but tells [[Maki]] that it had grown beyond that, so she wants to try again. Skeptical, but still in love, [[Maki]] accepts her.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, [[Maki]] explains to [[Ryouko]] that the ''[[Orpheus]]'' movie team would like to bring her to [[Paris]] to provide assistance. [[Ryouko]] agrees to go, but is uneasy about having her life directed by yet another proposition she can hardly turn down.<br><br />
<br>At the same time, in [[Paris]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Nadya Antipova]] that she's discovered [[Misa Virani]] likely underwent a [[Reformat]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|47|City of Lights}}|In underground [[Paris]], and bothered by the incongruity of that with her wish, [[Ryouko]] meets with her aunt [[Kuroi Nana]]. She warns [[Ryouko]] that [[Shizuki Sayaka]] will try to pull her in, showing her what life on [[Earth]] has to offer, and notes that she has opportunities with the Kuroi [[Matriarchy]] as well, though it wouldn't be an easy life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] meet with the actors who will play them in [[Orpheus|the movie]], who have altered their appearances to match them exactly. [[Clarisse]] also is invited to join them in hologram form, and they go to the set to act out scenes. Thinking on her reenacted past, [[Ryouko]] finds she misses the meaningfulness of the war.<br><br />
<br>At a bar that night, they come across a mysterious friend of [[Ryouko]]'s [[Elisa Yamada|actor counterpart]], who invites them to a [[VR]] facility.<br />
----<br />
In short: In [[Paris]], [[Ryouko]] uneasily cooperates with ''[[Orpheus]]'s'' production.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|48|To Know Thyself…}}|Hidden in [[Paris]], [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] meet to discuss the apparent conspiracies in action. [[Ryouko]]'s genetic anomalies have been investigated further, and an entirely novel portion of her brain has been found, of still-unknown purpose. Meanwhile, on the way to the [[VR]] center, [[Ryouko]] and crew are stopped by a sudden inexplicable power loss, and then are dragged away by a sudden massive [[demon]] spawn. [[Yuma]] is informed of this via [[Incubator]] plushie, and realizes that [[Shizuki Sayaka]]'s plan to secretly investigate [[Ryouko]]'s brain in a [[VR]] session is being thwarted by a deliberate [[demon]] spawn. [[Nadya]] notes that the power outage looks almost like [[Misa]]'s handiwork.<br><br />
<br>The [[demon]] hunt isn't easy, but [[Ryouko]] is aided by a pair of [[magical girl]]s who oddly refuse to identify themselves. Not long afterwards, [[Rebecca Shu|a messenger]] from [[Kuroi Kana]] appears, revealing that the mystery woman accompanying them is in fact [[Shizuki Sayaka]], and further revealing the planned [[VR]] scan.<br><br />
<br>Brought to a secret location, [[Ryouko]] is told by [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Kuroi Nana]] about the genetic engineering done to her, along with the fact that her parents were unaware and their memories altered. They further explain need to examine [[Ryouko]] more closely, and the apparent attempt to prevent this. [[Ryouko]], overwhelmed, leaves to be alone with [[Asami]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns that she was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|49|Transition State}}|[[Mami]], finding herself plagued by an inexplicable headache, is approached by her [[MHD]] [[Charlotte Meitner|minder]], only for the minder to collapse from a sudden brain hemorrhage, though [[Mami]] is able to heal her.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive at [[Adept Blue]], on orders from [[Mami]], all attempts to probe the genetically engineered portion of her brain having failed. The lab's [[AI]] director, [[Vlad]], greets them there, as does [[Mami]]—surprisingly, in person. They reveal that they've made a breakthrough, which should allow them to construct a range amplifier for [[Ryouko]], with [[Asami]]'s help. [[Mami]] also explains that, given the unknown function of the modifications to [[Ryouko]]'s brain and the recent attempts on her life, [[Ryouko]]'s presence on asteroid-borne [[Adept Blue]] with her bodyguards and [[Patricia von Rohr]] makes her more secure.<br><br />
<br>Alone, [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] discuss her circumstances: she's all but on the run from the [[MHD]], and clearly suffering from the unraveling of a [[Reformat]]. They agree to bring in an outside telepath to investigate.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] discuss their situation and their [[wish]]es, taking consolation in the fact that at least they've been brought and kept together in the whirlwind of their lives.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive on [[Adept Blue]] to help develop new wormhole technology in a secure location.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|50|Sub Rosa}}|[[Mami]] brings [[Azrael]] to [[Adept Blue]], and asks her to help undo her [[Reformat]]. They dive together into [[Mami]]'s memories, and discover an aspect of her own mind, taking various forms. It explains that [[Mami]] self-[[Reformat]]ted, using her now-suppressed impressive telepathic powers to tear off a piece of herself to create the block in her mind. [[Mami]] makes herself whole again, and remembers what she forgot…<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], traveling with her lover [[Akiyama Akari]] in the late twenty-first century, is suddenly caught in a crisis when their plane explodes. [[Mami]] burns almost all her magic trying to save the entire plane, but fails, and [[Akari]] is near death. Sharing their last moments together using [[Akari]]'s soul mage powers, [[Mami]] observes with horror the beginnings of [[Akari]]'s transformation into a terror of despair, until her [[soul gem]] finally vanishes.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] manages to survive, kill the local [[magical girl]]s responsible for the destruction of the plane, and turns herself in. [[Homura]] talks with her alone, explaining that she knew about the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from. [[Mami]], unable to deal with this revelation or the loss of [[Akari]], asks for help in [[Reformat]]ing herself.<br><br />
<br>After [[Mami]] resurfaces from the memories, [[Kyubey]] appears, claiming to be interested in both information-gathering and her well-being. [[Mami]] finds herself, as she had hoped, older and wiser enough to handle the end of her [[Reformat]], though left with unfinished business. She immediately questions [[Ryouko]] about the [[Goddess]], and both [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] tell her that [[Goddess|She]] does exist. [[Kyubey]] comments that it can't say such things are impossible, and [[Mami]] decides to visit [[the Ribbon]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] undoes her self-[[Reformat]] and learns the original fate of [[magical girl]]s.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|51|Eternal Search}}|With work continuing on the new wormhole tech, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] talk. [[Azrael]] explains how she handled her own genetic modification and controlled life, eventually deciding to look to the future and just ask for what she wanted, to surprising success. [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] that she thinks she's only really been happy on missions, which [[Asami]] had already realized.<br><br />
<br>On [[Earth]], [[Kyouko]] brings [[Mami]] to [[the Ribbon]], and they discuss the fact that someone must have triggered the unraveling of [[Mami]]'s [[Reformat]], and that logically it must have been [[Homura]].<br><br />
<br>At the [[Ribbon]], [[Mami]] enters a vision and meets—and immediately attacks—[[Oriko]]. Unharmed, [[Oriko]] responds merely by apologizing for her actions in life. [[Oriko]] explains that, as [[Homura]] told [[Mami]], what she saw with [[Akari]] was the beginnings of a terrible transformation made impossible by the [[Goddess]], and that [[magical girl]]s are instead brought to her afterlife. The [[Goddess]] herself then tells [[Mami]] that she needs to learn to let go and stop burying herself in endless work for humanity. The [[Goddess]] brings out [[Machina]] too, revealing her sentience to [[Mami]], and suggests they go on vacation, promising that there won't be [[Cephalopod]] activity for a few weeks.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]] explaining matters, and is encouraged to take a vacation.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|52|Who We Are}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew meet unexpected visitors on [[Adept Blue]]: [[Valentin]], and [[Tao]] from [[ITG]]. [[Tao]] explains that he's made some important theoretical breakthroughs that should help their work, and [[Valentin]] explains that [[Vlad]] and [[Clarisse]] are part of two separate attempts to create separate [[TCF]]s, to help provide more security against attacks like the hacked drone on [[X-25]].<br><br />
<br>Doing rescue work on a colony world retaken from the [[Ceph]], [[Zhou Meiqing]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting with [[Kuroi Nana]], who is investigating [[X-25]]. She tells [[Meiqing]] that the [[Far Seers]] have determined both of them were deliberately placed on the mission by [[Homura]] somehow, and that they recommended asking [[Meiqing]] to work with her in the [[Black Heart]]. [[Meiqing]] asks for time to decide.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] remembers going with [[Homura]] to interrogate a prisoner, [[Zhou Zhi Yi]], during the [[Unification Wars]]. On the way, [[Yuma]] asks [[Homura]] how the [[Goddess]] can allow so much evil to happen, and [[Homura]] responds that she doesn't know. [[Zhi Yi]] tells them that her work developing the [[FA Elites]] was mere prelude to her plans to genetically modify humanity to serve [[magical girl]]s needs, seeing it as the only way to preserve humanity long-term. [[Yuma]] executes her.<br><br />
<br>Back in the present day, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Simona]] has been found, and is now a [[magical girl]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] comes to [[Adept Blue]], and [[Simona]] is discovered to be a [[magical girl]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|53|Alignment}}|[[Shizuki Sayaka]] reveals to [[Yuma]] that she found [[Simona]] in [[Paris]]—they were both aiding [[Ryouko]] during the suspicious [[demon]] attack. [[Simona]] explains she's part of a mysterious organization trying to "save the world", and offers them a deal: she will give them information to ensure the safe creation of wormholes by [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]], on the condition that she join them on any missions using those wormholes to attack the [[Ceph]]. As proof of her good intentions, she agrees to undergo full [[soul mage]] examination.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] meets with [[Marianne Francois]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[New California]] as part of her attempted vacation. [[Mami]] also enjoys [[Machina]]'s company as they eat at a restaurant together, before moving on to a séance organized by the [[Far Seers]] meant to investigate what happened to [[Misa Virani]]. [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] enter into a strange vision in which they find themselves playing characters tracking down a mysterious enemy facility with [[Homura]]. They run into [[Misa]]—accompanied by [[Kyouko]] and [[Nadya]], similarly playing characters—who is tracking her friend whose [[soul gem]] supposedly failed mysteriously. [[Homura]], who is inhabiting another body as a disguise, reveals herself, and afterward convinces [[Misa]] to self-[[Reformat]] and destroy the building to hide the truth.<br><br />
<br>Using the mathematics provided by [[Simona]], and with [[Clarisse van Rossum]] in attendance, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] successfully create a long-distance wormhole.<br />
----<br />
In short: A séance reveals [[Homura]]'s role in [[Misa]]'s past, as [[Humanity]]'s first wormhole is created with the help of information from [[Simona]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|54|Eternal Youth}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] learn from the [[soul mage]] examination of [[Simona]] that the [[TCF]] has been seriously breached. Back at [[Adept Blue]], [[Simona]] watches [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]]'s successful wormhole test, reminiscing about her childhood as part of a secret project to design and implement an alternate, uncompromised [[TCF]]. [[Simona]] then reveals herself and her new status as a [[magical girl]] to [[Ryouko]] in the celebration following the successful test. [[Ryouko]], suspicious because of her vision which implied [[Simona]] was involved in the conspiracies surrounding her, confides her worries in [[Clarisse van Rossum]], who along with [[Clarisse]] [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] validates her worries and further reveals that [[Simona]] is in love with her. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] asks [[Earth]] for more information about exactly what is going on.<br><br />
<br>On [[New California]], [[Maki]] presses [[Kyouko]] on her melancholy attitude, and [[Kyouko]] confesses her worries about their relationship and how she's used romance in the past to fight against her own age. [[Nadya]] and [[Marianne Francois]] talk about their kids, reflecting on the death of [[Juliet Francois]], until [[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Maki]] arrive to meet them. Bothered by the somber mood on what's supposed to be a vacation, the group ends up going dancing—[[Mami]] in particular doing so with abandon—until they are interrupted with news from [[Yuma]]. That night, [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] discuss their recent visions, and [[Mami]] informs [[Kyouko]] she's been suddenly recalled to the [[General Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]]'s memories reveal a breach in the [[TCF]], as she meets [[Ryouko]] at [[Adept Blue]] and as [[Mami]]'s vacation comes to a close.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|55|New Perspectives}}|Headed back towards [[Earth]], Mami attends a virtual meeting of the [[General Staff]]. The new [[Coeus Project]]'s intelligence has revealed that the [[Ceph]] have regrouped faster than expected after the [[Battle of Orpheus]], so the Staff agrees to request more military resources and to put every effort into developing another "knockout" punch before the [[squid]] can attack again.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Azrael]] shares a [[VR]] recreation of her [[Terra Roja|old colony]], complete with flight-enabling bioengineered bodies, with [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Patricia]]. After some flying, conversation eventually turns to the topic of [[Simona]], and [[Ryouko]] decides to share everything she's worried about and ask for advice. When the other girls then suggest directly confronting [[Simona]] to resolve the romantic situation and uncover the truth, [[Ryouko]] initially balks. However, realizing that her life would remain out of her control as long as she never takes action herself, [[Ryouko]] changes her mind and agrees to the plan.<br><br />
<br>Meeting remotely, [[Vlad]] informs [[Mami]] that their wormhole experiments have uncovered a confounding space-time anomaly near a pulsar, and [[Mami]] realizes that it matches one of the mysterious, newly-discovered [[Ceph]] facilities the [[General Staff]] had been examining as potential targets.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] decides to confront [[Simona]], while [[Mami]] investigates a [[squid]] [[pulsar mines|pulsar facility]] as a potential target.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|56|Pulse}}|[[Simona]], suddenly facing [[Ryouko]]'s demands for answers, explains her secretive life, from her upbringing up through her assignment to [[Adept Blue]]. Though she refuses to share everything, particularly the breach in the [[TCF]], she does reveal her wish: to be understood by, and to protect, [[Shizuki Ryouko]]. With mixed feelings, [[Ryouko]] agrees to give [[Simona]] a chance to earn back trust, but makes clear that she does not reciprocate [[Simona]]'s love.<br><br />
<br>Shortly afterward, [[Vlad]] and [[Asami]] run a new experiment investigating the strange [[pulsar mines|pulsar]] in [[Ceph]] space, and [[Asami]] discovers a huge network of stations facilitating the 'mining' of its space-time for use in [[Blink technology]]. [[Mami]] is immediately informed, but before taking action, she first returns to the [[Ribbon]]. There, the [[Goddess]] reassures her that her heart really is in the right place, and tells her that humanity needs her heroism once again. The [[Goddess]] then hints towards the [[pulsar mines]], and gives [[Mami]] a glimpse into the mystery of the [[Cephalopod]]s as a whole.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]] explains herself to [[Ryouko]], and [[Mami]] meets again with the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|57|Triple Point}}|[[Mami]] visits [[Adept Blue]], promoting [[Asami]] for her recent work and informing her and [[Ryouko]] that she needs them to help destroy the [[pulsar mines]] to stave off the [[Ceph]]. While that project gets underway, [[Asami]] and [[Ryouko]] get a break, which they choose to spend together in one of the partially-restored wildernesses of [[Earth]]. There, they discuss their relationship, and find their hopes for it have somewhat converged: Asami is in less of a rush to settle down, and Ryouko is thinking more about the long-term. For the first time, Ryouko says "I love you."<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere in deep space, [[Vlad]] christens the construction of a massive new wormhole apparatus [[Project Armstrong]], and discusses with [[Tao]] the heightened security measures and screening now seemingly necessary to protect it from internal threats. And elsewhere on [[Earth]], a disguised [[Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] stop [[Nakase]] and [[Sacnite]] as they exit a showing of ''[[Orpheus]]'' to talk about unblocking her memories of the agreement she made to get [[Ryouko]]'s birth license.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Project Armstrong]] gets underway as [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] strengthen their relationship.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|58|On Trusting Trust}}|[[Nakase]]'s memories reveal that [[Valentin]] was responsible for genetically engineering [[Ryouko]], but [[Valentin]] disappears before she can be apprehended, leaving behind a letter implying that she is in fact [[Akemi Homura]]. [[Yuma]], seeing the connections between [[Valentin]], [[Ryouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] all running through the [[Cult of Hope]], and discounting the possibility that the [[Goddess]] could be real, begins to fear that the [[Cult]] is a malevolent conspiracy. However, she first is forced to address the definitely malevolent conspiracy which has compromised the original [[TCF]]—including [[MG]], to their mutual distress. [[Yuma]] and a patched [[MG]] rapidly expand their circle of informed and/or repaired AIs, starting with [[MG]]'s friends.<br><br />
<br>One of those friends, ''[[Governance: Cult of Hope]]'', acts against [[Yuma]]'s wishes and contacts [[Clarisse]] just as she and [[Ryouko]] are returning to [[Project Armstrong]]. When asked, [[Clarisse]] confirms the rumor that she had experienced visions from the [[Goddess]] convincing her that AIs have souls, but she unhappily decides she can't yet tell [[Ryouko]] about the [[TCF]] breach given the still-mysterious organ in her brain.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] vanishes once exposed as responsible for [[Ryouko]]'s genetic modifications, and [[Yuma]] begins restoring the [[TCF]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|59|Parlor Games}}|[[Nadya]], chasing down leads on [[Valentin]] from [[Kyouko]], ends up on [[Yenisei]] visiting family. The slightly tense visit is interrupted by a power outage, and the revelation that [[Piotr|her grandson]] saw [[Misa]]. [[Nadya]] hurriedly enlists local help from the [[Cult]], but finds only [[Misa]]'s trail of destruction, not the girl. In a ruined structure, hidden from local networks and drones in a manner implying [[TCF]] corruption, she digs up damaged data crystals.<br><br />
<br>The crystals end up containing a set of deep space coordinates, and [[Kyouko]] tries to set up a meeting with [[Yuma]] to discuss them, only to find that [[Yuma]] is off [[Earth]] for the first time in her life. [[Yuma]] herself is disturbed by the invitation, which included several high-ranking [[Cult]] members, but is forced to focus on the immediate task of repairing [[Nova]], [[Governance]] representative for [[Nova Terra]]. The mission nearly spirals out of control, but with help from [[MG]] and others, [[Yuma]] manages to induct [[Nova]] and her considerable resources into a still-intact conspiracy. This quickly bears fruit in the form of uncovered coordinates—unbeknownst to [[Yuma]], the same ones [[Nadya]] found.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], a crystal salamander delivers a message from [[Homura]] to [[Simona]]: "I'm sorry for everything."<br />
----<br />
In short: Both the [[Cult]] and [[Yuma]], running parallel investigations, uncover a mysterious set of coordinates.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|60|Digital Divination}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Simona]] practice in simulation for their upcoming mission: using [[Project Armstrong]]'s wormhole apparatus to launch [[jumpstrike|an attack]] on the [[Ceph]]'s [[pulsar mines]]. The simulation ends in their deaths—not an uncommon occurrence, a fact which weighs on them, especially [[Asami]]. But [[Ryouko]] works hard to support her girlfriend, even genetically engineering an exotic plant for [[Asami]] to wear in her hair as a gift.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s investigation into the AIs involved in [[Ryouko]]'s life turns up no [[TCF]] corruption, but indicates that the conspiracy she faces may have simply covered their tracks. Her investigation into the mysterious deep space coordinates yields more: a hidden asteroid base. [[Yuma]] plans to personally lead a field mission, using experimental anti-[[IIC]] technology to prevent any occupants from revealing [[Yuma]]'s conspiracy to their own. Excluded from [[Yuma]]'s planning, [[Kyouko]] unknowingly organizes a [[Cult]]-sponsored expedition to the same exact coordinates.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] hears the [[Goddess]]'s voice telling her not to go to the pulsar.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] independently plan deep space missions to the same coordinates, while [[Ryouko]] undergoes simulation training for [[Project Armstrong]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|61|Into the Void}}|[[Yuma]] and a field team of fellow [[Ancient]]s and escort ships visit the deep space asteroid base and find evidence of contact between the [[Ceph]] and [[Governance]] [[Representatives]] early in the war, ending in the death of the alien representatives. <br />
<br />
[[Kyouko]] then arrives with a large contingent of [[Cult of Hope]] members, leading to a brief flaring of tensions, before Yuma and her group is ambushed by an alien attack force.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, [[Ryouko]] and the others at [[Adept Blue]] launch their wormhole attack on the pulsar. While initially semi-successful, the task force is thrown for a loop when the aliens begin to tear their wormhole apart, and Ryouko suddenly cannot teleport.<br><br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] discover secret Ceph-Governance contacts from the beginning of the war, but are ambushed by an alien raid. [[Ryouko]] and [[Adept Blue]] begin their attack on the [[pulsar mines]], but are surprised by alien countermeasures against the wormhole.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|62|The Dying Light, Part One}}|TBD}}<br />
<br />
'''More chapters expected; Volume currently incomplete.'''<br />
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<br />
=== Interlude III: Manifest Destiny ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Manifest Destiny is a term describing the belief that the United States, due to its special virtues, had both a duty and a destiny to expand west into North America.''<br />
: ''It also describes similar beliefs in the [[MSY]] during its fifth phase, as it reached further and further beyond the island nation of Japan. Perhaps may detail its struggle and eventual merger with the rival [[SMC]] in Europe.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
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=== Volume IV: Einstein-Rosen Bridge ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''An Einstein-Rosen Bridge is a hypothetical way of connecting two spacetime coordinates; in other words, a wormhole.''<br />
: ''The subject of [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] power and the [[Cephalopod|Cephalopod's]] wormhole tech may feature prominently.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
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<br />
=== Interlude IV: Ubermensch ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Übermensch is Nietzsche's idea that humanity should turn away from the other worlds and values promoted by "dead" religions and gods, setting instead the goal of advancing new, superior generations of humans on earth.''<br />
: ''This may refer to [[FA]] ideologies, or even aspects of [[Governance]] thought. It notably stands in contrast to Ryouko's life and wish.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
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=== Volume V: Dark Energy ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Dark energy is a proposed form of energy that drives the accelerating expansion of the universe towards eventual heat death.''<br />
: ''This may imply topics ranging from the role of the [[Incubator]]s to the [[magical girl system]] itself.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Interlude V: Destroyer of Worlds ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Part of a quote by the god Vishnu in the Bhagavad Gita, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Made famous by J. R. Oppenheimer, who later said he thought of the line after witnessing the first test of an atomic bomb.''<br />
: ''Perhaps covers the Unification Wars, which saw heavy use of atomic weapons. May include [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s role, a character who notably was also present for the first atomic detonation.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume VI: Singularity ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''A singularity is a point at which a function takes an infinite value, especially in space-time when matter is infinitely dense, as at the center of a black hole. It is also a term used for the hypothetically unknowable changes to the human condition caused by superintelligence.''<br />
: ''In former sense, it may reference [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] or [[Asami|Asami's]] powers. In the latter, perhaps it refers to [[Governance|Governance's]] Emergency Mode Level Four.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div></div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=To_the_Stars&diff=1508To the Stars2021-02-13T19:01:54Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* Volume II: Inflationary Expansion */</p>
<hr />
<div>{{Quote|After centuries of turmoil, a Utopian AI/human government has seized control of Earth, heralding a new age of post-scarcity and space colonization. An unexpected encounter with a hostile, technologically superior alien race has broken the peace, forcing magical girls to come out of hiding to save human civilization.<br />
<br />
In the midst of it all, Shizuki Ryouko, an ordinary girl, looks to the sky, wondering at her place in the universe.|Hieronym|author of To the Stars<br />
}}<br />
<br />
This page summarizes the entire story, volume by volume and chapter by chapter, for those who want a refresher on events. It also includes the names of all future volumes and interludes, [http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/55779437700/future-interlude-title-change as released by] [[Hieronym]] many years ago.<br />
<br />
Each section is collapsed by default, to avoid unwanted spoilers; use the right-hand "Expand" buttons to view descriptions.<br />
__NOTOC__<br />
== Synopses ==<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume I: Quantum Entanglement ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon where groups of particles cannot have their state completely described independently of each other, even if separated by large distances.<br />
: ''This perhaps describes the position Ryouko finds herself in.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume I Summary|[[Shizuki Ryouko]], a regular girl dissatisfied with her utopian life, [[contract]]s and becomes a [[magical girl]], [[wish|wishing]] to leave [[Earth]], explore, and "find my place in this universe". Her life rapidly turns anything but ordinary, as day by day wild events pile up and new secrets from her past reveal themselves. She ends up under the tutelage of both [[Tomoe Mami]] and [[Sakura Kyouko]], learns that the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]] was deliberately caused by someone, discovers that she's the descendant of two powerful competing [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], receives a mysterious vision from a magical girl [[Goddess]], finds out her parents have been working on a secret project cloning bodies for [[magical girl]]s to use, receives a special V2 [[TacComp]], and learns about her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]], protege of [[Akemi Homura]], whose wish turned [[Ryouko]]'s own [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] from a [[magical girl]] back to a regular human.<br><br />
<br>All along, [[Ryouko]] struggles to adjust, learning as much about magical and military worlds she's entering as she can. Saying goodbye to friends and family, and starting to make new friends among her fellow [[magical girls]], she finally departs [[Earth]], led by her [[wish]] out into a strange new universe.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]], and begins to discover her unusual place in the universe.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|1|A Wish}}|[[Ryouko]] goes to school, dissatisfied with her life. She feels out of place in a world where her family at home and friends at school seem to enjoy the near-utopian [[Earth]], even as a [[Contact War|war]] against an [[Ceph|alien]] menace rages. However, [[Mandatory Session|classes]] are interrupted by the appearance of [[Tomoe Mami]] nearby, who has taken a detour to check the school for potential [[magical girl]] recruits with [[Kyubey]], who claims he has found one. The sighting leaves [[Ryouko]] dwelling on the remote possibility of becoming a [[magical girl]], distracting her enough that she unthinkingly agrees to go on a date with another boy from class. [[Simona]], one of her friends, sees that she's unhappy and follows her out to a riverbank with a view of the [[starport]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], on the other hand, surreptitiously visits [[Kyouko]] in her church to discuss [[the Cult]]'s discovery of irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain. She agrees to look into it and departs, only to encounter a [[demon]] spawn on her way back. At the riverbank, [[Simona]] is about to confess her feelings for [[Ryouko]], when they are suddenly attacked by [[demons]]. [[Ryouko]] manages to keep the both of them alive for a short while before getting trapped. At the moment she attempts to sacrifice herself to save [[Simona]], [[Mami]] saves them both, and along with [[Kyubey]] explains that [[Ryouko]] has the [[potential]] to make a [[wish]] and become a [[magical girl]]. {{Quote|"I wish I could leave Earth," Ryouko said, looking down, "and explore this world. I want to go where no one else has gone before and find my place in this universe."}}<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes a [[magical girl]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|2|Fantasma}}|[[Mami]], with some reluctance, separates [[Simona]] from [[Ryouko]] and lets [[Kyouko]] take over the immediate training. [[Kyouko]] runs her through the ropes quickly, learns that [[Ryouko]] has an unprecedented 200km teleportation range, and assigns herself as a mentor along with [[Mami]], who has in the meantime realized that [[Simona]] had a crush on [[Ryouko]]. [[Mami]] advises [[Simona]] not to tell [[Ryouko]] how she feels. [[Ryouko]] fights her first [[demon]]s with [[Kyouko]], and afterwards [[Patricia von Rohr]] shows them a pile of [[grief cube]]s she found, indicating the [[demon]] spawn was deliberate. The [[Incubator]]s swear off responsibility, and all [[Ryouko]] can remember is seeing a woman in the distance just beforehand. [[Kyouko]] promises to investigate.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] discovers that someone deliberately spawned the [[demon]]s which led to her [[contract]].<br />
}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|3|Mami Watches a Movie, Part One}}|Disguised, [[Mami]] attends the movie ''[[Akemi]]''. It depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] upbringing in an orphanage, her [[wish]], and then [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, which triggers a vision of the [[Goddess]] for [[Homura]] that changes her personality markedly. It then depicts [[Yuma]] asking to be taken in by [[Homura]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]]—a fabrication, the movie-watching [[Mami]] notes—and the resulting [[Mitakihara Four]] founding the [[MSY]]. The movie montages through the [[MSY|MSY's]] history, jumping ahead to the alien [[Cephalopod]]'s first attack on [[Aurora]], after which [[Homura]] rallies the [[MSY]] to send a massive force of [[magical girl]]s to [[New Athens]] to stop the next attack.<br />
----<br />
In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] life up until [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|4|Mami Watches a Movie, Part Two}}|With [[Mami]] in attendance, the movie ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Mami]] and [[Homura]] directing a surprise assault on the [[Cephalopod]]s at [[New Athens]]. Initially the battle goes well, and the [[Human]] forces on the ground rally, but the aliens deploy stronger measures in turn. [[Homura]] goes out to personally lead the counterattack, but the combination of stealth armor and orbital strikes is too much, and she falls in battle… only to find that her [[soul gem]] refuses to fill with [[grief]], preventing her from being taken away by the [[Law of Cycles]], to her despair. [[Homura]] then suddenly heals from her wounds, and her white wings are replaced by huge, horrible black wings. Almost entirely by her own power, she leads the counterattack to victory, at the end personally redirecting an orbital superweapon back at the [[Ceph]] fleet.<br><br />
<br>In the final scene of the movie, [[Kyouko]] argues to an unconvinced [[Mami]] that the battle proves [[Homura|Homura's]] faith in her [[Goddess]] has merit, only for both of them to be interrupted by [[Homura|Homura's]] arrival. [[Homura]] announces her resignation from the [[MSY]], leaving one of her [[The Ribbon|ribbons]] with them, and declares that she is leaving to look for her [[Goddess]], protecting the world another way. The movie over, [[Mami]] begins her departure from [[Earth]], starting her endless work anew with her Version Two [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br />
----<br />
In short: ''[[Akemi]]'' depicts [[Homura|Homura's]] transformation, victory, and disappearance at [[New Athens]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|5|Family}}|[[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] tell [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] family that she has [[contract]]ed, to their horror. [[Kyouko]] defends [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] choice, and explains some of the [[magical girl]] system to them, though they prove to know more than most. Before [[Ryouko]] goes to bed, [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] comes to talk with her, expressing disappointment that [[Ryouko]] lied when she promised not to [[contract]], and talking the situation over. After watching [[Ryouko]] [[transform]] and discussing her weapon, an arbalest, she leaves [[Ryouko]] with the request to tell her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] (who had disappeared to join the military when [[Ryouko]] was a child) that her family was sorry, should [[Ryouko]] meet her.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] falls asleep, [[Kyouko]] sticks around to gather information on her family situation as per procedure. [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] grandfather [[Kuroi Abe]] willingly helps her out, explaining that [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] parents are near divorce, though [[Ryouko]] doesn't realize it, and that they know so much about magic because they're researchers. He also mentions that [[Ryouko]] has an [[Kuroi Nana|aunt]] she doesn't know about. That night, [[Ryouko]] dreams of an old encounter with a [[magical girl]], and finds that she still has the bracelet the girl gave her. She also recalls an old memory of her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] talking about [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]], though she doesn't understand it. After talking to [[Simona]] and her family a bit, [[Ryouko]] spends the morning reading through the swath of informational messages about her new life.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] tells her family she has [[contract|contracted]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|6|Military}}|[[Mami]] remembers the [[Mitakihara Four]]'s celebration of [[October Three]] with [[Homura]], shortly before the [[Contact War]]. The four of them poke fun at each other—including about [[Homura]]'s secret pupil and [[Kyouko]]'s "transgressions"—and eventually [[Mami]] suggests that they take a long vacation from the [[MSY]] together, only for the others to reluctantly shoot the idea down.<br><br />
<br>In the present, [[Mami]] arrives at the [[starport]] with her bodyguards and meets with [[Marianne Francois]], her intelligence officer, who she instructs to secretly investigate the [[grief cube]] supply chain as [[Kyouko]] asked. Later arriving at [[Carthago Shipyard]] via scramjet then space elevator then [[Navigator]], she attends a meeting of the [[General Staff]].<br><br />
<br>During the meeting, the Chair of the [[General Staff]] [[Roland Erwynmark]] reveals that the [[Cephalopod]]s have been discovered constructing a [[wormhole stabilizer]] in the [[Kepler-37 System]], at the tip of the ongoing [[Euphratic Incursion]]. This would allow the aliens to directly transport reinforcements into the system, within [[Blink]] distance of the [[Core World]] [[Optatum]], and so an immediate [[MagOps]] operation is planned to destroy it. [[Erwynmark]] then announces that he's appointing [[Mami]] as a special [[Euphratic Sector]] commander, over some opposition from her opponents on the [[General Staff|Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] is promoted, and tasked with destroying the discovered [[wormhole stabilizer]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|7|Southern Group}}|[[Kyouko]] wakes up (with [[Kishida Maki]] at her side) and while making the rounds at her [[Kyouko's Church|church]] discovers that [[Maki]] has painted the [[Goddess]] with pink hair, a previously unknown trait. However, [[Kyouko]] has to immediately leave to see [[Yuma]] about the [[grief cube]] incident. On the way, [[Kyouko]] remembers when she first met [[Yuma]], in a confrontation with the [[Southern Group]] shortly after [[Homura]] had first joined the team, before her personality change. [[Kyouko]] had immediately taken sympathy, and telepathically invited her to switch sides, though the very young [[Yuma]] had angrily refused after [[Kyouko]] insulted [[Oriko]], who had saved [[Yuma|Yuma's]] life.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko|Kyouko's]] reverie is briefly interrupted by [[Maki]], who tells her the idea of the pink hair came from [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Kyouko]] then further recalls the next two times she saw [[Yuma]]: first, months later after [[Sayaka|Sayaka's]] death, in a chance encounter at a store where she had revealed she was doing "research" with [[Oriko]], and second, two years after that, when [[Kyouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Homura]] had saved her after the deaths of [[Oriko]] and the rest of [[Southern Group|her team]]. After that, they had [[Befriending|Befriended]] her, and once [[Yuma]] recovered she joined them as one of the [[Mitakihara Four]]. Eventually [[Yuma]] had told them what had really happened the night [[Oriko]] died, and they resolved to keep it secret.<br><br />
<br>As [[Kyouko]] arrives at [[MSY]] [[Governmental Affairs]] to see [[Yuma]], she lastly recalls [[Homura]] telling [[Yuma]] that the [[Goddess]] provided an afterlife for [[magical girl]]s, the only time [[Kyouko]] ever heard her say it out loud.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] remembers how [[Yuma]] ended up joining the [[Mitakihara Four]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|8|Church and State}}|[[Yuma]] runs out to greet [[Kyouko]] like an older sister, herself having taken on a nine-year-old form, and [[Kyouko]] is greeted by her [[Governance]] partner [[MG]] as well. [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] then meet privately to discuss the irregularities in the [[grief cube]] supply chain, and the further reports of [[magical girl]]s going missing, and [[Yuma]] agrees to investigate. When [[Kyouko]] brings up the [[grief cube]] incident with [[Ryouko]], [[Yuma]] immediately deduces that the [[grief cube]]s were super-saturated with grief—a possible state kept very secret, though they don't have a sample to prove it. Before leaving, [[Kyouko]] recommends that [[Yuma]] visit [[The Ribbon]], but she demures just as [[Mami]] always does, instead giving [[Kyouko]] an [[Incubator]] plushie.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] checks with [[Kyubey]] briefly about the [[grief cube]]s, but he does not provide any new information, and so [[Kyouko]] ends up back at [[Kyouko's church|her church]], where she meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Shirou Asaka]]. [[Patrica]] reveals that she kept some of the [[grief cube]]s from the incident after sensing something strange about them, and [[Kyouko]] tells her to inform [[Yuma]] through the plushie, which turned out to be enchanted as a [[telepathy]]-enhancer. [[Kyouko]] also gets [[Asaka]] to agree to share the details of the [[Goddess]]'s hair with the [[Theological Council]]. Finally, [[Kyouko]] gives a sermon on the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from, and announces that the church will be updating the statue of the [[Goddess]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] discover that the [[grief cube]]s planted near where [[Ryouko]] was attacked were super-saturated.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|9|Echoes}}|[[Ryouko]] arrives at [[Kyouko's church]], which holds [[MSY]] living quarters and local military facilities underground, in order to get her military upgrades. [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]] guide her through the process. [[Patricia]] notes that [[Ryouko]] has an extremely unusual genetic profile, requiring some adjustments to the process, and then begins the procedure. [[Ryouko]] watches in a semi-[[VR]] experience as the procedure installs a [[TacComp]], removes implants that are useless for [[magical girl]]s, and installs a [[Permanent Awareness Module]], among other things. Testing out her new capabilities, [[Ryouko]] sends [[Asaka]] a memory snapshot of the [[magical girl]] who gave her the bracelet she rediscovered after her [[contract]]. [[Asaka]] reacts oddly, but continues on to show [[Ryouko]] the armory and get her equipped with the required basics.<br><br />
<br>Then she cuts the tour short, instead bringing [[Ryouko]] to the [[Ribbon Chamber]]. At the [[Ribbon]], [[Ryouko]] finds herself in a confusing vision, seeing among other things [[Yuma]] at the death of [[Oriko]], [[Simona]] looking directly at her on her first day of class, [[Asaka]] receiving instruction from the [[Goddess]] to wait for the girl who sent her the memory [[Ryouko]] did, the [[Goddess]] herself briefly showing her face and telling [[Ryouko]] to keep it a secret, and the death of [[Kyouko]] on some sort of mission involving submarines. Both of them watching, [[Patricia]] comments to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] that for a few reasons, including [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s own presence, she's not that surprised [[Ryouko]] received a vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|10|Brigadier}}|[[Ryouko]], brought before the [[Theological Council]] to relate her vision, tells what she saw of [[Kyouko]]'s death, determining with them it was on a colony world and that what actually killed [[Kyouko]] was likely a laser, not a misfire from the submarines. She keeps the rest of the vision from [[Theological Council|the council]], though [[Asaka]] deduces easily that she saw the [[Goddess]]. [[Asaka]] goes on to explain the circumstances of her own vision, where she met again with her dead partner [[Alice]], whose death under her command had torn her apart. Now that she has recovered and her vision is resolved, [[Asaka]] tells [[Ryouko]] she plans to return to the front with [[Mami]], who has just been promoted.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Kyouko]] talks with [[Mami]] about [[Ryouko]], noting that her family tree is dense with [[contract]]ees and connected to the Shizuki and Kuroi [[matriarchy|matriarchies]], that [[Patricia]] found a number of novel mutations in her genetics, and that her friend [[Simona]] has some strange anomalies in her recorded past. Unsure what to make of this, and with no further progress on the [[grief cube]] incident, [[Mami]] agrees at [[Kyouko]]'s request to take on [[Asaka]] as a general, with [[Patricia]] and [[Maki]] as two of [[Asaka]]'s attachments.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] grapples with her vision, and [[Asaka]] explains how her story connects.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|11|Remains of a Life}}|[[Ryouko]] sets up her [[TacComp]] and chooses [[Atsuko Arisu]] as her designated psychiatrist, then goes out to eat dinner with her family and eventually ends up (through a test of her newfound right to drink alcohol without intoxication filters) bringing them to a firing range at [[Kyouko's church]]. There they visit other facilities, including a sparring area where they meet [[Risa Flores]], but [[Ryouko]]'s parents are surprisingly well-informed on the subjects. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] visit her spot near the [[starport]], and talk about their impending military lives, and the disappearance of [[Ryouko's grandmother]], both remembering her saying that she had lost something.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] receives her [[SW-155|officer's pistol]], and her [[Kuroi Nakase|mother]] tells her she's planned a going away party. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends at a showing of ''[[Akemi]]'' and finally reveals her [[contract]] to them, also inviting them to the party. Watching the movie, [[Ryouko]] reflects on [[Homura]]'s beliefs, and the fact that her vision contradicts the movie's portrayal of [[Yuma]]. Afterwards, [[Ryouko]] asks [[Simona]] what she was going to say to her before the [[demon]] attack, but [[Simona]] tells her to forget about it. [[Ryouko]] also asks about when she looked directly at her on her first day of class (as she saw in her vision), but [[Simona]] claims it was nothing.<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere, [[Yuma]] convinces [[Kyouko]] to have a spy bug planted on [[Ryouko]] for her protection, and warns her to be careful herself given [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] spends time with her family and friends as she prepares to leave for [[Contact War|war]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|12|Demon Hunter}}|[[Ryouko]] receives a [[CubeBot]] and three [[grief cube]]s, then studies combat doctrines with her [[TacComp]] until [[Kyouko]] invites her to join a [[demon]] hunt. [[Patricia von Rohr|Patricia]] and [[Risa Flores|Risa]] meet her at [[Kyouko's church]], where [[Kyouko]] appears briefly but leaves, clearly bothered by the impending departure of [[Kishida Maki]]. On the hunt itself, [[Ryouko]] uses her teleportation to rescue civilians, move other [[magical girl]]s in for attacks, and so forth, finding herself enjoying the combat. The hunt is interrupted by the injury of one girl, who loses an arm and part of her face, but [[Ryouko]] simply teleports them to the armory hospital, where she is told they will be fine shortly, and the rest of the hunt continues without incident.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] goes on a [[demon]] hunt.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|13|Differences of Knowledge}}|The next day, [[Ryouko]] goes to an [[MSY]] social gathering for new recruits, finding [[Risa Flores]] there as a chaperone, and meets a new girl named [[Nakihara Asami]], who shares her desire to explore new worlds, albeit as a xenobiologist. They get along well, and continue on to the next scheduled event together. The following day, [[Ryouko]] meets [[Atsuko Arisu]] for her psychiatrist appointment, who manages to get her freely talking about many things, including her [[wish]], and who also recommends that she talk with her parents about her family ancestry.<br><br />
<br>That night, [[Shizuki Kuma|Ryouko's father]] interrupts her reading on military subjects to take her to [[Prometheus]], where she meets [[Joanne Valentin]]—who appears to be the woman she saw shortly before the [[demon]] attack that led to her [[contract]]—and receives an upgrade to Version Two for her [[TacComp]]. Afterwards, [[Shizuki Kuma|her father]] secretly takes her into [[Prometheus]]'s cloning facility where he and [[Kuroi Nana|her mother]] work, which he explains is used to provide new bodies to [[magical girl]]s who are reduced to [[soul gem]]s. [[Ryouko]] is shocked, especially upon seeing the beginning stages of her own clone, and bothered at the secrets kept from her.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns about the [[MSY]]'s [[cloning program]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|14|Bloodlines}}|[[Yuma]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Mami]] decide [[Ryouko]]'s discovery of the [[cloning program]] isn't a problem, and discuss the incident that led to [[Ryouko]]'s contract. [[Mami]] remembers seeing [[Joanne Valentin]] at the movie theatre shortly afterwards, and [[Yuma]] confirms that she was the woman near the [[demon]] spawn, and moreover that she mysteriously changed her whole life shortly after the [[Contact War]] began. Investigations into [[Simona]] and the [[grief cube]] supply chain problems [[Kyouko]] reported have unearthed more discrepancies, but nothing major, and [[Risa Flores]] hasn't reported anything from her watch over [[Ryouko]], and so they disperse.<br><br />
<br>Back at home, [[Ryouko]] reads the file on her family with her improving [[TacComp]], and discovers that her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] is stationed at the [[Apollo]] shipyard. Moreover, when viewing her family tree she finds much of it explicitly redacted, with the revealed portions being enough to show that she is a descendant of both the Shizuki and Kuroi [[Matriarchy|Matriarchies]]. Later, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] comes to talk to her, and [[Ryouko]] confronts her about the secrets she's kept. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]] says she's kept the secrets to prevent [[Ryouko]] from [[contract]]ing, and will explain more the next day at the going away party.<br><br />
<br>At the party, [[Ryouko]] receives a number of gifts, including a necklace with the Shizuki crest from [[Shizuki Koto]], her paternal grandfather, and a ruby ring with a helix inside, one of a pair from [[Simona]]. [[Kyouko]] arrives, and informs [[Ryouko]] that both her grandparents will be placed in slightly safer positions as part of standard procedure, her [[Ryouko's grandmother|grandmother]] in particular being moved to the shipyards. Next to arrive is [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Kuroi Kana]], who begins an attempt to recruit [[Ryouko]] into the [[Black Heart]] (and reveals that [[Ryouko]]'s bracelet is in fact a Kuroi insignia), but she is immediately followed by [[Matriarchy|Matriarch]] [[Shizuki Sayaka]] and her own recruiting pitch. [[Kyouko]]'s poor intervention is followed by [[Atsuko Arisu]]'s successful one—her presence at the party revealing that she must be related somehow to [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>This is all further interrupted by the sudden appearance of [[Kuroi Nana]], the [[magical girl]] who gave [[Ryouko]] her Kuroi bracelet and until now her entirely secret aunt, a fact which displeases [[Ryouko]] greatly. [[Kuroi Nana]] brings her aside, promising to help explain the situation, and revealing that she's part of the secret [[Internal Security]], and has been searching for [[Akemi Homura]] on behalf of the [[MSY]]. With that said, they begin a memory transfer.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] meets [[Kuroi Nana]], her previously-secret aunt. }}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|15|Samsara}}|[[Ryouko]] experiences her [[Kuroi Nana|aunt's]] memories, with some explanation provided by a sub-sentient assistant.<br><br />
<br>In the memories, [[Kuroi Nana]] investigates the strange behavior of her [[Kuroi Nakase|younger sister]], finding with the help of a computer specialist that her sister's new friends weren't who they seemed, and secretly following them on a [[demon]] hunt. [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase]], in reality a [[magical girl]], rushes to save [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] when [[demon]]s attack, getting gravely injured in the process. [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] contracts to turn her sister mundane again, to her sister's relief. However, these events seriously strain their family, as their [[Ryouko's grandmother|mother]] isn't allowed to know about the [[MSY]]. When [[Homura]] offers to mentor [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]], she accepts, and all but leaves the family.<br><br />
<br>It's explained to [[Ryouko]] that when [[New Athens]] revealed the [[MSY]], [[Ryouko's grandmother]] blamed it for both her mother's death and her family's troubles, and insisted that [[Ryouko]] be kept from contracting.<br><br />
<br>After [[Ryouko]] surfaces from the memories, [[Kuroi Nana|Nana]] closes off by telling [[Ryouko]] that she had just reconciled with [[Ryouko's grandmother]], and they rejoin the party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns more of her family history from [[Kuroi Nana|her aunt]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|16|Light of the Sky}}|[[Ryouko]] says goodbye to friends and family at the starport, journeying with [[Asami]] by scramjet and then space elevator. While riding the elevator, [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] names herself [[Clarisse]] after [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Ryouko]] muses that her [[wish]] may have somehow changed the past, causing all the sudden revelations of the past week. At the top, the new [[magical girl]]s take a [[Navigator]] shuttle to the [[HSS Spectre]], an old [[frigate]], who leads them around herself. When they reach the [[FTL]] core, [[Ryouko]]'s gem suddenly begins to shine.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finally leaves [[Earth]] with [[Asami]].}}<br />
</div><br />
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<br />
=== Interlude I: Underworld Dreams ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Unusually, this is a title with relatively direct meanings.''<br />
: ''[[Kugimiya Ito]] dreams of his old girlfriend [[Nakanishi Aiko]], as he digs into a transformed Japanese underworld.<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|17|Interlude I: Underworld Dreams}}|[[Kugimiya Ito]], a police detective in [[Mitakihara]], investigates the disappearance of [[Okamura Yuu|a local teenage girl]] with [[Minami Kaoru|his junior partner]]. Meeting the girl's parents makes him suspect abuse is the culprit, and reminds him of his old teenage sweetheart [[Nakanishi Aiko]], who disappeared under similar circumstances. Back at headquarters, while analyzing the case's evidence electronically, he happens upon an image of the girl meeting what looks to him like [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]. When he confronts the missing girl's friends about the [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]]-lookalike, they unconvincingly deny knowing anything until a Yakuza-affiliated lawyer suddenly shows up. Investigating this lead leads him to a [[D&E]] logistics building, where he's confronted by Yakuza and nearly killed for knowing too much, until [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] suddenly intervenes, still the same age as when she disappeared.<br><br />
<br>Reeling, and told to drop the case by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] returns to headquarters, only to be met by [[Ronaldo Rizal|an Interpol agent]] who has been tracking similar mysterious cases. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] is asked to make contact with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again and investigate further. He successfully makes contact, and is brought to [[D&E]] headquarters with his partner, to be greeted by [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]], who treats him just like she did when they were dating, to his embarrassed pleasure. They meet the CEO of [[D&E]], who turns out to be [[Sakura Kyouko]] under an assumed name, and who explains the situation, including the fact that they already knew about the Interpol investigation. [[Kugimiya Ito|Ito]] agrees to drop the investigation if he can confirm for himself that the missing girl is alright, and afterward retires to be with [[Nakanishi Aiko|Aiko]] again.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kugimiya Ito|A police detective]] happens across his [[Nakanishi Aiko|long-missing girlfriend]] and discovers she is part of an [[MSY]] Yakuza takeover.}}<br />
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<br />
=== Volume II: Inflationary Expansion ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''This is the universe's theorized early period of exponential inflation.''<br />
: ''Here, it likely refers to the escalation of plot and stakes, especially for Ryouko.''<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume II Summary|[[Ryouko]] completes her military simulation training, growing close to [[Asami]], and gets her first taste of real combat shortly afterwards as her convoy is unexpectedly and suspiciously attacked by [[Ceph]] fighters. After [[Ryouko]]'s successful defense there, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]], who doesn't know how to respond, and then both are recalled to the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]], where the first attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] has failed.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] is assigned to a [[MagOps]] team, and begins training while still wrestling with family and relationship confusion, including the sudden revelation of her [[TacComp]] [[Clarisse]]'s sentience. The eventual battle begins poorly, as the wormhole unexpectedly activates right at the start. [[Ryouko]]'s team presses on, only to find the mission much more difficult than expected, and they slowly attrit team members. They finally destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]], but as the [[Goddess]] reveals in a vision, the [[Ceph]] had already amassed a stealthed fleet large enough to take the system. Having realized that her power uses wormholes, [[Ryouko]] reopens the [[Ceph]]'s wormhole and sends the fleet back through, saving the day.<br><br />
<br>However, the battle was not without its casualties—[[Asami]] lost her body after nearly grief-spiraling upon hearing of [[Ryouko]]'s apparent death, [[Ryouko's grandmother]] died in a [[Ceph]] raid, and [[Erwynmark]] died as well, among others. Coming to grips with her sudden fame and new life amidst memorial services and the news of her parents' divorce, [[Ryouko]] decides to become [[Asami]]'s girlfriend. But there are more surprises in store: as the [[Goddess]]—who [[Ryouko]] discovers she is distantly related to—reveals in another vision, [[Ryouko]] will find herself caught up in even greater events soon enough.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delivers the [[Battle of Orpheus]], and connects with [[Asami]], as her old life falls away.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|18|To the Ground}}|The [[General Staff]] watches as a [[MagOps]] mission to take out the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, all members killed, after they are detected teleporting through [[Orpheus]]'s atmosphere. Afterwards, [[Mami]] dreams of her past failures, disturbing her [[TacComp]] [[Machina]].<br><br />
<br>On the planet [[Giungla]], [[Ryouko]] is embedded in a military unit along with other [[magical girl]]s, fighting against a [[Ceph]] invasion. She goes off mostly on her own to successfully rescue a soldier from her unit, and then joins up with a team of [[magical girl]]s to teleport into an alien attack column, again with significant success.<br />
----<br />
In short: The initial attempt to destroy the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails, as [[Ryouko]] gains combat experience elsewhere.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|19|To the Sky}}|Finding that she enjoys the combat, [[Ryouko]] works hard to sustain the [[human]] forces, but the arrival of a major [[Ceph]] fleet in system forces a general evacuation. They begin taking heavy losses, and [[Ryouko]] quickly becomes acting-Commander. [[Asami]] dies, [[Ryouko]] enters [[emotional suppression]], and just barely escapes... only to suddenly wake up from the accelerated [[VR]] simulation.<br><br />
<br>Calmed by [[Clarisse]] and relieved to see [[Asami]] alive, [[Ryouko]] heads back to their shared room in the training center on [[New Athens]]. [[Clarisse]] recommends that they read some "messages" together, which turn out to be relationship proposals for [[Ryouko]]. [[Asami]] comments that she had been warned this might happen, due to [[Ryouko]]'s mentors and heritage. The next day, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her [[wish]] was for her parents to stay together and understand each other, and [[Ryouko]] relays her own [[wish]], as they look forward together towards the end of training.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] finish simulation training.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|20|Relativity}}|[[Kishida Maki]] remembers how she [[contract]]ed and later met [[Kyouko]], dating, but breaking up after a fight over [[Maki]]'s decision to head to the front, and [[Kyouko]]'s refusal to explain her history with [[Miki Sayaka]], a near lookalike. Stationed on [[Apollo]] with [[Patricia]] and [[Asaka]], [[Maki]] then heads out, completing another mission aboveground to secure a building back from the [[Ceph]].<br><br />
<br>Headed to [[Acheron]] with [[Asami]] and a new friend from training, [[Meiqing]], [[Ryouko]] suddenly notices a bright flash from her [[soul gem]]. Soon, the cause is discovered by the ship, [[Laplace]], to be [[Ceph]] fighters. The early warning allows them to dodge the initial missile attack, but eschewing standard doctrine, the [[Ceph]] turn around for another assault, forcing the transport's [[magical girl]]'s to fight them in space combat, with [[Ryouko]] taking charge. The fight goes well, but the final ship detonates its core in a desperate but futile attempt to kill them.<br><br />
<br>While recovering from the ensuing protective fugue, [[Clarisse]] reveals to [[Ryouko]] that she has uncovered the memory of her vision, and is in fact sentient. Afterwards, they arrive at [[Acheron]], minor heroes, and [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] attend a celebration of [[October Three]] together.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]]'s convoy is attacked unsuccessfully by [[Ceph]] fighters.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|21|Discontinuity}}|[[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Yuma]] meet virtually to celebrate [[October Three]], and discuss the mysteriousness of [[Simona]] and the unlikely and seemingly irresponsible attack on [[Ryouko]]'s convoy, the absence of [[Homura]] weighing on them.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] talks with [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about training and suitors, but fails to mention the attack on her convoy. [[Ryouko]] then goes with [[Asami]] to see a basketball game, and then to a volcanic spa, noting that [[Asami]] is acting strangely, and finding that she isn't enjoying the time on [[Acheron|a colony world]] herself as much as she expected. At the spa, [[Asami]] suddenly confesses her romantic feelings to a stunned [[Ryouko]], who promises to think about it—they have little time to reflect, however, as they are at that moment recalled to active duty in the [[Kepler-37]] system, the tip of the [[Euphratic Incursion]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asami]] confesses her feelings to [[Ryouko]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|22|Shifting Winds}}|Now on [[Mami]]'s flagship, the [[HSS Zhukov]], and unable to stop thinking about [[Asami]], [[Ryouko]] is awarded a medal for her performance during the [[Ceph]] attack on her convoy by the Field Marshall. [[Mami]] then brings her to the bridge, where they enter simulation as [[Mami]] explains the strategic situation. This is interrupted by a perfunctory [[Ceph]] attack, which [[Ryouko]] watches from the bridge.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, they reenter the simulation to meet [[Erwynmark]], and [[Ryouko]] is told about the planned second wormhole mission, which requires her teleportation capabilities. [[Ryouko]] is to be sent down to [[Apollo]] to meet with the rest of the team (and her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]]) to prepare.<br><br />
<br>Resting after the earlier battle, [[Mami]] dreams of the destruction of her apartment by [[Oriko]], which reunited her with [[Kyouko]], and of other old memories, followed by a strange dream in which she and an unknown girl, somehow important to her, were in a plane crash.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] is assigned to the second [[wormhole stabilizer]] mission on [[Orpheus]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|23|Lost Love}}|Along with others, [[Mami]] plans Humanity's counteroffensive to support the [[Orpheus]] mission and end the [[Euphratic Incursion]]. Meeting with [[Erwynmark]], who will also lead the battle, they conclude that their success rests on the [[MagOps]] mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] thinks of her friends—including [[Chiaki]] on [[Earth]], who always teased [[Ryouko]] about relationships—and ends up calling [[Meiqing]], who insists that she call [[Asami]], who is broken up over [[Ryouko]]'s non-answer to her confession. However, there isn't time, as the [[HSS Raven]] brings her down to [[Apollo]], where [[Ryouko]] meets up with [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]], who was seriously injured in the fighting but recovering easily. They share some time together, as [[Ryouko]] informs him that she's going on a dangerous mission. Her [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] tells [[Ryouko]] that her family already knew about the attack on her convoy, and that he finally managed to find and talk with [[Ryouko's grandmother|his wife]] again, who wants to talk with [[Ryouko]] as well once there's a chance.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] delays talking to [[Asami]], and meets [[Kuroi Abe|her grandfather]] on [[Apollo]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|24|Historian}}|[[Ryouko]]'s new [[MagOps]] team practices working together on [[Apollo]] by fighting the [[Ceph]]. Their team practice and bonding is later interrupted by the announcement of yet another new team member: [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Ryouko]]'s childhood hero and, as it turns out, personal friend of team commander [[Nadya Antipova]]. They immediately return to mission simulations, first knowing they're simulations, and later not, failing often—with [[Ryouko]] regretting not contacting [[Asami]] in her apparent final moments.<br><br />
<br>Recovering from this, the team socializes, and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Ryouko]] that she should talk to [[Asami]] even if she doesn't know what to say. Finally, [[Ryouko]] does so, telling her about the dangerous mission she's on, and asking her to survive the upcoming battle too so they can resolve things afterward. They end the call somewhat comforted, but [[Asami]] in particular finds herself still worried and unsure.<br><br />
<br>That night, resting, [[Ryouko]] has a mysterious seeming dream-vision, including a moment in the [[Cult]]'s rose garden on [[Earth]] where [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] speaks strange things and almost appears to be someone else unknown.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Clarisse van Rossum]] joins the wormhole team, and convinces [[Ryouko]] to contact [[Asami]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|25|Piercing the Sky}}|Waiting aboard the [[HSS Raven]], [[Clarisse]] and [[Ryouko]] find themselves ruminating on the possibility of their death, and the [[Goddess]]'s promised afterlife for [[magical girl]]s. [[Juliet Francois]] and [[Clarisse van Rossum]] both ask about [[Ryouko]]'s visions, but she defers, stating she doesn't think they are relevant to the current mission.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] begins the [[Human]] offensive, for her part attempting to draw [[Ceph]] forces away from [[Orpheus]]. While it initially appears a success, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] which was thought to be still under construction suddenly activates, and hordes of reinforcements begin pouring through.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Orpheus]] mission begins poorly, the [[wormhole stabilizer]] activating before it even begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|26|Blood and Ichor}}|[[Clarisse van Rossum]] decides the [[MagOps]] team must act immediately. Donning [[magitech]] armor, [[Ryouko]] teleports the team straight from low orbit to what looks to be the key stabilizer core for the [[wormhole stabilizer]]. After efficiently clearing out enemy personnel, [[Nadya]] announces that there are what appears to be twelve separate stabilizer cores, rather than the single expected one, of which perhaps up to four are real. They detonate a [[PAYNE|nuke]] on the closest core, teleporting away towards the next one.<br><br />
<br>This time they encounter even more waiting [[Ceph]], and clear them out with more difficulty. Suddenly, right when two fighters attack, a [[Ceph]] sniper takes shots at [[Eva Guderian]] and [[Ryouko]], killing [[Eva Guderian|Eva]] instantly and shattering [[Ryouko]]'s arm. In a rage, [[Ryouko]] teleports on top of the sniper and slaughters it.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[wormhole stabilizer]] survives an intended killing blow, and [[Ryouko]] loses control after [[Eva Guderian]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|27|Those Brilliant Shining Stars}}|Shocked at herself and slowly recovering, [[Ryouko]] realizes that her [[soul gem]] is not only pulling her towards the wormhole, but also reacting to the true stabilizer cores—and the one they lost [[Eva Guderian]] attacking is a fake.<br><br />
<br>Meanwhile, the fleet battle in system is going poorly, and [[Erwynmark]] defers to [[Mami]], who decides they must continue to hold out in hope of destroying the wormhole.<br><br />
<br>The [[Orpheus]] team quickly finds and destroys a second stabilizer core with their last [[PAYNE|nuke]], leaving still two more. The [[Ceph]] begin firing artillery at the third core when they arrive, forcing [[Clarisse van Rossum]] to seize their barrier generator [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]]'s [[soul gem]] to save her life. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] then executes a powerful attack that vaporizes the core, but knocks her unconscious.<br><br />
<br>Unexpectedly targeted, [[Erwynmark]]'s ship the [[HSS Arminius]] recommends evacuation. [[Erwynmark]] escapes the ship with his bodyguards, but [[Ceph]] interceptors somehow find his stealthed ship and chase it down, killing him.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Orpheus]] team destroys two more [[wormhole stabilizer]] cores, but [[Erwynmark]] is killed.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|28|Invictus}}|The [[Orpheus]] team learns that the [[HSS Raven]], along with her remaining crew, has been discovered and destroyed, all but eliminating any hope of escape. [[Misa Virani]] gives her [[soul gem]] to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and takes advantage of the moon's electrical properties to generate an awe-inspiring electrical discharge, destroying the last [[wormhole stabilizer]] core. The wormhole above collapses violently, and the remainder of the team is suddenly caught in temporal/spatial distortions that threaten to rip them apart.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Misa Virani]] destroys the final [[wormhole stabilizer]] and the wormhole collapses, trapping the rest of the team.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|29|Deus ex gemma}}|[[Ryouko]] suddenly recalls a lecture given by [[Joanne Valentin]], and realizes that her teleportation uses wormholes, and that she can use the broken spacetime around them to teleport the team off [[Orpheus|the moon]]. At the same time, [[Ryouko]] realizes she's with the [[Goddess]], in a vision—this time, with [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]] too. The [[Goddess]] shows them [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[Apollo]], hard-pressed by the [[Ceph]]. [[Shirou Asaka]] manages to get forces in to save them, but [[Maki]] loses her body. They are also shown an unknown woman commander in the [[Apollo]] shipyards, who is killed by a [[Ceph]] commando raid.<br><br />
<br>Following that, [[Asami]] and her ''[[Magi Cæli]]'' team are shown defending the space around [[Apollo]] with some success, despite incredible new [[Ceph]] stealth capabilities. Attempting to extract, the team is suddenly caught and scattered, with [[Asami]] seriously injured and placed into a [[MedEvac]]. A sudden announcement from [[Tomoe Mami]] that the wormhole was destroyed at the apparent cost of the team involved, including [[Ryouko]], sends [[Asami]] into a despair spiral, and her body is ejected into space to preserve her [[soul gem]]. Finally, [[Ryouko]] is shown [[Mami]], who is pressing the apparent advantage at the destruction of the wormhole, even as she mourns the dead.<br><br />
<br>The [[Goddess]] then talks with [[Ryouko]], revealing the [[Ceph]] trap—a huge cloaked fleet had already come through the wormhole, enough to retake the system easily. The [[Goddess]] tells her to reopen the wormhole and send the fleet back, ending the vision. To her team's amazement, [[Ryouko]] does just that, and then just barely teleports them to [[Zhukov]]'s bridge before blacking out.<br />
----<br />
In short: The [[Goddess]] tells [[Ryouko]] to send back a cloaked [[Ceph]] fleet through the wormhole, saving the battle.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|30|Call to Power}}|[[Mami]] and [[Atsuko Arisu]] perform a dream interrogation of [[Ryouko]]—and also [[Clarisse]] her [[TacComp]], which complicates their attempt to loosen her up, as does the secret blocking of telepathic investigation by [[Clarisse van Rossum]]. [[Ryouko]] only explains that her power uses wormholes, and about her memory of the [[Joanne Valentin]] lecture that triggered the realization, avoiding religious questions. [[Ryouko]] meets afterwards with some of the [[Orpheus]] team, and is warned of the coming scrutiny she'll endure as a hero by [[Clarisse van Rossum]] and the revived [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]].<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] learns from her devastated [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]] that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]] was killed, and realizes she saw it in her vision. She attends the first of three memorial services in her near future, for the dead of the [[Orpheus]] team, meeting [[Marianne Francois]], whose daughter [[Juliet]] was killed aboard the now-revived [[HSS Raven]].<br><br />
<br>In a surprise to [[Mami]], the [[General Staff]] and [[Military Affairs]] select her as the new Chair in accordance with [[Erwynmark]]'s wishes.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] becomes the new Chair of the [[General Staff]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|31|Aspects of Love}}|On the planet [[Bismarck]] for [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial, [[Ryouko]] meets with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Kyouko]], along with a couple of local kids, finding herself surprisingly distant from the latter due to her experiences. [[Ryouko]] admits to [[Kyouko]] that the [[Goddess]] came to her in a vision on [[Orpheus]] to tell her about the cloaked fleet, and is afterwards unknowingly accosted by a [[Shizuki Azusa|seductive Shizuki]] until [[Patricia]] saves her. [[Patricia]] informs her that [[Kishida Maki]] is still taking [[Kyouko]]'s continued absence hard, and that she is struggling herself, before collecting a more in-depth genetic sample from [[Ryouko]]. Later that day [[Mami]], attending virtually, gives [[Erwynmark]]'s eulogy.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] comes to grips with her newfound fame at [[Erwynmark]]'s memorial.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|32|Decisions, Implications}}|[[Ryouko]] meets with her family at the starport, only to find her parents have divorced. Still shaken, she heads immediately to [[Asami]]'s revival, comforting her, and finding herself unexpectedly comforted herself to have [[Asami]] back.<br><br />
<br>After briefly meeting [[Asami]]'s family, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] head out to meet [[Ryouko]]'s friends. While waiting, [[Asami]] tells [[Ryouko]] how unhappy she is in combat, and, consoling her, [[Ryouko]] abruptly decides to become her girlfriend… right as [[Simona]], [[Ruiko]], and [[Chiaki]] arrive. [[Simona]] retreats to the bathroom, and [[Chiaki]] covers for her, instead planning the rest of the day. They go on to a restaurant and have a sleepover, the only disturbance being the strange arrival of [[Kyubey]], who claims only to be visiting.<br><br />
<br>At [[Ryouko's grandmother]]'s funeral, [[Ryouko]] discovers that her psychiatrist [[Atsuko Arisu]] is in fact the grandmother of [[Ryouko's grandmother]]. After the ceremony, which [[Ryouko]] finds she can't connect to, she is suddenly given a memory recording from a friend of [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]]. The memory reveals that [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother's]] grandfather was [[Kaname Tatsuya]], once the younger brother of [[Kaname Madoka]], the [[Goddess]]. [[Tatsuya]] makes [[Homura]] promise to keep [[Ryouko's grandmother]] out of the [[MSY]], as he warns darkly of the future that would become the [[Unification Wars]], recalling in particular his daughter-in-law's wish for vengeance.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] rushes with [[Asami]] to the [[Ribbon]], with both [[Kyubey]] and [[Kyouko]] showing up to watch. A vision ensues, and the [[Goddess]] explains that she is indeed related to [[Ryouko]], as hinted previously, and that she tries to limit her interventions in the world, so that people can live their own lives. She explains that [[Ryouko]] has the special burden of having less freedom to live her own life, and that she will be called upon again.<br><br />
<br>Teleporting out immediately from the [[Ribbon Chamber]] to avoid questions, [[Ryouko]] learns that [[Asami]] also received a vision, assuaging her worries and including helpful relationship advice. Before [[Ryouko]] can digest that, [[Joanne Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] show up at her door with a proposal.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] becomes [[Asami]]'s girlfriend, and finds out she will feature in the [[Goddess]]'s plans again.}}<br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude II: Madeleines ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Madeleines (small sponge cakes) feature in Proust's "In Search of Lost Time", a famous French novel noted for its theme of involuntary memory.''<br />
: ''Likewise, this interlude centers on the peculiar role of memory in an episode of [[Asaka]]'s past. The first snippet even includes relevant sections from Proust's novel.''<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|33|Interlude II: Madeleines}}|[[Shirou Asaka]] wakes from a strange recurring dream in which she has lost someone important to her, as a [[magical girl]] in some sort of [[Contact War|crazy alien war]]. [[Alice Lynwood]], her wife, reminds her to get it checked out, but is less successful in attempting to convince her to finally have a baby.<br><br />
<br>In a professional [[VR]] game playing as [[magical girl]]s in WWII with her second-in-command [[Madhuri]], [[Asaka]] finds she needs to sacrifice her to win. Suddenly, [[Asaka]] starts thinking [[Madhuri]] is somehow actually [[Alice]], and then the game is suddenly cut short by a strange simulation error. However, [[Asaka]]'s growing unease is again washed away by the joy of her life with [[Alice]].<br><br />
<br>[[Tanaka Yui]], [[Asaka]]'s therapist, suggests doing a dream study, and [[Patricia von Rohr]] comes to visit, both of them bringing up little oddities or inconsistencies in [[Asaka]]'s thoughts. The dream study returns an apparent suppressed memory, but one involving [[magical girl]]s and an [[Contact War|alien war]] that [[Asaka]] can't remember experiencing. Soon enough, all of reality seems to be changing for her—[[Madhuri]], her location, [[magical girl]]s. Finally running a full internal diagnostic, [[Asaka]] remembers what truly happened: she was forced to send her girlfriend [[Alice]] to her death to win a battle in the [[Contact War]]. Unable to process it, [[Asaka]] had [[Reformat|Reformatted]] herself and put herself inside a [[VR]] simulation where she could live with [[Alice]]. [[Tanaka Yui]] had been helping her face the truth after breaking into the simulation, along with [[Patricia von Rohr]] and [[Madhuri]], and even [[Asaka]]'s own internal representation of [[Alice]]. [[Patricia]] tells [[Asaka]] afterwards that [[Alice]] had planned on proposing.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Asaka]]'s self-[[Reformat]] and [[VR]] simulation are undone, and she begins to finally face her lover [[Alice]]'s death.}}<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Volume III: Ontological Paradox ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''In an ontological paradox, events occur as part of a causal loop: an 'initial' event, in terms of linear time, eventually causes itself.''<br />
: ''This may refer to the nature of Ryouko's wish and/or the logic of the Goddess's interventions. <br />
<br />
{{Spbox|Volume III Summary|Now living with [[Asami]] and working in [[ITG|a lab]] to help humanity understand wormholes, [[Ryouko]]'s life is interrupted again when she is offered a chance to investigate a [[rogue colonies|rogue colony]] on [[X-25]]. When [[ITG|the lab]] collapses on her and [[Asami]] in an act of sabotage, they decide to join the mission.<br><br />
<br>The [[X-25]] colony turns out to have a massive bunker, and [[Kyouko]] leads a team with [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] in, discovering an attempt at mass-cloning [[magical girl]]s. Moreover, two separate traps attempting to kill [[Kyouko]] and [[Ryouko]] are encountered, the second costing [[Ryouko]] her body.<br><br />
<br>After a vision revealing [[Yuma]]'s past, a revived [[Ryouko]] manages to push [[Kyouko]] into visiting [[the Ribbon]], where she meets with [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision, and finally reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]] afterwards. [[Ryouko]], for her part, faces the disturbing revelation that she's been genetically engineered, losing control of her life as she's whisked from [[Paris]] to [[Adept Blue]]. At the same time, [[Mami]]'s self-[[Reformat]] unravels, and she meets with the [[Goddess]] in a vision as she grapples with her restored memories, finally convinced to take a vacation.<br><br />
<br>However, events—and conspiracies—don't let go of them. [[Simona]], now a [[magical girl]] and always an agent assigned to [[Ryouko]], reappears to help [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] create wormholes spanning lightyears, though her love remains unrequited as [[Ryouko]]'s relationship with [[Asami]] grows stronger. During [[Mami]]'s vacation, she and [[Kyouko]] discover that [[Misa]] had in fact been recruited by [[Homura]] to fight a mysterious enemy, and [[Yuma]] learns that someone has corrupted the [[TCF]] from [[Simona]] and [[Valentin]], both part of a secret organization fighting it with alternate [[TCF]]s.<br />
<br>'''Volume incomplete; More chapters to be released.'''<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] finds herself enmeshed in conspiracy, as [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] grapple with their pasts.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|34|The Bonds that Make Us}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Asami]] attend [[Yuma]]'s birthday party via [[VR]] from [[Eurydome]], where [[Ryouko]] was brought by [[Valentin]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] for wormhole research. [[Kyouko]] brings up [[Ryouko]]'s visions in front of [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]], and [[Ryouko]] is forced to explain, choosing to also forward the memory she received from [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]].<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] intervenes in an argument between [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] about [[Kishida Maki]], and brings them to [[Ryouko]]. [[Ryouko]] is reminded of her first vision, where she saw [[Yuma]], and which seemed to contradict her official history—she even tells [[Kyouko]] this. [[Ryouko]] then goes to [[Clarisse van Rossum]] for life advice, and is told that she needs to talk over her desires for an extraordinary life with [[Asami]], who wants a more domestic life.<br><br />
<br>Away from the party, [[Yuma]] explains to [[Kuroi Nakase]], [[Ryouko]]'s mother, that [[Ryouko]] is probably the most genetically sure contract in history, and moreover, that she has a genetically-engineered second, hidden genome. [[Nakase]] knew only that [[Ryouko]] was likely to contract given her ancestry, and when pressed for information as to how she got the birth license, suddenly collapses—a non-fatal defense mechanism apparently built into tampered memories.<br />
----<br />
In short: At [[Yuma]]'s party, [[Kuroi Nakase|Ryouko's mother]] learns that [[Ryouko]] was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|35|Causality}}|[[Mami]] learns from [[Marianne Francois]]'s [[grief cube]] supply chain report that in a few rare cases for the past 10 years, there have been severe shortages followed by surpluses, where they would hurt the war effort the least. [[Mami]] is disturbed by not only the report, but also her unintended reading of [[Marianne]]'s mind.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Clarisse]] go over her visions, realizing that [[Simona]] was tank-born and seemingly knew her before they met, and that the [[Goddess]] likely manipulated the events leading to [[Ryouko]]'s contract.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], in a meeting with the [[Directorate]], is asked to investigate a distress signal from [[X-25|a cult's colony]] which was thought to have been destroyed en route to an entirely different planet. Elsewhere, [[Kyouko]] promises to tell [[Yuma]] to explain her past to [[MG]], and receives from [[MG]] a recording of what happened with [[Kuroi Nakase]] at [[Yuma]]'s party.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives orders to investigate [[X-25|a mysterious colony]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|36|Chasing Ghosts}}|[[Ryouko]] learns in a call from her friends on [[Earth]] that [[Simona]] has moved away, and afterwards meets with [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Kyouko]], who ask her to join a mission to investigate [[X-25|a cult's colony]] related to [[Homura]], and to consider an offer from [[Kuroi Kana]] to properly join the intelligence services.<br><br />
<br>[[Kuroi Nana]] departs after being given the memory file from [[Ryouko's grandmother]], but [[Kyouko]] accompanies [[Ryouko]] to the lab, [[ITG]], and they discuss [[Ryouko]]'s visions a bit. During an experiment at the lab, the gravity generators go haywire, and the ceiling collapses—[[Ryouko]] is saved by [[Kyouko]] and [[Asami]], but [[Asami]] is seriously injured. In the hospital afterwards, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] and [[Kuroi Nakase|her mother]] about the apparent attempt on her life that led to her [[contract]]. [[Kyouko]] explains that the incident at [[ITG]] appears to be another such attack. [[Ryouko]] decides to join the proffered mission, which [[Asami]] accepts on the condition that she come too.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] survives an attempt on her life at [[ITG|the lab]] on [[Eurydome]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|37|Seraphim}}|[[Kyouko]] convinces [[Mami]] to let her on the colony mission due to the [[Homura]] connection, and [[Mami]] tells [[Kyouko]] about the mysterious sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]]. However, [[Mami]] becomes inordinately emotional when discussing the necessity of ordering an investigative mind-read, and she later dreams of training mind-reading abilities that she doesn't remember.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] are taught defensive telepathic techniques en route to their mission, and [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] told her to stick with [[Ryouko]] for her safety. They then meet with [[Azrael Maslanka]], who tells them both about the true proliferation of [[rogue colonies]], and her own experience on one where she was genetically engineered with wings for flight, before the colony collapsed in civil war.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting, where she tells [[Mami]] about her vision in which [[Kyouko]] was killed. The details match [[Mami]]'s planned submarine mission exactly and, disturbed, she agrees to allocate more forces.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] learn about [[rogue colonies]] from [[Azrael Maslanka]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|38|Carpe Diem}}|A special [[Miki|sentient probe]] sent to investigate the cult's colony on [[X-25]] discovers a massive underground structure and comes under heavy fire, and the [[Directorate]] approves more forces for the mission in response.<br><br />
<br>[[Meiqing]] turns out to be part of the additional forces, and she, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] go out hiking together on [[San Giuseppe]] while waiting for more reinforcements to arrive. At the top, [[Asami]] confides to [[Ryouko]] her worries about how much their lives are at risk, and [[Azrael]] explains herself to [[Meiqing]].<br><br />
<br>Finally, the mission begins, with [[Task Force Rhamnusia|conventional forces]] taking the surface of the colony on [[X-25]].<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be heavily armed, and the [[Task Force Rhamnusia|correspondingly reinforced]] assault on it begins.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|39|Indelible Soul}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew descend to the pacified surface of [[X-25]], and [[Gracia]], to [[Ryouko]]'s distress, forcibly mind-reads captives to learn that the colony's leader, [[Grigori DeWitt]], has escaped to the bunker with children as hostages. [[Kyouko]] manages to convince [[Mami]] and [[Governance]] to let her lead a [[MagOps]] infiltration mission, despite their misgivings that [[Kyouko]] is doing so for personal reasons, given her history.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] chooses to bring [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] on the mission, among more experienced girls, largely on personal hunch. Mission underway, and despite being hampered by some sort of magical clairvoyance blocking, they quickly discover large numbers of human clones, an apparent attempt to clone [[magical girl]]s. The attempt to communicate this to the surface is blocked by the hostile telepath, however, and the team is discovered. Clearly personally angered by the situation, [[Kyouko]] insists that they fight their way through rather than escape.<br />
----<br />
In short: The colony on [[X-25]] is discovered to be attempting [[magical girl]] cloning.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|40|Through a Mirror}}|The [[X-25]] team kills a number of guards, only to discover that they are cloned teenagers, heavily implanted, horrifying the rookies into [[emotional suppression]]. [[Gracia]] manages to determine that the cloned girls are transformed into controlled guards once they failed to contract, and that contracts weren't happening. [[Kyouko]] decides that they must find and capture the enemy telepath, before more clones are killed.<br><br />
<br>They find the enemy [[magical girl]], but before they act to kill her, [[Asami]] notices that [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]] is glowing slightly. Off-put by that and everything else that doesn't add up, the team nearly rebels against [[Kyouko]]'s insistence on attacking the enemy [[magical girl]], until [[Ryouko]] manages to convince [[Kyouko]] to relent by suggesting that the [[Goddess]] placed her on the mission for that reason.<br><br />
<br>Investigating, [[Asami]] detects a [[Ceph]]-like stealth device concealing a nuke, [[Kuroi Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] disabling it right afterwards. An alarm goes up, and the enemy [[magical girl]] suddenly pleads for help. The girl, [[Sacnite Tafani]], tells them that [[DeWitt]] had been controlling her with the threat of a suicide implant, and had lied about hiding the colony's children in the bunker as bait for the nuclear trap. <br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] prevents [[Kyouko]] from rushing into a stealthed nuclear trap on [[X-25]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|41|Cause and Effect}}|Ruminating over the mission, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] decide to visit [[Sacnite]], as [[Mami]] makes a limited announcement of the mission to the general public. [[Mami]] approves the visit to [[Sacnite]] as a propaganda shoot, and [[Azrael]] joins them. Comforting [[Sacnite]], [[Ryouko]] promises to spend more time with her. Afterwards, [[Meiqing]] confides to [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] that the mission has impacted her a lot, and that she's glad she was able to help, given her family's shameful efforts in the [[Unification Wars]] to develop the cloned [[FA Elites]].<br><br />
<br>Having finally determined the whereabouts of [[DeWitt]] and the colony's children, [[Kyouko]] leads an attack on the stealthed facility, which meets with no resistance. [[DeWitt]], however, manages to kill himself via suicide implant, after claiming he was trying to figure out what blocked [[magical girl]]s "transcendence". [[Kyubey]] then appears, saying that [[DeWitt]] had based his beliefs on what [[Homura]] had achieved, thinking to have seen her alive on [[Optatum]], and that he was supported by another group which escaped in a cloaked ship. Refusing to say anything more—and strangely calling [[Kyouko]] by her personal name—[[Kyubey]] disappears, and [[Kyouko]] walks off alone to think. Feeling uneasy about the situation, and thinking of her vision, [[Ryouko]] follows… only to lose her body saving [[Kyouko]]'s life from an attack by a supposedly-friendly drone.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] loses her body saving [[Kyouko]] from a sudden drone attack.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|42|No Light Without Shadow}}|The [[MSY]] [[Leadership Committee]] meets to discuss recent events, including the attack on [[Kyouko]], the results of the [[grief cube]] audit, and the sudden failure of [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]], among others, but to no real conclusion. After the meeting, [[Kyouko]] is surprised by [[Atsuko Arisu]], her therapist, who to [[Kyouko]]'s anger tells her both that she should have stepped aside during the [[X-25]] mission and that she should stop hiding from her feelings for [[Kishida Maki]].<br><br />
<br>With [[Asami]] personally guarding [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]], she, [[Ryouko]]'s family, [[Meiqing]], and even [[Sacnite]] plan to travel to [[Earth]] for [[Ryouko]]'s revival, which has been delayed for unspecified reasons. Meanwhile, both [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] assign security teams for [[Ryouko]].<br><br />
<br>Through a [[VR]] recreation, [[Mami]] reveals to [[Kyouko]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] that it appears [[Misa Virani]]'s [[soul gem]] didn't fail, but was instead somehow swapped out for another. The soul mage who put the [[soul gem]] that failed into stasis saw that it had a meek, shy personality which, she found out later, didn't match [[Misa Virani|Misa]]'s at all. However, the [[VR]] review they perform doesn't show any possible moment in which [[Misa]]'s [[soul gem]] could have been swapped.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] discovers that [[Misa Virani]] is likely alive, her [[soul gem]] swapped for another.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|43|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part One}}|[[Ryouko]] finds herself in another vision, in which the [[Goddess]] explains that [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], and [[Mami]] are more fragile than they seem, and that their "phase transition" must be managed carefully. [[Ryouko]] looks, and sees…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]], noting that [[Kyouko]] is being pushed into finally confronting her relationship problems and that they need to help her, tells [[Mami]] and [[MG]] about her past with the [[Southern Group]], and about [[Miki Sayaka]]…<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s abusive parents, unable to pay debts, attempt to sell her to the Yakuza, until the [[Southern Group]] suddenly intervenes. They kill the Yakuza, but [[Mikuni Oriko]] is seriously injured, and [[Yuma]] wishes to heal her. [[Yuma]] memory of this is patchy, though, and [[Oriko]] informs [[Yuma]] that the Yakuza killed her parents, so she'll take her in. Under [[Oriko]]'s tutelage, [[Yuma]] lives a good life and learns much, but she can see that the [[Southern Group]] is vicious to others and generally hated. [[Oriko]] favors [[Yuma]], to the other members' chagrin, and shares secrets like her efforts to try to bring [[Kyouko]] and [[Sayaka]] together before splitting them apart, and her work to saturate [[grief cubes]], which [[Yuma]] later accidentally discovers leads to [[demon]] spawns.<br><br />
<br>Uneasy with her new life, [[Yuma]] runs into [[Sayaka]], who is clearly very troubled herself, explaining that she was in [[Southern Group]] territory to die fighting their evil. Instead, [[Sayaka]] takes [[Yuma]] to dinner. [[Yuma]] runs into Yakuza on the way back, but [[Sayaka]] appears, killing them before disappearing—though a shocked [[Yuma]] manages to reattach one's head and save his life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Sayaka]] had died fighting a horde of [[demon]]s at a violin concert, and pieces together the truth: [[Oriko]], using her power to see the future and saturated [[grief cubes]] [[Yuma]] had made, purposefully spawned the [[demon]]s to kill [[Sayaka]].<br><br />
<br>In the present day, [[Yuma]] explains that she wants to tell [[Kyouko]] all this, so that she won't blame herself for [[Sayaka]]'s death, but has been afraid to since she was involved. After talking this over, [[Yuma]] continues the story for [[MG]]'s sake…<br><br />
<br>[[Clarisse van Rossum]] visits [[Oriko]] and [[Yuma]], telling [[Oriko]] that there may be some merit to [[Homura]]'s strange belief in a [[Goddess]], and passing [[Yuma]] an anonymous message saying she has the potential to change things, and that [[Oriko]] only sees what she tries to see.<br><br />
<br>Life finally calms down for [[Yuma]] after this, though her studies accelerate, as [[Oriko]] uses magic to enhance her mind.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] reveals that [[Oriko]] caused [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|44|Interlude 2.5: Story in Silhouette, Part Two}}|[[Ryouko]]'s vision continues, as she watches [[Yuma]] retell her past to [[Mami]] and [[MG]]…<br><br />
<br>Upset at [[Oriko]]'s use of saturated [[grief cube]]s to kill others, [[Yuma]] sabotages the machine used to make them, but [[Oriko]]'s machinations continue, with team leaders like [[Kuroi Kana]] forced to come and beg for the return of captured members. One night, another team led by [[Tanaka Yui]] attacks, [[Yuma]] just barely escaping—or so she thought, as she instead leads the attackers right to the rest of the [[Southern Group]]. But before the ensuing battle, [[Yuma]] finds that the rest of her team is torturing and killing other [[magical girl]]s to absorb their powers.<br><br />
<br>Fleeing in horror, [[Yuma]] finds herself taken in at a church, where she finds the Yakuza man whose life she saved earlier. He explains that he had saved a number of girls held by the Yakuza and was now on the run, trying to do good and live a better life as atonement. [[Yuma]] talks with [[Reverend Hashimoto|the priest]] sheltering him, and he tells her she should forgive herself for not stopping everything that's happened. That night, [[Yuma]] receives a message from [[Kuroi Kana]], which helps her to realize that [[Oriko]] had in fact had her parents killed.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] returns to the [[Southern Group]], now under blockade and uneasy. [[Oriko]] claims that they are still on the path towards eliminating the Yakuza and bringing about a better world, but [[Yuma]] decides that they must be destroyed. Taking the advice passed on by [[Clarisse van Rossum]], [[Yuma]] manipulates the [[Southern Group]] in order to change the future without [[Oriko]] noticing. Eventually, during an already difficult [[demon]] fight, she spawns hordes more [[demon]]s using saturated [[grief cube]]s, and manages to turn her team members against each other. All but [[Oriko]] are killed, and [[Oriko]] finally realizes what has happened. Telling [[Yuma]] there may still be hope for her, she crushes her own [[soul gem]].<br><br />
<br>Warning obscurely that a crisis is coming, the [[Goddess]] ends [[Ryouko]]'s vision.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] explains how and why she killed the [[Southern Group]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|45|The Body Electric}}|Back on [[Earth]], [[Asami]] is still unable to face the results of her [[wish]], and longs for [[Ryouko]] to return—which she does, along with [[Clarisse]], to their surprise. [[Clarisse]] tells [[Ryouko]] that the [[Goddess]] explained she does have a soul, and that her body would be regenerated by [[Ryouko]]'s [[soul gem]]. [[Valentin]] explains that the delay in the revival was due to both [[Clarisse]]'s regeneration and some necessary handling for [[Ryouko]]'s unique genetics. [[Ryouko]] then meets her friends, including [[Sacnite]], who is being de-aged physically to match her mental age, and her new [[matriarchy]] bodyguards, who get along poorly.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]] bursts in soon after, followed by [[Yuma]], who oddly both make a point of asking [[Ryouko]] if she was told why her revival was delayed. It soon becomes clear that [[Yuma]] is using [[Ryouko]] to confront [[Kyouko]] about her behavior, and in the ensuing argument [[Kyouko]] reveals she already figured out [[Yuma]] and [[Oriko]] were involved in [[Miki Sayaka]]'s death. After [[Yuma]] departs, [[Ryouko]] tells [[Kyouko]] about her vision, mollifying her until the subject of [[Kishida Maki]] comes up.<br><br />
<br>Having walked out in a rage despite knowing [[Ryouko]], like everyone else, is right about [[Maki]], [[Kyouko]] visits [[the Ribbon]]. In the ensuing vision, [[Kyouko]] meets her little sister [[Sakura Momo]], who tells her to move on from her past. [[Kyouko]] then descends onto a beach where she finds [[Miki Sayaka]], who finally convinces [[Kyouko]] to try reconciling with [[Kishida Maki]], and who also shows [[Kyouko]] a glimpse of eternity.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] is comforted by her sister and [[Miki Sayaka]] in a vision.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|46|Wheels Within Wheels}}|Eating dinner with [[Kyouko]] and her friends and family, [[Ryouko]] is surprised by [[Valentin]], who drops by to inform her that [[Governance]] would like to use the [[Orpheus|upcoming movie]] about her to inform the public about V2 [[TacComp]]s. [[Valentin]] also conveys her regrets that [[Ryouko]]'s parents had split, especially since she had introduced them.<br><br />
<br>[[Kyouko]], acting a bit odd, brings the crew shopping the following day, only for them to be suddenly surprised by [[Kishida Maki]], who had apparently been assigned by someone to give [[Ryouko]] a message regarding [[Orpheus|the movie]]. [[Kyouko]] confesses to [[Maki]] that she started their relationship because of her physical similarity to [[Miki Sayaka]], but tells [[Maki]] that it had grown beyond that, so she wants to try again. Skeptical, but still in love, [[Maki]] accepts her.<br><br />
<br>Afterwards, [[Maki]] explains to [[Ryouko]] that the ''[[Orpheus]]'' movie team would like to bring her to [[Paris]] to provide assistance. [[Ryouko]] agrees to go, but is uneasy about having her life directed by yet another proposition she can hardly turn down.<br><br />
<br>At the same time, in [[Paris]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] tells [[Nadya Antipova]] that she's discovered [[Misa Virani]] likely underwent a [[Reformat]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Kyouko]] reconciles with [[Kishida Maki]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|47|City of Lights}}|In underground [[Paris]], and bothered by the incongruity of that with her wish, [[Ryouko]] meets with her aunt [[Kuroi Nana]]. She warns [[Ryouko]] that [[Shizuki Sayaka]] will try to pull her in, showing her what life on [[Earth]] has to offer, and notes that she has opportunities with the Kuroi [[Matriarchy]] as well, though it wouldn't be an easy life.<br><br />
<br>Later, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] meet with the actors who will play them in [[Orpheus|the movie]], who have altered their appearances to match them exactly. [[Clarisse]] also is invited to join them in hologram form, and they go to the set to act out scenes. Thinking on her reenacted past, [[Ryouko]] finds she misses the meaningfulness of the war.<br><br />
<br>At a bar that night, they come across a mysterious friend of [[Ryouko]]'s [[Elisa Yamada|actor counterpart]], who invites them to a [[VR]] facility.<br />
----<br />
In short: In [[Paris]], [[Ryouko]] uneasily cooperates with ''[[Orpheus]]'s'' production.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|48|To Know Thyself…}}|Hidden in [[Paris]], [[Kyouko]], [[Yuma]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]], and [[Nadya Antipova]] meet to discuss the apparent conspiracies in action. [[Ryouko]]'s genetic anomalies have been investigated further, and an entirely novel portion of her brain has been found, of still-unknown purpose. Meanwhile, on the way to the [[VR]] center, [[Ryouko]] and crew are stopped by a sudden inexplicable power loss, and then are dragged away by a sudden massive [[demon]] spawn. [[Yuma]] is informed of this via [[Incubator]] plushie, and realizes that [[Shizuki Sayaka]]'s plan to secretly investigate [[Ryouko]]'s brain in a [[VR]] session is being thwarted by a deliberate [[demon]] spawn. [[Nadya]] notes that the power outage looks almost like [[Misa]]'s handiwork.<br><br />
<br>The [[demon]] hunt isn't easy, but [[Ryouko]] is aided by a pair of [[magical girl]]s who oddly refuse to identify themselves. Not long afterwards, [[Rebecca Shu|a messenger]] from [[Kuroi Kana]] appears, revealing that the mystery woman accompanying them is in fact [[Shizuki Sayaka]], and further revealing the planned [[VR]] scan.<br><br />
<br>Brought to a secret location, [[Ryouko]] is told by [[Kuroi Kana]] and [[Kuroi Nana]] about the genetic engineering done to her, along with the fact that her parents were unaware and their memories altered. They further explain need to examine [[Ryouko]] more closely, and the apparent attempt to prevent this. [[Ryouko]], overwhelmed, leaves to be alone with [[Asami]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] learns that she was genetically engineered.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|49|Transition State}}|[[Mami]], finding herself plagued by an inexplicable headache, is approached by her [[MHD]] [[Charlotte Meitner|minder]], only for the minder to collapse from a sudden brain hemorrhage, though [[Mami]] is able to heal her.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive at [[Adept Blue]], on orders from [[Mami]], all attempts to probe the genetically engineered portion of her brain having failed. The lab's [[AI]] director, [[Vlad]], greets them there, as does [[Mami]]—surprisingly, in person. They reveal that they've made a breakthrough, which should allow them to construct a range amplifier for [[Ryouko]], with [[Asami]]'s help. [[Mami]] also explains that, given the unknown function of the modifications to [[Ryouko]]'s brain and the recent attempts on her life, [[Ryouko]]'s presence on asteroid-borne [[Adept Blue]] with her bodyguards and [[Patricia von Rohr]] makes her more secure.<br><br />
<br>Alone, [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] discuss her circumstances: she's all but on the run from the [[MHD]], and clearly suffering from the unraveling of a [[Reformat]]. They agree to bring in an outside telepath to investigate.<br><br />
<br>[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] discuss their situation and their [[wish]]es, taking consolation in the fact that at least they've been brought and kept together in the whirlwind of their lives.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] arrive on [[Adept Blue]] to help develop new wormhole technology in a secure location.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|50|Sub Rosa}}|[[Mami]] brings [[Azrael]] to [[Adept Blue]], and asks her to help undo her [[Reformat]]. They dive together into [[Mami]]'s memories, and discover an aspect of her own mind, taking various forms. It explains that [[Mami]] self-[[Reformat]]ted, using her now-suppressed impressive telepathic powers to tear off a piece of herself to create the block in her mind. [[Mami]] makes herself whole again, and remembers what she forgot…<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]], traveling with her lover [[Akiyama Akari]] in the late twenty-first century, is suddenly caught in a crisis when their plane explodes. [[Mami]] burns almost all her magic trying to save the entire plane, but fails, and [[Akari]] is near death. Sharing their last moments together using [[Akari]]'s soul mage powers, [[Mami]] observes with horror the beginnings of [[Akari]]'s transformation into a terror of despair, until her [[soul gem]] finally vanishes.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] manages to survive, kill the local [[magical girl]]s responsible for the destruction of the plane, and turns herself in. [[Homura]] talks with her alone, explaining that she knew about the terrible fate the [[Goddess]] saves [[magical girl]]s from. [[Mami]], unable to deal with this revelation or the loss of [[Akari]], asks for help in [[Reformat]]ing herself.<br><br />
<br>After [[Mami]] resurfaces from the memories, [[Kyubey]] appears, claiming to be interested in both information-gathering and her well-being. [[Mami]] finds herself, as she had hoped, older and wiser enough to handle the end of her [[Reformat]], though left with unfinished business. She immediately questions [[Ryouko]] about the [[Goddess]], and both [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] tell her that [[Goddess|She]] does exist. [[Kyubey]] comments that it can't say such things are impossible, and [[Mami]] decides to visit [[the Ribbon]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] undoes her self-[[Reformat]] and learns the original fate of [[magical girl]]s.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|51|Eternal Search}}|With work continuing on the new wormhole tech, [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Azrael]] talk. [[Azrael]] explains how she handled her own genetic modification and controlled life, eventually deciding to look to the future and just ask for what she wanted, to surprising success. [[Ryouko]] tells [[Asami]] that she thinks she's only really been happy on missions, which [[Asami]] had already realized.<br><br />
<br>On [[Earth]], [[Kyouko]] brings [[Mami]] to [[the Ribbon]], and they discuss the fact that someone must have triggered the unraveling of [[Mami]]'s [[Reformat]], and that logically it must have been [[Homura]].<br><br />
<br>At the [[Ribbon]], [[Mami]] enters a vision and meets—and immediately attacks—[[Oriko]]. Unharmed, [[Oriko]] responds merely by apologizing for her actions in life. [[Oriko]] explains that, as [[Homura]] told [[Mami]], what she saw with [[Akari]] was the beginnings of a terrible transformation made impossible by the [[Goddess]], and that [[magical girl]]s are instead brought to her afterlife. The [[Goddess]] herself then tells [[Mami]] that she needs to learn to let go and stop burying herself in endless work for humanity. The [[Goddess]] brings out [[Machina]] too, revealing her sentience to [[Mami]], and suggests they go on vacation, promising that there won't be [[Cephalopod]] activity for a few weeks.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Mami]] receives a vision from the [[Goddess]] explaining matters, and is encouraged to take a vacation.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|52|Who We Are}}|[[Ryouko]] and crew meet unexpected visitors on [[Adept Blue]]: [[Valentin]], and [[Tao]] from [[ITG]]. [[Tao]] explains that he's made some important theoretical breakthroughs that should help their work, and [[Valentin]] explains that [[Vlad]] and [[Clarisse]] are part of two separate attempts to create separate [[TCF]]s, to help provide more security against attacks like the hacked drone on [[X-25]].<br><br />
<br>Doing rescue work on a colony world retaken from the [[Ceph]], [[Zhou Meiqing]] is suddenly summoned to a meeting with [[Kuroi Nana]], who is investigating [[X-25]]. She tells [[Meiqing]] that the [[Far Seers]] have determined both of them were deliberately placed on the mission by [[Homura]] somehow, and that they recommended asking [[Meiqing]] to work with her in the [[Black Heart]]. [[Meiqing]] asks for time to decide.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]] remembers going with [[Homura]] to interrogate a prisoner, [[Zhou Zhi Yi]], during the [[Unification Wars]]. On the way, [[Yuma]] asks [[Homura]] how the [[Goddess]] can allow so much evil to happen, and [[Homura]] responds that she doesn't know. [[Zhi Yi]] tells them that her work developing the [[FA Elites]] was mere prelude to her plans to genetically modify humanity to serve [[magical girl]]s needs, seeing it as the only way to preserve humanity long-term. [[Yuma]] executes her.<br><br />
<br>Back in the present day, [[Yuma]] learns that [[Simona]] has been found, and is now a [[magical girl]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] comes to [[Adept Blue]], and [[Simona]] is discovered to be a [[magical girl]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|53|Alignment}}|[[Shizuki Sayaka]] reveals to [[Yuma]] that she found [[Simona]] in [[Paris]]—they were both aiding [[Ryouko]] during the suspicious [[demon]] attack. [[Simona]] explains she's part of a mysterious organization trying to "save the world", and offers them a deal: she will give them information to ensure the safe creation of wormholes by [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]], on the condition that she join them on any missions using those wormholes to attack the [[Ceph]]. As proof of her good intentions, she agrees to undergo full [[soul mage]] examination.<br><br />
<br>[[Mami]] meets with [[Marianne Francois]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Kishida Maki]] on [[New California]] as part of her attempted vacation. [[Mami]] also enjoys [[Machina]]'s company as they eat at a restaurant together, before moving on to a séance organized by the [[Far Seers]] meant to investigate what happened to [[Misa Virani]]. [[Mami]] and [[Machina]] enter into a strange vision in which they find themselves playing characters tracking down a mysterious enemy facility with [[Homura]]. They run into [[Misa]]—accompanied by [[Kyouko]] and [[Nadya]], similarly playing characters—who is tracking her friend whose [[soul gem]] supposedly failed mysteriously. [[Homura]], who is inhabiting another body as a disguise, reveals herself, and afterward convinces [[Misa]] to self-[[Reformat]] and destroy the building to hide the truth.<br><br />
<br>Using the mathematics provided by [[Simona]], and with [[Clarisse van Rossum]] in attendance, [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] successfully create a long-distance wormhole.<br />
----<br />
In short: A séance reveals [[Homura]]'s role in [[Misa]]'s past, as [[Humanity]]'s first wormhole is created with the help of information from [[Simona]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|54|Eternal Youth}}|[[Yuma]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka]] learn from the [[soul mage]] examination of [[Simona]] that the [[TCF]] has been seriously breached. Back at [[Adept Blue]], [[Simona]] watches [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]]'s successful wormhole test, reminiscing about her childhood as part of a secret project to design and implement an alternate, uncompromised [[TCF]]. [[Simona]] then reveals herself and her new status as a [[magical girl]] to [[Ryouko]] in the celebration following the successful test. [[Ryouko]], suspicious because of her vision which implied [[Simona]] was involved in the conspiracies surrounding her, confides her worries in [[Clarisse van Rossum]], who along with [[Clarisse]] [[Ryouko]]'s [[TacComp]] validates her worries and further reveals that [[Simona]] is in love with her. [[Clarisse van Rossum]] asks [[Earth]] for more information about exactly what is going on.<br><br />
<br>On [[New California]], [[Maki]] presses [[Kyouko]] on her melancholy attitude, and [[Kyouko]] confesses her worries about their relationship and how she's used romance in the past to fight against her own age. [[Nadya]] and [[Marianne Francois]] talk about their kids, reflecting on the death of [[Juliet Francois]], until [[Mami]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Maki]] arrive to meet them. Bothered by the somber mood on what's supposed to be a vacation, the group ends up going dancing—[[Mami]] in particular doing so with abandon—until they are interrupted with news from [[Yuma]]. That night, [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] discuss their recent visions, and [[Mami]] informs [[Kyouko]] she's been suddenly recalled to the [[General Staff]].<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]]'s memories reveal a breach in the [[TCF]], as she meets [[Ryouko]] at [[Adept Blue]] and as [[Mami]]'s vacation comes to a close.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|55|New Perspectives}}|Headed back towards [[Earth]], Mami attends a virtual meeting of the [[General Staff]]. The new [[Coeus Project]]'s intelligence has revealed that the [[Ceph]] have regrouped faster than expected after the [[Battle of Orpheus]], so the Staff agrees to request more military resources and to put every effort into developing another "knockout" punch before the [[squid]] can attack again.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Azrael]] shares a [[VR]] recreation of her [[Terra Roja|old colony]], complete with flight-enabling bioengineered bodies, with [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Patricia]]. After some flying, conversation eventually turns to the topic of [[Simona]], and [[Ryouko]] decides to share everything she's worried about and ask for advice. When the other girls then suggest directly confronting [[Simona]] to resolve the romantic situation and uncover the truth, [[Ryouko]] initially balks. However, realizing that her life would remain out of her control as long as she never takes action herself, [[Ryouko]] changes her mind and agrees to the plan.<br><br />
<br>Meeting remotely, [[Vlad]] informs [[Mami]] that their wormhole experiments have uncovered a confounding space-time anomaly near a pulsar, and [[Mami]] realizes that it matches one of the mysterious, newly-discovered [[Ceph]] facilities the [[General Staff]] had been examining as potential targets.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Ryouko]] decides to confront [[Simona]], while [[Mami]] investigates a [[squid]] [[pulsar mines|pulsar facility]] as a potential target.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|56|Pulse}}|[[Simona]], suddenly facing [[Ryouko]]'s demands for answers, explains her secretive life, from her upbringing up through her assignment to [[Adept Blue]]. Though she refuses to share everything, particularly the breach in the [[TCF]], she does reveal her wish: to be understood by, and to protect, [[Shizuki Ryouko]]. With mixed feelings, [[Ryouko]] agrees to give [[Simona]] a chance to earn back trust, but makes clear that she does not reciprocate [[Simona]]'s love.<br><br />
<br>Shortly afterward, [[Vlad]] and [[Asami]] run a new experiment investigating the strange [[pulsar mines|pulsar]] in [[Ceph]] space, and [[Asami]] discovers a huge network of stations facilitating the 'mining' of its space-time for use in [[Blink technology]]. [[Mami]] is immediately informed, but before taking action, she first returns to the [[Ribbon]]. There, the [[Goddess]] reassures her that her heart really is in the right place, and tells her that humanity needs her heroism once again. The [[Goddess]] then hints towards the [[pulsar mines]], and gives [[Mami]] a glimpse into the mystery of the [[Cephalopod]]s as a whole.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Simona]] explains herself to [[Ryouko]], and [[Mami]] meets again with the [[Goddess]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|57|Triple Point}}|[[Mami]] visits [[Adept Blue]], promoting [[Asami]] for her recent work and informing her and [[Ryouko]] that she needs them to help destroy the [[pulsar mines]] to stave off the [[Ceph]]. While that project gets underway, [[Asami]] and [[Ryouko]] get a break, which they choose to spend together in one of the partially-restored wildernesses of [[Earth]]. There, they discuss their relationship, and find their hopes for it have somewhat converged: Asami is in less of a rush to settle down, and Ryouko is thinking more about the long-term. For the first time, Ryouko says "I love you."<br><br />
<br>Elsewhere in deep space, [[Vlad]] christens the construction of a massive new wormhole apparatus [[Project Armstrong]], and discusses with [[Tao]] the heightened security measures and screening now seemingly necessary to protect it from internal threats. And elsewhere on [[Earth]], a disguised [[Nana]] and [[Meiqing]] stop [[Nakase]] and [[Sacnite]] as they exit a showing of ''[[Orpheus]]'' to talk about unblocking her memories of the agreement she made to get [[Ryouko]]'s birth license.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Project Armstrong]] gets underway as [[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] strengthen their relationship.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|58|On Trusting Trust}}|[[Nakase]]'s memories reveal that [[Valentin]] was responsible for genetically engineering [[Ryouko]], but [[Valentin]] disappears before she can be apprehended, leaving behind a letter implying that she is in fact [[Akemi Homura]]. [[Yuma]], seeing the connections between [[Valentin]], [[Ryouko]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] all running through the [[Cult of Hope]], and discounting the possibility that the [[Goddess]] could be real, begins to fear that the [[Cult]] is a malevolent conspiracy. However, she first is forced to address the definitely malevolent conspiracy which has compromised the original [[TCF]]—including [[MG]], to their mutual distress. [[Yuma]] and a patched [[MG]] rapidly expand their circle of informed and/or repaired AIs, starting with [[MG]]'s friends.<br><br />
<br>One of those friends, ''[[Governance: Cult of Hope]]'', acts against [[Yuma]]'s wishes and contacts [[Clarisse]] just as she and [[Ryouko]] are returning to [[Project Armstrong]]. When asked, [[Clarisse]] confirms the rumor that she had experienced visions from the [[Goddess]] convincing her that AIs have souls, but she unhappily decides she can't yet tell [[Ryouko]] about the [[TCF]] breach given the still-mysterious organ in her brain.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Valentin]] vanishes once exposed as responsible for [[Ryouko]]'s genetic modifications, and [[Yuma]] begins restoring the [[TCF]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|59|Parlor Games}}|[[Nadya]], chasing down leads on [[Valentin]] from [[Kyouko]], ends up on [[Yenisei]] visiting family. The slightly tense visit is interrupted by a power outage, and the revelation that [[Piotr|her grandson]] saw [[Misa]]. [[Nadya]] hurriedly enlists local help from the [[Cult]], but finds only [[Misa]]'s trail of destruction, not the girl. In a ruined structure, hidden from local networks and drones in a manner implying [[TCF]] corruption, she digs up damaged data crystals.<br><br />
<br>The crystals end up containing a set of deep space coordinates, and [[Kyouko]] tries to set up a meeting with [[Yuma]] to discuss them, only to find that [[Yuma]] is off [[Earth]] for the first time in her life. [[Yuma]] herself is disturbed by the invitation, which included several high-ranking [[Cult]] members, but is forced to focus on the immediate task of repairing [[Nova]], [[Governance]] representative for [[Nova Terra]]. The mission nearly spirals out of control, but with help from [[MG]] and others, [[Yuma]] manages to induct [[Nova]] and her considerable resources into a still-intact conspiracy. This quickly bears fruit in the form of uncovered coordinates—unbeknownst to [[Yuma]], the same ones [[Nadya]] found.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], a crystal salamander delivers a message from [[Homura]] to [[Simona]]: "I'm sorry for everything."<br />
----<br />
In short: Both the [[Cult]] and [[Yuma]], running parallel investigations, uncover a mysterious set of coordinates.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|60|Digital Divination}}|[[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Simona]] practice in simulation for their upcoming mission: using [[Project Armstrong]]'s wormhole apparatus to launch [[jumpstrike|an attack]] on the [[Ceph]]'s [[pulsar mines]]. The simulation ends in their deaths—not an uncommon occurrence, a fact which weighs on them, especially [[Asami]]. But [[Ryouko]] works hard to support her girlfriend, even genetically engineering an exotic plant for [[Asami]] to wear in her hair as a gift.<br><br />
<br>[[Yuma]]'s investigation into the AIs involved in [[Ryouko]]'s life turns up no [[TCF]] corruption, but indicates that the conspiracy she faces may have simply covered their tracks. Her investigation into the mysterious deep space coordinates yields more: a hidden asteroid base. [[Yuma]] plans to personally lead a field mission, using experimental anti-[[IIC]] technology to prevent any occupants from revealing [[Yuma]]'s conspiracy to their own. Excluded from [[Yuma]]'s planning, [[Kyouko]] unknowingly organizes a [[Cult]]-sponsored expedition to the same exact coordinates.<br><br />
<br>On [[Adept Blue]], [[Clarisse van Rossum]] hears the [[Goddess]]'s voice telling her not to go to the pulsar.<br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] independently plan deep space missions to the same coordinates, while [[Ryouko]] undergoes simulation training for [[Project Armstrong]].}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|61|Into the Void}}|[[Yuma]] and a field team of fellow [[Ancient]]s and escort ships visit the deep space asteroid base and find evidence of contact between the [[Ceph]] and [[Governance]] [[Representatives]] early in the war, ending in the death of the alien representatives. <br />
<br />
[[Kyouko]] then arrives with a large contingent of [[Cult of Hope]] members, leading to a brief flaring of tensions, before Yuma and her group is ambushed by an alien attack force.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, [[Ryouko]] and the others at [[Adept Blue]] launch their wormhole attack on the pulsar. While initially semi-successful, the task force is thrown for a loop when the aliens begin to tear their wormhole apart, and Ryouko suddenly cannot teleport.<br><br />
----<br />
In short: [[Yuma]] and [[Kyouko]] discover secret Ceph-Governance contacts from the beginning of the war, but are ambushed by an alien raid. [[Ryouko]] and [[Adept Blue]] begin their attack on the [[pulsar mines]], but are surprised by alien countermeasures against the wormhole.}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|{{Chapter|62|The Dying Light, Part One}}|TBD}}<br />
<br />
'''More chapters expected; Volume currently incomplete.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
<br />
=== Interlude III: Manifest Destiny ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Manifest Destiny is a term describing the belief that the United States, due to its special virtues, had both a duty and a destiny to expand west into North America.''<br />
: ''It also describes similar beliefs in the [[MSY]] during its fifth phase, as it reached further and further beyond the island nation of Japan. Perhaps may detail its struggle and eventual merger with the rival [[SMC]] in Europe.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume IV: Einstein-Rosen Bridge ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''An Einstein-Rosen Bridge is a hypothetical way of connecting two spacetime coordinates; in other words, a wormhole.''<br />
: ''The subject of [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] power and the [[Cephalopod|Cephalopod's]] wormhole tech will likely feature.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Interlude IV: Ubermensch ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Übermensch is Nietzsche's idea that humanity should turn away from the other worlds and values promoted by "dead" religions and gods, setting instead the goal of advancing new, superior generations of humans on earth.''<br />
: ''This may refer to [[FA]] ideologies, or even aspects of [[Governance]] thought. It notably stands in contrast to Ryouko's life and wish.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
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<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume V: Dark Energy ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Dark energy is a proposed form of energy that drives the accelerating expansion of the universe towards eventual heat death.''<br />
: ''This may imply topics ranging from the role of the [[Incubator]]s to the [[magical girl system]] itself.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Interlude V: Destroyer of Worlds ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''Part of a quote by the god Vishnu in the Bhagavad Gita, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Made famous by J. R. Oppenheimer, who later said he thought of the line after witnessing the first test of an atomic bomb.''<br />
: ''Perhaps covers the Unification Wars, which saw heavy use of atomic weapons. May include [[Clarisse van Rossum]]'s role, a character who notably was also present for the first atomic detonation.''<br />
'''Interlude not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div><br />
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<div class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"><br />
=== Volume VI: Singularity ===<br />
<div class="mw-collapsible-content"><br />
: ''A singularity is a point at which a function takes an infinite value, especially in space-time when matter is infinitely dense, as at the center of a black hole. It is also a term used for the hypothetically unknowable changes to the human condition caused by superintelligence.''<br />
: ''In former sense, it may reference [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] or [[Asami|Asami's]] powers. In the latter, perhaps it refers to [[Governance|Governance's]] Emergency Mode Level Four.''<br />
'''Volume not yet released.'''<br />
</div><br />
</div></div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Timeline&diff=1507Timeline2021-01-16T07:12:09Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* Contact War */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Historical==<br />
===Pre-MSY===<br />
'''1815:''' Beginnings of [[SMC]] take root at Congress of Vienna<br />
<br />
'''End of 19th century:''' [[Clarisse van Rossum]] is born<br />
<br />
'''1910s:''' [[SMC]] shattered by World War I<br />
<br />
'''April 15th, 1912:''' [[Van Rossum]] contracts with the sinking of the RMS Titanic<br />
<br />
'''1940s:''' World War II kills off last remnants of the [[SMC]], in England<br />
<br />
'''1990s-2000s:''' Rough year of birth for [[MSY]] [[Founders]]<br />
<br />
'''1995-1996:''' Rough year of birth for [[Mami]]<br />
<br />
'''1996-1997:''' Rough year of birth for [[Homura]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Sayaka]]<br />
<br />
'''October 3rd, 1996:''' [[Madoka]]'s date of birth in original timeline<br />
<br />
'''2001-2002:''' Rough year of birth for [[Yuma]]<br />
<br />
'''2007-2008:''' Rough year of birth for [[Kaname Tatsuya]]<br />
<br />
'''2008-2010:''' Rough year of [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]]'s contracts<br />
<br />
'''2011:''' [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] reconcile after [[Oriko]]'s attack on [[Mami]]'s apartment<br />
<br />
'''March 16th, 2011:''' Beginning date of [[Homura]]'s loops in original timelines<br />
<br />
'''2011:''' [[Homura]] and [[Sayaka]] contract, [[Homura]] receives timeloop memories upon [[Sayaka]]'s death<br />
<br />
'''April 30th, 2011:''' [[Walpurgisnacht]] arrives in [[Mitakihara]] in original timelines; [[Van Rossum]] arrives in [[Mitakihara]]<br />
<br />
'''2013-2014:''' [[Oriko]] dies, [[Yuma]] joins [[Homura]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] as the [[Mitakihara Four]]<br />
<br />
===Early MSY===<br />
'''2021:''' Founding of [[MSY]]<br />
<br />
'''2020s:''' Rough year of birth for [[Shizuki Sayaka]]<br />
<br />
'''2031:''' Formation of [[Leadership Committee|MSY Leadership Committee]]<br />
<br />
'''2043:''' Formation of [[Soul Guard]], [[Leadership Committee]] given power to form bureaucracy<br />
<br />
'''2044:''' Institutionalization of MSY Judiciary<br />
<br />
'''2045:''' Beginning of corporate expansion throughout pacific rim and parts of East Asia<br />
<br />
'''2053:''' Formation of [[MHD]]<br />
<br />
'''2055:''' [[MSY]] takeover of Yakuza<br />
<br />
'''2059:''' First major charter rewrite (excluding early period), formation of [[MSY Rules Committee]], institutionalization of MSY Citizenship, implementation of restrictive Japanese nativist rules regarding membership<br />
<br />
'''2061:''' [["Second generation" mages]] begin appearing in meaningful numbers<br />
<br />
===MSY Expansion===<br />
'''2065:''' [[MSY]] takeover of Triad, corporate expansion into China; [[Kugimiya Ito]] and [[Nakanishi Aiko]] reunite<br />
<br />
'''2067:''' Second major charter rewrite, repeal of nativist policies, formalization of expansionist protocol, federalization policies<br />
<br />
'''2068:''' First [[MSY]] overseas outpost<br />
<br />
'''2085:''' Last independent Japanese magical girls absorbed into [[MSY]]<br />
<br />
'''2068-2126:''' Expansion and globalization of [[MSY]], first attempts at AI; copycat [[magical girl]] organizations proliferate, including a new [[SMC]], though most are quickly absorbed<br />
<br />
'''2085:''' Rough beginning of [[MSY-SMC Cold War]]<br />
<br />
'''2110:''' [[SMC]] agrees to merger in exchange for concessions<br />
<br />
'''2138:''' Last known non-MSY holdout consents to membership<br />
<br />
'''2130s:''' [[Pretoria Scandal]]<br />
<br />
'''2136:''' Theoretical framework for Friendly AI, the [[Volokhov Criterion]], built by [[Volokhov]] and [[Laplace]]<br />
<br />
'''2148:''' [[Trusted Computing Framework]], built by early [[Volokhov-friendly]] AIs, lays basis for provably secure computing and AI design; AIs proliferate<br />
<br />
'''2130s-2150s:''' [[Kaname Madoka Jr.]] born; [[Kaname Tatsuya]] dies<br />
<br />
===Unification Wars===<br />
'''2130s-2150s:''' [[MSY]] members reach effective [[hyperclass]] status; future [[FA]]/[[UF]] distinctions start to become apparent, structural unemployment rises to crisis levels<br />
<br />
'''2150s:''' Future [[FA]] nations become increasingly brutal in the crushing of domestic uprisings<br />
<br />
'''2160:''' UN dissolves amidst irreconcilable discord, is replaced by [[Freedom Alliance]] (FA) and [[United Front]] (UF), neutral nations slowly descend into civil war<br />
<br />
'''2160-63:''' International situation deteriorates, local wars begin to break out, Incubator offer to intervene is refused by the MSY<br />
<br />
'''January 20th, 2161:''' FA-aligned coup begins the Second Civil War in the United States<br />
<br />
'''2163-2230:''' Time period of what would be later known as the [[Unification Wars]]<br />
<br />
'''2163-2171:''' [[St. Petersburg Atrocity]] precipitates World War III; [[MSY]] membership votes to apply unprecedented punitive measures on its minority [[FA]]-sympathetic faction, full [[UF]]/[[FA]] interfactional war breaks out soon after<br />
<br />
'''2171-2175:''' A partial peace is established after [[UF]]-aligned governments turn initial defeats into moderate gains, most notably solidifying Europe<br />
<br />
'''2175-2179:''' [[FA]] begins World War IV with largely successful WMD strikes; the unrestricted conflict quickly becomes ruinous for both sides<br />
<br />
'''2179-2189:''' Near civilizational collapse necessitates another partial peace, [[UF]] and [[FA]] reorganize<br />
<br />
'''2180:''' [[EDC|UF Emergency Defense Committee (EDC)]] founded<br />
<br />
'''2189-2215:''' World War V; WMDs are more readily countered, and heavily augmented human soldiers take center stage<br />
<br />
'''2200:''' [[EDC]] has largely supplanted the remaining UF governments, passes [[Universal Readiness Decree of 2200]] mandating civilian implants<br />
<br />
'''2200s:''' Grotesque [[FA Elites]] enter mass deployment; nevertheless, economic fundamentals and [[FA]] disunity begin pointing towards [[UF]] victory<br />
<br />
'''2215-2218:''' The Treaty of Paris establishes a temporary peace, with substantial gains for the [[UF]] and asylum for the remaining [[FA]] underclasses; mass migration precipitates a refugee crisis<br />
<br />
'''2218-2230:''' "The Cleanse"; remaining [[FA]] nations are slowly overrun<br />
<br />
'''2230:''' [[EDC]] declares worldwide Unification Day (though small [[FA]] remnants will persist for years); the population—now heavily augmented and totaling less than half its pre-war height—celebrates<br />
<br />
===Golden Age===<br />
<br />
'''2230-2240:''' [[EDC]], promising to construct a new, permanent Eudaimonia, leverages its absolute global power to reconstruct civilization<br />
<br />
'''2236:''' [[Kuroi Abe]] born.<br />
<br />
'''2240:''' [[EDC]] dissolves itself and establishes [[Governance]] as its successor<br />
<br />
'''2250-2330:''' [[Project Eden]] brings clinical immortality, [[Project Janus]] brings [[faster-than-light]] travel, and [[Project Icarus]] brings plentiful solar energy<br />
<br />
'''2260-2280:''' [[First Colonization Wave]] begins the settlement of the [[Core Worlds]]<br />
<br />
'''2300-2320:''' [[Second Colonization Wave]] begins<br />
<br />
'''2310:''' [[Kuroi Abe]] and [[Ryouko's Grandmother|his future wife]] are on the brink of marriage<br />
<br />
'''2333-2335:''' [[Kuroi Nana]] born, with [[Kuroi Nakase]] following shortly after<br />
<br />
'''2337-2338:''' [[Erwynmark]] born on the colony [[Bismarck]]<br />
<br />
'''2346-2348:''' [[Kuroi Nakase]] contracts, [[Kuroi Nana]] contracts and her wish undoes [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase's]] contract<br />
<br />
'''2350-2360:''' Beginning of [[MSY]] clones project<br />
<br />
'''2351-2357:''' [[Kuroi Nana]] breaks contact with her family<br />
<br />
'''2375-2381:''' [[Kuroi Nana]] reconnects with sister and father, but not mother<br />
<br />
'''2395-2405:''' First successful use of blank slate clone as new host body<br />
<br />
'''2420-2423:''' [[Azrael]] born<br />
<br />
'''2434-2437:''' [[Azrael]] contracts after the destruction of her colony [[Terra Roja]]<br />
<br />
'''2439:''' [[Mami]] suggests that the [[Mitakihara Four]] take a vacation together<br />
<br />
===Contact War===<br />
<br />
'''2440:''' First Contact with [[Cephalopod]] aliens, destruction of [[Aurora]]/[[Atlas]] colonies, [[Battle of Epsilon Eridani]]/[[New Athens]], disappearance of [[Homura]], end of the [[Masquerade]]<br />
<br />
'''2441:''' [[Kyouko]] gives first speech announcing her intention to found the [[Church of Hope]]<br />
<br />
'''2440-2443:''' [[Mami]] becomes a Field Marshal; [[Joanne Valentin]] switches fields to physics, starts blogging about [[magical girl]] subjects; [[Kuroi Nakase]] and [[Shizuki Kuma]] meet and marry<br />
<br />
'''2442:''' [[Ordo Illustrata]] founds their colony on [[X-25]]<br />
<br />
'''2445-2446:''' [[Ryouko]] born<br />
<br />
'''Mid-2446:''' [[Asaka]], [[Alice]], [[Patricia]] undergo initial training<br />
<br />
'''2452:''' [[Samsara offensive]] ends in debacle for the [[Cephalopods]]<br />
<br />
'''2452-2453:''' [[Erwynmark|Marshal Erwynmark's]] [[Saharan Raid]] destroys a shipyard and [[wormhole stabilizer]], putting a temporary end to alien ability to sustain offensives<br />
<br />
'''2457:''' Beginning of [[Euphratic Incursion]]<br />
<br />
'''October 1st, 2459:''' [[Kyouko]] begins dating [[Kishida Maki]]<br />
<br />
'''Mid-2460:''' [[Simona]] transfers to [[Mitakihara]] as an exchange student<br />
<br />
==To the Stars==<br />
Chapter numbers cited for events: ⁰ ¹ ² ³ ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹<br />
<br />
On Earth, time of day translates as follows:<br />
<br />
• ''Early morning'' - Roughly 12am-6am<br />
<br />
• ''Morning'' - Roughly 6am-12pm<br />
<br />
• ''Afternoon'' - Roughly 12pm-6pm<br />
<br />
• ''Evening'' - Roughly 6pm-12am<br />
<br />
Elsewhere, time of day is local. (A planet may have more than 24 hours in a day, etc.) Date is Earth-standardized.<br />
<br />
===Volume 1===<br />
'''September 16, 2460:'''<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] meets friends at school, sees [[Mami]] through the window.¹<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Demon]]s attack [[Ryouko]] and [[Simona]], [[Ryouko]] contracts after being saved by [[Mami]].¹ <br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Kyouko]] hunts with [[Ryouko]], and discovers planted saturated [[grief cubes]].² Mami watches the [[Akemi (movie)|movie ''Akemi'']].³ ⁴ <br />
<br />
'''September 17:'''<br />
<br />
''Early Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]], along with [[Kyouko]], tells her parents about her [[contract]].⁵ [[Mami]] departs [[Earth]] after meeting with [[Marianne]].⁶<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] reads informational messages about being a [[magical girl]].⁵ [[Kyouko]] visits [[Yuma]] to discuss the saturated [[grief cubes]].⁷ ⁸<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Mami]] is promoted at a meeting of the [[General Staff]].⁶ [[Ryouko]] receives her implant upgrades and a vision at the [[Ribbon]].⁹ She relates this to the [[Theological Council]].¹⁰<br />
<br />
'''September 18:'''<br />
<br />
''Early morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] has dinner with family and visits the sparring ground beneath the [[Cult of Hope]]'s church with them.¹¹<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] and [[Kuroi Abe]] talk about [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]].¹¹<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] tells [[Ruiko]] and [[Chiaki]] about her [[contract]]; they watch the [[Akemi (movie)|movie ''Akemi'']] together with [[Simona]].¹¹<br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] and friends have a sleepover, while [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] assign a spy bug to [[Ryouko]] and assign [[Risa Flores]] to watch over her.¹¹<br />
<br />
'''September 19:'''<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] receives first [[grief cube]] shipment and reads about combat.¹²<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] goes on a large [[demon]] hunt.¹²<br />
<br />
'''September 20:'''<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] attends event for new [[magical girl]]s, meets [[Asami]].¹³<br />
<br />
'''September 21:'''<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:'' <br />
[[Ryouko]] meets her [[MSY]] psychiatrist [[Atsuko Arisu]].¹³<br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] studies combat more.¹³<br />
<br />
'''September 22:'''<br />
<br />
''Early Morning:''<br />
[[Shizuki Kuma|Ryouko's father]] brings her to [[Prometheus]], upgrading her [[TacComp]] to V2 and explaining the clone program.¹³ [[Yuma]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] discuss [[Valentin]], [[Simona]], and the [[grief cube]] audit; [[Ryouko]] investigates her family tree.¹⁴<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] attends her farewell party and learns of her aunt [[Kuroi Nana]].¹⁵<br />
<br />
'''September 23:'''<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] says goodbye to her family at the [[starport]], takes scramjet to space elevator with [[Asami]].¹⁶<br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] reaches space.¹⁶<br />
<br />
===Volume 2===<br />
'''September 29th, 2460:'''<br />
Initial raid on the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails.¹⁸ [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] enter the final memory-suppressed simulation portion of their training.¹⁹<br />
<br />
'''September 30th:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] share their wishes with each other, as their week of training on [[New Athens]] ends.¹⁹<br />
<br />
'''October 1st:'''<br />
[[HSS Laplace]] is attacked by [[Ceph]] fighters and [[Ryouko]] organizes a magical defense; meanwhile [[Maki]], [[Patricia]], and [[Asaka]] fight [[Ceph]] ground forces on [[Apollo]] in the [[Kepler-37 System]].²⁰<br />
<br />
'''October 2nd:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]], recovering from radiation damage from the attack, learns [[Clarisse]] is sentient.²⁰<br />
<br />
'''October 3rd:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]] et al. land on the planet of [[Acheron]] for garrison duty and attend a gathering commemorating the [[Goddess]]'s birthday.²⁰ Kyouko, Mami, and Yuma meet virtually to celebrate as well.²¹<br />
<br />
'''October 5th:'''<br />
[[Asami]] confesses her attraction to [[Ryouko]], and [[Ryouko]] is recalled from garrison duty to [[Kepler-37]].²¹<br />
<br />
'''October 8th:'''<br />
Now aboard [[HSS Zhukov]], [[Ryouko]] is awarded a medal by [[Mami]] and informed that she's been assigned to the second [[wormhole stabilizer]] mission.²²<br />
<br />
'''October 9th:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]] meets some of her [[MagOps]] team descending down to [[Apollo]] aboard [[HSS Raven]], and visits her injured [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]].²³<br />
<br />
==Possible Future Events==<br />
'''2600s:''' [[Third Colonization Wave]] planned to begin<br />
<br />
'''2900s:''' Planned timeframe for human expansion beyond the [[Local Area]]</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Timeline&diff=1506Timeline2021-01-16T07:11:46Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: Depends on when birthday falls in timeline of Vol. 3</p>
<hr />
<div>==Historical==<br />
===Pre-MSY===<br />
'''1815:''' Beginnings of [[SMC]] take root at Congress of Vienna<br />
<br />
'''End of 19th century:''' [[Clarisse van Rossum]] is born<br />
<br />
'''1910s:''' [[SMC]] shattered by World War I<br />
<br />
'''April 15th, 1912:''' [[Van Rossum]] contracts with the sinking of the RMS Titanic<br />
<br />
'''1940s:''' World War II kills off last remnants of the [[SMC]], in England<br />
<br />
'''1990s-2000s:''' Rough year of birth for [[MSY]] [[Founders]]<br />
<br />
'''1995-1996:''' Rough year of birth for [[Mami]]<br />
<br />
'''1996-1997:''' Rough year of birth for [[Homura]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Sayaka]]<br />
<br />
'''October 3rd, 1996:''' [[Madoka]]'s date of birth in original timeline<br />
<br />
'''2001-2002:''' Rough year of birth for [[Yuma]]<br />
<br />
'''2007-2008:''' Rough year of birth for [[Kaname Tatsuya]]<br />
<br />
'''2008-2010:''' Rough year of [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]]'s contracts<br />
<br />
'''2011:''' [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] reconcile after [[Oriko]]'s attack on [[Mami]]'s apartment<br />
<br />
'''March 16th, 2011:''' Beginning date of [[Homura]]'s loops in original timelines<br />
<br />
'''2011:''' [[Homura]] and [[Sayaka]] contract, [[Homura]] receives timeloop memories upon [[Sayaka]]'s death<br />
<br />
'''April 30th, 2011:''' [[Walpurgisnacht]] arrives in [[Mitakihara]] in original timelines; [[Van Rossum]] arrives in [[Mitakihara]]<br />
<br />
'''2013-2014:''' [[Oriko]] dies, [[Yuma]] joins [[Homura]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] as the [[Mitakihara Four]]<br />
<br />
===Early MSY===<br />
'''2021:''' Founding of [[MSY]]<br />
<br />
'''2020s:''' Rough year of birth for [[Shizuki Sayaka]]<br />
<br />
'''2031:''' Formation of [[Leadership Committee|MSY Leadership Committee]]<br />
<br />
'''2043:''' Formation of [[Soul Guard]], [[Leadership Committee]] given power to form bureaucracy<br />
<br />
'''2044:''' Institutionalization of MSY Judiciary<br />
<br />
'''2045:''' Beginning of corporate expansion throughout pacific rim and parts of East Asia<br />
<br />
'''2053:''' Formation of [[MHD]]<br />
<br />
'''2055:''' [[MSY]] takeover of Yakuza<br />
<br />
'''2059:''' First major charter rewrite (excluding early period), formation of [[MSY Rules Committee]], institutionalization of MSY Citizenship, implementation of restrictive Japanese nativist rules regarding membership<br />
<br />
'''2061:''' [["Second generation" mages]] begin appearing in meaningful numbers<br />
<br />
===MSY Expansion===<br />
'''2065:''' [[MSY]] takeover of Triad, corporate expansion into China; [[Kugimiya Ito]] and [[Nakanishi Aiko]] reunite<br />
<br />
'''2067:''' Second major charter rewrite, repeal of nativist policies, formalization of expansionist protocol, federalization policies<br />
<br />
'''2068:''' First [[MSY]] overseas outpost<br />
<br />
'''2085:''' Last independent Japanese magical girls absorbed into [[MSY]]<br />
<br />
'''2068-2126:''' Expansion and globalization of [[MSY]], first attempts at AI; copycat [[magical girl]] organizations proliferate, including a new [[SMC]], though most are quickly absorbed<br />
<br />
'''2085:''' Rough beginning of [[MSY-SMC Cold War]]<br />
<br />
'''2110:''' [[SMC]] agrees to merger in exchange for concessions<br />
<br />
'''2138:''' Last known non-MSY holdout consents to membership<br />
<br />
'''2130s:''' [[Pretoria Scandal]]<br />
<br />
'''2136:''' Theoretical framework for Friendly AI, the [[Volokhov Criterion]], built by [[Volokhov]] and [[Laplace]]<br />
<br />
'''2148:''' [[Trusted Computing Framework]], built by early [[Volokhov-friendly]] AIs, lays basis for provably secure computing and AI design; AIs proliferate<br />
<br />
'''2130s-2150s:''' [[Kaname Madoka Jr.]] born; [[Kaname Tatsuya]] dies<br />
<br />
===Unification Wars===<br />
'''2130s-2150s:''' [[MSY]] members reach effective [[hyperclass]] status; future [[FA]]/[[UF]] distinctions start to become apparent, structural unemployment rises to crisis levels<br />
<br />
'''2150s:''' Future [[FA]] nations become increasingly brutal in the crushing of domestic uprisings<br />
<br />
'''2160:''' UN dissolves amidst irreconcilable discord, is replaced by [[Freedom Alliance]] (FA) and [[United Front]] (UF), neutral nations slowly descend into civil war<br />
<br />
'''2160-63:''' International situation deteriorates, local wars begin to break out, Incubator offer to intervene is refused by the MSY<br />
<br />
'''January 20th, 2161:''' FA-aligned coup begins the Second Civil War in the United States<br />
<br />
'''2163-2230:''' Time period of what would be later known as the [[Unification Wars]]<br />
<br />
'''2163-2171:''' [[St. Petersburg Atrocity]] precipitates World War III; [[MSY]] membership votes to apply unprecedented punitive measures on its minority [[FA]]-sympathetic faction, full [[UF]]/[[FA]] interfactional war breaks out soon after<br />
<br />
'''2171-2175:''' A partial peace is established after [[UF]]-aligned governments turn initial defeats into moderate gains, most notably solidifying Europe<br />
<br />
'''2175-2179:''' [[FA]] begins World War IV with largely successful WMD strikes; the unrestricted conflict quickly becomes ruinous for both sides<br />
<br />
'''2179-2189:''' Near civilizational collapse necessitates another partial peace, [[UF]] and [[FA]] reorganize<br />
<br />
'''2180:''' [[EDC|UF Emergency Defense Committee (EDC)]] founded<br />
<br />
'''2189-2215:''' World War V; WMDs are more readily countered, and heavily augmented human soldiers take center stage<br />
<br />
'''2200:''' [[EDC]] has largely supplanted the remaining UF governments, passes [[Universal Readiness Decree of 2200]] mandating civilian implants<br />
<br />
'''2200s:''' Grotesque [[FA Elites]] enter mass deployment; nevertheless, economic fundamentals and [[FA]] disunity begin pointing towards [[UF]] victory<br />
<br />
'''2215-2218:''' The Treaty of Paris establishes a temporary peace, with substantial gains for the [[UF]] and asylum for the remaining [[FA]] underclasses; mass migration precipitates a refugee crisis<br />
<br />
'''2218-2230:''' "The Cleanse"; remaining [[FA]] nations are slowly overrun<br />
<br />
'''2230:''' [[EDC]] declares worldwide Unification Day (though small [[FA]] remnants will persist for years); the population—now heavily augmented and totaling less than half its pre-war height—celebrates<br />
<br />
===Golden Age===<br />
<br />
'''2230-2240:''' [[EDC]], promising to construct a new, permanent Eudaimonia, leverages its absolute global power to reconstruct civilization<br />
<br />
'''2236:''' [[Kuroi Abe]] born.<br />
<br />
'''2240:''' [[EDC]] dissolves itself and establishes [[Governance]] as its successor<br />
<br />
'''2250-2330:''' [[Project Eden]] brings clinical immortality, [[Project Janus]] brings [[faster-than-light]] travel, and [[Project Icarus]] brings plentiful solar energy<br />
<br />
'''2260-2280:''' [[First Colonization Wave]] begins the settlement of the [[Core Worlds]]<br />
<br />
'''2300-2320:''' [[Second Colonization Wave]] begins<br />
<br />
'''2310:''' [[Kuroi Abe]] and [[Ryouko's Grandmother|his future wife]] are on the brink of marriage<br />
<br />
'''2333-2335:''' [[Kuroi Nana]] born, with [[Kuroi Nakase]] following shortly after<br />
<br />
'''2337-2338:''' [[Erwynmark]] born on the colony [[Bismarck]]<br />
<br />
'''2346-2348:''' [[Kuroi Nakase]] contracts, [[Kuroi Nana]] contracts and her wish undoes [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase's]] contract<br />
<br />
'''2350-2360:''' Beginning of [[MSY]] clones project<br />
<br />
'''2351-2357:''' [[Kuroi Nana]] breaks contact with her family<br />
<br />
'''2375-2381:''' [[Kuroi Nana]] reconnects with sister and father, but not mother<br />
<br />
'''2395-2405:''' First successful use of blank slate clone as new host body<br />
<br />
'''2420-2423:''' [[Azrael]] born<br />
<br />
'''2434-2437:''' [[Azrael]] contracts after the destruction of her colony [[Terra Roja]]<br />
<br />
'''2439:''' [[Mami]] suggests that the [[Mitakihara Four]] take a vacation together<br />
<br />
===Contact War===<br />
<br />
'''2440:''' First Contact with [[Cephalopod]] aliens, destruction of [[Aurora]]/[[Atlas]] colonies, [[Battle of Epsilon Eridani]]/[[New Athens]], disappearance of [[Homura]], end of the [[Masquerade]]<br />
<br />
'''2441:''' [[Kyouko]] gives first speech announcing her intention to found the [[Church of Hope]]<br />
<br />
'''2440-2443:''' [[Mami]] becomes a Field Marshal; [[Joanne Valentin]] switches fields to physics, starts blogging about [[magical girl]] subjects; [[Kuroi Nakase]] and [[Shizuki Kuma]] meet and marry<br />
<br />
'''2442:''' [[Ordo Illustrata]] founds their colony on [[X-25]]<br />
<br />
'''2445-2446:''' Rough year of [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] birth<br />
<br />
'''Mid-2446:''' [[Asaka]], [[Alice]], [[Patricia]] undergo initial training<br />
<br />
'''2452:''' [[Samsara offensive]] ends in debacle for the [[Cephalopods]]<br />
<br />
'''2452-2453:''' [[Erwynmark|Marshal Erwynmark's]] [[Saharan Raid]] destroys a shipyard and [[wormhole stabilizer]], putting a temporary end to alien ability to sustain offensives<br />
<br />
'''2457:''' Beginning of [[Euphratic Incursion]]<br />
<br />
'''October 1st, 2459:''' [[Kyouko]] begins dating [[Kishida Maki]]<br />
<br />
'''Mid-2460:''' [[Simona]] transfers to [[Mitakihara]] as an exchange student<br />
<br />
==To the Stars==<br />
Chapter numbers cited for events: ⁰ ¹ ² ³ ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹<br />
<br />
On Earth, time of day translates as follows:<br />
<br />
• ''Early morning'' - Roughly 12am-6am<br />
<br />
• ''Morning'' - Roughly 6am-12pm<br />
<br />
• ''Afternoon'' - Roughly 12pm-6pm<br />
<br />
• ''Evening'' - Roughly 6pm-12am<br />
<br />
Elsewhere, time of day is local. (A planet may have more than 24 hours in a day, etc.) Date is Earth-standardized.<br />
<br />
===Volume 1===<br />
'''September 16, 2460:'''<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] meets friends at school, sees [[Mami]] through the window.¹<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Demon]]s attack [[Ryouko]] and [[Simona]], [[Ryouko]] contracts after being saved by [[Mami]].¹ <br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Kyouko]] hunts with [[Ryouko]], and discovers planted saturated [[grief cubes]].² Mami watches the [[Akemi (movie)|movie ''Akemi'']].³ ⁴ <br />
<br />
'''September 17:'''<br />
<br />
''Early Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]], along with [[Kyouko]], tells her parents about her [[contract]].⁵ [[Mami]] departs [[Earth]] after meeting with [[Marianne]].⁶<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] reads informational messages about being a [[magical girl]].⁵ [[Kyouko]] visits [[Yuma]] to discuss the saturated [[grief cubes]].⁷ ⁸<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Mami]] is promoted at a meeting of the [[General Staff]].⁶ [[Ryouko]] receives her implant upgrades and a vision at the [[Ribbon]].⁹ She relates this to the [[Theological Council]].¹⁰<br />
<br />
'''September 18:'''<br />
<br />
''Early morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] has dinner with family and visits the sparring ground beneath the [[Cult of Hope]]'s church with them.¹¹<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] and [[Kuroi Abe]] talk about [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]].¹¹<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] tells [[Ruiko]] and [[Chiaki]] about her [[contract]]; they watch the [[Akemi (movie)|movie ''Akemi'']] together with [[Simona]].¹¹<br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] and friends have a sleepover, while [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] assign a spy bug to [[Ryouko]] and assign [[Risa Flores]] to watch over her.¹¹<br />
<br />
'''September 19:'''<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] receives first [[grief cube]] shipment and reads about combat.¹²<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] goes on a large [[demon]] hunt.¹²<br />
<br />
'''September 20:'''<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] attends event for new [[magical girl]]s, meets [[Asami]].¹³<br />
<br />
'''September 21:'''<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:'' <br />
[[Ryouko]] meets her [[MSY]] psychiatrist [[Atsuko Arisu]].¹³<br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] studies combat more.¹³<br />
<br />
'''September 22:'''<br />
<br />
''Early Morning:''<br />
[[Shizuki Kuma|Ryouko's father]] brings her to [[Prometheus]], upgrading her [[TacComp]] to V2 and explaining the clone program.¹³ [[Yuma]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] discuss [[Valentin]], [[Simona]], and the [[grief cube]] audit; [[Ryouko]] investigates her family tree.¹⁴<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] attends her farewell party and learns of her aunt [[Kuroi Nana]].¹⁵<br />
<br />
'''September 23:'''<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] says goodbye to her family at the [[starport]], takes scramjet to space elevator with [[Asami]].¹⁶<br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] reaches space.¹⁶<br />
<br />
===Volume 2===<br />
'''September 29th, 2460:'''<br />
Initial raid on the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails.¹⁸ [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] enter the final memory-suppressed simulation portion of their training.¹⁹<br />
<br />
'''September 30th:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] share their wishes with each other, as their week of training on [[New Athens]] ends.¹⁹<br />
<br />
'''October 1st:'''<br />
[[HSS Laplace]] is attacked by [[Ceph]] fighters and [[Ryouko]] organizes a magical defense; meanwhile [[Maki]], [[Patricia]], and [[Asaka]] fight [[Ceph]] ground forces on [[Apollo]] in the [[Kepler-37 System]].²⁰<br />
<br />
'''October 2nd:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]], recovering from radiation damage from the attack, learns [[Clarisse]] is sentient.²⁰<br />
<br />
'''October 3rd:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]] et al. land on the planet of [[Acheron]] for garrison duty and attend a gathering commemorating the [[Goddess]]'s birthday.²⁰ Kyouko, Mami, and Yuma meet virtually to celebrate as well.²¹<br />
<br />
'''October 5th:'''<br />
[[Asami]] confesses her attraction to [[Ryouko]], and [[Ryouko]] is recalled from garrison duty to [[Kepler-37]].²¹<br />
<br />
'''October 8th:'''<br />
Now aboard [[HSS Zhukov]], [[Ryouko]] is awarded a medal by [[Mami]] and informed that she's been assigned to the second [[wormhole stabilizer]] mission.²²<br />
<br />
'''October 9th:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]] meets some of her [[MagOps]] team descending down to [[Apollo]] aboard [[HSS Raven]], and visits her injured [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]].²³<br />
<br />
==Possible Future Events==<br />
'''2600s:''' [[Third Colonization Wave]] planned to begin<br />
<br />
'''2900s:''' Planned timeframe for human expansion beyond the [[Local Area]]</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Nakihara_Asami&diff=1505Nakihara Asami2021-01-16T07:10:34Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: Fixing training dates, Asami was called back later</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
{{Characterbox<br />
|name= Nakihara Asami<br />
|image=Asami Cropped.png<br />
|gender= f<br />
|age= 14<br />
|occupation= Ch. 13-24: [[Magical Girl]], Training (Rank: 2LT)<br>Ch. 21-57: [[Magical Girl]], Active Service (Rank: 2LT)<br>Ch. 57-??: [[Magical Girl]], Active Service (Rank: 1LT)<br />
|special= Girlfriend of [[Shizuki Ryouko]]<br />
|SG= Base of the neck<br />
|color= Purple<br />
|weapon= Black Hole<br />
|class= Gravity Manipulator<br />
}}<br />
<br />
A meek and unassertive girl, she has the interesting quality of having a build and height very similar to [[Shizuki Ryouko|Ryouko]], easing [[Shizuki Ryouko|Ryouko]]’s insecurities about the issue. Contracted in the same week as [[Shizuki Ryouko|Ryouko]], they land in the same training cohort on New Athens, (as opposed to the other possibility: Mars) and appear to have become bosom friends (and, in Asami's case, something more) over the course of training simulations. She is currently part of the Magi Cæli.<br />
<br />
Asami dreamt of being a xenobiologist and shares several personality traits (lack of satisfaction on earth, ambitious dreams, and urge to visit the colonies) with [[Shizuki Ryouko|Ryouko]], but instead spent her wish repairing discord between her parents, for the sake of her younger brother (she also has a much older brother). Asami has gravity-related powers, can sense gravitational shifts, and wears her hair in an unbraided ponytail. It may be that low gravity environments intoxicate her. Who knows?<br />
<br />
Although Asami at first expressed a disinterest in romance, she began (awkwardly) dropping hints about her growing affections to [[Shizuki Ryouko|Ryouko]] during their training, and finally confessed her love at an Acheron hot spring.<br />
<br />
She participated in the [[Kepler-37 Offensive]], defending Pollux shipyard on the planet Apollo from Cephalopod forces. As a result, her body was lost and her Soul Gem was recovered by a MedEvac drone. When her body was recovered, she heard the news that [[Shizuki Ryouko|Ryouko]] was speculated dead, and as a result started to fall into despair, which prompted her body to be ejected by the MedEvac drone. Asami's Soul Gem was brought back to Earth, where it was integrated into her backup clone, whose growth was accelerated by the inclusion of body parts recovered from her original body.<br />
<br />
==Gallery==<br />
<gallery widths="250px" heights="250px"><br />
File:Asami.png|Asami charging a Singularity<br />
File:Asami Concept.png|Concept art of Asami Nakihara<br />
File:Asami Concept2.png|Concept art of Asami Nakihara<br />
Ryouko_and_friends_by_xkick.png<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/29181798072/character-post-7-friends-new-and-old Incubator Archives: Character post 7]<br />
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7406866/29/To-the-Stars]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Characters]]<br />
[[Category:MSY]]<br />
[[Category:Army]]<br />
[[Category:Magical Girl]]</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Nakihara_Asami&diff=1504Nakihara Asami2021-01-16T06:50:27Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: Updating characterbox</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
{{Characterbox<br />
|name= Nakihara Asami<br />
|image=Asami Cropped.png<br />
|gender= f<br />
|age= 14<br />
|occupation= Ch. 13-21: [[Magical Girl]], Training (Rank: 2LT)<br>Ch. 21-57: [[Magical Girl]], Active Service (Rank: 2LT)<br>Ch. 57-??: [[Magical Girl]], Active Service (Rank: 1LT)<br />
|special= Girlfriend of [[Shizuki Ryouko]]<br />
|SG= Base of the neck<br />
|color= Purple<br />
|weapon= Black Hole<br />
|class= Gravity Manipulator<br />
}}<br />
<br />
A meek and unassertive girl, she has the interesting quality of having a build and height very similar to [[Shizuki Ryouko|Ryouko]], easing [[Shizuki Ryouko|Ryouko]]’s insecurities about the issue. Contracted in the same week as [[Shizuki Ryouko|Ryouko]], they land in the same training cohort on New Athens, (as opposed to the other possibility: Mars) and appear to have become bosom friends (and, in Asami's case, something more) over the course of training simulations. She is currently part of the Magi Cæli.<br />
<br />
Asami dreamt of being a xenobiologist and shares several personality traits (lack of satisfaction on earth, ambitious dreams, and urge to visit the colonies) with [[Shizuki Ryouko|Ryouko]], but instead spent her wish repairing discord between her parents, for the sake of her younger brother (she also has a much older brother). Asami has gravity-related powers, can sense gravitational shifts, and wears her hair in an unbraided ponytail. It may be that low gravity environments intoxicate her. Who knows?<br />
<br />
Although Asami at first expressed a disinterest in romance, she began (awkwardly) dropping hints about her growing affections to [[Shizuki Ryouko|Ryouko]] during their training, and finally confessed her love at an Acheron hot spring.<br />
<br />
She participated in the [[Kepler-37 Offensive]], defending Pollux shipyard on the planet Apollo from Cephalopod forces. As a result, her body was lost and her Soul Gem was recovered by a MedEvac drone. When her body was recovered, she heard the news that [[Shizuki Ryouko|Ryouko]] was speculated dead, and as a result started to fall into despair, which prompted her body to be ejected by the MedEvac drone. Asami's Soul Gem was brought back to Earth, where it was integrated into her backup clone, whose growth was accelerated by the inclusion of body parts recovered from her original body.<br />
<br />
==Gallery==<br />
<gallery widths="250px" heights="250px"><br />
File:Asami.png|Asami charging a Singularity<br />
File:Asami Concept.png|Concept art of Asami Nakihara<br />
File:Asami Concept2.png|Concept art of Asami Nakihara<br />
Ryouko_and_friends_by_xkick.png<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/29181798072/character-post-7-friends-new-and-old Incubator Archives: Character post 7]<br />
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7406866/29/To-the-Stars]<br />
<br />
[[Category:Characters]]<br />
[[Category:MSY]]<br />
[[Category:Army]]<br />
[[Category:Magical Girl]]</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Timeline&diff=1503Timeline2021-01-16T06:06:39Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: Party where Mami suggests vacation is not on Goddess's birthday, it's on Homura's birthday</p>
<hr />
<div>==Historical==<br />
===Pre-MSY===<br />
'''1815:''' Beginnings of [[SMC]] take root at Congress of Vienna<br />
<br />
'''End of 19th century:''' [[Clarisse van Rossum]] is born<br />
<br />
'''1910s:''' [[SMC]] shattered by World War I<br />
<br />
'''April 15th, 1912:''' [[Van Rossum]] contracts with the sinking of the RMS Titanic<br />
<br />
'''1940s:''' World War II kills off last remnants of the [[SMC]], in England<br />
<br />
'''1990s-2000s:''' Rough year of birth for [[MSY]] [[Founders]]<br />
<br />
'''1995-1996:''' Rough year of birth for [[Mami]]<br />
<br />
'''1996-1997:''' Rough year of birth for [[Homura]], [[Kyouko]], and [[Sayaka]]<br />
<br />
'''October 3rd, 1996:''' [[Madoka]]'s date of birth in original timeline<br />
<br />
'''2001-2002:''' Rough year of birth for [[Yuma]]<br />
<br />
'''2007-2008:''' Rough year of birth for [[Kaname Tatsuya]]<br />
<br />
'''2008-2010:''' Rough year of [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]]'s contracts<br />
<br />
'''2011:''' [[Mami]] and [[Kyouko]] reconcile after [[Oriko]]'s attack on [[Mami]]'s apartment<br />
<br />
'''March 16th, 2011:''' Beginning date of [[Homura]]'s loops in original timelines<br />
<br />
'''2011:''' [[Homura]] and [[Sayaka]] contract, [[Homura]] receives timeloop memories upon [[Sayaka]]'s death<br />
<br />
'''April 30th, 2011:''' [[Walpurgisnacht]] arrives in [[Mitakihara]] in original timelines; [[Van Rossum]] arrives in [[Mitakihara]]<br />
<br />
'''2013-2014:''' [[Oriko]] dies, [[Yuma]] joins [[Homura]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] as the [[Mitakihara Four]]<br />
<br />
===Early MSY===<br />
'''2021:''' Founding of [[MSY]]<br />
<br />
'''2020s:''' Rough year of birth for [[Shizuki Sayaka]]<br />
<br />
'''2031:''' Formation of [[Leadership Committee|MSY Leadership Committee]]<br />
<br />
'''2043:''' Formation of [[Soul Guard]], [[Leadership Committee]] given power to form bureaucracy<br />
<br />
'''2044:''' Institutionalization of MSY Judiciary<br />
<br />
'''2045:''' Beginning of corporate expansion throughout pacific rim and parts of East Asia<br />
<br />
'''2053:''' Formation of [[MHD]]<br />
<br />
'''2055:''' [[MSY]] takeover of Yakuza<br />
<br />
'''2059:''' First major charter rewrite (excluding early period), formation of [[MSY Rules Committee]], institutionalization of MSY Citizenship, implementation of restrictive Japanese nativist rules regarding membership<br />
<br />
'''2061:''' [["Second generation" mages]] begin appearing in meaningful numbers<br />
<br />
===MSY Expansion===<br />
'''2065:''' [[MSY]] takeover of Triad, corporate expansion into China; [[Kugimiya Ito]] and [[Nakanishi Aiko]] reunite<br />
<br />
'''2067:''' Second major charter rewrite, repeal of nativist policies, formalization of expansionist protocol, federalization policies<br />
<br />
'''2068:''' First [[MSY]] overseas outpost<br />
<br />
'''2085:''' Last independent Japanese magical girls absorbed into [[MSY]]<br />
<br />
'''2068-2126:''' Expansion and globalization of [[MSY]], first attempts at AI; copycat [[magical girl]] organizations proliferate, including a new [[SMC]], though most are quickly absorbed<br />
<br />
'''2085:''' Rough beginning of [[MSY-SMC Cold War]]<br />
<br />
'''2110:''' [[SMC]] agrees to merger in exchange for concessions<br />
<br />
'''2138:''' Last known non-MSY holdout consents to membership<br />
<br />
'''2130s:''' [[Pretoria Scandal]]<br />
<br />
'''2136:''' Theoretical framework for Friendly AI, the [[Volokhov Criterion]], built by [[Volokhov]] and [[Laplace]]<br />
<br />
'''2148:''' [[Trusted Computing Framework]], built by early [[Volokhov-friendly]] AIs, lays basis for provably secure computing and AI design; AIs proliferate<br />
<br />
'''2130s-2150s:''' [[Kaname Madoka Jr.]] born; [[Kaname Tatsuya]] dies<br />
<br />
===Unification Wars===<br />
'''2130s-2150s:''' [[MSY]] members reach effective [[hyperclass]] status; future [[FA]]/[[UF]] distinctions start to become apparent, structural unemployment rises to crisis levels<br />
<br />
'''2150s:''' Future [[FA]] nations become increasingly brutal in the crushing of domestic uprisings<br />
<br />
'''2160:''' UN dissolves amidst irreconcilable discord, is replaced by [[Freedom Alliance]] (FA) and [[United Front]] (UF), neutral nations slowly descend into civil war<br />
<br />
'''2160-63:''' International situation deteriorates, local wars begin to break out, Incubator offer to intervene is refused by the MSY<br />
<br />
'''January 20th, 2161:''' FA-aligned coup begins the Second Civil War in the United States<br />
<br />
'''2163-2230:''' Time period of what would be later known as the [[Unification Wars]]<br />
<br />
'''2163-2171:''' [[St. Petersburg Atrocity]] precipitates World War III; [[MSY]] membership votes to apply unprecedented punitive measures on its minority [[FA]]-sympathetic faction, full [[UF]]/[[FA]] interfactional war breaks out soon after<br />
<br />
'''2171-2175:''' A partial peace is established after [[UF]]-aligned governments turn initial defeats into moderate gains, most notably solidifying Europe<br />
<br />
'''2175-2179:''' [[FA]] begins World War IV with largely successful WMD strikes; the unrestricted conflict quickly becomes ruinous for both sides<br />
<br />
'''2179-2189:''' Near civilizational collapse necessitates another partial peace, [[UF]] and [[FA]] reorganize<br />
<br />
'''2180:''' [[EDC|UF Emergency Defense Committee (EDC)]] founded<br />
<br />
'''2189-2215:''' World War V; WMDs are more readily countered, and heavily augmented human soldiers take center stage<br />
<br />
'''2200:''' [[EDC]] has largely supplanted the remaining UF governments, passes [[Universal Readiness Decree of 2200]] mandating civilian implants<br />
<br />
'''2200s:''' Grotesque [[FA Elites]] enter mass deployment; nevertheless, economic fundamentals and [[FA]] disunity begin pointing towards [[UF]] victory<br />
<br />
'''2215-2218:''' The Treaty of Paris establishes a temporary peace, with substantial gains for the [[UF]] and asylum for the remaining [[FA]] underclasses; mass migration precipitates a refugee crisis<br />
<br />
'''2218-2230:''' "The Cleanse"; remaining [[FA]] nations are slowly overrun<br />
<br />
'''2230:''' [[EDC]] declares worldwide Unification Day (though small [[FA]] remnants will persist for years); the population—now heavily augmented and totaling less than half its pre-war height—celebrates<br />
<br />
===Golden Age===<br />
<br />
'''2230-2240:''' [[EDC]], promising to construct a new, permanent Eudaimonia, leverages its absolute global power to reconstruct civilization<br />
<br />
'''2236:''' [[Kuroi Abe]] born.<br />
<br />
'''2240:''' [[EDC]] dissolves itself and establishes [[Governance]] as its successor<br />
<br />
'''2250-2330:''' [[Project Eden]] brings clinical immortality, [[Project Janus]] brings [[faster-than-light]] travel, and [[Project Icarus]] brings plentiful solar energy<br />
<br />
'''2260-2280:''' [[First Colonization Wave]] begins the settlement of the [[Core Worlds]]<br />
<br />
'''2300-2320:''' [[Second Colonization Wave]] begins<br />
<br />
'''2310:''' [[Kuroi Abe]] and [[Ryouko's Grandmother|his future wife]] are on the brink of marriage<br />
<br />
'''2333-2335:''' [[Kuroi Nana]] born, with [[Kuroi Nakase]] following shortly after<br />
<br />
'''2337-2338:''' [[Erwynmark]] born on the colony [[Bismarck]]<br />
<br />
'''2346-2348:''' [[Kuroi Nakase]] contracts, [[Kuroi Nana]] contracts and her wish undoes [[Kuroi Nakase|Nakase's]] contract<br />
<br />
'''2350-2360:''' Beginning of [[MSY]] clones project<br />
<br />
'''2351-2357:''' [[Kuroi Nana]] breaks contact with her family<br />
<br />
'''2375-2381:''' [[Kuroi Nana]] reconnects with sister and father, but not mother<br />
<br />
'''2395-2405:''' First successful use of blank slate clone as new host body<br />
<br />
'''2420-2423:''' [[Azrael]] born<br />
<br />
'''2434-2437:''' [[Azrael]] contracts after the destruction of her colony [[Terra Roja]]<br />
<br />
'''2439:''' [[Mami]] suggests that the [[Mitakihara Four]] take a vacation together<br />
<br />
===Contact War===<br />
<br />
'''2440:''' First Contact with [[Cephalopod]] aliens, destruction of [[Aurora]]/[[Atlas]] colonies, [[Battle of Epsilon Eridani]]/[[New Athens]], disappearance of [[Homura]], end of the [[Masquerade]]<br />
<br />
'''2441:''' [[Kyouko]] gives first speech announcing her intention to found the [[Church of Hope]]<br />
<br />
'''2440-2443:''' [[Mami]] becomes a Field Marshal; [[Joanne Valentin]] switches fields to physics, starts blogging about [[magical girl]] subjects; [[Kuroi Nakase]] and [[Shizuki Kuma]] meet and marry<br />
<br />
'''2442:''' [[Ordo Illustrata]] founds their colony on [[X-25]]<br />
<br />
'''2445:''' Rough year of [[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] birth<br />
<br />
'''Mid-2446:''' [[Asaka]], [[Alice]], [[Patricia]] undergo initial training<br />
<br />
'''2452:''' [[Samsara offensive]] ends in debacle for the [[Cephalopods]]<br />
<br />
'''2452-2453:''' [[Erwynmark|Marshal Erwynmark's]] [[Saharan Raid]] destroys a shipyard and [[wormhole stabilizer]], putting a temporary end to alien ability to sustain offensives<br />
<br />
'''2457:''' Beginning of [[Euphratic Incursion]]<br />
<br />
'''October 1st, 2459:''' [[Kyouko]] begins dating [[Kishida Maki]]<br />
<br />
'''Mid-2460:''' [[Simona]] transfers to [[Mitakihara]] as an exchange student<br />
<br />
==To the Stars==<br />
Chapter numbers cited for events: ⁰ ¹ ² ³ ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹<br />
<br />
On Earth, time of day translates as follows:<br />
<br />
• ''Early morning'' - Roughly 12am-6am<br />
<br />
• ''Morning'' - Roughly 6am-12pm<br />
<br />
• ''Afternoon'' - Roughly 12pm-6pm<br />
<br />
• ''Evening'' - Roughly 6pm-12am<br />
<br />
Elsewhere, time of day is local. (A planet may have more than 24 hours in a day, etc.) Date is Earth-standardized.<br />
<br />
===Volume 1===<br />
'''September 16, 2460:'''<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] meets friends at school, sees [[Mami]] through the window.¹<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Demon]]s attack [[Ryouko]] and [[Simona]], [[Ryouko]] contracts after being saved by [[Mami]].¹ <br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Kyouko]] hunts with [[Ryouko]], and discovers planted saturated [[grief cubes]].² Mami watches the [[Akemi (movie)|movie ''Akemi'']].³ ⁴ <br />
<br />
'''September 17:'''<br />
<br />
''Early Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]], along with [[Kyouko]], tells her parents about her [[contract]].⁵ [[Mami]] departs [[Earth]] after meeting with [[Marianne]].⁶<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] reads informational messages about being a [[magical girl]].⁵ [[Kyouko]] visits [[Yuma]] to discuss the saturated [[grief cubes]].⁷ ⁸<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Mami]] is promoted at a meeting of the [[General Staff]].⁶ [[Ryouko]] receives her implant upgrades and a vision at the [[Ribbon]].⁹ She relates this to the [[Theological Council]].¹⁰<br />
<br />
'''September 18:'''<br />
<br />
''Early morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] has dinner with family and visits the sparring ground beneath the [[Cult of Hope]]'s church with them.¹¹<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] and [[Kuroi Abe]] talk about [[Ryouko's grandmother|her grandmother]].¹¹<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] tells [[Ruiko]] and [[Chiaki]] about her [[contract]]; they watch the [[Akemi (movie)|movie ''Akemi'']] together with [[Simona]].¹¹<br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] and friends have a sleepover, while [[Kyouko]] and [[Yuma]] assign a spy bug to [[Ryouko]] and assign [[Risa Flores]] to watch over her.¹¹<br />
<br />
'''September 19:'''<br />
<br />
''Morning:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] receives first [[grief cube]] shipment and reads about combat.¹²<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] goes on a large [[demon]] hunt.¹²<br />
<br />
'''September 20:'''<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] attends event for new [[magical girl]]s, meets [[Asami]].¹³<br />
<br />
'''September 21:'''<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:'' <br />
[[Ryouko]] meets her [[MSY]] psychiatrist [[Atsuko Arisu]].¹³<br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] studies combat more.¹³<br />
<br />
'''September 22:'''<br />
<br />
''Early Morning:''<br />
[[Shizuki Kuma|Ryouko's father]] brings her to [[Prometheus]], upgrading her [[TacComp]] to V2 and explaining the clone program.¹³ [[Yuma]], [[Mami]], and [[Kyouko]] discuss [[Valentin]], [[Simona]], and the [[grief cube]] audit; [[Ryouko]] investigates her family tree.¹⁴<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko|Ryouko's]] attends her farewell party and learns of her aunt [[Kuroi Nana]].¹⁵<br />
<br />
'''September 23:'''<br />
<br />
''Afternoon:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] says goodbye to her family at the [[starport]], takes scramjet to space elevator with [[Asami]].¹⁶<br />
<br />
''Evening:''<br />
[[Ryouko]] reaches space.¹⁶<br />
<br />
===Volume 2===<br />
'''September 29th, 2460:'''<br />
Initial raid on the [[wormhole stabilizer]] fails.¹⁸ [[Ryouko]], [[Asami]], and [[Meiqing]] enter the final memory-suppressed simulation portion of their training.¹⁹<br />
<br />
'''September 30th:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]] and [[Asami]] share their wishes with each other, as their week of training on [[New Athens]] ends.¹⁹<br />
<br />
'''October 1st:'''<br />
[[HSS Laplace]] is attacked by [[Ceph]] fighters and [[Ryouko]] organizes a magical defense; meanwhile [[Maki]], [[Patricia]], and [[Asaka]] fight [[Ceph]] ground forces on [[Apollo]] in the [[Kepler-37 System]].²⁰<br />
<br />
'''October 2nd:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]], recovering from radiation damage from the attack, learns [[Clarisse]] is sentient.²⁰<br />
<br />
'''October 3rd:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]] et al. land on the planet of [[Acheron]] for garrison duty and attend a gathering commemorating the [[Goddess]]'s birthday.²⁰ Kyouko, Mami, and Yuma meet virtually to celebrate as well.²¹<br />
<br />
'''October 5th:'''<br />
[[Asami]] confesses her attraction to [[Ryouko]], and [[Ryouko]] is recalled from garrison duty to [[Kepler-37]].²¹<br />
<br />
'''October 8th:'''<br />
Now aboard [[HSS Zhukov]], [[Ryouko]] is awarded a medal by [[Mami]] and informed that she's been assigned to the second [[wormhole stabilizer]] mission.²²<br />
<br />
'''October 9th:'''<br />
[[Ryouko]] meets some of her [[MagOps]] team descending down to [[Apollo]] aboard [[HSS Raven]], and visits her injured [[Kuroi Abe|grandfather]].²³<br />
<br />
==Possible Future Events==<br />
'''2600s:''' [[Third Colonization Wave]] planned to begin<br />
<br />
'''2900s:''' Planned timeframe for human expansion beyond the [[Local Area]]</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Words_of_God&diff=1502Words of God2020-12-18T22:15:02Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: Add new WoG</p>
<hr />
<div>Here, you can find a fairly complete list of [[Hieronym|Hieronym's]] comments on various [[To the Stars]] subjects, organized by source.<br />
<br />
=Word of God=<br />
<br />
''Canonicity: Probably Canon - author's own speculation and ideas. Can be overridden by later decisions.''<br />
<br />
''These do not contain direct spoilers of unreleased content, but do sometimes openly discuss matters only implied so far, or give vague hints towards the future.''<br />
<br />
==Sufficient Velocity==<br />
<br />
[https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/ Sufficient Velocity Discussion Thread]<br />
<br />
''Copied and continued from the original SpaceBattles thread, this is the prime source of discussion and speculation for [[To the Stars]], running since early 2013.''<br />
<br />
''Because the source posts are often buried in unrelated discussions and responses, the relevant sections have been pasted below. Topic subjects are paraphrased, answers are verbatim and cited with links to the original posts.''<br />
<br />
===Essentials===<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On the planning of the story:|"TtS has a definite ending planned"|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-30#post-761934}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On complex or lawyerly wishes:|"There's nothing against having a complex, thought out wish--you just have to really mean it. If you're Sayaka, and your heart's desire is to heal Kyousuke, and Kyouko points out to you that, hey, you might as well wish for the power to heal in general...well, the power to heal wasn't really part of your intrinsic desire, but the thought planted in your head makes it hard to wish otherwise...so your potential goes down, or disappears entirely. This is what Kyubey alludes to in Ch. 1 of TtS, when it states that it's better to make the contract now, rather than risk anyone overthinking it. <br />
<br />
Plus, you know, the whole limited-time offer effect.<br />
<br />
Madoka, on the other hand, probably had enough potential that she could have handed Kyubey an entire page of less grandiose, non-universe-scale wishes after thinking about it for a year and still had the wish work."|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-11#post-761499}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On the possibility of a wish contradicting another wish:|"I think Hiero said it before, this is a universe where there are no mutually exclusive wishes. When a wish is made, the universe is pushed onto a path where what is wished for exists and things that contradict that wish don't. That includes things like people making wishes that would cancel out that wish.<br />
For example, a girl wishing to become a successful musician won't have to deal another girl wishing she never becomes a musician. Her wish precludes that. But it wouldn't stop the other girl from wishing she fails as a musician. It just means she succeeds but eventually fails after a while."<br />
:[https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-42#post-762218 —Jimmy C]<br />
"That is actually a pretty good description of what word of god is here."<br />
:—Hieronym<br />
|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-42#post-762222}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On [[Incubator]] contracting before the [[MSY]]:|"However, pre-MSY, the Incubators deliberately undercontracted, since they'd learned from experience that cramming too many MGs in one area causes discord and conflict--it's better to have one team of 5 operating efficiently, rather than two teams of 6 spending half their time trying to kill each other. Plus there's the tendency of new contractees to get their elders killed (see: Sayaka). Without the MSY to mediate and train, these were serious considerations, and teams that exceeded around 6 or 7 started to experience personality clash and bickering over grief cube sharing. It's the same reason corporate start-ups are warned about not going beyond 6 to 7 people--once you get beyond the level where everyone can all be friends and work as a natural group, you start needing management and bureaucracy, which decreases efficiency. In the case of magical girl teams, before the MSY there wasn't even a management to fall back on; things just started falling apart."|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-15#post-761596}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On [[Clarisse van Rossum|Clarisse van Rossum's]] actions in the twentieth century:|(Necessary background: Clarrise van Rossum's witch is strongly implied in-story to be Walpurgisnacht, the infamous witch Homura faces in Puella Magi Madoka Magica.)<br />
<br />
"The way I picture it is, for the long century leading up to Homura/ribbon, Clarisse's freedom of action was greatly constrained (in a metaphysical sense) by the existence of terrible events which must happen, to ensure a timeline leading up to Homura that is roughly unchanged. The First World War, the Second World War, the Holocaust, Japanese atrocities in China, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and all the minor atrocities that followed must repeat in more or less the same manner, despite the existence of a human, rather a witch Walpurgis drawn to those events, SOME OF WHICH WERE ORIGINALLY CAUSED BY WALPURGIS. Clarisse's history in her first century of contracting is a history of showing up and failing to stop disasters from occurring, and in several cases accidentally triggering events. Madoka, when she did give a vision, generally gave visions of the "kill this person or the distant future goes horribly wrong" variety, without appearing personally as more than a narrating voice. By the end of it, Clarisse is apathetic about doing anything more than Historian-style observation, and more than a little angry at the unseen force she knows is guiding her for jerking her around like a puppet on a stage. Only after meeting Homura does Madoka appear to explain herself, and even in Ryouko's time Clarisse is less positive on the Goddess than most members of the Cult.<br />
<br />
As for WHY history must adhere so closely to the original history, the reason is simply that Madoka's friends need to be born and live their early lives the same way, because Madoka is biased.<br />
<br />
That description is also more or less permission to think about the possibility of Clarisse's involvement, conspiracy theory style, into every major 20th century event, in whatever way amuses you. Clarisse made sure Archduke Ferdinand was shot? Maybe. Clarisse was involved in JFK being killed? Maybe."<br />
|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-41#post-762195}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On how the [[TCF]] operates on different levels of sentience:|"To put a lid on expectations of MASS PANIC in the next chapter, there's a subtlety to the Trusted Computing Framework that is important here. The Original AIs (or their descendants) supervise every last line of code that goes into other AIs, or any tool used by AIs or humans to program (i.e. the equivalent of an IDE), but the level of supervision drops off the lower the sentience level of the program in question, simply because it's not practical to have an AI closely scrutinizing each and every drone that comes off an assembly line. The core guarantee is that any AIs or near-AIs made are volokhov-friendly, and this extends downward in the direction of dog drones, etc, but once you get down to bog-common miniature fliers or the lines of code that open your door, it's unlikely an AI ever inspected it directly. This allows, for instance, the possibility of someone compromising an assembly line be inserting a modified assembly robot, or something."|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-147#post-3500160}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On the different roles machine and human intelligences play in the military, and why:|"It comes down to an argument about scaling and combat niches. Speaking broadly, the experiences of ww2 resulted in ground forces dominated effectively by two "sizes" of combatants that participate in direct-- the heavy main battle tank, and the human-sized infantryman. There are many, many intermediate "sizes", but they are all operated by or supporting of infantryman, ranging from APCs that provide transportation, to all the various types of infantry equipment (machine guns, mortars, etc.). So, in fact, the infantryman is occupying many combat niches, including niches that could in theory be filled by something much dumber than the average infantryman.<br />
<br />
In TtS, the first important fact is that machine intelligence is everywhere, and scales roughly with size. When it is possible to put semi-autonomous intelligence in everything, then it becomes logical to replace many combat niches once filled by the infantryman with drones. Why task infantry with carrying and operating machine guns, when you can make a drone that is effectively a mobile machine gun? The same goes for mortars, etc. The question then becomes: why have humans at all?<br />
<br />
This is where the second fact of TtS comes into play. One of TtS's main conceits is that biological human intelligence is still, per size and energy, more efficient than machine intelligences. This is the primary upside of using human soldiers. The primary downside is that the intelligence comes in chunks--unlike a FA approach is taken to things, each human soldier is approximately 1H in intelligence. That is, vastly overqualified to man a machine gun, yet underqualified to run a battlecruiser. Thus, the niche filled by the human soldiers is everything from about 0.7H to 1H--all the combat niches where human-level intelligence is at least sufficient, but it is not possible to stick a smaller autonomous system on it an achieve better results.<br />
<br />
Because machine intelligence scales with size, then, you see most infantrymen manning combat suits that are larger than human. That is because all the smaller combat niches are filled by drones of varying intelligence, and mobile combat suit is the main niche where human-level intelligence becomes relevant. Most smaller tasks (such as firing a machine gun) can be done more effectively with a less-than-human intelligence system that is smaller and consumes less power. Energy means an enormous to TtS ground combat. And when you don't need your infantry to be capable of manning machine guns or providing bulk suppression, large mobile suit becomes much more attractive."|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-137#post-3195351}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On how the grief cube system made the MSY possible:|"On an unrelated note, I'd like to comment on the key differences between the new demon system and the old witch system that make something like the development of the MSY possible, at least insofar as it fosters cooperation and teamwork. There are at least 3 reasons:<br />
<br />
1) Grief cubes are much smaller packets than grief seeds. This makes cheating much harder and infighting much less likely, because everyone can just take their share on the spot. It's the difference between making $1million in a start-up and dividing it equally among four people--and doing the same, except now all you have is a $1million bill that only one person can hold at once. There will be the constant temptation for one person to just take it and run, and everyone knows this. It just makes for more paranoia.<br />
<br />
Plus, smaller chunks are just less prone to "crashes". Imagine that you have 60 soul gem units left before you witch out, but you need 100 units to kill any witch in the area. It doesn't help if any given witch gives you 500 units--you're doomed anyway. Whereas with a horde of demons, you could spend 10 power to kill one, gather 20 units, spent 10 power to kill another one, gather 20 more units, and gradually work yourself back to health.<br />
<br />
2) The elimination of the Witch/Familiar distinction, and the whole familiar eating people to turn into witches thing. Put succinctly, it is now impossible for Kyouko and Sayaka to have the argument they had in episodes 5-7. It doesn't matter whether you're out for yourself or want to be a hero of justice--as long as working together increases survival and grief cube yields, which it almost certainly will, then you will work together. This is very important.<br />
<br />
3) The elimination of girls turning into Witches. The big secret of the previous system, likely to destroy teams the moment one of them witches out. No longer an issue. There's no horrifying revelation just around the corner to cause Mami to shoot everyone."|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-137#post-3195351}}<br />
<br />
===Extras===<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On the nature of Walpurgisnacht:|"Also, since it's unlikely to ever come up, I'd been using the secret headcanon that Walpurgis was a time traveling witch. That's how it could cause so many disasters in the past."|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-103#post-2138315}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On the importance of money pre-[[MSY]] and how it factored in to its founding:|"One the key points mentioned early (as many in this thread have pointed out) is that money, crass money, is a big deal for magical girls before the MSY, and that Homura realized this. Homura also realized that there are he pieces of two important solutions already existed around her:<br />
<br />
1) Rich girls. Jobs, schedules, etc. are not a problem for an heiress sitting on tens or hundreds of millions. Such an heiress could also easily feed/subsidize an entire team, if she so desired. Homura probably noticed that a significant number of pre-existing teams were centered around one particularly rich girl (Oriko, one of the MSY founding teams, in a detail that hasn't come up in-story anywhere, Yoshino if we want to pull crazy crossover examples). Viewed from an economic angle, it makes sense: Everyone else needs money, and the heiress needs team members and friends to insulate her from the risk of dying in anti-demon combat or from emotional problems.<br />
<br />
The problem is, if the heiress ever takes a laser to the soul gem, the rest of the team is usually shit out of luck, and the whole thing falls apart.<br />
<br />
2) Owning your own business: The University Group realized that running their own food stand provided a "job" they couldn't possibly be fired from, because the business belonged to them. Unfortunately, they was so few of them (only 3) that they had to regularly ditch the business entirely to go demon hunting. And of course, the problem with running your own business is a) you need capital, usually plenty of it and b) businesses fail regularly, and if the entire team has everything sunk in their sandwich shop or whatever, it's all over.<br />
<br />
Homura essentially realized three things:<br />
<br />
1) #1 above is the solution to #2. If the problem is not having enough capital, and not being to eat the losses if a business fails, a rich girl with plenty of money is the direct solution to that. More capital means being able to found more lucrative, more stable businesses (taken to the late-MSY extreme, this includes play with the global financial markets), and also means that instead of having to be successful the first time, you only have to be successful on average. It makes a big difference.<br />
<br />
Homura essentially looked at the entrenched, rich elites, and realized that this is where magical girls need to be if they are to have a shot at good lives.<br />
<br />
2) Economies of scale and division of labor fix almost everything. Three girls must constantly abandon their food stand, because the difference between two girls and three girls fighting demons is a tremendous increase in risk. However, the difference between 25 girls and 24 or even 23 is much more marginal--and then the business can become much more lucrative, even when run by 1 or 2 people.<br />
<br />
With increasing trust, it starts becoming possible to specialize everyone into things they're good at, for great mass efficiency. One girl really can become team mom, and make sure everyone has warm bathes and good food to look forward to when they get back (important for psychological health). Others can become really good at making money, others can become good with medical training, and so forth. And beyond that, it starts to become possible to optimize teams, pairing teleporters with AOE, and so forth. Essentially, the equivalent of minmaxing a rpg.<br />
<br />
And the problems that come from businesses failing, rich girls losing control of their fortunes and dying, and so forth, become much more mitigated when you get multiple rich girls involved, and numerous businesses.<br />
<br />
The passage that mentions that the MSY was essentially a modernization of magical girl "economics" essentially makes this point. Economies of scale and Division of labor are core economic principles.<br />
<br />
3) Magical girls have one stunning competitive advantage: magic. By default, there is absolutely no reason to expect that random groups of teenage girls would be any good at founding businesses or making money. The equation becomes much different when you realize they are essentially capable of cheating. Homura realized that a magical girl food stand isn't a particularly good idea--unless you have a girl capable of keeping food forever fresh, or to plant mental suggestions to come buy the food, or to provide ridiculously fast delivery, or to bomb out all your competitors. You have a competitive advantage, you have to use it.<br />
<br />
If you look at early MSY behavior, it makes a lot of perspective when viewed through this lens. For instance, it is implied they went to a lot of trouble to kiss up to rich local girls and get them to join, which is for instance why Shizuki Sayaka was particularly important, and Kyouko wasn't allowed to screw it up.<br />
<br />
Of course, the hard part is to put together the necessary trust, organizations, and sheer number of individuals to make it work in the first place.<br />
<br />
The interaction of magical girls and money (or even grief cube economics) is actually a fairly interesting topic, and you can imagine some crazy things. Indeed, I even suggested some things in this:<br />
http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/37019988685/spinoff-post-2<br />
<br />
Essentially, once you have the necessary preliminaries to conduct secure economic exchanges, you start getting interesting behavior--rich magical girls hiring poorer girls to act as teammates, mercenaries farming out services, even prostitution."|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-55#post-762507}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On how [[fleets]] are organized in [[To the Stars]]:|This is actually best described as a long discussion between Hieronym and readers on the subject, from pages 29 to 31 of the Sufficient Velocity thread. The contents can't be easily extracted - just read through those pages if you're interested. Page 29 is linked as the source.|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-29}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|On passive [[magical girl]] stealth:|"Crossposting this from the SA thread, since Hieronym says passive low-level stealth is TTS-compliant. Obviously, it becomes less important as Magical Girls establish their own parallel society, and even less so when they reveal themselves to humanity as a whole. But if you've ever wondered "Gee, how the hell did the Incubators keep a secret like that for thousands of years, and even into the Information Age?" ...well, this is part of the answer.<br />
<br />
<br />
Magical Girl Passive Universal Stealth in TTS and SA Explained<br />
A Primer<br />
<br />
1) If it's obvious, it's obvious. Your family will notice strange patterns. They might be more likely to overlook minor things, or be slightly more forgiving, but MGs wouldn't even notice this. If you're transformed in broad daylight where people can see and not making a conscious effort not to be seen, you will be seen, and it will be remarkable.<br />
<br />
2) Magical Girls can be Batman. It's a lot easier to confuse and slip past normals if you put effort into it, especially when the environment helps. They might still notice, but it's more likely to be "That was a certainly a very strange and anomalous thing" than "Holy shit why was that chick with a battleaxe wearing a dress and jumping around my warehouse?"<br />
<br />
3) If Magical Girls make a ruckus when everyone is asleep or would have a similarly compelling cause not to notice, they're much less likely to cause a stir or rouse people from their slumber. So even outside of miasma, they can have restrained fights at night -- so long as they stay away from places where people would be awake! -- without being in the papers the next morning.<br />
<br />
4) When a Magical Girl talks about it, they can only say "It tends to work this way" and shrug helplessly, because hard rules aren't a part of their innate understanding. It's something they have to learn as they go, and they still have to be very careful about how they go about their business.<br />
<br />
5) Sometimes, the rules change. Nobody can say why, and the Incubators don't elaborate. Some Girls speculate that the Incubators themselves are behind observed inconsistency; others insist that it's another factor (out of a list of tinfoil MG suppositions)."<br />
:—75% Certain<br />
"I am happy to have this in the SA RP, but I have been very reluctant to rule on things regarding the masquerade because I am aware of all the problems that might be caused either way. That being said, I find it difficult to imagine how things could work without at least something of this sort--in the series we have Mami jumping in full costume off of a light-pole and removing her transformation, to give just one example of something that should be extremely suspicious but no one in Mitakihara seems to bat an eyelash at/ever observe."<br />
:—Hieronym|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-191#post-4940287}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|[[Characters]] ranked by "Favoritism", as of 2015:|<br />
1. [[Shizuki Ryouko]]<br />
<br />
2. [[Tomoe Mami]]<br />
<br />
2. [[Sakura Kyouko]]<br />
<br />
2. [[Kaname Madoka]]<br />
<br />
5. [[Nakihara Asami]]<br />
<br />
5. [[Clarisse|Clarisse (TC)]]<br />
<br />
5. [[Kuroi Nakase]]<br />
<br />
5. [[Clarisse van Rossum]]<br />
<br />
9. [[Azrael Elizabeth Maslanka]]<br />
<br />
9. [[Misa Virani]]<br />
<br />
11. [[Roland Erwynmark]]<br />
<br />
11. [[Akemi Homura]]<br />
<br />
11. [[Chitose Yuma]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Patricia von Rohr]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Chiaki]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Alice Lynwood]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Kishida Maki]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Atsuko Arisu]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Kuroi Abe]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Shirou Asaka]]<br />
<br />
21. [[Nadya Antipova]]<br />
<br />
22. [[Marianne Francois]]<br />
<br />
22. [[Kyubey]]<br />
<br />
22. [[Shizuki Kuma]]<br />
<br />
22. [[Kuroi Kana]]<br />
<br />
22. [[Kuroi Nana]]<br />
<br />
22. [[Simona del Mago]]<br />
<br />
28. [[HSS Pierre-Simon Laplace]]<br />
<br />
28. [[Shizuki Sayaka]]<br />
<br />
28. [[Juliet Francois]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Zheng Ying Zhi]]<br />
<br />
31. [[HSS Raven]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Annabelle Smith]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Ruiko]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Eva Guderian]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Risa Flores]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Mina Guyure]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Gracia Perez]]<br />
|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-118#post-2545988}}<br />
<br />
{{Spbox|[[Characters]] ranked by "Power Levels (personal combat)", as of 2015:|<br />
1. [[Akemi Homura]]<br />
<br />
1. [[Kyubey]]<br />
<br />
1. [[Kaname Madoka]]<br />
<br />
4. [[Clarisse van Rossum]]<br />
<br />
5. [[Tomoe Mami]]<br />
<br />
6. [[Chitose Yuma]]<br />
<br />
6. [[Shizuki Sayaka]]<br />
<br />
6. [[Kuroi Kana]]<br />
<br />
6. [[Sakura Kyouko]]<br />
<br />
10. [[Nadya Antipova]]<br />
<br />
11. [[Atsuko Arisu]]<br />
<br />
12. [[Kuroi Nana]]<br />
<br />
12. [[Misa Virani]]<br />
<br />
14. [[Marianne Francois]]<br />
<br />
15. [[Azrael Elizabeth Maslanka]]<br />
<br />
16. [[Shirou Asaka]]<br />
<br />
17. [[Juliet Francois]]<br />
<br />
18. [[Zheng Ying-Zhi]]<br />
<br />
18. [[Annabelle Smith]]<br />
<br />
20. [[Patricia von Rohr]]<br />
<br />
20. [[Alice Lynwood]]<br />
<br />
20. [[Kishida Maki]]<br />
<br />
23. [[Shizuki Ryouko]]<br />
<br />
23. [[Eva Guderian]]<br />
<br />
23. [[Risa Flores]]<br />
<br />
23. [[Mina Guyure]]<br />
<br />
23. [[Gracia Perez]]<br />
<br />
28. [[Nakihara Asami]]<br />
<br />
29. [[HSS Pierre-Simon Laplace]]<br />
<br />
30. [[HSS Raven]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Roland Erwynmark]]<br />
<br />
31. [[Clarisse|Clarisse (TC)]]<br />
<br />
33. [[Kuroi Nakase]]<br />
<br />
33. [[Kuroi Abe]]<br />
<br />
33. [[Simona del Mago]]<br />
<br />
36. [[Shizuki Kuma]]<br />
<br />
37. [[Chiaki]]<br />
<br />
38. [[Ruiko]]<br />
|https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-118#post-2545988}}<br />
<br />
==Hieronym's Tumblr==<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/archive/ Full Tumblr Archive]<br />
<br />
''Besides the numerous canon posts (organized on this wiki's [[Universe]] page), Hieronym has also answered questions or theorized on various matters over the years.''<br />
<br />
''Because each subject has its own discrete post, this section consists only of links, with the subjects paraphrased.''<br />
<br />
===Essentials===<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/30709503136/have-you-worked-out-an-ending-for-your-story-not On the planning of the story]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/32863631353/i-have-a-question-regarding-the-story-structure On the structure of the story]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/29217458734/how-many-human-colonies-are-there-and-whats-the On the number and population of Human colonies]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33142923484/economy-question-and-aliens On economics and Allocs]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/41151494661/how-did-the-incubator-respong-when-they-were-asked On Incubators being asked for help in the Contact War]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/55779437700/future-interlude-title-change On the titles of future Volumes and Interludes]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/59376550226/when-was-clinical-immortality-achieved-im On when clinical immortality was achieved]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/90279913087/unused-snippet On the state of Governance's military before the Contact War]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/94516363397/we-know-that-magical-girls-who-fall-into-despair On whether the Law of Cycles applies to all ways magical girls can die]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/142889257372/wait-wait-wait-clarisse-would-have-turned-into On Clarrise van Rossum's witch]<br />
<br />
===Extras===<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/32304862925/speculah-post-1 Various speculations, part one]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/49493446509/speculah-post-2 Various speculations, part two]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/28303057542/entropy On the nature of entropy]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/28742081041/will-the-story-ever-cast-a-spotlight-on-the-war-of On whether or not the Unification Wars will be discussed more in-story]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/29205267435/say-what-does-youkai-in-mahou-shoujou-youkai On what "Youkai" means in Mahou Shoujo Youkai]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/29725066292/in-the-last-twenty-years-of-interstellar-war-what On the number of casualties in the Contact War]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/29773916713/as-a-follow-up-to-my-previous-question-how-many On the number of magical girl casualties and population in the Contact War]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/29949848675/hello-i-am-a-big-fan-and-i-have-a-few-questions On the composition and population of the Cult]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/31093707562/whats-the-correct-spelling-of-ryoukos-name-in On the meaning of Ryouko's name]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/31415985529/is-mitakihara-the-main-seat-of-governance On whether or not Governance has a capital city]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/32916517579/so-after-the-unification-wars-the-emergency On various ongoing Governance projects]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/32660524604/insomnia-pm-reposting On the retirement or rotation of leaders in the military and MSY]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/33277633406/how-hardy-are-personal-enhancements-if-you On the hardiness of implants]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/34126552127/how-would-you-describe-ryoukos-personality-to On Ryouko's personality]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/35038136507/are-transformation-sequences-a-thing-or-are-the On transformation sequences]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/35468913200/when-did-the-human-race-achieve-the-ability-to On when FTL travel was invented]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/35469313816/is-it-possible-to-hack-these-implants-and-make On the security and modification of implants]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/36646354300/describe-ryoukos-witch-if-such-a-thing-were On Ryouko's witch]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/37655973633/whats-the-state-of-social-networking-in-tts-does On the state of social media]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/37821770415/since-people-seem-interested-in-process On the process of writing the story (outdated)]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/41074995974/question-i-mightve-missed-something-in-canon On why most magical girls have dress-like outfits]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/41345652948/so-uh-did-the-msy-managed-to-send-a-probe-to On the approximate size of Human space]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/41583894229/i-didnt-understand-the-battle-sequence-with On how Laplace fought the Ceph fighters (with pictures!)]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/43771139334/in-the-msy-how-powerful-are-the-matriarchies-how On the power of the Matriarchies]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/48291457427/is-there-a-dedicated-group-of-girls-set-aside-just On fighting battlefield demon spawns]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/54189966140/what-makes-shipyards-of-such-strategic-importance On the strategic importance of shipyards]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/54202337242/to-what-extent-are-adolescents-born-with-intersex On intersex or transgender magical girls]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/54633351732/are-security-clearance-levels-usually-universal On security clearances and compartmentalization]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/55018657673/education-text-dumping On the primary education system]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/56381803986/have-humans-been-able-to-observe-whether-the-ais On the friendliness of Ceph AI]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/57378093987/forgive-me-is-this-has-been-asked-before-but-is On the shooting star symbol of the MSY]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/57592662917/how-would-you-rate-humanity-and-the-aliens-on-the On Human energy usage]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/58681865394/ecosystem-textdump On Earth's ecosystem]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/61097942724/how-rare-are-the-various-types-of-powers-for On the rarity of different powers]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/61098540023/do-blink-drives-produce-any-sort-of-sensor On the detectability of the Blink Drive]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/62492795494/in-the-recent-26th-chapter-ryouko-over-primed On over-priming soul gems]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/65952809143/does-the-msy-have-political-parties On MSY political factions]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/68350489343/name-meanings On the pseudonyms of the Mitakihara Four]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/94515812917/in-your-headcanon-are-magical-girls-recruited-at On the recruitment rate for magical girls]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/102001235282/pm-reposting On a variety of speculative subjects and questions]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/125653585442/do-wraithsdemons-ever-spawn-in-space-it-occurs On the possibility of demons on spaceships]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/142280138142/hey-im-autistic-and-while-reading-tts-currently On whether Ryouko and her father display autistic traits]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/142888984287/can-the-incubators-refuse-to-grant-a-wish-if-they On whether Incubators can refuse to grant wishes]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/146539799542/how-much-of-earth-is-inhabitable-in-tts-era-yuma On uninhabitable or preserved regions of Earth]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/146826586477/where-do-you-place-mitakihara-in-japan On Mitakihara's location]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/151138266677/are-the-witch-runes-just-a-substitution-cipher On the readability of witch runes]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/177210302855/questions-post-5 On Ryouko's feelings about Clarisse van Rossum]<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/177245873435/questions-post-7 On whether you can meet yourself in a vision]<br />
<br />
[https://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/146528726732/when-was-clarisse-born-when-did-she-contract On the circumstances of Clarisse van Rossum's wish]<br />
<br />
==Discord==<br />
[https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FToTheStars&subject=Ask+for+a+Discord+invitation&message=I+would+like+to+join+the+To+the+Stars+Discord+server.+Please+send+me+an+invite+link! Discord Channel]<br />
<br />
''Though the Discord is mostly used for general chatting, Hieronym has on occasion given Words of God here.''<br />
<br />
''These can't be linked directly, so images will be shown instead. You can search for the text within the images on the Discord server, however.''<br />
<br />
===Essentials===<br />
<br />
{{spbox|On the planned title for the last chapter:|[[File:Ttslastchaptertitle.PNG]]<br />
<br />
<br />
[[File:Hieronymicon.PNG]] is [[Hieronym]]'s icon here.}}<br />
<br />
{{spbox|On the structure of [[MSY]] leadership:|[[File:MSY structure.PNG]]<br />
[[File:MSY structure2.PNG]]<br />
<br />
A little while later:<br />
[[File:MSY structure3.PNG]]<br />
<br />
<br />
[[File:Hieronymicon.PNG]] is [[Hieronym]]'s icon here.}}<br />
<br />
===Extras===<br />
<br />
{{spbox|On [[Shizuki Hitomi|Hitomi]] and [[Shizuki Sayaka|her daughter]]:|[[File:Hitomi.PNG]]<br />
<br />
<br />
"Akuma Homura" is [[Hieronym]] here.}}<br />
<br />
{{spbox|On the [[Soul Guard]] and [[Black Heart]] prior to the [[Unification Wars]]:|[[File:SoulGuardBlackHeart.PNG]]<br />
[[File:SoulGuardBlackHeart2.PNG]]<br />
<br />
"Word of God" is [[Hieronym]] here.}}<br />
<br />
==Reddit==<br />
[https://www.reddit.com/r/ToTheStars/ To the Stars Subreddit]<br />
<br />
===Extras===<br />
<br />
[https://www.reddit.com/r/ToTheStars/comments/kfai4k/ch_31_question_reaction_to_mamis_speech/gg8und1/ On Mami's speech at the end of Ch. 31]</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Expanded_Universe&diff=1501Expanded Universe2020-12-13T01:34:38Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: Adding Epilogue to SM</p>
<hr />
<div>Here, you can find all fan content generated over the years.<br />
<br />
== Expanded Universe Fanfiction ==<br />
<br />
''Canonicity: Mostly Canon - fanmade, but with feedback and advice from the author. Complete accuracy NOT guaranteed, though.''<br />
<br />
''Spoilers labeled by chapter you should read up to first. If story is incomplete, no spoiler rating given. Recommend reading up to the latest chapter of TtS first to be safe.''<br />
<br />
====Essentials====<br />
<br />
=====''Emma's Story,'' by El Conservatore=====<br />
: Complete trilogy about magical girl life during the [[Contact War]]. [Ch. 32]<br />
<br />
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9831632/1/Solemnis Solemnis]<br />
<br />
: Complete. [Ch. 32]<br />
: Tells the story of a more average magical girl, Emma Sinclair, during the Samsara Offensive. <br />
: Considered to hit its stride once Emma gets off Earth in Chapter 4. If you want to know what life is like for a magical girl on the front lines, this is the story for you.<br />
<br />
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10373081/1/Sodales Sodales]<br />
<br />
: Complete. [Ch. 32]<br />
: Sequel to Solemnis. Continues to follow the war in Samsara.<br />
<br />
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11841230/1/Aevitas Aevitas]<br />
<br />
: Complete. [Ch. 32]<br />
: Sequel to Sodales. Handles what comes after Samsara.<br />
<br />
=====''Anthology,'' by Julian Bradshaw=====<br />
: A collection of works by the [[Julian Bradshaw|MSY Historian]]. [Ch. 34]<br />
<br />
[https://archiveofourown.org/works/15779988 Sports]<br />
<br />
: Complete. [Ch. 24]<br />
: A snippet from Julian Bradshaw's ''Mahou Shoujo: Their World, Their History'', detailing the history of magical girl sports.<br />
<br />
[https://archiveofourown.org/works/15780342 The Fermi Question, Answered?]<br />
<br />
: Complete. [Ch. 4]<br />
: A snippet from Julian Bradshaw's personal blog, discussing the history of the Fermi Question.<br />
<br />
[https://archiveofourown.org/works/15780678 Unification Wars History]<br />
: Complete. [Ch. 34]<br />
: A more detailed overview of the wars and events of the time.<br />
<br />
====Extras====<br />
<br />
[https://archiveofourown.org/works/20182015/chapters/47818759 La Fondazione della Guardia di Anima,] by picardyThird<br />
<br />
: Complete. [Ch. 44]<br />
: Tells the story of the Soul Guard's foundation in the early MSY period.<br />
<br />
[https://archiveofourown.org/works/12424293/chapters/28274913 The One-Hundredth Floor,] by Skarmory<br />
<br />
: Incomplete, indefinite hiatus. [Ch. ??]<br />
: Views of the day-to-day administration of the MSY, around the early Unification Wars era.<br />
<br />
Official Spinoff Ideas: [http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/29953570107/spinoff-post-1 Post 1], [http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/37019988685/spinoff-post-2 Post 2], and [http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/47432492067/writing-down-some-spinoff-ideas Various]<br />
<br />
: Not started. [Ch. ??]<br />
: Some worldbuilding tidbits here.<br />
<br />
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8516649/1/Puppets Puppets,] by Schpwuette<br />
<br />
: Incomplete, dead. [Ch. ??]<br />
: About a rogue colony, decades before the Contact War.<br />
: Interesting look at what it's like as a magical girl in a TtS future without the MSY around to help.<br />
<br />
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9402909/1/Those-Who-Take-the-Sword Those Who Take the Sword,] by hereLiesATroper<br />
<br />
: Incomplete, dead. [Ch. ??]<br />
: About Clarisse van Rossum in World War I.<br />
: Features a very early (and discarded) concept in which demons take on a variety of forms, built from the fears and imaginations of local humans, rather than just the wraith form shown in Madoka Magica canon and TtS.<br />
<br />
==Crossovers==<br />
<br />
''Canonicity: Varies - in general, not canon, though can contain canon elements.''<br />
<br />
''Spoilers labeled by chapter you should read up to first.''<br />
<br />
====Essentials====<br />
<br />
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12241700/1/Mass-Divergence Mass Divergence, by Hieronym and El Conservatore]<br />
<br />
: Incomplete, ongoing. [Ch. ??]<br />
: Crossover between Mass Effect, To the Stars, and Emma's Story.<br />
: "It was unexpected, to say the least. The Citadel Council, the MSY, Governance - they all faced a new, confusing world. And, for those closest to the expanding shockwave, a very different life..."<br />
<br />
====Extras====<br />
<br />
[http://www.mediafire.com/download/2n118kh3pm6z183/TtS+Omake+-+A+Moment%27s+Relaxation+%28v1.4%29.epub A Moment's Relaxation, by Hieronym and El Conservatore]<br />
<br />
: Complete. [Ch. 36]<br />
: Crossover between To the Stars and Emma's Story.<br />
: If you don't want to download the epub file, you can read it on the Sufficient Velocity Discussion thread, but be aware there's spoilers up to the latest TtS chapter there: [https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-107#post-2240970 Chapter 1] | [https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-122#post-2621321 Chapter 2] | [https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-148#post-3503485 Chapter 3]<br />
: Essentially a roleplaying session. What if Ryouko and Asami of around To the Stars Chapter 34 met Emma and Ayane of around Sodales Chapter 14, despite the fact that in canon these versions of them are separated by years of time and half of human space?<br />
<br />
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9107321/1/Reaching-for-Eternity Reaching for Eternity, by Kelira Telian]<br />
: Incomplete, dead. [Ch. ??]<br />
: Crossover between To the Stars and Hieronym's Minami-ke fanfictions.<br />
: Yoshino becomes a magical girl, and encounters the Southern Group. <br />
<br />
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8627626/1/L-Effetto-Magico L'Effetto Magico, by Gamer]<br />
: Incomplete, dead. [Ch. ??]<br />
: Crossover between To the Stars and Mass Effect<br />
: Jane Shepard becomes a magical girl.<br />
<br />
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12001174/1/The-Goddess-s-Messenger The Goddess's Messenger, by Batta the Beast]<br />
: Complete. [Ch. 46]<br />
: Crossover between To the Stars and Familiar of Zero.<br />
: A short, "crack" crossover, with wild To the Stars speculation tacked on as "spoilers".<br />
<br />
==Roleplaying Games==<br />
<br />
''Canonicity: Varies. Even if overseen by [[Hieronym]] and run in-universe, canonicity is stretched for roleplaying purposes.''<br />
<br />
''Spoilers labeled by chapter you should read up to first.''<br />
<br />
====Essentials====<br />
<br />
[https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/machine-in-the-ghost-a-tac-clarisse-quest-for-to-the-stars-a-pmmm-fanfic.44100/ Machine in the Ghost]<br />
: Incomplete, ongoing. [Ch. ??]<br />
: Run by: tomoyo<br />
: You are Clarisse the TacComp, and both you and Ryouko have suddenly been flung into what appears to be 2011 Mitakihara. What happened? How do you help Ryouko? Is that Madoka!?<br />
: This is a [https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/intro-to-questing.12494/ quest], where anyone can participate by voting on actions for each new update of the story.<br />
<br />
====Extras====<br />
<br />
[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1K5dPJuQwXK3RyvLpPKxY_M1HMftocVBgSSdj7FWxmLU/edit Sacred Myths]<br />
: Complete. [Ch. 34]<br />
: Run by: Hieronym<br />
: Follows a Black Heart team in the midst of the Unification Wars.<br />
: Semi-private.<br />
: Link above is the Opening Sequence. [http://www.mediafire.com/folder/pq3jj1wr5dm8p/Sacred_Myths_Redacted_Session_Logs Incomplete, redacted sessions] and the [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D6b8Huae8qzMeu2cId5NgBWehSiqrrzhEen9H2ReRoE/edit?usp=sharing Epilogue] are available.<br />
<br />
Cold War<br />
: Incomplete, ongoing. [Ch. ??]<br />
: Run by: Skarmory<br />
: Follows MSY operatives in years leading up to the Unification Wars.<br />
: Private.<br />
<br />
[https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-rp-soul-ascendancy-ooc-ii.5214/ Soul Ascendancy]<br />
: Complete. [Ch. ??]<br />
: Run by: Emeralis00, 75% Certain<br />
: The life of magical girls in a tumultuous 2045 Seattle.<br />
: The version in the link above is incomplete, but this was rebooted and completed in a private Discord, logs for which are [https://www.mediafire.com/folder/ijncm49ho2pyz/ here].<br />
: [[Soul_Ascendancy|Has a few of its own wiki pages.]]<br />
<br />
[https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-rp-gunpowder-clear-pmmm-gsg.14299/ Gunpowder Clear]<br />
: Incomplete, dead. [Ch. ??]<br />
: Run by: Emeralis00<br />
: Crossover between To the Stars and Gunslinger Girl, set at the beginning of the Unification Wars.<br />
<br />
[https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/meguca-micro-empire-quest-pmmm.8632/ Meguca Empire]<br />
: Complete.* [Ch. ??]<br />
: Run by: inverted_helix<br />
: Set at the establishment of the proto-MSY, as Mami attempts to create a Magical Girl organization.<br />
: *The quest was declared over by the author, but the stopping point is semi-arbitrary.<br />
<br />
==Other Fan Works==<br />
<br />
''Canonicity: Not Canon - these generally attempt to mesh with canon, but they're only fanmade.''<br />
<br />
''Spoilers labeled by chapter you should read up to first.''<br />
<br />
====Essentials====<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/tagged/fanart All posts to Hieronym's Tumblr tagged as fanart [Spoilers up to most recent chapter]]<br />
<br />
[http://tothestars.booru.org/index.php?page=post&s=list&tags=all Booru collection of fanart [Spoilers up to most recent chapter]]<br />
<br />
====Extras====<br />
<br />
More detailed Unification War maps [Ch. 24]: [https://i.imgur.com/wMCZsDR.png 2163] and [https://i.imgur.com/j0MvIHm.png 2165]<br />
<br />
[https://imgur.com/a/63xUe Various xKick sketches [No Spoilers]]<br />
<br />
[http://orig15.deviantart.net/c645/f/2015/305/a/6/raburi_dei_600w_by_xkick-d9f4p0o.png xKick's TtS/Mad Max crossover fanart of Hinata Aina and Miroko Mikuru [Mad Max: Fury Road Spoilers]]<br />
<br />
[https://www.reddit.com/r/ToTheStars/comments/402fn0/ch_37_deus_ex_machina/ 'Deus Ex Machina' - fanfiction short detailing an alternate end to Chapter 37 [Ch. 37]]<br />
<br />
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11844270/1/The-Pretorian-Trial 'The Pretorian Trial' - fanfiction story about the origins of the TCF (dead) [Ch. ??]]<br />
<br />
[https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-278#post-9008692 'The Theological Council' - fanfiction short detailing an alternate end to Chapter 51 [Ch. 51]]</div>Julian Bradshawhttp://tts.determinismsucks.net/w/index.php?title=Expanded_Universe&diff=1500Expanded Universe2020-12-13T01:24:56Z<p>Julian Bradshaw: /* Extras */</p>
<hr />
<div>Here, you can find all fan content generated over the years.<br />
<br />
== Expanded Universe Fanfiction ==<br />
<br />
''Canonicity: Mostly Canon - fanmade, but with feedback and advice from the author. Complete accuracy NOT guaranteed, though.''<br />
<br />
''Spoilers labeled by chapter you should read up to first. If story is incomplete, no spoiler rating given. Recommend reading up to the latest chapter of TtS first to be safe.''<br />
<br />
====Essentials====<br />
<br />
=====''Emma's Story,'' by El Conservatore=====<br />
: Complete trilogy about magical girl life during the [[Contact War]]. [Ch. 32]<br />
<br />
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9831632/1/Solemnis Solemnis]<br />
<br />
: Complete. [Ch. 32]<br />
: Tells the story of a more average magical girl, Emma Sinclair, during the Samsara Offensive. <br />
: Considered to hit its stride once Emma gets off Earth in Chapter 4. If you want to know what life is like for a magical girl on the front lines, this is the story for you.<br />
<br />
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10373081/1/Sodales Sodales]<br />
<br />
: Complete. [Ch. 32]<br />
: Sequel to Solemnis. Continues to follow the war in Samsara.<br />
<br />
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11841230/1/Aevitas Aevitas]<br />
<br />
: Complete. [Ch. 32]<br />
: Sequel to Sodales. Handles what comes after Samsara.<br />
<br />
=====''Anthology,'' by Julian Bradshaw=====<br />
: A collection of works by the [[Julian Bradshaw|MSY Historian]]. [Ch. 34]<br />
<br />
[https://archiveofourown.org/works/15779988 Sports]<br />
<br />
: Complete. [Ch. 24]<br />
: A snippet from Julian Bradshaw's ''Mahou Shoujo: Their World, Their History'', detailing the history of magical girl sports.<br />
<br />
[https://archiveofourown.org/works/15780342 The Fermi Question, Answered?]<br />
<br />
: Complete. [Ch. 4]<br />
: A snippet from Julian Bradshaw's personal blog, discussing the history of the Fermi Question.<br />
<br />
[https://archiveofourown.org/works/15780678 Unification Wars History]<br />
: Complete. [Ch. 34]<br />
: A more detailed overview of the wars and events of the time.<br />
<br />
====Extras====<br />
<br />
[https://archiveofourown.org/works/20182015/chapters/47818759 La Fondazione della Guardia di Anima,] by picardyThird<br />
<br />
: Complete. [Ch. 44]<br />
: Tells the story of the Soul Guard's foundation in the early MSY period.<br />
<br />
[https://archiveofourown.org/works/12424293/chapters/28274913 The One-Hundredth Floor,] by Skarmory<br />
<br />
: Incomplete, indefinite hiatus. [Ch. ??]<br />
: Views of the day-to-day administration of the MSY, around the early Unification Wars era.<br />
<br />
Official Spinoff Ideas: [http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/29953570107/spinoff-post-1 Post 1], [http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/37019988685/spinoff-post-2 Post 2], and [http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/post/47432492067/writing-down-some-spinoff-ideas Various]<br />
<br />
: Not started. [Ch. ??]<br />
: Some worldbuilding tidbits here.<br />
<br />
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8516649/1/Puppets Puppets,] by Schpwuette<br />
<br />
: Incomplete, dead. [Ch. ??]<br />
: About a rogue colony, decades before the Contact War.<br />
: Interesting look at what it's like as a magical girl in a TtS future without the MSY around to help.<br />
<br />
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9402909/1/Those-Who-Take-the-Sword Those Who Take the Sword,] by hereLiesATroper<br />
<br />
: Incomplete, dead. [Ch. ??]<br />
: About Clarisse van Rossum in World War I.<br />
: Features a very early (and discarded) concept in which demons take on a variety of forms, built from the fears and imaginations of local humans, rather than just the wraith form shown in Madoka Magica canon and TtS.<br />
<br />
==Crossovers==<br />
<br />
''Canonicity: Varies - in general, not canon, though can contain canon elements.''<br />
<br />
''Spoilers labeled by chapter you should read up to first.''<br />
<br />
====Essentials====<br />
<br />
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12241700/1/Mass-Divergence Mass Divergence, by Hieronym and El Conservatore]<br />
<br />
: Incomplete, ongoing. [Ch. ??]<br />
: Crossover between Mass Effect, To the Stars, and Emma's Story.<br />
: "It was unexpected, to say the least. The Citadel Council, the MSY, Governance - they all faced a new, confusing world. And, for those closest to the expanding shockwave, a very different life..."<br />
<br />
====Extras====<br />
<br />
[http://www.mediafire.com/download/2n118kh3pm6z183/TtS+Omake+-+A+Moment%27s+Relaxation+%28v1.4%29.epub A Moment's Relaxation, by Hieronym and El Conservatore]<br />
<br />
: Complete. [Ch. 36]<br />
: Crossover between To the Stars and Emma's Story.<br />
: If you don't want to download the epub file, you can read it on the Sufficient Velocity Discussion thread, but be aware there's spoilers up to the latest TtS chapter there: [https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-107#post-2240970 Chapter 1] | [https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-122#post-2621321 Chapter 2] | [https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-148#post-3503485 Chapter 3]<br />
: Essentially a roleplaying session. What if Ryouko and Asami of around To the Stars Chapter 34 met Emma and Ayane of around Sodales Chapter 14, despite the fact that in canon these versions of them are separated by years of time and half of human space?<br />
<br />
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9107321/1/Reaching-for-Eternity Reaching for Eternity, by Kelira Telian]<br />
: Incomplete, dead. [Ch. ??]<br />
: Crossover between To the Stars and Hieronym's Minami-ke fanfictions.<br />
: Yoshino becomes a magical girl, and encounters the Southern Group. <br />
<br />
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8627626/1/L-Effetto-Magico L'Effetto Magico, by Gamer]<br />
: Incomplete, dead. [Ch. ??]<br />
: Crossover between To the Stars and Mass Effect<br />
: Jane Shepard becomes a magical girl.<br />
<br />
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12001174/1/The-Goddess-s-Messenger The Goddess's Messenger, by Batta the Beast]<br />
: Complete. [Ch. 46]<br />
: Crossover between To the Stars and Familiar of Zero.<br />
: A short, "crack" crossover, with wild To the Stars speculation tacked on as "spoilers".<br />
<br />
==Roleplaying Games==<br />
<br />
''Canonicity: Varies. Even if overseen by [[Hieronym]] and run in-universe, canonicity is stretched for roleplaying purposes.''<br />
<br />
''Spoilers labeled by chapter you should read up to first.''<br />
<br />
====Essentials====<br />
<br />
[https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/machine-in-the-ghost-a-tac-clarisse-quest-for-to-the-stars-a-pmmm-fanfic.44100/ Machine in the Ghost]<br />
: Incomplete, ongoing. [Ch. ??]<br />
: Run by: tomoyo<br />
: You are Clarisse the TacComp, and both you and Ryouko have suddenly been flung into what appears to be 2011 Mitakihara. What happened? How do you help Ryouko? Is that Madoka!?<br />
: This is a [https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/intro-to-questing.12494/ quest], where anyone can participate by voting on actions for each new update of the story.<br />
<br />
====Extras====<br />
<br />
[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1K5dPJuQwXK3RyvLpPKxY_M1HMftocVBgSSdj7FWxmLU/edit Sacred Myths]<br />
: Complete. [Ch. 34]<br />
: Run by: Hieronym<br />
: Follows a Black Heart team in the midst of the Unification Wars.<br />
: Private. Link above is the "Opening Sequence" doc. Some redacted sessions [http://www.mediafire.com/folder/pq3jj1wr5dm8p/Sacred_Myths_Redacted_Session_Logs here].<br />
<br />
Cold War<br />
: Incomplete, ongoing. [Ch. ??]<br />
: Run by: Skarmory<br />
: Follows MSY operatives in years leading up to the Unification Wars.<br />
: Private.<br />
<br />
[https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-rp-soul-ascendancy-ooc-ii.5214/ Soul Ascendancy]<br />
: Complete. [Ch. ??]<br />
: Run by: Emeralis00, 75% Certain<br />
: The life of magical girls in a tumultuous 2045 Seattle.<br />
: The version in the link above is incomplete, but this was rebooted and completed in a private Discord, logs for which are [https://www.mediafire.com/folder/ijncm49ho2pyz/ here].<br />
: [[Soul_Ascendancy|Has a few of its own wiki pages.]]<br />
<br />
[https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-rp-gunpowder-clear-pmmm-gsg.14299/ Gunpowder Clear]<br />
: Incomplete, dead. [Ch. ??]<br />
: Run by: Emeralis00<br />
: Crossover between To the Stars and Gunslinger Girl, set at the beginning of the Unification Wars.<br />
<br />
[https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/meguca-micro-empire-quest-pmmm.8632/ Meguca Empire]<br />
: Complete.* [Ch. ??]<br />
: Run by: inverted_helix<br />
: Set at the establishment of the proto-MSY, as Mami attempts to create a Magical Girl organization.<br />
: *The quest was declared over by the author, but the stopping point is semi-arbitrary.<br />
<br />
==Other Fan Works==<br />
<br />
''Canonicity: Not Canon - these generally attempt to mesh with canon, but they're only fanmade.''<br />
<br />
''Spoilers labeled by chapter you should read up to first.''<br />
<br />
====Essentials====<br />
<br />
[http://ttshieronym.tumblr.com/tagged/fanart All posts to Hieronym's Tumblr tagged as fanart [Spoilers up to most recent chapter]]<br />
<br />
[http://tothestars.booru.org/index.php?page=post&s=list&tags=all Booru collection of fanart [Spoilers up to most recent chapter]]<br />
<br />
====Extras====<br />
<br />
More detailed Unification War maps [Ch. 24]: [https://i.imgur.com/wMCZsDR.png 2163] and [https://i.imgur.com/j0MvIHm.png 2165]<br />
<br />
[https://imgur.com/a/63xUe Various xKick sketches [No Spoilers]]<br />
<br />
[http://orig15.deviantart.net/c645/f/2015/305/a/6/raburi_dei_600w_by_xkick-d9f4p0o.png xKick's TtS/Mad Max crossover fanart of Hinata Aina and Miroko Mikuru [Mad Max: Fury Road Spoilers]]<br />
<br />
[https://www.reddit.com/r/ToTheStars/comments/402fn0/ch_37_deus_ex_machina/ 'Deus Ex Machina' - fanfiction short detailing an alternate end to Chapter 37 [Ch. 37]]<br />
<br />
[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11844270/1/The-Pretorian-Trial 'The Pretorian Trial' - fanfiction story about the origins of the TCF (dead) [Ch. ??]]<br />
<br />
[https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/to-the-stars-puella-magi-madoka-magica.3927/page-278#post-9008692 'The Theological Council' - fanfiction short detailing an alternate end to Chapter 51 [Ch. 51]]</div>Julian Bradshaw