The Dimensional Tavern of the Mefilas Alien

Sakura Kyoko snapped out of her daze. She remembered Kyubey telling her that Akemi Homura was using a strange gadget to catch witches. This must be it, right?

Murphy casually picked up a ball from the pile, gently pressed the round button on it, and released the witch inside.

"Woo-goo!"

A tattered, large worm lay dying on the ground; it was Charlotte, the Snack Witch.

"That's interesting!"

Upon seeing the witch in person, Murphy discovered that she was far more interesting than he had imagined.

"Pure despair, utter sorrow... I retract my previous statement. The technology of that incubator civilization is quite interesting."

Murphy then opened the remaining red and white spheres, pouring out all the witches. Suddenly, the once relatively tidy tavern became crowded. The wails of the severely injured witches and the atmosphere of despair made the entire tavern resemble a slaughterhouse. Surrounded by this atmosphere, Homura Akemi and Kyoko Sakura felt their Soul Gems beginning to become corrupted.

Murphy snapped his fingers, and the space in the bar instantly expanded, the witches' voices were silenced, and the atmosphere of despair was imprisoned.

"These witches are all rather weak!" Murphy said with some disappointment after observing them for a while.

Although these witches each had their own unique characteristics, some of which even he found amusing, however…

"As biological weapons, their combat capabilities are completely inadequate. So, was their original purpose really to collect energy? However, it's a real waste to draw power only from the transformation from hope to despair."

Given such extreme despair, if it were the Yapool, they could probably create several super beasts.

From this perspective, Murphy felt that his assessment of the Incubator civilization was correct; they could indeed only be considered third-rate in this universe.

This isn't really a denigration, since most civilizations in the universe are insignificant compared to a powerful race like the Mefilas.

Kyoko Sakura was trying her best to read people's expressions.

Having wandered for a long time, she could tell that Murphy's contempt for Cupid was genuine. If he wasn't an egomaniac, then it meant he was truly stronger than Cupid and the Incubator civilization.

This made Sakura Kyoko even more worried.

Kyubey isn't a good person, but isn't Homura Akemi really inviting trouble into her home?

"What exactly do you want? What are you planning to do to Earth?"

Sakura Kyoko mustered her courage and decided to ask her questions properly.

"I just want to fulfill my cute subordinate's wish and help her find a way to turn witches and magical girls back into humans!"

Murphy shrugged and put all the witches away again. Fortunately, the red and white orbs had some healing properties, otherwise these witches would probably have all died in no time.

"Oh, right, I've just developed a new dish. You two can come and help me test it later!" Murphy said, then plunged into the kitchen, leaving Homura Akemi and Kyoko Sakura behind.

"Tell me the truth, everything. You promised me."

Homura Akemi's eyes flickered slightly. The whole truth? Where should one begin?

"Let's start with my first encounter with her..."

After a long while, Homura Akemi finally finished telling her story.

Looking into Homura Akemi's eyes, Kyoko Sakura felt more shock and sympathy than anger and helplessness.

After learning about the Dark Legion's invasion and Kyubey's creation of biological weapons, Sakura Kyoko was actually a little angry. Because of her own experiences, she was very sensitive to lies.

But when she thought about how Homura Akemi had reincarnated countless times for a promise, searching for a glimmer of hope in despair all alone, she just couldn't bring herself to be angry.

“Making a wish for someone else will never end well,” Sakura Kyoko muttered softly. She was speaking not only of Akemi Homura, but also of herself, and of the other magical girls in the story.

Among the nameless magical girls that Homura Akemi is most familiar with, Mami Tomoe is probably the only one who truly made a wish for herself.

"I already knew about that," Homura Akemi said, as if it were none of her business.

She didn't think she was making a wish for someone else. The original Homura Akemi was a self-conscious girl with a heart condition, nearsightedness, poor grades, weak physical abilities, timidity, and inability to do anything. It was Madoka who saved her, and in every reincarnation, she reached out to her. Therefore, as long as she could see Madoka happy, she would have no regrets.

“You’re a really scary guy!” Sakura Kyoko grinned.

"So, you're planning to recruit me to your side?"

Homura Akemi nodded. Mami Tomoe seemed mature, but her emotions weren't actually that stable. Right now, Homura had given her a foothold to survive through lies. Otherwise, she would have already become a witch. Sayaka, the art director, had a strong sense of justice, but she was also impulsive and had a close relationship with Madoka. If she were to be won over, Madoka would find it hard to hide. Moreover, Sayaka hadn't yet signed a contract to become a magical girl. Homura didn't want to drag her into this abnormal world again.

Sakura Kyoko could probably understand Homura Akemi's thoughts, and her eyes softened.

Homura Akemi may appear cold, but she is actually very gentle at heart.

"I'm really defeated by you... Fine, I'll do it!"

Kyoko Sakura extended her hand to Homura Akemi.

"I've been really annoyed with Kyubey too. But, it'll be hard to fight Kyubey and the others with just the power of magical girls, right? And if you're planning to turn all the witches back into humans, you won't be able to harvest any more Grief Seeds. Without Grief Seeds, the power of magical girls is like water without a source... You wouldn't be hoping I'll join the tavern and become a monster girl, would you?"

"I already have more employees than customers, so I don't plan to hire any new staff for the time being!" Murphy said as she came out carrying a tray.

Are you kidding me? You naturally evil magical girls, are you trying to bankrupt my bar and prevent me from having any more fun?

Chapter Thirty-Five: Cupid is so cute, we must eat him!

"So this place really is just a bar?" Sakura Kyoko couldn't help but ask. Rather than relying on Homura Akemi's hearsay, she wanted a definite answer from the person herself.

“Of course!” Murphy nodded. “My dream is to make this tavern the best monster tavern in the universe… no, in the entire multiverse!”

Murphy's eyes were glazed over. The thought of countless amazing people coming to the bar every day to entertain him made him incredibly excited.

"It's really just a bar?" Sakura Kyoko found it hard to believe. "This isn't some secret hideout, is it? And you really don't have any hidden ambitions?"

Sakura Kyoko, in a childish manner, punched the air in front of her twice: "I thought someone like you who can connect different universes would actually be thinking about conquering all universes and then overthrowing that cosmic emperor in one fell swoop!"

"Young lady, do you have some misunderstanding about me?" Murphy chuckled, crossing his arms in front of his chest to form a large X. "I'm not interested in fighting and killing. I'm a non-violent advocate! Besides, although I don't like His Majesty, I still respect His Majesty's strength and charisma. Moreover, in a sense, His Majesty is also a protector of us Dark Universe people!"

Kyoko Sakura looked bewildered. Despite her unfortunate past, at only 14 years old, she struggled to comprehend the complexities of the adult world.

Homura Akemi, on the other hand, seemed to have a sudden realization. Having reincarnated countless times, although her experience and mental age couldn't be directly superimposed, she still understood to some extent Murphy's complex attitude of keeping his distance from the Aliens Empera.

"Alright, that's not important! You guys should hurry up and try the new dish I developed! Come on, eat it while it's hot!"

Murphy urged the two girls on expectantly.

"Try it!"

Unable to refuse Murphy's hospitality, Homura Akemi and Kyoko Sakura, despite being preoccupied with their own thoughts, obediently began to enjoy the dishes he served, urged on by Murphy.

However, when Sakura Kyoko lowered her head and looked at the steaming, fragrant, and spicy dish in her bowl, she remained silent.

When her family was better off, she once went out to eat Chinese food with them. Although she couldn't recognize it, this dish was full of chili peppers, and it looked like a dish similar to Mapo Tofu, right?

Sakura Kyoko was a little confused. So, the aliens' eating habits are similar to those on Earth? What kind of meat is in this?

Pork? Beef? Or some unknown extraterrestrial creature? If it's an extraterrestrial creature, will humans be okay to eat it?

As she was thinking this, Sakura Kyoko had already reached out with her chopsticks.

After being kicked out of her home by her father, she spent some time wandering the streets and cherished food dearly. Besides, as a magical girl, her body was merely a convenient vessel for movement. As long as the Soul Gem, her true form, remained intact, there was little to worry about.

Sakura Kyoko picked up a piece of meat and put it in her mouth, then immediately grimaced from the spiciness.

"So spicy!"

Fortunately, Murphy had come prepared with drinks for them. Sakura Kyoko picked up the cup next to her and gulped it down.

The icy drink relieved the burning sensation considerably.

Sakura Kyoko finally had the energy to savor the taste of the dishes.

She chewed twice, then squinted her eyes happily.

There's not much to say about the taste. Murphy's cooking skills are as mediocre as ever, but Sakura Kyoko can sense the effort he puts in, so it seems this mysterious alien is indeed serious about running a bar.

What truly amazed Sakura Kyoko was the texture of the unknown meat: tender and smooth, with just the right amount of chewiness.

Kyoko Sakura had never eaten high-end meat, but she felt that even so-called Wagyu beef was nothing special.

"What kind of meat is this?" Sakura Kyoko asked. "Is it a specialty of space?"

"It's the Kyubey that Flame sent!"

"Huh?" Sakura Kyoko's chopsticks, which were about to pick up some food, stopped in mid-air.

Homura Akemi, who hadn't eaten much because it was too spicy, suddenly brightened up when she heard this, and her hands flew up like a blur to grab the food.

"Flame sent over quite a few Kyubey corpses before. I didn't think they were of much use, so I simply used them to cook. You know what, although their value for modification is very low, when it comes to cooking, their quality is probably second only to a few high-quality meats like the Twin-Tailed Monster! If we can raise them in large quantities, it's not impossible for our tavern to become famous and reach the pinnacle of life!"

With a telepathic connection, Sakura Kyoko could understand every single word Murphy said, but why couldn't she grasp the meaning when they were put together?

Kewpie...cooking...farming...

If Kyubey were replaced with a humanoid alien like Murphy, Kyoko Sakura might have vomited immediately. However, Kyubey does resemble a rabbit and is responsible for the tragedies of magical girls.

So after hearing Murphy's words, Sakura Kyoko felt a strange sense of satisfaction at the prospect of revenge.

"That's right!" Sakura Kyoko defended Murphy in her heart. Even if he disliked violence, according to the shopkeeper, he was still a Dark Alien. It's normal for his values ​​to differ from humans. Besides, Kyubey said their bodies were merely replicas created to communicate with humans. If Kyubey could eat them, why couldn't they?

"Flame, can you provide a stable supply of Kewpie? I'm open to long-term purchases!"

Murphy held up one finger: "I can give you a new monster girl transformation device."

"Deal!" Homura Akemi felt that any hesitation, even for a second, would be disrespectful to the monster girl.

Sakura Kyoko always had a feeling that the two of them were making a wicked deal.

"Here you go. Use this to gain the power of the Kemurians." Murphy said with a hint of regret, "If only we had captured a Zettonian. Although the Zettonians aren't that strong, the Zettons they created are quite remarkable."

Kyoko Sakura asked curiously, "Is that Zetton very strong?"

“Of course!” Murphy nodded. “That guy has the ability to unleash a fireball of one trillion degrees Celsius. If left unchecked and going all out, evaporating the entire solar system would be a matter of minutes!”

Sakura Kyoko gasped in shock; that was truly an incredible power!

Homura Akemi couldn't help but indulge in a little daydream.

But no matter what, she was already very satisfied to be able to exchange a mere Kyubey for a new monster girl transformation.

Homura Akemi handed the entire transformation device and cards directly to Kyoko Sakura. This deeply moved Kyoko; she hadn't experienced such unconditional trust in a long time.

"I will do my best to capture Kyubey and the witch!" Sakura Kyoko solemnly promised Akemi Homura.

If Homura Akemi is a demon, then from this moment on, she is an accomplice!

Chapter Thirty-Six: Jamila Awakens

Having successfully obtained the new monster girl power, Homura Akemi finally had the leisure to care about other things.

"Where's Uncle Jamila? Is his transformation still not finished?"

After arriving at the Monster Tavern, Homura Akemi's defenses began to soften little by little. In the past, she would never have cared about a stranger who was of no help in rescuing Madoka.

"The transformation went very smoothly, and you should be able to see him tomorrow!" Murphy replied cheerfully.

"Really? That's wonderful!" Homura Akemi was overjoyed upon hearing this. Her confidence in magical girls and witches turning back into humans grew even stronger.

Afterwards, Homura Akemi and Kyoko Sakura finished Murphy's new dishes, panting heavily, and then cleaned up the mess and the bar before leaving.

Back in her original world, Sakura Kyoko held the belt and the Kemurian card in her hand and couldn't help but exclaim, "It feels like a dream!"

If this is a dream, then she hopes this dream can last forever. Homura Akemi didn't speak, but only thought to herself.

Meanwhile, in a more distant place, Cupid secretly observed the two of them.

It had been watching the two of them ever since they entered the Monster Tavern, and has been waiting ever since.

Having witnessed the two disappear and reappear, Kyubey finally confirmed the reality of the other dimension.

"The equipment that Sakura Kyoko is holding is probably the same as the one that Akemi Homura is wearing. The fact that they can mass-produce this kind of equipment suggests that Homura Homura's claim about the Dark Legion is true!"

Cupid felt pressured.

However, it did not give up its covetousness for another universe.

“If that dark legion is truly so powerful that it is insurmountable, they could simply descend upon this universe directly, instead of entrusting their power to two Earth girls,” Kyubey calmly analyzed.

“They don’t understand this universe yet, so they need Homura Akemi and the others to gather intelligence. What I need to do is prolong this process and take the opportunity to steal their intelligence and even their technology.”

Kyubey licked its paws. Since that's the case, it would just stick to the original plan and encourage the other magical girls.

It could even try to use witches as weapons, as Homura Akemi had spread rumors. Although witches are filled with despair and are not beings capable of understanding commands, the Incubator is, after all, the creator of the witches, and can still manage to lure them to attack a specific target.

"Pfft!"

Just as Cupid was plotting something, a spear pierced its body and pinned it to the ground.

"Flame is right, you really do like to lurk and spy from the shadows!"

Sakura Kyoko, who has transformed into Kemur-nii, suddenly appears out of thin air.

Kyubey, who wasn't completely dead yet, didn't care about his injuries at all. He just stared at her with his ruby ​​eyes, which were shrouded in blood mist: "It seems you've chosen to betray the magical girl. How did you manage to travel such a long distance here so silently?"