Tokyo Psychic

"Is this deal legitimate? I refuse."

“Hmm, as expected.” Homura Akemi looked unsurprised and said, “Then I’ll try something else… You can do anything to me at night.”

"reject."

“You can have sex with me anytime, anywhere every day.” Homura Akemi said these terrifying words, her face expressionless, enough to make sirens blare throughout the entire street.

“No way! ...Are you a demon or a succubus?” When Akira Kurusu retorted like this, she finally saw a hint of a smile on Homura Akemi’s face.

She hadn't been this happy in a long time.

“This is serious now,” Homura Akemi said. “In return, I will tell you some crucial information about the Velvet Room… You should be able to sense it now, right? You can no longer enter the Velvet Room.”

Akira Kurishi nodded. "The terms of this deal are entirely in my favor no matter how you look at it."

He was still a little unaccustomed to the sudden appearance of a comic book character, fourteen years old, a middle school student, an exceptionally beautiful girl, and who was utterly smitten with him.

"So, will you agree?"

“I agree.” Akira Kurusu accepted Homura Akemi’s terms of the deal without hesitation.

Having just transmigrated to a strange world, where she knew no one and no one, a magical girl with the ability to rewind time offered her kindness. As long as the return was reasonable, Akira had no reason to refuse the deal.

Having received an affirmative reply from Akira Kurusu, Homura Akemi stood up, tiptoed, and returned the book she was holding to the bookshelf next to her.

At this moment, the guests by the door got closer.

Homura Akemi walked over and nodded to him, "Good morning, Mr. Maruki."

Maruki Takuto gave her a deep look, his gaze, filled with a mixture of admiration and wariness, then fell on Akira Kurusu, who was standing next to Homura Akemi. He then gave her a complex smile, a smile that seemed to convey both heartache and nostalgia.

"Good morning," he said, walking past the two of them into the cluster of bookshelves.

Homura Akemi naturally took Akira Kurusu's hand and walked out of the bookstore.

The streets of Cangshan 1-chome were bustling with activity during the morning rush hour. Students walked out of the station and passed by in twos and threes along the iconic narrow path in front of the private Shujin Academy.

Akira felt that the scene in front of her was extremely familiar, as if she had been here many times before.

Is this a very important place?

"It used to be."

"I see... Where are we going next?" As she spoke, Lai Qixiao saw a boy with dyed yellow hair limping towards the school gate. Then, a burly man stood with his arms crossed next to the guard booth, looking at the boy's arrival with disdain.

“Shibuya,” Homura Akemi answered softly, then pulled Akira Kurusu along with her towards the station.

Akira Kurusu followed behind Homura Akemi, saying, "Shouldn't you at least tell me the relevant information?"

“I’ve already told you, the Velvet Room has been taken over by the evil god Artabait.”

"I know that without you telling me."

Homura Akemi stopped in her tracks. "Then let's make a second deal."

"When did you work at a loan shark company? How come your scams are so elaborate and interconnected?"

“I just thought it would be more convenient for you to gather all the information at once,” Homura Akemi’s icy tone softened slightly, “but I can understand your anxiety and urgency… so let’s find a coffee shop and sit for a while.”

"What was the second deal you mentioned?" Akira Kurusu and Homura Akemi asked her as they entered the tram station and boarded the escalator.

Homura Akemi walked through the underpass, trying to stay as close to Akira Kurusu as possible to avoid contact with other pedestrians. Even at such a close distance, she still had to raise her voice slightly so that Akira Kurusu could hear her.

"You won't agree for now, but do you still want to hear it?"

"Please speak."

"The terms of the deal are: believe every word Homura Akemi says and unconditionally fulfill all her requests."

"That sounds really harsh... What about the reward?" Upon hearing the details of the deal, Akira Kurusu immediately lost all interest and was simply curious about what kind of reward would match such a demanding transaction.

Homura Akemi calmly said, "In return, I will help you find all the lost Personas in the Persona Encyclopedia."

"They actually revealed the incredible information that the 'Encyclopedia of Persona' was missing content with ease."

"You're going to be a long-term customer of mine, so I should at least give you a small gift."

"Are there any more gifts?" Akira Kurusu felt like she was becoming a greedy person.

Homura Akemi thought for a moment, "Not for now."

Then the atmosphere quickly fell silent.

The two walked down to the waiting hall, one after the other.

As if timed perfectly, the train roared out of the tunnel as it arrived at the waiting hall, with each carriage slowing down before finally stopping in front of Akira Kurusu and Homura Akemi.

Akira Kurusu took the initiative to walk in front of Homura Akemi and very gentlemanly shielded her from the surging crowd.

Homura Akemi hugged Akira Kurusu's waist obediently, and as she pushed the passengers out of the car, her slender body nestled in Akira's arms.

Once on the bus, Homura Akemi, being used to the limited seating, sat on Akira Kurusu's lap.

What is this?

“Let’s make a third deal…” Homura Akemi bent down and took off her shoes.

They were a pair of very small leather shoes. When you picked them up, you could smell a strong fragrance, and there was no odor at all. Normal women's leather shoes, even in the cold early spring and with careful use of various sprays, would not be completely odorless.

But Homura Akemi's shoes did not have any strange smell, only a rich, violet-like fragrance that emanated from her skin and hair. It was obvious that this was a product beyond the mundane world, not an industrial product, but a masterpiece of magic... From this, Akira Kurusu could tell that the girl in his arms had completely transcended the human realm.

Witch...

Akira Kurusu thought of the plot of "Puella Magi Madoka Magica", in which Homura Akemi had long since become a non-human "witch" in the cycle of reincarnation.

At this moment, he seemed particularly gloomy.

Homura Akemi seemed to see the irritation and regret that Akira Kurusu had between her brows, and a faint smile bloomed on her face.

She placed the leather shoes, which had clearly been used for some time but were not dirty, on the seat next to Akira Kurusu, then tilted her head slightly and kissed the corner of Akira Kurusu's mouth.

"The transaction has already been completed?"

“Forced sale.” Homura Akemi curled up her legs, and her tiny feet, barely the size of Akira Kurusu’s palms, stepped on Akira Kurusu’s knees.

Through the thick black stockings, I could feel the girl's body temperature, and I could vaguely sense how smooth and delicate her skin was.

Homura Akemi seemed to see through Akira Kurusu's heart, sensing the faint flutter in his soul, and said, "You can touch me as much as you want, you won't be caught... Hmm, this is a special perk I just thought of for you, my loyal customer."

It was only at this moment that Akira Kurusu realized that even though the girl in his arms suddenly exuded a charm beyond human comprehension, no one in the entire carriage had noticed what was happening.

It's like being separated into another space...

Faced with Akira's question, Homura Akemi did not explain. Instead, she removed her headband and magically pulled a comb from under her skirt, handing it to Akira. "Help me comb my hair, and I'll tell you what's going on here."

Akira Kurusu obediently picked up the comb and began to comb Homura Akemi's hair.

Homura Akemi stretched and leaned lazily against Akira Kurusu's chest, instantly silencing the previously noisy world.

In the silence, she listened to the boy's still clear heartbeat, and the desire that was growing in her heart was quietly satisfied.

Akira Kurusu didn't take the opportunity to make a move on Homura Akemi. Instead, she carefully combed Homura's hair and then put on a plain white headband.

"I guessed it, this is your barrier, right?"

In the setting of "Puella Magi Madoka Magica", every magical girl will become a witch because of the transformation from hope to despair.

After becoming witches, their "soul gems" used to cast spells are corrupted by the darkness within their hearts and transformed into "skins of lamentation," thus giving them their own "witch's barrier."

The so-called "witch's barrier" is like the relationship between the space of impression and reality; it is a space that covers the level of reality.

“Yes,” Homura Akemi replied, unsurprised by Akira Kurusu’s response.

On many occasions and at different times, Akira Kurusu directly revealed Homura Akemi's identity.

"Then the transaction is invalid, and you have to give me a different reward."

What do you want?

"I want to know why you like me."

"That's a very rude question."

"Actually, you're just taking advantage of your feelings for me to act recklessly."

“Reckless…” Homura Akemi looked at his hands, which were obediently folded on her knees, and a very faint loneliness and longing appeared in her eyes, but she suppressed the throbbing in her heart that was like a raging fire. “Okay, I promise you.”

Homura Akemi said, "Before we reach our destination and I explain to you how to open the Velvet Room, I will tell you... about our first meeting."

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......

The initial cycle of reincarnation.

[See Takihara City.]

Homura Akemi, now a magical girl, sat behind her classmates.

This is the auditorium of Mitakihara Junior High School. Due to a shortage of seats, only junior high school students from the elementary school section were allowed to visit.

Mami Tomoe and Kaname were sitting next to her.

The venue in front of everyone was the final round of the "National Youth Arithmetic Competition" for the advanced group.

Only two players remain to be eliminated in the competition.

A boy named Ren Amamiya comes from Shujin High School, a private school in Tokyo.

The girl opposite him was named "Hanekawa Tsubasa" and came from Naoetsu High School.

Ren Amamiya seemed particularly wary of the girl across the table. That wariness and vigilance almost became visible on his face after he noticed Homura Akemi in the crowd.

Just like Akira Kurusu's understanding of "Puella Magi Madoka Magica"—

Initially, Homura Akemi was just an insecure girl suffering from heart disease, nearsightedness, poor physical fitness, timidity, and believing that she could do nothing.

But coincidentally, she wore glasses, had braids, and had long, beautiful black hair.

Across from Akira Riri, "Tsubasa Hanekawa" also wore glasses and had her long, black hair braided.

Hanekawa Tsubasa noticed Kurusu Akira's gaze as she looked into the crowd, and followed it to see Akemi Homura. She looked very surprised and said, "Amamiya-san, please don't look around during the match."

"You've already solved this problem?"

"Hmm." Hanekawa Tsubasa answered while picking up a pen and writing her answer on the answer sheet in front of her, then pressed the indicator light on the table.

Akira Kurusu immediately wrote down the answer and pressed the button. "What a coincidence, I solved it too."

The questions that the two people had just answered immediately appeared on the big screen.

The complex formulas and the intricate answers that were almost impossible to arrive at in mental calculations elicited gasps and applause from the group of junior high school students who could only solve simple linear equations in two variables.

Everyone around was clapping, and even the diligent Homura Akemi belatedly joined in.

She looked at Hanekawa Tsubasa on the screen, who had the same appearance as her but seemed to be omnipotent, and showed a longing expression.

At that moment, some of the classmates around them said, "Look, that Hanekawa-senpai looks a bit like Akemi (Homura)!"

Homura Akemi immediately lowered her face, unable to accept the stares of those around her.

In that instant, she vaguely thought that she should become as excellent as "Hanekawa Tsubasa".

It wasn't until many cycles of reincarnation that Homura Akemi realized that she could never be as good as Tsubasa Hanekawa.

Because she is a woman cursed with "perfection".

Homura Akemi, who has become a demon, is incapable of approaching the perfect image of a goddess.

Just as she couldn't change the fate of "Madoka Kaname becoming a magical girl"...

And this is also the beginning of the story of "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" in this world.

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Hanekawa Tsubasa lost.

Just like what Homura Akemi encountered in countless reincarnations.

In the finals of the second semester, she will inevitably lose to "Ren Amamiya" from Shujin.