Mao and Atsuko were the first to arrive in the Greater Mirror. Mao explained the situation to her as the waited. Soon Nagi and Aria, Mihana and Monmoku, Ena and Lasrefel arrived. The girls ran to each other and thanked their saviors. Senka and Airu arrived after that wave, Mao raised an eyebrow at Airu's new look.

“Someone's gone for an image change I see.”

“Ahaha...Without Monmoku I couldn't do as much as I'd hoped. I'm looking forward to our relations further on, Maou-sama.”

“R-right...” Mao said, thrown off by her form of address.

“So she really was a Magical Girl before!” Senka said, as though she had won something.

The other girls looked at Airu in surprise.

Airu hid behind Monmoku unused to the attention. Monmoku didn't know how to address the situation either, his pact partner had just aligned with the Overlord. In the end he shrugged, this was how things were, the situation with Priripon was complicated enough. He had no ill will toward Mao himself either.

A little while after Kikyo and Juuki arrived, Kikyo looking quite satisfied and Juuki considerably more relaxed than the other girls, except possibly Ena who knew Lasrefel from when he was Hina's partner.

“You look like you had fun,” Mao commented upon Kikyo's return.

“I did!” Kikyo looked around at some of the other somber faces, “Did I do something wrong...?”

“No, you're just a buffoon,” Nagi answered with a wry smile.

Before Kikyo could offer a retort, a worried looking Riho with a pale looking Hina appeared from the other side of the space. Mao's eyes narrowed.

“Hime! Riho!” Lasrefel said, bounding forward. The other Magical Girls however backed up, staying close to their rescuers.

Riho went to him, and picked him up, eager to distance herself from the reflection of Yashiro Hina. As they had made their way to the Greater Mirror, Riho couldn't shake the feeling that something was poking around inside of her, it had only relented when they exited the long tunnel and she had caught sight of the others.

“Who are you?” Mao asked suddenly.

Lasrefel looked shocked, but Hina's twisted smile validated Mao's question in his eyes.

The reflection raised a hand, and the chaos in the room, which had faded significantly since the Mao had been there with Okoto, gathered to her her. Everyone went on guard, but a sparkle in the reflection's hand made Mao rethink it, “Impossible! But-” before he could finish, the chaotic power descended upon the reflection of Hina, as everyone had seen in the Lesser Mirrors when the silver framed mirror spit such power into them. However, this time it was all immediately absorbed by the disk, and the reflection of Hina with her empty smile looked relieved once again, cracks forming across her, until she shattered, and that mana too was absorbed by the Fixed Recovery Disk. It made a chattering sound, but it was distorted!

“Everyone behind me!” Mao cried.

Hurriedly they took shelter behind the winged shield. The disk collapsed upon itself, turning inside out. A thread from Mao appeared connected to the disk.

Kikyo, taking a look at Airu and knowing Riho's situation made the connection immediately.

“She's turning into a Mazoku!”

The disk burst, sending forth waves of magic that banished some of the darkness from the Greater Mirror! From within the light the from of Yashiro Hina descended. She looked nearly the same, save the new dark dress she wore and the immense magical power that was almost equal to Mao's.

Pulses of light continued to emanate from her as she looked at her new body.

Suddenly the thread that connected her to Mao changed color from her end, and a spark formed halfway between the two, pushing and pulling.

Mao's eyes widened, “She's going to become an Overlord...”

The Magical Girls looked shocked, to them one Overlord was more than enough, but the Mazoku knew that once a Mazoku gained enough magical power they could ascend to the rank of Overlord; and an Overlord, should they gain enough power, could ascend even further.

The thread between them snapped! The sparks of power withdrawing into their respective hosts. The pulses of light from Hina seemed to reverse direction, going back inside of her! Her body emitted a fierce blazing glow! When the light faded a darker Hina, whose skin was a white gray and hair pitch black was in her place. Lines of light traced across one cheek, her pupils stood vertically and blazed white. But everything else about her seemed dark, a shadowy presence hung about her, but more importantly, the silver framed mirror hung behind her. Reflected in it was a pure white Yashiro Hina, complete with a halo of light behind her head. The reflected Hina had her eyes closed and arms outstretched. The presently standing Hina had her eyes wide open and her hands at her sides.

The tension was palpable. But the dark Hina finally heaved a sigh.

“It's over...I was worried about what would happen if I really did become an Overlord, but it seems I'm still me...for the most part.”

Lasrefel struggled in Riho's grip, the Magical Girl didn't let go, still assessing the situation.

Mao replied candidly, “I'm glad you're safe at least...but if what just happened is any indication I take it you were the one behind those silver mirrors? In which case that would mean you managed to awaken from the Dark Mirror's clutches. Not only that but interfere with the other Lesser Mirrors. All I can say is that I'm impressed, and humbled by your mental fortitude.”

Hina gave him a sad smile, “I'm nothing that special. I only awoke thanks to your battle with Okoto-sensei. I merely got a taste of true power and wanted more.”

“What do you mean by that?” Riho asked.

“When the seven of you connected, right?” Mao answered.

Hina looked surprised, “Yes, that's it exactly.”

Mao gave her a half smile, “Even I wouldn't have been able to fight that coalition of psychic power, of course you'd admire it.”

Hina continued her look of surprise, “You aren't angry with me for going as far as to borrow your power to become a Mazoku for my own gain?”

“I exist as a symbol of opposition to the legacy of misdeeds left behind by Okoto Kaena. Use me for all I'm worth,” Mao said with a grin.

Hina winced, “I can't compare to the original Overlord.”

Kikyo piped up, “I heard it's tradition that when two Overlords meet for them to have a showdown!”

Mao eyed her with mock contempt, “What nonsense are you teaching a fledgling Overlord? You're right though.”

“Why don't we do it in Makai?” Nagi suggested, frankly tired of the void-terrain the Mirrors presented.

“Ooh! I'd love to, as a new Mazoku I ought to get more familiar with it!” Airu said, getting a chuckle from the other two Mazoku.

Riho added, “Makai is the best place for a fight.”

The Magical Girls nodded, convinced.

The Overlords looked unconvinced, but outnumbered they relented.

“If the King of Makai doesn't mind.”

“We'll do it somewhere people don't live...”

The silver mirror behind Hina spun, and suddenly the landscape changed, and reflected in the mirror was the castle in the Lesser Mirror Riho had seen, while the terrain around them had shifted to that of Makai.

Kikyo confirmed what everyone was wondering by feeling the ground, “It's really home!”

“What did you do with the Dark Mirror?” Mao asked Hina.

“I converted it into my Overlord's Castle,” she replied.

“In that instant?!”

“I had begun construction in my Lesser Mirror once I realized that was a viable option. It was only lacking the energy from the other Mirrors.”

Mao whistled, “You go girl.”

Hina smiled shyly, the compliment feeling good from a senior Overlord.

Mao led their group to a large field in the western part of Makai.

“Here should be fine, just make sure if you use big beam attacks you aim them at the Overlord's Castle or the mist border please!”

“Very well,” Hina said, wondering what kind of rules she would put in place if she ever battled Mao in her own castle someday.

“Kikyo, you do the countdown!”

“Yes sir, Maou-sama sir!”

Kikyo took her dragon form. Everyone present took a double take in silence before Mao muttered, “Kikyoryuu...” Riho snorted at that.

Kikyo stomped her foot thrice, then roared before returning to her Mazoku form, and so the fight commenced!

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Mao's form shifted to its highest level, his horns framing his head like a crown, twelve wings spread in a wide circle behind him, an extra set of arms and hands, and a long thick tail that ended in a fan of blades. The twin spears of magical energy appeared, as well as two swords in his lower set of arms. The upper pair seemed ready for martial arts or magic circle setup.

Hina swapped places with her reflection, the dark from closed its eyes and spread its arms, as the white radiant form took the field. Her eyes snapped open and the mirror dropped into a pool of liquid shadow, vanishing. It was replaced by a golden ring that was gripped by many interlocking arms. Her eyes burned blue and gold in this form, but the pupils stayed white. A myriad of floating mirror shards hung in the air around her.

When Kikyo roared, they clashed!

From each mirror shard a hand extended, Attempting to grapple Mao! Mao allowed them to grab on, but when Hina went to close the distance between them, a wave of energy erupted from Mao's body, turning the arms to ash and blowing Hina back.

The spears went to pincer her, but she dropped through a mirror shard, popping out through a different one.

“Neat trick!” Mao said, “Now here's mine!”

With impossible speed he was behind Hina, with his free hands he grasped the golden ring. The arms on it grabbed back, which was creepy, ignoring that, he swung the swords his lower arms were wielding at Hina's main body. To his surprise, she merely jumped away.

“Oh, so you can move away from this. Huh, interesting.”

Hina looked slightly upset, “I'd rather not.”

From the center of the ring a shadowy mass appeared, and from within that a larger arm appeared and aimed a sucker punch at Mao's stomach.

Mao bent to the side using the ring like a pull bar.

The halo of light around light Hina's head flared up, “Can you please not use my body like exercise equipment?!”

Mao let go, but the arms didn't, “S-sorry! Wait...”

Hina smiled, and a magic circle formed above her, a spear of light shot out from it. Before it reached Mao, one of his own magic spears deflected it. He waggled a finger at her.

“Don't challenge an expert at their own craft! Also can you let go? I though you said you didn't want me to touch this...”

Hina shrugged, “It's just like an arm, I actually don't mind that much. Also we're supposed to be fighting?”

“Ouch! Mental warfare is my weakness,” he said jokingly. Still, he was genuinely surprised Hina had thought to use that against him, she was a good actress it would seem.

He pushed his legs and tail through the ring, ending up crouched horizontally on the vertical ring, his upper arms still very much entangled by the legions of arms.

He thrashed his tail around, trying to do some damage to the ring, but it was tougher than any metal.

“Okay forget the ring, Focus on the body!”

“You sure about that?”

Hina had appeared above him through a mirror shard. From her hands she released a small ball of light. Mao had a bad feeling so he prepared to teleport.

He reappeared a short distance away, and was very glad he had, from the ring many of the arms had mimicked the motion and a myriad of light orbs were hurtling towards where he had been.

“Teleporting's not fair!” Hina said jokingly.

“Says the one who's been doing it from the start,” Mao jabbed back with a smile.

They continued to exchange blows at inhuman levels, the onlookers barely keeping up.

“Think we'll ever get to that level someday?” Kikyo asked Riho.

“No way,” Riho said, “I'd have to become a Mazoku first.”

“You won't?” Kikyo said, shocked.

“Okoto's gone, I don't have to worry about that anymore,” is what she said but, having watched the other Magical Girls talk with Nagi and Kikyo like it was nothing, and Ikue Airu actually become a Mazoku, she felt perhaps it was unavoidable. But that fired up her hatred of losing, she would definitely never become a Mazoku! A voice in her head asked 'Just like you'd definitely kill Kikyo?' She smiled to herself.

“What's so funny?” Kikyo asked.

“Oh I was just thinking how different everything would've been if I'd killed you that day...”

Kikyo flinched, “Can you not?! That's scary!”

Nagi gave her a chop on the head, “She meant she wouldn't have seen this happy little get together had that happened.”

Kikyo rubbed her head, “Ehhh, I knew that I was teasing her!”

Nagi narrowed her eyes, “Really?”

Juuki interjected, “Kikyo-san is really amazing! She learned how to use Magical Girl transformation even though she's a Mazoku! Not only that but to rewrite it in a way that allowed her to become a big dragon!”

Nagi relented with a smile, “Well, I will admit that is rather impressive.”

Kikyo smiled shyly, embarrassed by the compliments.

“Speaking of...why is the dragon so big?” Riho couldn't help but wonder.

“That's...” Kikyo hesitated.

“She fought a big monster made of sweets!” Juuki said excitedly.

Riho raised an eyebrow, Kikyo looked away. Riho wasn't particularly worried about Kikyo's part in that but Juuki's.

“Your subconscious defense was...a monster made out sweets?”

“Apparently it was a whole country of candy!”

“Are you like, a pâtissier or something?!”

Juuki smiled as though she had just received the highest praise.

Aria interjected, “She should be, she's always making something good!”

Ena agreed, while Senka and Mihana nodded furiously.

“Ahh I want cake now!” Atsuko cried.

Mao and Hina wrapped up their battle, landing among the group looking tired.

“So who won?” Kikyo asked. Mao and Hina looked hurt and surprised.

“You weren't watching?!” they cried in unison.

“You tried your best Hina!” Airu said. Mao and Hina's attention immediately flicked to her.

“Airu!”

“Ikue-san!”

“I had some trouble following all the teleporting and halfway through I don't think human or low level Mazoku eyes are built to follow that level of speed, but I did see the final blow!”

“Airu...”

“Ikue-san...”

The sound of clapping nearby caught their attention, “Well, even if your new friends couldn't appreciate it you know someone who does.”

Mao flew to his wife's side, “Alevia! I love you! I'm home!”

Alevia chuckled, “Are you sure you don't need to play it cool in front of the Magical Girls?”

“It's fine! They're good girls!” Mao said.

The Magical Girls laughed. Riho actually took a step back, having suspected maybe Mao had this side to him but to actually see it was something else entirely. She also found a bit of jealousy she didn't expect of Alevia. Her inner voice chided her, 'Mao? Ew, don't even think about it!' a second voice interjected, 'what about Kanaki-san?' the first voice got angry with embarrassment, 'N-no way!' Before she could finish her inner monologue, a male Mazoku caught up to Alevia.

“Alevia-sama, please don't run off when Maou-sama isn't...Oh!” he looked up to see Mao before him. He dropped to a knee.

“Maou-sama, welcome back from your excursion! He noticed the rather large group of Magical Girls, and the fledgling Overlord and was clearly overwhelmed. Riho's inner thoughts, already running rampant finally crossed a line she had though she'd never reach. 'Oh, he's cute...'

She tried to get herself to deny it, but the harder she tried the more she felt she was lying to herself. She crossed her arms, not realizing she was staring at him with a complicated expression.

“U-um did I do something to offend you?!” he asked, putting everyone's attention on Riho.

“Hweh?! ER!? No, no, no! Evewything's fine!” Riho said, biting her tongue in the process. She felt seven times as embarrassed.

Riho couldn't handle it and flew off.

“What was that?!” Kikyo asked aloud. Mao and Alevia smiled.

Mao smacked the Mazoku on the back, “Chase her down, Yogai-kun. And be nice to her!”

“Eh? But isn't she a-”

“So what if she is,” Mao said with a grin.

“I-if you say so milord! Then I'll be off!”

After he had flown off a ways, Mao suggested to the others, “Now, how does some snacks at the Overlord's Castle sound?”

Hina was the first to agree, followed quickly by the Mazoku girls including Airu. The Magical Girls looked to Hina then tentatively but happily agreed.

“Good!” with that, Mao led them to the Overlord's Castle.