On a nice night on Alternia, Nepeta returns to her and Karkat's hive all beaten up by bullies. When Karkat tries to comfort her, she lashes out at him, saying he has to do something about it, accusing him of being a Useless Boyfriend. Karkat panics, because he cannot beat them all up and is afraid he will fail and end up lonely. He runs into the night. That's when Cuebey comes in and offers to make a contract. Karkat hesitates at first, but after bringing the latest facts together, he decides to contract and wish for his friend's protection (This was made in consideration that it would loop back around; namely, Nepeta wouldn't leave him, preventing loneliness). Cuebey fulfills the deal and Karkat transforms his first time. Sometime later, the bullies are closing in on Nepeta again, who wanted to check on Karkat. The new Puer Magi shoos them away, leaving Nepeta wondering where he suddenly got that new costume. They decide to laugh it off for the moment.
The next night, Cuebey explains some mechanics to Karkat, who goes on a witch hunt. He soon finds one and beats it with pure improvisation. The second one he's battling the night after that, has an oddly calm barrier. Karkat wonders why, but not long after that, he finds another Puella Magi already fighting it and recognizes her as Vriska. The witch is driving Vriska to frustration, because it keeps dodging her attacks, but when Karkat discovers a new power (Red Miles), they kill it together.
Vriska invites Karkat to stay with her and Kanaya. However, when Karkat accepts, he finds Nepeta, who has made a contract too, is also present. Vriska slips away that day and the three other magical fighters don't notice it until Karkat wakes them. Kanaya decides to go searching for Vriska, and Nepeta and Karkat agree. On the search for Vriska, they suddenly see Equius, who is about to commit suicide. When Kanaya saves him, she explains the mark on his neck as a witch kiss. Karkat recognizes it, but doesn't know where from. Kanaya's gut feeling tells her to go after this witch, and while Nepeta agrees, Karkat doesn't know why until they end up in Erhellen's barrier. Upon seeing the intricate barrier, Kanaya heads on to the danger with Nepeta and Karkat in tow. Vriska's body is discovered in the barrier, and after they defeat the witch, Kanaya reveals their true nature.
After a few nights, Kanaya turns into a witch, leaving Nepeta and Karkat to defeat her. When they are about to deal the final blow, however, Terezi shows up, displeasing Karkat. The two get into a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown due to Terezi's clearvoyancy. Nepeta can't look at it helplessly and gets in the way. Terezi and Karkat back down, and Terezi explains Nepeta is cursed. Karkat proposes to heal her and keep her curse a secret. Terezi seals it.
However, the promise doesn't stay a secret for long. Eridan saw them and tells Nepeta the truth and enrages her. Karkat manages to calm her down and confront Terezi himself. She strangles him, leaves him for dead and walks away. When Karkat awakes, it's almost day. On his way back to his hive, he comes across Nepeta and Terezi, who is about to spill their secret. Before she can tell the truth, Karkat kills her with his Blood Magic. Nepeta is scared, but this soon turns into anger before she too is killed. Karkat walks back to his hive, contemplating his entire life and his decisions. He guesses Terezi might be right, about her assumption he really is an idiot and Terezi wasn't the one to blame. With nothing left to live for, he closes his eyes and transforms into a witch.
