Sayaka enjoys the fruits of her wish now that Kyousuke is healed while prepping herself into becoming a Magical Girl worthy of being Mami's successor. But her second mission undergoes a drastic interruption when veteran Magical Girl Kyoko Sakura makes her prescence, and beliefs, known to her.
This episode provides examples of:
- Art Initiates Life: The Familiar Anja resembles a 4-year-old's drawing of a little girl riding a shapeshifting vehicle.
- Barrier Warrior: Kyoko's bonus ability allows her to create red chains around her. She produces some to keep Madoka from interfering in her duel with the newbie.
- Big Damn Heroes: Just before Sayaka is impaled by Kyoko, or before Madoka can make a contract with Kyuubey, Homura shows up to stop the fighting.
- Big Eater: Every one of Kyoko's scenes has her eating some type of snack.
- Big "SHUT UP!": Sayaka says this to Kyoko after insisting that she should show some respect to her.
- Call-Back: Kyoko uses some of her magic on a tower viewer just like how Mami improved Sayaka's bat.
- Cliffhanger: The last scene shows Homura showing up to interrupt Sayaka and Kyoko's death duel.
- Duel to the Death: Outraged by their opponent's opposite ideals, the two Magical Girls battle each other to the death.Kyoko: You don't get it when I explain it and trying to beat some sense into you ain't really working... guess my only option is to kill ya!
Sayaka: I won't lose. Not to you!! - Five-Second Foreshadowing: During the fight, Kyuubey mentions that only another Magical Girl is powerful enough to stop Sayaka and Kyoko's fight. Homura turns out to be the one to stop them.
- Foreshadowing: Kyuubey explains to Kyoko that he considers Homura to be an "irregularity" as he doesn't remember contracting her.
- Heal Thyself: Because Sayaka's wish was to heal Kyousuke's hand paralysis, she gets a bonus ability of healing her body.
- The Mentor: Defied. Homura refuses Madoka's request of teaming up with Sayaka or giving her protection on the grounds that she doomed herself the moment she forged her contract.
- The Needs of the Many: Sayaka hates the idea of letting a Familiar mature as that would mean innocent people would have to die.
- The Social Darwinist: Kyoko explains how it's better for Familiars to kill a couple of weak humans so they can mature into proper Witches which can allow Magical Girls to reap their Grief Seeds.Kyoko: Ever hear of this thing called the food chain? Didn't they teach you it at school?
- That Makes Me Feel Angry: Kyoko openly tells Sayaka that her treating her Magical Girl life like a game pisses her off. She says it again when Sayaka brings up Mami.
- Title Drop: Sayaka thinks "There's no way I'll ever regret it" after hearing Kyousuke play his violin on the hospital roof.
