《Magical Girl Gunslinger》 Chapter 1 - Arcadia The bus ride through Arcadia¡¯s magically sculpted streets was devoid of potholes, bumps, or any other protrusions. It made it easy to lay my head against the window as we rolled through the megacity, and the fact I had the seat to myself also helped considerably. The only real interruptions to my attempts at resting were the constant clamor of my classmates'' talking and laughing, the slow, rolling stops and starts of the bus as we pushed through traffic, and the occasional tight turn. Still, looking out the window, I was reminded of how beautiful the megacity was. The towering buildings were all sleek curves of a futuristic architecture that somehow captured grace and majesty while still being functional. Even the sunlight curved off the metal and glass buildings in gentle, shining waves instead of the harsh glare normal skyscrapers reflected. Outside of the city center, Arcadia¡¯s districts had more natural buildings that conformed to the various cultures making up the city, but here, it was the future made reality. I sighed to myself. Sometimes, it was easy to forget I was literally living in a city crafted with magitech, the fusion of magic and technology the alien Zenith had gifted to humanity¡¯s chosen. ¡°Hey, shrimp,¡± a voice suddenly appeared next to me. ¡°How come you get a seat all to yourself?¡± My breath caught as my stomach tightened painfully. I opened my eyes and slowly turned to my left, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my chest. The American girl next to me had perfectly curled blond hair flowing down to her shoulders. Her Japanese-style high school uniform was identical to mine, an onyx blazer with silver trim covering most of her white button-up blouse. The skirt matched the blazer, thin silvery lines forming a checkered pattern. Around her neck, a blue bow marked her as being a first year high school student like me. As far as looks went, she was a natural beauty. Her generous curves combined with the perfect smoothness of her face, driving most of the guys in class crazy for her. Even her viridian eyes had a vibrant brightness to them. In all, Katie Bennet was the perfect American beauty. If only she weren¡¯t such a bitch. An eyebrow raised after a moment, putting a dangerous edge to her otherwise soft and perfect face. ¡°What, you just going to stare, cyclops?¡± she snickered. ¡°Didn¡¯t realize you were a mute now.¡± My hand instinctively went up to the medical-styled eyepatch over my right eye, and although my mouth opened slightly, I couldn¡¯t seem to find any words. A lopsided smile stretched across her face at the motion, and I hurriedly lowered my arm back to my side. ¡°Aw, don¡¯t be embarrassed,¡± she laughed. ¡°It looks better like that. Besides, cyclops is a much better name than crazy eyes.¡± My cheeks burned faintly, but I ignored the sensation and looked down at my hands, forcing them flat against my lap. I could feel my heart beginning to beat faster, so I tried to focus on regulating my breathing. In, and out. Slow, and steady. No anxiety, just peace. ¡°Oi, Mai-chan, I asked you a question,¡± she poked my arm hard, the familiar honorific dripping with sarcasm. ¡°Why is it you of all people get a seat alone?¡± I shrugged, not entirely trusting my voice to work. If it weren¡¯t for last week, I would have been at least able to say something neutral and hopefully get her to leave me alone. Now, though, I was reduced to meek passivity, trying my best not to set her off. Again. ¡°Whatever,¡± Katie finally scoffed, eyes trailing over me. ¡°So long as you don¡¯t think avoiding me is going to get you out of our promise. We¡¯re best friends now, aren¡¯t we?¡± The very thought of nodding made bile rise in my throat, so instead I just turned to look at her slightly, hoping that was enough of an acknowledgement. Her smirk returned, and her hand moved to brush back some of my unkempt black hair, fingers teasing one of the loops of my eyepatch resting behind my ear. I almost slapped her hand away at the invasive touch, but I forced myself to remain still, my teeth clenched together painfully. She smirked with smug satisfaction, gave my ear a light flick, and then finally removed her hand. ¡°So long as you remember.¡± She stood up and quickly scooted back to her own seat a few aisles ahead. Quickly, I readjusted the two loops behind my ears, making sure the patch was on firmly. Then I brushed my bangs back into place so my right eye was mostly hidden again. My nerves were screaming at me, and I couldn¡¯t keep my hands from shaking slightly. I tried to return my thoughts to the city, but the moment was ruined. Standing up to Katie¡¯s constant bullying a few weeks ago had been a mistake. I should have realized she had too much pride to simply back off, especially when I had told her off in front of her cronies. Katie had only taken it as a direct challenge to her status, and she had been quick to retaliate. Now, she had all the leverage, leaving me desperately trying to figure out another plan. Until then, I would just keep pretending to be terrified into submissiveness. Feeling my heart still racing, I closed my eye and forced myself to slow my breathing. Pretending. I¡¯m just pretending, I lied to myself. It wasn¡¯t much longer before the bus stopped inside a parking garage, and our teacher, Mr. Toujou, stood up. He was young, his dark hair pulled back into a ponytail that revealed his handsome features. His glasses and crisp, slightly messy suit gave him a scholarly look while still remaining casual. Combined with his youth and passionate rambles, I knew that at least half the girls in class had a crush on him to some degree. I remained ambivalent. While I liked his teaching style and how he mostly left me alone¡­ I also hated how he seemed oblivious to things. Things that might make him poke his nose in my business, but- ¡°Alright, everyone, listen up!¡± he shouted above the clamor. ¡°Remember, you¡¯re representing Sakura High during this field trip. I expect you all to be on your best behavior! Furthermore, do not forget to meet up with everyone at the end of each hour! We¡¯ll be going through the mall floor by floor, working our way down. Do not go ahead under any circumstances, understood?¡± A chorus of various forms of ¡°yes¡± and at least one ¡°no¡± echoed out. Mr. Toujou seemed mostly pleased and started the process of excusing people starting at the front of the bus. I stood up, grabbing my half-filled backpack from under the seat and putting it on while I waited my turn in the seat furthest back. The bus cleared out fairly quickly, everyone excited to be able to go shopping at one of the biggest malls in the city as a field trip. I probably would have been too if I had any money. Mr. Toujou barely spared me a second glance as he gestured for me to get up, turning to leave himself. I followed behind him, pausing only to give a slight bow and murmured thanks to our bus driver, an older Korean man with a grandfatherly visage. He returned my thanks with a smile and nod, and I quickly hurried out into the dim light of the parking garage. My classmates had already separated into their respective friend groups, chatting to each other excitedly as Mr. Toujou and the two parents who volunteered to chaperone our little excursion did a quick headcount. Considering how short I was, it was probably a good thing nobody was standing close by. ¡°Alright everyone,¡± Mr. Toujou said. ¡°We¡¯re on the third level right now. The other classes should be at the other parking garages working their way to the middle of the mall as well. Now go! Have fun, and be safe! Try to stick in groups of at least two if you can.¡± Almost everyone was already on the move on the word ¡°go,¡± and I was no exception. I followed the rest of the class to one of the sliding glass doors that opened for the mass of thirty-two students, leading into a long hallway and another set of doors. On the other side of those, the mall opened up. I walked in quickly, took a quick right followed by a left at the next intersection, and tried not to slow down my hurried walking pace even as my eyes bulged at the sights I was seeing. The interior was a combination of white, gunmetal gray, and onyx black materials, all smooth and exceptionally shiny. What wasn¡¯t made of solid color was created out of rippling glass that reminded me of water. It felt more like walking into a futuristic museum than a mall. Rows of storefronts spiraled out around me, offering an amalgamation of things from clothes to electronics to books. Sculptures and carefully tended plants gave life to the area, and even though I was barely into the mall, there were already dozens of people moving about or lounging on benches near greenery. And the water features. There were fountains, of course, but the biggest thing was the constantly flowing water. All along the floor there were thin rivulets of water running under portions of the ground, outlining the various pathways. On storefront walls, water trickled from the ceiling along glass tubes and joined the various floor rivers. In some areas, the various rills joined together and bubbled up into small ponds uncovered and open to the air. It was less of a mall and more of a sci-fi garden that happened to be built around stores. I had seen pictures of the mall before, but visiting in person was¡­ something else entirely. Forcing myself to continue walking, I grabbed my phone from my blazer pocket, unlocked it, and took a quick look at the map I had pulled up earlier. At first glance, the various stores made an almost impossible mandala of the floorplan, but just looking at the major pathways made the area look much more manageable. Still, it was a labyrinth of a design, and I was happy I researched the place ahead of time. I kept my head down as I worked my way to the center, where the food courts were. A covert glance behind me assured me my quick turns had eluded Katie or anyone else who might have wanted to follow me. I would have to keep my eye out for our school uniform, but considering all four classes of my grade were wandering the level, the odds of Katie finding me among the crowds seemed low. Sudden shrill laughter broke my concentration, causing me to stumble. Looking up from my phone, I saw two women in casual jeans and sweaters standing near a storefront. ¡°Oh my god, you would totally be so cute,¡± one said to the other, giving a small push. ¡°Oh, stop it!¡± the other responded, giggling as she grabbed her friend and pulled her away. They left, revealing a tall, rectangular mirror surrounded by a small moat of uncovered water. It stood near the wall of a clothing store I didn¡¯t recognize, and next to the mirror was a cardboard cutout of an adorable looking girl. She had on a frilly pink and white dress in the style of a fairy, gossamer butterfly wings extending from her back. Excessive amounts of ribbons, hearts, and lace adorned the dress, knee high boots, and pristine gloves the color of snow. The girl¡¯s hair was a matching pink, and the pupils of her eyes were in the shape of two lines that curved to make the outline of a heart without touching in the middle. I recognized the image of the girl, of course. It was Hope Fairy, the number one ranked Magical Girl in the entire world. The cutout of her had her arm extended, her signature wand with a pink flower on its tip pointed at the mirror. There were numerous Magical Girl posters, cutouts, and advertisements throughout the city, but I¡¯d never seen one that looked quite like this before. Intrigued, I approached the mirror, now making out the words on a speech bubble poking from the cutout¡¯s head. ¡°Wonder what you would look like as a Magical Guardian? Tap the mirror to find out!¡± Magical Guardian, of course, was the proper term for what they were. After all, more than just girls were chosen by the Zenith. Still, only guys tended to be called ¡°Guardians,¡± though some of the girls who went for more esoteric archetypes in their costumes and powers preferred that term as well. Feeling more curious, I walked over to the mirror. I figured it must have been one of those smart glass mirrors that took your reflection and simulated clothes on top of it. From what I¡¯d heard, they were pretty advanced pieces of magitech, rendering a full three-dimensional reflection, but it wasn¡¯t too surprising to see one here considering this was such a big mall in Arcadia, a city literally made of magitech. As I got closer to the mirror, I saw a blinking circle in the middle of the glass. Above the circle in pink letters were words that sent a shiver down my spine. ¡°Would you like to make a contract?¡± Something about the words felt¡­ sinister. Maybe it was just the shows I had recently been introduced to where becoming a Magical Girl always came with a price. In reality, I¡¯d heard the contract was simply a promise on the MG¡¯s behalf to fight against the Anathema wherever they may appear. It wasn¡¯t some trick or monkey¡¯s paw, just an oath to use their newly granted powers to protect and help others. At least, as far as I knew. I stood in front of the mirror for a moment longer before I reached out a hand to touch the button. I¡¯d never really considered the possibility of becoming one before. After all, everyone knew it was pretty much a lottery who ended up being chosen. Not to mention the idea of fighting literal creatures constructed of nightmares and profaned mythos was¡­ well, I didn¡¯t consider myself especially brave, and I had no illusions of what fighting such monsters would be like. Still, the mirror was a fairly advanced piece of magitech, and I was curious to see what kind of clothes it would put on me. I looked up from the button into the mirror and froze, finger hovering over just before touching it as my blood chilled. The girl in the mirror wore the same school uniform as Katie plus some opaque black tights, but that was where the resemblance ended. The clothes fit snugly around her, accentuating her complete lack of curves. Combined with her short and skinny stature, she looked more like a younger girl cosplaying as a high schooler. Her hair was an inky black, going slightly past her chin in length. The girl¡¯s right eye was covered by a medical-styled eyepatch, mostly obscured by the long bangs swept over it. Her left eye was a bright azure blue, shining with an unnatural, vibrant gleam that marked her as manaborn. The vividness of her eye color gave a stark contrast to everything else about the little girl. My throat felt suddenly tight. I hadn¡¯t exactly been avoiding mirrors¡­ unless I had been subconsciously? It wasn¡¯t that I absolutely hated how I looked or anything. In fact, the uniform scaled down to such a tiny body not even five feet tall did look cute. The problem wasn¡¯t how I looked so much as it just was¡­ Me. The reminder of the things it didn¡¯t show but still reflected. The hint of gauntness in the cheeks, the opaque black tights that did nothing to conceal stick figure legs, how tight the blazer was wrapped around to fit properly, the dark circle forming under one eye¡­ It dredged up darker things, things I didn¡¯t want to think about. It was the memories hinted at but not shown that made the bottom of my stomach drop out. I stared at my reflection a bit longer. Then I took a deep breath and pulled my finger away. This was stupid. Fantasizing about things would get me nowhere. Why play dress up when it was hard enough just trying to make it through every day. I turned to go, but as I did, I had the sudden, intense feeling of someone watching me. It felt more visceral than any gaze I¡¯d ever felt before, enough to make my skin prickle. Instead of continuing my turn, I looked back into the mirror, searching for whoever was leering at me. In the corner of the mirror, the reflection showed a small hedge behind me. Sitting on top of it was an odd, undulating blotch of shadows the size of a small animal. I squinted at the mirror, trying to make out the weird form, and as I did, two pure red eyes opened up, shining like droplets of blood. I let out a gasp, twirling around. Nothing. Nothing stood on top of the hedge. My heart beating in my throat, I slowly looked back into the mirror, but the shadowy form was gone. Cold sweat formed on my spine as I shivered. I looked around, but the people walking by and sitting on benches seemed blissfully unaware. I licked my dry lips and forced myself to start walking, pulling out my phone to look at the mall¡¯s map again. It was probably nothing. Just stress, anxiety, and lack of sleep. Yeah. How many hours did I get last night? Two? I must be more tired than I thought. Rubbing at my uncovered eye, I forced myself to dispel the apparition. Maybe it was even part of the mirror, like a trick or something? That would actually make more sense. It was probably some sort of easter egg they put in, a reference that I just wasn¡¯t recognizing. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. I let out a soft chuckle to myself, shaking my head as the thought helped me calm down. Between magic and magitech, there were dozens of weird phenomena around the city. Holograms with reactive AIs, force fields used for a myriad of things, and even Magical Girls themselves jumping onto rooftops or running by in blurs of motion that outsped cars were all fairly common occurrences. No need to get worked up over something so small as a strange reflection. It took me another few minutes to make my way to the food court. It was more or less a ring of stores surrounding a picturesque garden that belonged outside of a Victorian mansion. Waist-high hedges made alcoves where benches and tables were stationed, painted with vine and moss motifs that made them blend into the environment. A large fountain was placed in the very middle of the courtyard with dozens of the covered rivulets leading to and from it. A statue of a fairy stood in the fountain, its outstretched palms pouring water down around it. As I made my way to the fountain, I started looking around. A few students had already made their way to the food court, taking more straightforward paths than I had, but none matched who I was looking for. To pass the time, I looked back down at my phone and checked my messages. Finding no new texts, I bit my lip softly. Had something come up? Maybe one of her friends dragged her off somewhere? No, she wouldn¡¯t ditch me¡­ would she? ¡°Mai-Mai!¡± a sudden voice behind me lilted cheerfully. Fingers pinched into the sides of my stomach, and a squeak of surprise escaped me as I whirled around. Lily Parker stood there, a triumphant grin on her face. She had on the same uniform as me, but her blazer was tied around her waist. As one of the best members of the track team, she was built with lean, defined muscle that only enhanced her casual beauty. Slender and modestly curved, she carried herself with a confidence I envied. Her sunflower blond hair was in its regular ponytail, but it was her mischievous sky blue eyes I was fixed on. ¡°Hmm, it wasn¡¯t quite a squeal of surprise, but it¡¯ll do for now,¡± she raised a hand to her chin thoughtfully. ¡°Although, maybe there¡¯s some other places I could pinch to get the proper reaction¡­¡± ¡°Lily!¡± I glared half-heartedly at the Australian girl as I blushed. She laughed and then wrapped her arm around my shoulder, pulling me along with her. ¡°Kidding, kidding¡­ mostly. Anyway, I¡¯m starving. Let¡¯s go get something to eat. Burgers sound good? It¡¯s my shout, yeah?¡± I grumbled beneath my breath, trying to ignore the sudden clawing pang of hunger that went through my stomach. Thankfully, the ambient noise of the fountain covered any noise it might have made. I disentangled myself from her and started pulling off my backpack to get out my wallet. ¡°Just a large fry for me,¡± I tried to say with a nonchalant shrug. ¡°I¡¯m not that hungry.¡± ¡°Aw, don¡¯t be like that!¡± Lily groaned. ¡°You¡¯re going to make me feel like a glutton if you don¡¯t at least have a burger! And I said it was on me! Come on, Mai, let me spoil you once in a while.¡± I gave a tight smile and shake of my head in response, extracting two of my seven dollars and handing it over mournfully. I could have bought two entire loaves of white bread for the same cost, but I couldn¡¯t just buy nothing without being rude. Lily rolled her eyes at me as she took my money with a sigh. ¡°Alright, alright, fine. Why don¡¯t you find us a table, and I¡¯ll pick up the food for us.¡± I gave a quick nod, and she left, weaving into a particularly thick crowd of people to a fast-food spot. A quick look around revealed a smaller table with two stools, and I quickly claimed it, setting my backpack down next to me. While I settled in to wait, I let my fingers trace the moss and vine patterns on the table, marveling at the details on them as my mind wandered. Lily was from one of the other classes in my grade, and she was easily the nicest person I knew. Of all the students in our school, she was the only one who was outright friendly to me. She was more or less a star in whatever sport she was participating in, making her incredibly popular. So popular, even Katie mostly left her alone outside the occasional barbed comment. Even then, it barely seemed to faze Lily¡¯s bubbly personality. I wasn¡¯t quite sure why Lily hung out with me or how it even all started. Besides a brief encounter after school where I gave her a can of juice I had been saving, we hadn¡¯t really had any real contact. Then, the next day at lunch, she had suddenly barged into our class, pulled a desk next to mine, and started talking to me like we were childhood friends. At first I had assumed it was some sort of prank, but in the following weeks she had gone out of her way to greet me, and she continued to come and eat lunch with me two or three days of the week. But that was more than enough for me. Her cheerfulness was infectious, and even her continuous attempts to sneak up on me had become endearing. We didn¡¯t get to spend much time together considering how many friends she had pulling her around everywhere, but I looked forward to it every time she went out of her way to find me. It was like stepping outside of a stuffy room into sunlight and fresh air. I traced the table patterns for another few minutes until Lily came back and sat down, plopping two overstuffed takeout bags on the table. I raised my eyebrows, and she scoffed. ¡°What? I gotta¡¯ keep up my carb intake. Or was it protein? Whatever, I¡¯m a growing girl, yadda-yadda.¡± She handed me my large fries and a napkin that I took carefully to avoid spilling any on the table. I forced myself to slowly take one fry at a time and chew them thoroughly. My stomach was screaming now at the smell of the food, and I tried to clench my core to keep it from making any noise. Meanwhile, Lily pulled out a burger from a bag and unwrapped it. It had two patties on it with greasy bacon strips poking out underneath the bun, and melted cheese spilled over it all in a golden glow. My mouth watered as she began to tear into the burger, and I forced myself to look back down at my fries. ¡°Hey, what happened to your arm?¡± Lily asked suddenly with a frown. I blinked, and looked to my left forearm, where the sleeves of my blazer and blouse had ridden up slightly, showing some gauze wrapping. Quickly, I pulled my sleeve down. ¡°Ah, burnt myself cooking,¡± I used the rehearsed lie, ignoring my stuttering pulse. ¡°Some oil spat out at me.¡± ¡°Gah, hate it when that happens,¡± Lily shook her head. ¡°Wasn¡¯t too bad a burn, I hope?¡± ¡°No,¡± I quickly continued with relief. ¡°Just a little splotch.¡± Silence followed as I picked at my food and Lily ripped through her own. ¡°So, you play anymore Magical Girls¡¯ Sunset: Rebellion?¡± she finally asked between bites. ¡°I¡¯m still stuck on the third dungeon¡¯s boss, that freaky spider-mantis centaur thing.¡± ¡°Um,¡± I started, eye shifting to the side. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m on the fifth dungeon now.¡± ¡°How!?¡± she sputtered, almost spraying food over the table. ¡°I only introduced you to the game, like, two weeks ago!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really have any electronics but my phone,¡± I shrugged, ignoring my growing embarrassment. ¡°Combined with the city¡¯s free wi-fi, it makes it easy to play whenever. Anyway, the Arachnomantis isn¡¯t that hard. You just need to play a Magical Girl with high enough agility to dodge its attacks. It has too much strength and armor piercing to tank directly, but even a level twenty two-star with S-rank in agility growth can outspeed it.¡± She finished her burger in record time, and I briefly wondered if she even took the time to chew. ¡°Man,¡± she groaned, stretching out. ¡°I never should have introduced you to the world of games. I¡¯ve turned my sweet, innocent little Mai into some kind of creepy, shut-in nerd!¡± I fought a grin trying to stretch onto my face. ¡°Keep talking like that,¡± I turned my nose up at her haughtily, ¡°and I won¡¯t offer to use my five-star Blade Princess to carry you through the fight.¡± Her eyes widened comically, and she clapped her hands together as if praying as she bowed her head down deeply. ¡°Mistress, please! Tell me what you desire! Do you need a moist towel for your noble hands? A foot rub perhaps? Seven gentle head pats?¡± I let out a barely restrained huff of laughter that only grew in intensity as Lily continued offering me gradually more and more outrageous things ranging from a lifetime supply of spam to a carriage pulled by armored kangaroos. It finally culminated with ¡°the keys to a shiny new Australia and its throne.¡± ¡°Australia isn¡¯t a monarchy anymore,¡± I pointed out between giggles. ¡°Ah, but that could change,¡± she smirked, eyebrows waggling with uninhibited intent. ¡°My queen.¡± That finally got me laughing all out, and Lily joined in. I could feel muscles I didn¡¯t know I was holding tight relaxing, and I let myself fall into the growing warmth in my chest. It was a rare feeling, something more than just gentle happiness. I felt¡­ content. Like everything was as it should be. Somehow, Lily always seemed to know how to coax that out in me. When our laughter finally died down, Lily had a radiant smile on her face, tilting her head to stare at me. Self-conscious, I raised my hand to start curling the hair behind my right ear. ¡°What?¡± I asked. ¡°Nothing,¡± she shrugged lazily. ¡°I was just thinking about how full I feel. That burger really did a number on me. I don¡¯t think I can finish the other ones I got. How about you take them so they don¡¯t go to waste?¡± My stomach begged me to accept, but I forced myself to frown at Lily as conflicting emotions rolled through me. I¡¯d seen how much she could eat before, and there was no way just one burger would be enough for her. ¡°Lily¡­¡± I began to protest. ¡°Ah, drinks!¡± she smacked her head lightly. ¡°I forgot to get drinks. Hang on a second, I¡¯ll be right back. I¡¯ll get you something too, no worries.¡± After only a few steps she stopped, turning back to me with a salacious smile. ¡°You know, if you were queen of Australia, I suppose you¡¯d need a royal consort. Therefore, I offer this humble body of mine to you, my-¡± ¡°Go!¡± I shouted, cheeks burning. She let out a wicked laugh and skipped away. I watched her leave, then let out a sigh as I looked back at the food she¡¯d left me with. She was always trying to buy things for me, especially food, and it made me feel like a leech. I did not have the money to pay her back, and it wasn¡¯t like there was anything else I could really do to make up for it. I really just wanted to be her friend, not some burden she had to always look out for¡­ Some friend I am¡­ Another gurgle from my stomach made me wince. Giving in, I reached for the bag and opened it up. I blinked at the sight of three different wrapped burgers of some sort, and my mouth began to water. I took the first one, unwrapped it, and bit into it without so much a second glance. If you bought these for yourself, then why are there pickles and onions? You¡¯d only eat vegetables if I physically shoved them down your throat. I let out another sigh, deciding it was best to just abandon myself to my ravenous impulses. One double quarter pounder, a crispy chicken burger with spicy sauce, and some kind of fish sandwich later, I finally wiped my hands clean on the napkin with a content sigh. My stomach felt a little bloated, but there was no way I was going to pass on stocking up if given the chance. Regardless of my conflicting feelings on the matter, I wasn¡¯t in much of a position to turn Lily down. Besides, she really would just throw the leftovers away. She¡¯d done it before. She¡¯d also made it a habit to foist an exorbitant amount of food on me only to disappear for a few minutes afterwards, never sticking around while I ate. I¡¯d never quite figured out what that was all about. Waiting for her to return, I pulled out my phone, checking the time. It had been almost twenty minutes since we arrived, meaning we had at least another thirty minutes before we had to leave and meet back with our respective classes. The rest of this floor was mostly shops that were out of my price range, meaning they had a price range, so I¡¯d probably let Lily drag me around while she shopped. It was the next floor down that had a dollar store. Hopefully I could stop there and pick up some things before we met up again. ¡°No way!¡± Lily¡¯s voice interrupted my thoughts, making me jump. ¡°All three of them?¡± she asked as she sat down. ¡°Where do you even put it all? You¡¯re tiny!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a known law of reality,¡± I argued, pretending my face wasn¡¯t cherry red, ¡°that a girl¡¯s stomach size is directly proportional to how cute they are.¡± ¡°True, but that doesn¡¯t explain everything!¡± Lily whined, sliding over a can of off-brand soda to me. ¡°The only reason I¡¯m not fat is because of sports. What kind of secret are you hiding to stay so skinny?¡± A tightness pulled at my guts as razor thoughts began to worm through my head. Shame flooded through me, mixing with the self-disgust at my weight. I pretended not to be bothered, but my smile still faltered for a moment. I tried to recover it quickly, swallowing down the sudden sour taste in my mouth. I must not have been quick enough, because Lily¡¯s eyes widened slightly and her smile dropped off her face almost instantly. Way to ruin the mood, Mai! Everything was just going so nicely, and we can¡¯t have that, now can we? ¡°It must be that huge brain of yours¡± Lily tried to quickly recover, waving a hand absently. ¡°All those calories go straight into your multidimensional strategies. Seriously, you take one look at a boss fight and somehow know exactly how to beat it. Must be sucking all your energy away.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed weakly. ¡°Well, when I have freeloaders like you on my team, it does take a considerable effort.¡± ¡°Hey that¡¯s¡­ well, mostly true, but-¡± her smile returned as she began to protest. ¡°Well, well, look who it is!¡± an icy voice said suddenly. ¡°My two favorite classmates!¡± I felt every inch of myself freeze. Slowly, I forced myself to turn around, dread already creeping up through my veins. Katie stood there with an amused smile. Behind her, I saw Aiko, one of her many followers, texting on her phone. Our gazes met for a moment, but she hurriedly looked away. Aiko was one of my classmates who went along with whatever Katie did but tried to mostly stay on the outskirts of it. It was a passive sort of involvement. In my mind, she might as well have been as bad as Katie herself. ¡°Yo, Katie,¡± Lily drawled impatiently. ¡°You need something?¡± ¡°What, can¡¯t I just drop in to see some friends?¡± Katie laughed, moving to stand right beside me. Her presence made my skin crawl, but I forced myself not to react, looking down at my lap. Every nerve in my body was screaming at me. Katie had never come near me when Lily was nearby, not after the first few attempts had garnered a frosty reception. Something had changed to give her the courage, and- -and I know exactly what it is. Fear suddenly paralyzed me, and I couldn¡¯t seem to find my breath. ¡°Seeing some friends, huh?¡± Lily countered, looking around in an exaggerated motion. ¡°Didn¡¯t realize you had any of those around here.¡± Katie laughed with an arrogance that made Lily scowl. Then, Katie slowly lowered her hand onto my shoulder, giving it a hard squeeze. ¡°Oh? Don¡¯t you know Mai-chan and I are practically inseparable? Why, she¡¯s one of my closest friends.¡± The easy smile on Lily¡¯s face disappeared, and I felt my heart drop as her eyes narrowed. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Mai-chan?¡± Katie asked me quietly. ¡°Go on, tell her. I wouldn¡¯t want there to be any¡­ misunderstandings.¡± Fear slithered down into my belly as I looked up in alarm. Lily met my gaze with a cold look I¡¯d never seen on her before. For a moment, there was nothing I could do as my heart pounded in my head. Slowly, I forced myself to clench my teeth together. ¡°Yeah,¡± I managed to choke out. ¡°Katie¡¯s¡­ a good friend.¡± Lily rocked back in shock, and I looked away. I didn¡¯t want to see the hurt or betrayed look on her face. Meanwhile, Katie was practically glowing with smugness. I wanted to go find a hole to go crawl in as I could practically hear the death throes of my only friendship. But what choice did I have? Maybe this way I at least had a chance of repairing it one day. ¡°Anyway,¡± Katie said, her silky smooth voice sounding like a serpent. ¡°I just wanted to remind Mai that she promised to go shopping together with me on the next floor. That¡¯s all.¡± My heart sank further. I risked a glance up at Lily when I suddenly felt Katie¡¯s hand reach up and begin twirling the end of my hair behind my right ear. The feeling was so invasive, so wrong, that I could feel the bile rise in my throat. I forced myself to bear the disgust, clawing my fingernails into my thighs beneath the table to stop myself from moving. At the sight of Katie¡¯s familiar touch, Lily¡¯s eyes ignited with something in them. She didn¡¯t move, but I could practically feel the heat washing over me. Katie let out a sigh after a moment and removed her hand. I tried not to let out a breath of relief even as impotent fury exploded inside me. How dare she. What the hell was I doing? She couldn¡¯t do this to me, treat me like some toy, ruin my friendships, play with my hair. What was the point of going along with her whims if this is what awaited my every moment? I should get up and slap her, video be damn- ¡°I¡¯ll see you in a bit Mai,¡± Katie sang out as she twirled around and left our table with an absent wave. Aiko moved to follow, only stopping for a moment to give me a pitying look. I wanted to tell her where she could stick her self-serving pity, the coward, to slap her and tell her she was part of the problem. She turned away before I could do anything and hurried after her master, leaving Lily and me alone. In the silence that followed, I could feel my head pounding with pressure promising a coming stress headache. I clenched my hands together tightly, and the anger slowly drained from me, leaving me feeling nothing but exhausted and utterly disappointed in myself. I chanced a glance up at Lily only to see her looking off to the side, her face a stony mask. My heart fell and shattered on the ground. I didn¡¯t blame her. I¡¯d seen that Lily and Katie hadn¡¯t gotten along before. Now, Lily probably thought I had betrayed her. She¡¯d never really seen how Katie really treated me. All of this was my fault, anyway. It had been selfish to try to keep close to Lily knowing it would paint a target on her back, that Katie would naturally go after her as well. Maybe it was better if I just stayed away from her after all. ¡°Lily-¡± I began, my voice quiet. ¡°Mai-¡± Lily said at the same time, and both of us stopped. Then Lily took a breath and-
SYSTEM WARNING
Anathema Emergence detected. Reality Usurpation imminent.
Chapter 2 - Anathema
SYSTEM WARNING
Anathema Emergence detected. Reality Usurpation imminent.
I blinked as a square message appeared with vivid clarity in the center of my vision. The message read itself in a screaming chorus of a dozen discordant voices that made my skin crawl. A second later, the alarms in the mall went off in the loud droning of what sounded like air-raid sirens. The sound made a primal dread rise in me, a hollow chill spreading through my body that sent goosebumps rising on my skin. Briefly, the memory of every Anathema Emergence drill we¡¯d done in school flashed through my head.
SYSTEM MESSAGE
Emergency shelters have been opened. Please make your way to the nearest shelter by following the arrows on the ground. Remain calm and proceed in an orderly fashion. REMINDER: Once a shelter¡¯s emergency shielding is enabled, it cannot be disabled without proper authorization. Do NOT manually activate unless under immediate threat of breach and the auto-engage systems fail!
Estimated time until Usurpation: 9:59
Everyone in the food court winced as the next message bloomed, the mall¡¯s magitech warning system sending the message to every person¡¯s head simultaneously. As the message read itself, I recoiled in horror as voices read the final number. Ten minutes!? Arcadia was one of the seven most advanced island cities in the world created by the Zenith themselves! The early warning system was supposed to give a minimum of thirty minutes before an attack! I looked at Lily in shock as the warning alarms continued crying out only to find her earlier expression replaced with fear. Below us, motes of ethereal green light formed into arrows along the floor beneath various groups of people, pointing towards promised safety. There was a paralyzed few seconds of stillness in the food court where everyone seemed too shocked to move. Then, almost at the same time, people began to panic. Chairs were knocked over as people threw themselves to their feet, shouting as they pushed their way forward. People began to push, yelling as bottlenecks in the miniature hedge maze formed. Somebody screamed, and I stared at the chaos, unable to shake the utter, debilitating terror I felt. I¡¯d never been caught in an Anathema Usurpation before. Even in Arcadia, with all the fancy magitech shielding crystals, they still happened, but there was always plenty of prior warning. Normally the area was easily evacuated, quarantined, and then cleaned up by MGs and the magical soldiers who dedicated themselves to killing Anathema. Some MGs even livestreamed their fights. Sure, Usurpations weren¡¯t a daily occurrence, but a half-dozen every month were to be expected. But now I was in the middle of one, and for all the drills we¡¯d done at school, none of it helped with the fear. It was so thick inside me I could feel it coiling through my rib cage and wrapping teeth around my heart. Every racing pulse pushed into those knife points, teasing my chest with sharp pin-pricks of terror. My lungs suddenly felt tight, and I struggled to make myself breathe. ¡°Mai!¡± I snapped back to reality as Lily shook me, leaning in close with a worried look on her face. I sucked in a deep, quivering breath, giving her a shaky nod. She responded with a reassuring smile, but her eyes were alert, snapping back and forth as she watched the chaos around us. She gave me a gentle pull, and I pushed myself up from my seat, grabbing my backpack and shouldering it as an afterthought. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re actually not in as much danger as it seems,¡± Lily said after a moment, flashing me a quick grin. ¡°Just follow my lead, okay? This isn¡¯t my first Usurpation.¡± I snapped a look at her in shock, but she just chuckled. ¡°Another time. For now, we wait for our arrows to appear and- ah, there we go!¡± As if on cue, glowing arrows of light bloomed beneath our feet along the ground. Grabbing my arm, Lily began pulling me along as we began running along the path the arrows created. It surprised me how quickly the food court had begun to empty out, but there were still people like us just getting to their feet and following their own arrows as they appeared. The arrows were a form of magitech, made to help with evacuations. They were like an active GPS, creating a constantly updating path to the nearest available shelter. Each group of people got their own customized pathways in an attempt to avoid bottlenecks between fleeing people. So long as the arrows were green, we were on track to make it before the Usurpation took full effect. While it made it look like everyone was running around in a panic, it would hopefully stop people from getting trampled and shelters from overflowing. We sprinted past stores, turning in seemingly random directions as we trusted the arrows with our lives. Lily could easily have outpaced me, but she stuck by my side even if she did let go of my arm after a minute. As far as I could tell, we were making good time. My mental map wasn¡¯t perfect, but I did remember the general location of the shelters in the building from when I looked up the floorplans the previous night. We¡¯ll be fine. Ten minutes isn¡¯t much time, but the shelter isn¡¯t far. At most it¡¯ll take a few minutes to get there at full speed, even following this indirect path. Even if the shelter is at capacity, the stairs are nearby, and we could get to the ground floor¡¯s mega shelter entrance. We¡¯re fine. Everything¡¯s going to be- ¡°Brian!¡± the voice of a young girl shrieked, the cry broken by sobs. Lily and I stumbled and came skidding to a stop. Then another wail cried out, and Lily burst into motion down a path towards the sound. I followed after her blindly as we took a turn the arrows weren¡¯t pointing to. Lily moved quickly, faster than I¡¯d ever seen her move before. I did my best to follow her but lost ground in a matter of moments. We took another turn in the sleek mall and found ourselves in front of a store selling stuffed animals. A young, elementary-aged girl stood there whimpering, looking around. When she spotted us, she practically collapsed, clutching a stuffed bear to her chest. Lily slowed down as she got there, crouching down to the girl¡¯s level. I caught up to her seconds later, breathing heavily. ¡°Hey there sweetie,¡± Lily gave a reassuring smile. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What are you doing here all alone?¡± The girl sniffled and wiped snot from her nose, her lower lip quivering. ¡°Mommy and Daddy told us to wait on the bench with the nice store lady while they got food, but then the alien alarm went off! Everyone started running around and the lady ran too! Nobody would stop to help me!¡± She looked to be on the verge of tears again, and Lily reached out her hand, offering it. ¡°That¡¯s alright, how about we help you? We¡¯ll take you to the shelter. Your mommy and daddy are probably waiting for you there. Come on, we can go together, and you can tell me all about the cute teddy bear you have.¡± The girl hesitated, looking between the two of us. ¡°What about Brian? Who''s going to help Brian?¡± ¡°Brian?¡± Lily tilted her head. ¡°Who''s Brian?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my brother!¡± she whimpered. ¡°He was supposed to wait on the bench with me and the lady, but he wanted to go to the store with the footballs and baseballs! I told him not to go, but he snuck off and-¡± ¡°Shh, it¡¯s alright honey,¡± Lily reassured the girl, rubbing her shoulder gently. ¡°Do you know where the store is? We can go get him together.¡± ¡°We had to cross the place with all the food and the pretty fountain,¡± she said, looking up at Lily as she shook slightly. ¡°It was crowded, and Mommy wanted to eat somewhere quieter.¡± Quickly, I reached into my pocket, pulling at my phone. The internet was out, as it always was during an Usurpation, but I still had the third floor¡¯s map pulled up. I scanned over it, looking for our location based on our path so far. I found us quickly, and then started looking through the different stores on the other side of the food court. ¡°Found it!¡± I said after a moment, and Lily looked up at me in surprise. ¡°There¡¯s a sporting goods store across the food court. That must be the one.¡± Lily gave me a wide grin, and I saw something warm but unfamiliar flash across her face. ¡°Nice job, Mai! Alright, sweetie, how about you come with us? We¡¯ll pick up your brother, and-¡± ¡°Wait!¡± I interrupted without thinking, my heart leaping into my throat. Lily turned and gave me a questioning look. I bit my lip as I studied the map again, thinking about what the ¡°system message¡± had said. To my surprise, it popped back into my mind, showing the remaining time. Eight minutes, thirty-two seconds. Below our feet, I could see new arrows had formed, but the previous green had gained a yellowish hue. As the alarm continued to wail, cold logic began to form in my head at a furious rate. Doubling back, finding the girl¡¯s brother, then running to the shelter¡­ there wouldn¡¯t be enough time, not if we dragged the girl with us. She wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up the pace. Maybe one of us could make it to the store, find Brian, and then run to the shelter, but it would be cutting it close. The only way it was possible would be taking a straight-line route from location to location, relying on everyone else to already have cleared out. The problem was that the person who went would have to know the mall¡¯s map well enough to get straight to the store. Which meant¡­ The realization hit me as I considered our options. I ran it through my head once more, but came back to the same conclusion. Swallowing, my legs felt shaky as I forced myself to meet Lily¡¯s searching look. There was only one option if we wanted to save both of the kids. And I was not about to abandon a little boy to the Anathema. ¡°We won¡¯t make it if we take her with us,¡± I finally breathed out. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with the pace we¡¯d have to go.¡± Lily¡¯s eyes widened at my words as she glanced back at the girl. She seemed to think about it for a moment, then gave a simple nod to herself. Looking back to me, I could see the determination on her face. ¡°Alright, here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do,¡± she said quickly, her voice a little breathless. ¡°Mai, you¡¯ll take our little pumpkin to the shelter, and I¡¯ll-¡± I shook my head quickly, and she stopped. ¡°Lily, you can¡¯t even navigate in video games with a mini-map that shows your location,¡± I pointed out, trying to keep my voice from quavering. ¡°You¡¯d only get lost. I¡­ I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯m the one who always ends up navigating for us in games. I can get there and back to the shelter in time.¡± She opened her mouth to argue, and I held up a hand. ¡°Seven minutes, fifty-five seconds,¡± I pushed. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to discuss this. It has to be me. Just¡­ wish me luck.¡± ¡°Mai!¡± Lily hissed out. She searched my face for something, but after a faltering moment, she simply got up and wrapped me in a tight hug. I squeezed her back, hoping she couldn¡¯t feel my body shaking. ¡°He might not even be there,¡± she whispered in my ear. ¡°But we have to try,¡± I murmured back. ¡°When you get to the shelter, can you make sure they don¡¯t panic and activate the emergency shield? I¡¯ve¡­ heard horror stories.¡± ¡°Over my dead body,¡± she promised, hugging me so tight it was painful. Lily pulled away from me after another quick second, giving my shoulders a tight squeeze before she reached into the pocket of the blazer still tied about her waist. She pulled something small out and pushed it into my hands. ¡°Here. Take this. And no matter what, promise me that if you see the arrows turn orange, you turn back. No. Matter. What.¡± I looked back into her eyes as she stared into my own. My stomach turned as I realized she meant I should leave the kid if I couldn¡¯t find him in time. I kept her gaze, ignoring the clenching in my chest. ¡°I promise,¡± I lied. For another breath, neither of us moved, and I swallowed the bitterness in my throat. Then, I turned on my heel and sprinted away from my friend, praying I wouldn¡¯t have to betray her. I followed my mental map, twisting through the maze until I reached a main pathway, and then I beelined it to the food court. As I did, I looked at the object Lily had pushed into my hand. I almost tripped when I realized it was a switchblade in matte black. I quickly regained my balance and pocketed the knife into my blazer. Why did she have a knife with her? For that matter, were switchblades even legal in Arcadia? I considered it for another moment, decided it definitely didn¡¯t matter at the moment, and kept moving. I¡¯d just have to ask Lily later. If there is a later. I ignored the chill that thought brought along as I entered the food court proper. It was eerie seeing it empty, tipped over tables and half eaten meals littered around. I ignored the feeling and started sprinting through, taking the most direct route I could see. It didn¡¯t take me long to make it through now that there weren¡¯t people adding to the confusion of the area. By the time I got to the store, I was out of breath. Quickly, I brought back the message telling me the time remaining with a focused thought. Five minutes, twenty-seven seconds. The arrows were orange now, but I ignored them as I kept moving. Hopefully Lily could forgive me. Please be here and just come out immediately. I rushed inside the shop, taking a quick look around. The store itself was a medium sized, all-purpose sporting goods type, offering miscellaneous things for a variety of sports. Rows of shelves held everything from footballs to rock climbing gear. I started looking through the aisles quickly, trying to slow my breathing enough to speak. ¡°Brian?¡± I called out. ¡°Are you here? Brian, your sister sent me! Come on out, you¡¯re not in trouble, but we have to go! I¡¯ll take you to your parents, so please, just come out!¡± Nothing happened for an excruciating few seconds. Then I heard a shuffling sound, and from underneath a clothing rack containing football jerseys, a small boy pulled himself out. He was sniffling, and he looked up at me with a scared, uncertain face. He was cute with his messy swath of blond hair, and he had on a simple blue shirt with stripes and cargo shorts. I felt my heart soar seeing him safe, and I gave him a relieved smile, holding out my hand in an offering. ¡°There you are! Now come on, I¡¯ll take you somewhere safe and-¡± Brian rushed over to me and gave me a tight hug around my legs. I blinked in surprise, then quickly moved to comfort him, giving his back a gentle rub. ¡°It was so scary!¡± he sniffled. ¡°And the sirens are so loud! I want Mommy!¡± ¡°I know,¡± I hushed him softly, gently pushing him away to look in his eyes. ¡°So how about we go find her, okay? We can even run the whole way as long as you hold my hand. How about that?¡± I saw his face light up, and he gave me a big smile missing a few teeth. I grinned back, offering my hand. He took it, and we went to the store entrance where I stopped and waited. Sure enough, arrows appeared along the floor. They were a dark orange hovering on red now, but that still meant we could make it as long as we hurried at our best speed. The message in my head told me we had four minutes, two seconds left. My heart was going a mile a minute, but I felt a fierce satisfaction as I opened my mouth to tell Brian we were going to start running. Then the alarms stopped. A moment later, the lights in the mall flickered off, and the arrows beneath us disappeared, leaving us in darkness.
EMERGENCY ALERT
Power supply compromised. Primary shielding station offline. SOS has been sent. Shelter in place until rescue arrives.
As the alien message popped into my head, emergency lights switched on, illuminating the area in dim, crimson light. Sweat formed on the back of my neck, and my hands were suddenly clammy. Desperately, I thought of the message with the time limit, trying to see how much time we had left, but nothing appeared. Brian whimpered, huddling closer to my side. The sound of a brief and intense static crackle rippled out without warning, scratching at my bones. I snapped my head to look at the source of the noise and saw that in the middle of the air above the food court were trembling lines of inky shadow spider-webbing out from a single point. It looked like glass cracking, but somehow the cracks reached out in all directions and not along a flat plane. The void black cracks wavered unnaturally, and as I watched they began to spread and branch off with more of the staticky bursts.
EMERGENCY ALERT
Multiple Usurpation rifts detected on the following floors: Basement 1 Floor 1 Floor 2 Floor 3 Floor 4 Floor 5 Miasma Quality: 150 Miasma Density: Extreme Guardian Command alerted successfully. System going into low power mode. This will be the last message.
My throat went dry. I started backing up into the store, pulling Brian along with me. Another crack formed in the area above the food court, and as I watched, the cracks seemed to pull open at their origin point, opening it into a jagged hole that peered into nothing. From that dark space, a dark shape fell, landing on the floor of the food court with a dull thump. I quickly turned, pulling Brian with me to the very back of the store, behind the counter with the cash register. I crouched down, moving Brian into the corner as my pulse pounded in my head. He opened his mouth to say something, and I quickly covered it, putting a finger in front of my lips in a ¡°shushing¡± gesture. He stared at me with wide, quivering eyes and nodded. I slowly removed my hand from his mouth, furiously trying to think. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. We¡¯re screwed. We are so screwed. That thing that had dropped from the rift was definitely one of the Anathema. They were monsters that sought out humans and killed them without hesitation¡­ if you were lucky. Now that it was in our world, it would start searching immediately, possibly even working with others of its kind to set up a nest. We could try to stay and hide, hoping the creatures somehow missed us, but for all I knew, they had super hearing or something. Brian was doing his best to remain quiet, but small, desperate sounds were still escaping from his mouth. No. There was no way we could wait it out, especially not with one of those monsters so close. Besides, waiting brought the risk of even more of them showing up. That left either sneaking by the thing, which was even more unlikely to work, or- I swallowed. A distraction. That could work. I just needed the tools to make it happen. Planning and analysis were always my strongest abilities. Right now, I needed to rely on my instincts and act. There was no time for second-guessing, no time to carefully deliberate on the correct course of action. I had to take what I knew and what I was good at and make it work. I can do this. I have to do this. I turned to Brian, trying to put on my most confident smile. ¡°Stay right here,¡± I whispered to him seriously. ¡°I¡¯m going to try to find something in the store. Whatever you do, don¡¯t move or make a sound, okay?¡± Tears started spilling down his face, but he gave me a nod, clamping his hands over his mouth. He was shivering, and the sight broke my heart a little bit. I gave him another reassuring nod, then moved, working my way around the store while keeping low to the ground. I kept my eye on the window, looking out in the direction of the Anathema I had seen, but the hedge walls of the food court were high enough to block my view. I was more scared than I¡¯d ever been in my life. So scared, it was hard to breathe. It felt like my rib cage was crushing my lungs, and a permanent spike of anxiety sat in my chest. Still, something in me screamed that I couldn¡¯t sit still, that I had to move. If I didn¡¯t, it wouldn¡¯t just be my life on the line. And there was no way I was going to let that little boy die. I found what I needed almost immediately. There was a bin filled with balls from different sports, and I reached in, grabbing a few baseballs as I shouldered off my backpack. I put four inside, and then palmed a fifth. I kept moving, shouldering my pack once again. Those would work for the distraction, hopefully, but I wasn¡¯t going to leave anything to chance. In the worst case scenario, I¡¯d have to fight, or at least hold off the monster while Brian ran, which meant I needed a weapon. I paused in an aisle of the store that held baseball bats, and after another indecisive second of consideration, took an aluminum one. I knew I wasn¡¯t strong, in fact, I was downright frail, and I wasn¡¯t confident in how useful it would be. I kept looking, hoping to find something that might fit me better. As I moved past climbing gear, something caught my eye. It was an ice axe, packaged in thick plastic layers with a protective sheath wrapped around its head. My eye widened at the sight. Those things were used for ice climbing, meaning they could puncture things. I wasn¡¯t sure if Anathema had armor, but if they were anything like what I had seen online or in games that featured them, it seemed likely. Quickly, I grabbed two of the axes, discarded the bat, and then crawled back to the counter. On my way, I saw a box on the floor with pictures of some kind of volleyball-like game on it. A new idea formed, and after rearranging my loot between my hands and backpack, I started slowly pushing the large box back behind the check-out counter with me. When I arrived back, Brian let out a small squeak of relief beneath his hands, and I gave him a smiling nod, hoping it didn¡¯t look too strained. After a quick glance above the counter to make sure there was nothing in sight, I ducked back down and got to work. First, I needed the axes. I grabbed at the packaging, looking over it as I tried to figure out the best way to get it open quietly. I almost slapped myself when I remembered Lily¡¯s knife. I grabbed it from my pocket, figured out how to pop out the blade, and started making cuts. Going slowly, I tried to minimize the crinkle of the plastic as I punctured through it and cut. It still made some noise, and I made sure to pause and listen every few moments. The only sounds were my soft but heavy breaths and Brian¡¯s muffled noises of panic. The first axe took me the longest to get free, but the next went much quicker. Once I had both of them out, I picked one up and gave a few light swings, getting a feel for its heft and how to best grip it. When I was satisfied, I started opening up the volleyball box. Seeing me with the ice axe, Brian¡¯s fear seemed to settle slightly as he watched me work curiously. My knife helped me make quick work, and inside the box was exactly what I hoped for: a huge, gangly net folded up in a thick heap. I pulled it out, unwinding some of it but doing my best to keep it bundled enough that I could still carry it. Okay. Two weapons, a net, and baseballs. Is there anything I¡¯m missing, or anything that could improve what I already have? The axes are decent, but if I¡¯m close enough to use one, I¡¯ll be in danger from getting hit by whatever I¡¯m fighting. I¡¯m not strong or fast like Lily. All I have is my mind, and whatever strategy I can cobble together. Once we do this, there¡¯s no room for mistakes, no second chances. If I screw up, I die. Brian dies. I forced myself to slow down, fighting my instincts that screamed at me to run. Instead, I took a closer look around the counter we hid behind. It had little cupboards I hadn¡¯t noticed before, and I opened them. There was a variety of miscellaneous things inside from cleaning supplies to duct tape. I grabbed the tape, because duct tape might as well be magitech with how many different things it could be used for. As I went to close the cupboard, I noticed a broom leaning in the corner next to Brian. An idea bloomed in my head, so I grabbed the broom. Grabbing the bristly head of the broom, I unscrewed it from the wood pole. Then I grabbed one of the axes while lining it up with the pole, using the duct tape to attach them together. I had to unpeel the tape from the roll slowly to avoid making too much sound, but even still I didn¡¯t manage to avoid it completely. Every time I pulled some off too quickly, I winced at the noise and paused to listen, continuing only when I was sure nothing was coming for us. When I finished, I looked at my improvised weapon. It looked ridiculous, the long wooden pole with the tiny ice axe attached to one end. It was the world¡¯s wimpiest looking scythe, but it would at least allow me to swing the ice axe down on something from a relatively safe distance. I took the other ice axe and put it in my backpack with its head sticking out, closing the zipper around the handle. Hopefully that way I would be able to reach over my shoulder and pull it out quickly. I slipped on my backpack and then grabbed my makeshift scythe in one hand, the baseball in the other. Finally, I bundled the net under my left arm. I took one last moment to gather myself, taking a few deep breaths. How long did that take? Ten minutes? Less? Feels like it was forever. I shook my head. The stress and anxiety were playing with my head. Everything was going as well as could be expected. My plan had come together nicely, and now the only thing left was to put it into action. I grabbed my phone from my pocket after a moment of reshuffling items. There was no service or internet, but the map was still pulled up, so I took the time to memorize three different paths to the shelter. Once I was sure I had the paths memorized and could picture them clearly in my head, I tucked my phone away. Ignoring my terror, I turned to the little boy. He seemed a little more calm now after watching me get everything ready. ¡°Okay,¡± I whispered to him, giving my softest smile. ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do. You¡¯re going to follow right behind me. When we get to the door, I¡¯m going to throw this baseball and distract whatever might be out there. Then we¡¯re going to make our way to the shelter as quietly as possible. If something finds us, you run and find a store to hide in, okay? Don¡¯t come out or make a sound until I find you.¡± I paused, then quickly added in a quieter voice. ¡°Or someone else comes looking. If it¡¯s somebody calling out saying they''re here to help, go to them. Otherwise, stay hidden no matter what you hear. You understand?¡± He gave me a jerky nod, and after fumbling my items around, I managed to free a hand to rub the top of his head gently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect you. Now, let¡¯s go.¡± I started moving, still crouched and making sure Brian followed. He stuck to me like glue, and I made sure to pay extra attention to my scythe¡¯s length to not bump it into him or any of the shelves. We made our way to the entrance, and I paused, looking around at the food court. The weird rift thing had disappeared from the sky, and the mall was silent as a graveyard¡­ which was not a comforting analogy to make. Stupid brain¡­ The way looked clear, and so I carefully set down my weapon and transferred the baseball to my right hand. As I did, I caught my reflection in the glass of a nearby display. I looked scared, of course, but my eye¡­ there was a determination that gleamed behind it that I¡¯d never seen before. As I looked on in surprise, I found my hand reaching towards my eyepatch. Screw it. It¡¯s not like anyone is around to stare anyway. Might as well go all out. So I pulled off the eyepatch, tucking it into my blazer pocket as my right eye quickly adjusted to the dim red of the emergency light. My reflection peered back at me, my left eye a bright azure, and my uncovered right a sanguine red, both gleaming with the mark of someone affected by mana while they were still developing in the womb. The two different colors were just due to mundane heterochromia, but being manaborn meant they both had a vivid sheen to them. The combination ended up causing people to stare or sometimes outright stop me to take pictures. I¡¯d taken to wearing the eyepatch to avoid the attention since elementary school. I¡¯d still gotten looks, of course, but the medical-style eyepatch had stopped all but the most intrusive from asking questions, afraid it was an injury and, therefore, a taboo topic. Of course, that hadn¡¯t stopped Katie when we had first met in middle school. She¡¯d poked and prodded around the topic, finally taking to calling me ¡°cyclops girl.¡± Then, at the start of the current school year, she¡¯d grown the courage to outright pull off my eyepatch in the middle of our lunch period. After that, word had spread through the grade quickly. Freak. Crazy eyes. Demon girl. Katie had gotten creative with the names. From a distance, it was all just stupid, low-tier bullying. But that didn¡¯t make it cut any less, and even small cuts could bleed someone out eventually. My vision finally finished adjusting to both the dark and using both eyes again, so I shook the thoughts from my head. Now wasn¡¯t the time to be introspective. It was time to move. Carefully, I stood up, still searching for movement. Seeing none, I took a breath, pulled my arm back, and threw the baseball as far as I could, aiming at a store window on the other side of the food court. I wasn¡¯t particularly strong and never really practiced throwing, so I just arched it the best I could, hoping it would slam into something and make noise. It did not disappoint. Maybe I had underestimated the effect of fear-induced adrenaline and the strength that came with it, because I watched with shock as it flew all the way across the food court. It fell short of the store I aimed for, but then it bounced off the floor with a noisy thud and ricocheted into the window. The baseball slammed into the glass, and the entire window shook noisily in its frame, echoing through the empty mall floor. Triumph flooded into my veins, a wild grin stretching over my lips as- Four shapes suddenly blurred from the shadows, rushing to the sound. I got the vague impression of something dog-like with an unnaturally long tail, the sound of claws scrabbling on the tiled floor as they moved. My heart leapt into my throat as one of the shapes appeared from behind a half wall of hedges along the food court¡¯s outer perimeter, directly where our path to the shelter was. The shapes moved about as quick as a normal canine running at full speed, but made no sound other than the clicking of their clawed feet. I waited, making sure there were no others, and then moved, jerking my head at Brian to follow. I kept my scythe close and the bundled net in my left hand ready as I led Brian to the hedge walls, skirting along the perimeter of the food court away from the direction I¡¯d thrown the ball. My heart felt like it was trying to tear through my chest, but I ignored it as I crouch-shuffled along. When we got about a quarter of the way around, I took another careful look above the hedges, but saw nothing. I moved, breaking from the cover of the wall and headed to a pathway that led between stores. From there, I knew if we took a right and followed the maze of storefronts for a while, it would eventually lead us directly onto a path to the shelter. Brian stuck close, all but clutching onto me as we moved. I led him along, trying to ignore the storefronts we were passing and the thought there could be any number of Anathema hiding in them. If they were hiding inside, there wasn¡¯t much I could do about it but be alert and ready. We made slow but substantial progress. My path was designed to take as many turns as possible, utilizing the small ¡°alleyways¡± created between the stores. That way, we wouldn¡¯t find ourselves on a long straightaway where anything could see us from far away. Before every turn, I stopped and looked down the hall, forcing myself to observe for at least a minute before continuing. With the size of the mall, it felt like I was going through a city more than anything else. Brian kept up well, and I made sure to give him a reassuring smile every time we waited at a corner. I had no idea how the kid was holding it all together so well when I barely was. Maybe he was just in shock. Maybe I was in shock. Whatever. It didn¡¯t matter too much as long as we were making progress. At the halfway mark, I paused to catch my breath, taking a little more time as I watched our next pathway for movement. Seeing nothing, I stepped out, turning to give Brian another reassuring smile. For the first time, he gave me a shaky smile back, and an Anathema stepped out of a storefront ten feet behind him. It was about the size of a small wolf and borrowed the same shape, but instead of fur, it had a slick black carapace covering it in armor, sinewy red muscle poking out between the plates. The thing¡¯s tail was serrated and hung limply behind it at nearly twice the length of its body. As the thing stepped forth, it turned to me. I blinked as my gaze met what looked almost like a giant eel¡¯s head. It¡¯s unassuming, derpy eyes stared back, lidless and unmoving. Then it opened its mouth, and I realized its head wasn¡¯t that of an eel but a lamprey. Teeth lined the interior of its suction cup mouth, and it let out a shrieking hiss that bounced around weirdly in the shorter passage. Brian started to flip around, but I was already moving. The lamprey wolf hurried to move as well, scrabbling and slipping over the tiles as it tried to find traction to leap at us. I threw the net over Brian¡¯s head at the thing, grabbing his shoulder and pushing him behind me once the net left my hand. ¡°Run!¡± I yelped at Brian, my voice cracking even as I readied my makeshift scythe for a swing. The monster managed to take a step forward only for the messily unwinding net to entangle it. Its legs caught in the various layers of webbing, and it tripped forward, crashing to the ground. As it did, I grabbed my weapon with both hands and swung down. The head of the ice axe smashed straight into a piece of carapace and then through it into flesh. I felt the squish of meat being punctured through the broom pole, and I suppressed a shudder. The thing let out an undulating hiss of pain, spitting gray slime over the ground as it tried to stand, only for its legs to get further enwrapped in the net. It still managed to slide itself forward, only for the excess netting to catch its back legs as well. Between the smooth tile of the ground and its tangled limbs, it couldn¡¯t seem to get to its feet. I pulled up on my scythe, drawing it out from the monster and sending an arc of black ichor onto the wall and ceiling. Then I swung down again. And again. And again. The ice axe punctured through the thing''s body a half dozen times before the creature finally started tearing through the net with its claws. I pulled my scythe back, fear sending a shock of lightning through me. Suddenly, I realized the ice axe wasn¡¯t piercing deep enough to reach anything vital in its body. I had to aim for the head if I wanted to kill the thing before it got free. I adjusted, aiming for half a second before swinging down the scythe again, aiming directly at its head and neck area. There was a sudden blur, and the monster¡¯s serrated tail whipped up and wrapped around my weapon. Then it pulled with unnatural strength, and my scythe went flying. I stumbled backwards, reaching behind my head and grasping the ice axe that was sticking out of my backpack. My fingers were slick with sweat and slipped around the thing, unable to find a good grip. Cursing, I pulled off my backpack and ripped the axe clear, tossing my pack to the side. Before I could flip the axe around to grab the handle, there was a ripping sound as the monster tore itself free from the netting. It leapt at me, bowling straight into me and slamming me into the ground. A gasp of air escaped my lungs even as my head was thrown back by the whiplash into the tile. Pain exploded through my head and back, dyeing my sight red. I blinked the color away, but when my vision cleared, the thing was standing over me, its head hovering above my stomach. Somehow, I was still holding onto the ice axe, and I fumbled with it, trying to work my hand down from the head to grasp the handle. I pushed against the ground with my feet, trying to slide myself away from the monster. It stared at me for a second before it pulled its head back, opening its maw in a victorious shriek, and then it plunged its face onto my stomach. Dozens of serrated teeth undulated in rapid succession to claw into my skin while something sharp and abrasive ripped through my blazer and shirt and into the flesh of my navel. The beginnings of a scream escaped through my clenched teeth as it tore into me. Finally my right hand found a grip on the axe and- What felt like a serrated knife plunged into my stomach, and I screamed. Tears came to my eyes as whatever impaled me began to tear around inside of my guts. Dark edges closed in around my vision as a burning pain clawed into me. After another few churning twists, the knife-like object withdrew from my belly in one quick, smooth motion, and I gasped at the sudden sensation. I tried to look through the blurriness covering my sight, my abdomen spasming in a sharp, burning pain. I found the creature still latched onto me, its lidless eyes meeting my own. Suddenly, its neck undulated, and I felt a sudden suction as it began slurping up my blood and guts. The thing was eating me. Something inside my head snapped at that realization, and I let out a scream that cracked my throat as a whole new agony flooded my body. Panic and desperation flooded through me at the sheer intrusiveness of the sensation as my guts were sucked out. I tried to grab the thing''s head with my left hand and push it off, but I couldn¡¯t find any purchase on its slick skin. I switched tactics, instead using the feeling of the monster¡¯s head to aim, and I swung the ice axe at it. The axe pierced the thing¡¯s neck, and its entire body spasmed, the suction faltering. The brief reprieve gave me time to pull the axe back out and adjust my aim. Its tail swung up from behind it, and I knew it was going to try to whip my ice axe away. Before it could, I swung down again, and the axe plunged through its head, this time directly above its eyes. The monster''s entire body stiffened, going completely still. Then its teeth suddenly unlatched from my belly even as the thing fell on top of me. I could hear myself whimpering as I pulled the axe out, and swung down again at its neck. There was no reaction as it bit deep, but I didn¡¯t stop. I kept swinging, stabbing holes into the thing until my arm grew weak. I could hear myself gasping for breath as I laid there, the creature¡¯s corpse resting on my lower body. For a while, I didn¡¯t move. Every heaving breath of air caused my stomach to rise and fall, sending shocks of pain through me. I tried to slow down my breathing the best I could, and the pain gradually began to lose some of its bite. When it went from excruciating and paralyzing to only reducing me to tears, I began trying to slide myself from under it. The movement caused my abdominal muscles to contract, and I choked on more sobs as I forced myself to continue until I was finally free. I wiped at my blurry vision, trying to regain my composure. From where I was laying, I tried my best to look around for Brian, but I didn¡¯t see him anywhere. He must have ducked into a store and hid like I told him. That was good, because I was sure my screams had echoed through the hallways. Hopefully the maze of the mall had bounced the sound around enough that it would take time before more creatures found me, but I couldn¡¯t waste even a second. I needed to move, and to do that, I had to assess the damage to my abdomen. I felt panicky fear rise in my throat as I pushed my head and shoulders up off the ground to see my wound. There was a hole through my blazer and blouse on the area around my navel, showing skin and flesh scraped raw. In the center was a noticeable hole, and even as I watched, blood bubbled up from it with each of my breaths. Soft, mewling sounds of pain started escaping me as horror washed through me. Bile rose in my throat, and I forced myself to hold it down, not wanting to know what kind of pain vomiting would induce. I let myself lie back on the floor, closing my eyes. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from whimpering weakly as I gently moved my hands over my wound and felt a hot, sticky warmth. I tried to put a little pressure on my wound, but the slightest push sent stars across my vision. My weak, pained noises gained a raw, shrill sharpness to them. As I tried to regain control of myself, I realized that even though the monster hadn¡¯t hit anywhere vital, it had still ripped through my guts. If I tried to move, the pain it would cause would almost certainly make me pass out. I was stuck, bleeding out, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I¡¯m going to die, I realized, and tears spilled down my cheeks. I felt myself choking on weak sobs as I tried not to agitate my belly. I had killed an Anathema, an alien abomination, but so what? What did it matter if I was going to die anyway? I had saved Brian, but now what was going to happen to him? Would he really be safe with more of those things prowling around? I¡¯d failed in every single way that truly mattered. And Lily. God, Lily. I was never going to see her again, her blond ponytail bouncing whenever she ran, her mischievous grin when she surprised me. I was never going to get to play more games with her, to watch her run at her track practices, to see her smile at me again. I really wanted to see her smile again¡­ Something inside my heart fell apart. I let myself cry in uncontrolled, choking gasps, ignoring the throbbing pain that came with it. My sobs were utterly undignified sounding, all snot and choked whines, but I didn¡¯t care. It didn¡¯t matter any more. Nothing mattered any more. Dimly, I heard the pitter-patter of something against the tile floor, and I almost let out a mirthless laugh as it grew nearer. So much for bleeding out. At least I wouldn¡¯t have to suffer much longer. The pattering steps grew nearer with an odd, hopping cadence, and it was only when I heard it stop near my head that I decided to open my eyes and face whatever had come to finish me off. At first, I thought I was looking at a stuffed animal. A pure white, floppy-eared rabbit sat near my head, staring at me with red eyes. The rabbit was huge, the size of a fully grown cat, and even as I looked at it, nine fox tails unfurled behind it, gently waving back and forth. As I looked at the thing in confusion, I noticed that instead of solid pupils, both were black circles that held a seven-pointed star made of seven straight, overlapping lines. Everything about it was overemphasized and artificially perfect, exactly like a stuffed animal was. The rabbit¡¯s head suddenly moved, tilting slightly as it continued to stare. [Congratulations!] A woman¡¯s voice resounded through my mind. [Your actions have not gone unnoticed! The Zenith have recognized you as being a capable fit to become a Magical Guardian and continue defending humanity!] I blinked, completely failing to understand what was happening. I went over the words in my head again but couldn¡¯t seem to process them. The rabbit¡¯s head tilted to the other side, and the woman¡¯s voice came back to me. [It appears your conflict with the Anathema has left you in a critical condition. I should inform you that if you choose to become a Magical Guardian, you will gain access to resources capable of preventing your eventual demise. As you seem to be losing blood and consciousness, I will skip the rest of the introduction and get straight to my one and only question.] The rabbit¡¯s heptagram eyes began to glow with crimson light, and I felt a cold chill down my spine. [Would you like to make a contract?] Chapter 3 - Contract I could feel my breathing pick up as I wondered if I had finally lost my mind. [It would be best if you tried to remain calm,] a woman¡¯s soothing voice washed over me. [Hyperventilation will only aggravate your wound further. While not an imminently fatal wound, it is still best to keep you in as perfect health as possible.] ¡°What¡­ what are you?¡± I whispered, my voice quivering. It paused for a moment, then an ear twitched. [Perhaps some explanation is required after all. Very well. I am an entity created by the alien race you know as the ¡°Zenith.¡± As for what I am, the closest equivalent humans have is that of a highly advanced artificial intelligence. Although the proper explanation is much more complicated, you may think of me as an AI formed by both magic and unrivaled technology. I was created in order to assist humanity in their fight against the Anathema. Humans have taken to calling us ¡°Familiars.¡±] Recognition dawned on me. MGs always did seem to have weird little mascot animals that got advertised with them. Even the few Magical Girl shows I¡¯d seen had featured weird but cute looking creatures who ended up giving the girl their power. A flare of pain brought me back to the moment, and I suppressed a shudder. I was starting to feel cold, and I was covered in a sheen of sweat from the fight and pain. I looked back at the rabbit. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I whispered. ¡°Why me? I¡­ I¡¯m not special, or strong, or anything like that. So why me?¡± The Familiar¡¯s fox tails swished back and forth. [On the contrary, the Zenith determined some time ago that you would be compatible with magic and be capable of serving in a vital role as a Magical Guardian. Otherwise, I would not have been created. Each Familiar is personalized from inception to be a match for their potential Guardian, you know! I have even been watching you for the past twenty-three days, gathering more information and performing a final assessment. After your recent actions, I decided further observation was no longer necessary.] ¡°Oh¡­¡± I replied weakly. The pain in my stomach was growing, sending sharper spikes through my body. The adrenaline from the fight must have been fading too, because exhaustion was starting to pull at me, and a nap sounded really good. If it weren¡¯t for the sharp bouts of agony, I was pretty sure I would have passed out already. [Perhaps more questions should wait until a later time.] The Familiar¡¯s ears perked up slightly. [You are injured, though I have limited ability to tell how badly without forming a contract first. I would highly suggest you make a decision on my offer swiftly.] It¡­ all of it was so sudden, it felt surreal. No fanfare, no gradual buildup, just bam, fight an Anathema, almost die, and now an alien creature was offering me a power most would kill for. It was too much, and I wanted to ask a thousand questions, to pinch myself and make sure I wasn¡¯t dreaming. The Familiar, however, was right. I didn¡¯t have much time to think through this. I was lying on the ground, helpless and bleeding with monsters roaming about. If I wanted to survive, I would just have to accept this as reality and move on. So I bit my lip, and forced my brain to work through the situation. Becoming a Magical Guardian, huh? Wasn¡¯t this exactly what everyone dreamed of? Besides the gaping belly wound, of course. If I accepted, I would be able to use magic. Magic, as in fireballs and flying and¡­ well, pretty much anything, really. The laws of reality would become more like guidelines, suggestions that I could scoff at. Accepting would basically make me into a superhero, an icon idolized by modern society. Oh, and I would survive my mortal wound too, according to the Familiar. As far as sign-up bonuses, that was pretty good. Naturally, seeing only benefits, I knew there had to be a catch. Nothing was free. Nothing. ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡± I asked in a whisper. [There are three stipulations to the contract. The first is by and large the biggest reason people do not accept. In becoming a Magical Guardian, you pledge to use your powers to fight the Anathema and protect humanity in its struggle. This means for the rest of your life, your fate will be entangled with pain, suffering, and death. You must realize that you cannot be a light in the darkness without immersing yourself in those very same shadows. Even should you not fight the Anathema directly, you will still be working in some way to alleviate the suffering they cause, and in doing so, expose your very soul to the tragedies of a war without end.] Her words made me shiver, eliciting an accompanying wince and hiss of pain. I rolled the words over in my head quickly, only taking a second to consider them. It was such an easy decision, and I felt a sour taste rise in the back of my throat when I realized why. ¡°Alright. Next condition.¡± There was a pregnant pause, and I looked back to the Familiar when it didn¡¯t immediately reply. [Time may be short, but perhaps you should consider it more thoroughly.] It suggested carefully. [The fear of death may be influencing your decision, but-] ¡°I did consider it!¡± I let out a weak shout, slamming my fist down on the tile impotently. ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand. My life¡­ it hasn¡¯t been good, alright? The idea of fighting Anathema scares me, but at least it would be a fight! For once, I would have the power to make a difference, to stop just surviving!¡± Tears began to blur my vision, and I clenched my teeth. ¡°Every day, it¡¯s always the same thing over and over again. Take the hits and just roll with them. All I¡¯ve ever managed to do is just survive. I even tried to stand up for myself, and it only made things worse. Can you imagine what that¡¯s like? To come face to face with how helpless you really are? How futile it all is? To actually wonder what the point of living is if it¡¯s just never-ending pain?¡± I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting against a rising hysteria. How many times had I lied to myself that things were okay? That one day, things would change? That I would eventually stop feeling utter disappointment every morning I woke up? ¡°I¡¯m just so tired of being helpless,¡± I whispered. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I just can¡¯t anymore. I can¡¯t keep trying and losing.¡± The fox tails behind the Familiar lowered down to the floor, and it gave a slow dip of its head. I wiped my eyes on my sleeves, and after a few seconds of silence, it continued in a somber tone. [The second condition is more vague, but it states that you will not abuse your new powers. Things such as needlessly harming other humans, hampering other Magical Guardians without reason, or using your power in a tyrannical manner. You are expected to be a beacon of hope, not a monster. This rule is more flexible due to its far-reaching nature, and warnings will be given if it is perceived you are potentially breaking it.] ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I shook my head. ¡°Wasn¡¯t planning on world domination anyway.¡± [Yes,] the feminine voice in my head gained a hint of dry sarcasm to it. [Though your friend¡¯s lust for the conquest of Australia is potentially worrying.] I blinked. Did it just¡­ wait how did it even know about- [The third and final stipulation,] it interrupted my thoughts, [is that you agree that no matter what, you will not attempt to break the laws of magic. There are a few, but they simply cover what you can and can¡¯t use certain magics for. Time and mind magic would be examples. Generally, don¡¯t actively try to destroy reality or enslave another, and you¡¯ll be fine. A more detailed explanation will be provided if necessary.] Reasonable. Just¡­ yeah. All of that sounded like bad news anyway. ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯m fine with all three of the rules.¡± [Excellent. Know that breaking any of these stipulations is grounds for the stripping of your power and any assets you may have acquired during your time as a Magical Guardian. If all three stipulations are agreeable, then I will ask my question one last time, and you will answer. Then we can begin saving your life.] ¡°Wait, what do you mean, ¡®we?¡¯¡± I asked. ¡°What exactly happens after the contract is formed?¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. [Familiars act as a Magical Guardian¡¯s personal assistant to not only guide them through their new abilities but also aid them in whatever they might request. Essentially, you will have a magical AI in your head whose only purpose is to help you for the rest of your life. That is why Familiars are personally customized to each Magical Guardian candidate. Extensive information gathering was done to make sure our personalities would be complementary and so I would be aware of the various aspects of your life.] ¡°Oh¡­¡± I said, a sudden paranoia rising in my chest. ¡°How much do you know about me exactly?¡± There was a pause, and I felt my throat grow tighter. [It is not an exaggeration to say the Zenith are eons beyond humanity¡¯s capabilities. Anything posted online or kept electronically pertaining to you has been acquired and researched. Once active observation began, it is safe to assume that if there was an electronic device capable of monitoring you, it was hacked to do so. Phones recorded conversations, cameras your activities, and etcetera. The only place not monitored directly by me, spellcraft, or technology was your home, although internet activity was logged as stipulated by the Accords signed with humanity.] Anger and panic rose in me at the thought of them spying on me, but the Familiar¡¯s voice quickly continued. [I am aware humans value privacy dearly. The main purpose of the information gathering was not to pry, but to make sure you would be a suitable Magical Guardian. The amount of power that comes with being one is too much to give to a candidate without first making sure they would not abuse it. If it makes you feel better, I promise not to bring up anything that might be considered an overstepping of boundaries. My purpose will be to help you in your duties as a Magical Guardian, not judge or pry into your personal life. What you choose to share with me and bring me into will be completely up to you.] I swallowed. I¡­ really didn¡¯t like that the thing seemed to know so much about me, but it made sense. How else were the Zenith supposed to determine if people met their criteria? It made me uncomfortable, but in the end, it didn¡¯t matter. If the Familiar really promised to respect my boundaries¡­ ¡°Fine,¡± I whispered, wincing in pain. ¡°I guess that works.¡± The creature¡¯s head bobbed up and down. [Then, if you accept the previously explained rules¡­] the gentle voice prodded. I took a deep breath as I met the Familiar¡¯s eyes. I could feel fear inside me, but I couldn¡¯t quite figure out why. I ignored it, knowing that it didn¡¯t matter anymore. I¡¯d made my decision, so I gave a serious nod to the creature offering to change¡­ well, everything. There was a breath, and then it asked its question. [Would you like to make a contract?] ¡°Yes,¡± I replied. And then I fell through the floor. I yelped as the sensation of dropping sent fear into my throat. Shadows enfolded my vision as I plummeted downwards into absolute darkness. My back hit something painlessly, and there was a shattering sound. I saw glass shards glinting in the shadows as they began to descend with me, only for everything to come to a jolting stop, frozen mid-air. Then I began to fall back the way I came. Instead of flying through the hole I smashed through, I splashed into lukewarm water face-first. It was only about an inch deep, and there was some kind of featureless ground beneath it. I sputtered as liquid filled my nose. Pushing myself up, I coughed a few times, trying to get my bearings. All I was able to make out was darkness, and as I stood on my feet- My eyes widened, and I quickly looked down at my stomach. There was no wound in it, and even my clothes seemed utterly devoid of damage. Frowning, I gently touched my belly, but felt nothing amiss. I took a few tentative steps forward, the gentle swish of water parting around my shoes the only sound. There was nothing around me but an endless expanse of emptiness and shallow water. A second later, there was the crackle of electricity, and a sudden purple light bloomed in the shadows with the intensity of a lightning flash. I brought a hand up, shielding my eyes as they adjusted. Squinting, I was able to make out a vague pillar shape of harsh purple light rising from the water and into the sky. Something about the light called to me, beckoning me to ignore my confusion, and so I made my way towards it. My vision adjusted as I neared, and I saw the pillar was created from strands of electricity shaped like thorned vines. The energy had a pitch black core with a violet outline, giving it an unnaturally eerie look. While the frozen, perfectly sculpted lightning was beautiful, something about the thorned vine shape each electrical arc had gave me a deep sense of... isolation, maybe? Emptiness? Tightly entangled as the vines were, it almost felt like they were trying to keep something away. I peered at the amethyst lightning-vines, and I found myself slowly moving around the pillar-like shape they formed. Even though they were thickly intertwined, I could see through portions deeper into its column, and an oddly-colored shape poked through the holes. I finally got to one portion where the vines hadn¡¯t bunched together as much, and I peered inside the small window formed by their absence. My heart stopped. Suspended several inches above the ground and wrapped in the tangle of thorned electricity was a young girl. She was naked, showing a petiteness that edged on dangerous. Her skin was smooth and pale as a porcelain doll. Even though she wore nothing, the lightning entangling her somehow provided the perfect amount of modesty, as if artistically placed. Her hair was raven dark, falling in straight, silky tresses down to her hips, and it framed her too-soft sleeping face in a dark veil. I stared at the girl, wondering what I could do to get her out of her prison. Suddenly, she took a sharp, shuddering breath. Her body spasmed slightly against the vines, but they held tight with an electric crackle. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, meeting my own. Heterochromatic eyes of azure and scarlet met mine, and I realized the girl I was looking at was a reflection of me only with longer hair, alabaster skin, and- Her pupils. They were shaped like crescent moons, the darkness of them drawing me in. Suddenly I was lying back on the floor of the mall. Sharp, silvery pain exploded through my skull, and I let out a groan as I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to will it away.
SYSTEM UPDATE
Soul Gem formulation successful. Reflection room stabilized. Contract Ceremony complete. Mana resonance recorded at 124%. System access granted. Gate access granted. Credentials updated. ERROR: Unable to unlock Astral Shift. Blacklight Protocols are in effect. See Familiar for assistance. Precontractual accomplishments found. Rewards have been applied.
The message that visually appeared in my head rang out in discordant voices, followed by the Familiar¡¯s feminine voice in an excited tone. For some reason, its words also appeared at the bottom of my vision like subtitles. [Obtained Magical Guardian Starter bonus! Welcome to the world of magic!] [Obtained 150 Points] [Saved: 1 Defenseless Child] [Reward: 10 Points] [Accomplishment rewards received for sacrificing yourself to certain doom to save another!] [Reward: 100 Points] [Defeated (Fomorian Hound - Level 1)] [Reward: 10 Points] [Total Points: 270] [Unique Augment Available!] As the pain and messages in my head faded, I looked to my left to see the Familiar still sitting in the same position. To my surprise, its pure white visage had changed. Near the tips of each of its tails and ears was a swath of black fur that formed a ring. Between its eyes, more black fur had formed the symbol of a crescent moon, and its previously heptagram-shaped pupils had changed to a matching shape. [Contract successful,] my Familiar said. [As your bonded Familiar, I will begin my role as companion and advisor, answering questions and making recommendations based on your personality, background, and requests. I now have a link to your senses, so give me a moment to look over your vital- oh¡­] There was silence, and I raised an eyebrow as fear rose in my throat. ¡°What?¡± I asked in a panicked voice. ¡°How bad is it?¡± [The injury itself is serious but manageable. It¡¯s just¡­ you have a rather unusually high pain tolerance.] I felt my heart rate lower, and I glared at the creature for nearly giving me a heart attack. It didn¡¯t seem to notice. [Very well. I believe our best course of action would be to skip the immediate introduction and use some of your points to purchase items capable of healing your injury. Afterwards, I will explain in further detail your new abilities. Is that acceptable?¡± ¡°I guess?¡± I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°But what do you mean by purchase?¡± [Magical Guardians are rewarded with ¡°points¡± for a variety of activities such as defeating Anathema, completing quests, and saving people from danger. With these points, you can access what is called the ¡°Arcane System¡± and purchase everything from spells and abilities to more mundane physical items. Clothes, weapons, and technologies from beyond your imagination are now a simple expenditure of points away!] ¡°Wait,¡± I stammered. ¡°Quests? Defeating monsters? And didn¡¯t that notification earlier have a level on that Anathema I killed? Isn¡¯t this just like a video game? ¡± [Very much so! In fact, I think you will soon be pleasantly surprised by some aspects of your new power. Regardless, your health and safety take precedence. It has been less than thirteen minutes since the first Rifts formed and two minutes since you defeated the Fomorian Hound. Getting you healed and to a shelter as soon as possible would be ideal.] Two minutes!? That wasn¡¯t possible! We¡¯d had a whole conversation, and the explanations hadn¡¯t been that short! [I sense your confusion,] my Familiar said somewhat smugly. [Due to the time-sensitive position we were in, I elected to send my words to you as instantaneous blocks of information and let your brain process them as if we were speaking normally. This means my parts of the conversation have essentially been ¡°said¡± at the speed of thought. Therefore, the only time that has passed has been when you were speaking or considering your choices. To anyone observing, you were having a very quick conversation with yourself interrupted only by momentary bits of silence.] ¡°O-oh,¡± I stammered. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ actually incredibly useful.¡± [It does strain your brain somewhat, so outside of combat situations, I will simply ¡°speak¡± to you normally. However, we can discuss that later. For now, let us begin by saving your life.] ¡°And how exactly do we do that?¡± I asked. ¡°Do you teach me a healing spell or something?¡± [No,] the feminine voice replied with undisguised glee. [There is only one way we can save you at the moment.] I raised an eyebrow, curious at my Familiar¡¯s excited tone. [We go shopping!] Chapter 4 - Gate [I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of Magical Guardians summoning items from thin air. It is a fairly well-recorded and discussed phenomenon.] ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I trailed off slowly. It would have been hard not to hear about it with all the videos people constantly took whenever an MG did¡­ well, anything. In the clips I¡¯d seen, the MG would make a dramatic motion, a glowing magical circle of light would appear, and some item would pop out of it. People had theories about what was really happening, but I¡¯d simply chalked it up to ¡°magic¡± and moved on. [Yes, well they are making use of what is called the ¡°Gate,¡± and it is one of the two major boons you have access to now. Simply put, it is an interdimensional network of magic that allows Guardians to purchase something with points they have earned. The item is then teleported directly to the Guardian from the Zenith. Half-second delivery or your money back!] I squinted at my Familiar, trying to see if it was joking or not. It stared back with unblinking eyes. The feeling of hot, sticky warmth spreading beneath my hands drew me back from the moment. ¡°Okay,¡± I finally groaned, shifting as my wound throbbed. ¡°What do we need to do? How bad am I hurt?¡± [I am sorry to say your injury, while not immediately fatal, is extensive. Fomorian Hounds consume their victims in a way similar to how lampreys eat. Using the suction cup of their mouth and teeth, they dig into the flesh. Then they use their serrated knife-tongue to rasp away any protective layers before they puncture and gouge into their victim. Whirling their tongue around, they mulch the flesh within the wound to be easily sucked up. Right now, your intestines look like they went through a blender.] I felt an intense nausea rise in me as I stared in horror at the rabbit. It seemed entirely unconcerned by what it had just described. I swallowed, the pain of my injury becoming more prominent as I thought about it. ¡°Is there anything I can even buy to fix that?¡± I asked, my heart in my throat. [Of course. There are items that fit any number of situations! It is not an exaggeration to say there are millions of different items and Vaults in total. As such, I have taken the liberty of selecting what I believe to be the best options. First I would recommend unlocking the First Aid Vault (Common) for 100 points. With that, you will be able to purchase the three items needed to stabilize your condition and begin the healing process. The total cost will come to 140 points. Would you like more information on the individual items, or-] ¡°Just do it,¡± I shook my head, the pain in my stomach bubbling up in intensity. [First Aid Vault (Common) Unlocked!] [-100 Points] [Purchased: Pain-Relief Inhaler] [-10 Points] [Purchased: Emergency Clot Spray] [-10 Points] [Purchased: Greater Restoration Gum] [-20 Points] [Remaining Points: 130] Words flashed in my vision along with the Familiar¡¯s voice, and then a spot next to me on the ground began to glow. A magic circle bloomed into existence with deep violet light. It consisted of two concentric circles forming a thin ring filled with runic letters. The inner circle was wrapped around a seven-pointed star drawn like my Familiar¡¯s eyes had been, seven straight lines intersecting and overlapping. There was a hum from the magic circle, and a small matte black box rose from within its glowing interior. Then the circle dimmed until it disappeared completely. I stared at the box for a shocked second. It really had just¡­ teleported in. [Open it,] my Familiar urged. I reached out and grabbed the box. It wasn¡¯t big, maybe the size of two particularly thick hardcover books placed next to each other. There was a silver button placed in the center, between the seams, so I pressed it. With a click, the top came unlatched and popped open slightly. I pulled and flipped it the rest of the way, forcing myself up slightly as I looked inside. It was filled with some kind of black foam that wrapped around three distinct items. The first looked like a simple inhaler, the second a spray paint can with a cone-shaped nozzle, and the third, a purple marble wrapped in a clear plastic wrapper. The inhaler and can were colored black, but both also had some kind of icon on them: a crescent moon with a silhouette of a bunny head around it, both in a metallic silver. [First, the inhaler,] the Familiar said. [It operates the same way as a normal one might. It is filled with a fast acting medication that will target any nerves sending pain signals over a certain threshold.] I fumbled the inhaler to my mouth, exhaled deeply, and then depressed the top of the inhaler even as I took a deep breath in. The air that entered my mouth tasted of mint, and was somehow fresh like morning air filled with dew. I held the breath in my lungs as long as I could, and then gasped out, causing my abdomen to move in response. Sharp pain flashed through my stomach only to be washed over with a cool, relaxing feeling. I blinked in surprise as the agony seemed to disappear as fast as it had come. [Very good! Next is the emergency clot spray. Press the cone of the nozzle over the puncture tightly and then hold the button on top of the can. Do not release the button until the can stops spraying. The spray itself is a fast forming foam that will close your lacerated internals. It will also serve the function of helping lock your intestines in place and prevent further agitation.] I followed my Familiar¡¯s instructions. When I pressed down on the nozzle, there was an odd feeling of some kind of thick liquid spraying into my abdomen. It didn¡¯t hurt, but it was slightly cold, and the sensation of it packing into me was downright weird. I did my best not to squirm, and the can stopped a moment later. When I pulled it away, I saw a small mound of foam over the injury. It quivered slightly, and then seemed to lose its viscosity, slipping off me until only a thin seal over my injury remained. [Excellent,] my Familiar said. [Finally, you have the gum. Remove the wrapper, place it into your mouth, and chew. As a greater restorative agent, it will work to repair what it can of your internals while also promoting an increase in blood reproduction. Your blood levels should be back to full within the hour. Should you grow tired of chewing on it, you can also swallow it.] I took the small little wrapper and pulled out the gum ball. Even the candy had the same silver crescent moon and rabbit head icon branded on its violet surface, and I shook my head as I popped it into my mouth. When I bit into the candy, it didn¡¯t explode in flavor but sensation. It was like drinking hot chocolate on a cold winter day, a gentle warmth filling my body with satisfaction. I¡¯d only experienced that taste and sensation once before, and it was a soft, comforting bliss that I wanted to let myself slip into. Unfortunately, I was still in a mall filled with murderous alien monsters. I forced myself to start getting up. My abdomen let out a distant and dull throb, but left me otherwise unhindered as I stood on shaky legs. Only now did I notice the entire lower half of my clothes were covered in either my blood or sticky alien ichor, and I forced myself to ignore the queasy sensation that began welling up. I looked back and forth down the hall in a quick check, but found nothing coming. As swiftly as I could move, I stumbled to my backpack, picking it up and grabbing my discarded ice axe along the way. Then I ducked into a clothing store, crouching near the back while keeping a view of the outside. [Now that you are mobile and we have a moment,] my Familiar said from seemingly nowhere. [May I suggest going through a small portion of the introductory tutorial? There are some important matters that must be discussed.] ¡°What do you mean?¡± I hissed, looking around for the rabbit. ¡°I was¡­ very loud about how much pain I was in. More Anathema are probably coming, and we need to find Brian. Where are you, anyway?¡± [It is unlikely more are heading this way. The mall is made of a hyper sound-absorptive material to prevent echoing and excessive noise pollution, a necessity due to its size and layout. Except for the hallway you were just in, the noise would not have traveled far. The only rooms you must worry about noise traveling in are the larger, more open rooms such as the food court. Otherwise, you can rest easy that any noise made will not escape your immediate vicinity.] ¡°Oh,¡± I frowned. Now that the rabbit mentioned it, the noise of the mall had been oddly subdued when I was going through it earlier. [Besides, most Anathema don¡¯t respond to human screams unless they have a specific reason to.] ¡°Why?¡± I asked, furrowing my brow. [Because a scream means they are winning.] I shivered as a chill went down my spine. [As for where I am, the quick answer is that I exist within you now. Where you are, I am. I can create an apparition of my form in your vision, but only you will be able to see me. If you wish to spend some of your magical energy, your mana, I can also produce a physical manifestation. My enchantments will still render me invisible to all who I do not wish to see me, but it does allow me to move about independently from you.] ¡°That¡¯s¡­ really cool, actually.¡± [Indeed. I am quite the catch, as it were.] A breathless, surprised laugh left me, and I felt my shoulders relax slightly. [Now, you expressed your wish to find the child you were protecting first. This seems like a reasonably safe decision. From what I observed before the Contract Ceremony, he ducked into the toy store across from you. Unless he has moved, he will still be there.] I bit my lip softly as I looked at the store¡¯s exit. ¡°Are you sure there¡¯s no more of those monsters coming?¡± [Reasonably. Unless a random patrol comes through this area, it should be clear. After Anathema enter through their rift, they work in a preset search pattern. Only the stronger and more intelligent deviate, neither of which should be active at this stage.] I swallowed. So far, I hadn¡¯t really had a choice but to blindly trust what my Familiar had said. I didn¡¯t have a reason not to, but that didn¡¯t help the unreasonable fear swirling in my belly. I didn¡¯t want to go back out there, to throw myself into danger again. The memory of that thing¡¯s tongue stabbing into me and swirling¡­ A blender, my Familiar had said. It looked like my insides went through a blender. I shivered, trying to keep the phantom sensation away. I¡¯d almost died a slow, painful death only a few moments ago, and now I had to go back out there and potentially face more of those things. I hated that I was scared, that the anxiety and terror were beating me into meekness. It was the same, suffocating feeling I got whenever Katie was near. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Trying to push the fear away, I reached blindly for a thought that could give me the courage to move. The image of Lily giving me a bright, laughing smile, her eyes filled with mirth flashed through my mind. And then the image of Brian, scared and hiding, hands clamped over his mouth as he cried. Suddenly I was moving, my fingers clenched so tightly around the ice axe it hurt. I had someone to protect, and I had someone to get back to. What more could I possibly need? I moved quickly, hunching over slightly as I crossed the hallway and went into the toy store. It was one of the smaller ones with only an aisle or two, its few shelves lined with various action figures and dolls. The only real place not in view of the entrance was behind the cashier¡¯s counter. I stopped halfway in and knelt, setting my ice axe down. ¡°Brian?¡± I called out gently. ¡°It¡¯s me, Mai, the girl you were with. I¡¯m okay, and the monster is gone now. Come on out. We¡¯ve got to keep moving to the shelter. Your mommy and daddy are probably waiting for you.¡± I waited as a shuffling sound came from behind the counter. A few seconds later, Brian¡¯s head popped out. When he saw me, he let out a cry and came running. I caught him as he leapt into my arms, wrapping his arms around my neck. ¡°I was so scared!¡± he whimpered. ¡°I thought the monster got you!¡± ¡°Shh, it¡¯s alright,¡± I gently rubbed his back, swallowing the lump in my throat. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. I took care of the monster.¡± ¡°You did?¡± he asked in shock, pulling away and looking at me with wide eyes. ¡°Yup!¡± I gave him a false grin of confidence, doing my best to channel what Lily would have done. ¡°He was a real meany, but I managed.¡± That seemed to settle him down, and his look of shock and fear turned into awe. I gave him what I hoped was a reassuring smile as I considered my next moves. I had Brian with me again, but now I needed to talk to my Familiar and figure out how we were going to get to the shelter. While I didn¡¯t know much about Magical Girls beyond the shows I¡¯d seen, I did know most tried to keep their real identities hidden for a variety of reasons. I¡¯d also heard that after they did one of their infamous ¡°transformation sequences¡± into their Magical Girl outfit, there was some kind of magic that made it so people wouldn¡¯t recognize them from their normal appearance. Unfortunately, I had no idea how any of that actually worked, which meant I needed some privacy to converse with my Familiar again. I wasn¡¯t keen on the thought of people finding out I suddenly had access to magical powers. I could easily see how that would go, and I had enough problems to deal with already. I gave Brian a quick squeeze on the shoulders. ¡°Now, how about you go hide back behind the counter. I¡¯m going to get some more things ready before we leave, just like before. I¡¯ll be right here, but I have something I need to take care of quick, alright?¡± He seemed unsure, but after I gave him another quick round of reassurances, he left. ¡°Alright,¡± I whispered at the Familiar in my head. ¡°Now what do we do? You said something about a tutorial?¡± [You know,] my Familiar replied, [you don¡¯t have to actually speak aloud to talk with me. Simply direct your thoughts at me, and I will hear them.] ¡°You can read my thoughts!?¡± [Only if directed at me,] my Familiar emphasized dryly. [As for what to do next, while I would like to give you the introductory tutorial, your unsafe location demands a more expedited approach. Thus, after one short task, we should work on getting you to the shelter.] ¡°Okay?¡± I replied with a frown. ¡°That¡¯s fine, as long as it doesn¡¯t take too long.¡± [And you¡¯re still talking aloud. No matter. Some Magical Guardians prefer to do the same. Moving on, this is the first matter of importance: You must give me a name as I currently do not possess one.] I blinked, then felt my cheeks beginning to warm. ¡°O-oh. I¡¯m sorry, I never really even asked¡­¡± [I suppose I shall forgive you, as you were slightly preoccupied bleeding out. However, we should formalize a name for me. It will make things easier.] ¡°R-right,¡± I thought about it before I continued. ¡°Um, I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but you are female, right? Your voice is feminine, I mean, but I don¡¯t really know how genders work with creatures literally made by magic.¡± [My personality was created based on a feminine archetype as it was determined to be the best match for you, but I do not possess a ¡°true¡± gender in the physical sense. Should you wish, I can switch to a more masculine voice.] ¡°No, that¡¯s fine,¡± I hurriedly said. ¡°I like your voice. It¡¯s¡­ soothing.¡± She didn¡¯t respond, but I got a weird sense of satisfaction from her silence that made me smile. I tried to start thinking of names, but none immediately popped into my head. She was a rabbit, but with nine fox tails. So a kitsune-rabbit? It would need to be some kind of mystical name, then. Other than my Familiar¡¯s crescent-moon shaped eyes, there wasn¡¯t really anything else to¡­ No. No, that would work! ¡°What do you think of¡­ Selene?¡± [The Greek goddess and personification of the moon¡­ Yes, that will do nicely.] There was an undertone of approval in her voice that made me grin wider. [Very well then,] Selene¡¯s voice whispered through my mind. Maybe it was my imagination, but her voice seemed stronger now, like there was more substance to it. [With that settled, we must prepare for the trip to the shelter. Because you are already fairly close, I would suggest you manifest me and use me to scout ahead as you move. Low level Anathema will be unable to detect me, and I will be able to communicate with you telepathically.] ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I get some spells or weapons or something?¡± I asked. I didn¡¯t like the idea of going back out there with only my ice axe, especially not when I had access to this Gate thing. [There are a variety of reasons why I would recommend waiting, the first of which would be that you only have 120 points remaining, and it costs 100 points to unlock even the cheapest options of weapons or spells. I would highly recommend postponing any additional purchases until after the tutorial when you have gained a proper understanding of your options. Using your remaining points now would only serve to limit your future options.] I mulled over the idea. What she was saying made sense, but at the same time, I was a Magical Girl now. If I had access to magic, it felt like I should utilize it. It felt weird to just¡­ ignore it. [Do not worry,] Selene said suddenly. [I am confident in my scouting abilities. If you wish, I can go ahead right now and make sure the path is clear. If it is not, we can always revisit purchasing protective measures.] ¡°Alright¡­¡± I sighed. ¡°Just¡­ be careful, alright?¡± [Your concern for me is¡­ appreciated,] she responded, a hint of surprise in her voice. [But I assure you, I am safe. This Usurpation started at a lower tier, and hasn¡¯t been going on for long. No Anathema should be high enough level to even detect me, and even if they could, they would be hard pressed to catch me. Barring any Aberrants, of course.] I didn¡¯t know what an Aberrant was exactly, but if Selene was confident¡­ Well, she¡¯d already made me a Magical Girl and saved my life. There was no reason to start doubting her now. Besides, if I ignored the fear pounding in my heartbeat, she was right. She was literally an expert on what she was talking about. If she thought saving my points and using her to scout was the way to go, then I would. ¡°Okay,¡± I nodded. ¡°So, how does this work?¡± [You¡¯ll feel a sensation. Simply allow it, and I will do the rest.] Before I could ask what that was supposed to mean, I felt it. It was like an odd warmth that started in my chest, swirling around slightly. It grew in strength until it finally paused, and a tendril of the warmth seemed to reach out, touching my heart tentatively. It took me a moment to realize it was waiting on me, and I forced myself to relax, letting the sensation proceed. The tendril made contact with my heart, and the warmth inside me flashed hotter. Then it disappeared, leaving a cold void where it had resided. I shivered as exhaustion washed through me. It wasn¡¯t a lot, but it felt like I¡¯d suddenly done a sprint, the energy only now leaving my body in one sudden rush. I pressed a hand to the floor to steady myself even as the sound of pattering feet made me look to the side. From behind one of the few shelving units in the store, Selene stepped out and looked at me. [Excellent. I will now scout out the path as well as all the stores along the way. I suggest you get Brian ready to travel. With the mall¡¯s sound dampening, you will be able to run without worrying about the sound you will make. I do feel the need to inform you that I can only scout up to the shelter¡¯s entrance hallway. All shelters in Arcadia have cameras equipped with the ability to see through invisibility, and I do not wish to give away your identity as a Guardian unless you state otherwise.] ¡°Yeah, that¡­ sounds like a plan,¡± I nodded. Selene dipped her head, and then blurred. One moment she was there, and the next she was simply gone. I recoiled slightly in surprise. Then I simply shook my head and picked up my ice axe, adjusting the straps on my backpack. Selene hadn¡¯t been kidding when she said they wouldn¡¯t be able to catch her. I couldn¡¯t even see her move. ¡°Brian?¡± I whispered louder as I stood. ¡°Hey, we¡¯re going to get going now.¡± The boy scurried back out from behind the counter. I smiled, trying to reassure him as he walked over, head snapping around nervously. His eyes lingered on the store¡¯s shelves almost longingly, but then he scampered the rest of the way to me. I followed where he had been looking and saw an action figure of some Magical Guardian on a display. He was wearing red, knight-like armor, a fierce smile on his face. I hesitated, thinking about it, then decided it didn¡¯t matter. I grabbed the figurine and held it out to Brian with a smile. ¡°Here,¡± I said, giving him the action figure. ¡°Why don¡¯t you hold on to him? I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll bring us luck.¡± The kid practically beamed at me as he took it. I glanced back at the display to see the price, intending to come back later and pay for it. My eyes practically bulged out of my head at the hundred dollar price tag, and I suppressed a suddenly nauseous sensation in my stomach. Maybe I could pay them off with marketing or something now that I was a Magical Girl. [I¡¯ve cleared a path and all the stores along it,] Selene¡¯s voice rolled through my mind. [Follow my instructions on which turns to take. I do not have a direct link to your senses while manifested, so please inform me whenever you take a turn. You will have to speak to me through thought now that we are separated.] ¡°Roger,¡± I directed the thought to her. When I didn¡¯t get a response, I assumed it worked. As an afterthought, I fished my eyepatch out of my pocket and put it back on. Strangely, the thought of being around a bunch of people without it bothered me more than the fact I was still covered in blood and alien goop. ¡°Alright Brian,¡± I said to him when I finished adjusting the patch¡¯s straps around my ears. ¡°The way to the shelter is clear. Hold my hand, and we¡¯ll run there together, okay?¡± The awe at his new toy disappeared back into nervous anxiety as he looked up at me. I held out my free hand toward him, and after some more hesitation, he took it. Forcing myself to ignore the pounding of my heartbeat, I stepped out confidently into the mall. Brian looked at the body of the Anathema I had killed, making a choked sound, and I quickly started walking away, picking up the pace and pulling him with me. He stumbled after, and I settled into an awkward jog as I gripped his hand tightly. Selene started giving me directions, and we wove through the mall. The whole way, my pulse was racing in a painful staccato, and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from looking around wildly at each turn. Selene blurred by on occasion, rechecking our surroundings with dizzying speed. Brian¡¯s short legs slowed down our escape considerably, but he seemed to be trying his best. As we took another turn, I saw a sign on the wall pointing in the shelter¡¯s direction, and my heart soared. We were going to make it. Somehow, it had been less than twenty minutes since the first rifts formed. It all seemed like so much longer: scavenging in the store, our escape, the fight, and then the contract. Even though twenty minutes seemed relatively short to me, I got the feeling Lily was going to kill me for being gone so long and worrying her. The thought of getting to see her again made my eyes start to tear up, and I felt my pace quicken slightly. We went through the hallway just before the one leading to the shelter¡¯s doors, and I briefly took in its details as the material of the hall changed to something shiny and metallic. Signs covered the walls, each pointing in the direction we were going and proclaiming it as leading to the shelter. There was a door halfway down leading to a stairwell, and opposite of it was another door that simply said ¡°Security Personnel Only.¡± We passed by them, heading to the end without stopping. We took the final turn to the shelter, and what I saw made me stop dead in my tracks. I looked down the hallway at the shelter doors, and all the relief in me turned to horror. This is a nightmare, I thought to myself. There¡¯s no way. I found myself walking forward as if in a trance. The hallway wasn¡¯t long, no more than a few dozen steps until it stopped at a large set of thick double doors made of metal. Next to them was a glass screen for a device of some sort, but I didn¡¯t bother examining it too closely. My eyes were glued to the doors. ¡°No,¡± I whispered to myself, my voice slowly growing in desperation. ¡°No, no, no!¡± I sprinted to the doors, letting go of Brian¡¯s hand and the ice axe as I slammed my fists against them. ¡°No!¡± I cried out, my lower lip wobbling. ¡°You assholes! You can¡¯t do this!¡± My fists bounced off impotently, never even touching the metal of the doors. Instead, they hit the translucent barrier just in front of them. I pressed my palms against it, looking it over unbelievingly, but the pale, green light covered both doors in an unyielding shield of shimmering energy that hummed against my skin. I stared at the emergency shield, knowing that with it engaged, the shelter was completely locked down from opening. ¡°You promised me¡­¡± I whispered as I fell to my knees, leaning my head against the door¡¯s barrier. ¡°Lily¡­¡± Chapter 5 - Tutorial [Mai¡­] Selene finally said after a minute. [It would be best if we get somewhere secure to make further plans.] The glowing shield over the solid metal doors hummed at me. It didn¡¯t make sense. There was no sign of damage, that Anathema had tried to enter the shelter. So why? Why was it active? ¡°They activated the emergency shield,¡± I thought to her numbly. ¡°Why would they do that?¡± [It is not unheard of for people to panic and override the automated systems to engage it,] Selene answered somberly. [The shield is very powerful, something that only incredibly strong Anathema could breach. Knowing this, they think it is better to be overly cautious and turn the shield on, even if it does condemn any potential survivors outside the shelter.] She... wasn¡¯t wrong. I mean, every drill we¡¯d done at school, they made a point of saying the emergency shield was impenetrable, and that it would only come down with the deactivation code. Which was why nobody was supposed to turn the shield on manually, especially when the shelters were specifically designed to be capable of letting stragglers in without endangering anyone. The entrances were built like airlocks, two sets of reinforced doors with a room between them. That way, if people arrived after the Usurpation began, the outer doors could be opened, letting people into the airlock room. Once inside, the outer doors would close, and then the interior ones would open. People could safely enter or even leave the shelter without ever offering a direct access route to the Anathema. But now that the shield was enabled, nobody would be getting in or out. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do as a Magical Girl?¡± I asked, a dull buzz in my head. [No, not without the codes. They are automatically generated and sent to Guardian Command when a shield is activated. It stops Magical Guardians from arbitrarily attempting to rescue groups of survivors without authorization or a plan to properly evacuate the people inside.] ¡°I see¡­¡± I stared at the doors in silence. [Mai, I know this is difficult, but we should move,] Selene said, her voice soft. [Brian is getting scared.] I stiffened, looking behind me. Brian was a few steps behind where I¡¯d collapsed in front of the door. His eyes were wide and confused as he clutched his action figure to his chest. He was shaking as he stared at me. I cursed at myself silently, standing up and wiping the wetness from my cheeks. ¡°Hey, come here,¡± I said, gesturing. He ran up, throwing his arms around me in a tight hug. ¡°Why aren¡¯t they opening the door?¡± he asked me. ¡°What¡¯s that glowy thing?¡± ¡°They¡­ must have had an emergency,¡± I told him, hugging him back tightly. ¡°It means they¡¯re safe, but we¡¯re going to need to find somewhere else to hide.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to be out here anymore!¡± he cried, pulling away to look at me. ¡°I want Mommy and Daddy!¡± I felt myself start choking up, and so I cleared my throat before I continued. ¡°I know. But don¡¯t worry. I protected you from one of those things already, right? I¡¯ll definitely do it again. Besides, we have your lucky charm with us now, don¡¯t we?¡± He didn¡¯t seem entirely convinced, but he still managed a hesitant nod. I gave a weak smile, standing and pulling him along as I left, stopping only to pick up my ice axe from where I¡¯d dropped it on the ground. We started back down the hallway with the stairwell and room with the security-only sign. Selene was standing in front of it, staring at us. I almost tried to cover Brian¡¯s eyes to hide her until I remembered that even when manifested, she was invisible to anyone she didn¡¯t want to see her. [This room is unlocked and empty,] Selene said. [It would make a good spot to hide while I give you the introductory tutorial to your new powers. I do not believe we will be able to make it much longer without encountering more Anathema, and so you must be prepared.] I swallowed, the thought sending a shiver through my body. I gave Selene a nod and made my way to the room. The door opened, leading into what looked like a break room of some sort, illuminated in the red emergency lights like the rest of the mall. There were vending machines, a couch, and a small coffee table with chairs around it. There was another doorway leading into a room filled with monitors and a third leading to what looked like a small bathroom. I closed the door behind us as we entered, and Brian let go of my hand to run over to the couch. The door had a lock on it that I turned, but I decided to move the coffee table in front of it, too, just in case. With that done, I let out a sigh. It wasn¡¯t much, but somehow the lock and barricade made me feel better. [Serviceable,] Selene said, and I turned to see her sitting on the chair in the monitor room, looking at me. [We should have plenty of time to go through the tutorial here, which we will need because we¡¯ve reached the limit of instant telepathy. From now on, my words will be coming to you in real time, as if we are speaking normally. If you would get settled, we can begin immediately.] ¡°Selene¡­¡± I trailed off, struggling to arrange my thoughts. ¡°I just risked my life and almost died just to get to my only hope of safety and find it sealed off. I¡¯m tired, angry, and I have no idea what the hell I¡¯m supposed to do next. My only plan was to get to the shelter, and now I¡¯ve got nothing.¡± [I understand,] she replied in a soothing tone. [Things are not ideal, but there is another option: We head to one of the other shelters in the building. This mall was designed knowing there would be many people on every level, which means each floor has a shelter. I would suggest we attempt for one of those after you have outfitted yourself.] I sighed. She was right, but the feeling of having my hope crushed still lingered in my chest. Still¡­ it wasn¡¯t over yet. Brian was relying on me, and if I did nothing, both of us would die. There was no other option but to keep moving forward. I took a deep breath, nodding to myself as I turned to Brian. He was curled up on the couch, playing with his action figure. ¡°Brian, I¡¯m going into that room for a bit,¡± I said, pointing to the monitor room. ¡°I¡¯ll keep the door open, so come in if you need me. If you, uh, hear me talking to myself, ignore me. I just make plans better when I talk out loud.¡± He gave me a nod, but didn¡¯t really seem to be paying attention too much. The blank look in his eyes was shell-shocked, and I didn¡¯t blame him. I walked into the monitor room, setting my backpack down even as Selene gave up the chair for me, jumping onto the desk in front of the blank monitor screens. ¡°Alright,¡± I whispered, making a conscious note to keep my voice down for the rest of the conversation. ¡°Let¡¯s go through this ¡®tutorial¡¯ then, if it means I¡¯ll be able to take on Anathema afterwards.¡± [It will most certainly help, especially considering we have skipped many aspects of being a Magical Girl that should have been dealt with already.] Selene said. [The tutorial itself is mostly a lot of information on your new capabilities, and it covers quite a few topics. Luckily, you already have a basic understanding of the special mechanics involved that will greatly assist your growth.] ¡°Mechanics?¡± I asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± [You observed earlier that certain aspects of being a Magical Guardian were similar to things you have experienced playing video games. This is not a coincidence. As humans are an unattuned race and cannot access magic normally through willpower alone, the Zenith developed an advanced piece of Magitech to give humans access. This device is called a ¡°Soul Gem.¡± During the contract ceremony, it was teleported into your brain and attached. As a side note, it is also where I now reside.] ¡°You teleported a piece of technology into my brain!?¡± I interrupted with a furious whisper, eyes bulging. [Indeed! I assure you, there is nothing to worry about. There has yet to be a fatality from the process. At any rate, more information about the Soul Gem can wait until later. What you need to know right now is that you have access to magic through an interface specifically designed with humans in mind. This interface is designed to translate many aspects of using magic via use of a familiar medium. Without further ado, would you please think of the word ¡°Status¡± while putting a measure of will into the thought?] Status? I tried, still trying to process the whole ¡°teleported into your brain¡± bit of information.
STATUS
Name: Mai Kuroki Alias: None
Level: 1 Points: 130
Health: 73% Mana: 162/300 (5/Min)
BASIC
Origin: [Hidden] Aspect: [Hidden]
Class: Locked Signature: Unawakened
STATISTICS
Strength: 10 Dexterity: 10
Vitality: 10 Agility: 10
Willpower: 30 Spirit: 1
PERMISSIONS
GRIMOIRES / VAULTS ABILITIES / AUGMENTS
??????§Ô??????§Ô??????????????§Ô????????:????? ??????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????? Unique Augment Available!
First Aid Vault (Common)
INVENTORY
WEAPONS EQUIPMENT
None None
I stared at the box that appeared in my vision. Wait. I had a status menu now? [I knew this would be a pleasant surprise,] Selene said smugly. [Considering your aptitude at Magical Girls¡¯ Sunset: Rebellion and the amazing playtime you have racked up in a short period of time, I am confident you will adapt quickly to the System.] ¡°Wait. Just¡­ wait,¡± I pressed a hand to my head. ¡°I need a moment.¡± I took a slow, deep breath, ordering my racing thoughts. ¡°Okay. First: What does Magical Girls¡¯ Sunset: Rebellion have to do with anything? Isn¡¯t it just a game?¡± [Yes and no. While it is a widely popular game, it was also designed to mimic many aspects of being a Magical Guardian. Monsters in the game are based on Anathema, players use characters based on actual Guardians, and the stats that are managed directly resemble the stats Guardians possess in reality. For this reason, many attempts are made to get Guardian candidates to play the game. Do you recall the special bonus you acquired when you first logged in?] I blinked. ¡°Yeah, I got the option to pick a free five-star character, so I picked Blade Princess. Wait, are you telling me that bonus was because of you?¡± [Indeed!] Selene bobbed her head up and down. [It was determined that giving Guardian candidates a very rare character choice not only incentivized them to continue playing but also allowed us to see what style of character you would play as. In a way, the entire game is a soft way to scout out the capabilities and mindsets of candidates without any real world risk.] I shook my head slightly. ¡°Okay, but what¡¯s with this¡­ status menu? Why do I have it?¡± [As I said earlier, it is an interface designed to help you manage the capabilities provided to you by the Zenith. While not a perfect representation, it simplifies many aspects of magic in a way that allows humans to use it. As a fairly primitive race, many restrictions and mechanics had to be put into place to even allow humanity rudimentary access to magic. Thankfully, video games, especially role-playing games, provided a perfectly functional medium.] Selene¡¯s tails began to swish excitedly. [Your Soul Gem offers access to two major things: the ¡°Gate¡± you are already familiar with, and the ¡°Arcane System,¡± or simply ¡°System¡± for short. A big part of the System is it allows you to simply purchase access to various spells and abilities. Instead of it taking years to learn even the most basic of magics, the knowledge is directly sent and stored into your Soul Gem for use. Instantaneous access and control with none of the work! A good analogy is to imagine a computer: Instead of coding a program entirely from scratch, you are simply downloading a pre-existing program to use.] My eyes widened. That was insane. Now that I thought about it, books always did seem to paint actually learning magic as a long, arduous process. What Magical Guardians were doing was practically cheating by comparison. The Zenith had decided to entirely skip the step of even trying to teach us magic and were just giving it to us. Which begged the question¡­ ¡°Why?¡± I finally asked. ¡°Why are the Zenith doing this for us? Why give us so much power?¡± [The Anathema are an existential threat,] Selene¡¯s eyes took on an eerie gleam. [Existential. As in, a threat to ALL existence, not just humanity¡¯s. To let humanity fall without a fight would be to give the Anathema another foothold to use in their never-ending quest of consumption. They are predators, and reality itself is their prey.] Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. I shivered, and gave a nod. ¡°Alright. So the Zenith gave us magic through the System, and we use points to buy access. Why not just give us access to everything at once?¡± [Two reasons. The first reason is simple: complete access without first adapting to magic would make your head literally explode with magical energy. Soul Gems do not start at their maximum potential for this reason. Instead, they grow with their users by absorbing magical energy, better known as mana, as experience, or simply ¡°Exp.¡± As Soul Gems grow, your physical abilities increase too. Meanwhile, the point system is designed to restrict what spells you can access, forcing you to earn points by doing tasks that also help your Soul Gem mature. Between the two, your physical and magical abilities remain in check without surpassing your limitations.] ¡°Okay. What about the second reason?¡± [It¡¯s the same reason you wouldn¡¯t give a gun to a toddler, really,] Selene¡¯s nine tails somehow gave a simultaneous and distractingly cute shrug. [Except instead of a gun that shoots bullets, imagine spells capable of ripping apart the fabric of time and space. By allowing a gradual introduction to magic, the Zenith, human authorities, and other Guardians can all keep an eye on how any one individual is using it and stop those who abuse their powers.] ¡°Oh,¡± I said, feeling a little dumb. ¡°That makes sense.¡± [Great! Now we can begin with the status menu. I would recommend we go through the items from top to bottom, for the most part. Even if you are familiar with RPGs, some aspects require further information or might be different.] ¡°Sure. I¡¯m still new to gaming, anyway. I only started Magical Girls¡¯ Sunset: Rebellion two weeks ago, and before that it was just whatever Lily was interested in at the time¡­¡± I trailed off as my thoughts turned to her, my stomach clenching. Was she safe? She had said she wouldn¡¯t let anyone activate the shelter¡¯s shield, and yet¡­ I shook my head. Now wasn¡¯t the time. I could think about it as much as I wanted later. Right now, I was still trapped in a mall with monsters, and I needed to get Brian and myself to safety. [Beginning from the top then,] Selene had seemed to sense my distracted thoughts, waiting to continue until I looked back at her. [¡°Name¡± is, unsurprisingly, your name. ¡°Alias¡± is what your Magical Guardian name is. Regarding that matter, would you like me to refer to you as a Magical Guardian, or Magical Girl? While functionally the same, it does have implications on your appearance and future branding style.] ¡°Magical Girl is fine,¡± I waved my hand. ¡°Though that might change depending on what my costume ends up looking like, I guess. How does all that work, anyway? Don¡¯t I get a whole ¡®transformation¡¯ thing? Do I get to pick what my outfit looks like?¡± Selene went silent and completely still. Not still as in staying in one position, but still as in not moving at all. Every aspect of her was frozen, even her tails that never seemed to stop wavering behind her had stopped. It was like somebody had simply pressed the pause button on her. Selene sat there, staring at me, and panic began to rise into my throat. ¡°Selene!?¡± I asked with alarm, letting my voice raise slightly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you okay?¡± Slowly, her tails began to move again. She blinked her eyes a few times. [Apologies,] she said, her voice strangely tight and subdued. [Regarding your transformation¡­ I would prefer to explain slightly later, if that is alright. It is a complicated subject that would only distract from the matters at hand.] I watched her, sudden worry tightening my chest. I wanted to ask her what had just happened, but¡­ well Selene was supposed to be my advisor now. If she thought it was best to wait, then I would trust her. Still, the fact that a simple question had caused her such a visceral reaction bothered me. ¡°Sure,¡± I finally said with a frown, eyebrows knitting together in worry. ¡°As long as you¡¯re alright.¡± She dipped her head to me in acknowledgement. [Continuing where we left off, then: Your alias is your Magical Girl name. It is how you will be referred to when discharging your duties. You are free to come up with your own name, but sometimes, a name is suggested by another Guardian. It has also become an informal tradition for the Guardian who names another to take on a more nurturing and protective role, like that of an older sibling.] The idea of gaining another older sibling made my stomach turn, but I ignored it. I assumed Selene was talking about a brother who actually cared about their family and not¡­ well, whatever Dad had twisted my brother into. Selene didn¡¯t seem to notice my distaste at her comparison and continued. [Next is ¡°Level¡± and ¡°Points.¡± Both are self-explanatory as indicators of your current experience level and amount of points you have. Experience and points can be earned through a variety of activities, though the biggest source is defeating Anathema. Other things such as System-issued quests, helping civilians, and generally creating happiness also contribute.] ¡°I can get stronger by making people happy?¡± I asked incredulously. [The Anathema feed on negative emotions. By fostering positivity and ideals of joy, peace, love, and serenity, it makes the Anathema weaker and diminishes their ability to tear rifts in reality. It is why the Zenith decided to promote the genre of ¡°magical girls¡± with how the System expresses itself. The dresses, frills, and sparkles all do their part in actively combating the Anathema by inducing more wholesome emotions. As such, adorable, magic wielding warriors ended up being the best way to combat them in their entirety.] ¡°Wait,¡± I felt a small smile try to stretch onto my lips. ¡°Are you telling me we¡¯re killing eldritch monsters with cuteness?¡± [...Yes?] I had to cover my mouth to hide my smile as I gave Selene the most serious nod I could manage. ¡°Right. No, that makes sense. Please continue.¡± [...When you earn enough experience, you ¡°Level Up.¡± This gives you 10 ¡°stat points¡± to spend on your Statistics however you wish. We¡¯ll get to those soon. ¡°Health¡± and ¡°Mana¡± track the overall healthiness of your body and your magical energy. Your health is still recovering, but should reach your current maximum soon. Speaking of health, you should swallow the Greater Restoration Gum now. It will still function just as well being dissolved by your stomach, and I imagine the flavor has gone flat.] Oh. So it had. I swallowed the gum, immediately missing the cozy sensation it had sent through me. [Skipping the ¡°Basic¡± section for now,] Selene continued, [we have ¡°Statistics.¡± They do not represent your normal physical abilities, but rather how much of a boost you gain after you do your ¡°transformation sequence.¡± By raising these ¡°Stats,¡± you will grow stronger. Please note: when you are not transformed, only a small fraction of these stats apply. While it still can be a noticeable boost, it will never reach the superhuman levels of your transformed state.] I wanted to ask what transforming was exactly. I mean, I¡¯d seen the infamous magical girl transformation sequence in shows before, where light surrounded the girl and clothed them in cute outfits, but I was curious to know what it meant in reality. How did it work, why did it happen, and would my previous clothes really just disappear before my outfit materialized on me? Those and a dozen other questions bubbled up inside of me. Remembering Selene¡¯s reaction earlier, though, I instead just chose to give her a tip of my head to keep going. [The stats are as follows: Strength determines your physical strength and damage with strength aligned items. Dexterity determines your finesse with various things, how well you move, how graceful you are, and your damage with Dexterity aligned items. Your speed slightly increases as well as you become more proficient in moving the most effective way possible. Vitality is how much health you have, how sturdy you are, and your physical resistances. Agility determines how quickly you move and your reaction time. Willpower determines the raw power of your spells and the size of your mana pool. Every point in Willpower adds 10 maximum mana. Spirit determines your finesse over spells, meaning how quickly you can cast them, how easily you can modify or aim them, how well they penetrate through magic resistance, your resistance to hostile magic, and your mana regeneration rate. Every point in Spirit adds five mana regeneration per minute.] Selene stopped, giving me a moment to mull the explanations over. Strength, Dexterity, and Vitality were all what I expected to see from my experience with games. Agility was interesting though, as it increased speed and reaction time. I suppose it made sense, as reaction time would be necessary for someone as their own speed increased to beyond what humans could normally process. Willpower was basically Strength and Vitality rolled together except only for magic, and Spirit was the same way but Dexterity and Agility combined. I was slightly surprised there weren¡¯t more stats governing magic considering I was a Magical Girl, but I wasn¡¯t going to argue. More condensed stats meant less agonizing on what to spend my level up points on. [Next, we have ¡°Permissions.¡± The Grimoire and Vault section shows what you have spent points to gain access to. Grimoires and Vaults can be viewed as ¡°catalogs¡± for magical spells and physical items respectively. You must unlock them to first buy the items they contain, just as you did with the First Aid Vault (Common). The (Common) tag indicates its rarity as the first of six known tiers, each tier providing a selection of better items or spells but also costing more. Every hundredth level you reach, you¡¯ll unlock a higher tier of purchasable Vaults, Grimoires, and their corresponding items. Some people prefer simply calling them by their tier number, but others enjoy the rarity tags as it makes things seem more game-like.] ¡°What are the other rarity tags?¡± [Common is the first tier, then Rare, Masterwork, Arcane, Legendary, and Mythic. There is also a second set of tags used for more¡­ esoteric items. The Arcane System, while useful, also has some oddities. Magic is not something that can be entirely codified or neatly labeled, and as such, the System sometimes does surprising things in its translations. The esoteric rarities are used to help label such idiosyncrasies.] I resisted a frown. It didn¡¯t fill me with confidence that I was placing my life in the hands of something that had what even the Zenith considered ¡°oddities,¡± especially when they were the ones who made the thing. [The next section is your Abilities and Augments, together commonly referred to as your ¡°Skills.¡± Slightly different from spells, Abilities do exactly what they prescribe without being able to be modified. They can cost mana to use or have a cooldown period before they can be used again. Augments are the passive or toggleable versions of abilities, constantly being active. Each Augment takes away from your total mana regeneration rate, even when not in use. You can have a total of seven Abilities and seven Augments, but acquiring them is slightly different. They are only unlocked through raising your level, your class level, or the corresponding stat requirements. Many require a combination, and once unlocked, they must also be purchased with points.] ¡°Can I see the requirements of them in advance?¡± I asked, wondering how far I could plan ahead. [Only on the most basic, well known Skills,] Selene replied. [The System keeps most Abilities and Augments hidden until the person has either unlocked them or is simply missing stat requirements. The Zenith have attempted to¡­ ¡°patch¡± this quirk, but have been unsuccessful. There are information brokers who specialize in collecting such knowledge and selling it. As such, it can be quite lucrative to sell any details should you acquire a rarer Skill.] I nodded as I glanced back at my status menu, frowning. ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯ve been meaning to ask, but what¡¯s with the creepy looking red text in the Grimoire and Vault section? And why do I have a ¡®Unique Augment Available,¡¯ for that matter?¡± [Unfortunately,] Selene sighed. [Those both have to do with the ¡°Basic¡± section that we skipped. We¡¯ll get to that in a second. Back on Abilities and Augments, know that both have levels of their own that increase through use. Their max level is limited by either your level, or your class level.] I squirmed. I really was getting curious now about some of the things we were skipping, and seeing two entries on my status menu with colored text bugged me. It made something inside me itch not knowing. [Finally, your ¡°Inventory¡± is just a list of any weapons or equipment you have purchased and currently have on you. Please note, it does not function like a video game where you magically can store things inside of it. Other than the Basic section, that concludes the status menu. I should note that you can customize how your status menu appears at any time, as well as create additional sub-menus. Any questions on what we have covered so far?] Having none but the ones I¡¯d already expressed, I shook my head. [As for the Basic section¡­ let me simply say that I have hidden both your ¡°Origin¡± and ¡°Aspect¡± as knowing them will only cause further questions that we simply do not have the time to properly explore. Both are very important and have far-reaching implications, but I truly believe it is in your best interests to simply skip the explanations on them for now. Is this¡­ acceptable with you? I do not relish the idea of hiding information, and if you insist, I will reveal them and their meanings to you.] Selene seemed sincere in her words, and I watched as her tails twitched slightly, almost in nervousness. I thought about it for a second before giving a gradual nod. ¡°I think¡­ it¡¯s okay for now,¡± I said the words slowly, still trying to decipher my own feelings as well. ¡°But maybe only because you told me? I think because you said you were hiding something but explained why you were doing it, I¡¯m okay with it? It worries me that it seems to be a big deal, but¡­ well, you¡¯re supposed to be the expert. It would be kind of stupid not to trust your judgment, I guess.¡± Selene gave me a deep, relieved nod. [What I can tell you about them is that they provide bonuses. For you, your Origin gave you a special Grimoire. While you cannot currently use it due to the issues I am keeping from you, it will undoubtedly provide an invaluable edge in the future. As for your Aspect, it gave you a Unique Augment that we can explore momentarily. The next field, ¡°Class,¡± is locked until you reach level 10. Class refers to your combat style, and choosing one gives you bonuses as well as unlocks specialty Grimoires, Vaults, and Skills. Many games have similar systems, as you are aware.] Nodding, I wondered what kind of Class I would end up going with. Normally, I played quick, dexterous types, but I wasn¡¯t sure how that fit with being a Magical Girl. Selene resumed speaking, pulling me from my trance. [Finally, your ¡°Signature¡± or ¡°Signature Magic¡± refers to your entirely unique magical ability. All Guardians have one, but no two are the same due to no two individuals being the same. While your Signature Magic is still technically magic, it is not something that will ever be truly replicated in a Grimoire. Signatures are incredibly powerful and capable of almost anything from actually stopping time to temporary invincibility. They do not function by the normal rules or limits of magic, and as such, are incredible resources.] ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s like my own original superpower?¡± I asked. [Exactly! For now, though, it will remain ¡°Unawakened.¡± Unlocking your Signature can take an unknown amount of uninterruptible time, and is best done through the proper facilities with the proper observational tools. Certain Signatures can be hard to figure out or downright dangerous to their owners without knowledge about them.] ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed, thinking about some of the crazier superpowers I¡¯d seen in shows. ¡°That might be for the best. So, what¡¯s next? That¡¯s the entire status menu. I think I have a good idea of what''s going on now.¡± [Yes¡­ there is still the issue of the ¡°transformation sequence¡± that Guardians have access to¡­] She trailed off, then let out a soft sigh. [The official name of your ¡°transformation sequence¡± is your ¡°Astral Shift,¡± and it is currently locked due to reasons beyond our control. As such, the benefits of your stats are greatly reduced. You will also be missing out on the significant protection your conjured outfit would provide. For now, the best resources to rely on would be the Gate and whatever you can purchase from it with points. While not ideal, it is¡­ manageable.] I peered at Selene carefully. It really didn¡¯t make me feel good knowing she was keeping secrets, even if she told me she was doing it. Something about not knowing was starting to bother me on a fundamental level. Maybe it was because I relied so much on making plans just to get through even the simplest of days. Without the proper knowledge, though, how was I supposed to figure out what to do? No, I shook my head at myself. I was thinking about this the wrong way. Selene had already saved my life and was most definitely trying to help me. If she wasn¡¯t telling me things, it was because it might actively hinder my chances of staying alive. Besides, as nice as talking about the role-playing game mechanics had been, it didn¡¯t take away from the fact that we were still in an Usurpation Zone. As time went on, only more and stronger Anathema would start flooding the area. Already, our relatively brief conversation felt like too long. ¡°Okay,¡± I said, gathering my thoughts. ¡°So. I have a slight boost to my physical abilities now, and each level will help with that. I also have 130 points left to spend, and that unique Augment. That¡¯s what we¡¯re working with, right?¡± Selene looked at me for several moments. [You are taking this remarkably well, but yes that is the gist of it. As such, I would recommend unlocking a weapon Vault and buying something. The vault will cost 100 points, leaving 30 for the weapon. That should be more than enough to purchase something capable of ensuring your safety on the journey to the first floor¡¯s shelter. Judging by your playstyle in Magical Girls Sunset: Rebellion, I would recommend Dexterity and Agility based weapons. Two enchanted blades or a spear would fit you well.] ¡°Why not a spell? Wait, no¡­ If my stat bonuses are reduced, any spell I use would be much weaker than normal anyway. Plus if I ran out of mana, I¡¯d be left without a weapon.¡± [Correct.] Selene nodded. [Even if your transformation weren¡¯t locked, a conventional weapon with an enchantment is the best option for now as spell casting does require some explanation.] I nodded and went back to thinking about her analysis about my playstyle. She had a point that I did play characters that were usually more focused on speed, but¡­ this wasn¡¯t a game. Remembering how hard it had been to fight with my makeshift weapon, how tough it had been to even hurt the Anathema, it made me feel less than certain. I had no idea how to actually use a sword or spear beyond ¡°stab them with the pointy end.¡± Ideally, I needed something that wouldn¡¯t make for a long, drawn-out fight. ¡°What exactly are those enchanted weapons you mentioned? What would they do?¡± [With access to only Common quality gear, it won¡¯t be anything too special. You could get a weapon enchanted with sharpening, making it capable of slicing through low level Anathema like paper. Alternatively, something more flashy like a fire or ice enchantment would be equally viable and effective. The only thing to consider is enchanted gear will draw from your mana. As you do not have much currently, you won¡¯t be able to keep the enchantment active for long.] ¡°Right, and if I ran out of mana, it would take a long time to regenerate it. Which would only be more time for more Anathema to come in¡­¡± I went quiet as my mind worked through the problem. A weapon that I could use without much training, one that I could confidently use to take out Anathema without drawing out the fight. The problem was that I knew nothing about weapons. My only real experience would be using what I¡¯d seen in movies or games, both of which I¡¯d only really been into for a few months now after Lily had insisted on showing me all sorts of her favorites. A memory flashed through my head, of popcorn and an endless movie marathon, and suddenly I knew what kind of weapon I wanted. It wasn¡¯t traditional and probably broke the entire ¡°Magical Girl¡± image, but right now, it wasn¡¯t like I really looked like much of one anyway. It would be me using the weapon, not whatever Magical Girl persona I might want to cultivate later. It could work, but it all depended on the answer to my next question. ¡°Selene?¡± I asked carefully. ¡°How do you feel about guns?¡± Chapter 6 - Heads-up [Guns are¡­ effective,] Selene hedged. [And are generally only employed by the MSDs, the Magical Soldiers who are outfitted with Zenith technology from Magical Guardians. There are only a handful of other Magical Guardians who use actual firearms as their signature weapons.] I hesitated, not understanding the problem as I shrugged. ¡°Okay?¡± [Guns are generally¡­ bad for optics. MGs are supposed to be bringers of hope and peace, to make people feel safe. Swords and magic are of fantastical symbology, the imagery of heroes that gives people something to believe in. Guns conjure more realistic and sober feelings, ones of war and conflict.] ¡°I know, but I don¡¯t know how to use a sword or anything like that. Besides, without stat bonuses, would I really be able to effectively use them?¡± Selene seemed to think about it for a moment. [I see your point. My only issue is that I have some¡­ concerns about certain things I am not telling you, and the addition of guns will almost certainly make some of those issues worse. Knowing this, are you sure this is the path you want to choose? I know the idea of branding is the least of your concerns right now, but I assure you, I wouldn¡¯t recommend a path if I didn¡¯t believe it was possible. Stat bonuses or not, the melee weapons you have available will most certainly be capable of getting you to the shelter safely.] I chewed on my lip as I thought about it. If I saw a Magical Girl running around with a magic staff or sword, it definitely wouldn¡¯t look out of place. But a gun? It wouldn¡¯t look natural, sure, but I don¡¯t think it would scare me either. In fact, something about the juxtaposition of a frilly dress and a gun made it seem less militant and more supernatural. ¡°If it¡¯s just the image you¡¯re worried about,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t think the image of a Magical Girl running around in a dress and gun would be that bad.¡± [No, in fact there is a fairly distinct market for the asymmetrical imagery of cuteness combined with guns. Moreover, the ¡°girls with guns¡± genre is quite popular in itself. In fact, I believe the general population would look favorably upon the imagery alone, but it will still cause complications that involve things I am keeping from you.] I let out a frustrated sigh. It was getting to the point where I just wanted to make Selene tell me everything now, consequences be damned. Still, she was the advisor. Ignoring her decision to keep secrets after seeing how uncomfortable it made her would be stupid. Whatever it was, it would have to wait, and I¡¯d just have to take her word for the possible effects it was having. ¡°Okay,¡± I finally said. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ frustrating, but okay. I guess my question is why can¡¯t I just use guns for now and then decide on something else later? I can¡¯t transform, so it¡¯s not like I¡¯m committing anything to my image anyway.¡± [That is certainly an option. Just be aware you would be spending a significant amount of points to unlock the Vault and purchase any weapons plus ammunition.] ¡°How much are we talking about?¡± [Unlocking the Kinetic Handguns (Common) Vault would cost 100 points. Then, depending on the weapon and ammunition choice, it varies] ¡°What would be the cheapest option?¡± [For two points, you can get a five-shot revolver loaded with normal ammunition.] ¡°Only two points?¡± I recoiled. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t a gun cost more?¡± [No. Keep in mind this is an unattuned and unaligned firearm, a mundane item you could purchase in the real world for a relatively low cost. Beyond the lowest level Anathema, it would hardly make a dent.] ¡°Unattuned and unaligned?¡± I asked. [Unattuned items mean they can not be enchanted, they are utterly mundane and capable of being produced by humanity without Zenith technology. Any item that is not magitech is most likely unattuned. Unaligned means it would not benefit from your stats. Most Vault weapons are aligned by default, meaning as you grow stronger, they will as well depending what stats they are aligned with. For example, buying a strength-aligned sword would make it grow sharper, sturdier, and heavier to offset your strength bonus. It would essentially always feel the same weight to you, but in reality, it would be heavier and therefore more potent as you swung it at opponents.] ¡°How would that work for guns?¡± [Same as for a bow and arrow. Faster and stronger projectiles with more kinetic power. The weapon itself would also gain some benefits to durability, but this is a digression.] ¡°Right,¡± I shook my head. ¡°What kind of gun would you recommend?¡± [Before finalizing your weapon choice, could we take a look at your Unique Augment? Depending on its effects, you may reconsider your decision.] I sighed. It was obvious Selene felt really uncomfortable about handing me a gun and was trying to get me to choose anything else. I wanted to respect her opinions, but I also wasn¡¯t keen on fighting a supernatural monster up close and personal again. She had a point, though, that depending on what special bonus the System decided I should have, it could change things. ¡°Alright. What exactly does my Unique Augment do?¡± [I don¡¯t know.] I stared at Selene. Her tails swished back and forth innocently. ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know?¡± I squinted. [I mean that due to some of your starting bonuses, you get an entirely unique augment. Unique, as in, specific only to you. Unique items, Skills, Vaults, Grimoires, and spells are highly coveted. Your special circumstances have netted you both a unique Augment and Grimoire. The only problem with that ¡°uniqueness¡± is the description provided by the System is¡­ well, see for yourself.] A second later, a text box appeared in my vision. [Demonic Eye of the Sable Waif] [Oh, ye whom hath suffered, be at ease. Forsaken, spurned, ostracized¡­ thy trials hast not been in vain. In thy heart, the Sloth Sin trills the song of slumber, eternal and sacrosanct. Yet, thou hast persevered and carried on through reproach and barb, through worry and woe. O Waif of Sable, awaken now the power that hath whispered truth and lie. Sing now thy song of sorrow, thy haunting melody. Open thy forbidden eye, the accursed source of scorn and enmity and SEE. Become in part the demon thou hast been painted, and find wretched aspect turned to peerless power.] I squinted, then reread the description. Then I read it again. And again. ¡°Selene, I don¡¯t even¡­¡± [Yes,] Selene agreed. [More or less my thoughts as well. This would appear to be one of those oddities I mentioned the Arcane System having before. Due to the unique aspect of the Augment, it seems to have taken liberties in its description.] ¡°Liberties? Selene, it doesn¡¯t even say what it does. Also, what¡¯s with the bold text? What does it mean by ¡®Sloth Sin¡¯ and ¡®Waif of Sable?¡¯¡± [Sloth Sin could pertain to a number of things, but is most likely referencing something you have done or experienced. Contextually, it would appear to be something unfortunate and major that you have suffered but ¡°persevered¡± through.] I thought about it for a second, and then realization hit me. A sudden, cold shiver went down my spine. I found myself grabbing my left forearm reflexively even as my mouth went dry. [Regardless,] Selene continued, seeming not to notice. [Waif of Sable is, of course, something I won¡¯t explain right now, but it will make more sense in time. As for the Augment itself, it seems to pertain to your red-colored eye. Even not knowing what exactly it does, I would recommend accepting it.] ¡°Wait, what?¡± I recoiled. ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®demonic¡¯ and says to ¡®become in part the demon.¡¯ What part of that sounds like a good idea?¡± [It is colorful language but is nothing to be worried about. No augment has ever been detrimental to its user. I believe the proper term for its description would be ¡°flavor text.¡±] ¡°Still¡­¡± I trailed off. Looking over the description again, I was uncomfortable with how much it knew about me. Sure, it was the Arcane System that knew these things and not a person, but it still felt wrong, like it had pried into my life and secrets without asking. I also didn¡¯t like that it was centered on my eye, the stupid thing that had made me stick out in the first place and caused me so much¡­ oh. Oh, that description was eerily accurate. [The Unique Augment is one of your starting bonuses,] Selene interrupted my thoughts. [Less than 5% of Magical Guardians receive this particular boon, putting you in a rare and enviable position in this regard. There is no merit in declining the Augment, even if the description is unusual. In time, I expect the description will even make more sense as more information is made available to you. Besides, once you have taken the Augment, I will have full access to its actual capabilities and can explain them to you.] I sighed. She was right, as usual. If it was a tool specifically tailored to me, then there was no reason to shy away from it. ¡°Alright. How do I accept it?¡± [Think about accepting it with some measure of will. Be warned the transition might be difficult as it seems the Augment is magically modifying your eye. The sensation may be uncomfortable. I would also remove your eyepatch, as it may only work while using your right eye.] I nodded, and took a deep breath, removing my eyepatch. Accept? I thought. The box detailing the Augment disappeared. I waited, but when nothing happened I turned to Selene to ask what was going on. Then I began to feel it. It started as a heat behind my eye and slowly started to grow. Then the heat became jagged and sharp, turning into pain as my vision flashed white. There was the sudden sensation of something engraving a pattern into my eye, and I choked down a scream as the pain increased to agony. My hands clutched at my eye even as I squeezed both shut in reflex. My fingers felt something warm and wet overflowing, trickling down my face even as the tortuous sensation reached a crescendo. And suddenly it disappeared, gone as fast as it came. I gasped for air, sweat trickling down my face even as my head pounded with a dull ache. [Are you alright?] Selene asked, her voice holding a measure of panic. [I apologize, I did not expect it to be that¡­ painful.] ¡°Yeah,¡± I gasped. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Just give me a minute.¡± Even without the pain, the phantom sensation it left behind made me shudder. It was a good minute or two before I opened my eyes, and when I did, I found a text box waiting for me. Demonic Eye of the Sable Waif Level: MAX Original Sin: Sloth Displays health, mana, Astral Shift duration, Dress durability, status effects, map data, overlays, and visual assist elements when activated. No restrictions. No mana cost. Keyword: Lullaby. [LOCKED] [LOCKED] [LOCKED] [LOCKED] [LOCKED] [LOCKED] [Oh.] Selene said in surprise. [This¡­ this is unexpected.] ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked. [Before continuing, you should clean up your face. Do not be alarmed, you are quite fine, but some blood has leaked from your right eye.] I touched a hand to my cheek, and my fingers came away red. My throat felt suddenly tight, but I tried to listen to Selene and ignore the fact I had just cried blood. Looking around for a moment, I realized there wasn¡¯t really anything I could use to clean my face besides my uniform. With a sigh, I used my sleeve to rub at my face vigorously. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Better?¡± [A small smear of red left, but it will do. Now, for your Augment. I suggest you try it out by saying the keyword in your mind or aloud. It will be easier to explain from there] I rubbed at my face a little more even as I thought ¡°Lullaby.¡± Instantly, semi-transparent things appeared in the corners of my vision. I tried to flick my eyes to them only for the objects to follow my line of sight. Thankfully, when my eyes reached the corners, they stopped moving and I was able to look at them. In the bottom left of my vision was the outline of a body. The entire thing had a slight off-green, yellowish color to it except for the stomach which had a small spot of black. Over the center of the body was 75% written in the same yellow-green. Next to the body outline was a blue horizontal bar filled almost two thirds of the way, 193/300 displayed on it. Meanwhile, in the top right of my vision was a circular portion, displaying some sort of map. There was a blue arrow in the center of it, and after squinting a little, I realized it was displaying the map of the mall¡¯s third floor. ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t this a¡­ what do you call it, a heads-up display?¡± [A HUD, yes. Now that it is unlocked, I can see its full capabilities. It not only will display your status in real time, but also a variety of other functions. For instance, the mini-map in the top right. If you have looked at a map of a location, it can accurately depict it as well as update it in real time based on your location and the direction you are facing. With map data, you can also place a waypoint on it, and directional arrows will appear in your vision guiding you to your target, much like how the arrows appeared for the shelter. The body silhouette in the bottom left shows your health and any injured areas, and the blue bar is an accurate representation of your current mana. There are a variety of other functions your HUD seems to have, but all in all, this is an enormous gift.] I looked at Selene for a minute, my heart falling as I took in her words. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, trying to fight down the frustration in my voice. ¡°This doesn¡¯t help me fight at all! All it does is show me a couple of things that I could see anyway if I just opened my status menu or pulled out a map. I thought this was supposed to be some sort of special augment made specifically for me, but what part of this is custom made or even all that rare?¡± [Well, for one thing, it already predicted your affinity for firearms.] I blinked. ¡°What?¡± [The Arcane System seems to have recognized that you had an inclination towards guns and has manifested your Unique Augment in a way that reflects this. Instead of spoiling the surprise, I will simply say things will become more clear once you have one. Needless to say, I am 100% behind the decision now that you have this Augment.] I looked at Selene, trying to understand what she could be talking about but nothing came to mind. Yet, she had done a complete turnaround on her opinion. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I shook my head, squeezing the bridge of my nose to relieve some of the building pressure in my head. ¡°This seems just like a utility passive, and honestly, not all that great of one.¡± [Let me help put it into perspective. An Augment with as many functions as yours has is normally only available at the tier two or higher, meaning it would be Rare quality. That means simply unlocking the Skill would be difficult, and purchasing it would require an estimated 10,000 points at minimum. Even then, it might not have all the functions yours does. Meanwhile, purchasing a cybernetic Vault, an eye, and the corresponding brain augmentation for it would cost around 5,000 points if you went for the cheapest option.] My eyes widened. If killing one of those Fomorian Hounds was only 10 points¡­ [And all of that is practically nothing in the long term. While the point cost is certainly a big milestone and out of reach for you, many MGs could afford it without too much effort. One of the biggest things is what it says at the end. It has no requirements and no mana cost. Requirements refers to class and stat requirements. Sure, all MGs could theoretically afford the Augment, but it only would get offered if they met the minimum stat and/or class requirements. The cybernetic option, meanwhile, would mean they are physically altering their body and brain with technology, something that has many potential benefits but also has risks both real and imagined.] A shudder went through me. Now that Selene mentioned it, the idea of actually removing pieces of my body and replacing them with technology made me a little squeamish. [So not only do you get an Augment that has more capabilities than any other Augment of similar nature, but there¡¯s more. It has no mana cost. Zero. ALL Augments are supposed to take away a certain amount of your mana regeneration to function. For there to be one that doesn¡¯t require any is almost unheard of. You can use this with literally no downside. But wait, there¡¯s more. Those [LOCKED] boxes in the description? Normally, an MG¡¯s Aspect gives them additional bonuses at certain levels. Your Aspect is what gave you this unique Augment, however, meaning that like other MGs, at levels 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, and 500 you will unlock even more functions. This entire HUD is only the first level, and you don¡¯t even realize half of its purpose yet. I assure you, this is just about the best combat upgrade you could have asked for.] ¡°Okay, okay,¡± I said, raising my hands in surrender. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand how this is supposed to help me in combat.¡± [Don¡¯t worry, you will see.] I squinted at Selene. Was that pun on purpose or¡­? ¡°Okay. So¡­ guns, then?¡± [Guns,] Selene nodded sagely. [If I¡¯m not mistaken, your only real experience is what you have seen in movies and the video games you¡¯ve played.] ¡°Yeah, though I¡¯ve only played a few shooting type games at Lily¡¯s house¡­¡± Thinking of her brought another wave of worry and a sense of betrayal. It wasn¡¯t realistic or even fair to feel like she had done anything wrong, not when in all likelihood she had tried to stop whoever activated the emergency shield. Still, I couldn¡¯t get her words out of my head promising to keep anyone from using it. We¡¯d all heard the horror stories of survivors locked out, dying because somebody had gotten scared for no good reason. It was practically the stuff of nightmares. And now I was living in one. I shivered, and forced myself to reorient on Selene. [According to Zenith records, you may have played relatively few, but you did spend a fairly prolonged period of time focusing on first-person shooter games and even tried a few on your phone. During that period, you even had a fairly extensive search history on guns. May I ask what prompted your interest?] ¡°Um¡­¡± I started, feeling a blush come to my face. ¡°I guess it started when Lily showed me a movie series. This guy loses his dog and¡­ I don¡¯t know, it was just the first time I had really seen a movie like that. I remember thinking how cool it was that he could just pick up any gun and be¡­ powerful, maybe? I haven¡¯t really seen movies or shows beyond what Lily¡¯s shown me, and that was my first real experience seeing guns in action. It was just¡­ cool. I don¡¯t know, it sounds stupid when I say it out loud.¡± [Nonsense,] Selene¡¯s tails bristled. [Do you think other Magical Guardians don¡¯t choose their weapons and clothing based on what they feel is ¡°cool?¡± Is not all fashion, all trends and societal standards simply what people perceive to be ¡°cool?¡± If you like something, you should own it. Nobody has the right to dictate whether you can enjoy something.] I nodded. ¡°Mm¡­ they really aren¡¯t all that girly, though. I hope that doesn¡¯t completely ruin the whole Magical Girl image.¡± [Well,] Selene began dryly, [I guess we can always color them pink.] A huff of laughter escaped me, and Selene seemed to perk up more. [Now then. Guns. Do you have any preferences for your first firearm?] ¡°Not pink,¡± I smiled. ¡°But otherwise, no. I don¡¯t think I know enough, so I¡¯ll trust whatever you think would be best.¡± [Very well. For 100 points, you can unlock the Kinetic Handguns (Common) Vault. I would then suggest the ¡°Umbra¡± P30 Model A. It holds fifteen nine-millimeter rounds, offering a high capacity with little to no recoil. Capable of being enchanted and already Dexterity aligned, it is capable of handling a variety of ammunition types. I would recommend the silverbane bullets for now, costing one point per 15-round magazine.] ¡°Silverbane?¡± I frowned. ¡°What do they do?¡± [Silverbane bullets are made of special alloys that are complete poison to Anathema. Simply put, Anathema form their bodies of corrupted mana, pulling it into a framework. Silverbane ammunition specifically resonates in a way that rips apart this framework, destroying them at a base level. Even if the bullet does not hit any ¡°vital¡± areas, the creature is still destabilized significantly. In other words, with these bullets, almost every hit will still do significant amounts of damage.] ¡°That sounds really powerful,¡± my eyes bulged. ¡°Why would I use anything else?¡± [As Anathema get stronger, their core framework increases in sturdiness as well. Think of it as a video game. Even though you are dealing a flat amount of damage, they begin to get defensive values that either reduce or completely negate the damage done. Silverbane rounds need to penetrate inside the Anathema to be effective, so significantly armored targets can prove problematic. This is where different types of silverbane bullets like the armor-piercing variant or enchanted rounds would be used. Some Anathema are also significantly weaker to metals besides the silverite that makes up silverbane ammunition.] ¡°Oh. So what other types do I have access to?¡± [Currently, very few. Most enchanted or enhanced rounds are locked behind separate Vaults. The only reason silverbane rounds are offered at all is because they are considered the ¡°standard¡± for magitech guns when used for killing Anathema. You could purchase normal nine-millimeter ammunition, but it would be much less effective. The cost would be cheaper, however, at one point for two 15-round magazines. I would still recommend against this as there are very good reasons why silverbane bullets come as the standardized ammunition type and are offered without needing to unlock an additional Vault.] ¡°Yeah, that makes sense,¡± I nodded. ¡°How much is this gun going to cost?¡± [Ten points, and it will come custom-modified for your hand size and physical strength. With your remaining twenty points, I would recommend purchasing an enchantment for the Umbra. For fifteen points, you can get it enchanted with a lesser rune of sound suppression. Finally, As all purchases from the Gate must arrive in boxes that take time to open, I would recommend purchasing five more magazines of ammunition to have on you. This would give you a total of ninety bullets to take out Anathema counting the magazine the Umbra comes with.] I forced myself to think it over for a moment, but didn¡¯t find any flaws in her reasoning. Granted, I didn¡¯t really know much about guns besides what I¡¯d read online and managed to retain, but everything still seemed to make sense. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s do it then.¡± [Kinetic Handguns (Common) Unlocked!] [-100 Points] [Purchased: ¡°Umbra¡± P30 Model A - Enchanted] [-25 Points] [Purchased: 9mm Silverbane Magazine x5] [-5 Points] [Remaining Points: 0] [WARNING: Zero points remaining. Contact nearest Magical Guardian for assistance, code phrase: EMPTY NIGHT.] A heptagram of violet light bloomed into existence at my feet. In its center, more light condensed into a vaguely box-like shape, and then with a flash, turned into a solid briefcase of carbon fiber, banishing the heptagram into disintegrating motes. I looked at the case as I dismissed the pop-up messages. ¡°What was with that warning?¡± I asked as I got up from my chair and crouched down to the gun case. [Ignore it,] Selene said with an annoyed tone. [It is just some meddling put in at the request of the human nations. They believe Magical Guardians who reach zero points are in an unusually desperate situation and should seek help. The code phrase triggers a quest to incentivize other Magical Guardians to assist.] ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too bad,¡± I shrugged. ¡°I mean, I am kind of in a desperate situation, aren¡¯t I?¡± [Yes, but with most forms of communication being down when within a Usurpation Zone, it is sort of a useless message. That, and usually the message is a suggestion, not a command. Just ignore it for now.] I frowned, wondering what she meant about it ¡°usually being a suggestion,¡± but I continued with opening the box. Inside was a matte black pistol and six magazines, all set into dark foam indentations. The pistol looked¡­ well, it looked pretty much like other guns I had seen. Sleek, metal, and if I was being honest with myself, cool. Something about its heavy but streamlined design did give it a more advanced look than some of the other guns I¡¯d seen, however. The only other thing I noticed was ¡°Umbra¡± embossed along the slide in silver along with a crescent moon symbol between the grip and the gun¡¯s slide. [And now to reveal the other half of your Augment¡¯s power. Please pick up the gun and point it at the wall. It is unloaded with the safety on, but please handle it carefully.] I reached down and gingerly lifted the gun. It was¡­ heavy wasn¡¯t necessarily the right word, but maybe weighty? I could feel how solid the gun was, how dense and compact it was built. More than just the physical weight, something about holding the pistol made me nervous. In the back of my mind, something seemed to click that what I was holding was a dangerous weapon, something that could take a life with just the pull of a trigger. Click, boom, and then death. That simple. I forced my grip tighter, willing my hands not to shake as I pointed the gun at the wall, being hyper aware of where the muzzle was aimed. I couldn¡¯t completely suppress the small tremors as I held a gun for my very first time. Following Selene¡¯s instructions, I aimed at the wall. New images popped up in my vision, on my HUD, and I blinked in surprise as I took them in. Slowly, my heart began to beat faster in excitement as I realized what I was looking at. In the bottom right of my vision, an outline of my pistol appeared along with the numbers ¡°0/15.¡± That, however, was secondary to what took up the middle of my vision. There was a small circle with a dot in the middle, sort of like a minimalistic bullseye, and I stared in shocked recognition as I moved the gun slightly. The dot and circle followed along wherever I pointed the pistol, separate from where I looked with my eyes. ¡°I have a targeting reticle?¡± I exclaimed, blinking. [Indeed!] Selene replied cheerfully. [As I said, your Augment predicted your affinity for firearms. While the real-time status functions are nice, the targeting reticle is invaluable. With it, it will matter much less that you have no experience in actually using firearms. Your accuracy will be drastically increased, and target acquisition will be trivialized. As the reticle is directly linked to your stats and weapon, it will even change in size to give a prediction where your bullet has potential to hit.] I stared, waving the gun a few times and watching as the outer circle of the bullseye-style reticle expanded with my quick movements and shrunk when I held the gun steady. It was literally like I was in a shooting game now. I almost felt stupid that I hadn¡¯t realized it before, that HUDs in video games always had crosshairs or targeting reticles to use even when not aiming down the gun¡¯s sights. [To say this has optimized your combat potential would be an understatement. While it won¡¯t automatically make you a perfect marksman, it will allow you to effectively use guns with supernatural proficiency.] ¡°I kind of feel like I¡¯m cheating,¡± I said, my voice quivering in hesitant awe. [Exactly!] Selene¡¯s tails swished back and forth. [This Augment is part of your special starting bonus, one less than 5% of MGs gain. While other Augments can provide similar targeting functions, none have the full functionality that yours has or are as accurate. I would also like to remind you that the Arcane System decided this was your most optimal and completely unique choice, a manifestation of your very self brought out. It wasn¡¯t the Zenith that chose this for you, it is what the System recognized in your personality, magic, and your very sense of self. Trust me when I say there is nothing to be ashamed of. This is part of what makes you unique, and in time, you will understand just how special of a Magical Girl you really are.] My cheeks flushed at her words, and I lowered the gun. Something rose in my chest, warm and powerful, and my throat tightened slightly. This Augment¡­ it offered such small and simple bonuses, but that was what also made it so powerful. Instead of having to spend years of practice learning to use a gun, drilling for countless hours just to accurately hit a target, I could just point and shoot. I didn¡¯t even have to look down the sights to see where I was going to hit! And all of that was mine. My power, my strength. It was part of my soul made manifest by magic. The warm feeling in my chest bloomed stronger, and, for the first time in a long time, I felt something very much like hope. [Now then,] Selene said. [Let¡¯s get you familiar with handling a gun, and then we can begin to make our way to the next shelter.] I nodded firmly, and focused all my attention on my Familiar. She let out a small cough as if clearing her throat. [Very well, let¡¯s start with the basics. First of all: guns are not toys¡­] Chapter 7 - Shelter Three (Lily) -Arcadia Grand Central Mall, Floor Three Shelter- -Five minutes after Emergence alarm- ¡°It really wasn¡¯t that big of a deal,¡± Lily smiled awkwardly at the two parents thanking her for the fifth time. ¡°No, really,¡± the man in front of Lily insisted with watery eyes. ¡°You saved our little girl. I don¡¯t know what I would have done if anything happened to our Lucy.¡± Lily decided to just give a reassuring smile and nod. Finding the parents had turned out to be an easy task considering they were waiting right outside the wide-open doors of the shelter, pleading with the mall security in charge to go and find their children. When they saw Lily running with their little girl in tow, they had all but broken down in relieved sobs as they rushed out to hug their daughter. Then they realized their son wasn¡¯t there. ¡°And you¡¯re sure Brian is on his way?¡± the mother asked, still clutching Lucy to her chest. Lily felt the corner of her mouth quirk up slightly as she looked back through the shelter¡¯s doors. Lily and the family had been ushered inside the shelter, but had refused to move further inside along with the rest of the crowd. The mall security guards in charge all seemed young and a little lost, and so they had allowed it after the quick explanation that they were waiting for people. ¡°My friend Mai knows what she¡¯s doing,¡± Lily gave a cocky smile. ¡°She¡¯s the most reliable person I know. They might cut the timing a little close, but they¡¯ll make it.¡± That didn¡¯t seem to alleviate the parents¡¯ fears much, but there wasn¡¯t really anything else Lily could do to convince them. Lily turned back to look down the hallway leading to the shelter, and forced herself to remain still. It was hard, because all she really wanted to do was sprint out there and look for Mai. It was a completely idiotic idea considering Lily had no idea where she would even begin looking. Deep inside, Lily knew Mai had been right, as she always was. Even though Mai was shy and unassuming, she was one of the smartest people Lily knew. Behind Mai¡¯s gleaming sapphire eye was a quiet cunning that was constantly calculating. More than once, Lily had experienced Mai do something for seemingly no reason, only to find out her action had solved multiple problems before some of them could even manifest. The only problem was that Mai tended to have a blind spot in regards to her own well-being. ¡°Lily?¡± a familiar woman¡¯s voice called, and Lily looked back into the shelter¡¯s interior. Ms. Toma, Lily¡¯s homeroom teacher, walked towards her. Lily could see deeper into the shelter¡¯s futuristic white interior where a crowd of people were nervously talking in groups. The biggest groups were made of the four classes from Sakura High. The teachers had already done their headcount, but Lily had just given a wave to Ms. Toma instead of joining everyone else. Idly, Lily noted that Mai¡¯s homeroom teacher was talking to some of the chaperones and teachers instead of waiting at the entrance. It made Lily¡¯s eyes narrow slightly, but she didn¡¯t let it show on the cheery expression she gave Ms. Toma. ¡°Still waiting for Mai, are you?¡± Ms. Toma asked with a gentle smile and concerned eyes. As far as Lily was concerned, Ms. Toma was the perfect teacher. She was warm and kind, and always dressed in clothes that matched her personality, like the simple blue dress and yellow cardigan she was currently wearing. Her face was round and soft, and lent to her empathetic impression. She had an uncanny knack for understanding what was going on, and more than once Lily had been caught off guard by her teacher¡¯s insight. Really, she was completely the opposite of Mai¡¯s useless homeroom teacher. ¡°Yup,¡± Lily answered with a nod. ¡°Should be any minute now.¡± Ms. Toma glanced at the fidgeting parents, then back to Lily with a relaxed grin. ¡°If it were anybody else I might be more nervous too,¡± Ms. Toma replied, ¡°but from the way you talk about her, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s already on her way back.¡± Lily felt her cheeks redden as she scoffed and folded her arms defiantly. ¡°I don¡¯t talk about her that much.¡± Which was mostly true. Although, Ms. Toma had stopped Lily after school a few times to have heart-to-heart talks like she seemed to do with all her students, and Lily had spent most of the time talking about Mai after they became friends. Still, Lily hadn¡¯t been gushing about Mai or anything¡­ had she? ¡°I said the way you talk about her,¡± Ms. Toma giggled, and Lily¡¯s face burned hotter. ¡°Honestly, she must be pretty impressive to make such an impression on you and not even be in our class.¡± Lily shrugged, not sure what to say. As she did, she noticed the parents had been taking in every word of their conversation and seemed to relax a little. Lily blinked as she realized how effortlessly Ms. Toma had calmed them down without even speaking a single word to them. Lily felt a little bit of pride surge in her chest, and she smiled. ¡°Anyway,¡± Ms. Toma said, pulling up her hand to check her watch. ¡°There should still be a little over four minutes left, so there¡¯s plenty of time to-¡± Suddenly, the lights went out.
EMERGENCY ALERT
Power supply compromised. Primary shielding station offline. SOS has been sent. Shelter in place until rescue arrives.
Cold washed through Lily as the notification appeared in her head. In the shelter, the lights flickered back on, but outside, red emergency lights bathed the hallway in dark shades of scarlet. A sudden chill went down the back of Lily¡¯s neck, and she felt her mouth go dry. Inside the shelter, a few people let out shouts of surprise. Then, the second message appeared.
EMERGENCY ALERT
Multiple Usurpation Rifts detected on the following floors: Basement 1 Floor 1 Floor 2 Floor 3 Floor 4 Floor 5 Miasma Quality: 150 Miasma Density: Extreme Guardian Command alerted Successfully. System going into low power mode. This will be the last message.
Ms. Toma¡¯s eyes went wide, her calm expression wiped clear. There was the sudden sound of something heavy moving, and Lily turned to see the double set of shelter doors beginning to shut. The mall security guards who had been outside quickly ran in, their eyes big with fear. Lily heard the parents let out a cry of despair from beside her, and something inside her clicked into place. Mai. Mai was out there with those monsters. Skinny little Mai who had been trembling with fear even as she made the decision to split from Lily. All to save a kid, and all without a second thought. Mai who never complained to Lily about anything even though Lily had heard plenty of rumors about the bullying she was going through. Mai. A jolt of electricity went through Lily, and she didn¡¯t hesitate. She moved towards the closing set of doors, kicking off as quickly as she could. She wasn¡¯t about to abandon her friend out there, not when she already had failed to help her so many times. Screw directions, Lily would just have to find a map on the wall and go from there. Before Lily could take more than two steps, a hand clamped around her arm in an iron grip and pulled her back. Lily almost fell from the sudden balance shift, and turned a wild look behind her. Ms. Toma had her hands wrapped around Lily¡¯s arm, and she had a sickened expression twisting her face. Her eyes, though, were steel. ¡°Lily, no,¡± Ms. Toma almost whispered. Her voice was flat, but Lily could hear something wavering beneath the facade. ¡°Let me go,¡± Lily hissed, trying to tug her arm free. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving her out there!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that,¡± Ms. Toma replied. ¡°Lily, it¡¯s my job to keep you safe.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, I promise!¡± Lily shouted, her voice shaking. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving her out there alone!¡± Beside them, Lucy¡¯s father seemed to finally register what was happening and turned to run out the shelter doors. Two of the mall security officers grabbed onto him as he rushed the doors and pulled him down. He let out a cry of anguish as he fought but couldn¡¯t struggle free. Meanwhile, Lily felt another pair of hands grab her other arm, and she turned to see a third officer standing in front of her. She didn¡¯t want to accidentally hurt Ms. Toma, but she was sure her teacher would understand. So Lily wrenched at their grips, throwing her weight away from them. She managed to slip from the security guard¡¯s hands, but, to her surprise, Ms. Toma held firm. When Lily was stumbling and unbalanced from the maneuver, she pulled on Lily hard, twisting Lily into a bear hug against her chest. Lily let out a frustrated growl as she tried to pull herself free, but Ms. Toma held firm. A few seconds later, Lily heard the shelter doors shut with a loud boom. There was a whirl as heavy sounding gears turned, and then a loud and distinctive clack as something locked into place. Ms. Toma finally let Lily go, and she stumbled away from her teacher, looking at the large set of double doors. They were shut, and Lily felt her heart fall as she looked at them in horror. No, wait, it wasn¡¯t over yet. Lily remembered that shelters were designed with two sets of double doors and a room between them like an airlock. That way, people could be let safely in and out as necessary. That meant Lily could still get out to help Mai. All she had to do was find the console. Lily¡¯s eyes snapped to the large touchscreen next to the doors. ¡°Lily, please listen to me.¡± Ms. Toma pleaded, her voice cracking, and the uncharacteristic tone shift made her stop in her tracks.. Lily shot her teacher a look in surprise. She had tears in her eyes as she walked slowly over, putting a trembling hand on Lily¡¯s shoulder. Lily glared at her, fury kindling into a bonfire in her chest. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do but wait for her to get here,¡± Ms. Toma said. ¡°If you went out there¡­ you would only be putting yourself in danger.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Lily replied hotly. ¡°I know, but I do. And I think so would Mai.¡± Lily felt her breath disappear as the words hit her like a sledgehammer, and she recoiled slightly from her teacher. ¡°Her best chance is to either hide, or sneak here,¡± Ms. Toma continued, her voice quiet but firm. ¡°If you go out there, you could get hurt, and even if you did find her, more people would just draw extra attention. There¡¯s nothing we can do to help except trust in her.¡± Slowly, Lily felt the rage in her begin to deflate, leaving her standing there impotently clenching her fists tight. Ms. Toma was right¡­ and inside, Lily knew she hadn¡¯t been thinking. Again. Even though she wanted to rush out there and find Mai, she had no idea where she would even be at this point. No, going out there in a blind panic was just asking to get herself killed. ¡°Ms. Toma is right,¡± a voice suddenly joined in, jolting Lily out of her thoughts. She turned to see Mr. Toujou, Mai¡¯s teacher, moving to join them along with the other two teachers. Lily felt her eyes narrow at the young, suave-looking man, if he could even be called that. He had to be barely out of university, yet he still wore a formal suit in black that was perpetually slightly messy. Lily knew that most of the girls in her class and on the track team swooned over him and loved the way he constantly was pushing up the glasses on his nose. Yet none of that changed the fact that he was utterly useless in Lily¡¯s eyes. No, maybe worse than useless considering his inaction was a form of passive encouragement. She still remembered his words when Lily had brought up Mai¡¯s bullying. His casual dismissal, saying that he would have noticed such a thing. That, and if it really was happening, Mai would have reported it herself. Useless idiot, Lily thought for the hundredth time as he continued to speak. ¡°R-right now, it¡¯s important to stay inside the shelter,¡± he stuttered, his words coming out a little too quickly. ¡°Nobody goes out, not unless it is an emergency. If somebody comes to the doors, we can always open them. Right?¡± Lily felt herself studying him. His hands were constantly adjusting his tie or fidgeting with other parts of his outfit. There were beads of sweat on his forehead, and even though he had on his usual overly smooth expression, his eyes darted around and twitched at every little movement. Scared, huh? Lily thought to herself. It wasn¡¯t that surprising, really. He was the youngest teacher here even if he did like to dress up like he was better than the rest. Still, it was a little embarrassing to think someone like him could tell Lily what to do. She shifted her eyes to Ms. Toma, who gave a sideways glance at Mr. Toujou before returning to Lily with a slight nod. Lily let out a hiss of air between her teeth, but remembered what she had discussed with Ms. Toma about Mai¡¯s teacher, and she forced herself to not snap at the man. ¡°Whatever,¡± Lily turned, walking towards the touchscreen where the mall security guards were standing. ¡°I¡¯m at least going to look at the cameras. You can stay and make sure I don¡¯t open the doors or whatever.¡± The three mall cops had moved protectively in front of the console but looked at each other in surprise. ¡°Cameras?¡± one of the guys asked the other. ¡°There¡¯s cameras?¡± Lily stared aghast at the guards. It was only now that she realized how young they all looked. Still, weren¡¯t they supposed to be trained for this? They had tasers and guns for God¡¯s sake! ¡°Yes,¡± Lily said slowly, giving them a serious look. ¡°How else do you think we would be able to tell if people were trying to get in if we didn¡¯t have cameras?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± one of them began, looking nervously at the others. ¡°We uh¡­ we¡¯re all kind of new. The Usurpation training only happens once a month when a Magical Soldier is free to train people in.¡± ¡°All of you are new?¡± Ms. Toma asked, standing beside Lily with a confused expression. ¡°Yeah,¡± another replied with a helpless shrug of her shoulders. ¡°Our supervisor was supposed to be with us, but he had to go down to the second level to help with a shoplifter¡­¡± Lily stared at the three and shook her head in disbelief. ¡°Whatever,¡± Lily sighed in exasperation. ¡°It¡¯s not my first Usurpation, and I had a Magical Soldier tell me all about how shelters work, so just get out of the way.¡± ¡°Ms. Parker, that is no way to talk to your elders!¡± Mr. Toujou said with a frown, pushing up his glasses. Lily quirked an eyebrow, looking between the three college-aged guards and Mr. Toujou. ¡°Sure. Sorry. Now can I please show you what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I hardly think that¡¯s appropriate,¡± Mr. Toujou crossed his arms. ¡°We teachers have all been through Usurpation training and know how shelters work. It would be best if you left this to us.¡± Lily looked at him blankly. Then she turned away from him and walked the rest of the way to the touchscreen console, Ms. Toma following as Mr. Toujou sputtered. The little girl¡¯s parents hurried after her, and the mall guards got out of Lily¡¯s way as she reached the screen. Vaguely, she heard the others joining behind her, but she ignored it as she peered at the menu. The console was a simple touchscreen about the size of a large computer monitor with big option menus lit up on it. Lily knew she could access all kinds of information from the menu like how many people were in the shelter, temperature controls, food rationing calculations, and even how much was left in the water supply. She ignored those and tapped through the menus until she got to the outer cameras. The system itself would have automatically switched to them and made a noise if it detected movement, but Lily wasn¡¯t going to wait for that. The screen flickered and changed to several pristine views of the hallway leading to the shelter doors. Lily felt her stomach tightening when she saw there was nothing out there, but she forced herself to ignore it. She glanced at the parents huddling behind her, and she moved to the side slightly to give them more room to see. They gave her shaky but grateful smiles as they took position next to her. Lily noted that on the camera menu there were options to open either the outer or inner doors along with an option highlighted in bright red that said ¡°emergency shield.¡± Instantly, she felt herself tense up. ¡°When you get to the shelter, make sure they don¡¯t panic and activate the emergency shield. I¡¯ve heard horror stories.¡± Mai¡¯s quiet voice went through Lily¡¯s head, and she moved her body slightly, making sure she could physically block access to the option if she needed to. ¡°We already have training in shelter operations,¡± Lily heard Mr. Toujou speaking to the mall guards behind her. ¡°So perhaps it would be best if we took charge for now.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± one of them quickly replied, relief evident in his voice. ¡°Just tell us how we can help.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Mr. Toujou floundered, and Lily forced herself not to roll her eyes. ¡°Why don''t the two of you go to check on if anybody needs anything?¡± Ms. Toma cut in, addressing two of the security guards. ¡°Food, water, medical attention. One of you should stay here to keep an eye on the cameras, though. Mr. Carpenter and Mrs. Mills, you two are senior teachers, so perhaps you would have the most luck keeping an eye on the students and making sure they behave. The barracks room should be big enough to keep them herded.¡± Lily was slightly surprised as Ms. Toma took charge and the other teachers nodded in agreement and began moving. The other two teachers did have seniority on her, but seemed fine with her taking charge. Maybe it was the calm assurance in her tone, or the way she had phrased it as a suggestion, because it seemed to work. Quickly, the shelter¡¯s terminal became less crowded. ¡°Ms. Parker, you should join the other students as well,¡± Mr. Toujou said, clearing his throat. ¡°I assure you, Ms. Toma and I will keep a lookout for Miss Kuroki.¡± Lily bit back another hot response. What was wrong with this guy, seriously? ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Lily said dismissively. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here.¡± Lily could practically feel the stunned silence behind her, and she felt a small amount of petty satisfaction in his reaction. ¡°Miss Parker, that wasn¡¯t a-¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Ms. Toma interrupted smoothly, her voice firm. ¡°She¡¯s just worried about her friend. She can stay and keep watch with us.¡± There was an exasperated sigh, but Mr. Toujou opted not to argue. Lily kept her eyes glued to the screen, watching and keeping count of the minutes in her head as they passed. Every single one felt agonizingly long, and more than once Lily found herself having to remind herself to breathe as she watched the monitor, waiting for anything to appear. C¡¯mon Mai, Lily thought to herself. Where are you? - - - - - - - -Arcadia Grand Central Mall, Floor Three Shelter- -Ten minutes after power loss- Lily had to force herself not to tap her foot against the floor as she stared at the camera. The other security guards had rejoined the small group around the console. Mr. Toujou had urged her to back away from the screen so others could get a better view, but Lily had simply ignored him once again. She was already off to the side of the screen and letting people see it. She wasn¡¯t about to back away, though, not when that button was there for anyone to press. Most of the other people in the shelter, including all the students, had gone further inside the shelter to the barracks or one of the other rooms the shelter was split into. Mr. Toujou had suggested again that Lily leave to join them, and it was all Lily could do to provide a polite ¡°no thank you¡± after Ms. Toma had given her a look. Lily could practically feel the man¡¯s annoyance, but she really couldn¡¯t care less about what he thought. So Lily continued staring at the screen, wondering when Mai would- Suddenly, something appeared on the camera, and a loud, shrill beeping sound came from the console to alert everyone it detected movement. Lily¡¯s heart lurched into her throat with joy only to come crashing down as she saw the form that came around the corner. There was a cry of dismay from someone as the shape stalked its way down the corridor in slow, shuffling steps. The thing was tall, so much so that it was hunched over in the hallway. It looked vaguely humanoid, but as if it was poorly shaped from pale, featureless clay. Its arms were long enough to touch the ground, and its fingers were jointless, undulating things. The monster was horribly emaciated, so much that its ribs were practically poking through its chest. The worst part, though, was the face. It had no eyes, only big, empty sockets. Below, was a giant, lipless mouth that took up a full third of its head, and it was stretched into a mocking grin wide enough to show its gums. The monster¡¯s teeth were perfect human teeth, but upscaled to fit its gaping maw. Lily stared in shock as the camera highlighted the creature with a box, and then displayed something next to it. [Lesser Pale Man] Known Levels: 10 - 15 Next to Lily, people began talking all at the same time. ¡°What the hell is that thing?¡± one of the mall guards gasped. ¡°No¡­¡± the mother sobbed and fell into her husband''s arms. ¡°Holy-¡± Lily tuned out the clamor as she watched the thing. For some reason, it looked oddly familiar¡­ no, it was familiar! It looked just like one of the monsters in Magical Girls¡¯ Sunset: Rebellion! In fact, it was almost completely the same. Lily watched in confusion as it took long, shuffling steps forward. As it got closer, Lily began to hear something coming through the speakers in the console. ¡°Everyone quiet!¡± Lily snapped, and the noise died down. Then, as the thing finally stood in front of the outer shelter doors, the noise became clear. It was giggling. Lily felt her heart rate increase as she listened to the barely contained trilling sound. It sounded so human, so innocent, it was like listening to little girls giggling, and it made Lily shudder. Slowly, the creature reached a hand out to the shelter¡¯s outer doors, and placed it against it softly. Its too-long fingers squirmed, wiggling like worms against the metal. All the while, the giggling continued, a sound so perfectly childlike it was wrong. ¡°T-t-that things trying to get in!¡± one of the mall guards shouted, his hand already on his holstered gun. ¡°Don¡¯t panic,¡± Ms. Toma said calmly. ¡°The shelter¡¯s systems are designed to automatically assess threats. We¡¯ll be fine as long as we remain calm and-¡± The creature suddenly pulled both its arms back, and then slammed them into the door. A loud bong sound came through the touchscreen, but the outer door appeared completely undamaged. It tried again and again, but still didn¡¯t even manage to leave a mark. Lily let out a breath she hadn¡¯t realized she had been holding. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. The monster was freaky. Everything about it seemed to make her skin crawl, and the giggling was setting her teeth on edge, but it really was fine. Sure, it was scary, but if it couldn¡¯t even dent the door- ¡°It¡¯s trying to get in!¡± the mall guard yelled. ¡°W-w-we need to do something!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Ms. Toma tried to assure him. ¡°It isn¡¯t even damaging the-¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to call more of those things!¡± he insisted. ¡°The sound! If more show up, it¡¯ll only be a matter of time before they get in! We need to do something!¡± There was a silence as he looked around at everyone with a pleading expression. Suddenly, Mr. Toujou stepped forward slightly, pushing up his glasses, and Lily saw his hand shaking. ¡°T-there¡¯s an emergency shield¡­¡± Mr. Toujou stuttered. ¡°But-¡± ¡°No!¡± Lily whirled on him in absolute fury. ¡°Don¡¯t you even dare! The automated system is in charge of that!¡± ¡°What if it¡¯s broken?¡± the panicking security guard insisted. ¡°What if it¡¯s not working? What if this thing isn¡¯t like the rest of them?¡± The female guard tried to place a hand on his shoulder to calm him down, but he shook it off. Lily felt her pulse pick up as she looked into the guy''s wide eyes. Slowly, Lily moved to face the small crowd of people watching, placing herself in front of the monitor. She clenched her fists tight as she made sure her feet were firmly planted. ¡°I-I¡­ w-we can¡¯t put everyone in danger!¡± the guy continued stuttering. ¡°We can¡¯t know that the system is working! It¡¯s our job to protect people! W-we need to turn it on, just to be sure!¡± ¡°Derrick, you need to calm down,¡± the female guard said shakily. ¡°We aren¡¯t supposed to touch that button unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary. Everybody knows that.¡± ¡°It is necessary!¡± he hissed, pointing at the screen behind Lily. ¡°That thing isn¡¯t normal! It¡¯s giggling! I mean, just look at¡­¡± He trailed off, and then his outstretched finger began to tremble. Lily watched as everyone followed his pointed finger. Their faces went collectively pale, and it was only then that Lily noticed the sound of the monster hitting the door had stopped along with the giggles. Keeping an eye on everyone, Lily slowly turned to look at the screen. The thing had its face right in front of the main camera, taking up the entirety of the screen with its over-stretched smile and pristine teeth. The thing¡¯s empty eye sockets bore into the camera with a hungry emptiness, and it slowly opened its mouth. ¡°Gohan?¡± it asked in a deep, distorted voice, and Lily recoiled as she recognized the Japanese word. Did¡­ did that thing just speak? Lily fought against the terror that jittered along her spine, her mouth suddenly dry. Was¡­ was that normal? Lily wasn¡¯t sure she had ever heard of one talking before. And the word it chose¡­ ¡°W-what did it just say?¡± Derrick asked. ¡°What did it say!?¡± There was a moment of stunned silence before anyone spoke. ¡°Meal,¡± Mr. Toujou replied, his face white. ¡°It just looked at us through the camera and asked if there was a meal.¡± As if it could hear Mr. Toujou, the monster then began to shake slightly, and the giggling returned. Slowly, it grew in intensity until it became something unhinged. Its enormous mouth opened in an all out laugh that sounded like a chorus of little children laughing in disharmony. ¡°Screw this!¡± Derrick shouted, and he lunged for the touch screen. No! Fear and anger flared inside of Lily as she saw him move, and she reacted on pure instinct. Lily spun to face him, holding up her fists in a faux boxing stance as she snarled. She felt her heart pounding as she stared him down. She glared at the man in defiance, undisturbed by the fact that he had at least seven inches and over fifty pounds on her. Derrick stumbled for a second, his eyes wide as he looked at her in surprise. ¡°Back off!¡± Lily growled. ¡°No way in hell am I letting you press that button!¡± Derrick stopped in his tracks, seemingly unsure what to do as he looked Lily over. Ms. Toma stepped forward, gently grabbing his arm even as the female security guard moved to do the same on his other side. When his eyes went back to the giggling creature on the screen, Lily saw something in his gaze harden. Derrick rushed forward, pushing Ms. Toma away. She let out a cry as she stumbled and fell, but Lily didn¡¯t have time to help her as Derrick grabbed her shoulder and tried to push her out of the way. He was too close for a proper punch, so Lily instead curled her fingers into claws and grabbed onto his hands, gouging into them as she braced herself in place using the wall. Lily felt her nails dig in deep, and Derrick let out a cry, stumbling back as he looked at his hands. Lily could see bloody scratches on them, and felt a wet warmth on her fingers as she replanted her feet. Her heart was racing faster now, and she could feel the adrenaline rushing through her veins. Lily saw the female guard had tried to catch Ms. Toma and only partially succeeded, sending them both sprawling on the floor. The other guard just watched with a shocked expression, his mouth moving but no sound coming out. ¡°Bitch!¡± Derrick cried out, his face twisting with desperation and fury. He came at her, and Lily prepared for him to try to push her out of the way again. Which is why she was entirely unprepared for the punch he threw right at her face. Lily heard Ms. Toma scream as the security guard full-on punched her in the side of the head, and light burst her world into white. The next thing Lily knew, she was sprawled on the ground. Pain exploded through her face across her left eye, and as she tried to get up, her motions felt strangely disassociated. She let out a groan as her brain began pounding against her skull in throbbing agony. Her arms felt wobbly as she pushed herself to her knees. The punch from the guard had been forceful enough to throw her a few feet to the side of the console, judging by the blurry image of shoes in her vision. ¡°WARNING!¡± a clear, synthetic voice called out. ¡°Engaging the shelter¡¯s emergency shield system will prevent any person from entering or leaving until rescue arrives. Please do not engage unless the automated threat system is nonfunctional and the outer door has been breached. Activating this system without cause may be prosecutable in court. To confirm activation of the emergency shield, please press and hold the accept button for five seconds.¡± Lily looked up through her swimming vision and made out Derrick in front of the screen, his finger poised to press the button. ¡°No!¡± Lily screamed, and she launched herself forward into a flying tackle at his knees. She managed to knock him down to the ground, but her face slammed against the side of his legs as she followed, sending another jolt of pain through her head. Instead of untangling herself, she wrapped herself tighter around his legs as he tried to push her off. A moment later, Lucy¡¯s father and the female guard were suddenly there to help Lily, pinning Derrick¡¯s arms to the ground. He kept trying to kick his legs free, but Lily held firm even through the growing nausea. ¡°Let me go!¡± he cried out. ¡°You¡¯re going to get us all killed!¡± He struggled a little more, and Lily felt a hand on her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll take over,¡± the third security guard said, his voice shaky. ¡°You can let go now.¡± Lily turned to look at him, and it took a moment to see his serious expression through her blurry vision. Slowly, she disentangled herself, and the man was quick to take over by kneeling on Derrick¡¯s legs. Lily pulled away, rising on shaky legs, and it was all she could do to stay standing. ¡°Lily!¡± Ms. Toma called out, and Lily turned to see her limping closer ¡°Are you okay?¡± Lily blinked, but gave a shaky nod and smile as Ms. Toma reached her and gently grabbed her face. Gently, Ms. Toma began examining Lily with a worried expression, but Lily just grinned in response, not wanting to give away the throbbing pain on the left side of her face. Her lip also hurt, and she had the faint taste of blood in her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Lily tried to assure Ms. Toma as her expression only grew more distraught. ¡°Just a little-¡± ¡°CONFIRMATION RECEIVED,¡± the synthetic voice said. ¡°Activating emergency shield.¡± Lily whipped around in shock, horror flooding through her. Mr. Toujou stood in front of the touchscreen, his finger extended and trembling slightly. Everyone else looked at him in stunned silence, and even Derrick had quit struggling. Lily looked at Mai¡¯s homeroom teacher with incomprehension. Everything in Lily seemed to fade away, until there was only an emptiness left. Slowly, Mr. Toujou reached up to his glasses, pushing them up his nose. ¡°Protecting our students is our top priority as teachers,¡± he began shakily. ¡°If there¡¯s even a chance of danger-¡± Hate ignited inside Lily, burning so hot it hurt, and she let out a scream. Suddenly the pain, the nausea and dizziness, none of it mattered anymore. She launched herself at the coward only to have Ms. Toma clamp her into a hug from behind, holding her back. Lily reached out towards him clawing at the air, trying to get to him as she screamed incoherently at him. Mr. Toujou took a step back, his face twisted in a grimace as if he was in pain. He just killed Mai. The thought echoed in Lily¡¯s head, and she couldn¡¯t make it stop. Lily struggled against Ms. Toma, and although Lily could hear her speaking, the words were somehow hollow and meaningless. She fought and fought, but couldn¡¯t manage to get free, to get at the bastard who just stood there, looking like he was the one hurt the most. Lily struggled, putting all her boiling rage into her attempts to get free. But she couldn¡¯t. She couldn¡¯t do anything, no matter how much she tried. I never can. Eventually, the anger began to drain from her, and what strength it had brought faded. Her legs gave out beneath her, and she found herself falling into Ms. Toma¡¯s hug. With the anger giving way, the dam on the rest of her emotions burst, and tears welled up in her eyes as she let out a choked groan, unwilling to let herself cry. Ms. Toma turned Lily around, pulling Lily against her chest tightly and gently rubbing at her back. ¡°I promised her¡­¡± Lily seethed, bitter and angry tears escaping her. ¡°I promised I wouldn¡¯t let anyone activate the shield. I promised!¡± Ms. Toma said nothing, and just kept rubbing at Lily¡¯s back. It took a long time for Lily to finally pull herself together. Slowly, she extricated herself from Ms. Toma¡¯s grasp. Lily¡¯s legs were still shaky, and Ms. Toma kept a steadying hand on her shoulders to make sure Lily was steady before letting her go. Ms. Toma winced as she stepped back slightly on her foot, and Lily suddenly felt shame well up inside her for making Ms. Toma hold her back even though she was injured. Lily heard soft crying and turned to see the parents on the ground holding each other tight, their daughter held between them. Elsewhere, the other male security guard was hauling Derrick away with a firm hand on his arm. The other teachers had come out sometime during the whole ordeal as well. The remaining female guard looked over Lily, giving a sympathetic wince when her eyes landed on her face. ¡°I know some first aid,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s a medical room further in-¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving,¡± Lily said hoarsely, taking slow, careful steps back to the console screen. The cameras showed the hallway was now empty, but over the outer doors of the shelter, Lily could faintly see a translucent barrier of pale green energy flickering. She looked to the side, and glared when she saw Mr. Toujou standing a few steps away. She would make him pay. She¡¯d make sure of it. ¡°How about you grab us a couple chairs and bring the first aid kit here?¡± Ms. Toma asked the security guard. ¡°I think we¡¯ll wait here.¡± Lily heard the woman leave, and she stared at the screen. Lily ground her teeth together in annoyance as her balance continued to waver, and her legs refused to harden from their jelly-like state. The soft crying from the parents made Lily¡¯s heart clench as it continued unabated. She had to clear her throat a few times before she could speak. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay,¡± Lily said, her voice strangely empty as she tried to reassure them. ¡°You¡¯ll see. Mai will come with your son, and even if she can¡¯t get in, she¡¯ll figure something out. She¡¯ll keep him safe.¡± Lily heard the teachers speaking in the background, Ms. Toma explaining quietly to them what had happened. She could practically feel them looking over at her as Ms. Toma described Lily fighting off the security guard. When Ms. Toma got to Mr. Toujou activating the shield, there was a silence until he cleared his throat. ¡°It might seem cold,¡± he said in a subdued voice. ¡°but two lives simply don¡¯t outweigh-¡± Even as Lily turned to face him, words hot on her lips, she saw Ms. Toma spin and slap him hard enough to make him stagger back. The sound was loud enough that it echoed throughout the whole room. He looked at her in shock, holding his cheek gingerly. Ms. Toma stared at him with fury in her eyes. ¡°Shut up,¡± she said calmly, her voice ice cold. ¡°Or leave.¡± That was it. That was all she said, and yet it was clear there was no room for argument, no alternative. Mr. Toujou¡¯s face flushed in anger, but he chose not to say anything. Ms. Toma turned away and continued talking to the other two teachers like nothing had happened, and Lily found vicious satisfaction welling up inside of her along with a newfound respect for her teacher. Lily turned back to the screen and watched, leaning against the wall for balance. Mai will be okay, Lily thought. She has to be. - - - - - - - -Arcadia Grand Central Mall, Floor Three Shelter- -Eighteen minutes after power loss- Lily held the bag of ice against the left side of her face, wincing as she watched the blank monitor. She was sitting in a chair now along with Ms. Toma and the parents. The mall cop lady, Mary, said Lily had gotten away from her fight with what was going to be a nasty black eye, split lip, and probably a concussion. Ms. Toma, meanwhile, had twisted her ankle when Derrick had pushed her out of the way, but it was nothing too serious. Mary had brought some weak painkillers and ice for both of them, and now they were all waiting by the console. Mary had claimed she was too restless to sit and was instead entertaining endless questions from the little girl, Lucy, but Lily had noticed Mary had positioned herself slightly behind Mr. Toujou, who was still sticking around for some reason. Lily¡¯s eyes met with Mary¡¯s briefly, and Lily gave a grateful nod that Mary returned. Lily¡¯s head was throbbing, but the medicine was helping. Now that the adrenaline had truly faded, though, Lily felt exhausted. Even though the fight had been so brief, it had taken a lot out of her. She made a mental note that she would have to get stronger, and maybe it was time to start the martial arts classes she¡¯d been planning to take. Maybe she should send Sergeant Kelley, the Magical Soldier she¡¯d met in her previous Usurpation, a message and ask for recommendations. Lily missed the woman who she had spent only a few hours talking to. Maybe it was because Lily had shown interest and asked questions unabashedly, but Kelley had been happy to answer them and joke through the entire ordeal. That, or maybe Kelley had guessed at what Lily was thinking of doing and wanted to help her. ¡°It won¡¯t be easy,¡± Kelley had said, flicking her scarlet hair out of her eyes. ¡°It definitely wasn¡¯t for me, but if you ever need anything, shoot me a message. I¡¯d be happy to help out.¡± Lily let out a sigh, her eyes fluttering closed. It had been naive, she knew that now. She had thought she had plenty of time to build herself up, to train. Lily assumed that being at the top of the track team was already a good start, but now it was painfully obvious she was wrong. One stupid little punch and she had been down on the ground. She was so much further away from her goal than she thought¡­ Beeeeep! The sound of the shelter¡¯s movement alarm shot Lily¡¯s eyes straight open, and she was out of her seat and lurching to the console. She almost fell, but managed to catch herself on the wall as she looked with wide eyes at what the cameras were showing. ¡°Mai!¡± she let out a trembling gasp. At the far end of the hallway, the adorably tiny figure of Mai had appeared, her hand grasped by a little boy. Lily felt joy surge through her as she let out a little laugh of disbelief. As the crowd joined her, the parents let out a cry, and Lily felt a fierce grin stretch up onto her face. She had desperately believed that Mai would make it, and somehow, she had even managed to bring the boy the whole way with her! Twenty minutes of sneaking past Anathema, of surviving, and somehow, Mai had done it! Lily¡¯s growing elation died when she saw Mai come to a sudden stop, staring at the doors from the far end of the hallway. It was only then that Lily began to take in a few details. First, she noticed the ice axe Mai was carrying, and the black stains covering its blade. Lily¡¯s eyes began to make out even more flecks of that same black sprayed across Mai¡¯s clothes. Then, Lily noticed the small hole in Mai¡¯s black blazer over the stomach area and the much darker stain around it. Lily felt her heart seize up as she looked over her friend, her eyes widening. Is that¡­ her blood? Lily thought, a wave of cold washing over her. Is she hurt? Mai, for her part, simply started taking slow, walking steps forward. Her mouth moved a few times, but no audio came through the console. Lily watched Mai¡¯s face twist in desperation as she sprinted to the front of the doors, letting go of the boy¡¯s hands and her ice axe. She ran to the doors and started slamming on the magical barrier, shouting soundlessly. Lily watched as Mai crumpled against the barrier, falling to her knees and leaning her head against it. She stared at the barrier with a vacant look of disbelief and did not move. The inside of the shelter was dead silent. Hazily, Lily felt someone¡¯s soft hand wrap around her own as another grabbed her shoulder, squeezing tightly. Lily just blinked numbly at the screen as she looked at her friend. She looked at the options on the camera feeds, and saw both the audio and speaker ones were grayed out. Still, she moved her finger and tried to press them over and over again. Maybe it was some kind of failsafe that activated with the shield, cutting the audio for some reason. Still, Lily wanted to at least hear the outside¡­ She wanted to know what kind of words Mai was using to curse her with. Even though Lily could feel warmth dripping down her cheeks, she only felt gutted. Mai had trusted her, had somehow managed to survive against monsters and might have even been hurt, and yet Lily couldn¡¯t even do one simple job. She clenched her hands tight and refused to look away. She would burn everything that happened into her memory. Mai suddenly stiffened, looking away from the doors and back to the boy she had left halfway down the hallway. Lily watched as Mai wiped at her cheeks, the devastated look on her face disappearing beneath a shaky smile as she quickly stood up, gesturing to the boy to come closer. He ran to her throwing his arms around her in a hug, one hand clutched around an action figure of some sort. Mai held him tightly, responding slowly when the boy said something to her. The boy looked like he was on the verge of tears, and yet a few more words from Mai seemed to calm him down. Lily stared in wonder at Mai as she simply took his hand, giving him another weak smile and began walking away. Lily couldn¡¯t understand how Mai was recovering from the situation so quickly. Somehow, Mai was even managing to put on a brave front for the boy and seemed more concerned about him. Lily watched as Mai almost idly picked up the ice axe she had dropped, and then she disappeared around the corner with the boy. Lily let out a shaky breath, then slowly turned around. The other teachers must have heard the movement alarm, because they had appeared. Ms. Toma was holding onto Lily''s shoulder and hand, trying to give a reassuring smile. The parents looked equal parts relieved and horrified, but they weren¡¯t looking at the screen anymore. Lily followed their gaze. Mr. Toujou stood a few steps back from the group, his face ashen. A sheen of sweat made his face shine, and he swallowed as Lily looked him in his eyes. He adjusted his tie, straightening it as he took in a deep breath to speak. Instead of rage, Lily felt something cold and sharp form inside of her as she looked at the person who locked the two out of the shelter. ¡°I¡­¡± he hesitated, seemingly lost for words. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry. But it was the only way¡­¡± Lily stared at the teacher in disbelief. That was what he had to say for himself? After what they had just seen? Lily shook her head and turned away. ¡°Fuck off and die,¡± she whispered, sitting back down in her chair. There was silence, and Lily noticed none of the teachers jumped on her for saying it. A second later, she heard footsteps going away. Ms. Toma sat down in her chair next to Lily, a gentle hand still on her shoulder. She didn¡¯t say anything, and Lily closed her eyes. Beyond some whispering, the silence was nice, and Lily felt like a small amount of weight was lifted. Mai was still alive. There was that much, at least. Still, she couldn¡¯t get the image of Mai¡¯s unbelieving, distraught face out of her head. Of the dried blood soaked into her clothes. Lily forced herself to go over the images again and again, analyzing them. Mai had seemed to be moving fine, at least. Maybe the injury hadn¡¯t been that bad, then. It was impossible to tell just what had soaked her clothes considering the blazer and skirt of their uniforms were black, so it could have just been more of that black substance. What was that, anyway? It looked like blood, but was the wrong color. Wait, if it had been on Mai¡¯s ice axe and she was wounded¡­ Did she fight one of them? Holy shit, did Mai beat an Anathema? ¡°Um¡­¡± a voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts. Lily opened her eyes to see the little girl, Lucy standing in front of her. ¡°Um¡­ I just wanted to thank you,¡± she said, shifting nervously. ¡°For saving me. And for your friend saving my brother.¡± Lily blinked, then looked to the girl¡¯s parents. They both had trembling expressions, but they gave her a genuine, thankful nod. Something in Lily¡¯s heart cracked a little at that, and she had to clear her throat as her emotions surged. ¡°Heh,¡± Lily said, trying to put on her usual grin for the little girl. ¡°I told ya¡¯ my friend was awesome, right?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Lucy agreed, nodding vigorously. ¡°Mom and Dad didn¡¯t believe me when I told them a pirate girl was keeping Brian safe!¡± It took Lily a moment to figure out what she meant by that, but then she remembered Mai¡¯s eyepatch. Lily let out a bubbling laugh as Lucy¡¯s parents looked at their daughter, aghast. Lily felt some of the tension drain from her body, and it took her a minute to stop long enough to respond. ¡°Well, she¡¯s not quite a pirate,¡± Lily chuckled. ¡°But it does look quite cool on her, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Lucy nodded with a toothy grin and then took a few skipping steps back to her sitting parents. They gave Lily an apologetic look that she waved off. Mai would probably have thought it was funny too, even if she was self-conscious about her eyes. A moment later, Lily felt a gentle squeeze on her hand, and she turned to see Ms. Toma giving her a gentle smile. ¡°You okay?¡± she asked, her soft eyes searching. ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± Lily took a breath to recenter herself. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ just¡­¡± Lily trailed off, not really sure how to describe what she was feeling. Guilty? Ashamed? Furious? What word could even encapsulate all of that? Ms. Toma just nodded, seeming to understand. ¡°I suppose this is the part where I tell you nothing that has happened has been your fault,¡± Ms. Toma smiled weakly. ¡°And the sole responsibility rides on us adults.¡± ¡°But I promised her,¡± Lily quickly shot back, looking up at her teacher. ¡°I told her-¡± ¡°And when somebody tried to turn on the shield,¡± Ms. Toma interrupted. ¡°Who was it that stood in the way? Was it any of us teachers? Was it one of the security guards who should be responsible for the safety of the people in the shelter?¡± Lily went silent, then let out a sigh. ¡°It doesn¡¯t change the fact that Mai is trapped out there.¡± ¡°No,¡± Ms. Toma agreed. ¡°But you at least shouldn¡¯t feel guilty about anything you¡¯ve done. You stood up to somebody older and stronger than you for a friend you wanted to protect. I don¡¯t think I could be more proud to call you one of my students, honestly.¡± Lily felt her face flush, warmth blooming in her chest. She wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to that, so she just sat there silently. ¡°Lily,¡± Ms. Toma said, lowering her voice. ¡°I know we¡¯ve had conversations about how you felt like some of your friends were¡­ less than genuine. Like they were just getting close to you to help themselves. I also know that¡¯s why you value your friendship with Mai so much. She wasn¡¯t in our class, and doesn¡¯t care about sports or popularity from what you¡¯ve told me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just that,¡± Lily shifted uncomfortably. ¡°She had no reason to even talk to me, let alone do what she did.¡± ¡°It was a nice gesture,¡± Ms. Toma agreed. ¡°I just want to make sure you know that Mai isn¡¯t your only friend. You have other people you can lean on.¡± Lily looked up at the teacher and gave her a grin. ¡°Well duh. I got a super badass homeroom teacher who slaps other teachers on my side too.¡± ¡°Language,¡± Ms. Toma said with a huff of laughter. ¡°But it''s not just me. Sophie and Su-ji have both been missing you.¡± Lily blinked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°They thought they might have done something wrong, so they asked me for advice. I told them you were just spending time with another friend, and they seemed relieved. They both really look up to you.¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t even really know them outside of track,¡± Lily said with a confused frown. ¡°When we have lunch together with the other girls, they usually don¡¯t talk that much, either.¡± ¡°I think you underestimate yourself,¡± Ms. Toma said. ¡°I¡¯ve been to a few of your track meets, you know? Even though both of them aren¡¯t at the top of the team, you¡¯re always there cheering them on. I imagine it¡¯s made an impression on Sophie because she competes against you in many of the same events, and you still cheer for her and celebrate when she does well. And Su-ji, well, not many people pay attention to the longer distance events or even stick around to watch them, so think about how much it means to her that you cheer her on for every single lap.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°And as for why they don¡¯t talk that much,¡± Ms. Toma continued. ¡°Your lunch groups usually have the top club members. They probably feel a little out of their league or not popular enough to really pitch in.¡± Lily was quiet for a long while, chewing over what Ms. Toma had said. ¡°Anyway,¡± Ms. Toma said. ¡°I just wanted to make sure you knew you have people you can talk to. I¡­ I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen with Mai, or how she¡¯s going to react when this is all over, but you do have people who care for you.¡± Lily gave a weak smile, looking back to the touchscreen and the empty hallway it showed. It didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Lily that Ms. Toma had phrased everything like it was already certain Mai was going to be okay. That was just like her, though, recognizing the best in everyone. It really baffled Lily how Ms. Toma always seemed to know what to say. Lily was about to ask how she was so good when the movement alarm went off. Instantly her attention returned to the monitor, as she rose and closed in on the monitor. Everyone else was only a step behind her. On it, she saw Mai and the kid round the corner, walking over to the door. Lilly¡¯s mouth went dry as she watched, wondering what Mai was going to do. Mai stopped a few feet from the door, looking around at it for a moment. Then her head tilted slightly, and she turned her head to look directly at the camera. Lily prepared herself to see her friend¡¯s hate and despair. Instead, Lily saw Mai¡­ giving a gentle smile? Even weirder was the boy, who had a big grin on his face as he looked at Mai excitedly. Lily watched as Mai pointed to the boy, then herself, and then gave a thumbs up. Lily stared at the screen dumbly for a moment, then realized what Mai was doing. Somehow, she knew the shelter had no audio with the emergency shield down, and so she was trying to communicate with hand signs. Lily¡¯s attention snapped back to the monitor as Mai began her next message. She pointed at the hole in her blazer, then made a waving motion, like it was no big deal. Mai seemed to hesitate for a moment, then she held up her ice axe, pointing to it with a free hand. She made a faint swinging motion with the axe, then held up a finger in an unmistakable ¡°one.¡± Lily felt the bottom of her jaw drop open. ¡°Is she¡­¡± the security guard, Mary stuttered. ¡°Is she saying she fought one of those things?¡± ¡°No,¡± Lily replied, a fierce smile lighting up her face. ¡°She¡¯s saying she killed one.¡± As if to emphasize the point, Mai drew a finger across her throat, in a slitting motion. Then she repeated the motions of pointing to the kid and herself and giving a thumbs up. The kid who was watching also gave a thumbs up. Lily shook her head in dumbfounded disbelief that he seemed to be in such high spirits. Mai tilted her head again, seeming to think before giving a wave around them, gesturing to their surroundings. Then she held up a three. Pointing at herself and the kid, she then used two fingers to mime a walking motion, gently waving them back and forth while they pointed to the floor. Finally, she held up one finger, then pointed to the shelter¡¯s entrance. Lily frowned. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ saying they are on the third floor right now, but she¡¯s going to the first floor shelter? Why not the second?¡± ¡°Shelters on each floor are built on opposite ends,¡± Ms. Toma explained, blinking in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s so that floors can have a big and open middle area while still providing good coverage. If somebody is on the opposite end of the shelter, they can just go up or down a floor and be near a shelter. The only exception is the first floor, where shelters are bigger and take up an entire basement level. Those have entrances near the middle.¡± ¡°So¡­¡± Lily tried to piece together Mai¡¯s plan. ¡°Instead of having to go down or up a floor and then cross an entire floor to get to a shelter, she¡¯s going to go down two and head for the mega shelter?¡± Ms. Toma nodded. ¡°It¡¯ll only be half the distance to cover.¡± Everyone went silent as Mai then started making more gestures. At first, Lily wasn¡¯t sure what Mai was miming, then it became clear as Mai repeated it. She made an ¡°L¡± shape, then held up one finger, then another ¡°L,¡± and finally, she made a distorted ¡°Y¡± shape with three fingers. Lily felt her heart stop as she sucked in a breath as Mai then pointed to the shelter¡¯s door. Was this it, then? Was this where Mai cursed her? All it would take is one finger, and the message would be clear. Lily felt her body tense as she held her breath. Mai made a circle with her forefinger and thumb, the other three fingers outstretched at the same time to make the universal ¡°OK¡± symbol. She then pointed to the camera and herself and gave a thumbs up with a smile and nod. Lily felt the tension melt from her body, but it was quickly replaced with guilt. How was Mai so kind? She didn¡¯t even know what happened in the shelter or if Lily even tried to stop the emergency shield. And yet¡­ Mai seemed to steel herself as she took another shaky breath. Then she gave a wave and started walking away. The boy followed on her heels, and soon enough, they were around the corner and out of sight again. Lily lowered herself back into her chair, shaking her head. ¡°Your friend is really something special,¡± the father murmured, and Lily gave a weak smile. ¡°You really think she took out an Anathema?¡± Mary asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know how, but yeah,¡± Lily replied. ¡°Where else would the black blood have come from? Knowing Mai, she probably pulled off some crazy plan, and I¡¯m guessing she already has more up her sleeve to get both of them to the shelter safely.¡± Lily looked up at the monitor, as she clenched her hands together. Even though Mai could be so clueless about some things, she always knew what to do when things really mattered. Meanwhile, it felt like all Lily could do was give small kindnesses, little reliefs in daily life. It felt like nothing in comparison. I¡¯ll get stronger, Lily promised to herself quietly as she stared at the monitor. I¡¯ll get stronger, and someday, I¡¯ll pay you back for pulling me out of the darkness. Chapter 8 - Power I tried to steady my breathing as Brian and I waited at the bottom of the stairwell. Holding the Umbra in my sweaty hands, I peeked through the crack of the slightly open door, waiting for Selene to return from scouting the first floor. So far, the plan was working out well. After Selene had drilled me on basic gun safety, she had me practice reloading, aiming, and try some shooting stances. It had done wonders to help my hands stop shaking, but I still felt nervous even holding my gun. After that, Selene had helped me develop a plan. Our only real option was to head to another shelter, and the mega shelter on the first floor was the shortest path and our best bet at safety because the fifth floor lacked one due to the shielding station¡¯s presence. Mega shelters had dedicated personnel staffing them as they were expected to not only house residents of whatever building they were in but also people who came in from the street. In other words, the chance of the emergency shield being active was much lower with professional handlers in charge. Unless, of course, they had an actual reason to activate it. After Selene and I had figured out the plan, convincing Brian was surprisingly easy. The second he saw the gun I¡¯d ¡°found¡± in the camera room, he¡¯d been all wide-eyed and excited instead of scared. I supposed that from his perspective I had already taken down one with just an ice ax, and now I had a gun, making things even less scary. Even after we¡¯d stepped out from the security room, he¡¯d only gotten a little nervous. We¡¯d made a quick stop in front of the shelter for me to mime our plan to the security camera. Selene informed me that when the emergency shield activated, audio was cut as some high level Anathema could use sound attacks. I kept my pistol in my backpack while Selene kept a lookout because I did not want to have Lily and whoever may be watching asking questions. I also made sure to let Lily know that I didn¡¯t blame her. The initial sense of betrayal I¡¯d felt had quickly melted into guilt and worry that sat heavy at the bottom of my stomach. Lily wouldn¡¯t have just let somebody activate the shield, I knew better than that. No, chances were somebody took it into their own hands and hadn¡¯t given her a choice. I just hoped she was okay and hadn¡¯t done anything stupid in retaliation. It wasn¡¯t worth her getting hurt¡­ not for me, anyway. [The path so far is clear,] Selene said, suddenly appearing in the hallway. I nodded, letting my thoughts drift away from Lily as I looked back at Brian. He was looking shaky, and so I gave him a quick smile that he returned. My free hand went to my blazer pockets, reassuring myself that the spare magazines for my gun were secure on either side. After a deep breath to steady myself, I opened the door and motioned for him to follow as I went into the hallway. The first floor¡¯s architecture was much more like a standard, modern mall, all glass storefronts and white tile flooring. As for the layout, it was much like the third floor¡¯s with a giant circular area in the center and a maze of hallways surrounding it. There was also a wide path leading from the center area directly to the front entrance, giving anybody who might come off the streets a straight shot to the shelter entrance in the middle. I scanned the area, keeping my gun pointed slightly down at the floor as I searched for movement. Between all the signs, reflections, advertisements, and glass, it was hard to see anything. The dim red emergency lighting wasn¡¯t helping either. I moved to follow Selene as she scampered down the hall and took a turn. My movement was slower, and I checked through the windows of every store before passing, just to make sure Selene hadn¡¯t missed anything being extra stealthy. We continued like that, Brian following five paces behind me while Selene searched ahead. It was slow and painfully tense. I found myself jumping a few times at my own reflections moving in the windows. It was a constant effort to relax my hands from the death grip they kept forming around my gun. The worst part was the noise. The mall was utterly silent except for our footsteps and breathing. It made my heartbeat feel extra loud in my ears. Every step that squeaked on the tile floors made me wince. We turned corner after corner until Selene finally stopped in front of me. [One Anathema up ahead, another Fomorian Hound. Defeating it would be a good chance to familiarize yourself with your gun.] I hesitated for a second, fear clawing up the back of my throat. Images of the monster¡¯s carapace body and lamprey mouth latching onto my stomach made me shudder, my breaths picking up in speed. ¡°Are you sure?¡± I thought to her. ¡°The noise and¡­ I don¡¯t like taking risks, especially not with Brian here.¡± [Between the lesser rune of silencing on your weapon and the mall¡¯s construction, noise will not be a problem. It would be more of a risk for you not to take this opportunity to use your gun for the first time. Unfamiliarity in an actual fight could be deadly.] I thought it over for a second, glancing back at Brian. It felt like there were so many things that could go wrong. Something deep in me screamed that this was a bad idea, to just tell Selene to find another path, but¡­ I was a Magical Girl now. I had a gun, and that voice inside was fear, something I¡¯d told myself to always listen to but never let command me. ¡°Alright,¡± I sent, and Selene hopped forward to the end of our current hall, waiting at the corner. I turned to Brian. ¡°Okay, I need you to wait right here for a moment,¡± I whispered. ¡°I¡¯m going to go take care of a monster quick. It might be loud, but don¡¯t panic. If I say run, go and hide, okay?¡± He looked at me with big eyes, and for a second I thought he was going to argue. Instead, he just clutched his action figure tighter to his chest and gave me a serious nod. I was a little surprised at that, but decided to roll with it and move after Selene to the next intersection, pressing myself against the corner and peeking around it. I saw nothing, but shadows shifted on the glass of one of the storefronts. [Third store on the right. It should come out any moment now. Aim for center mass.] My throat was dry, but I followed Selene¡¯s instructions, aiming down the Umbra¡¯s sights at the store¡¯s entrance. The outer circle of the targeting reticle shrunk considerably in my vision as I took a proper aiming stance. My heart drummed in my ears, and I tried to slow down my breathing. I double checked to make sure the safety was off and the hammer pulled back. My hands were sweaty, and I readjusted my grip. Then I carefully put my finger on the trigger and waited. After a few moments, there was more movement on the glass reflections. My breath hitched as the creature¡¯s head exited the store, and I forced myself not to pull the trigger in response. Its lidless eyes seemed unfocused as it continued stepping out, completely unaware of me. Slowly, it placed one foot in front of the other. As it began exiting, I aimed for the center of its body. The creature was almost perpendicular in relation to me, giving me the biggest target I could ask for. The reticle changed from black to a glowing red as it passed over the Anathema. On my HUD, the outer circle of the reticle that predicted where the bullet could hit was small enough to be completely within the Anathema¡¯s body, theoretically guaranteeing a hit. I let out my breath, focusing on my aim and nothing else. For a brief moment, fear flashed through me. What if I missed? What if it moved at the last second? What if I made a mistake like I always do? Then it would come for me with claws and its lamprey mouth and when it finished sucking the life from me¡­ This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Then it would go for Brian. I pulled the trigger. The gun barked about as loud as a plate breaking, the recoil jerking against my grip, but not nearly as much as I had anticipated. I felt myself jump in surprise even though I was expecting it, but I forced myself to continue. My targeting reticle expanded briefly, and I adjusted it back onto the monster¡¯s body, pulling the trigger again and again. There was nothing else but the jolt of the gun in my hands and bright flashes of light that briefly interrupted my view as I opened fire, constantly recentering my aim in the brief moments between shots. I fired as fast as I could and only stopped after I¡¯d emptied eight rounds into the thing, a ding resounding in my head. [Defeated (Fomorian Hound - Level 3)] [Reward: 10 Points] I stared at the unmoving body of the Anathema, wisps of smoke trailing from the Umbra¡¯s muzzle. It was sprawled out in front of the store, not even a step from where I¡¯d initially begun firing at it. Black liquid slowly began spreading beneath it. [Well, that went fairly well,] Selene¡¯s voice came to me cheerfully. [I will scout around us to make sure nothing was heard. Then we can go over your performance.] Selene blurred from next to me and disappeared. I kept staring at the body of the Anathema, not daring to breathe as I looked at it. My hands shook slightly, and I carefully removed my finger from the trigger as I tried to process what had just happened. It¡­ it was an Anathema. A nightmarish monster that humanity feared, that had ripped into my guts the first time I fought it, that had left me dying, and¡­ And I killed it so quickly it hadn¡¯t even had time to react. Something giddy and slightly hysterical bubbled up inside of me, and I choked back a laugh as I looked on with unbelieving eyes. I could feel my whole body begin to shake, and so I lowered the gun, stepping back behind the corner as I leaned against the wall for support. My breaths started to come out too quickly as I began to hyperventilate, my heart racing in the aftermath. Inside me, it felt like all the fear, anxiety, and helplessness had snapped all at once, rolling through me in quivering waves. It hadn¡¯t even been an hour since the alarms first went off, and yet it felt like an eternity. All the hiding, the worrying, the planning¡­ knowing that if I made one mistake, a child was likely going to die because of it. My life or death fight against an Anathema, the overwhelmingly raw violence and pain¡­ Making a plan only to see safety sealed away from me¡­ The fear, the constant fear¡­ The sheer helplessness¡­ And now this, killing an Anathema in several seconds with just a few pulls on a trigger. I let out a shuddering breath and wiped at my suddenly wet eyes. It felt like a dam had broken, that all the worrying and tension had just been released. Even though I still felt it in me, it didn¡¯t feel like a steel wire wrapped around my heart anymore. It felt like I could breathe again. [Are you alright?] Selene asked, appearing next to me. ¡°Mm,¡± I choked out through a sniff. ¡°Sorry, I just¡­ it was so easy. I almost died the first time and now¡­ I guess it¡¯s really just starting to hit me now. I¡¯m a Magical Girl. I can fight them. I can do this. It¡¯s just a little¡­ overwhelming.¡± Selene tilted her head, watching me for a moment while I regained control of my breaths. [I understand,] she finally said. [The only advice I can really offer you is to remember this feeling. You are no longer helpless in the face of the eldritch, no longer condemned to watch. You have power now, Mai Kuroki. Power to fight and to protect, to change this world and leave it safer. It will not always be this easy, this painless, but try to embrace this new realization of what you are capable of. You are a Magical Girl now, and you are not powerless anymore.] I took a hitching breath and nodded as I let the emotions fade. While I did, I made sure to hit the magazine release on the Umbra¡¯s trigger guard, swapping out for a full magazine from my pockets. The movement was a little jerky, but thanks to Selene¡¯s training, I managed to slot in the new magazine without too much effort. Forcing myself away from the wall, I looked back to see Brian still waiting further back down the hallway, hiding behind a potted plant. He was looking at me with big eyes, slightly crouched down like he was ready to run. I gave him a thumbs up and gestured for him to come closer, which he did quickly. ¡°Did you beat it?¡± he quickly asked in a loud whisper. I gave him a soft smile and nodded, and his jaw dropped. I could see the excitement building up in him, so I quickly placed a finger over my mouth in a shushing gesture. ¡°W-we have to be quiet and keep moving, just like before,¡± I whispered back in a stutter, still trying to recompose myself. ¡°That way they won¡¯t notice us, right?¡± He nodded quickly, but there was still a gleam in his eyes as he looked at me. I turned away, found Selene waiting for me, and then we began moving again. We passed through the hallway with the Anathema, and I glanced at it as we passed. The big alien hound had a small pool of black blood forming underneath it, but was utterly unmoving. It¡¯s lidless eyes stared at me like it could come alive at any moment, and I didn¡¯t quite let it out of my sight until we went into the next hallway. [Now, onto your combat performance. I would say that you did rather well, especially considering your inexperience. Your second hit would probably have killed the creature from blood loss and catastrophic damage, but the third ended its life. You missed your fourth and seventh shots as it was falling. It also appeared to me that you tunnel visioned too much on the reticule and firing. You need to keep your eyes open on the whole picture, watching your target''s movements and the area around you.] I winced. 75% accuracy against a non-moving target from only a few storefronts away with all my advantages felt¡­ pretty bad. Sure it was my first time actually firing a gun, but I still felt like I should have done better. Not to mention, Selene was right about me completely zoning out and while I pulled the trigger. If I had been paying more attention, I wouldn¡¯t have wasted the next five bullets shooting at its falling corpse. [As for your shooting stance and grip¡­ I am not an expert and hesitate to comment too deeply. You did seem to jerk the gun slightly on each trigger pull, but I would chalk that up to being unfamiliar and slightly apprehensive of shooting for the first time. In all, an excellent showing for your first time shooting a gun. Congratulations.] I squirmed slightly at the praise, unsure if I completely agreed. ¡°Thanks¡­ but that was about as ideal as it was going to get. And¡­ how did it only take three bullets to kill one of those things? I killed it without it even noticing me or having a chance to fight back. Are guns just¡­ overpowered?¡± [No. There are a few factors. First, the Fomorian Hound was low level. Even then, it is a skirmishing type Anathema meant to scout and strike light targets. Combat focused ones will be significantly tougher. Secondly, while guns let you attack from a range with significant power, you are also spending points on ammunition, something a melee or magic user would not have to do. Third, you have to manage your ammo and reload in combat. Fourth, ranged weapons are much harder to aim and hit with than melee ones. Finally, in close combat, ranged weapons will be significantly harder to wield.] I nodded. I guess that made sense, but it was still hard to imagine myself having a sword and taking one down just as easily. Maybe I was just being biased. A sneak attack wasn¡¯t really a good way to measure things anyway. Selene continued leading us through the mall, but something felt off. Instead of heading right to the center, it felt like we were continually doubling back, skirting around our destination. Sure, the mall was ridiculously big and practically a miniature city, but I still felt like it was taking much longer than it should have. We turned a few more corners before stopping near what looked like another security office where Selene was waiting for us. Her ears twitched a few times before she sighed. [We have a problem, one that I don¡¯t see a good solution to.] I tilted my head at her slightly, and she seemed to consider her words carefully. [The central area leading to the shelter entrance is crawling with Anathema. I¡¯ve been searching to see if there was a way to sneak past them, but have been unable to find one. Even worse, the Anathema seem to be stepping up their patrols, blocking off the paths to the other shelters. I¡¯m afraid the only way forward is if you take on the Anathema guarding the first floor entrance directly.] I swallowed down the fear but gave a hesitant nod. I¡¯d taken down one already, and it would only get easier. If this is what needed to be done to get to safety, then so be it. ¡°Okay. How many are there?¡± Selene¡¯s red eyes gleamed in the dim light as she looked at me. [Fourteen. You will have to face fourteen Anathema by yourself.] Chapter 9 - Paradigm Shift Breathe in, breathe out. Think. No, priorities first. After motioning for Brian to stay, I went to the security door Selene had brought us to and tested the handle. It was unlocked, so I took a deep breath and then slowly opened it, gun raised. The room¡¯s interior was much like the previous one we were in, just with different furniture. I moved inside, making sure to check the corners first because it felt right¡­ and I¡¯d heard it shouted in a video game before. After sweeping through the lounge, attached camera room, and bathroom, I brought Brian in. Closing the door behind me, I let out a sigh. ¡°Why are we stopping?¡± Brian asked, looking up at me. ¡°I um¡­¡± I faltered. ¡°I just¡­ need a minute to plan the next step. You can¡­ rest for a moment, okay?¡± He gave me a nod and sat on the couch. I leaned against the wall near the door, closing my eyes. After a moment, I directed my thoughts to Selene. ¡°You said there were fourteen Anathema. As in, fourteen near the shelter entrance?¡± [Correct. Because of the large open area, I am afraid that the moment you shoot you will be discovered even with the lesser silencing enchantment.] ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know how we¡¯re supposed to do this. Is it even possible?¡± Everything so far had been a far shot of a plan, but at least had a chance of success. This, though? Congratulations, you¡¯ve killed two Anathema, almost died to one of them, and now you get to face fourteen! It felt like a sick joke. [Hmm. I understand that you have not had time to properly acclimate to your new status, so let me remind you of a few things. You have System access now. You can summon resources with points. Even if you end up hurt after taking down Anathema, you can purchase things to heal yourself. You have a gun and an Augment that will allow you to kill, on the low end, three to four Anathema without having to reload. You also have an invisible scout and advisor. If you temporarily leave Brian here, you will only have to protect yourself in a conflict. So my question to you, as a Magical Girl, is this: What exactly is holding you back?] My mouth opened to respond, but nothing came out. Slowly, I clicked my jaw shut and actually thought about it. What was making me give up so quickly? Was it the thought of fighting more Anathema? After killing my last one so easily, it wasn¡¯t nearly so daunting a thought. I mean, there was always still a chance of getting hurt, but pain¡­ really wasn¡¯t the issue. Pain didn¡¯t scare me, it hadn¡¯t for a long time. It did make me apprehensive though, immediately thinking about how to avoid it. Is that it? I¡¯ve grown so used to making plans to avoid risk at all cost, but that doesn¡¯t have to be the case anymore, does it? In fact, I probably have to start taking chances, especially now that I¡¯m a Magical Girl¡­ [If I may,] Selene continued, [I would suggest trying to look at this situation differently. This may be a little too soon¡­ but many Magical Girls tend to look at their new lives as if they were playing a video game in order to cope with their new role. Considering your aptitudes, perhaps this would be a better perspective to approach things with?] A video game? That¡¯s ridiculous, this is reality where- Oh. I guess it made some sense. I did have a status menu now. Stats, Abilities, Augments, even special items with rarity values¡­ my life really was more like a game now than reality. Sure, I wouldn¡¯t respawn if I died, but¡­ when had I ever treated my life in a game as expendable? Didn¡¯t Selene tell me that they used Magical Girls¡¯ Sunset: Rebellion as a way to test potential Guardians? Wouldn¡¯t that mean the tactics I¡¯d used in it had some merit in reality? And hadn¡¯t Lily told me I got ridiculously far in that game in only two weeks? ¡°Okay¡­ I can try, but I don¡¯t think I have enough experience with games to be honest¡­¡± Selene¡¯s head tilted at me with something akin to confusion. [In the two weeks of playing Magical Girls¡¯ Sunset: Rebellion, you managed to make progress equal to the top 6% of players. You never died. In that time, you progressed to the fifth dungeon without spending any real world currency. Even after defeating a dungeon boss, you regularly went back and fought them completely alone as if you were training on them.] I shifted uncomfortably. ¡°I¡­ I wanted to get better as quickly as possible, and they were some of the toughest and most reactive enemies, so I figured training on them would be the best way to improve my skills. Most other enemies in the game only had a few attack patterns and were too easy to predict.¡± [Indeed, and your repetitive training regimen will prove to be of great value. Your ability to analyze enemy attack patterns is a highly valued skill. Due to the nature of Anathema, they tend to have stuck behavioral patterns much like that of a video game enemy. The lower level Anathema especially struggle to deviate from what types of attacks they use. If you know their moveset¡­] My eyes widened. Knowing how an enemy could react was how I made it so far in Rebellion. Any time I met an enemy for the first time, I would engage it and then dodge at the edge of their range while I watched what kind of attacks they could perform. Once I had them memorized, it was fairly easy to fight around them. If Anathema really behaved like that too¡­ Alright. If I was playing this as a game, what would my next step be? I had an escort quest, basically, with enemies guarding the target point. I couldn¡¯t take them on directly, not with their vastly superior numbers. Worse, the longer I waited to deal with them, the higher the chance of more arriving. Without being able to take a slow and steady approach, I had to make full use of the tools at my disposal. Which meant using the System and the Gate. My System would be a passive help, albeit a rather small one considering I was only gaining a small fraction of the stat bonuses outside of my transformed state. I honestly hadn¡¯t felt all that different so far, but I was also only level one. That left the Gate, my magical shopping center. The problem was that I only had ten points to spend¡­ If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. But that wasn¡¯t quite true, was it? If there were fourteen enemies, I would have plenty of points to spend after taking care of them. With access to the first-aid Vault, I also had instant first-aid if things went wrong. So long as I wasn¡¯t instantly incapacitated or took too serious a wound, I was fairly confident I would be capable of recovering from most things using the Zenith technology. So healing wasn¡¯t an issue. That just left the battle plan. If this were a game, I would¡­ need more information. Enemy types, terrain, possible escape routes. Those would be the main factors in whatever plan I made. Which meant¡­ I slowly turned to Brian, taking in a deep breath to steady myself. He was sitting on the couch, playing with his figurine. He had a mostly relaxed expression on his face as he played, making quiet sound effects as he made the toy go through different poses. The corners of my mouth twitched in a small smile. ¡°Brian?¡± I asked, and he turned to me. ¡°I¡­ I need to go out and, um, scout the rest of the way to the shelter. It¡­ it might take a while, but you¡¯ll be safe here. I promise I won¡¯t be gone long, but you¡¯ll need to lock the door behind me, okay?¡± I braced myself for him to panic, to have to explain why it was necessary. So far he¡¯d been remarkably compliant, but it could only last for so long before even he realized I was just faking my way through things and- ¡°Okay,¡± he replied with a simple nod. I blinked. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re not scared?¡± I asked, and he gave me an energetic shake of his head. ¡°Nope! You¡¯re really cool and beat two of them already! And you have a gun! You¡¯re like a real life Magical Girl, so I¡¯m not worried!¡± Something in my chest clenched tightly at that. I ignored the thick swirl of emotions and forced myself to give him a smile. Instead of trying to say anything else, I just motioned him over, and when he was near I opened the door and stepped out into the hallway with Selene. Closing the door behind me, I waited a second before I jiggled the handle to make sure it was locked. The handle refused to move, and I gave a small sigh of relief. I hadn¡¯t expected Brian¡¯s young age and lack of comprehension of the situation to be so useful, but I suppose it made sense. I had killed two Anathema, so he probably didn¡¯t really understand just how much danger we were both in. Still, I had to make sure to be quick. Even though he should be safe behind the locked and reinforced door this early in the Usurpation, I wasn¡¯t about to take chances. [I assume this means you have a plan?] Selene interrupted my thoughts, and I blinked. ¡°Right, sorry,¡± I whispered with a wince. ¡°I¡¯m still getting used to talking to you in my head. I forget you don¡¯t just read my thoughts.¡± [Entirely understandable, and no apology necessary. Though, I would inquire as to our next course of action.] ¡°I tried looking at this like you suggested,¡± I whispered, shifting uncomfortably. ¡°So¡­ I think scouting out their location first would be the best bet. I need to see what kinds of Anathema there are and the terrain before I can plan further. Does that sound¡­?¡± [That sounds like a reasonable choice,] Selene said, her tails swishing together into one clump. [Shall I lead the way?] I nodded, and then we were off. This time, we moved much faster without having to take time for Brian. It also made moving through the mall that much eerier. The dim red light made the dark reflections around me constantly shift, and I felt myself unconsciously clenching my gun tighter. Still, we managed to make it to a hallway that opened directly to the floor¡¯s central area relatively quickly. There was a big planter holding a tree right near the opening, and I shuffled up to it in a crouch, looking around the area through the tree¡¯s leaves. What would have been a fairly open space with a high ceiling was littered with food carts, booths, and kiosks selling various types of merchandise. Banners and signs advertising a myriad of items crowded the place, making the winding paths all the more complicated. It reminded me more of a chaotic marketplace than anything else. Various pillars and planters only made the entire thing even more haphazard, and it was hard to see almost anything from where I was crouched. That didn¡¯t stop me from spotting a few forms slinking around, and my stomach clenched tightly. I saw one or two of the hounds I¡¯d already faced on the prowl, but my eyes quickly went past them to a figure twitching in the darker shadows. It was vaguely humanoid but crouched over on all fours with a bent back. Covered in slick black skin that blended them with the darkness, it was hard to make anything else about them out, but I did see it had large hands with thick claws made of bone. The creature stood oddly still compared to the hounds, only giving an occasional shudder at seemingly random intervals. ¡°What are those?¡± I asked Selene in my head as I kept my gun at the ready. [Some type of ghoul most likely. A striker type, making it slower than the hounds, but their claws are not to be underestimated. Higher level ghouls can tear and chew through metal like paper.] ¡°Any other types besides the hounds and ghouls? And where is the shelter¡¯s entrance?¡± [The shelter has a large stairway leading down to it in the direct middle of the room but isn¡¯t visible from here. There are two other types of Anathema here. The first you can see if you look up.] My eyes snapped to the ceiling, searching for new enemies. It took me a moment to make out a lump lying in a particularly deep spot of darkness. It was fairly far away from me, and I had to squint to even get an idea of what I was looking at. As I began to pick out a vaguely insectoid shape, I felt myself tensing up even more. ¡°Is that¡­ a giant wasp?¡± [Or something similar. A flying type that shoots stingers at people from a distance. Agile and hard to hit, but fairly weak otherwise.] I shuddered. It wasn¡¯t that I had a major fear of bees or anything, but the idea of one the size of a cat firing giant needles into me was more than a little nauseating. ¡°Okay¡­ what about the last one?¡± [Unseeable from here, but there was only one that I saw. Imagine a giant gorilla with chitinous armor. I would estimate it to be a bruiser. It should be slow and inflexible, but it will take quite a bit of damage to put it down and is quite strong.] I nodded. So with the hounds, ghouls, wasps, and gorilla, there were skirmishers, strikers, fliers, and a bruiser. Selene putting classifications on all of them actually did help, especially if I considered them like video game enemies. The hounds and wasps would be my biggest concern with their speed. Everything else, I would theoretically be able to keep at a distance and shoot from relative safety. But that still left me without any real plan to take them all down at once. ¡°Selene, can you get a count of how many of each type there are? And also what stores make up the perimeter? Maybe there is something we can use.¡± [Of course. Give me a moment.] She took off, and I made sure to keep careful watch while I waited. While I did, I tried to piece together a plan in my head. Ideally, I needed something to take out as many of the fast movers as possible. If there was some way to trap them or funnel them to take away their number advantage¡­ I mulled it over until Selene reappeared, skidding to a stop next to me. [One gorilla, three wasps, four ghouls, six hounds. As for the stores, there are clothing, electronic, fast-food, liquor, book, antique, gardening, and appliance shops.] I frowned as I let my gaze sweep over the area one more time. It was a good collection, but without a plan¡­ My eyes stopped on a fire extinguisher attached to one of the pillars. Next to it was a small photo booth with a step ladder leaning against it, and I felt my eyes widen as I looked between the two objects. ¡°Selene? How¡­ How much can I really use from the stores? Will I get in trouble for taking things from them or anything like that?¡± [Not as long as it is used to combat the Anathema. Even damaging a building is nothing to worry about and is hand-waved so long as it isn¡¯t excessive. Governments have long since set up funds to take care of such things. Legally speaking, you have nothing to worry about. In fact, you actually have more legal protections now that you are a Magical Girl, but that explanation can wait for another time. Do you have a plan of some sort?] I nodded, my mind racing with possibilities. I thought through the plan a few more times before I nodded. It was definitely gamey, but if Selene was right about what low level Anathema were capable of¡­ ¡°I think I have a plan,¡± I shifted slightly. ¡°But it might be a little¡­ cheesy.¡± Chapter 10 - Cheese Strategy It took a lot longer than I would have liked to get everything set up. A lot of it was sneaking around and waiting for Anathema to pass by, which, while nerve wracking, was apparently not all that dangerous. Selene had informed me that low level Anathema weren¡¯t very good at actually searching for people and were more of just an initial scouting force. As the Usurpation went on though, higher level ones with better senses would start coming out. As it was, low levels tended to rely mostly on sound and sight to find things. Which turned out to be a huge blessing, especially considering how badly the store had smelled when I was done preparing it. I peeked from behind the counter of the enclosed snack kiosk I was hiding in, glancing at the entrance to the store in question. Thankfully the wasps had stayed near the stairs leading down to the shelter, letting me skulk around the outer perimeter relatively easily to set everything up. Now, all that was left was putting everything into motion. My hands were sweaty enough that I took a moment to wipe them on my skirt. I took a few deep breaths, though the tightness in my chest was making it almost impossible. My throat felt dry, tempting me to grab a water bottle from the kiosk. [Your heart rate has increased noticeably,] Selene noted from next to me. [Is everything alright?] I gave her a look, her beady eyes stared back at me. ¡°If this doesn¡¯t work¡­¡± I replied silently, glancing back to the store. [There is no reason it wouldn¡¯t. The plan is well thought out and has reasonably few variables. Even if the plan were to fail, it would only mean the fight would be more difficult. By no means would it be unwinnable.] After another deep breath, I nodded, shoving the tension down into my stomach. A quick double check of my HUD gave me 82% health, almost 250 mana, and my fully loaded Umbra with an extra round loaded in the chamber. While we were preparing, I had also spent three points on more ammunition, bringing me up to a total of 127 rounds split between nine magazines. With one loaded, three in each side pocket of my school blazer, and the final two in the side pockets of my backpack, everything was prepared, and I was as ready as I could be. Ah¡­ I wonder if this is the part where I pray for a miracle? But that wasn¡¯t quite right, was it? After all, I was supposed to be the miracle now. I turned to Selene, staring into her crescent shaped pupils as I gave her a nod. ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± Selene moved in a hopping blur, and I watched as she entered the store. I made sure to stay as hidden as possible while peeking over the kiosk¡¯s counter. For a few moments, nothing happened, and I was left staring at the red light reflecting off the mall¡¯s tile flooring. Then a loud, ringing alarm went off from within the store I was watching as Selene activated one of the wind-up alarm clocks we¡¯d placed throughout it. And then another went off. And another. My shoulders tightened as I heard claws scrabbling against tile along with the flap of wings. The white blur that was Selene moving appeared a moment later, leaping from the store just before black shapes dashed from the shadows and came rushing to the disturbance. I recognized most of them as more of the hounds, and they rushed towards the door without hesitation. A moment later, two ghouls joined the mix. Now that they were closer, I could make out their emaciated forms. They had off-black skin stretched over pointed bones, and their otherwise featureless head was dominated by a wide mouth with pointed, pale white teeth as long as a finger. They moved on all fours in an odd, jittery gait towards the store, but the hounds made it first. The hounds¡¯ paws made little splashing sounds against the floor as they barreled through the store¡¯s propped open front door, and soon after the first had entered, the sound of breaking glass began. Four or five of the creatures rushed in before the ghouls arrived. Instead of going through the door, the ghouls crouched down low to the ground, sinewy muscles rippling with tension before they leapt at the large display window. With a swing of their claws mid-leap, they shattered through the glass and disappeared inside. I made a mental note of the jumping movement even as I heard wings flapping. A second later, one of the wasps made an appearance, hovering in front of the now broken window. It was about as big as a cat, and instead of insectoid wings it had six that were more bat-like. The creature was mostly covered in thin, pale white chitin with black flesh poking between the plates. The wasp was curled up on itself as it hovered, making a comma shape that pointed its stinger at the window. After a moment of looking into the store, it flew in. The sound of glass breaking had increased now, and at least one of the loud, ringing alarm clocks had been silenced. After waiting another moment and seeing no more incoming Anathema, I knew it was time, and so I made my way to the door of the kiosk and opened it. Selene snuck out first, making sure the coast was clear. [Clear.] I left the kiosk, forcing myself not to look around and instead simply scurry around to the back where I¡¯d set up the stepladder. Using it, I climbed up on top to the roof. The mall itself had tall ceilings, especially in the central areas, letting me stand with just a slight hunch thanks to my already short stature. I made my way in a shuffle crouch to the roof edge facing the store, my left hand fumbling with the item I¡¯d had clutched with me the whole time. Selene was waiting for me, watching my back for any Anathema that might show up. So far, the plan was going perfectly. Phase one had been simple enough, sneaking around and collecting various analog alarm clocks from the antique and appliance stores. Then we¡¯d taken them and hidden them throughout the target store before we prepared the trap itself. Next Selene had gone in and used her tails to set off all the alarms before joining me. Selene had told me not all the Anathema would come, unfortunately, as they would instinctively delegate the task, but by my count, we¡¯d gotten around half of them, maybe more. After we were sure we¡¯d gotten as many as possible, I would climb on top of the kiosk, and then the final act would begin. My heart was well and truly racing now, and I fumbled a few times with the small metal rectangle before I managed to flip open its lid. Pressure had built up in my head into a constant, throbbing pulse, but I chose to ignore it as I used my thumb to ignite the small lighter in my shaking hands. I took one last moment to aim, held my breath, and then threw the lighter towards the store entrance. The liquor store entrance. Earlier, when I had just finished hiding the alarm clocks behind various glass bottles throughout the store, I had taken extra time to open up various bottles and splash them around as well as empty them on the floor. Others I¡¯d just opened, waiting to be spilled if an Anathema knocked it over. By the end, the store had been thoroughly soaked with a thick lake of alcohol covering the floor. It had even begun leaking outside the door into the area around the store¡¯s entrance. So I watched the lighter spin through the air, wondering how much better this was going to work because the Anathema had decided to go inside and start smashing bottles, soaking themselves in even more alcohol. The lighter¡¯s small flame gleamed across the pool of liquor at the entrance, reflecting the flickering light for a moment before it landed. Then a sea of fire flared to life. It spread into the store, and a moment later there was a flash of light along with a crackling roar as the interior ignited, flaring light into the dim mall. Quickly, I aimed my gun at the entrance, but I felt my eyes widening. Warmth blasted into me in a wave, and I shivered as I watched the fire grow into a frenzy. Shadows played out in a frenzy of moving shapes across the mall as the Anathema in the store went berserk. After a few moments of the fire crackling, there was a shriek as the burning form of a ghoul jumped out of the store and onto the ground, writhing in the flames completely engulfing its body. I aimed, but stopped myself from firing when I noticed it fall to the ground a moment later, twitching for a few seconds before going still. A chime resounded in my head, making me flinch. [Defeated (Forsaken Ghoul - Level 5) [Reward: 10 Points] Flames snapped and consumed the inside of the store for another few seconds, but no more of the creatures managed to find their way out of the inferno. The dark shadows spasming from within the store began to slow and then go still, and more chimes began to go off, making my eyes widen. [Defeated (Fomorian Hound - Level 2)] [Defeated (Fomorian Hound - Level 1)] [Defeated (Fomorian Hound - Level 3)] [Defeated (Fomorian Hound - Level 3)] [Defeated (Forsaken Ghoul - Level 6)] [Defeated (Giant Cavern Wasp - Level 3)] [Total Reward: 55 Points] [New Point Total: 72 Points] [Congratulations! You¡¯ve leveled up multiple times! You are now level 3!] [Stat Points Available: 20] I watched the conflagration with awe, my throat suddenly dry. Selene had told me she thought these particular Anathema might be especially susceptible to fire, and I had expected it to be effective, but this¡­ A shrill alarm suddenly went off from within the liquor store, and through the broken window, I saw white foam begin to spray within. The fire immediately began to dim, and I let out a sigh of relief. Selene had assured me the fire suppression system would be part of the backup power supply and would activate, albeit only after the fire had been going for a while, but that hadn¡¯t stopped me from worrying about burning the whole mall down. [Incoming!] Selene informed me, and I twirled around in time to see shapes moving towards me. From where I was on top of the kiosk, I had a fairly clear view of the central mall¡¯s chaotic marketplace. The two fluttering shapes of wasps were hovering above the stairs leading down to the shelter. Around the rest of the area, I saw two more hounds darting towards the squealing fire alarm along with the last two ghouls. I couldn¡¯t tell if they had noticed my position or not, so I quickly aimed first at one of the two wasps. After taking a second to steady the reticle on the gently bobbing form, I fired. They were relatively far away from me, farther than I¡¯d ever shot anyway, and so I wasn¡¯t holding out much hope of hitting them on my first try. However, because they were able to fly and attack from a range, they were number one on my list of things to kill. So instead of waiting to see if the first shot hit, I fired twice more in quick succession. My Umbra bucked in my hand slightly, letting out definitive cracks as it fired. With Selene¡¯s help, I¡¯d disabled the silencing enchantment as stealth was pointless in this fight, and the sound was much sharper than earlier. It made me flinch, each shot rattling through my bones. For just a second, the shock of the much louder sound combined with the muzzle flashes made me lose focus of my targets. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. I quickly reoriented in time to see both still in the air but now headed toward me. I realigned the crosshair as I aimed down the iron sights, and then shot again. This time, I took a quick second to reacquire the shape and adjust before I let loose more shots. It created a careful rhythm of fire, pause, fire, punctuating the high-pitched whine of the fire alarm. After the fifth shot, one of the wasps lurched in mid-air before falling to the ground. The other seemed to realize the threat, and twirled behind a pillar. I kept my gun aimed at the pillar, waiting for it to come back out, but it seemed content staying hidden behind cover. Meanwhile, I heard the distinct sound of claws clacking against the floor beneath me, signaling that the hounds arrived. I kept a careful watch on where the two wasps had disappeared but changed to aiming at the edge of the kiosk¡¯s roof, waiting with a held breath. There was more clacking and even the sound of some objects being knocked over, but nothing appeared. I hesitated for a second before I slowly made my way over the roof¡¯s lip, and peeked over. One of the hounds was on its hind legs, stretched towards the roof but unable to reach it. The other was pacing behind it, looking up at me with its lidless eyes and smushed face. I felt a fierce grin stretch across my face as a laugh bubbled up inside of me. It had been a gamble, going on top of the roof, but sure enough, it worked. Ever since Selene had told me that lower level Anathema were dumber and acted a lot like simplistic video game enemies, I had wondered just how much I could abuse that fact. After I had told her my plan and asked her if it would work, she had agreed, saying the only immediate real threat would be the wasps. With such a high number advantage on their side, the fight itself was rigged from the start to be unfair. So, instead of facing them head on, I had decided to go with the age-old video game tactic of cheesing it. I wasn¡¯t exactly sure how the term had gotten its name, but even with my limited experience in gaming I knew it referred to using a strategy that circumvented a challenge by abusing game mechanics or the simplicity of the AI controlling the enemy. I figured the fire trap in the liquor store was just a good strategy, but standing slightly higher than them and using them as a shooting gallery while they stared dumbly at me? Definitely less fair. Unfortunately for them, I absolutely did not care. I lined up my sights on the face of the hound trying to claw its way up and pulled the trigger. Black ichor exploded out from the hole that appeared in its head, and the thing fell onto the ground with a dull thud. [Defeated (Fomorian Hound - Level 2)] [Reward: 10 Points] The other hound began scrabbling, moving in an erratic back and forth motion but was too stupid to find cover. I quickly snapped my gun to its center mass and let loose. The first bullet tore into it just behind its front leg, making it stumble. The second and third followed in a trailing line down its torso, causing it to fall. I failed to register it was going down in time and fired a fourth that went into the floor beside it. The hound twitched slightly, as if trying to get up, but even I could see by the quickly expanding pool of blood under it that the thing was done. I checked my HUD, saw that I only had three bullets left in my gun, and ejected the magazine. I let it fall to the roof as I quickly reached for another, glancing back at where I had seen the wasp. Nothing appeared to be moving in the air, and my eyes snapped back to the ground as the two ghouls finally finished navigating the mess of the mall¡¯s central area. I smiled as they stopped a few feet away, staring as if unsure how to get to me. Even as I grabbed a fresh magazine, though, I noticed one crouch down slightly, its emaciated muscles rippling. My eyes widened, alarm flashing through me as I recognized the move. The ghoul launched itself in a flying leap at the roof of the kiosk, and I let out a yelp as the claws sunk into the flimsy material of the wall near the top. Falling back onto my butt in surprise, I fumbled with the magazine, trying to slot it into the gun and missing a few times with my shaking hand. I forced myself to slow down and finally managed to slot it in with a satisfying click. I quickly aimed at the roof just as the ghoul¡¯s head appeared above it right in the center of my iron sights. A pull of the trigger, a flash of light and crack of miniature thunder, and black gore exploded from the back of the ghoul¡¯s head, its neck snapping backwards violently. [Defeated (Forsaken Ghoul - Level 5)] [Reward: 10 Points] The ghoul¡¯s body fell, and I quickly scrambled back into a crouch, looking for the second ghoul. [Above you!] Selene cried out, and I looked up in time to see the wasp from before had crawled across the ceiling from behind the pillar and was now only a dozen or so feet away. It released itself, spinning with a flare of its wings as it oriented on me, and I had time to look into its giant, snake-like eyes before its stinger pulled back slightly. On pure instinct, I threw myself into a dive. The wasp shuddered, and the stinger shot out as fast as a professionally thrown baseball. It whizzed past me, and I knew only my last second maneuver had saved me. Unfortunately, it also launched me directly off the kiosk¡¯s roof. I fell in my twisting dive, my brain scrambling to try and make sense of the suddenly rising floor in vain. My body slammed into the ground mostly on my right side, and a shock of pain screamed through my entire right torso. The magazines in my blazer dug into my stomach with sharp edges, and I only barely managed to stop my head from snapping into the floor. There was a moment of disorientation as I gasped, trying to regain my breath. Through the pulsing pain along my entire right side, I managed to process that I was now on the ground. Right where the rest of the Anathema would be able to get me. Panic shot through me as I scrambled to my feet, and I felt a few of my magazines slip from my pockets and clatter onto the floor. I looked up in time to see the wasp reorienting on me. I started moving just as it undulated again, shooting another stinger. It flew past me and sunk half of its six inch length into the floor with ease. Fear sent adrenaline rushing through me, and I sprinted as fast as I could, raising my gun and firing a few unaimed shots in its general direction. The wasp jittered in the air in a weird pattern, and then with a shudder, regrew the stinger it had shot before flying after me. I ducked behind a pillar as it fired again, and when I heard it crack against the concrete, I spun out of cover, aimed, and unleashed a rapid-fire barrage. The wasp dipped down before moving in the same pattern it used before. I tried to follow its movements as I shot, but ended up trailing after it. I clenched my teeth together as everything missed and rolled back behind the pillar as its stinger regrew. A quick check on my HUD showed I only had five bullets left, and I reached down to grab a new magazine. As I did, I saw movement and looked up in time to see the ghoul I had lost track of come tumbling through a clothing rack a few feet from me. I had half a second to scramble to the side before a clawed hand ripped through the pillar where my torso had been moments ago. Its claws dug a half-inch deep furrow into the concrete, and I felt my heart leap into my throat. I stumbled away, twisting to aim across my body. I didn¡¯t bother to even bring the gun up properly before I unloaded the rest of my bullets in a one-handed grip. The creature flinched a few times as bullets ripped through, but it reoriented and rushed after me. I pressed Umbra¡¯s magazine release, reaching for a replacement as I backpedaled from the ghoul. The wasp circled around the pillar, shuddered, and I felt a sharp, stinging pain flash across my right ankle. I bit back a cry, my hand reaching for the magazines in my left pocket only to find it empty. I dimly realized that they must have fallen out when I landed even as the ghoul took a lunging leap at me. I ducked to the side, letting it sail past me and slam into a clothing rack. My hand found a magazine in my right pocket and began slotting it into the Umbra as I continued running. The wasp was ready for me, though, and I ducked as it fired another stinger that whipped past my head. My gun¡¯s slide clicked as I finished reloading, and I spun to face the ghoul. It had just finished reorienting on me from its failed leap, and was beginning to start another charge, its too-wide mouth opening with a clicking hiss. My reticle turned red as it hovered over its body, and I unloaded into the creature, not stopping until it came crashing into the ground in a heap. Vaguely, I recognized a ding resound through my head as the kill notification came in, but I was already throwing myself into a stumbling run. A stinger flew right in front of me, and I flinched mid-step. A slight twinge of pain flared through my wounded leg as my foot hit the ground weirdly, and I slipped slightly. It took me a precious moment to regain my balance, and my instincts screamed at me to keep moving. I stumbled into another run as another woosh of air and crack of tile flooring let me know the wasp missed again. I took the chance to aim at it and fire, but it flew into its weird, jerky evasive pattern again, causing every shot to miss. I managed to make it behind another pillar just as it shot back at me, and I pressed myself up against my cover. My breaths were coming out heavily now, but I knew I had no time to waste. As I peeked around the pillar, the wasp took a wild shot that went into the pillar. Taking the chance, I aimed at it, but instead of firing, I watched as it immediately evaded, and something in my head clicked. Whenever it evaded, it moved in the exact same pattern it had the previous times, making an upside-down ¡°4¡± with its path. I pulled myself back behind cover, waited for the sound of concrete cracking as it tried to hit me, and then I leaned out of cover to aim once again. This time, even as it was mid movement, I targeted my reticle at the end of its pattern, and fired a quick burst just as it slid into the end of its maneuver. Four shots, and it went crashing to the ground in a twitching mess. As it tried to reorient itself on me, I took time to aim at its body. With two shots, the slide of the Umbra clicked back as I got the confirmation chime. Quickly, I reloaded my now empty gun, eyes searching around me. A sudden chittering roar had me spin around in time to see a small booth be smashed to the side as the gorilla Anathema made its entrance. The thing was big. Big enough that I had no idea how I hadn¡¯t seen it before. It was seven feet tall on all fours with big, tree-trunk arms thicker than my torso. Its entire body was covered in dark scales, and it had a vaguely reptilian face with three bulging eyes independently looking around. Covering the monster¡¯s back were dozens of forearm-length tentacles. Its arms ended in stumps, making them more like giant clubs than anything else. As the monster saw me, its three eyes all snapped to focus on me, and it let out another chattering roar, taking a step as it began charging. A squeak escaped me as the giant rushed forward, and I responded by opening fire with my gun. The nice thing about it being so big was that I didn¡¯t really have to aim all that much. The targeting circle on my HUD was completely within its massive frame, and so I just let loose. I was halfway through my magazine when I realized that the thing wasn¡¯t even flinching, and I pushed my legs to start moving. I ran, aiming for a pillar and running past in my best sprint. I made sure to duck through a small maze of different stands, trying to get as many obstacles as possible in its way. After I passed the pillar, I took a sharp turn past a small booth selling t-shirts. Hoping there were plenty of things between us, I spun around, heart racing as I prepared to snap fire at the thing. Surprisingly, the gorilla was nowhere in sight. It took another moment before the thing lumbered out from behind a pillar, its stubby back legs and arms propelling it forward in a slow and awkward gait. It looked around for a moment before it found me. Letting out another roar, it began another charge, but¡­ Calling it a charge was generous at best. I was pretty sure it wasn¡¯t moving faster than I could at a light jog. Catching my breath for a moment, I raised my gun to aim at its head. If it was just tanking my normal hits, then I would have to go for its weak point. Compared to the rest of its body, however, it was a comically small target. It was then I noticed that my hands were shaking from the mixture of adrenaline and fear pumping through me. Between the shaking and my heavy breaths, my reticle was large and jittering all over the place. I tried my best to steady my aim, but couldn¡¯t seem to make the trembling stop. Doing my best to aim through it, I took a careful shot. The shot completely missed, and I bit back a curse. In the time it took to steady myself and aim, it had managed to close most of the distance. Instead of giving into panic, I simply turned around and ran in another zig-zagging line through various obstacles. Then I turned back and tried to get a round in its head again. And then again. After repeating the tactic and missing for the third time, I felt frustration rising in me. My nerves were way too jittery, and so instead of continuing my weird shoot-and-run target practice, I decided to just empty the last of my magazine into its torso. Sure, the thing was big, but if I put enough rounds into it, I was sure it would go down. I emptied my gun with a roar of thunder. To my surprise, the creature was still coming at me like nothing had happened, and so I reloaded with the last magazine from my right pocket. This time I made sure to take at least some time aiming between shots so that none of the rounds missed. I got through another nine rounds before a lucky shot punched through its skull, whipping its head back. The gorilla fell to the ground in a thundering heap. I only lowered my gun when the kill notification flashed across my vision along with all the other notifications I had put off. [Defeated (Lesser Monstrous Gorilla - Level 8)] [Defeated (Giant Cavern Wasp - Level 2)] [Defeated (Giant Cavern Wasp - Level 4)] [Defeated (Forsaken Ghoul - Level 6)] [Defeated (Fomorian Hound - Level 3)] [Total Reward: 45 Points] [New Point Total: 137 Points] [Congratulations! You¡¯ve leveled up! You are now level 4!] [Stat Points Available: 30] I swept my gaze around looking for further movement, searching for the next Anathema. [Mai,] Selene¡¯s sudden voice made me jump. [Mai, it¡¯s over. You¡¯ve done it.] ¡°...What?¡± I asked, blinking as Selene slowly came hopping over to me. [All fourteen Anathema have been eliminated, and from my scouting, no more are approaching. Well done, Mai. The way to the shelter is clear.] I stared at her for a second, watching her fluffy tails gently swish back and forth before the meaning behind her words finally washed over me. Trembling, I lowered my gun, staring at the body of the gorilla. My breaths were still coming out quickly, and it was only now I noticed a faint ringing in my ears from all the gunshots. I forced myself to close my eyes, working to steady my breathing as the tension slowly drained from my body. It was over. And I had won. Chapter 11 - Aftermath ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel too bad,¡± I said, gently touching the wound on my calf. One of the wasps had scored a lucky hit while I was fighting, but thankfully it was only a glancing hit. The edge of its stinger must have just caught my leg, leaving a long, diagonal cut along my calf through my tights. It didn¡¯t feel especially deep, and careful prodding didn¡¯t cause much more than just a slight discomfort. The worrying part was how much blood had soaked into my tights around the gash and had spread to my foot. Glancing at my HUD, my health was hovering around 70%. The accompanying body outline, or health map as Selene called it, showed a yellow-orange line along my right ankle, a black spot on my stomach from my first fight, and some faint yellow blotches along the right side of my body where I¡¯d fallen. Strangely, pressing on my right side didn¡¯t yield any pain either. Selene hopped next to where I was sitting on the ground. Seeing my confused expression while I pressed against my sides, she cocked her head at me. [The pain-relief inhaler you took is still in effect for another few hours. Unfortunately, the greater regenerative gum is no longer in effect, so you won¡¯t be healing anymore. The laceration on your ankle will continue to bleed and is serious enough to require stitches.] ¡°Oh¡­ I should¡­ uh¡­¡± I mumbled to myself. My thoughts were coming to me in a jumble now that the battle was over. I figured I had at least a little bit before the adrenaline fully drained from my system, owing to the fact that I didn¡¯t feel that much safer. Sure I had just killed fourteen Anathema, but I was still in the middle of an Usurpation. There were plenty more around, and more could drop in at virtually any time. [With nothing left between you and the shelter, I would recommend not purchasing anything to heal it.] Blinking, I turned to look at Selene questioningly. [When you enter, the people within will undoubtedly be concerned about your appearance and blood. If you had no visible wounds, it would be highly suspicious, and some might catch onto your status as a Magical Girl.] With a grimace, I nodded. I was spattered in black droplets of Anathema ichor from the first hound I killed, and everything around my stomach was soaked in my own blood as well. It wasn¡¯t incredibly noticeable due to the dark colors of my blazer, but my blouse beneath was dyed deep scarlet. Looking through the small hole through my clothes, I frowned. Sometime since I¡¯d used the emergency clot spray, the weird foam had disappeared, revealing a patch of pink looking skin. Gently, I took my hand and pressed against it. Other than a slight tenderness, there was no pain. ¡­Which made sense. Because of the pain-relief inhaler. Right. I shook my head, trying to clear my head as I forced myself to stand up. I was starting to lose steam, but I still had plenty to do before I was well and truly safe. My legs wobbled slightly, and I forced myself to ignore them as I tried to focus myself. ¡°Okay,¡± I said aloud. ¡°First, get back to Brian.¡± [May I suggest retrieving the ammunition you dropped?] Selene asked. [It would be best to consolidate what few resources we have available.] ¡°Oh. Yeah. Um¡­¡± I trailed off, taking a second to reorient myself. As I tried to get my bearings, glowing arrows made of viridian particles formed along the ground, and I blinked. [I¡¯ve taken the liberty of making waypoints on your HUD. I¡¯ve also placed markers on your minimap showing all your empty magazine locations. I would recommend picking them up for now.] ¡°Why? To hide any evidence I might be a Magical Girl?¡± I asked as I started following the arrows. [Partially. You can also reuse the discarded magazines. Refilling them with ammunition is cheaper than buying individual magazines.] I nodded as I reached the first spot. There was an ¡°X¡± icon on the small, circular map in the top right of my vision, and when I reached it, I found the empty magazine a few moments later. Shrugging off my backpack, I started to place the magazine inside only to stop as I saw the symbol on the metallic black rectangle. Set within a silver circle was a crescent moon, two bunny ears poking off the circle. ¡°Are you¡­ trying to work on branding even for my magazines?¡± I asked, vaguely recalling Selene mentioning something about it before. [Indeed! If you have a different symbol that you would prefer, please let me know. Developing your personal brand as a Magical Girl is an important step, and it would be good to start early.] I shook my head a little as I moved on. It still didn¡¯t seem real to me, being a Magical Girl. Sure, I had just fought and defeated a ton of Anathema, but all the realities of what it actually meant, of how my life would be changing¡­ it just felt surreal to be thinking about. But that was something to worry about later. For now, I had to finish my mission. Collecting the remaining magazines didn¡¯t take long, though it was long enough to make me aware of how sweaty I was as the air turned chilly. I took a moment to do some management of my ammunition, consolidating the rounds from my half-empty magazines. In all, I ended up with three full mags, and one with fourteen bullets left slotted into my Umbra. By the time I¡¯d finished, my head was starting to feel clear again. The razor-wire pressure of the situation had fully settled back around my lungs, and I was moving quickly. Thankfully, getting back to Brian was uneventful, and the door appeared untouched. I knocked on the door firmly, making a little pattern out of it, and waited. After a few movements, the handle clicked, and the door slowly opened. Brian peered through the open crack, a terrified expression on his face that turned to joy and excitement. I gave him a gentle smile, pushing the door open, entering, and closing it behind me after Selene darted inside. ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± Brian exclaimed, almost hopping up and down. ¡°Did you fight more of them? How many? Are we leaving soon?¡± I looked over at him with a tight smile. In the back of my head, I¡¯d been worried that leaving him here would somehow have gone horribly wrong. Even though I hadn¡¯t really had a choice, the idea of him getting scared and leaving to find me or an Anathema simply getting lucky and chancing upon him had gnawed at the back of my nerves. Somehow, though, everything had turned out more or less fine. Even now, he seemed more excited than scared. All that was left was to talk to Selene before we headed out for hopefully the final time. ¡°I managed to find a safe path to the shelter,¡± I told Brian gently, deciding to spare him the details. ¡°We¡¯ll head out in a few moments after I use the bathroom, okay?¡± His eyes went big, and he nodded. I started making my way to the bathroom when he let out a sudden gasp of surprise. ¡°You¡¯re bleeding!¡± I looked down at my leg. Sure enough, my shoe was thoroughly soaked now, and I was leaving small bloody footprints. Panic rose in me until I checked my HUD and found my health sitting at 67%. Moving around had probably aggravated the wound, but I wasn¡¯t in too much danger of bleeding out. Probably. ¡°It¡¯s just a small cut,¡± I gave him a tight smile, trying to reassure him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It doesn¡¯t hurt, and I¡¯ll be able to get help at the shelter.¡± Brian didn¡¯t look entirely convinced, but he gave me a nod anyway. I moved into the small bathroom, Selene darting inside before I shut the door. Letting out a sigh, I took off my backpack and set it on the floor as I took a look at myself in the mirror over the sink. A girl stared back at me, her shaggy, medium length hair damp with sweat. My too pale face was speckled in droplets of black, probably from my first Anathema encounter, and a smudged red streak ran beneath my right eye. Although my eyes looked alert, the muscles in my face were tensed, giving me a frayed and desperate edge. It was a familiar face, one I recognized instantly. I was nearing the end of my rope. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. [With the shelter in sight, perhaps it would be good to discuss how to hide your status as a Magical Girl. Assuming you wish to keep your identity a secret for now?] Selene said, and I gave her a little nod. [Very well. I think simply hiding your gun and ammunition in your backpack should suffice. Barring any insensitivity, I doubt they will search it.] ¡°What do you mean?¡± I whispered. [You are a teenage girl arriving at a shelter with a young boy and are covered in blood. It has been over an hour since the Usurpation began, and I believe anyone would correctly assume you have been through quite the traumatic experience to survive. While they may be curious as to how you managed to stay alive, they should leave you alone if you simply tell them you do not wish to talk about it. This is a mega shelter as well, meaning it has a small but professional security team managing it. Their protocols regarding survivors reaching the shelter should be quite clear.] ¡°They won¡¯t think I¡¯m a Magical Girl for just managing to survive this long?¡± [No. The biggest reason is that you are coming in injured and unadorned in a costume. Most would assume that if you were a Magical Girl, you would be in full regalia and simply dropping off a civilian before returning to fight. Because they do not know of your special circumstances in being unable to transform, the logical conclusion will simply be that you are a resourceful survivor. Although, that will draw different kinds of attention from the people within.] I gave a nod. That made sense. Misdirection had been my go-to method for avoiding attention for a long time, and it had always worked best when I had something else more attention grabbing prepared. [Though coming in as you are will pose the problem of them attempting to give you medical treatment. When they see the hole in the abdominal region of your clothes, they will be very curious as to what happened and why you have no injury. I would recommend stopping at a clothing store along the way to replace your blouse and perhaps blazer as well.] My eyes went down to the fist sized hole over my belly button. As I began to give a nod, I suddenly remembered my backpack and why I had even brought it to the mall in the first place. I crouched next to it and started removing things after I set my gun down. The ice axe, the empty magazines, and even the baseballs I¡¯d first taken to use as distractions with Brian. At the very bottom was what I was looking for: a set of neatly folded clothes. Taking a second look at my outfit, I decided that I could probably pass off keeping my blazer with a little creative remodeling of the hole. Sure the lower half was still soaked in dried blood, but passing that off as belonging to an Anathema instead of mine shouldn¡¯t be too hard thanks to the blazer¡¯s dark coloring. The scarlet stained blouse would have to be changed, though. [Clothes?] Selene asked, peering into my backpack from her perch atop the sink. ¡°Mm,¡± I hummed in confirmation, only half paying attention as I pulled out the clean blouse. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping a spare outfit ever since Katie started spilling things on me, and with this being a field trip, it seemed like she might take the opportunity to¡­¡± I trailed off as I slowly started to realize what I was saying. Heat flashed across my cheeks and my mouth suddenly felt dry. Slowly, I turned to look at my familiar. Her bright red eyes and crescent pupils stared back, tails fanned out behind her but otherwise completely still. [I had only observed you for twenty-three days before our contract,] Selene said, her voice oddly quiet, [but she did seem to have a penchant for¡­ clumsiness. Around you.] My throat was tight as I stared at my Familiar, and I swallowed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± I thought to her, not trusting myself to speak. The tips of her tails slackened and fell slightly. She gave a bob of her head, but said nothing. I turned away from her back to my blouse and found myself clutching it in a death grip. After another moment, I cleared my throat. ¡°Um¡­ do you mind turning around? Or¡­ how does this work with you in my head?¡± [While manifested, my primary senses are tied to my constructed body,] Selene began, her normal, soothing voice returning. [While I have access to your vital information, I am unable to access your visual or auditory senses directly. Simply turning around will suffice for now, but when I am not manifested, I will endeavor to cut off direct sensory feedback in the appropriate situations.] ¡°Okay,¡± I said, giving a quick glance back to make sure she was turned around before I started changing. ¡°It¡­ it¡¯s probably a little weird to want this when you¡¯re kind of stuck in my head, huh?¡± [Not at all. It is fairly normal for new Guardians to wish for clear and strong boundaries. Though, as a magically constructed artificial intelligence, many human concerns simply don¡¯t apply to me. It is more a matter of making you feel comfortable than anything else. Many Guardians tend to let the restrictions relax as they become more used to their Familiar. We can have a talk at a later time about appropriate boundaries if you wish.] ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed, finishing getting my blouse situated a moment later. Making sure my blouse sleeve was pulled over the gauze wrapped around my left forearm, I was surprised it had stayed relatively intact since the beginning of all this. Though, I would have to be extra careful to keep it hidden when I got to the shelter. The last thing I needed was them thinking it was a wound I got from the Anathema and asking more questions. I gave my discarded blazer a look, now realizing just how grimy and frankly disgusting it was to be putting on something covered in my own blood. Still, it was necessary, so I pulled it back on but left it unbuttoned. Glancing at myself in the mirror, the only thing that really looked out of place was how circular the hole in my blazer was. I went back to my backpack, opening one of the smaller pouches. I pulled out the pocket knife Lily had given me, wincing as I saw my broken phone lying next to it. It had gotten damaged in my first fight against the hound, something I¡¯d discovered when I was first making room in my blazer pockets for my ammunition. I tried to ignore the small flutter of fear that came when I saw the state it was in, and instead opened up the knife and went to work. With a few creative cuts that took a lot more effort than I was expecting, I managed to make the hole in my blazer less circular. Now, it just looked like a ragged tear, as if something particularly vicious had ripped through it. Damaging my blazer made my heart fall further, knowing it was one of the only two I had, but it was already damaged beyond repair. At least, that¡¯s what I tried to tell myself. With that done, I stuffed the knife back into my backpack. After a moment of hesitation, I decided to put my bloodstained shirt into another of my backpack¡¯s pockets. Leaving it around to be found later felt¡­ weird. Something about the idea of somebody finding it when they were cleaning up the mall after the Usurpation didn¡¯t feel right. Besides, if Selene was right about them not looking through my backpack when I got to the shelter, I should be fine. The gun would probably raise more questions anyway. ¡°So,¡± I said, turning to face Selene as I pulled my backpack back on and picked up my gun from the floor. ¡°Anything else before we head out?¡± [Brian will have to be talked to and convinced not to tell about your firearm.] I thought about it, then nodded. ¡°That¡­ actually might not be too hard. I can tell him it has to be our secret, and I could get in trouble if he tells anyone. I think I can get him not to mention it.¡± [Indeed. He seems quite enraptured with the idea that you are a secret action hero. Reinforcing that idea should do the trick, and I suspect the action figure you already bribed him with will help buy his silence.] My cheeks flushed, and I shot her a look. Her tails swished behind her innocently. ¡°Right¡­ Do you have any tips on what to do when we get there? How to act?¡± [I believe you acting as you naturally feel would work the best. Guarded, worried, tense, and generally quiet and unwilling to give details should work. Generally speaking, your usual quiet demeanor should prove effective.] ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be really suspicious?¡± I frowned. Selene tilted her head at me curiously. [May I inquire what sort of reaction you think they will have?] ¡°Um,¡± my brow furrowed as I thought. ¡°I guess paranoid and cautious? Once they see me, I think¡­ they¡¯ll pull me aside and ask me a lot of questions, wanting to know what happened, how bad the Usurpation is, and anything else I can tell them. I¡¯m guessing they won¡¯t be happy when I don¡¯t give them what they want. They¡¯ll get a little angry and try to intimidate me then. It probably won¡¯t be too bad, but I guess that depends on how far they think they can push me.¡± Selene was quiet for a moment, tails curling downwards slightly. [Try thinking of it from their perspective,] she said in a weirdly gentle voice. [A young girl has just survived out in an Usurpation for over an hour protecting a child. She is covered in blood and wounded, and none of them can even begin to imagine the traumatic experiences she must have gone through to survive. I expect their reaction will be much¡­ different from what you are expecting.] I looked at her for a bit, then gave a shrug. I didn¡¯t really understand what she was trying to say, but I trusted her. It seemed to me that what I¡¯d been through was just that: what I had been through. Whatever I might be feeling was for me to deal with on my own, not them, and it didn¡¯t really change what they would want to know, or even needed to. Why they might care about anything else was beyond me, but Selene seemed to know what she was talking about. ¡°Okay¡­ so just¡­ act natural?¡± I asked, failing to hide the edge of disbelief in my voice. [...Yes. Just be yourself and things should be fine.] There was something in Selene¡¯s subdued tone I couldn¡¯t quite decipher, but I decided to just ignore it for now and move on. ¡°Anything else?¡± I asked, putting my hand on the doorknob to leave. [No. You can store your gun and ammunition inside your backpack at the top of the stairs leading down to the shelter. Keeping the ice axe in your hand should be enough to convince them that it was your main weapon. I will also have to dispel my manifestation before you head down the stairs due to the shelter cameras being able to see me.] I nodded. The ice axe was still covered in Anathema blood and would look the part. I had forgotten about the shelter cameras, but was glad Selene was on top of it. ¡°Alright,¡± I took a deep breath. ¡°Then let¡¯s get to the shelter.¡± Chapter 12 - Shelter ¡°Alright, you remember what we talked about?¡± I asked Brian quietly while I finished putting my gun into my backpack. The stairs down to the shelter sprawled out in front of us, the grim emergency lighting coloring the way an ominous red. ¡°We snuck here, and you only fought the one dog with your axe,¡± he nodded vigorously, and I suppressed a smile. ¡°Thank you for keeping my secret,¡± I told him softly. ¡°Even though the gun helped us, adults might not like that I have it because I¡¯m not old enough yet. So we¡¯ll just not tell them about it until I can give it back to the security people.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± he replied, clutching his action figure tight. I finished stowing my gun and ammunition, tucking everything into the folds of my spare outfit to hide them and muffle any noise they might make. Reshouldering my backpack and picking up the ice axe, the last thing I did was to pull my eyepatch out and put it back on. The second it went over my right eye, my HUD disappeared, and I blinked in surprise. Something to keep in mind for the future, I suppose. I turned to Brian and held out my free hand. He gave a shameless smile and took it, his small fingers warm against my skin. I still felt myself beginning to tense up slightly at the contact, but I shoved the reaction down with the same familiarity I normally reserved for Lily. ¡°Alright,¡± I said, taking a deep breath as I looked down the subway-like entrance. ¡°Let¡¯s go then, shall we?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Brian agreed. I glanced at Selene who was standing next to Brian. I gave her a nod, and suddenly she began to glow. After a moment, she flashed with a violet light and was gone, leaving behind only a few fading particles. A surge of fear stabbed into me even though I knew it was irrational, that she hadn¡¯t really ¡°left¡± me, just dispelled her physical manifestation. Still¡­ ¡°You ready?¡± I thought, hoping it didn¡¯t carry over my anxiety. [Indeed! Let us be off!] Selene replied cheerfully, and reassurance washed through me. I took the first steps down slowly, making sure Brian fell into a comfortable pace with my own before I started going at a more even pace. The whole while I made sure to keep my eye on the bottom of the stairs. With Selene not having been able to scout ahead, I felt an irrational nervousness that maybe an Anathema had hidden down there during my fight. My fears proved unfounded a moment later as we got to the bottom, greeting me with the sight of a long, empty hallway. About halfway down on the right side was a door with a sign marking it as a stairwell, but that observation was secondary to what I saw at the end of the hallway, and I felt myself let out a breath I hadn¡¯t realized I was holding. Logically, I knew it was stupid of me to be scared, but that hadn¡¯t stopped the dark whispers inside me from worming their way into my skull about the emergency shield being activated. After all, it had happened once, why couldn¡¯t it happen again? What did it matter that this shelter was supposed to be professionally manned? Doesn¡¯t personal safety and self-interest always win out in the end? Why would this time be any different? But to my relief, all I saw was a set of large metal doors. A touch screen panel glowed with faint blue light next to them, and I felt my pace quicken as the urgency I¡¯d been fighting finally broke through. Brian and I ended up all but jogging to the panel, my gait an odd, shambling thing as I tried not to put too much weight on my wounded leg. We reached the panel, and I let out a shaky breath as I saw the button labeled ¡°call¡± on it. Quickly, I released Brian¡¯s hand and pressed the button, noting how my own were shaking. The sentence ¡°Please wait while security assesses the situation¡± appeared on the screen, and I felt the impatience rising inside me. I glanced behind me, looking at the long stairway leading up. Even though I knew it was ridiculous to worry about, I couldn¡¯t shake the fear that an Anathema could come barreling down the stairs at any second. I bit my lip, wondering how long it was going to take before somebody- ¡°We¡¯re opening the doors now!¡± a woman¡¯s voice suddenly said, and I jumped in surprise as my head snapped back to the panel. Instead of seeing a visual, only the words ¡°Door is opening, please stand back!¡± were displayed. The sound of whirring mechanics and gears suddenly resounded, and I stumbled back as the doors slowly began to slide open. It seemed to move at a glacial pace, slowly revealing a large, empty room of smooth white tile with another set of doors across from us. Relatively bright, uncolored lights illuminated the room, and I found myself squinting as my eye adjusted. Once the doors had slid open enough, I gave Brian¡¯s back a gentle push to slide through the still expanding gap. Only once he was through did I follow. Once we were a few steps into the room, the grinding gears behind us stopped for a moment, then began again. I looked back to see the door now closing itself, and I watched the ominous red hallway with bloody footprints slowly disappear behind solid metal. The doors finished closing, and I let out a sigh. A deep buzz suddenly went off, making me jump and raise my ice axe slightly. ¡°Please wait,¡± a synthetic voice echoed in the room. ¡°Scanning in progress. Interior doors will open momentarily.¡± I frowned, but said nothing. ¡°Scanning?¡± I asked Selene. [Some Anathema can disguise themselves as humans, and shelter airlocks are all equipped with scanners just in case. This early in an Usurpation, however, it is unlikely one would appear.] I carefully tried not to react as realization dawned on me. I¡¯d heard stories of Anathema disguising themselves as humans, but I¡¯d mostly discounted it as internet horror stories. Now that I knew that wasn¡¯t the case, I had a dozen questions on what other things I¡¯d heard of that might be true. That could wait until later, however, and I mentally filed the information away. ¡°What would they do if one was detected?¡± [For normal shelters, a special gas containing silverite filings would be released and effectively melt the Anathema. Because this is a mega shelter, the same thing would happen but would also be followed with the deployment of two 20 millimeter gatling turrets from the ceiling.] I blinked in surprise, but forced myself not to look up at the ceiling. I knew they would be watching us through cameras, so I kept myself looking forward. Brian shifted uncomfortably next to me. I squeezed his hand, hoping it came across as reassuring while we waited. The seconds began to stretch into minutes, and as I glanced around, I noticed how stark the scarlet footprints I¡¯d tracked in were on the otherwise white room. Reflexively, I flicked my gaze to the lower left of my vision, only to remember my HUD and therefore health were disabled. Even though Selene hadn¡¯t seemed concerned, I was still slightly worried about how much blood I was tracking around. ¡°Scanning complete,¡± the synthetic voice finally called out after almost five minutes. ¡°Interior doors opening.¡± As the doors began to slide open, I felt myself holding my breath. A nervous flutter went through my stomach, and I carefully made my expression empty as the tension inside me ratcheted up to eleven. With a familiar methodicalness, I began folding up that anxiety into a small, manageable box as I prepared myself to interact with people once again. It was weird that I didn¡¯t have that same serrated anxiety when dealing with Brian, but maybe that was because of how much younger he was. Now, though, at the thought of dealing with a bunch of strangers, it was back in full force. The familiar, bile-tinged barbs swirled in my stomach like they always did when I knew I would be forced to interact with people, and I was ready for the wave of light nausea that washed over me. A moment later, I had it under control and pushed to the back of my mind as I shifted to simply focusing on observing and making mental notes. The doors had opened far enough that one of us could have squeezed through solo, but this time I simply waited. Brian seemed fine waiting with me as well, and I instead carefully looked onwards as the room beyond was revealed. It was another room made of the same clean white tiles, but this one was slightly circular. Across from us were three separate hallways that seemed to stretch on a good while. Other than the hallways, the only real thing of note in the room was the people inside. My eyes were instantly drawn to the four of them wearing matching uniforms and holstered guns. They wore the ultramarine blue clothes and black bulletproof vests of Arcadian police officers, and I felt myself tense in recognition. My eyes flicked to the last person in the room, a middle-aged man in a suit and a shaved head. His eyes were wide as he looked at us, and he was a good step behind one of the others. The only other thing I saw was one of the officers, a young Korean woman, had a wheelchair in front of her. She had silky onyx hair that fell to the middle of her neck, and a soft face with warm hazel eyes. The second she saw me, she gave me a gentle smile. She started walking forward, pushing the wheelchair with her. An older looking officer with salt-and-pepper hair glanced at her as she began to move, his lips twitching in what might have been the start of a smile. Then he followed, and the rest of the officers were right behind him. ¡°Hey there,¡± The Korean officer said softly, giving me a gentle smile as she pushed the wheelchair into the airlock room. ¡°I¡¯m Officer Oh with the Arcadian police department¡¯s second division. It¡¯s nice to meet the two of you. How about we get you sitting down? That cut looks pretty nasty.¡± Even though she was speaking to me with extra softness, it didn¡¯t come across as condescending. Instead, it held a genuine warmth, and a kindness mingled with worry I hadn¡¯t heard before. The combination took me off guard, and I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. I glanced at Brian, and saw he was looking at the officers with a relieved smile. I turned back to the woman and gave her a nod, moving to sit down in the chair. Then I remembered my backpack, and I awkwardly started taking it off, being extra careful not to jostle its contents too much while juggling the ice axe in my hand. ¡°If it''s alright with you, one of us can hold onto that axe,¡± she said, her voice quiet. ¡°I know it might be hard to believe after what you must have been through, but you¡¯re safe now. I promise.¡± I looked up at her in surprise. I had expected a more hardline approach to handing over the ice axe, not what seemed to be a genuine suggestion. More than that, the complete assurance in her voice that she was absolutely convinced I was safe made me want to reflexively push back, to tell her I wasn¡¯t. But¡­ I am now, aren¡¯t I? I realized I must have been staring, and I gave myself a small mental shake. Officer Oh just gave me a slow nod, holding out her hand. Carefully, I reached out and handed her the axe. With both hands free and a little more shuffling, I managed to get my backpack off. I clutched it in front of me, letting it rest in my lap as I turned and sat down in the wheelchair. Oh handed the axe off to another officer, who gingerly took it while eying up the black ichor covering it dubiously. ¡°And what about you?¡± Oh asked Brian. ¡°Are you hurt at all?¡± ¡°No,¡± Brian gave a vigorous shake of his head. ¡°She kept me safe.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she did,¡± Oh murmured, voice trailing off. Then she gave herself a shake, and looked down at me. ¡°Let¡¯s get you to the infirmary, shall we? Or do you want to stick together with¡­ ah, I never asked your names, did I?¡± ¡°Um¡­. I¡¯m Mai, and that¡¯s Brian,¡± I replied, glancing at him. ¡°He¡­ he¡¯s been through a lot. He got separated from his family, so¡­ I¡¯m not really sure what would be best.¡± Something like surprise flickered through her eyes at that, but it was quickly replaced by the gentleness from before. Next to her, the older officer simply gave a nod. ¡°Why don¡¯t we get him to the barracks?¡± he grunted, waving at another officer, this one a woman with the glittering bright viridian eyes of a manaborn. ¡°Milly, you mind watching over him?¡± ¡°Sure thing, Sarge,¡± she replied, then turned and pointed to the figure in his hand. ¡°Hey there, sweetie. Is that a Carmine Crusader figurine? My son loves him. Why don¡¯t you tell me about him while we go find a nice place to rest, huh?¡± Brian¡¯s eyes went big, and a genuine grin stretched across his face. The woman smiled back and offered her hand to Brian. A second later he was holding it and began talking as they moved into the shelter. With a slight jostle, the wheelchair began moving as we followed. I made sure to hold my backpack tight in my lap, trying my best to unobtrusively glance around to keep an eye on everyone. ¡°Markus, I¡¯m going to get her stitched and cleaned up,¡± Oh said, turning the wheelchair to go down a different hallway from the one Brian was heading. To my side, I saw the man in the suit frown severely. ¡°Now wait just a minute,¡± he said, his voice severe. ¡°We haven¡¯t heard back in almost twenty minutes, and if she knows anything-¡± ¡°Maybe some food too,¡± Oh interrupted, sounding almost thoughtful. ¡°Something warm, maybe.¡± The older officer who must have been Markus simply gave a grunt and vague handwave of affirmation while the businessman sputtered and turned to him. Oh kept pushing me forward, and none of the other officers seemed inclined to follow as we began down the long hallway. There were plenty of doors, and some of them had small card readers with keypads next to them. Operations, Communications, Camera Room, Storage, and a few other labeled rooms went by before we turned into one that had its door wide open. Inside, there were various beds with curtain partitions lining the sides of the room. Small tables and various medical machines were stationed next to each bed, and at the far end of the room was what looked like a door with a keypad. The officer rolled us up to one of the beds in the middle of the room seemingly at random. ¡°Alright,¡± Oh said, turning to look at me. After a moment, she went to the curtains and drew them closed around us. I felt myself stiffen slightly when she turned back to me with a serious expression on her face. ¡°I¡­ know you must have been through a lot, and you don¡¯t have to talk about it if you don¡¯t want to. All I need to know is where you¡¯re hurt, okay?¡± I blinked in surprise, but gave her a nod. ¡°Just my leg¡­ and some bruises. Nothing else.¡± She raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t say anything. Reaching over to the bedside table, she pulled on some disposable gloves from a box. Then she walked over and kneeled down as she started inspecting the cut on my leg. Her fingers reached out to it, then she stopped and looked up at me, as if asking for permission. I nodded, and she started carefully touching it and moving the rip in my tights around to get a better look at the wound itself. [Don¡¯t forget to act like you are in pain,] Selene told me. [While they might assume you are in shock or running on adrenaline, it would be better to hide the fact you have already taken pain medication.] I flinched and sucked in a breath through my teeth at her next touch. She winced and started moving more gently. Keeping careful watch of her movements, I clenched my teeth and twitched at her prodding, slowly squeezing my backpack tighter. After another few moments she let out a sigh. ¡°Well, it looks bad enough to require some staples,¡± she said with an apologetic look up at me. ¡°Let me go get you some pain medicine and the rest of the tools. I¡¯ll be right back, alright?¡± I nodded, and she got up and left, pushing through the curtain and disappearing. Listening to her footsteps, I waited until I heard her reach the far end of the room. A second later, there was a beep and the click of a door unlocking. After I heard her open the door and close, I shifted slightly in the wheelchair. ¡°What should I do about the pain medicine?¡± I thought to Selene. ¡°Will it interfere with what I¡¯ve already taken?¡± [You may take it if you wish. The emergency pain-relief medicine you took lasts for four hours and works through a different methodology and combination of chemicals. Whatever they might give you will only help, and I would recommend taking it.] ¡°Okay¡­ but why aren¡¯t they asking me anything? They¡¯re treating me so-¡± Before I could continue, I heard the door open and wheels squeaking along the floor. A moment later, the curtain was pushed aside, and Officer Oh entered with a small metal cart with various bottles and other objects on it. She gave me a lopsided smile as she grabbed some scissors. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m going to cut up your tights. Not that they¡¯re really salvageable anyway.¡± She went to work opening up a larger hole to get access to my wound. After that, she grabbed a bottle of disinfectant and a cloth. ¡°This is going to sting a little,¡± Oh said, and I gave a nod before she went to work cleaning the area around my cut. [Ask her why there isn¡¯t a doctor doing this,] Selene suddenly said as I practiced wincing at pain I couldn¡¯t even feel. Curiosity stirred inside me at why Selene was asking, but I decided to follow her lead. ¡°Um¡­¡± I started. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be rude¡­ but shouldn¡¯t a doctor be doing this?¡± Oh looked up at me with something glittering in her eyes. ¡°What, am I not good enough for you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just-¡± I started hurriedly, but she let out a little laugh. I felt my cheeks warm slightly. ¡°Kidding, I¡¯m kidding,¡± she chuckled. ¡°To answer your question, yes, a doctor should be doing this. Just like a doctor should be stationed at this shelter. Unfortunately, whoever was supposed to be here today didn¡¯t show up. So you¡¯re stuck with little ol¡¯ me instead.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± I quickly replied, looking down. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to sound ungrateful, ma¡¯am.¡± She stopped cleaning my cut for a moment and looked up at me, almost curiously. I kept my eyes firmly planted down as my heart rate picked up slightly. A moment later she gave me a soft smile. ¡°No offense, taken,¡± she said. Then she gave me a big grin. ¡°And don¡¯t call me ma¡¯am. Makes me feel too old. Oh is fine, or even Ji-woo. ¡®Oh¡¯ can sound a little weird with how much it¡¯s used in English. And you can¡¯t even begin to imagine the jokes the guys at the station give me. Oh no, look who it is, and so on.¡± A choked giggle managed to escape me, and I felt my face heating up more. Ji-woo only smiled wider in response. ¡°Oh boy, Oh geez, Oh great,¡± she went on as she continued cleaning my cut. ¡°And then there¡¯s the people who don¡¯t even do it on purpose. Those are almost worse because I¡¯m constantly looking around every time I hear the word. Honestly, it''s enough to make my neck sore by the end of the day.¡± I gave her a grim smile and a little shrug. ¡°I think I have some idea of what you go through.¡± She looked up at me, brows furrowed for a moment, and then her eyes widened. ¡°Oh, Mai, I bet you do, don¡¯t you? Where were Mai manners, I hadn¡¯t even considered that. Mai bad. Mai lord it gets old, doesn¡¯t it?¡± She managed to draw another subdued giggle from me, and I nodded. Something warm sparkled in her eyes as she looked me over, and she let out a sigh. ¡°Alright. Well, I¡¯ve got some topical anesthetic I¡¯m going to apply, then we can do the staples. I double-checked the instruction manual, and these staples are fine in water, so we can get you cleaned up properly afterwards without too much hassle.¡± I dipped my head in assent, the smile slipping from my face as she opened a bottle and used a q-tip to start putting gel over my cut. I bit down on my teeth again, squinting my eyes slightly as I tensed my muscles. Ji-woo glanced up at me after she finished, and she seemed to hesitate for a second. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to pry,¡± she said. ¡°But you have some blood smeared on your cheek under your eyepatch. I know you said you didn¡¯t have anything else besides some bruises¡­¡± She trailed off, and I blinked. ¡°Oh, umm¡­ no, the patch is just¡­¡± I shrugged, and after a second of indecisiveness, just decided to lift it. The brightness of the room made me blink a few times, and my HUD popping up into view was almost as distracting. ¡°Heterochromia?¡± she asked in surprise, and I nodded. ¡°Ah, I think I get it. Probably makes people stare, especially with the bright eye colors manaborn have.¡± ¡°The eyepatch is almost as bad,¡± I murmured. ¡°But at least they usually leave me alone because it looks medical.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°People,¡± Ji-woo said emphatically, shaking her head. ¡°Sorry you have to go through that. I think your eyes look really pretty, though, so don¡¯t assume for a second that people think they look bad. Most people are probably just jealous of how stunning it makes you look.¡± I felt myself blush, and I murmured a half-hearted thanks. She just gave me a sad smile in response and then slowly poked at my wound again. ¡°Feel anything?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°Good,¡± she said, picking up something vaguely gun shaped but plastic with a large lever. ¡°Now I¡¯ve done some emergency aid courses, but I¡¯m no professional so you¡¯ll want to get this looked at as soon as the Usurpation¡¯s over. We¡¯ll get you all set up with some paperwork before you leave that¡¯ll make getting these removed and any other care free of hassle.¡± I nodded, not that I was too worried. Calling the healthcare policy of Arcadia and her six sister islands generous would be an understatement at best, and generally any injuries caused during an Usurpation were completely covered. She started carefully pushing the skin together around the gash, and now that I didn¡¯t have to watch to make the proper reactions, I looked away. A second later there was a weird clicking sound. ¡°Will it scar?¡± I asked absently, eye wandering around the folds of the curtain. ¡°Almost certainly,¡± Ji-woo responded with a wince. ¡°But with the paperwork I¡¯m going to draw up, I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯ll give you that special anti-scarring treatment or at least remove the scar afterward with some of the Zenith tech they have.¡± I looked at her in surprise. Except for what the Zenith had first gifted humanity along with the sanctuary islands and the prebuilt sci-fi cities spanning them, any technology from the Zenith had to be acquired from a Magical Girl. That meant they generally reserved using it because of how rare and therefore expensive it was. Ji-woo saw my incredulous look and gave me a pained smile. ¡°It¡¯s not everyday someone survives an hour in an Usurpation and makes it to a shelter,¡± she said gently. ¡°And when they hear you did it while protecting a child, I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯ll be pulling out all the stops for you.¡± Looking at the almost mournful expression on her face, I wasn¡¯t sure what to do. Thankfully, she went back to stapling, leaving me with those words to stew over. Before I could really get further than realizing she was probably right, that I was going to be the center of all kinds of attention I did not need, she stood up, evidently finished as she set down the staple gun. ¡°So, you said you also had some bruises?¡± she asked, her voice reserved. ¡°Would you feel comfortable showing me where, just so I can make sure it isn¡¯t anything more serious?¡± I felt my breathing hitch in my throat, the blood draining from my face. I was bruised all over my right side, and I couldn¡¯t let her- ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t,¡± she said hurriedly, seeming to have seen the reaction on my face. ¡°So long as you are sure it is just bruising. I¡¯m sure you would be in more pain if it was anything more, but adrenaline and shock afterward can do weird things. I just don¡¯t want anything more serious going unnoticed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± I said hurriedly, giving a jerky shake of my head. ¡°I just¡­ fell. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Ji-woo said quietly, pausing for a moment. ¡°Well, in that case I have some pain medication here. As long as you don¡¯t have any allergies, I¡¯m going to give you something just a little stronger than over-the-counter pills. If we¡¯re still here in another four hours, you can come find me for another.¡± She opened a bottle, shook out a pill, and handed it to me. I eyed it for a second before popping it into my mouth, wondering just how long the Usurpation was going to be, anyway. I knew that Usurpations outside of the seven sanctuary cities were usually a lot longer, but in Arcadia I was fairly sure they didn¡¯t tend to last longer than seven or eight hours at most. Considering the concentration of Magical Girls and Magical Soldiers on the island, it wasn¡¯t surprising they could keep the time down so easily, though. ¡°So, now that we¡¯ve gotten through all of that, how about we get you a shower and some clean clothes?¡± I bobbed my head gratefully. Between the dried sweat and blood, I felt absolutely disgusting. Worse, I was sure I smelled just as bad, but my nose had already acclimated to it. Now that I thought about it, Ji-woo had been awfully close to me and hadn¡¯t said anything about it. Heat rose to my cheeks, and I started to push myself up out of the wheelchair. To my surprise, my muscles barely responded, and I stumbled slightly. ¡°Woah there,¡± she held out her hands as if to catch me. ¡°Slowly. You¡¯ve been through a lot, and with the adrenaline leaving you, you¡¯re going to be feeling pretty weak and exhausted.¡± Now that she mentioned it, exhaustion was creeping into my muscles and thoughts behind the slowly easing tension. My chest still had that familiar tightness that any amount or hint of social interaction brought, but it was getting hard to outright ignore the fatigue. Still, I couldn¡¯t afford to just let my guard down completely, so I gave Ji-woo a shaky smile as I shouldered my backpack. She gave me one last critical look, then jerked her head in a ¡°follow me¡± gesture, pushing through the curtains. I followed after her, and we wound up going down the hall until we reached an intersection with a hall leading to our right. We took the turn, and she turned to look over her shoulder. ¡°The shelter has three basic wings. The left one that we were just in is for administrative and essential services. The middle one is the ¡®residential¡¯ with the various sleeping rooms, common areas, washrooms and such. The one on the right is storage, maintenance, and all the other things that don¡¯t really fit with the first two. Generally, we ask that people stay out of the left wing. Now, there might be some people in the halls, and if anyone tries to bother you now or later, just let me know, okay?¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± I replied reflexively. She looked over her shoulder at me but said nothing as she turned the corner, and I followed. Sure enough, there were a few people walking through the extra wide hall or otherwise just hanging around. I felt my pulse rise, and then spike dramatically as anyone who saw me stopped whatever they were doing to stare. I turned my attention to the ground, staring down as I hurried after Ji-woo, whose steps seemed to have quickened noticeably. Suddenly, I was all too aware of how awful I looked in that moment. I choked back the anxiety crawling up my throat and just focused on walking as people looked at the sweat soaked, bloody girl in ripped clothes. As we passed, I heard some whispers begin, and I forced myself to try to ignore them. One foot in front of the other, I hurried after Ji-woo, hoping the showers weren¡¯t that far. Nevertheless, some of the louder and less considerate people¡¯s whispers came through. ¡°Holy shit, a survivor? This long into an Usurpation?¡± ¡°Damn, looks like she¡¯s been through hell.¡± ¡°Idiot, of course she came from outside the shelter! How else would she get hurt like that?¡± ¡°No way man, you go ask her how she did it. That officer looks like she¡¯s ready to bite my head off.¡± ¡°Man, that girl¡¯s going to be so messed up. Hope she has a good therapist.¡± ¡°I heard she saved a boy, too. They¡¯re keeping him in the fourth barracks, but he has an officer keeping people from crowding him.¡± ¡°Think we¡¯re going to see her on the news after this, telling her story? They always love getting survivor stories, and I bet she¡¯s got one hell of one to tell.¡± ¡°Pfft, she probably just got lucky. That or sacrificed someone to save herself.¡± ¡°Did you see her leg? Damn that¡¯s gnarly!¡± My cheeks began to burn as I tried to ignore the attention. Thankfully, we reached a set of doors a moment later. Ji-woo led me into the one marked for women, and only after we took another turn did I finally look up. It was a fairly simple but long room with sinks along one wall and shower stalls on the other. Each stall was divided by two separate curtains, giving a small changing area separate from the actual shower. Ji-woo walked down the line of showers for a moment, as if checking to see if any were occupied. When she was satisfied they weren¡¯t, she turned to me with a lopsided smile. ¡°Sorry about that. People can be real idiots.¡± I shrugged, and the smile fell from her face. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you go take a shower. I¡¯ll get somebody to keep people from ¡®wandering¡¯ into this shower room while I find you some clothes to wear. There¡¯s already towels and soap in the stalls, and I¡¯ll bring a trash bag to get rid of your current outfit. I don¡¯t think much of it is going to be salvageable, unfortunately.¡± Ignoring the spike of pain that came with her assessment, I bobbed my head in agreement. Then I went into one of the stalls and drew the outer curtain closed. While I set down my backpack on the small bench in the changing alcove, I listened to Ji-woo¡¯s echoing footsteps as she left, and I let out an internal sigh of relief when I heard her leave. [If it is alright with you,] Selene spoke. [Perhaps you could remanifest me.] ¡°Why?¡± I thought with a frown. [Even though I have already promised privacy while you adjust to me being within your head, the extra degree of separation might help you feel it more. I¡¯d also like to explore the shelter and look into some things after you are finished. Until then, I can keep watch on your backpack.] ¡°Oh¡­ alright.¡± I thought about it for a second. ¡°Sorry. I know you¡¯re not exactly human and don¡¯t even care about this kind of thing, but¡­¡± [But this is all still incredibly new, and it will take time to adjust how you feel as well as think about our partnership,] Selene finished, her voice soothing. [I assure you, no offense is taken. Besides, being separated when you are not commencing your Magical Girl duties gives me a chance to observe other humans or even interact with other Familiars. Many Magical Girls operate the same way, and it serves as a good way to gather additional information without revealing yourself to others.] As Selene finished speaking, I felt the familiar sensation of warmth condensing and swirling around in my chest before a tendril reached out to my heart. Bracing myself, I let it touch, and was rewarded with the same brief flair of heat that left a cold emptiness behind. This time I was prepared for the wave of fatigue that washed through me, but I felt myself let out an involuntary gasp as it piled on top of all my previous exhaustion. I blinked, and in the span of that microsecond, Selene was suddenly sitting on the little bench next to my backpack. She gave me a swish of her tails and then scampered out, underneath the curtain. [I¡¯ll stay out here and only keep an eye on your backpack when Ji-woo returns with your clothes.] ¡°Thanks,¡± I thought back. Then, with a sigh, I began pulling off my clothes. To my horror, it was more of an exercise in peeling them off. Any hope of salvaging them went out the window, and I even put the replacement shirt I¡¯d put on into that category. It was painful knowing how much I was going to pay to replace everything. Still, it was better for my peace of mind to know I wouldn¡¯t be reusing clothes that had been soaked in alien blood¡­ or my own. The only thing I wouldn¡¯t sacrifice was my eyepatch and maybe my shoes. The eyepatch would go the second I got home for a replacement, but my shoes¡­ I hadn¡¯t quite given up on. Replacement school shoes would be almost forty dollars, and I was already looking at almost two hundred to replace the entirety of my outfit. And unless I wanted to try to make one blazer and school skirt work, I¡¯d need to replace at least those¡­ I let out a frustrated sigh, and then went to work taking off the bandages wrapped around my left forearm. It didn¡¯t take me long, and when I finished, I found myself staring. Ah. The regenerative gum must have healed that too¡­ though it still left another scar¡­ After a moment, I gave a mental shrug and stuffed the bandages into the same backpack pocket that had my bloody shirt. If the garbage bag Ji-woo was getting for me was opaque, I¡¯d transfer both with the rest of my condemned clothes. Somehow, that made me feel better about the possibility of somebody looking through my backpack even though I still had a gun in there. I turned on the shower, and waited for the water to heat up. Glancing around, I noted the locations of the small washcloth and soap dispensers in the shower, as well as the towels hanging in the changing room while I waited. After I was sure the water was just short of burning me, I stepped in and closed the curtain behind me. The water splashed over me and¡­ It was heavenly. For a while, I just let myself enjoy it, the heat melting the tension out of me. Showers had always been my own personal sanctuary, a place where I could just be without worry. The warmth of the water, the pitter-patter of the droplets washing out any sound, the reassuring solitude like I was in my own little world¡­ all of it let me just stop worrying for a moment, and I cherished the serenity while it lasted. Eventually, my mind wandered to the events of the past hour, and I found myself shaking my head. An hour. It felt like I had been out there for so much longer than that. Every moment of sneaking, planning and fighting, every second a struggle against the fear screaming at the back of my mind¡­ Something bubbled deep in my chest, and I furiously pushed it down. This was not the time to be breaking down. Not when I wasn¡¯t truly alone. I grabbed at the washcloth and put myself to work scrubbing. My skin was caked with dried blood starting at my stomach and covering most of my lower half. I made sure to take my time, applying vigorous amounts of soap as I went. It was¡­ a little worrying watching the water pooling on the shower floor changing color as I went. I tried my best to ignore it, and just focus on scraping my skin clean. Which ended up taking time. A lot of time. Eventually it became hard to tell if my skin was still slightly stained red from the blood or just from scrubbing it raw. [Ji-woo is coming in with¡­ a very large bag,] Selene told me just as I had finished with my stomach and sat down to clean off the blood on my right calf. ¡°Hey Mai, it¡¯s me,¡± Ji-woo called out a moment later. ¡°I got a bunch of clothes for you to choose from because I wasn¡¯t really sure what might fit. I¡¯m just going to pop in for a second to set these down if that¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± I called back, huddling into myself slightly as I watched the curtain. I heard the outer one open and after a handful of seconds, it closed again. ¡°There,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s an extra bag in there for your dirty ones. I¡¯ll be waiting outside for you, but feel free to take your time.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ Thank you,¡± I replied, quickly adding the last part. ¡°All in a day¡¯s work,¡± she called back, and I could practically hear the wry grin on her face. I listened to her leave, then let myself unfurl and continue scouring away the filth. By the time I was finished, I was starting to get wrinkled. Worse, the exhaustion had set in fully, giving my body all the strength of jelly and mind all the clarity of cotton. It was all I could do to remain standing without swaying back and forth. Although my muscles weren¡¯t aching, my legs felt dangerously wobbly. Worse, I could feel my eyes threatening to just stay closed after every blink. With a sigh, I redid my hair and body with soap one last time before I turned off the shower, stepped out, and started drying myself. The bag sitting next to my backpack was a large black trash bag, and judging by its size, it was absolutely filled with clothes. I unwrapped it to find a small mountain, and started picking through my selection. I could tell at a glance most of the clothes were too big for me, which wasn¡¯t a surprise considering I frequented the kids section to find things properly my, ah, prestigious size. Thankfully I didn¡¯t have to worry about trying to coordinate any sort of outfit because all the clothes were shades of gray and of the casual wear variety. It took me a while to find things my size, but I ended up with some comfy sweatpants and a hoodie over a long sleeve shirt. I had to roll up the sleeves and pant legs a little, but the baggy, too long sleeves of the hoodie I left alone to drape over my hands. There was also a pair of slippers in the bag that I put on and found to be of serviceable size. Finally, I pulled on my eyepatch almost as an afterthought. With that sorted, I unfurled the extra black trash bag I had found with the clothes. A moment later I had all my bloody clothes wrapped up including the shirt and bandages from my backpack. I thought about it for a moment, then decided to store my shoes in their place. I shouldered the pack afterward, then frowned as I held the closed bag of dirty clothes. I looked from the bag of extra clothes to the used towels, wondering how I was supposed to carry it all. After a moment of hesitation, I decided to just ask Ji-woo what to do, and I left the shower stall. Selene stood on a sink, and her head tilted to the side as she took in my appearance. Seeing myself in the mirror, I was slightly surprised at how different I looked. In the oversized clothes, I somehow looked even younger, like a little girl who was wearing their parent¡¯s clothes. [Ji-woo didn¡¯t so much as give your backpack a second glance when she put your clothes inside,] Selene noted cheerfully. [Now, if you would be okay with the idea, I¡¯d like to take a look around the shelter. I won¡¯t move out of telepathy range, and you can call me back before you go to sleep to continue guarding you.] I gave Selene a grateful nod, then headed outside. To my surprise, there was barely anybody in the hallway. Maybe it had something to do with the way Ji-woo was leaning against the wall, scowling at the various doors. The second she noticed me, her expression changed back to a smile. From underneath her arm, she pulled out a folded blanket, and with a deft motion, unfurled it and draped it around my shoulders. ¡°Here,¡± she said, gently taking the trash bag from me. ¡°I¡¯ll trade you.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± I started, shifting my backpack to hold in front of me along with the blanket¡¯s sides. ¡°What should I do about the towels and clothes¡­?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± she said, adjusting the blanket about me. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it later. Let¡¯s get you settled down for now.¡± She started walking and I followed, pulling the blanket tighter around me while I cradled my backpack with my arms. A few people wandered the halls or else happened to be leaving one room for another, and they almost all stopped to stare. I turned away to stare at the floor, and was slightly surprised when we took a hallway turn to the right. ¡°Um, isn¡¯t this-¡± ¡°The admin wing, yeah,¡± Ji-woo interrupted with a shrug. ¡°I got permission to set you up in the guard barracks. I figured that way you might get some privacy to rest. Unless you wanted to be with Brian¡­?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s okay,¡± I said, trying to hide the relief in my voice. ¡°I¡¯m not really sure how to handle kids anyway.¡± ¡°Well, you seemed to do a good job,¡± she said softly, suddenly serious as she turned to look me in the eye. ¡°I know it must have been tough¡­ but you managed. And that¡¯s more than most people could have done alone.¡± The intensity behind her words made me uncomfortable, so I just gave a little shrug and looked back to the floor. She turned away a moment later and continued walking. We turned into another room after another minute of walking. It was fairly empty, but along either side were beds built into the walls, turning them into little alcoves with curtains that could be drawn across them. At the far end was what looked like a small kitchen where I saw one of the other officers standing in front of a stove. He had a young looking face with freckles and sandy blond hair. He gave me a smile and nod, before turning to Ji-woo. ¡°Should be ready to go,¡± he said, turning off one of the burners. ¡°Kept them both warm but not too hot.¡± ¡°Thanks, Marco,¡± Ji-woo responded, giving him a grateful smile. ¡°Ah, Mai, go ahead and get settled on a bunk. I¡¯ll be right with you.¡± She walked over to the oven, and I considered my options before heading to a bunk in the middle of the room, far enough away that I wouldn¡¯t be bothered by anyone entering or next to people in the kitchen area. I pushed my backpack into the far corner of the bunk next to the pillow, shuffled the blanket around me a little tighter, then sat down. I was surprised to find how soft the mattress felt. I looked up as the officer left, and he gave me a little nod as he passed. Ji-woo was right behind him holding a bowl with steam coming off it and a spoon. She gave me a small smile and reached to the wall next to the bunk, giving it a gentle push. A rectangular section popped out, and she pulled it out before flipping it horizontal, turning it into a small bedside table. ¡°Here,¡± she said, setting down the bowl. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if you would be hungry, so I just made some tomato soup. Unless you want something else¡­?¡± ¡°No,¡± I blinked in surprise. ¡°No, that''s¡­ good. Thank you.¡± I grabbed the bowl and spoon quickly. Considering I had only eaten an hour ago, and it had been a big meal, I wasn¡¯t feeling especially hungry. Between the anxiety, tension, and exhaustion, I wouldn¡¯t have normally even thought of eating. But I also wasn¡¯t about to turn down free food. I blew gently on a spoonful of the red liquid before I started digging in. Ji-woo seemed satisfied and went back to the kitchen while I focused on the soup. I couldn¡¯t recall ever having it before, but I found myself enjoying its slightly acidic sweetness. The tanginess got to be a little much without anything to break it up, but I could see how pairing it with something else could work well. Once the first spoonful was in me, I found myself digging into the bowl with focus. By the time Ji-woo returned from the kitchen with a coffee cup in her hand, I had already managed to empty the bowl. She blinked in surprise, and I felt my cheeks color. I hadn¡¯t thought I was that hungry, either, but once I started¡­ ¡°There¡¯s more if you¡¯d like seconds,¡± she said, a hint of concern in her voice, and I quickly shook my head. ¡°No, I just¡­ kind of got carried away,¡± I winced. ¡°Sorry.¡± She frowned at me, setting down the cup. ¡°There''s nothing to be sorry for. Here, I got you something else to help warm you up.¡± I nodded, and quickly traded the bowl for the cup, but didn¡¯t immediately drink from it. She gave me a worried smile, and after looking around a moment, sat down next to me on the other end of the bunk. We sat in silence for a while, and I gave the dark liquid in the cup a few gentle blows. The smell coming from it was rich and dark, and although it tickled at my memory, I couldn¡¯t quite place it. ¡°So,¡± Ji-woo said quietly. ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot. I take it from the uniform you were wearing you¡¯re in high school?¡± I glanced at her, then dipped my head in affirmation. I could feel myself beginning to tense up at where her questioning might be going. ¡°Well. After all this is over, there¡¯s going to be a lot of people who want to talk to you, get your story and that sort of thing. They won¡¯t be particularly gentle about how or what they ask about, because they won¡¯t really understand that you¡¯ve been through an ordeal. Sure, they might actually care about you, but for a lot of them the story will be the important part. It¡¯s unfortunate, but that¡¯s just how it is.¡± She leaned back slightly on the bunk, letting out a long sigh. ¡°It''s not completely people¡¯s fault,¡± she shrugged. ¡°I mean, except for Magical Girls and the Magical Soldiers of the Guardian¡¯s Association, normal people don¡¯t stand a fair chance against Anathema. Which means when somebody does beat them, or at least survives them, they see it as a big deal. Something to be celebrated and shared, to spread the hope around. So when word gets out about a high school girl saving a grade school boy and getting him to a shelter, it''s going to be a big deal. And when they hear you were injured but also had an ice axe with Anathema blood on it¡­¡± Ji-woo trailed off and I glanced at her. She was looking down at the floor, a dark expression on her face. She stared for a moment, then shook her head and reached into one of her vest¡¯s pockets. Retrieving a card, she showed it to me before reaching over and setting it down on the table. ¡°That¡¯s my card,¡± Ji-woo smiled at me, her voice quiet and impossible soft. ¡°If any of them bother you, or you just want to talk to someone, or need anything, really, feel free to give me a call. Any time, any day. Even if all you want is to say hi and chat about the weather.¡± My chest suddenly felt tight as a dozen emotions suddenly burst forth and started swirling inside me. I could hear my pulse pounding in my ears as something caught in the back of my throat. Why? Why is she treating me so nicely? She doesn¡¯t even know me¡­ Why isn¡¯t she asking about what happened? Isn¡¯t she supposed to be finding out how bad the Usurpation is? What¡¯s out there? Isn¡¯t that her job? I don¡¯t understand¡­ The whirlwind in my chest refused to settle, so I just gave her a nod and raised the cup to my lips to take a sip and hopefully hide my turmoil. ¡°Anyway,¡± she patted her kneecaps, her eyes glittering as her voice became thick with emotion. ¡°I just want to let you know, you did something amazing. Even if it doesn¡¯t feel like it, you did, because you saved a life. Beyond all the scary memories, I hope that you can be proud of yourself, because you deserve at least that much, and much more for what you¡¯ve been through.¡± The words I¡¯d never heard before hit me right as I tasted the hot chocolate in the cup. The warm, comforting bliss of the beverage I¡¯d only had for real once before. When my only friend had brought me to her house and made me feel welcome. I managed to swallow the sip, and take in a deep, shuddering breath as my exhaustion, tension, anxiety, and emotions all rolled into one and peaked. Then something in me cracked, and I burst into tears. Chapter 13 - Breaking Points (Ji-woo) Ji-woo closed the door to the barracks quietly, making sure the lock clicked shut behind her. Only then did she let her shoulders slump as she let out a sigh. Mai had finally passed out after almost ten minutes of crying, which wasn¡¯t particularly surprising. No, the part that worried Ji-woo was how quiet the girl had been through the whole thing. Other than sniffling, Mai hadn¡¯t let out a single sound as she started shaking, tears spilling from her eyes uncontrollably. It was almost as if Mai had been more scared of letting people see her cry than what had caused the tears in the first place. If that wasn¡¯t concerning enough, then how she reacted to Ji-woo trying to comfort her certainly was. It was a miracle that Ji-woo had managed to get Mai¡¯s permission to bandage the girl¡¯s calf afterwards. Ji-woo shook her head. It wasn¡¯t incredibly surprising the poor girl had broken down, and in fact it was probably a good sign that she was processing her ordeal. Still, the way she had fallen apart had set off the alarm bells that had been steadily building in Ji-woo¡¯s head as she spent more time with the girl. Ji-woo desperately hoped she was wrong, that she was jumping at shadows and what she was seeing was just Mai processing the traumatic experiences she must have faced to survive. But for some reason, Ji-woo couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that there was more to it than that, even if she had nothing but her gut and a few odd observations about her behavior and mannerisms. Even then, it wasn¡¯t like Ji-woo had any idea what the problem could be. She could make any number of guesses, but in the end, she just didn¡¯t have enough information. With another sigh, Ji-woo turned and went to the command center. It wasn¡¯t a long walk, but it did give her a few moments to get her thoughts straightened out. As she slid her access card across the room¡¯s security console, she wondered if maybe the person inside would have any insights. Sergeant Markus O¡¯Malley was already in the room, waiting for her. The command center was a vaguely rectangular room with the far wall occupied by a desk facing dozens of computer screens while a long conference table and chairs lined the length leading up it. Markus sat in front of the consoles at the far end, typing on a keyboard while frowning at one of the screens, and he looked over his shoulder to give Ji-woo a small nod as she entered. For her part, she didn¡¯t waste any time pulling one of the conference table chairs out and throwing herself into it. Markus plucked at some keys for a bit longer, tapped one of the screens, then let out a disgusted sigh before he slowly spun the chair around to look at Ji-woo. Seeing her slouching against the chair with her eyes closed, he gave a wince of sympathy. ¡°That bad?¡± his granite and gravel voice rasped. ¡°Not¡­ exactly,¡± Ji-woo sighed, rubbing at her face. ¡°Though I did manage to make her cry, so¡­ go me, I guess.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason part of the instructions for survivor intake is to get an emotional reaction,¡± Markus shrugged with a lopsided smile. ¡°Most people just aren¡¯t built for life or death situations, and nobody is ever really ready for one. Even though it feels like crap, getting them to cry and at least open up that much is a good thing. Doesn¡¯t feel great, but don¡¯t go beating yourself up about it.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Ji-woo groaned, frustration creeping into her voice. ¡°But it¡¯s not that part that worries me.¡± Markus frowned and leaned back in his chair. Ji-woo took the moment to gather her thoughts, then turned to face her sergeant. ¡°Mai held herself together the entire time, except for the very end. It was only after I told her how amazing it was that she managed to make it here, let alone do it with a little kid, she broke down. What gets me worried is that the second she started crying, she also started apologizing to me over and over again. Then when I reached out to hug her, she flinched. Then she just kept saying ¡®sorry¡¯ over and over again.¡± Markus looked thoughtful for a moment, scratching at his chin. ¡°You think she¡¯s just shying away from physical contact after¡­ well, if the boy she brought back is to be believed, going toe-to-toe with an Anathema with just an axe?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Ji-woo started but bit back her words as she forced herself to consider the possibility. It was possible, she supposed, and even seemed like the most likely explanation. But that didn¡¯t explain all the other little things nagging at Ji-woo. Like how stapling and later bandaging Mai¡¯s leg had made her realize just how thin and small the girl was. Or the mannerisms Mai displayed when interacting with people, always bowing her head to look at the floor and apologizing at the slightest mistake. Then there was the outright fear that had flashed through her when Ji-woo asked if she could see her bruises. Even when Ji-woo had first seen her, the girl had looked ready to run or fight at the slightest provocation, like she was some sort of cornered animal. But most of that could be explained by the fact Mai had just been through a traumatic experience and was probably in shock. She had every reason to be on a hair trigger, and it was no surprise how defensive and quiet she was, especially if she really did come face to face with an Anathema. And yet¡­ Ji-woo couldn¡¯t shake that there was something more, that every little interaction had just been the slightest bit¡­ off. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Markus,¡± she finally shook her head. ¡°I just don¡¯t know¡­ but, I did give her my card.¡± Markus looked up sharply at that, his eyes narrowing. Markus was one of the few people Ji-woo could count on to get the significance of that. Officers usually carried courtesy cards with their name and their precinct¡¯s number on them, but Ji-woo also carried cards with her own personal phone number. It was something she learned from Markus, and like him, she only ever gave that card out to people she would drop everything to help. For anything else, she gave out the precinct¡¯s general card. In a way, it was part of her code, that if she was going to personally offer her help, she really was going to commit to it. Maybe it was idealistic and naive, or even unrealistic, but of the other six times Ji-woo had given her card out, she had never come to regret the fact that she had tried to offer help. And Ji-woo had a feeling that one way or another, Mai needed all the help she could get. The silence in the conference room stretched on for a moment before Markus finally gave Ji-woo a steady nod. ¡°Well, then you¡¯ve done all you can, and she¡¯s in the best of hands if she ever does need somebody.¡± Ji-woo flashed him a grateful smile even as her cheeks colored slightly. Her former training officer always seemed to know the right thing to say, and Ji-woo felt her worries losing their edge. For a while, neither of them spoke, and Ji-woo found herself glancing at the various computer screens as tension worried its way between her bones. She knew what she wanted to ask, but if Markus hadn¡¯t said anything yet, she was afraid to get a confirmation to the answers she thought she already knew. ¡°How about on your end?¡± Ji-woo finally asked, her voice subdued. ¡°Have we gotten anything back?¡± ¡°No,¡± Markus growled. ¡°And Jace is screaming at me to go interrogate the girl about what¡¯s going on outside.¡± Ji-woo bristled, and her normally warm, chocolate eyes hardened in an instant. It was just their luck that one of the owners of the mall had happened to be on the first floor when the alarms went off. Ever since the Usurpation started, Jace had been nothing but an absolute nightmare, acting as if he had some sort of authority in the shelter to make decisions, and he¡¯d tried to insert himself into every situation he possibly could. ¡°Naturally, I politely explained to him that the girl wouldn¡¯t have come from the basement level where Price¡¯s team went considering it only has offices and maintenance rooms. Which is something he should know considering he owns the place.¡± Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Ji-woo¡¯s eyes softened as she chuckled at Markus¡¯s exasperated expression. ¡°Other than that bit of fun,¡± Markus crossed his arms. ¡°I¡¯ve only really had a chance to hear from Milly about what that boy¡¯s said so far.¡± His expression darkened like a thundercloud, and Ji-woo felt herself almost snap to attention. It was rare for something to truly make Markus angry, meaning whatever he had learned was something serious. ¡°Apparently,¡± he all but growled. ¡°The boy wandered off from his family and was alone when the alarms went off. That was when the girl came to find him, having encountered his sister. Naturally, that was when the power went out and everything went to hell.¡± Markus gave Ji-woo a look, almost like he was considering his next words carefully. ¡°His very expressive storytelling muddles the next part, but it sounds like the girl fought off some kind of giant dog with the axe she was carrying before the two of them snuck the rest of the way to the shelter.¡± Ji-woo nodded. That much made sense. Still, even if they were taking their time to sneak as quietly as possible, it was weird that it had taken them almost a full hour to make it to their shelter. Though, that didn¡¯t take into account how scared Brian must have been and how carefully Mai must have had to handle him. The very expensive toy he¡¯d been holding hadn¡¯t escaped Ji-woo¡¯s notice, or probably the other officers¡¯ for that matter, but she was confident none of them were ever going to bring it up. It probably wouldn¡¯t even get mentioned in any of the official reports for that matter, because if taking the thing is what it took to help keep the boy from panicking, nobody could fault Mai for- ¡°So they did,¡± Markus interrupted, his voice devoid of emotion. ¡°They snuck the rest of the way to the shelter. On the third floor.¡± The bottom of Ji-woo¡¯s stomach dropped out, and she sucked in an involuntary breath. Wide eyed, she stared at Markus, whose own eyes looked haunted. ¡°So we at least know the computers aren¡¯t malfunctioning,¡± he said bitterly, and Ji-woo fought down the surge of fury that flashed through her. As not only a mega shelter but also the ¡°first-floor¡± shelter attached to the building, the shelter they were in was built with a command center that had all kinds of equipment to monitor the status of the other shelters in the building. The idea was that as the biggest shelter with the most stockpiled resources, they would be in a strategic position to coordinate aid if such a thing was necessary. Naturally, the computer system kept tabs on all kinds of information from the other shelters. And that was how Markus and the other officers had found out that shelter three had activated their emergency shield. Ji-woo¡¯s fists tightened as she imagined the scenario almost every human had to have nightmares about at one point or another. She could all too well imagine Mai and Brian running through the darkened halls of the mall, their hope slowly growing with each turn they took only to have it all dashed away when they finally got to the shelter and saw the shield glowing over the door. If Ji-woo ever got her hands on the idiot responsible¡­ ¡°At any rate,¡± Markus shook himself from his own dark musings. ¡°After that, they apparently took their time sneaking around and managed to make it the rest of the way down here without anything else happening¡­ I find that particular bit¡­ doubtful.¡± Ji-woo looked up in surprise. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean, think about the entrance down to this shelter. It¡¯s right in the middle of the first floor, and with how big and open the room is, I find it hard to believe it wasn¡¯t crawling with Anathema.¡± ¡°So¡­ what?¡± Ji-woo asked with a frown. ¡°You think Brian¡¯s hiding something?¡± ¡°I know he is,¡± Markus shrugged. ¡°The way he just glazes over the later part of his story but is all too detailed about the beginning tells me that much. The only question is if he¡¯s doing it on purpose or not. Apparently, he told Milly that the girl left him in a security room once to go scout a path on her own, and that it was ¡®really scary being alone but he managed to be brave just like Carmine Crusader.¡¯¡± Markus let out a little chuckle, and Ji-woo felt her own mouth quirk up into the hint of a smile. ¡°By my best guess,¡± Markus continued. ¡°The girl probably did something to draw away the Anathema from the entrance, then doubled back, got the kid, and beelined it for the shelter. By the way her leg was still bleeding, she probably got hurt doing whatever she did to distract the Anathema.¡± Ji-woo thought about it, then nodded in agreement. Even though her ankle wound was nothing to sneeze at, it hadn¡¯t been particularly dangerous other than the constant, slow amount of blood loss it was causing. It hadn¡¯t quite finished clotting when Mai had arrived, meaning the injury couldn¡¯t have happened too long before she arrived, either. ¡°All of that is to say, we don¡¯t really have any more information than when we started,¡± Markus shrugged. ¡°Which, if we consider it has been almost forty minutes since those two arrived, I¡¯m afraid that means Price¡¯s team failed.¡± Ji-woo felt the bottom of her stomach drop out, and she felt herself pale. ¡°Just like that?¡± she asked, her voice weak. ¡°We¡¯re just going to give up on them?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing else we can do,¡± he responded softly. ¡°Except follow through on her contingency. We still have her access card, and if nothing changes in the next four hours¡­¡± He trailed off, and Ji-woo felt every muscle in her body tense as she realized what he meant. ¡°What about Guardian Command? We can¡¯t contact them again and ask if they have any help available?¡± ¡°They were pretty clear about the situation when we first contacted them, and Price¡¯s security card doesn¡¯t give enough clearance on its own,¡± he grunted. ¡°No. We can¡¯t rely on any help coming in time from that direction. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re on our own.¡± Silence reigned in the command center as both of them sat in their chairs. For a while, neither of the two officers spoke or even dared to look at each other. It had been a desperate plan, the one Price had developed, and she had only been willing to take volunteers with her. Nevertheless, every member of the shelter¡¯s security detail had stepped up, and so Price had taken eight other people with her, two having been former magical soldiers like herself. It left the shelter understaffed and at the absolute minimum of security forces, but there wasn¡¯t much of a choice in the matter. At the time, Price had been confident they had a decent chance of success. Still, she had left the remaining five officers with a backup plan, just in case. If Price and her team somehow failed to fight their way through the Anathema and restart the mana generator, the only thing left to try would be sending one person a few hours later when the Anathema had hopefully dispersed outwards. In reality, one person sneaking through probably had about as good a chance as the first team did, but it would all depend on just how many Anathema had decided to stick around. It wasn¡¯t a good plan, but it was better than doing nothing at all. ¡°I never thought something like this could happen in Arcadia,¡± Ji-woo whispered quietly. ¡°I thought it was impossible, that this was supposed to be a sanctuary. Sure, the occasional Usurpation might break through the island¡¯s countless barriers, but it¡¯s always contained and dealt with. Hell, it¡¯s more surprising when somebody does get hurt in an Usurpation. This, though¡­ It¡¯s a little hard to believe, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It certainly is a shift from how the Anathema usually operate,¡± Markus agreed. ¡°Though if that Magical Guardian we got in contact with is to be believed, the situation is well in hand. It¡¯s just going to take them some time to regain control.¡± ¡°Which is the one thing we don¡¯t have,¡± Ji-woo said bitterly. ¡°No¡­ No it isn¡¯t¡­¡± Markus looked up at Ji-woo then, his eyes hard. ¡°Ji-woo, in four hours, if nothing changes, I¡¯m going to follow through with Price¡¯s backup plan. But¡­ if I want to have any hope of success, I¡¯m going to need all the information I can get. That means waking up the girl and getting as much as I can from her as possible about what she¡¯s seen.¡± Ji-woo stiffened, her mouth opening to protest. Markus interrupted her with a raised hand, urging her to wait. ¡°I know, believe me, I do, but if there¡¯s even a chance she has any information that could help me survive out there, I need it. However, I do realize what she¡¯s been through, so I want you to be there too. You seem to have a decent connection with her, and you can make sure I don¡¯t push too hard.¡± Ji-woo slowly shut her mouth, then gave a reluctant nod. Inside, her heart was racing as she thought about how straightforward Markus seemed to think things were. She wondered if it really even occurred to him how dangerous what he was planning to do actually was or if he had just chalked it up as his duty and moved on. Though, I suppose I¡¯m not much better in that regard, Ji-woo thought to herself with a frustrated sigh. She knew she wouldn¡¯t hesitate to go out there, either. Not with how many lives were at stake. Hell, if Markus didn¡¯t manage to restart the generator, she might just do exactly the same thing. After a moment, she gave Markus a glance. ¡°How much time do they have left?¡± Ji-woo asked, and Markus swiveled his chair around to check the control station. ¡°The system estimates about eight hours,¡± Markus shook his head. ¡°Then things will get critical for them.¡± Ji-woo winced. Eight hours was nowhere near enough time if the Magical Guardian was right in his estimates. Not unless they managed to pull out even more miracles out of their magical bag of tricks, that is. ¡°If we don¡¯t get that generator online, they really don¡¯t have a chance, do they?¡± Ji-woo asked, already knowing the answer. Markus shook his head grimly, then looked up at the ceiling, as if directly at the people responsible. ¡°Those dumb bastards who locked Mai and Brian out won¡¯t even realize they killed everyone in their shelter the second they activated their shield.¡± Chapter 14 - Full Scope I walked through complete darkness, and somehow I knew it wasn¡¯t due to a lack of light, but rather, there was just nothing to see. Water just high enough to envelop my toes swished around my feet, the sound gentle and oddly soothing. Even though it was impossible to tell if I was making any meaningful progress in the endless void around me, I continued forward, feeling that I was getting closer to¡­ where I needed to be. Three hundred forty-three steps later, I stopped as I felt the hum of electricity, and something else. Not a physical sensation but an emotion, almost like¡­ emptiness? Loneliness? Slowly, I turned around, and was met with a somehow familiar sight. Thorned vines made of lightning tangled together into the shape of a pillar, the electricity of each vine black at its core with violet, glowing edges. I took a step forward on instinct, and a small portion of the vines shifted, thorns rasping against each other in dozens of small electrical snaps. A window formed in the pillar¡¯s webwork, and I looked within to see a familiar looking girl, naked yet gracefully veiled by some of the vines wrapped around her. She looked just as I had seen her before, a porcelain doll with raven tresses falling to her hips, chained and gently held aloft by the lightning vines. What caught my attention was that this time, her eyes were already partially open. Scarlet and azure eyes looked on, her crescent pupils unfocused. She almost looked like she was sleeping, and her mouth moved ever so slightly as if she was saying something. I walked closer to her prison, straining to listen as I approached. ¡°Kanash¨©,¡± she murmured, her tiny voice velvet soft. ¡°Sabish¨©. Kowai. Mou¡­ gaman dekinai¡­¡± Sad. Lonely. Scary. I can¡¯t take it anymore¡­ I blinked, recognizing the Japanese. Even more, I recognized my own voice, but something in it was different. There was a barely noticeable undertone, a bass thrum that gave an unnatural weight to it. I swallowed, staring at the girl for a moment before I worked up the courage to speak. ¡°Nande? Doushita no?¡± Why? What¡¯s wrong? I asked her, my throat tightening as I somehow already knew what the answer would be. She blinked, her eyes slowly opening more fully as she seemed to awaken, her eyes gaining a sheen of focus when she saw me. Gently, she gave me a mournful smile. Taking in a slow breath to answer, her mouth opened and- ¡°Mai?¡± the soft, concerned voice of Ji-woo suddenly interrupted, and the moment shattered. My eyes shot open to be met with the dim light of unfamiliar surroundings. I shot upright with a gasp, my heart pounding. Sweat dripped down my brow as my entire body shook with adrenaline. I could feel my mind racing too fast for any one thought to become coherent, so I forced myself to take a deep breath, slowing my breathing as I began to reorient myself. I was in the bed alcove of the guard¡¯s barracks, the thin divider drawn closed. Layers of blankets covered me, more than I remembered tucking myself under, and I let out a shiver as cool air bit at me through my now uncovered clothes. What was that? A dream? No¡­ That room, that girl that looks like me, and those thorns¡­ I remember them¡­ from when I first formed my contract. Why didn¡¯t I remember until now, though? I frowned, my thoughts suddenly coming to a jarring halt. Wait, remember what exactly? What was I just- ¡°Mai, are you alright?¡± Ji-woo asked from beyond the divider. ¡°I thought I heard you thrashing around in there.¡± ¡°Um¡­ yes,¡± I replied, hastily brushing down my hair and checking over myself. ¡°Just¡­ a bad dream.¡± As I did, I suddenly remembered how I had fallen asleep. Panic fluttered through me even as a deep blush warmed my face. Part of me couldn¡¯t believe that I had let myself fall apart like that, and I was all too aware of how much of a gibbering wreck I¡¯d been, trying to apologize while Ji-woo tried to comfort me. Even worse was the look on her face when I hadn¡¯t managed to stop myself from flinching from her. ¡°That¡¯s understandable,¡± Ji-woo replied, oblivious to my inner turmoil. ¡°When all this is over, you might want to talk to a doctor about that, and the papers we¡¯ll give you can help.¡± There was an awkward silence, as if Ji-woo was considering something, but then she just let out a long sigh. ¡°Mai, could we talk for a bit?¡± I winced. Reaching to my backpack, I pulled my eyepatch out from where I vaguely remembered storing it before I fell asleep. Pulling the straps over each ear, I gave myself one last check to make sure I was at least partially presentable. Then I took a deep breath, and pulled open the divider. Ji-woo was standing a few steps away, and something about her tense, forced smile set my nerves on edge. I felt my breath catch in my throat and decided to just give her a nod. Selene sat on the floor beside her, staring up with gently swishing tails. Just seeing her there made me feel more at ease, and some of the panic lost its keen edge. My gaze snapped back to Ji-woo as she ran a hand through her hair and let out a sigh. ¡°Mai, I¡¯m really sorry to have to ask you this. I wish there was time for you to process what you¡¯ve been through, but there are¡­ things happening, and we could really use all the help we can get. So¡­ if you¡¯re up for it, I was hoping I could ask you some questions about what you saw in the mall with a friend of mine.¡± I felt myself relax, my breath leaving in a relieved sigh. That was something I could deal with, especially considering I had expected to have the conversation even earlier. If she wasn¡¯t going to bring up my little breakdown, then I was more than happy to indulge her. Besides, I¡¯d had more than enough time to go over the cover story in my head. Nodding at Ji-woo, I began extracting myself from the bedding. As I did, I became all too aware of how sore I felt. The entire right side of my body ached, and my leg muscles felt uncomfortably tight. Meanwhile, my ankle throbbed in a line of dull heat. I did my best to ignore it all, putting my feet into the slippers I¡¯d left outside the alcove. When I stood up, I made sure to do it slowly, forcing down a wince as the heat in my ankle took on a painful edge. ¡°Do you need more pain medication?¡± Ji-woo asked. ¡°The stuff I gave you before should have worn off by now.¡± ¡°No thank you,¡± I shook my head, testing my weight a little more. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Ji-woo didn¡¯t look entirely convinced, but she didn¡¯t push the subject. I hesitated for a moment before I turned back to the sleeping alcove. I grabbed my backpack and put it on, not willing to leave it unattended. Ji-woo didn¡¯t seem bothered by it, only motioning for me to follow with a tilt of her head. As we left the barrack, I realized there was another thing I had to take care of, and I stopped in my tracks. ¡°Um¡­¡± I stuttered, looking around. ¡°May I use the bathroom before we begin?¡± Ji-woo blinked, then nodded, pointing behind me. ¡°Of course. Down this hall, fourth door on your left. All the rooms are labeled, so it should be fairly obvious. When you¡¯re done, come find the room labeled ¡®Command Center.¡¯ It¡¯s the first room in this hall before the entry area. Give the door a few hard knocks and we¡¯ll let you in.¡± I gave a grateful nod, and turned to follow her instructions. Selene hopped after me, and I found myself glancing at her as I took my time walking. For some reason, I felt like I had something I wanted to ask her¡­ something about a dream? The more I tried to pin down the question, the more it seemed to flee my mind. Judging by how I¡¯d reacted when Ji-woo woke me up, I''d been having a nightmare. Which was completely unremarkable, so what exactly had I been meaning to ask Selene about? Frowning, I gave her another look. Nothing came to me, and I gave a mental shrug. It was probably nothing, but watching Selene hop next to me did bring up a sudden question. ¡°So¡­¡± I thought to her. ¡°Just how long can you stay manifested for, anyway?¡± [It depends how much mana you spend to first manifest me, but the general time limit is one hour. When your mana is full, however, I can tap into the overflow of what you are regenerating to keep myself manifested. I took the liberty of doing so while you were asleep. Also, do not forget that I can simply appear in your vision as just an apparition, though that will be distinguishable by my form appearing semi-transparent.] ¡°Right,¡± I nodded. ¡°It was a lot of information to take in at once¡­ but I guess now that we¡¯re safe, we have plenty of time for you to teach me everything.¡± [Indeed!] Selene¡¯s tails perked up. [After the officers ask their questions, I think it would be best to bring you up to speed on the things you¡¯ve let me hold back from you. Also, we can begin talking about a variety of other important things, such as your Magical Girl codename, how to spend your stat points, and the potential Vaults, Grimoires, and Skills you might want! And that isn¡¯t even going over things like daily, weekly, and monthly quests, or the rewards you have waiting for you once the Usurpation ends! There¡¯s going to be so much shopping open to do!] There was an infectious giddiness to Selene¡¯s voice that made me smile softly, and I felt myself getting a little excited. I¡¯d always liked planning out those sorts of things in video games, figuring out what sort of ¡°build¡± would work best for the character I was playing. It was weird to think of my future in those terms, but in a way¡­ it made me happier. Imagining myself not as who I was, but as some game protagonist made things seem so much more¡­ fun? Exciting? I wasn¡¯t quite sure what the correct word was, but it gave my stomach a little flutter of something. All I had to do was get through a few questions first. Then I could spend as much time as I wanted talking to Selene. I found the bathroom without trouble and freshened up. I could have spent some time making my hair less messy, but decided to just wet down some of the more unruly parts. It wasn¡¯t really something I cared about, but I figured it couldn¡¯t hurt to give a little attention to my appearance. Feeling refreshed and a little more confident, I left the bathroom and went searching for the command center. Ji-woo¡¯s directions made it easy, and the door¡¯s label reassured me I¡¯d found the right room. I knocked on the door, putting a little force into it like Ji-woo had told me. The door opened to reveal Ji-woo. She gave me a smile, gesturing for me to enter. ¡°Take a seat wherever you feel comfortable. We¡¯ve got the whole room to ourselves.¡± The room in question was fairly simple at first glance. It had a long conference table with chairs down its length. At the far end though, there was a desk and chair facing a wall of monitors and displays, all of them turned off but one in the center showing a camera feed of the shelter¡¯s entrance hallway. My eyes skimmed past all that to a man who was sitting at the conference table, and I recognized the older officer with the salt-and-pepper hair from before. He gave me a nod, gesturing to one of the seats across from him. I gave a slight bow in response before I went and took a seat, setting my backpack in an empty chair beside me. To my surprise, Ji-woo took the remaining empty seat beside me, giving me a quick smile. Selene, meanwhile, just jumped up onto the table, and I suppressed a grin as she spun around a few times before sitting down. ¡°I¡¯m Sergeant O¡¯Malley,¡± the man across from the table began once I was seated, ¡°and I¡¯d like to start by thanking you for deciding to talk with us. I know it can¡¯t be easy, but I can assure you that it is for a good reason.¡± I found myself frowning at that but only gave a nod in response. I wasn¡¯t sure what exactly he meant by that, but decided not to ask. Selene reacted in an equally curious way, her head tilting slightly. ¡°So, to begin with, I want to ask if you are familiar with the Usurpation Survival Act?¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley asked. ¡°It¡­ protects people from actions they take to survive an Usurpation,¡± I started, furrowing my brow as I tried to recall what I¡¯d been taught in class. ¡°It says that actions that may otherwise be illegal can be sanctioned if determined to be a reasonable measure used to survive the Usurpation, sir.¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley nodded, eyebrows raising slightly. That particular law was part of the reason I felt so comfortable with my liquor store trap earlier. Theoretically, something like that would be protected under the law, and the Arcadian government would be the one picking up the bill for the damages. That hadn¡¯t exactly filled me with complete confidence, considering I knew how slippery laws were in reality, but Selene had assured me at the time that if all else failed, my status as a Magical Girl would give me immunity. ¡°That¡¯s pretty much correct,¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley agreed. ¡°The reason I bring it up is to let you know that no matter what you might have done, I can almost certainly guarantee you that it will be considered legal. For instance, the ice axe you arrived with. I feel fairly confident you didn¡¯t come to the mall with it, meaning you had to, ah, requisition it. Something like that is no problem.¡± I felt my cheeks flush. I¡¯d almost completely forgotten I took that, and while stealing it was such a small thing compared to burning down the store, it still made me blush. ¡°I-¡± ¡°One last thing,¡± Ji-woo interrupted me gently. ¡°Normally, this kind of conversation should be done with your parents around, or even a lawyer. I want to stress that this is not a formal interview, and anything you say won¡¯t be recorded or reported officially. The only purpose of this conversation is to find out what conditions are like out there, and what tactics you used to survive. Do you understand?¡± The curiosity in me gained a worried edge to it, something in Ji-woo¡¯s voice giving her words a grim undertone, but I simply nodded in response. I glanced at Selene, whose tails had almost stopped moving completely. ¡°Selene, do you know what¡¯s going on?¡± [I do not believe so¡­ There have been a few irregularities about this Usurpation, but I deemed them irrelevant to your immediate survival to discuss. Now that you are safe, I am beginning to have suspicions. If you wish, I could analyze the data on the main computer terminal here while they question you.] ¡°You can hack computers?¡± I blinked in surprise. [As a Familiar, I share the access level you have as a Magical Girl. I am capable of interfacing with most magitech systems. Because the shelter belongs to the Arcadian government, I should have almost complete access to its information.] ¡°Oh¡­ then please find out what¡¯s going on.¡± Without further comment, Selene hopped across the table and onto the desk at the far end of the room. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as her tails extended towards the surface of the table and then went through it. Her posture stiffened slightly, and the main monitor with the camera feed flickered for a millisecond. The officers showed no sign of being aware of it, only staring at me intently. ¡°If there is anything that you are still bothered to share with us,¡± Ji-woo continued nonchalantly. ¡°Just add ¡®hypothetically¡¯ before you say what you did. I¡¯m not really sure if that actually works, but it can¡¯t be in all those TV shows if it doesn¡¯t, right?¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley let out an amused snort, and I gave a small smile even though I wasn¡¯t sure what she was talking about. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± I responded, settling into my chair a little more comfortably as the atmosphere relaxed. ¡°Well then,¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley glanced at Ji-woo for a second before giving me his full attention. ¡°Why don¡¯t we start at the beginning. Tell us what happened, and how you got here. Feel free to take as much time as you need.¡± I nodded, and began telling my rehearsed story starting with getting split up from Lily. To my surprise, I was stopped almost immediately. ¡°Just a moment,¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley said. ¡°You said you arrived here with your class?¡± ¡°Yes sir. It was a field trip for my entire grade.¡± ¡°And you were all on the third floor?¡± ¡°Yes sir. We were planning on working our way down as the day went on.¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley and Ji-woo shared a look, and I felt myself tensing up as something unspoken passed between them. They turned back to me a moment later, giving me a nod. ¡°Please continue.¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. After a moment of hesitation, I did. When I got to all the prep work I did in the sports store, I noticed Ji-woo¡¯s eyebrows raising, and even Sergeant O¡¯Malley looked vaguely impressed, giving a few nods. Then I got to my first encounter with an Anathema. That was where I started my editing. The only part that really changed was the Anathema actually hurting me. Instead, once it pounced on me, I got a lucky hit with the ice axe and killed it before it could do anything. Other than that, I didn¡¯t leave much out. Not about its freaky, serrated tail, or its slick black carapace, or the lamprey tongue it had, or its wicked claws, or- ¡°Mai?¡± Ji-woo interrupted softly. ¡°Do you need to take a break?¡± I looked up in surprise, suddenly aware how tightly my fists were clenched on the table. I could feel myself trembling, and a few spots of sweat had even formed on my brow. Quickly, I pulled my hands down to my lap and gave a jerky shake of my head. ¡°N-no. Sorry,¡± I looked down at the table. ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley replied, his granite firm voice somehow soothing. ¡°Those details about the creature could be extremely useful.¡± Again, I found myself frowning, and this time I didn¡¯t bother to hide it as I looked between them in obvious confusion. Why would any of that matter? It wasn¡¯t like he was out there fighting them, so why would he care about those things? ¡°Please, continue,¡± he insisted, ¡°and don¡¯t leave out any details about what kinds of Anathema you saw, or what they did.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± I started to ask, but found myself trailing off. In a way, it wasn¡¯t really my place, and it didn¡¯t really matter considering Selene would be able to tell me anything I wanted after this was over. Ignoring the tightening knot in my stomach, I continued, omitting a few key elements. I never had a gun, never encountered the lone hound that I dispatched, and the rest was mostly me sneaking around. When I got to leaving Brian in the first floor security room, I said I went to scout ahead and found a bunch of Anathema around the main area leading to the shelter. I took my time to explain each type, and found them nodding along. ¡°When I saw all of them, I knew sneaking past would be impossible, so¡­¡± I felt myself trailing off. Geez, I knew I wasn¡¯t going to get in trouble, but it didn¡¯t stop the anxiety tingling across my nerves. ¡°H-hypothetically,¡± I started, looking down at the table. ¡°I might have gathered a bunch of alarm clocks and set them off in a store to serve as a distraction.¡± I glanced up to gauge their reaction so far, but they didn¡¯t seem fazed. ¡°And¡­ hypothetically, it might have been a store with lots of expensive things inside that they would smash when they started looking for the alarms going off.¡± Again, no reaction. ¡°It also hypothetically might have been a liquor store, and I might have spilled some of the bottles in advance.¡± Now they were looking slightly confused but still not particularly upset, so I decided to just go for it. ¡°And I might have thrown a lighter into the store when all of them gathered inside. H-hypothetically.¡± They stared at me blankly, and I held my breath. Then Ji-woo burst out laughing while Sergeant O¡¯Malley just shook his head with a small smile playing across his face. I wasn¡¯t quite aware it was possible for my face to feel on fire from embarrassment until that moment, and so I chose to remain quiet while Ji-woo got her laugh under control. ¡°Well,¡± she said, eyes glittering. ¡°Hypothetically, if you had done that, it would be well within reason. I¡¯m guessing it had the desired effect?¡± I gave a relieved nod. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am. The ten or so Anathema lured into the store died. One of the wasps managed to make it out, though, and hit my leg with a stinger before it died. That¡¯s how I got wounded.¡± Slipping in the little lie there wasn¡¯t too hard. I figured hiding it with a bit of truth that I was embarrassed to admit would make it harder to spot, and neither of the officers seemed to give it a second thought. ¡°After that, it was just returning to Brian and bringing him to the shelter,¡± I shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s about it.¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley leaned back, scratching his chin thoughtfully. Ji-woo herself seemed to sober up, her smile fading as she looked at him. I risked a glance at the control panel, and my eyes widened as I saw Selene sitting there, facing me. Her head and all her tails were drooped, looking defeated. ¡°S-Selene? What¡¯s wrong?¡± [It¡­ ask them what exactly is going on. It would be worthwhile to see what they are willing to share, and I believe a more personable explanation might be better.] That made me raise my eyebrows as concern flooded through me. I glanced back at the two officers, both looking lost in thought. Steeling myself against my nerves, I took a quick breath. ¡°Could¡­ Could you tell me what¡¯s going on? None of this seems¡­ right, exactly. The way you framed everything, it feels like something is happening.¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley winced, shooting Ji-woo a glance. Biting her lip, she gave him a nod, and he let out a tired sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you some things, because you deserve to know, but I need your promise that you won¡¯t be spreading this around the shelter,¡± he said seriously. I gave him a nod, my breath catching at the sudden intensity in his voice. I wasn¡¯t sure why exactly I deserved to be informed on everything, but I assumed it would become clear with the explanation. ¡°All right¡­¡± he sighed. ¡°I guess the easiest way to explain this is to start at the beginning. When the Usurpation started, do you recall the message about the power supply being compromised?¡± It seemed like forever ago, but I did vaguely recall the message appearing right after the lights went off. I gave a nod, and he continued. ¡°Well, the power supply it was referring to was a magitech mana generator. From my understanding, there are generators stationed throughout Arcadia, and these generators are what power the shielding stations, the things that keep the Anathema from opening their portals and creating Usurpation zones with little to no warning. They still can open their rifts, obviously, but it makes it much tougher for them. Any portals they open are also much weaker, meaning they can¡¯t send in their strongest monsters right away.¡± ¡°The entire island is covered with shielding stations,¡± Ji-woo added. ¡°Even though they can punch through the shields to make a rift, it takes them a long time, and we can get up to an hour warning in advance.¡± ¡°But there was only a ten minute warning this time,¡± I frowned. They looked at each other for a moment, then O¡¯Malley gave a shrug. ¡°There¡¯s a reason for that¡­ but we¡¯ll get to that in a second. For now, what is important to note is that the generator giving energy to the shielding station suddenly stopped. We think that the reason this happened is because the generator is also responsible for powering the shelters during an Usurpation. We don¡¯t know why, exactly, but we think that when the shelters started coming online and drawing more power, the computer in charge of the generator must have thought it was being tampered with and triggered an emergency shutdown.¡± ¡°The biggest problem this caused is that the shielding stations rely on mana, the magical energy from that generator,¡± Ji-woo said, tapping the table in a slow rhythm. ¡°So when the generator went down, the shielding station went offline too. This let the Anathema start opening their portals early, as you noticed when the power went out. We were also told that when the generator initiated its emergency shutdown, it caused a surge of mana which is what tripped the mall¡¯s power and switched it to the backups. Understand so far?¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am¡­ But I don¡¯t understand what the problem is.¡± ¡°Well, the mana generator is also supposed to power the shelters. It sends the mana to the shielding station which then transfers it to the shelters. Normally, the generator going offline isn¡¯t a problem as the shelters can just draw from the city power grid. That¡¯s why this shelter isn¡¯t in some emergency power mode. In fact, the shelters themselves have their own batteries inside them as another backup, just in case. The problem¡­ is that shelter three initiated its emergency shield.¡± My brow knitted together in confusion. Why would that¡­? ¡°The shield doesn¡¯t just cover the doors,¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley explained quietly. ¡°It wraps the entirety of the shelter in a millimeter thin bubble, cutting through all the material around the shelter. It''s meant to protect from Anathema coming in from any angle, as I understand it, but it also means the shelter is entirely cut off from the outside. Power lines, air, and everything else has to be provided by the shelter and its battery.¡± Ji-woo met my eyes, and her hand reached out halfway to me on the table. ¡°Mai, the emergency shield takes lots of power to stay active,¡± she said slowly. ¡°Normally, the shielding station itself takes over powering emergency shields when they activate, but ours is offline. That means shelter three¡¯s shield is drawing the entirety of its power from the shelter¡¯s internal battery at an alarming rate. The same battery that is responsible for recycling the air and all the other life support functions in the shelter.¡± Realization dawned on me like a hammer, and the bottom of my stomach dropped. I could feel my heart pounding in my throat as Lily¡¯s smiling face flashed through my mind. Pushing past it all, I tried to form a coherent thought. ¡°W-what happens when they run out of power?¡± I asked. ¡°The shield will drop, and the shelter will use the last of its power to open its doors,¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley closed his eyes. ¡°They have a little less than four hours of power left, by our computer¡¯s estimate.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t the Usurpation be over by then? It¡¯s already been almost five hours, so shouldn¡¯t¡­?¡± I trailed off as I saw O¡¯Malley shaking his head slowly. ¡°Normally, yes, the Magical Girls would have the situation cleaned up by then. Even if it wasn¡¯t, the MS, the Magical Soldiers, would be able to do an emergency evacuation. That won¡¯t be happening though for the same reason we only got a ten minute warning before this Usurpation.¡± ¡°This Usurpation isn¡¯t localized, Mai,¡± Ji-woo said, her eyes flicking up to meet mine. ¡°That¡¯s how the Anathema got their rifts to open so quickly. They attacked multiple points across the city to reduce the shielding stations¡¯ effectiveness. Instead of punching through at one specific place, they¡¯ve essentially tried to attack everywhere at the same time to overwhelm the city¡¯s shield network. And it worked.¡± Ji-woo took a small breath, as if steeling her nerves before she continued. ¡°As of five hours ago, dozens of areas across the island of Arcadia were usurped from reality, and every single Magical Girl and soldier is already busy fighting to retake control.¡± Slowly, I felt myself sink deeper into my chair, too stunned to speak. ¡°It sounds bad, and it probably is,¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley gave a helpless shrug. ¡°Using the communication equipment here, we were able to contact the city¡¯s defense headquarters and talk to a Magical Guardian about all this. He assured us the situation is under control, if not a little chaotic. They''re confident they can fend off the attack, but it¡¯s going to take them time.¡± [That lines up with my analysis, though I do not have access to the situation at large,] Selene chimed in. [Arcadia is a base of operations for the Magical Soldiers who get their equipment directly from Guardians, meaning many are stationed here. Besides having overwhelming numbers, dozens of Magical Girls call Arcadia their home. Breaking through Arcadia¡¯s two-fold barrier system will have made sure the Usurpations that have occurred are relatively low in intensity. There are even plans in place for scenarios such as this.] Right¡­ Sometimes, it was hard to remember Arcadia was one of the seven sanctuary islands created by the Zenith themselves. The city was a literal haven spanning most of the island, and Arcadia was home to people from North America, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, and Oceania. I wasn¡¯t too sure how many people lived in Arcadia, but I knew even the smallest of the sanctuary cities boasted a population of over fifty million, which spoke volumes just how safe the city was when the Anathema actively targeted large cities. So it did make sense that the Anathema were being fought off, that there were safeguards in place, but if this really wasn¡¯t some huge crisis¡­ ¡°If everything''s under control,¡± I began, trying to work through the situation, ¡°why can¡¯t they send a rescue team to evacuate the shelter?¡± ¡°The shielding station,¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley shook his head. ¡°When it went down, it was like ringing a dinner bell for the Anathema. They¡¯d been expecting a shielded area to usurp and instead were suddenly given relatively free access. They took the opportunity to immediately start opening rifts all along the perimeter of the area, turning this area into a sort of beachhead for them. They¡¯re pushing outwards, making it hard for anyone to come to our aid. From what I was told, everyone is currently tied up trying to keep them from expanding their area of control or putting out other Usurpations before they can turn into problem areas and stretch resources even more.¡± ¡°The only saving grace of the situation,¡± Ji-woo said. ¡°Is that we are right at the center, and the Anathema are focused on establishing their perimeter and spreading outward. Theoretically, there should be relatively few Anathema actually in the mall, and they shouldn¡¯t be that strong either. Not if they¡¯re sending their best to fight on the frontlines, anyway.¡± ¡°Which is why we had to talk to you,¡± Sergeant O''Malley said with a sigh. ¡°We needed to know what kinds of Anathema you saw and how they behaved, because while nobody can break through to us, we actually have a decent shot of resolving this situation ourselves. Now that a few hours have passed, there should only be a few Anathema left in the immediate vicinity, and any that are will be the dregs. It gives us an actual chance of sending someone to sneak to the mana generator and turn it on. If we can do that, it should cause an automatic restart of the shielding station, which will not only help stop the Anathema from growing stronger but also start powering shelter three¡¯s emergency shield.¡± ¡°I know all of this must be hard for you to hear,¡± Ji-woo gently added, ¡°but I promise you, we¡¯re going to do our best to save your classmates and everyone else in their shelter. Thanks to what you¡¯ve told us, we have an even better chance than we did before.¡± Images flashed through my mind of the Anathema I¡¯d seen so far, and I felt my breath leave me. Closing my eyes, I directed my thoughts towards Selene as nausea built up inside me. ¡°Selene, if they encountered an Anathema¡­¡± [Mundane weaponry is still capable of killing Anathema, but they would lack the stopping power your silverbane bullets carry. The chance of them getting injured before putting one down is significantly higher. Against something bigger, like the gorilla you faced, they would have an exceedingly difficult time putting it down without hitting a vital area.] I shook my head. Their plan¡­ it wasn¡¯t like there was anything wrong with it, but that was just because there just wasn¡¯t a better one. It relied almost entirely on luck and stealth, and if they did encounter an Anathema, they would have to win as quickly as possible without suffering any injuries. With normal weapons, though, how likely was that? And if they did get injured, what would the chances be that it¡¯s an injury they could just shrug off and keep going? Even if they made it to the generator and turned it on, they would still have to sneak all the way back. No. This was all to save hundreds of people, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that what they were talking about was little more than a suicide mission. For them, at least. ¡°Selene, if you can interface with magitech, could you go restart the generator? [Unfortunately, no. There are security precautions and defenses that prevent magical constructs from accessing critical systems. It is a measure meant to protect against the more intelligent Anathema, but it unfortunately also prevents full access to me as well.] ¡°Okay¡­ how much better of a chance would this plan have if I was the one who went?¡± [Their plan itself is based on sound reasoning, and with the advantages of being a Magical Girl, even without having access to the protection provided by your Astral Shift, I feel confident in success. Not only do you have better weaponry, access to a variety of first-aid solutions, and an Augment that gives you incredible combat capabilities, but I would also be able to scout ahead. Even if you could not complete the mission, I see very few circumstances in which you would not be able to retreat if I did discover something insurmountable.] I opened my eyes and felt a strange calm set over me as I considered my thoughts. The pounding anxiety and fear in me hadn¡¯t disappeared, merely settling into the pit of my stomach and my nerves in a low, keening edge. It was a familiar sensation, the feeling of thinly veiled danger and preparing myself to willingly enter it. It wasn¡¯t easy to accept, it never was, but there was no point agonizing about it when it was just the way things were. Besides, when I thought about all those people in the shelter, people like Lily or Brian¡¯s sister, what choice did I really have? I was a Magical Girl now, even if I didn¡¯t have all the fancy tools available. Having Selene to scout ahead was already a huge advantage, and that didn¡¯t even account for me being able to just summon anything I might need if a problem arose. Sure, it would cost points, but I had over a hundred of those to spend on preparations alone. It all felt a little surreal. I had fought tooth and nail to get to the shelter in an effort just to survive. Even becoming a Magical Girl hadn¡¯t really been much of a choice, not when the alternative was dying. Yet here I was, about to propose a plan that would have me walking back out into danger. But maybe this wasn¡¯t much of a choice either, not when the alternative was letting somebody go to what could very well be their death, and not when it might mean hundreds of people dying. And not when it meant losing the only friend I had. ¡°Well,¡± Ji-woo said softly. ¡°Thank you again for sharing with us, Mai. I know you must be worried about your classmates now, but we really do have a good chance at saving them. I¡¯ll take you back to the barracks now. Hopefully you can get a little more rest, and I promise to let you know the second we have any news.¡± ¡°Can I¡­ just have a moment?¡± I asked. Ji-woo nodded without hesitating, and I took a slow, steadying breath. ¡°Selene. I want to be the one to go out there and restart the mana generator. Is that¡­ okay?¡± [I have no objections, but even if I did, you are the Magical Girl. I am your Familiar, meant to help you achieve whatever you wish. You do not need my permission, and I think you may be surprised by just how much authority your new status grants you outside our relationship.] ¡°Right¡­¡± I said, giving myself a mental shake. ¡°I guess I¡¯m still adjusting. You don¡¯t think this is a stupid plan or anything, though? That I shouldn¡¯t be risking my life like this?¡± [Risking your life is part of your new job description, and doing it to save others is the best reason there is. I can also assure you that if I found something you were planning to be sub-optimal, I would let you know. Loudly. Perhaps with fireworks, if necessary.] I fought down a smile, my eyes flicking to where Selene sat on the desk in front of all the computer monitors. ¡°So¡­ how do I do this? I¡¯ll have to let them know I¡¯m a Magical Girl, obviously, but¡­¡± [The police have protocols in place for protecting the personal identity of Magical Girls in situations like this,] Selene explained, jumping over onto the conference table and sitting down between the three of us. [There are also various magics and technology that monitor for anyone who might be trying to reveal such things, though I doubt any of that matters considering how well these two have behaved so far. As for how to tell them, might I suggest something appropriately dramatic?] I listened to her idea, my face reddening, but I nodded anyway. Then I slowly turned, looking between Ji-woo and Sergeant O¡¯Malley. I couldn¡¯t believe how nervous I was feeling, considering what I was planning to do even later. Still, for some reason this gave me more anxiety than the idea of going back out to face a bunch of Anathema. ¡°Sergeant O¡¯Malley, Officer Oh, I, um¡­¡± I stuttered. ¡°I¡¯m really thankful for everything you¡¯ve done for me and¡­ I have something else to share, but it needs to remain as secret as possible.¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley¡¯s brow furrowed, and Ji-woo looked even more confused now. Still, she gave me a nod. ¡°Of course, Mai. Like we said, this isn¡¯t a formal interview or anything like that, so please share whatever you think might help.¡± I bobbed my head in assent. Then, following Selene¡¯s instructions, I raised my hand dramatically over the table, hovering it over where Selene was sitting. Considering how short I was, even with me sitting in a chair, it looked more than a little ridiculous how high I had to raise my hand, and I felt myself blushing further. Taking a deep breath, I said the next words with as much confidence as I could muster. ¡°Come forth, Selene!¡± To my surprise, violet light appeared on the table beneath Selene, forming into the familiar magic circle with a seven-pointed star. Purple motes began to gather, forming around Selene in a glow as it gradually covered her entire form. Then, with an intense flash of light, the heptagram and glow vanished out of existence, leaving Selene sitting there alone and unchanged. Judging by the way both Sergeant O¡¯Malley and Ji-woo flinched back and were now looking at Selene with wide eyes, though, I was guessing they were now able to see her. Selene¡¯s nine tails slowly unfolded behind her, each one waving independently with a slow, ethereal grace. [Greetings,] Selene said, and both of them flinched again. [It is a pleasure to properly meet you both, and I thank you for taking such good care of my Magical Girl.] Slowly, Ji-woo turned to look at me, and it was then that I realized I was going to have a lot more explaining to do. Chapter 15 - Decisions Sergeant O¡¯Malley stood out of his chair and immediately saluted. ¡°Miss,¡± he said respectfully, and I blinked in surprise. Ji-woo seemed to pick up on it a second later, repeating the gesture and leaving me confused. Selene turned, looking between me and the officers. [Some explanation is in order. Officers, I am afraid that my Magical Girl is entirely new, having only been contracted five hours ago. There are a few other irregularities, but it is safe to say she is ignorant when it comes to protocol or other facets of being a Magical Girl. Perhaps it would be best to eschew formalities in favor of efficiency. Please, sit while we continue this discussion.] That seemed to make something click in Ji-woo¡¯s brain, and her hand lowered from the salute as she sat back down. Sergeant O¡¯Malley followed suit, giving a frown, and I nervously adjusted myself in my seat. ¡°Irregularities?¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley asked, and Selene looked at me. [Mai,] she started, and somehow, I could tell she was only sending her voice to me. [Do you wish for me to continue taking the lead in this? If so, how much do you wish me to share with them?] ¡°I¡¯m not really sure what would be best,¡± I thought back. ¡°So it makes the most sense if you lead. As for sharing information, I suppose¡­ Tell them whatever you think is relevant? About what¡¯s happened in the mall, that is.¡± I hurriedly added the last part, remembering Selene mentioning having all kinds of information on me from scouting me out as a Magical Girl candidate. While I was pretty sure Selene wouldn¡¯t just go spilling whatever personal information she¡¯d gathered, I also wasn¡¯t about to take chances. Especially not when I wasn¡¯t sure just what she knew or what she might think was best for me. Selene¡¯s head bobbed towards me in affirmation, and somehow I got the feeling that she¡¯d sensed the general direction of my thoughts. She turned back to the two officers. [Yes, irregularities,] she picked up from Sergeant O¡¯Malley¡¯s question. [Due to some unfortunate circumstances, Mai is unable to use her Astral Shift. If standard procedure holds true, then I believe you are familiar with both the term and implications?] Sergeant O¡¯Malley gave a nod while Ji-woo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait, but that means-¡± [That Mai did in fact fight multiple Anathema without protection or most of her enhanced abilities, yes,] one of Selene¡¯s tails flicked in annoyance. [Besides using the Gate to summon materials, she otherwise fought in a fairly mundane manner. More than that, while the story she gave is mostly accurate, one major point of correction is that the liquor store trap did not get all the Anathema. Mai was left to fight off seven of them on her own, along with a lone hound on the way. Her total Anathema kill count currently rests at sixteen, including the one she killed before I made an emergency contract with her to save her from a near fatal injury. I¡¯m afraid her first fight to protect Brian did not go as smoothly as originally reported, either.] Ji-woo paled, and turned to look at me in horror. Even Sergeant O¡¯Malley flicked in my direction, his face tight. Not really knowing what to do with the attention, I looked down to the table. I wasn¡¯t quite sure why Selene had opted to tell them all of that, and the reminder of my first encounter made a knot of nausea swirl in my stomach. [Needless to say, while Mai is still inexperienced and only operating with a fraction of the power and practically no protection, she has still exhibited high levels of natural talent, courage, and a unique ability to adapt and overcome the situations placed in front of her.] My cheeks started burning as I looked up at Selene in surprise. I knew she was vastly overselling my abilities, that without her acting as a scout and advisor, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to accomplish anything. Still, her words made warmth bloom in my chest, and I shifted slightly. [Naturally, with the direness of the current situation, it would only make sense to offer our abilities. Mai and I believe your plan to have a decent chance of succeeding, but with a few alterations, there will be a much higher chance of success.] Sergeant O¡¯Malley gave a respectful nod. ¡°Of course, Miss Selene. We would be happy to hear your recommendations.¡± [Very good,] she paused, for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts. [First, I would recommend contacting Guardian Command and getting any updated information we can.] ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s not possible,¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley replied. ¡°As you might have noticed, this shelter¡¯s security is understaffed right now. We already sent out a group in an attempt to restart the mana generator, near the start of the usurpation. The person in charge, Sergeant Price, was a former magical soldier and technically the officer in charge of the shelter. She left her access card behind, but that card alone isn¡¯t enough to engage the communications equipment.¡± I looked up in surprise at the revelation. If they¡¯d already sent people and none of them came back¡­ no, they said it was near the start of the Usurpation. They must have made a gamble, sending a larger force to break through the Anathema when they would still be relatively weak, if not probably more numerous. It still left them the backup sneaking plan, effectively giving them two separate shots at restarting the generator. Knowing that people had already gone and had failed made my stomach muscles clench tighter. I did my best to ignore that, instead focusing on the second part of his explanation. ¡°You mentioned before about talking to a Magical Guardian,¡± I said. ¡°But I thought Usurpation zones cut off communications.¡± ¡°Yes and no,¡± he shrugged. ¡°Internet and cellular devices don¡¯t work. Radios only work within the zone but tend to be spotty. The only exception is landlines and advanced magitech devices. Mega shelters are built with direct lines to Guardian Command for obvious reasons.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± I squirmed uncomfortably at having to ask another question. ¡°What exactly is Guardian Command?¡± [It¡¯s the city¡¯s headquarters,] Selene explained. [There, the volunteers of the Guardians¡¯ Association, who are in charge of the Magical Soldiers, help coordinate the war on the Anathema. Some unbound Familiars provided by the Zenith and Magical Guardians with support skill sets assist from there as well.] ¡°With Arcadia not belonging to any one nation,¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley added, ¡°you can sort of think of the Association as Arcadia¡¯s military, but their only purpose is to fight the Anathema. Guardian Command is the name for the hub of all their local efforts. That¡¯s why mega shelters have direct communication lines there, just in case of an emergency.¡± [That is more or less accurate,] Selene¡¯s tails mimed a shrug. [As for the issue of accessing the communications equipment, I am happy to say it will not be an issue. As a Magical Girl, Mai has all the proper credentials, and the biometric lock will be able to recognize her.] I blinked, but then realization dawned on me. If I was remembering correctly, I had gotten a notification after my contract ceremony mentioning something about my credentials being updated. It had said a bunch of other things too, but I¡¯d never really gotten the chance to ask Selene about any of it. I made a mental note, adding it to the list of questions to ask. ¡°That certainly makes things easier,¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley nodded. ¡°And I agree, getting updated information would be ideal.¡± [Excellent¡­] she paused, as if hesitating for a moment before continuing in her usual serene tone. [Assuming we do not learn anything to make us rethink or otherwise abandon the original plan, the next step seems obvious: Mai will be the one to go and restart the generator.] ¡°What!?¡± Ji-woo, who had been looking down at the table with a disturbed expression ever since Selene¡¯s explanation of events, suddenly interrupted in a startled voice. She looked at Selene like she was out of her mind. Sergeant O¡¯Malley, for his part, had a grim expression on his face. ¡°Ji-woo-¡± he started. ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Ji-woo said, shaking her head. ¡°You just told us she¡¯s operating without most of what makes her a Magical Girl, and you want to throw her back out there?¡± I felt my hands clench on top of my kneecaps as something ugly flickered in my chest. She wasn¡¯t wrong, but- [There are a few reasons this makes the most sense,] Selene continued calmly. [First, Mai will be able to use me as a scout, effectively neutralizing all but the most necessary encounters as I can telepathically communicate directly to her. I am also virtually invisible to Anathema and utterly silent. Finding an optimal route will be trivial.] ¡°The mana generator is in the basement level,¡± Ji-woo countered. ¡°It¡¯s mostly maintenance rooms or administrative offices for the mall, but connecting everything is a maze of long, narrow corridors. There might not be any way to completely avoid a fight or even keep Mai hidden, and fighting in confined spaces is not easy even for someone with training.¡± [That actually will work for the better. The narrow corridors will give Mai¡¯s unique fighting style a decisive advantage.] She blinked, looking confused. It took me a moment to realize that I had arrived at the shelter with the ice axe, and she might be thinking that was what I used. I reached to my left, opening my backpack from where I¡¯d set it on the seat. Starting to rummage through it and moving my spare clothes out of the way, I paused as I realized I was about to pull out a gun in front of two police officers. ¡°Um¡­¡± I said, then switched to thinking directly to Selene. ¡°I won¡¯t get in trouble for showing them this, will I?¡± [You are a Magical Girl, and your legal status has been vastly upgraded,] Selene sent back to me. [Something as simple as owning a gun is trivial. Each Guardian has, for all intents and purposes, the same legal rights as their own sovereign nation. It was decided by Earth nations that trying to legally restrict people with almost unlimited capabilities for destruction was a bad idea, especially when they were chosen as protectors by a vastly superior alien race. Instead, the current stance of most nations could be best described as appeasement: Don¡¯t interfere with Magical Guardians and give them whatever they ask for within reason. Guardians also tend to suffer from MCS due to the unique blend of personality traits that qualify them to be Guardians in the first place, and placating them generally saves everyone a lot of problems.] I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what ¡°MCS¡± was, but the rest sort of made sense. Aggravating not only people who were trying to protect humanity but also were capable of using magic to cause all sorts of damage seemed like a poor idea. It made me wonder what would happen if a Guardian tried to abuse the sort of power and legal immunity they were granted, but that was probably why the Zenith investigated the Magical Girl candidates so thoroughly beforehand in the first place. ¡°So,¡± I gave myself a mental shake. ¡°It¡¯s okay for me to have a gun?¡± [Yes, though like we discussed earlier, the optics behind your choice of weapons is sure to garner an emotional reaction,] Selene gave a tail shrug. [I would recommend warning them first.] ¡°Okay,¡± I said aloud, clearing my throat. ¡°I¡¯m pulling out a weapon, so¡­ please don¡¯t be surprised.¡± Both of the officers had curious looks on their faces, and I very slowly and very carefully pulled out my gun. Keeping careful track of where the muzzle was pointed at all times, I gently set it down on the table in front of me. Seeing the gun, both of them froze for a moment, but made no other visible move other than to stare. There was no magazine in it, and the slide was clearly locked open, hopefully making them feel a little more at ease. I felt myself letting out an internal sigh of relief when neither made any comments or moved towards it. [As you can see,] Selene interrupted the stunned silence. [Mai utilizes a firearm. This is how she was able to defeat all the other Anathema even without the majority of her abilities. In long, narrow corridors, Mai will have a distinct advantage of her opponents being unable to dodge.] ¡°But¡­¡± Ji-woo shook herself from staring at the gun. ¡°That would hold true for any of us.¡± [Yes, but Mai has an ¡°Umbra¡± which utilizes 9mm silverbane ammunition. The stopping power against an Anathema is several magnitudes greater. Against the lower level Anathema we are expecting to face, this will prove a crucial difference.] ¡°In that case it would make more sense if Mai let us borrow her gun and ammunition,¡± Ji-woo pointed out. ¡°We have firearm training and experience that Mai probably doesn¡¯t.¡± I found myself clenching my teeth. Ji-woo arguing made me both frustrated that she wasn¡¯t listening to Selene but also¡­ weird, that she was fighting so hard to keep me safe. It was an uncomfortable, fluttery feeling that gave a weird core to my building frustration. Not to mention, even though I¡¯d been fine with Selene taking the lead, having everyone talk like I wasn¡¯t even in the room felt¡­ well, not out of place, but dishearteningly familiar. I wasn¡¯t sure if Selene sensed some of my emotions, because she looked at me for a moment, then back to the two officers. [While Mai does not have access to her full abilities, one that she does have gives her a distinct advantage to the handling and accuracy of firearms. I will not divulge any more information on that matter and am exercising my authority to place this information under a ¡°Direct Permission Only¡± lock. Any sharing or reporting of this is strictly forbidden regardless of the situation without first getting Mai¡¯s permission. To enforce this, I will be contacting Guardian Command as soon as appropriate to prepare a Geas sealing all information that may be shared or learned of Mai¡¯s capabilities during this situation, releasable only with her direct consent.] Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. That got a reaction, and both of them stiffened in surprise. There was a sudden tension in the air, and I swallowed. ¡°What¡¯s a Geas?¡± I thought to Selene. [A magical contract. They will be bound to it and unable to break its terms whether they wish to or not. Not even torture or other magical means will be able to get them to break the terms.] ¡°Selene!¡± I gasped aloud, causing both officers to react to flinch at my sudden outburst. ¡°That seems¡­¡± [This has to do with your unique circumstances,] she turned to face me, still only speaking in my head. [I understand it may seem extreme without context, but I would also like to point out this will protect them. Nobody will be able to force them to divulge this information. You are still very, very new to your role as a Magical Girl, Mai, and I intend to do all I can to protect you. Information on the specifics of your combat abilities, especially your unique Augment, needs to stay as secret as possible.] ¡°I¡­¡± shaking my head, I tried to parse what Selene was telling me. I understood my abilities were an important, personal aspect of who I was as a Magical Girl, but why all the secrecy? Who exactly was out there that Selene was trying to protect me from? Just general public scrutiny? Or¡­ ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley sighed, and I turned to him in astonishment. ¡°In a way, this is easier. The Geas will warn us if we even come close to accidentally giving away information, and if your Familiar thinks it¡¯s that important, I¡¯m not about to argue. Besides, it¡¯s hardly the first Geas we¡¯ve signed.¡± Ji-woo let out a snort, and I turned to her. ¡°All Arcadian police officers sign a Geas that prevents them from sharing the personal identities of a Magical Guardian unless they¡¯ve labeled themselves as ¡®public.¡¯ It¡¯s a general and far-reaching Geas so it isn¡¯t as strong or effective, but it does help quite a bit. Besides, if your Familiar thinks it¡¯s necessary, I have no problems with it.¡± Ji-woo gave me a gentle smile, and again, a warm fluttery feeling went through me. I gave a numb nod in response. She turned back to looking at Selene, the smile slipping from her face. ¡°This doesn¡¯t change the fact that I still don¡¯t think Mai should be the one who goes out there,¡± Ji-woo told Selene. ¡°Especially not alone.¡± [With reconnaissance, silent communication, and superior weaponry, it only makes the most sense. Even if Mai were to get hurt, she has access to advanced first aid. The only reason she arrived hurt to this shelter was to help disguise her identity. In reality, she can heal most simple injuries in minutes. As for why Mai should do this alone, her access to ammunition and first aid is not unlimited. While Mai has enough resources to heal and arm herself, even one additional person would greatly strain her current reserves. This is also a stealth mission, meaning additional people greatly increases the chance of discovery. Finally, if Mai needs to fight, long narrow hallways will limit the effectiveness of multiple fighters and even potentially endanger her if she needs to run.] Ji-woo was visibly clenching her teeth now, giving Selene a hard stare. I felt the frustration reach a critical mass in me. I was a little surprised how well Selene had managed to express all the reasons I myself thought this was the best idea, but I suppose I shouldn¡¯t be. She had told me she was my Familiar, personally customized based on information gathered on me and my personality, so it made sense she would be arguing the same points I¡¯d thought of. Besides, I really did think this was the best possible plan. Which was part of why it was making me frustrated Ji-woo wasn¡¯t listening, even if she was trying to keep me safe. I wasn¡¯t sure why that mattered so much to her, even if it did make me feel fuzzy to hear her fighting so fervently, but my safety was not the priority here. ¡°Ji-woo,¡± I said, forcing myself to look at her. ¡°I appreciate you trying to keep me safe, but¡­ I am a Magical Girl. Even if I¡¯m new, inexperienced, and don¡¯t have access to my complete abilities, this kind of thing is what I¡¯m supposed to be doing, and this is the best possible choice.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley added, and both Ji-woo and I turned to him in shock. ¡°She stands the best shot at doing this without getting killed or even discovered at all. Besides, even if both of us disagreed, it¡¯s not like we can do anything to stop her. Miss Selene was nice enough to discuss this with us, but in the end, Mai is the Magical Girl. We don¡¯t have any authority over her, and technically, she outranks us.¡± Ji-woo¡¯s hands clenched, and she looked down at the table. Even though she clearly wasn¡¯t happy, she had a thoughtful look on her face. I gave Selene a questioning glance. [In the sanctuary cities and most nations, Magical Girls theoretically hold a special rank that is more or less equivalent to a captain in the army,] she sent me. [It helps them cut through red tape and requisition the supplies or forces they might need. We could have just ordered them to let us do this alone, but that seemed both rude and unnecessary.] Ji-woo finally let out a sigh, and I turned to find her looking at me. ¡°Mai, if this is what you think is best,¡± she said hesitantly, ¡°then alright. I just want to make sure this is what you really want to do.¡± My brow furrowed in confusion. What did it matter if this is what I wanted? People were going to die if I didn¡¯t. Lily was going to die. I had the best chance of success, and that was that. Besides, I trusted Selene and even thought she was right. I¡¯d be able to avoid any real danger with her help, and¡­ what did it matter if I did get hurt, so long as I was able to save those people? Instead of vocalizing my thoughts, I just gave her a nod. She slumped a little, but still managed to give me a weak smile. ¡°Alright¡­ in that case, we should probably contact Guardian Command. Maybe they have some update and all this won¡¯t even be necessary.¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley gave a snort at that, shaking his head. ¡°As if we¡¯d be so lucky,¡± he said, standing up and walking over to the desk facing all the monitors. I got up and followed with Ji-woo behind me. There was a keyboard on the desk along with a few touch screens displaying various menus. Sergeant O¡¯Malley reached over and pressed a few buttons, prompting a message to display on the main display saying ¡°Verification needed. Please submit credentials.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± the sergeant gestured to one of the screens on the desk where a handprint was now displayed. ¡°Just put your hand here and we should be connected. We had an actual Magical Guardian respond last time, but there¡¯s no telling if we¡¯re going to get the same person.¡± [Before we call, do you remember the name of the Guardian?] Selene asked, having jumped over to balance on the back of the unoccupied chair in front of the desk. ¡°I believe he said his name was¡­ Error Machina?¡± Selene froze in that eerie way she¡¯d done before, going completely still as if somebody had pressed a magic pause button on her. Her tails stopped their constant, graceful wavering, freezing in place with unnatural stillness. I felt my heart skip a beat, but before I could ask her what was wrong, her tails resumed their movement. It might have been my imagination, but they seemed to be moving slightly faster than before. Selene turned to look at me. [Mai,] she said, and I could tell her voice was being sent only to me. [Getting in contact with Error Machina would be ideal. Nevertheless, I would request that I take the lead in talking to him. I apologize, but with the things I have not yet explained, there are subjects that we should avoid discussing.] ¡°Why?¡± I frowned at her. [Magical Guardians are, by their nature, very private people. The best explanation I can give is that they act very much like ¡°solo-players¡± in video games. They tend to only work well in specific groups, and are otherwise incredibly competitive. Sometimes, that competitive spirit can turn into something more hostile.] I blinked, but then began to think about it and realized what Selene was talking about. Killing Anathema gave points and experience, and even though I¡¯d barely touched online gaming, I was already all too aware of how selfish people could get when it came to getting the best possible rewards. In the real world, I could easily imagine how that would be amplified. Still¡­ ¡°That makes sense, but... aren¡¯t we all trying to defend humanity from the Anathema?¡± [Yes¡­ but there are caveats. Gathering points and experience is always more efficient alone if not more risky. Usually, a Guardian working solo is also more efficient considering the vast amount of places and people that need to be protected. I mentioned this before, but Guardians also tend to have very unique personalities. As with anything, this causes friction, and Guardians are hardly monolithic in their beliefs or goodwill. For every kind and selfless Guardian, there is also one who is the direct opposite.] ¡°How did they even become a Guardian then?¡± I asked with a frown. ¡°Isn¡¯t that contradictory?¡± [The qualifications are complicated, but the primary ideological requirement is that a person has shown they are willing to fight the Anathema and would use their powers to do so. There are, of course, other key traits, but fighting Anathema is always the main focus. So long as their personality and behaviors are not overly problematic or unsavory, there is much leeway. I suppose what I am trying to tell you is that just because a Guardian is your ally in fighting Anathema, they are not necessarily your friend, and they might not have your best interests in mind. And for you¡­] She trailed off, then her head shook lightly. [No. This is not the time, and because we should be talking to Error Machina, I suspect he will understand your situation and be accommodating. What I wanted to warn you about is giving away information about your Magical Girl capabilities. Until I have had time to fully apprise you of your situation, it would be best if I took the lead and you only share what I allow. I understand this seems¡­ overly cautious, but all I can do is assure you once again that the secrets I am keeping are to keep you focused on your current predicament.] ¡°I¡­¡± I let out a tired sigh. ¡°I trust you, but this secret keeping is getting frustrating, Selene. I get that right now the reason I can¡¯t transform and everything else you¡¯re keeping from me doesn¡¯t matter, but it really doesn¡¯t feel great, especially not when it¡¯s starting to feel like the things you¡¯ve been avoiding all have to do with something¡­ bad.¡± [No.] Selene said the single word with such forcefulness that I actually jerked my head back. Her voice rang through my head and I felt my eyes widening as she continued in the same tone. [It is NOT a bad thing. Your circumstances are complicated and are certainly going to bring up challenges, difficulties, and frustrations, but it is NOT a bad thing. If I was being unclear about that, I apologize. The sole reason I have not informed you is that none of these complications deserve to occupy your time or effort at the moment, not when there is nothing that can be done about them and they aren¡¯t causing further issues.] ¡°O-okay¡­¡± I replied, still stunned at her ferocity. ¡°I guess that makes sense¡­¡± There was an awkward silence between us, and suddenly Ji-woo let out a cough. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m missing something, but are you two alright? You¡¯ve just been staring at each other for a while now, and I know you can talk to each other telepathically but¡­¡± I felt myself begin to blush, and Sergeant O¡¯Malley let out a laugh. ¡°Imagine if officers weren¡¯t told Guardians could do that,¡± he chuckled, turning to Ji-woo. ¡°You do get used to it after awhile, Guardians just staring into the middle distance or stopping mid sentence for long moments. My favorites are the ones who talk out loud to their Familiars, though. You get half the conversation, and it''s fun to imagine what their Familiar is saying.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± I quickly replied, my face tomato red. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to be rude.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± Ji-woo hurriedly assured me. ¡°Just wanted to make sure everything was all right.¡± I nodded, flicking my eyes back to Selene. ¡°I¡¯m fine with you leading, and I¡¯ll make sure not to share anything without asking you about it first.¡± [Thank you,] she bowed her head. [I just want to keep you as safe as reasonably possible.] I nodded at her. After everything we¡¯d already been through, I had no reason to disbelieve her. She¡¯d already saved my life, but more than that she¡­ always seemed to know what I needed. When I¡¯d broken down outside of the shelter at seeing it being shielded, she¡¯d helped me pick myself back up and keep fighting to survive. She¡¯d done the same after my first time killing an Anathema with a gun, and then she¡¯d even managed to help me work through defeating fourteen Anathema at once. No, Selene was more than just my impartial advisor. She was¡­ so much more, even if I couldn¡¯t find the right word. Besides, it¡¯s not like Selene¡¯s exactly human. She doesn¡¯t exactly see me like everybody else does¡­ Maybe that¡¯s why I find myself talking to her so naturally. I certainly don¡¯t speak this well to normal people¡­ I pulled myself from my reflection, with a shake of my head. Then I raised my hand, hovering it over the display for a moment. ¡°Oh,¡± I blinked. ¡°I meant to ask this earlier, but you were talking about this Guardian, Error Machina like you knew him.¡± [I have access to vast amounts of information including dossiers on every Magical Guardian who exists. It only contains information on their public activities and anything they have willingly made available, but it is more than enough in this case. I am not allowed to give you specifics or the files themselves, but I can make general recommendations or share things accessible by the public. In this case, I am certain he will be an ally.] ¡°And it won¡¯t be a problem revealing myself to him without my transformation?¡± [While you should generally avoid it when possible, it is warranted in this case. Also, revealing the personal identity of another Magical Guardian without their permission is one of the few universal taboos Guardians have agreed upon. While not an official rule, there are Guardians that would go out of their way to punish anyone who does such a thing out of malice. Still, it is best not to tempt fate, and I would recommend extreme caution showing yourself untransformed to Guardians when not necessary.] I nodded, taking in one last deep breath to steady myself before I placed my hand on the screen. The main display switched to a ¡°Scanning¡­¡± screen, quickly followed by ¡°Authentication Approved. Attempting to contact.¡± After a few moments, it flashed, changing once again to show a man sitting behind a desk. The area beyond him was out of focus of the camera, obscuring his surroundings, but that was just as well as my eyes were immediately drawn to his outfit. He wore a skintight suit in deep green with darker pieces of gleaming glass-like armor over his chest, shoulders, and gauntleted hands. Glowing lines of emerald lit up his outfit in a pattern almost like circuits, thrumming with light. His hair was another shade of moss green, but his face was covered by a completely featureless and slightly angular black mask made of a shining metal. There were no bumps, protrusions, or even eye holes on it, giving it an intimidating visage. The man¡¯s head rocked back a little as the camera came online, his head whipping to Selene. Then he slowly turned to look down at me. Even through the monitor, I could feel a suddenly intense gaze as he took me in. He said nothing, and I shifted nervously as the tension built. Suddenly, his mask split apart into four separate pieces, pulling itself apart and across his head to reveal his face. He was young looking, maybe in his early twenties, and had a light smattering of freckles across the pale skin of his nose and upper cheeks. What really drew my attention were his viridian eyes, the color somehow sharp without having the vividness of a manaborn¡¯s. His pupils were shaped like square-looking zeroes, and combined with his outfit, it gave him a futuristic and almost robotic look. He was also giving me a big smile with something like boyish glee on his face. ¡°Well, well, well,¡± he said, leaning back in his chair. ¡°Today is just full of surprises.¡± [Greetings,] Selene dipped her head. [It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. We were hoping you might be able to provide some assistance to a fellow Guardian.] ¡°Of course!¡± he grinned, his eyes actually beginning to glow. ¡°Things are a little hectic right now, but I always have time for an adorable new k¨­hai!¡± Chapter 16 - Preparations K¨­hai? I blinked in surprise. Naturally, I was familiar with the Japanese term. It was used to refer to a junior in a group, such as an underclassmen, but it was weird suddenly hearing it out of the blue. Maybe it shouldn¡¯t be, considering how many Japanese terms had been adapted in Arcadia, and Magical Girls were kind of made popular, if not started, in Japan. In a way, it also was accurate. We were both Magical Guardians, and I was newer than him, so¡­ Wait, did he just say ¡°adorable¡± k¨­hai? ¡°But where are my manners?¡± he interrupted my flustered thoughts. ¡°I go by Error Machina, or just Error for short. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m-¡± I began to give a quick bow of my head. [Apologies,] Selene smoothly cut in. [But my Magical Girl is currently untransformed and without a codename. Perhaps a name can be excluded for now?] He winced, quickly nodding his assent. ¡°Of course. My bad, I should have been thinking about that. Give me a second, I¡¯m going to ensure our conversation stays private.¡± He reached into the air, and a green, semi-transparent rectangle appeared. I could vaguely make out buttons almost like those on a keyboard, and his fingers wove across it, dancing so quickly I couldn¡¯t follow any of the individual movements. With a final, flourishing button press, the holographic keyboard disappeared, and the already blurry background behind him suddenly became completely shrouded as if a thick film had fallen over it. ¡°There we go. I¡¯m at Guardian Command right now working with a few other Guardians and a bunch of operators, so I put up a privacy shell. We should be able to have a conversation now without having to worry about any accidental eavesdropping.¡± [That is much appreciated,] Selene paused for a moment, her tails twitching. [I do not mean to be rude, but I would like to insist on the specifics of this conversation being kept as secret as possible and I would like to ask for your oath to-] He held up a hand, cutting Selene off. A gentle and almost amused smile stretched across his lips. ¡°Let me be clear, I do this kind of thing to help people, and I regard helping newbies a sacred task. So not only do I swear upon my Soul Gem that I will provide assistance while keeping specific details regarding you completely confidential, but I am also happy to inform you the System has given me a few significant quests to help you out. Does that help inform your decision?¡± [Indeed it does,] Selene¡¯s tails loosened in relief. [I thank you for your understanding. Before we discuss anything else, perhaps it would be best if we got an update on the situation in Arcadia as a whole and whether rescue will be possible for the shelter on the third floor of our building.] Error nodded a few times, and as his hands moved, the holographic keyboard reappeared. Watching his fingers move was weird. It wasn¡¯t just that they moved so fast that they were practically a blur, it was almost as if I was watching multiple versions of his hands work at the same time. What I could only describe as transparent after-images moved completely unsynchronized with one another in a hazy mirage of motion. I turned my eyes away from the headache inducing image to face Selene. ¡°What did he mean by ¡®I swear on my Soul Gem?¡¯¡± [It is the most binding oath a Guardian can give without signing a direct Geas. If he were to break his word, he would lose points and a massive amount of experience, most likely resulting in the loss of multiple levels. A portion of that penalty would be transferred to you along with a notification he had broken his word.] My eyes widened in surprise, but before I could remark, Error turned back to us, his face somber. ¡°So¡­ I assume these two officers¡ªhello again, by the way¡ªhave already informed you of the overall situation?¡± ¡°Arcadia was hit by multiple Usurpations at the same time, right?¡± I responded. ¡°Yup. Dozens of them. As far as that situation is concerned¡­ Well, the good news is we have yet to encounter anything stronger than our strike teams, and all of the newest gen Guardians registered for the academy have been accounted for. Naturally, we¡¯ve advised them not to engage, and most seem to be listening. Even those who aren¡¯t are sticking to the non-combat roles, thanks to the quests the System sent out.¡± He let out a sigh, leaning back in his chair and tapping his desk in a slow metronome. Before I could ask what ¡°academy¡± he was talking about, he continued. ¡°We¡¯ve also managed to recall some forces from the mainlands, giving us almost eight hundred Guardians working together to clear Arcadia. That, of course, doesn¡¯t account for all our Magical Soldiers, and even the Inquisitors are putting in work.¡± Eight hundred!? My eyes bulged at the number. I had no idea how many Magical Girls normally called Arcadia their home, but that seemed like a lot. Error must have noticed my expression, because a corner of his mouth quirked upward in amusement. ¡°Unfortunately, completely clearing Arcadia is going to be a multi-day endeavor considering how urban it is,¡± he shrugged. ¡°I mean, we¡¯re talking about practically going door by door or, at the very least, having Guardians with advanced detection capabilities sweep through areas. The last thing we want is to leave an Anathema behind and risk them creating a nest and starting a Rebellion.¡± He gave a shudder, and Selene glanced at me. [Rebellions are much more dangerous than a normal Usurpation. Instead of opening a rift from their side, the Anathema create one from this reality. It lets them bring in stronger forces from the beginning, and with a nest, they already have a base of operations to form more Anathema.] ¡°Which is exactly why we have to be so thorough in cleaning them out.¡± Error agreed. ¡°As for your Usurpation¡­ Well, the biggest problem is that the Anathema are fighting tooth and nail around the perimeter of your area, and without the shield generator active, they¡¯re able to constantly get more reinforcements. Getting through them is going to take a lot of time and manpower. With that in mind, the higher ups in Guardian Command made the decision to focus on clearing the other Usurpations first. That, of course, is going to take days to properly do.¡± A spark of anger flared in my chest at the implications, and I found myself clenching my hands painfully tight. ¡°So nobody¡¯s coming?¡± I blurted out, unable to help myself. ¡°What about all the people in the shelter who are going to die in a few hours? They just get¡­ sacrificed?¡± He was silent for a long moment, the tapping of his fingers disappearing as he stared at me. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure where my anger stemmed from, but it gave me the courage to meet his gaze unflinchingly. Eventually, he let out a long, tired sigh. ¡°Yes,¡± he said softly. ¡°Yes, that is exactly what it means. Clearing a path to evacuate them would take significant resources and might give time for other Usurpations to grow drastically worse. Command has decided that in the long run, it might end up costing more lives than it saves.¡± ¡°If we could just deactivate the shelter¡¯s emergency shield, this wouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley murmured thoughtfully. ¡°But unless I¡¯m mistaken, it requires a physical key.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± Error winced. ¡°Deactivating an emergency shield requires both an authorized person and the unlocking key that can only be made at Guardian Command. It¡¯s a failsafe to prevent any Guardians from trying to rescue a shelter without proper preparation and resources. Unfortunately, that works against us in this case as I have no way of getting it to you safely.¡± ¡°What about sending a Magical Girl or MS team to restart the generator?¡± Ji-woo asked. ¡°Is that an option?¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t be able to make it through the perimeter,¡± Error shook his head. ¡°Some of the stealthier Girls might be able to do it, but they¡¯re all busy popping the nests beginning to spring up. It was one of the first things I checked when you guys contacted me earlier.¡± There was a silence after that, and I felt Error¡¯s eyes move to me speculatively. Nobody said anything, and I swallowed as my heart started pounding faster. ¡°But¡­¡± I shifted my weight uncomfortably. ¡°What if there was a Magical Girl already in the zone who could restart the mana generator?¡± Error¡¯s eyes shone, and a grin spread across his face. ¡°Oh? Now that just might be possible. I didn¡¯t want to say anything to make you feel forced, but yes. You could pretty much do it without a problem, even being level one. Besides, if you use your Familiar as a scout, you can easily avoid anything that might be too strong, and with most of the higher level Anathema being sent to the perimeter-¡± [I apologize for interrupting,] Selene said, her voice weirdly flat. [But this is where I must inform you of the things requiring your secrecy. First and foremost, the reason we are talking now is because we had to fight our way down to this shelter due to the third floor¡¯s shelter being sealed off. That being said, I also must inform you this was an emergency contract, and¡­ Blacklight Protocols are in effect.] Error froze, the smile draining from his face. Slowly, his hands clenched into fists on the table. I could see fury flash across his eyes in a deep, blazing inferno that transformed his face into a venomous glare. The sudden shift of emotion combined with the pure rage he radiated made me flinch, my instincts screaming at me. Reflexively, I looked down to the table in front of me, forcing myself to be as still and small as possible as I bowed my head. My heart raced, and I desperately tried to figure out what had suddenly set Error off. ¡°Blacklight Protocols¡± sounded familiar, but¡­ Wait, I had heard the phrase before. Right after I¡¯d done my contract, part of the message that appeared in my head said my Astral Shift was locked because ¡°Blacklight Protocols were in effect.¡± In the chaos, I¡¯d never gotten around to asking Selene about it or any of the other things that message had mentioned. Although, with how evasive she¡¯d been about telling me why I couldn¡¯t use my transformation, I doubted I would have gotten an answer. Still, I found myself desperately wishing I knew why Error had suddenly seemed so angry at me. A frustrated sigh finally broke the silence, and my muscles tightened painfully in anticipation. ¡°Officers,¡± Error said crisply. ¡°I am going to request you wait outside of the room while I discuss some things with my k¨­hai. Consider this an order, if you must.¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley gave a salute and immediately moved to leave. Ji-woo gave me a concerned look and opened her mouth as if to say something. ¡°I assure you, officer,¡± Error said, his voice glacial, ¡°she is not in trouble. We simply have to discuss some things only Guardians have proper clearance for.¡± Ji-woo didn¡¯t seem completely mollified, but she gave a hesitant nod to him regardless. Shooting me one last look, she left the room. There was another long silence, and then I heard a loud slam. ¡°Goddamnit¡­¡± Error growled, and I risked looking back up at him. There was a hunch to his shoulders as he ran a hand through his hair, and something about his eyes gave him a tired, frustrated look. He paused halfway through the motion, tilting his head as if listening to something. His eyes suddenly widened as he looked back up at me. I flicked my gaze back down quickly, hoping he didn¡¯t notice. ¡°Shit, I mean, um, crap. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not mad at you, and I didn¡¯t mean to scare you. I just¡­ I have some idea of what you might have been through, not having your Astral Shift, and even just that much is enough to make me furious¡­ especially when all of this could so easily have been avoided.¡± There was a bitterness dripping from his words, but none of it seemed directed at me. Slowly, I looked back up at him with a held breath. Error had a weak smile on, and he gave me a nod of reassurance. [I have had to skip telling her many things in order to prioritize what is directly related to her survival,] Selene¡¯s tails curled downward. [She is unaware of information regarding the ¡°Basic¡± section of her status, why she can¡¯t transform, and what exactly these Blacklight Protocols are. I have, however, made it clear I am keeping this information secret in order to let her focus on the immediate situation. I ask that you honor my decision.] ¡°Of course,¡± he sighed, sounding tired as he rubbed his eyes. ¡°That¡­ that makes sense. Okay. So you can¡¯t utilize your Astral Shift, but you still made it to the first floor shelter? First of all, that¡¯s really impressive. I imagine that can¡¯t have been easy.¡± [It was not, and we had a child with us.] ¡°And you did an escort mission?¡± he chuckled, a glint of light returning to his eyes. ¡°Now that goes beyond just impressive. You¡¯ve got me curious what sort of tactics you¡¯re using now, but I won¡¯t pry. Still¡­ You¡¯re going to get so many rewards when this is all over.¡± I raised an eyebrow, and Selene turned to answer. [Due to Usurpation zones cutting off most communication, active contact with the System can not be safely maintained. Excluding major milestones or events such as your contract ceremony, you are cut off from receiving System updates such as quests, which, just like in games, are missions you can take for rewards.] ¡°But¡­¡± I frowned. ¡°Then how have I been summoning things? How am I even getting points for defeating Anathema if none of the information is being sent out?¡± ¡°Clever girl!¡± Error interjected with a grin, making me jump. ¡°Most don¡¯t even think of that. The simple answer is that when you summon, you actually use some of your mana to send the ¡®message¡¯ of what you need. For lower tier items, it doesn¡¯t amount to much more than one or two mana per summon, but some of the more advanced technology or more expensive items can take a healthy chunk. Basically, the mana you spend is used for punching a hole through the Usurpation zone to get the item sent to you.¡± [Your Contract Ceremony released a burst of mana as your Soul Gem formed, allowing you to get System and Gate access in the first place. It is also why you were immediately rewarded for your actions prior to becoming a Guardian. As for the point rewards, your Soul Gem is capable of processing such things and issuing rewards without directly accessing the System. It is sort of like having a computer but no access to the internet: You have many capabilities, but some advanced functions require information not stored locally.] Error blinked at that, his mouth opening and closing a few times. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m actually going to steal that explanation from now on. I could tell you all about how your Soul Gem actually analyzes those things, but that¡¯s a little off topic. The point is, once you leave the Usurpation zone, the System is going to dump a bunch of points on you for your achievements. It¡¯s sort of the System¡¯s way of saying you did what it would normally qualify as a quest, but it wasn¡¯t able to give you one.¡± I nodded thoughtfully. It was still strange to be applying so many game concepts to the real world, but in a way it also made things¡­ simpler. ¡°Anyway,¡± Error said, the grin fading from his face. ¡°The generator. Without your Astral Shift, you¡¯re missing out on¡­ a lot. With your Familiar and Gate, you can probably still manage it depending on what you¡¯re using as a weapon, but it¡¯s going to be a lot tougher. You should still be operating within relatively safe danger margins, but nothing is ever certain in this line of work. So, let me ask you: Are you sure you want to do this?¡± He looked at me with an uncomfortable intensity, and I shifted my weight slightly. ¡°If I do nothing, hundreds of people die,¡± I shrugged. ¡°That would not be your fault,¡± he said pointedly. ¡°And nobody could blame you for trying to stay safe. Especially not with¡­ everything you¡¯ve probably been through.¡± I looked at him blankly, then slowly shook my head. Plenty of people could and would blame me. Even if nobody found out, it wouldn¡¯t change that it would be my fault for doing nothing when I could. More than anything, I would blame myself. Besides, both he and Selene seemed to think that I¡¯d be safe so long as Selene was scouting ahead. How could I possibly refuse to go? ¡°I¡¯m doing this,¡± I told him firmly. ¡°I just¡­ I just need to know if there¡¯s anything else Selene and I should know.¡± He gave me a long look before letting out his breath. ¡°Well, there¡¯s not much more I can tell you. The mana generator really shouldn¡¯t have gone offline in the first place, but once you turn it back on, the shield station should automatically recognize it has power again and begin restarting. When that happens, it''s going to start drawing up a ton of mana, and the Anathema are going to flock to it like a beacon, including the high level ones on the perimeter. This shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you considering the mall¡¯s shielding station is on the top floor. In fact, it will give you a nice, clear path back to the shelter as all the Anathema leave their positions. You¡¯ll have five minutes before the shield goes up and they return to their original spots.¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. I nodded. That was good to know. If I gave the Anathema in the basement a minute or two to head upwards, I¡¯d be able to make it back to the shelter without worrying about any encounters whatsoever. ¡°As for any other advice¡­ Well, your Familiar is more aware of your capabilities and circumstances, so I¡¯m assuming she¡¯ll have a few ideas. Other than that¡­ just be safe. I feel bad that I wasn¡¯t able to give you the whole new Magical Girl talk, but we can save that for later¡­ Oh, I know! You should start thinking of your Magical Girl name! I can¡¯t go around calling you k¨­hai all the time. A lot of Magical Girls like more flowery names, but anything is on the table, really. I don¡¯t suppose you have any ideas yet, do you? Or themes?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± I shook my head. ¡°But Selene has been putting an outline of a bunny head with a crescent moon on everything I¡¯ve summoned.¡± He barked out a laugh, and I looked up in surprise. ¡°Moon Rabbit?¡± he grinned. ¡°That could work, even if Sailor Moon already did an obvious reference with the main character. Hmm¡­ Maybe Lunar Rabbit? Luna? Lunaria? Or something a little darker. Eclipse? That might be too edgy considering how you look, though¡­¡± He snapped his fingers, eyes glittering as he pointed to me with a big grin. ¡°Moon Bunny! You know, because bunnies are smaller, cuter rabbits.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll think about it,¡± I hurriedly said, cheeks warming up. Somehow, I was getting the same vibes Lily gave off when she started teasing me, and I had a feeling he would keep going if I didn¡¯t stop him. ¡°Whatever you say, Shadow Bunny. Night Rabbit. Moonlight.¡± ¡°I should really get going,¡± I looked for an obvious ¡°off¡± button as my cheeks burned. ¡°Right,¡± he gave me one last sly grin. ¡°See you soon, Dark Rabbit.¡± With that, his feed cut off, and I let out a sigh of relief. [That went most excellent!] Selene declared. [Now we can move on to final preparations before departure. Among those, I suggest developing a cover story with Sergeant O¡¯Malley and Ji-woo that will let you leave and return to the shelter unnoticed. Before that, however, we should discuss what to spend your stat and reward points on.] I gave Selene a nod, removing my eyepatch. I blinked a few times as my HUD flared back to life in my vision. Scrutinizing it for a moment, I found myself frowning. Something about it felt a little off to me, like it didn¡¯t quite look right. ¡°Selene, can I customize my HUD¡¯s layout?¡± [Indeed. Simply focus on it with a small effort of will, and the changes should take place.] I scrunched my nose in concentration, doing as she said, and then blinked as my HUD briefly flickered out before returning in the pattern I¡¯d been thinking of¡­ Except it also had a few additions I hadn¡¯t intended. Now, in the top left of my vision was a long red bar with a slightly shorter blue one underneath. The red one had ¡°80%¡± written in the middle of it while the blue one had ¡°300/300.¡± Both bars were anchored to a sphere in the very corner of my vision with a crescent moon symbol in its center along with the number four. In the top right, a semi-transparent circle appeared, and the mini-map bloomed within, showing the layout of the shelter I¡¯d been through so far. A small purple arrow marked my position, and a blue dot next to it seemed to show where Selene was. Satisfied with the changes, I walked over to where I¡¯d set my gun down and picked it up. Once my hand closed around it, an outline of its shape appeared in the lower right of my vision, along with ¡°0/15¡± next to it. I wasn¡¯t completely set on the design yet, but it seemed better than before. All I¡¯d really changed was moving my health and mana bars to the upper left while getting rid of the body outline showing where I had been injured. It felt sort of unnecessary considering I would already know where I was injured if it did happen. I was a little unsure why the sphere with the ¡°4¡± and crescent moon symbol had appeared, though, as it wasn¡¯t something I¡¯d been actively trying to add even if it did look nice. Weirdly, some other small cosmetic changes to the HUD seemed to have happened as well, like how the outlines making up the health and mana bars seemed to be a smoother, more polished texture instead of the simple flat lines they used to be. ¡°Selene, why did my HUD make some changes I didn¡¯t intend?¡± [Your HUD is an Augment granted by your Aspect, an integral part of what makes you a Magical Girl. As such, it seems reasonable that your HUD would adjust itself as you grow into it, even if the changes do sometimes seem minor. I suppose you could say it is reacting to your subconscious, trying to figure out what aesthetics work best.] I thought about that for a moment, before forcing myself to slowly accept the explanation. It was hardly the weirdest thing I¡¯d experienced, but the idea that my subconscious was trying out different textures to find what was most visually pleasing felt¡­ strange. ¡°Okay,¡± I forced myself to move on with a small shake. ¡°Next¡­ my stat points.¡± Status, I thought, willing my status menu to appear.
STATUS
Name: Mai Kuroki Alias: None
Level: 4 Points: 137
Health: 80% Mana: 300/300 (5/Min)
BASIC
Origin: [Hidden] Aspect: [Hidden]
Class: Locked Signature: Unawakened
STATISTICS
Strength: 10 Dexterity: 10
Vitality: 10 Agility: 10
Willpower: 30 Spirit: 1
30 Stat Points Available!
PERMISSIONS
GRIMOIRES / VAULTS ABILITIES / AUGMENTS
??????§Ô??????§Ô??????????????§Ô????????:????? ??????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????? Demonic Eye of the Sable Waif [MAX]
First Aid Vault (Common)
Kinetic Handguns (Common)
INVENTORY
WEAPONS EQUIPMENT
Umbra P30 Model A - Enchanted None
I looked over the menu, and after a moment shook my head. Again, I felt a weird sense that things weren¡¯t quite right. After taking a moment to organize my thoughts and make a few choices, I focused once again, willing the menu to change the same way I had for my HUD.
STATUS
Name: Mai Kuroki Alias: None
Level: 4 Points: 137
Health: 80% Mana: 300/300 (5/Min)
BASIC
Origin: [Hidden] Aspect: [Hidden]
Class: Locked Signature: Unawakened
STATISTICS
Strength: 10 Dexterity: 10
Vitality: 10 Agility: 10
Willpower: 30 Spirit: 1
30 Stat Points Available!
SKILLS
ABILITIES AUGMENTS
Demonic Eye of the Sable Waif [MAX]
PERMISSIONS
VAULTS GRIMOIRES
First Aid Vault (Common) ??????§Ô??????§Ô??????????????§Ô????????:????? ??????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????
Kinetic Handguns (Common)
That seemed better. I¡¯d removed the Inventory section as it seemed unnecessary, especially considering my HUD would tell me how much ammunition I had on me. In exchange, I made a Skills section to separate my Abilities and Augments into their own columns. I¡¯d also separated the Grimoires and Vaults the same way under a Permissions section. I was a little worried about how long the status menu might get as I purchased more things, but it would work for now. Happy with the new layout, my eyes flicked to my stats. Looking over each of them, I considered my options. Strength was next to useless, considering I was using guns. Willpower and Spirit would also both be of limited help considering I wasn¡¯t using magic. Sure, I used one mana for every bullet I shot when I had the silencing enchantment active, but I had 300 mana with nothing else that would drain it except manifesting Selene. That left Dexterity, Agility, and Vitality. My gun was Dexterity aligned, meaning the more points I put into the stat, the more powerful my gun would become. It would also make me better at aiming, reloading, and all the other finesse related things the Dexterity stat governed. Agility seemed equally important, making me and my reactions faster. Meanwhile Vitality would increase my physical resistances and overall health. Practically speaking, that probably meant I would be harder to hurt, and anything that did hurt me wouldn¡¯t cause as serious a wound. But that assumes I¡¯m getting hurt in the first place, which seems counterproductive¡­ The question, then, was how much I wanted to rely on dodging attacks, and how much Vitality I thought I might need ¡°just in case.¡± It was unrealistic to expect me to dodge everything, and I was all too aware accidents could happen. Not only that, but I had to account for ambushes and the fact that I wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge attacks I couldn¡¯t see coming. Though, with Selene scouting for me¡­ After some more consideration, I made my decision, turning to Selene. ¡°What do you think about 15 points in Dexterity and 15 in Agility?¡± [Intriguing,] her head tilted. [I would be interested to hear your reasoning.] ¡°Well¡­ Strength is useless to me, and without magic, Spirit and Willpower aren¡¯t very helpful. Dexterity and Agility are the two most obvious choices, and I don¡¯t think Vitality would help that much. I have you scouting for me, so I¡¯m unlikely to suffer an ambush. Even if I did want to spare some points, I don¡¯t think the few I would be willing to put in Vitality would make much of a difference considering I¡¯m only getting partial bonuses without my Astral Shift activated. By that same reasoning, the more points I put into just Dexterity and Agility, the more benefit I¡¯ll get, even if it is only a small amount.¡± [I see,] Selene swished her tails sharply. [While I don¡¯t disagree, I also want to warn you about ¡°min-maxing,¡± the method of putting all your points in only a few stats to receive substantial gains. Ignoring some of your stats can cause you to grow imbalanced and helpless against certain enemy types or encounters. While some Guardians have made this approach work, they are few and far between. Generally, a more balanced Magical Girl has more tools, giving them a higher chance of surviving any given situation. That being said, I do believe it makes the most sense to spend your points this way for now, though I will heavily advocate for a more balanced approach in the future.] I found myself agreeing with Selene¡¯s warning, and made a mental note to spend some of my future levels to balance out my other stats. Maybe I¡¯d even develop a ¡°build,¡± a plan for how many points to spend on each stat as I leveled. For now though, this would work. [The only other thing I wish to add is that I currently require 180 mana at a minimum to manifest. Each level you gain will increase this amount by 10. You are currently at full mana, allowing me to indefinitely extend the duration I remain manifested. While no Anathema should be able to detect me, if I were damaged and dispelled, manifesting me once again would take a significant portion of your total mana.] ¡°Wait¡­¡± I looked at Selene in concern. ¡°What exactly happens if you do get hurt?¡± [Nothing serious. The body the Anathema would be hurting is only a magical construct, and if it takes enough damage, it will dispel in a burst of mana. If this happens, my consciousness will simply snap back to your Soul Gem and I would be none the worse for wear. I could even immediately be manifested once again with no repercussions. Rest assured that I do not even feel pain, and the only way to ¡°kill¡± a Familiar is to destroy the Soul Gem they reside in.]. ¡°Which is located in my brain¡­ so there¡¯s no real point in worrying about that. Not when anything that could kill you would also kill me too.¡± [Precisely. A somewhat morbid thought, but temper it with remembering that while I may have the appearance of a simple stuffed animal, I am actually quite unkillable.] For some reason, that did reassure me, and I turned my attention back to my stats, spending my points.
STATS
Strength: 10 Dexterity: 25
Vitality: 10 Agility: 25
Willpower: 30 Spirit: 1
I blinked as my status menu disappeared only for my Stats section to appear completely alone. I¡¯d never thought about calling up the individual sections by their headers, but I was glad to see it was possible. There was no reason to bring up the entire menu for every situation. [Excellent,] Selene¡¯s tails began to swish eagerly. [Now onto what we should spend your reward points on. First, I would recommend a Restoration Salve to place on your ankle wound. It will be relatively cheap at 5 points, and will only take about ten minutes to fully heal the wound. As for the rest of your 132 points, there are many options, but I would advise you to unlock the Modern Terran Clothing (Common) Vault. With it, you will be able to get clothes that not only fit but are also enhanced to provide protection.] ¡°How much protection? Won¡¯t they still just be clothes?¡± [Yes, but no. While they will certainly appear little different than normal clothing found on Earth, you will have options of buying enhanced versions created using advanced materials and techniques beyond what humans are currently capable of. This will make any clothes you purchase much more durable, and while they won¡¯t be able to stop powerful, direct attacks, they will prove useful against almost anything else.] I chewed on my lip, going over it in my head. It didn¡¯t sound like a lot, but it was better than nothing. Still¡­ ¡°How much would unlocking different ammunition types cost? More offensive options might be helpful.¡± [Unfortunately, even the cheapest option would cost 100 points. While I think unlocking specialized ammunition is a fairly high priority, doing so now would leave you only 32 points to use on ammunition. In the event you were injured, you would have precious few points to purchase healing items.] Yeah, that sounded like a bad idea. I¡¯d already forgone any points in Vitality, and the last thing I wanted was to end up a few points short of buying an item needed to save my life. Besides, the more I thought about it, the more varying my ammunition types seemed like it could backfire. I was still getting used to even holding a gun let alone using one, and introducing more complicated factors to manage probably wasn¡¯t the wisest. ¡°Okay. What clothing would be best, then?¡± [I suppose we can forgo style and appearance concerns considering we don¡¯t have to worry about people seeing you. Considering comfort and maximum skin coverage¡­ an Enhanced Hooded Sweatshirt, Enhanced Jeans, and Enhanced Combat Boots seem best, costing a total of 25 points. Combined with unlocking the Vault and purchasing the Regenerative Salve, you will have 57 points left to spend on ammunition and keep in reserve for healing items.] ¡°That sounds good,¡± I replied. ¡°Let''s go for five more magazines of ammo, then.¡± [Alternatively, you can purchase a box of 100 loose rounds for 5 points to refill your empty magazines. With your five empty magazines and a sixth only containing 14 bullets, you would have 26 rounds leftover after filling them. 25 rounds if you chamber one and then add another to refill the magazine afterwards, giving you a total of nine full magazines.] Blinking, I dipped my head in acknowledgement. I¡¯d forgotten about Selene telling me it was cheaper to refill magazines, and 100 bullets was almost two entire ¡°free¡± points of ammunition. ¡°Alright. Then let''s go with all of that.¡± [Purchased: Regenerative Salve] [-5 Points] [Modern Terran Clothing (Common) Unlocked!] [-50 Points] [Purchased: Enhanced Hooded Sweatshirt] [-10 Points] [Purchased: Enhanced Jeans] [-10 Points] [Purchased: Enhanced Combat Boots] [-5 Points] [Purchased: 100 9mm Silverbane Rounds] [-5 Points] [Remaining Points: 52] One violet heptagram and flash of purple light later, I was left with three briefcases of varying sizes. Of course, they were all black save for the emblem, the silver crescent moon and rabbit-head outline Selene had been putting on everything else. [Once you have applied the salve and put on the clothes, I would recommend bringing Sergeant O¡¯Malley and Officer Oh in to help load your empty magazines. They can show you how to properly do so and might even have some tips. We can also discuss how best to hide your leaving and returning to the shelter while you work.] I nodded, walking over to the biggest suitcase. Setting my gun on the table, I flipped the two latches on the case and opened it. Inside were two indents holding a pair of folded up jeans and a sweatshirt, both in dark black. Picking up the sweatshirt and unfolding it, I stopped mid motion. It had the familiar emblem stitched on the back, but what caught my eyes, however, was the¡­ hood. ¡°Selene¡­ what¡¯s with the hood?¡± I asked carefully, my cheeks heating up. [Oh?] she feigned innocence. [A hood can serve as head protection while also being easy to remove if it obstructs your vision. It seemed an obvious choice to me.] ¡°Not that!¡± I hissed, growing increasingly flustered as I turned to look at her. Lifting up the offending portions of the hood, I jabbed a finger at them accusingly. ¡°Why are there two floppy bunny ears on it!?¡± Chapter 17 - Basement As I stood in front of the shelter¡¯s interior doors beginning to open, Ji-woo walked up next to me. She gave me a quick smile, eyes flicking over me. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need anything else?¡± she asked, and I gave a shake of my head as I adjusted my backpack straps, the ice axe poking out the top. After I¡¯d put the healing salve on and changed my clothes, I¡¯d invited the officers in. Thankfully, neither of the officers had commented on my hoodie, though Ji-woo had turned to face away from me for a moment, her shoulder shaking suspiciously. Getting them to show me how to refill my magazines turned out to be helpful, too. It wasn¡¯t complicated or anything, but they had some tips on how to do it quickly. I also got to see the bullets closely for the first time in decent lighting. The actual bullet was a bright silver color, but the casings were all colored in a shiny, metallic black. Well, except for the silver crescent moon and bunny head emblem that Selene had decided to put on all of them. While we worked, I noticed Sergeant O¡¯Malley seemed to be acting differently towards me. Not in a bad way, but I¡¯d noticed he seemed more distant and only referred to me as ¡°miss.¡± When I asked Selene, she said that was the standard honorific for Magical Girls, while male Guardians just used ¡°sir.¡± After we finished, things progressed quickly. We¡¯d developed the plan for my cover story which involved placing officers around the civilian wing of the shelter and preventing them from coming close to the security wing or entrance. Sergeant O¡¯Malley had suggested not telling the other officers about me, instead saying that he was the one heading out. While revealing myself to the other officers shouldn¡¯t have posed a problem, he and Selene seemed to think it didn¡¯t hurt to be extra careful. So, as far as anyone else in the shelter knew, Sergeant O¡¯Malley was the one sneaking out, and Ji-woo was in the command center while the remaining three officers worked to keep people quarantined to their wing and away from the entrance. In reality, Sergeant O¡¯Malley and Ji-woo would both be waiting in the command center, monitoring the situation and waiting for my return. After that was decided, the last thing that had happened was Sergeant O¡¯Malley loaning me his gun belt. It hadn¡¯t fit, of course, but some creative knots and knife work had more or less fixed it. We¡¯d removed the pistol holster, instead attaching as many of the officers¡¯ magazine holsters as possible. All together, I ended up with six magazine holsters strapped across the front of my waist. The other two loose magazines I¡¯d stuck into my hoodie¡¯s pockets, discovering that there was mesh netting inside that formed a tight pouch I could tuck the end of each magazine into. They weren¡¯t the most secure things, but they were definitely better than nothing. Speaking of the clothes, they¡¯d proven to be impossibly perfect. The sweatshirt was slightly baggy, but in a loose, comfortable way. It was also lined with something impossibly soft on the inside, some kind of fluffy wool-esque material. Meanwhile, the jeans were tight, but hadn¡¯t required a ridiculous amount of shimmying to get into. Weirdly, the jeans still let me move easily, somehow staying snug without restricting my movements. The combat boots were the most normal item, simply fitting around my feet in a cozy embrace. In all, I was pleasantly surprised. I was used to wearing clothes that didn¡¯t quite fit, and I¡¯d asked Selene how the Gate seemed to know exactly what was needed. She¡¯d explained that because she was connected to me, she naturally knew all my physical vitals which included my measurements. Just like whenever I summoned anything else, she was able to put in the correct information and make sure I got exactly what I needed including any¡­ customizations that were decided on. I sighed, adjusting the hood slightly around my head as the shelter doors finished opening. In the end, I¡¯d never gotten a good answer from Selene on why she thought the bunny ears were a good idea. It wasn¡¯t that big of a deal or anything, and so I gave up, simply making a mental note to carefully explain what I wanted to summon from now on. Besides, the hoodie did look cute¡­ it just wasn¡¯t something I would wear in front of other people in a million years. ¡°Well, I guess this is where we part ways,¡± Ji-woo murmured as the doors finished opening. I looked at the woman, feeling uncomfortable. I wasn¡¯t sure why she seemed so worried about me, not when the alternative would be one of them going out there. Still, it felt wrong to just leave her without saying anything. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful,¡± I said, causing her to blink before she looked at me and gave a strained smile. ¡°I know this is your¡­ job,¡± she said. ¡°But at the first sign of trouble, the kind that you might not be able to handle¡­ just remember you can always turn back, okay? Saving those people is important, but taking a risk and getting yourself hurt isn¡¯t going to help them either.¡± A flutter of warmth tingled through me along with another emotion I couldn¡¯t quite identify. It was a little thing, but potent, as if it was condensed into a small, burning ball of¡­ something. It made my throat tight, and so I simply gave Ji-woo a nod before I stepped forward into the airlock, Selene hopping by my side. Even without the doors opening completely, it still took a small eternity for the interior doors to close and the exterior doors to open. I took the time to shove my emotions down and refocus on my mission. As the outer doors finished opening, my eyes were drawn to my health bar, and I frowned. ¡°Selene, why is my health only at 84%?¡± I thought to her, aiming the gun down the empty hallway as I stepped out. [The damage from your first Anathema encounter was not fully repaired,] Selene responded. [While the Greater Regenerative Gum was able to heal your immediate wounds, it didn¡¯t truly restore your intestines to full functionality. The fix is functional but will not hold up in the long term. As such, your maximum health is effectively reduced. Do not be alarmed, as getting proper treatment after the Usurpation will be relatively easy.] I shivered at the memories, pushing myself to keep moving to the stairwell doorway while aiming at the stairs leading to the first floor. Thankfully, no Anathema came down, and we were able to slip into the stairwell without incident. The stairs only went down one level, and we reached the bottom quickly. Without hesitating, I crouched next to the door as Selene to slip through before I carefully shut it. Then, I waited, flicking my eyes to my minimap. Selene informed me that my minimap also filled out as she went through places, something I hadn¡¯t noticed happening before. Even as I watched, the shape of corridors and rooms began to fill out at a quick pace. I tried to ignore my nerves as I waited in the silence, but my hands started to get sweaty around the grip of my gun. Trying to distract myself, I focused on what the map was actually showing me. From the shape I could see so far, the basement really was a maze of long, narrow hallways, and I briefly wondered what the architect was thinking. Maybe it had to something do with them trying to cram as many of the mall¡¯s utility and non-commercial rooms off the main floors as possible, but it still seemed rather haphazard. The blue dot marking Selene seemed to finish scouting after five minutes or so, as it turned back and started heading back to me. When the dot showed itself right outside the stairwell, I opened the door, letting Selene hop through. ¡°How does it look?¡± I whispered. [Only a few Anathema are patrolling the hallways, and most are types you have already faced. A few of the bigger office rooms contain larger groups, but those appear to be remaining stationary. We have a relatively clear route directly to the generator room, though I wasn¡¯t able to scout the room itself. The door there remains intact, which is not usually a problem, but this one is built from material that can contain any ambient mana that leaks from the generator.] ¡°Wait, what do you mean normal doors aren¡¯t a problem?¡± [I can phase through most solid objects so long as they remain relatively still and are not too thick. It destabilizes my physical form, however, reducing the time I can remain manifested unless I am given more mana.] ¡°Oh¡­¡± I shifted from one foot to the other as I mentally changed tracks. ¡°Did you find any signs of the group they sent before?¡± [I found bullet casings and blood¡­ both Anathema and human. While there were no bodies, the amount of blood in certain places does not suggest a positive outcome.] ¡°But if there were no bodies¡­¡± I trailed off, giving Selene a questioning look. [Ah¡­ There were no bodies because the Anathema feed on mana, and while humans are unable to use mana, they still generate small amounts. Their bodies would have been devoured as a source of strength. That, or taken to a nest where their biomass can be converted more directly, though that seems unlikely as I have seen no signs of a nest.] I paled, forcing myself to give Selene a nod as I tried not to dwell on the images her explanation conjured. ¡°Okay. Do you have a suggested route then?¡± [Indeed. We should be able to arrive there with relatively few encounters.] I paused at that. That was ideal, but at the same time¡­ ¡°What about taking out some of the Anathema patrols as we go?¡± I gave her a nervous glance. ¡°I mean, just the ones that are alone. With the narrow hallways, I¡¯d have the advantage, and getting some more points and experience seems¡­¡± [An excellent idea,] Selene¡¯s tails swished excitedly. [Getting easy points when possible is always a wise course of action. I also believe that the layout of this floor will make the sound of your firearm quite difficult to directly pinpoint from a distance.] ¡°Alright¡­ let¡¯s do that then.¡± I reached for the door, placing my hand on the handle. Before I opened it, I gave myself a moment to steady myself, steeling my resolve. Only once the fear and anxiety prickling beneath my skin was smothered to a manageable level did I throw open the door, following Selene as she began hopping down a path. The halls of the basement were dark, bathed in the dim scarlet light of the emergency lighting. The pale white walls and bleached tiles would have normally given the hallway a sterile, almost hospital-like appearance. With the red light reflecting off the floor, it instead seemed ominous and slightly eerie. The fact that we passed through some doorways with their doors broken down didn¡¯t help either. That, and the narrow hallways were only wide enough for two people to walk down if they were willing to walk uncomfortably close together, adding a claustrophobic feel to the atmosphere. I did my best to ignore the foreboding impression the basement gave off as Selene began navigating me through the maze, and it wasn¡¯t long before she stopped me at a corner. [A hound is about twenty meters ahead, facing away.] Peeking around the corner, I saw the creature stalking away from me. Holding my breath, I stepped into the hall, taking my time to aim with both hands. With the hound facing away from me, there was only one place for me to target. Even though it didn¡¯t seem like a particularly vital area, I was pretty sure a bullet entering through its backside and traveling down the length of its body could be devastating depending on how far the bullet penetrated. I tried to keep my breathing and hands steady, letting the ring around the dot of my reticle shrink to a small size before I squeezed the trigger. Even with the silencing enchantment active, my Umbra let out an impressive crack that echoed through the confined space, making me jump slightly. The Anathema seemed just as surprised, stumbling and falling to the ground as my bullet hit straight on. It scrambled, clawed feet skittering on the tile floor as it turned to face me. When it was halfway through the turn, showing me its entire side profile, I let loose another shot. The targeting circle was bigger this time, making me worry I might miss. I was rewarded with another flinch and speckled spray of dark blood. The hound finished turning to face me and began closing the distance in an awkward, limping run. Targeting its head, I started firing, giving myself a second between shots to recenter. The first shot missed while the second hit a leg, causing it to fall to the floor and lose momentum. Taking the extra time as it pushed itself back to its feet, I aimed before letting loose a third shot. Black ichor splashed from its head, and the hound fell to the ground in a motionless pile. [Defeated (Fomorian Hound - Level 3)] [Reward: 10 Points] [New Point Total: 62 Points] I let out my breath, as exhilaration surged through me. The hound had barely been able to take more than a handful of steps, and it had only taken me¡­ If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I checked my HUD. Five bullets. Five shots and only one of them had been a miss! Sure, the Anathema didn¡¯t have much room to dodge, and it was quite literally a straight shot¡­ but it still felt like I might have gotten better. Plus, five bullets was only a third of a point to replace. If I could keep up that level of accuracy, ammunition wouldn¡¯t really end up costing me as much as I first feared. [Excellent,] Selene commented with a flourish of her tails. [Good job at not panicking when it turned. Your discipline is improving fantastically. Shall we move on to the next one?] A happy warmth flushed my cheeks, and I gave Selene a nod and meek smile. After I swapped my magazine out for a fresh one from my hoodie pocket, we took off. The next one she took me to was another hound, but this one was heading towards me. The moment I turned the corner with my gun raised, it began to run the thirty or so meter distance. Thankfully, the hallway was long, and I took a moment to try centering on its head. The slight bob of the hound¡¯s body as it ran made it hard, and as it reached the halfway mark, a flutter of panic pushed me to start shooting. I fired five times in rapid succession, leaving my ears ringing. The hound fell in a limp, sliding sprawl that left a trail of black blood across the ground. [Defeated (Fomorian Hound - Level 5)] [Reward: 10 Points] [New Point Total: 72 Points] As the pounding of my heart settled, I noticed the point reward. Frowning, I turned to look at Selene. ¡°Why don¡¯t higher level Anathema give more points?¡± I thought to her as I reached into my hoodie¡¯s pocket and pulled out my previous, partially spent magazine. [Point values and how they are calculated is a complicated subject,] Selene watched me as I ejected my current magazine. Working swiftly, I started refilling it with bullets from my other magazine while Selene began her explanation. [The simplistic answer is that Anathema have a relatively low level variance of five to ten levels before they evolve or upgrade into a new type. This results in a new name as well. For example, Fomorian Hounds are only found between levels one to five. On reaching level six, it would evolve or upgrade, possibly being reclassified as a Greater Fomorian Hound. This new type would naturally have a higher point value. Because the level variance in any one type is usually a fairly small range, it was decided to average the amount of points awarded between the threat posed by an Anathema type¡¯s maximum and minimum leveled versions.] ¡°How different would a Greater Fomorian Hound be from a normal one?¡± I asked as I finished filling up the magazine. I slotted the full one back into my gun, stashing the now almost empty one back into my pocket. [As an upgraded type and not evolution, it would mostly just be an all-around better version. This gets into the more advanced subject matter of modifiers like prefixes. Essentially, a modifier added to a name only shows a change in the type of Anathema, not the general species it hails from. The Anathema might have a new ability or trick, but modifiers are generally added to denote a difference in stat values more than anything else. Anathema with a modifier usually don¡¯t even look much different than their normal counterparts.] ¡°So¡­ the name is the only thing that really matters when it comes to point rewards? At least, for what I should be paying attention to?¡± [Simply put, yes. One important thing to note is that the experience you earn for defeating an Anathema is not averaged like points are. Defeating a higher level Anathema will always give more experience than a lower level of the same type.] I supposed that made sense. From a gaming perspective, the stat difference between a level five hound and a level one couldn¡¯t be that much either, so applying an averaged value to the reward points seemed reasonable. I had some other questions like how an Anathema¡¯s ¡°threat¡± was determined exactly, but that could wait until later. Refocusing myself back on the task at hand, I turned my attention to my minimap. ¡°How many more single patrols are there?¡± I asked as I looked at the winding hallways. [Only two more. The rest are in larger groups or are too near one another to realistically take out without potentially alerting them.] ¡°Okay. Lead the way.¡± The next was a ghoul, like the ones from the first floor, but instead of patrolling, it was standing eerily still in a dark corner, head tilted at an impossible angle. I don¡¯t think I would have noticed it at a glance without Selene¡¯s forewarning. Luckily, it was looking down another hallway, not facing me. Moving slowly, I took my time to properly line up my sights. It was a little over twenty meters away, about the length of a tennis court. My pounding heartbeat made it difficult to still my aim. Forcing myself to slow my breathing, the targeting circle eventually shrank to only envelop the ghoul¡¯s head. Slowly, hoping to not jostle the gun and disrupt the circle, I squeezed the trigger. The single shot shattered the silence, and black ichor sprayed the wall behind its head. [Defeated (Forsaken Ghoul - Level 8)] [Reward: 10 Points] [New Point Total: 82 Points] Four levels above me, and it only took one bullet. In a way, I guess it made sense. Even if I wasn¡¯t using a gun, a sword strike to the head would have a predictably similar outcome. Besides, if this was like the games I¡¯d played, four levels wasn¡¯t a big difference, especially not when it came to how sturdy something was. Shaking my head, I moved on, following Selene to my last target. The final Anathema was another ghoul, this time shuffling towards me down the corridor. I kept most of my body covered behind the corner as I peeked out and aimed, taking only a brief moment before I opened fire at its center mass in a rapid barrage. From fifteen meters away, it didn¡¯t stand much of a chance, barely having time to react as the bullets tore into it and sprayed the hallway with blood. On my sixth shot, it flinched violently before falling to the ground. [Defeated (Forsaken Ghoul - Level 7)] [Reward: 10 Points] [New Point Total: 92 Points] Once again, giddy triumph surged through me. It was astonishing how different this felt compared to when I was with Brian. Before, it had been all about survival, each moment desperate and hurried. I had thought this would be the same way, especially considering how much more rested on my shoulders this time. For some reason, though, I felt much more calm. Sure, I still felt the stinging fear, especially right before I shot at an Anathema, but it felt so much more manageable. That, and there was something else hiding behind it, another sharp, almost expectant feeling. Why does this feel so different? Is it because the only thing that will stop me from turning on that generator is dying, and Selene and Error Machina have already pointed out how unlikely that is to happen? Is it because even though there¡¯s so much more pressure, so many more people relying on me, this time I was prepared for it? Expecting it? Or was it that I had a personal stake in it this time, and I would not allow myself to fail? Anything but success wasn¡¯t even an option I was willing to consider, and because success meant me also surviving, there was nothing to worry about. I would live, the people in the shelter would live, Lily would live, and that was all I was willing to accept. I shook my head. In the end, the reasoning wasn¡¯t important. Not right now, at least. Crouching down, I pulled off my backpack and opened a pocket, taking out the box of ammunition. ¡°Selene, can you scout out the path one more time and tell me what to expect while I refill?¡± [Of course.] She took off, and I hurried about my task. With the twenty-five loose bullets in the box, I was able to keep one round chambered in my Umbra and refill both magazines I¡¯d used so far back full with eight rounds left over. It ended up taking me longer than I wanted, the dim red lighting making me fumble a few times. Selene returned before I finished, though she let me work in silent concentration. When I was done, I put my backpack on and looked at Selene. ¡°Anything?¡± [The way remains clear. Once we reach the door, open it slightly and leave it that way while I scout the room.] Nodding, I followed her as she hopped off. It took us a while to twist through the maze, but we reached our destination without incident. The door itself was made of a silvery metal with an odd gloss that looked vaguely familiar. It came to me a second later as I realized it looked exactly like the material my silverbane bullets were made of. Silverite, was it? Next to the door was a handprint and keycard scanner. Placing my hand on the scanner, there was a low humming sound before it let out a beep, the screen turning green as a loud click came from the door. Reaching out to the door handle, I pushed the door open a crack, letting Selene squeeze through. I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect from the room inside, but my minimap informed me it actually opened up into a fairly large room. Interestingly, there were also what looked like pillars lining either side, though I wasn¡¯t sure what purpose those would- Selene blurred back through the opening, skidding to a frantic stop. [Close it now! Quietly!] her voice came to me in a forceful whisper. My muscles tightened all at once at the seriousness in her voice, and it was all I could do to stop myself from slamming the door closed on reflex. Carefully, I followed her instructions, pushing the door closed and gently releasing the handle until the lock clicked shut once again. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I turned to her worriedly. ¡°What is it?¡± Selene sat on the ground, her tails flicking around in agitation. For a moment, she didn¡¯t respond, which only sent my heart pounding faster. [There is an Anathema in there,] Selene finally answered. [It must have come directly through a rift into the room, as it is too big to fit through the door even if it broke it open. Though the knowledge I was given on Anathema types is hardly all-encompassing, I know this particular Anathema is strong. Very strong. It must have been drawn by the ambient mana in the room from when the generator shutdown.] ¡°Okay,¡± I swallowed. ¡°So what do we do?¡± Selene turned to me, her tails curling downward. [I do not think you understand,] Selene said gently. [There is a general rule regarding Anathema when comparing strengths: If they are within five levels of you, the difference is negligible. If they are six to ten levels higher than you, they will be a tough opponent to be faced with caution. Eleven to fifteen levels and you are facing a challenging opponent who you must prepare extensively for. Sixteen to twenty levels and you are essentially facing a boss monster, a deadly serious fight you should not attempt alone. Anything more than twenty levels above you will most likely have such a significant disadvantage that attempting to defeat it is impossible. This rule is based on, of course, Magical Girls who are utilizing their Astral Shift and the stats it provides.] ¡°Alright¡­¡± I nodded slowly. ¡°How high of a level is this Anathema?¡± [Without a kill notification, it is impossible to tell exactly. However, based on my limited database, it is most likely in its twenties, though I would suspect the lower end. Even so, this means it could be anywhere from sixteen to twenty-five levels above you.] A chill went down me as the implications hit me fully. Even if I had my Astral Shift, it would still be in the near impossible range. As it was¡­ [Besides, I think you are all too familiar with how dangerous this particular Anathema can be.] I blinked, giving Selene a confused look. [Do you remember your conversation with Lily about how far she was in Magical Girls¡¯ Sunset: Rebellion? About the boss she was stuck on?] I frowned in thought, then felt my eyes involuntarily widen. She was still on the third dungeon, which meant¡­ ¡°The Arachnomantis¡­¡± I whispered in growing dread, and Selene dipped her head in acknowledgment. I stood there, my mind racing at the implications. There was an actual boss monster in there, in the room that held the only hope of saving hundreds of people. More than that, it was a tough boss, and the first time I¡¯d beaten it, it had been a close fight even with other players helping me. Sure, I¡¯d gone back to train on it alone after I¡¯d gotten a bunch of levels, but even though I¡¯d managed to solo it multiple times¡­ Something clicked in my head, and I felt my breath catch for a moment. Slowly, my heartbeat began to calm down into something manageable, and I found myself looking at Selene. ¡°Selene, you told me earlier low level Anathema tend to stick to patterns like video game enemies. Would the Arachnomantis use the same moves and attacks as the one in Rebellion?¡± [Mostly,] she hedged. [Still, this is the real world, and all Anathema are capable of improvising in what are colloquially called ¡°common sense attacks.¡± Something like a quick, close range attack such as a bite or punch is always on the table. With how complicated a creature the Arachnomantis is, I suspect it might be fairly limited to its observed behaviors, but it would still outclass you far too much to-] ¡°Selene ,¡± I cut her off. ¡°How many times did I fight the Arachnomantis in Magical Girls¡¯ Sunset: Rebellion? How many times did I fight it alone and win?¡± Selene shifted from one foot to the other, hesitating. [Six times,] Selene admitted. [The last two you managed it without taking any damage.] ¡°And the only reason I stopped going after it was because it wasn¡¯t giving good enough rewards anymore. Selene, I literally know all twelve attacks it uses down to their names. Even if it can improvise, it hardly matters when I won¡¯t be staying in range.¡± [You still don¡¯t have the combat experience or stats to do this. You also won¡¯t be dodging with the simple press of a button but with your physical body. One hit, one simple mistake could prove catastrophic. Even if you dodge, you will tire, especially without your stat bonuses. Even if you were transformed and benefitting fully from your stats, this still would be nearly impossible. You would be facing an Anathema of a higher caliber completely alone in face-to-face combat.] ¡°Yes, I would be,¡± I paused, taking a deep breath. ¡°And I know this isn¡¯t a game. That¡¯s exactly why I have to do this. If I don¡¯t, hundreds die.¡± Selene¡¯s tails drooped down, her head lowering. [Mai¡­ this is too dangerous to do alone. Please, reconsider.] I crouched down in front of Selene. Even though I could feel the fear inside me making my heart skip the occasional beat, it felt like a distant, unimportant thing. I gave Selene the most reassuring smile I could. ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about me, but this is something I have to do. And¡­ I think I have a plan, one that, if it works, will make it so at least half the fight isn¡¯t even a challenge.¡± She seemed to perk up at that, raising her eyes to meet mine. ¡°Besides,¡± I whispered aloud, giving her a soft smile. ¡°I¡¯m not doing this alone.¡± At that, Selene went motionless for a moment. Then, her tails raised, and she gave me a deep nod. [I can¡¯t exactly argue with that, I suppose,] Selene sighed, her tails giving a flick. [Very well, then. Let¡¯s figure out how to defeat a boss.] Chapter 18 - Duo [Five.] The plan was simple, but I found myself wishing we¡¯d been able to prepare more, like getting more points to unlock better ammo. [Four.] Unfortunately, Selene had told me there were no other easy patrols to target, the remaining ones containing too many Anathema to safely handle. [Three.] Which did nothing to alleviate my anxiety, even with Selene helping me develop my plan further. [Two.] Every muscle in my body felt tight, like wires about to snap. [One.] I placed my left hand on the door handle, licking my dry lips as my chest constricted around my lungs. [Go.] I threw the door open, immediately using my foot to push the now empty box I¡¯d summoned earlier in front of the door as a makeshift doorstop. A wave of cold air hit me as my gun snapped up to point into the interior of the room, but it was utterly devoid of motion. I flicked my eyes over the layout, taking in the details Selene had warned me about. It was a long, rectangular room, maybe two soccer fields in length and one and a half wide. Pillars lined the length, three on each side. Each one had blue metal tubes running along them from floor to ceiling, a mesh wire cage enclosing them. The ceiling itself stretched up high, easily the height of three average rooms stacked together. With only a few red emergency lights to illuminate the entire room, shadows veiled the majority of the space. I tried to keep my eyes on the ceiling, squinting to adjust to the poor visibility, but I couldn¡¯t help but notice the ground. Splashes and sprays of scarlet, semi-reflective liquid painted the floor in puddles and bootprints. There were copper colored bullet casings littered around, and I spotted a few dark shapes that might have been discarded handguns. Even having heard Selene¡¯s warning, I felt my throat constrict. I forced myself to remain calm, searching the ceiling as I aimed through the doorway. My eyes caught on a few silvery threads crisscrossing across the ceiling and tops of the pillars, and egg shaped masses of the material were stuck in various corners. There were a few splotches of webbing on the floor too, almost like a ball of the material had been thrown and exploded on impact. My eyes caught on a shape near the farthest right pillar, and I almost took an involuntary step back. It was big, though the shadows and distance made it hard to properly gauge its exact size. I could make out the vague shape of many limbs curled up around a large body, all covered in a slick black, armor-like material. Moving at a slow, deliberate pace, I took a few steps back, carefully measuring out the distance before I settled into a crouch. Selene sat next to me, already in position just to my left. Slowly, I raised my gun and set my sights on the form. I couldn¡¯t make out the specifics of my target in the curled, shadowy mass, so I simply settled for getting my targeting reticle to be as small as possible in its direct center. When my reticle stopped shrinking, I let out my breath in a gentle, controlled exhale. Then I fired sixteen bullets in half as many seconds. The noise was deafening. Even with the lesser silencing enchantment, the gunshots echoed and bounced through the narrow hallways like thunder. The muzzle flashes were practically blinding in the dim lighting, forcing me to squint. I tried to let none of it distract me as I focused on keeping my shots on target. The shape of the Anathema twitched as my shots bit into it, some of them drawing sparks as they skipped off chitinous plating. My Umbra¡¯s slide clicked back into the empty position before the last shell casing hit the floor. Blinking through the sudden lack of strobing muzzle flashes, I saw the form of the creature writhe, uncurling itself as it dropped to the floor with an unearthly grace. As it rose to its full height, I found my eyes widening. The Arachnomantis was mostly a half spider and half mantis creature, but there were human features mixed in that gave it a twisted edge. The lower half of its body was like a giant spider but covered in dark, chitinous plating. Each of its eight legs tapered off into blades that clicked against the tiled floor with each movement. Where the spider¡¯s head should have been was where the ¡°mantis¡± portion began, a torso sticking upward in a centaur-like fashion. The torso itself was more human looking, petite with gentle, feminine curves. It was covered in more black chitin that stuck closely to its figure, accentuating its too-thin, alien form. The arms themselves looked like that of a mantis, double jointed and ending in wicked, serrated scythes of gray metal. Finally, the Anathema¡¯s head was human shaped, but had the fanged mouth and eight eyes of a spider. The gleaming black orbs reflected glints of red light, almost like eldritch pupils searching for prey. The Arachnomantis set those eyes on me and let out a screeching, chittering hiss. I shuddered, suppressing the wave of disgust and fear that rolled through me. I¡¯d seen the Arachnomantis before, in Magical Girls¡¯ Sunset: Rebellion, but that was on a phone screen. In person, the eerie mix of features was nothing less than horrific. Trying to push through the overwhelming sensation, I held my left hand out to my side, glancing in the same direction. Selene sat there, at the ready, each of her nine tails curled around a magazine. I¡¯d bought another nine in preparation for the fight, and the second I beckoned to her, she slapped a fresh magazine into my palm. I released my spent mag, pushed the new one in, hit the slide release, adjusted my aim, and opened fire again. The Arachnomantis had just finished landing, taking its first step toward me. This time, my aim was off-center as I targeted the side of its body. More specifically, I was targeting its legs, trying to do as much damage to them as possible. Although they weren¡¯t very big targets, the way they were spaced next to each other gave me a fairly decent chance of hitting at least one as the monster skittered towards me. My second magazine went as quick as the first, and I barely noticed myself ejecting it as I tried to see what damage I was doing. Between the distance and the lighting, it was almost impossible, but I had the feeling between my rapid fire approach and its chitin plating, I had yet to make a real dent. Which is why it¡¯s a good thing I bought a lot of bullets, I thought to myself as I finished reloading and resumed firing. The Arachnomantis wasn¡¯t sitting idle, charging towards me as it shrieked in protest. The closer it came to me, the bigger a target I had, and I saw one of my bullets spark against its armored leg. It was tempting to switch to targeting the Anathema¡¯s torso, especially as its gleaming scythe legs and arms drew closer, but I forced myself not to panic. Another fifteen bullets went by, and this time I saw the legs spasm as some shots seemed to punch through its armor. Just as I finished reloading my fourth magazine, the Arachnomantis reached the doorway. With its spider lower half and long, arcing legs on either side, it was too wide to fit through. It was also tall enough that if I was standing, I would only come up to where the spider half began turning into a torso. It hunched down to see me through the entrance, chittering in rage as it stretched out one of its overly long arms in a lightning-quick stab. I almost fell backwards as the scythe¡¯s tip shot towards my face, but forced myself to remain calm. The blade fell a half meter short, leaving the Arachnomantis awkwardly stretching an arm through the entryway. It clawed at the floor, cutting a furrow through it with ease as it tried to reach me. Shrill panic and excitement rushed through me as I lifted my gun, aiming at the Arachnomantis¡¯s head now that its legs were obstructed by the doorframe. With my slightly shaking hands, my reticle was huge, but at the relatively short distance it hardly mattered. The first few shots blasted against the plating of its head, at least one penetrating as it screeched in pain. The Arachnomantis skittered backwards, pulling away from the doorway, and I put the rest of my fourth magazine¡¯s shots into its torso as it bobbed its head in a wild, evasive motion. As the Arachnomantis continued retreating back into the room, I reloaded and returned to firing at its legs. A sudden crisp, cracking sound snapped out along with a mist of black blood as one of my bullets seemed to find a joint and blow through it. The Anathema¡¯s second most forward leg to my left went limp, making the creature stumble to the ground. I took the opportunity to target the forward most leg specifically, aiming at another joint as I emptied my fifth magazine. The Arachnomantis screamed in pain as my shots landed, bullets punching through chitin plates. It pushed itself away, scurrying as fast as it could in the direction of the pillars. Reloading into my sixth mag, I changed targets, aiming for the legs on its other side. The Anathema reached the first pillar, dipping behind it. With how wide the Arachnomantis was, it could only really hide the center of its body, leaving its legs exposed. I aimed my shots carefully, slowing down my rapid fire to a more methodical cadence as I tried to avoid hitting the pipes lining the pillar. It wasn¡¯t hard considering the Arachnomantis had stopped moving other than the occasional twitch as its body bobbed up and down in a weird undulating motion that¡­ My eyes widened in recognition, and I quickly emptied the rest of my mag, grabbing my seventh and slotting it in with a hurried motion. ¡°Get ready,¡± I told Selene, getting up from my crouch as I moved closer to the door. ¡°It¡¯s-¡± The Arachnomantis suddenly threw itself out from behind the pillar, lurching in an awkward, off-balance manner as it moved to the center of the room with surprising speed. Then it spun, turning so the back of its spider abdomen faced me as it pushed itself upwards, almost as if tensing its muscles. I moved, sprinting into the room just as the Arachnomantis shot out a stream of webbing at the door. My run turned into a dive, and I managed to just clear the entryway as the webs hit the doorframe. I landed on the ground hard, the magazine holsters around my waist digging into me painfully. Scrambling back to my feet, I turned in time to see the Arachnomantis finish coating the doorway in a thick barrier of silky webbing. Selene had made it through in time, sitting at my side with three more magazines still clutched in her tails. I found myself shivering as the cold air of the room bit into me, but my eyes were fixed on the only entrance and exit the room offered. We were trapped now, and I felt fear stab through me as the second phase of the plan began. Even if it was all going more or less like Selene and I thought it would, I definitely hadn¡¯t appreciated just how terrifying it would be. The idea of being confined with a monster whose arm scythes were as tall as I was hadn¡¯t really sunk in until now. My body thrummed with nervous energy, filling me with a painful, electric edge that clawed into my muscles with every beat of my heart. I snapped my attention back to the Arachnomantis as it spun to face me, letting out a triumphant hiss. It staggered forward, blade legs clicking against the ground as it charged. I choked down a yelp as I stumbled into motion, sprinting in a curved arc that would put pillars between us as I continued firing. My targeting reticle went wild, growing huge as I moved while trying to aim at the Anathema¡¯s legs again. Even with two of its legs out, the Arachnomantis was fast. The only thing that saved me was the pillar I put between us, forcing the Arachnomantis to try and circle around. Now that it was closer and obstructed by the pillar, it offered the perfect target. Shots pinged off its chitinous armor and leg blades alike, but even in the dim red light I saw some bullets putting holes in it. Unfortunately, the Arachnomantis was still faster than me, and in the time it took me to empty my mag, it managed to catch up. It raised both of its scythed arms above its head, and I recognized the motion. It was the same pose it took in Rebellion right before it used its Falling Scythe attack. I tried to dodge like I would in the game, pushing my muscles to their limit as I leaped to the side as swiftly as I could manage. Scythe blades fell a moment later, the blades coming within centimeters of hitting me as they smashed into the tile floor. The scythes dug deep into the ground, and I continued running towards the next pillar as the Arachnomantis had to stop and pull its arms free. Ejecting my empty mag, I held out my left hand. Selene came in a blur of motion, slapping a new one into my palm that I quickly loaded. At least, I tried to, but my frantic sprinting made it hard to get the ammunition properly slotted into the magazine well. By the time I managed to fumble it in, the Arachnomantis was back in range of me. This time it twisted its upper body and pulled back an arm, preparing to execute a cone shaped sweep. I stuck my foot out, stopping my forward momentum as I juked back towards the monster. The attack was a frontal 120 degree arc, and I sprinted at the Arachnomantis at a slight diagonal, aiming to avoid the strike by escaping on the far edge of the attack. There was a woosh of air as the blade sliced behind me, stopping just before it would have hit my backpack, and my heart skipped a beat even as I passed into touching distance of the Arachnomantis¡¯s legs. I went skidding to a stop, pointing my gun directly at one of its joints and fired from an arm¡¯s length away. Black blood exploded from the unarmored portion as I emptied half my mag in a roar of thunder. The Arachnomantis let out an alien, hissing scream, stumbling as its leg went limp. Changing targets, I shot the rest of my bullets into another leg. My Umbra clicked empty, and I ejected the mag even as I resumed my dash away from the Anathema. It recovered by leaning heavily to one side, pulling in the legs facing me close to its body. I was already running parallel to it, and I hurried in an all out sprint to avoid the coming attack. I cleared the space just as it slashed out with its legs, blades arcing out along the entirety of its flank. I kept moving, a ninth magazine appearing in my hand that I quickly loaded. I heard the Arachnomantis skittering as it turned to continue chasing me, and I looked over my shoulder. It was moving slower now, three of its legs almost completely limp while a fourth trembled with every step. I let out a short, relieved breath as I realized it was barely keeping up with me running at full speed. As long as I managed my distance- The Arachnomantis suddenly stopped, hunching backwards and raising both arms above its head, blades pointed at the ground. I felt the bottom of my stomach drop, and I quickly changed courses in a full right-angle turn. The Arachnomantis was preparing to unleash an attack every Rebellion player feared, a straight line charge of the Arachnomantis furiously stabbing its arm scythes downward in a storm of frenzied blows. Getting caught in it would be like being hit by a bus with a blender attached to its front. The Arachnomantis charged, and it was suddenly quick, like the leg wounds I inflicted didn¡¯t even matter. Even as I changed my course, the distance was closed impossibly fast, and a scythe blade stabbed into the ground less than an arm¡¯s length away. As the Arachnomantis pulled its scythe out, the upward arc of the blade raising caught me on my right bicep, and I felt the sharp edge dig into my arm as I was suddenly thrown into a spin. I let out a cry of surprise as my world twisted, landing on the ground with a violent jolt. The fall took the breath out of me in a harsh, painful gasp. The sudden impact and pain was too much, and I felt my gun slip from my grasp and go clattering away. I barely had time to mentally register that while the Anathema had thrown me away and to the side, I was still in the path of its rampaging legs as it blurred nearer. I forced myself into a disoriented, awkward roll, barely avoiding the needle-point strikes as the Arachnomantis rushed past me. Sucking in a gasping breath, I pushed myself to my feet, searching in the darkness for my Umbra. My right arm ached from where I¡¯d been hit, but when I tried to search for a wound, I found nothing but some frayed threading on my hoodie¡¯s sleeve. My bicep throbbed, but I otherwise seemed unhurt. The Arachnomantis recovered from its charge, turning to face me. I started backpedaling, abandoning my search for my gun as I kept my eyes on the Anathema. ¡°Selene! I can¡¯t-¡± I cut off my thought as the Arachnomantis caught up to me, aiming a powerful but slow stab at me. I stepped to the side, twisting my body as I avoided the lunging strike. It recovered, pulling in an arm as it aimed a quick, flicking attack I recognized as its Decapitating Slash. Trusting my instincts, I ducked, and the scythe wooshed above my head. I popped back up even as the Arachnomantis was mid-motion on its next attack. It was strange how telegraphed the strikes seemed, my experience in Rebellion guiding me to know how to dodge every strike. Still, even with that knowledge, it took everything in me to focus on recognizing the preparatory movements and then dodge, only escaping each strike by the narrowest of margins thanks to the Arachnomantis¡¯s superior speed and reach. Double Impalement. I jumped to one side as two blades tried to stab me, sucking in a breath as they almost slashed open my stomach. Cross Strike. I twisted to the side to dodge the vertical slash, then ducked underneath the follow-up horizontal attack from its other arm. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Ankle Sweep. A jump brought me clear over the blade, but I landed awkwardly, stumbling as I recovered. Ten Scythe Rain. It brought down each arm in quick, alternating stabs at the ground, forcing me to side skip back and forth in the brief moment that one scythe withdrew and the next came in. X-ecution. The relatively long windup on the next attack gave me time to duck forward, dodging underneath the two diagonal arcs at the bottom of the ¡°X¡± shape they made. Deadly Embrace. With me now crouched closer, the Arachnomantis flowed into a grabbing hug with both scythes. Chaining the attack from X-ecution, it had almost no windup, and horror flashed through me as I realized I had no escape route from the two blades closing in behind me. Desperate, I dove forward underneath the spider body of the Arachnomantis. I landed in a painful slide along my stomach¡¯s magazine holsters and found myself under the Anathema, surrounded by a cage of blade legs on either side with its huge, arachnid body hovering above me. I scrambled forward, pushing myself across the floor even as the Arachnomantis raised its body high into the air, getting ready to slam down on top of me. With its wounded legs, the motion took long enough for me to crawl out just before it slammed itself into the ground. The force of the bodyslam cracked the tiled floor beneath it, and I suppressed the surge of terror the sound sparked. I pushed myself to my feet and began running as the Arachnomantis stood, damaged legs trying to help as they pushed uselessly at the ground. It gave me time to make some distance between us as I went for another pillar. I gasped for air, sweat dripping down my brow as I ran. The flurry of attacks had only been seconds long, but my lungs were burning from the effort of evading the blistering pace they came at me with. Combined with all the running and dodging I¡¯d already done, I knew I was tiring too quickly. [Mai, open your right hand!] Selene suddenly shouted into my mind. I followed her instructions, and a second later she was hopping next to me, tails extending to push my Umbra into my waiting palm. The second my fingers closed around it, I felt some of the terror in me retreat, the sharpened spike of anxiety each breath was bringing suddenly becoming blunted. I spun around, now backpedaling as I reacquired the Arachnomantis in my reticle. The Anathema had just finished getting back to its feet and was halfway through its turn to face me. I fired, the familiar, slightly subdued roar of my Umbra echoing through the room. Bullets tore into the Arachnomantis¡¯s legs and side, causing it to screech in pain. I managed to empty my gun before it finished its turn and came after me. Releasing the mag, I instantly found a new one in my left hand that I proceeded to slot in as I backpedaled past a pillar. [This is your tenth magazine,] Selene informed me. [I have two more that fell from your sweatshirt pockets. Then you will be down to the six in your holsters.] I gave a mute nod in response, slightly surprised I hadn¡¯t noticed the magazines falling out. Gripping my Umbra tighter, I watched as the Arachnomantis came at me. It had slowed down again, and over half of its legs looked to be barely functioning, the damaged ones only gingerly touching the ground with each step. At its current speed, I was fairly certain I could outpace it if I was running, but only barely. I moved my reticle, doing my best to also use the Umbra¡¯s sights as I targeted the Arachnomantis¡¯s main body. I¡¯d dealt enough damage to the legs, and now it was time to start focusing on killing it. My reticle shrunk noticeably when I took the time to properly aim with the pistol¡¯s sights, the circle shrinking to fit the Anathema¡¯s torso. I fired, positioning myself a few meters behind the pillar to keep it between the Anathema and myself. My shots struck the Arachnomantis in a quick but steady rhythm, bullets punching into its chitinous armor. It let out another chittering scream, scythe blades raising in front of its body in a makeshift shield. One of my shots pinged off a blade in a flash of sparks, ricocheting into the ground in a puff of dust and tile fragments. Emptying the rest of my bullets into its unguarded legs, I let Selene slap my eleventh magazine into my left hand and reloaded. The Arachnomantis took the opportunity to continue closing the distance, reaching the pillar with a final lunge. It tried to circle around, but its wounded legs seemed to be hampering its horizontal movement, allowing me to keep circling the other direction and keep the pillar between us. Now that the Anathema was chasing me around the pillar at a short range, I returned to shooting at its torso. Its scythes weren¡¯t wide enough to hide its entire body when it held them in a guard position, though it did require careful aiming to hit the exposed portions. An idea flickered through my mind as I looked into the Anathema¡¯s eight eyes, and I quickly flicked my gun up, shooting a single shot towards its head. Being a relatively small and constantly moving target, I wasn¡¯t surprised when I missed. The Arachnomantis, however, reacted by raising both scythes to block me from a headshot, leaving its body completely open. Triumph surged through me, and I let loose a rapid barrage that emptied my mag. A lot of the shots outright missed due to our constant circling, but I saw some strike the torso in misty sprays of black ichor. The Arachnomantis shuddered, changing to guard its torso once again. Selene handed me my twelfth magazine, the last she had, and I slammed it in. Taking another wild shot at the Arachnomantis¡¯s head, it once again flinched, but didn¡¯t change guards. Another two shots, one actually striking its skull and whipping its head to the side, and the monster finally switched to covering its head. Which only earned it another twelve bullets targeted at its torso. Releasing my empty magazine, I moved my hand to the holsters around my waist. Earlier, I¡¯d practiced using them in front of Ji-woo and Sergeant O¡¯Malley while they coached me. They¡¯d had me go through the motions at least a hundred times, and I found myself pulling a magazine free and pushing it into my Umbra with little issue. It did, however, slow down my steps a little, and the Arachnomantis took the moment to surge around the pillar. Instead of facing it head on, I spun, sprinting away at full speed towards a pillar at the far end of the room. Only when I reached it did I wheel around, reacquiring the Anathema in my sights as I once again placed a pillar between us. It went skidding to a stop in order to avoid ramming into the pillar, and I jumped on the opportunity to get more bullets into its briefly stationary form. As we began circling one another again, I found my boots sticking to the floor in some places. It was a slight thing, only occurring around a certain portion of the pillar, and one of my steps seemed to hit a bullet casing, sending the copper colored object pinging across the ground. Something set off warning bells in my head, but I kept my eyes on the Anathema, forcing myself not to glance down. I continued shooting, but when I¡¯d circled to the other side of the pillar, I let my eyes flick down to where I¡¯d felt the slightly sticky sensation. My eyes widened when I saw what I¡¯d been standing in, stomach clenching as a wave of nausea rolled through me. A large puddle of scarlet liquid gleamed, bootprints etched into the blood. Dozens of copper bullet casings sprinkled the pool, shining in the carmine light. I snapped my attention back to the Anathema, reloading my gun as I tried to redirect my thoughts. My attention had only been split for a second, but in that moment, the Arachnomantis had gained some ground on me, forcing me to pick up my pace. My throat felt tight as I found myself circling back into the blood, and I noticed my targeting reticle had gained a noticeable quiver to it. Forcing myself to continue firing, I tried to ignore the nausea in the pit of my stomach. Selene had warned me about the blood, and I¡¯d even seen it when I threw open the door. I¡¯d managed to subconsciously overlook it until now, but standing in it, knowing it belonged to the team who¡¯d come before me¡­ My attention was suddenly back on the Arachnomantis as it skipped a step back, retracting both scythes before it suddenly surged forward, stabbing at me from either side of the pillar as it executed its Twin Piercing Lunge attack. Both blades sprang towards me, and I strangled down a gasp of surprise as they pulled up short only a hand¡¯s length away from my face. I took a hasty step backwards on reflex, trying to put more distance between us even though it physically couldn¡¯t get closer with the pillar in the way. The stickiness of the floor pulled at my boot, and I overreacted to the slight sensation, pulling my boot away with too much force. My backwards step landed with most of my weight on it, and sharp, cylindrical objects pushed against the sole of my boot as I stepped on multiple bullet casings at the same time. My weight came down on the awkward footing, and my ankle twisted painfully as the casings slid underneath my foot, taking my balance from me. And then I suddenly found myself in an uncontrolled, backwards fall. I landed on my backpack, cushioning my fall marginally even as the few objects stored within stabbed against into painfully. I scrambled up into a sitting position, planting my left hand on the ground to help push myself up. It landed directly in the puddle of cool, sticky liquid I was now sitting in, and I pulled my hand away in horror, trying to get my bearings even as I felt the blood soaking into the back of my jeans. The Arachnomantis had just finished stepping around the pillar, now only a few meters away with nothing between us. It closed the distance in a flurry of clicking steps, and I felt my heart stop even as I aimed my gun in a futile gesture. There was no way I was going to be able to effectively dodge from my sitting position. Even as my reticle flicked towards the Anathema, I knew it was useless. Short of a lucky shot, nothing was going to stop the monster. The Arachnomantis raised a scythe blade, aiming to impale me on the floor, and I let out a choked scream as I saw the blade descend. In that moment, a blur of motion flew past me as Selene launched herself directly at the Arachnomantis¡¯s head. Her body flashed with purple light, becoming visible to the Anathema just as she landed on its face and kicked off it with all the force she could muster. The kick didn¡¯t even budge the Anathema, but seeing the flash of light combined with an unknown object hurtling towards its eyes seemed to make it flinch, and the scythe¡¯s downward trajectory shifted. The blade slammed into the ground next to me, barely missing my torso, and the Arachnomantis let out a hiss of frustrated rage as it turned to face Selene. I wasted no time, pushing myself backwards and away from the Anathema as I tried to regain my feet. That seemed to draw its attention, however, the Arachnomantis¡¯s head whipping back to face me. It took a step forward to chase, but Selene was suddenly in motion again. Hurtling towards the Anathema as she bounced from a leg to an arm and then finally to its face, her tails shooting out in a contemptuous flick on each of the Arachnomantis¡¯s eight eyes. It hissed in fury, stepping backwards and swinging wildly at Selene¡¯s falling form. She managed to twist in mid air, narrowly dodging before she landed. She went back on the move immediately, hopping back and forth in front of the Arachnomantis in a blur of motion as the Anathema continued trying to stab her. I took the opportunity Selene had given me, pushing myself to my feet. Pain shot through my right ankle as I stood, and I let out a gasp as the sharp sensation made my eyes water. I must have twisted my ankle worse than I originally thought, but I forced myself to ignore the jagged edge of agony as I got to my feet. Trying to hurry as much as I could, I started limp-running to get the pillar back between myself and the Arachnomantis. I clenched my teeth through the pain each step brought, raising my gun as I tried to retarget the Anathema. Selene was hopping around in front of it, even using its stabbing arms and legs to bounce off and flip through the air in wild, flashy maneuvers as her fox tails fanned out behind her like streamers. Huffing for air as pain and exertion clawed into my lungs, I aimed, trying to steady and shrink my targeting reticle while Selene distracted the monster. The Arachnomantis hissed in an alien roar, a deep, basso tone entering its voice in a familiar sound that made my muscles clench. My eyes widened even as the Anathema pulled its arms back, scythes poised in a distinct pose as it reared up, and its front two legs raised off the floor to bring their blades to bear as well. ¡°Selene get b-¡± Before I could finish, the Arachnomantis launched its Four-fold Scythe Storm attack. In Rebellion it was an attack easy to predict and dodge away from due to the distinctive audio cue. The attack was a barrage of strikes that would do massive damage to anyone caught in it, almost guaranteeing death to any player who got caught. Thankfully, it was a fairly easy move to avoid if you knew about it ahead of time. Selene, however, didn¡¯t manage to escape in time. The Arachnomantis slashed at Selene in a flurry of arcing stikes, each attack surging forward at a speed I could barely follow. Selene hopped from side to side, dodging two low stabs and then taking to the air in a twirling flip as two blades tried to pincer her. Landing in a flourish of her tails, she barely hopped over a low cut, actually landing on top of the blade briefly and using it to jump higher as another slice followed up. The Arachnomantis¡¯s arms came arching down at her airborne form in diagonals, and Selene twisted her tails together in a violent twirl that sent her spinning from their path at the cost of her momentum. For the shortest of moments, she hung in the air as if suspended by invisible wires, her scarlet eyes meeting my own in that frozen second. Then one of the Arachnomantis¡¯s blades shot past and cut her clean in half. I screamed as her two halves were flung away from each other, purple light glowing from each piece and spraying out in fading motes of light. I opened fire in a roar of thunder as horror washed over me. Selene¡¯s body parts hit the floor and bounced away violently before shattering into violet shards like broken glass. The jagged pieces of light flickered for the briefest moment in the air before winking out of existence. My heart pounded in my ears, and I felt my breath catch in my throat as I continued shooting the Anathema until my Umbra clicked empty. It¡¯s fine, she¡¯s okay. She can¡¯t die, remember? This was even a contingency, Selene distracting the Anathema if I was in trouble. Everything¡¯s fine! I told myself those things as I fumbled a new mag into my gun, but something about the words felt hollow. Seeing her cut clean in half, her body parts bouncing like discarded pieces of garbage before vanishing¡­ A tear fell down my cheek, and I screamed as I fished reloading and resumed shooting the Anathema. It raised both scythes to block as it reoriented on me, letting out a triumphant hiss. [Rude!] Selene¡¯s voice came to me, and I gasped. [It¡¯s been getting led around by the nose this whole time, and it¡¯s gloating about such a small victory? Unacceptable! I demand satisfaction! Mai, would you do the honors? Even if you did have the mana to remanifest me, I refuse to dirty my fur further with this insect¡¯s blood!] I blinked in stunned surprise, her words freezing me for a half-second. Then, a strained laugh bubbled inside of me, and I hurried to resume my circling maneuver even as I continued firing. The edge of fear in my gut disappeared at Selene¡¯s joking tone, and I could suddenly breathe again as I returned my focus to the fight. The Arachnomantis and I resumed our dance as it chased me around the pillar, gunshots flashing in the dark room with a thunderous echo. Even as I ran, I realized my ankle wasn¡¯t going to hold up. Each step I took sent a barbed trail of agony through my leg, and my limping run began to slow with every movement. As I finished emptying my magazine, one of my shots caused a spray of ichor to erupt from the Arachnomantis¡¯s stomach, but even then, it was beginning to gain ground on me. I forced myself to think, desperately searching for an answer even as I reloaded. I was down to my last three magazines, and between the pain and exertion, I was near my limit. My muscles ached, and I needed to find a way to finish the Arachnomantis, or at least slow it down even further. My breaths had become ragged, gasping things, turning to mist in the cold air of the room¡­ My eyes widened, then flicked to the aqua colored pipes lining the pillars. They had a metal mesh frame boxing them in, and a myriad of symbols covered the pipes, warning me of the same things Selene had while we¡¯d been planning. One of the reasons the mana generator had to have its own custom-designed room was that producing so much mana also generated a lot of heat. In order to keep the generator from overheating, the room was built especially large with pillars that had cooling pipes along their length. An incredibly cold, Zenith-manufactured gas ran through them, and through heat transfer, the pipes would keep the room cool without directly releasing the gas into the room. The mesh frame around the pillars was there as a safety measure, keeping anybody from accidentally touching the pipes. Selene had warned me to watch my shots, that hitting one of the pipes would cause the pressurized gas to leak into the room. While the gas wasn¡¯t toxic, direct exposure to the gas as it escaped the pipe would almost certainly freeze whatever it touched. If one of my bullets punctured the pipe and I happened to be too close¡­ The Arachnomantis screeched, gaining more ground on me as it raised a scythe for another attack. As I saw the serrated blade raise like a guillotine, I made my decision. I flicked my gun to point at the pipes and fired, praying my plan would work. The first shot sparked against the mesh and pipe, putting a dent in the metal. The second and third shots both missed as I stepped on my wounded ankle. But the fourth shot¡­ The fourth shot hit the pipe and punched a hole clean through. Teal gas sprayed out in an explosive stream directly in the Arachnomantis¡¯s path, its forward momentum carrying it straight into the gas. The Anathema let out a chittering shriek as its full body spasmed, and I stumbled away as quickly as I could manage. Continuing to aim at the pipes, I emptied the rest of my magazine as I cleared the immediate danger zone. More gas streams joined the first, completely engulfing the Anathema. It tried to escape, but only ended up falling to the ground as the legs facing the pipe froze in an instant and cracked. The Arachnomantis used its arm and legs on its opposite side, dragging itself forward, in a slow, awkward scurry away from the blasting streams of gas. Even with its desperate movements, it moved at an agonizingly slow pace. I slotted in my second to last magazine, gasping for breath as I watched the monster. I could barely see it in the misting cloud, so I took a few more steps away while I waited for it to pull itself out. I could feel the air cooling noticeably while I waited, the sensation almost pleasant against my sweat soaked brow. After almost a full minute, the Arachnomantis managed to escape the streams of gas. Frost and ice covered the entirety of one side, its legs broken clean off. It shivered uncontrollably, and even its hissing voice seemed raspy. The Anathema looked around, head moving in jerky snaps from side to side until it found me. Then it began dragging itself forward, seemingly undeterred in its pursuit. With only one side working and half of its remaining legs wounded, it could only move forward with the help of its unfrozen arm. It dragged itself in slow, lurching movements that barely resulted in any progress even as its legs pushed awkwardly on the ground. I slowly raised my gun, not bothering to move from my position as I put my sights on the Arachnomantis¡¯s head. I fired a shot, the bullet smashing into its face. It recoiled slightly from the impact, but pressed on. Taking a second to resteady myself, I adjusted my aim and fired again. And again. And again. Some of my shots missed, either because of the erratic dragging movements the Arachnomantis was using, or just because of my terrible, shaky aim. I didn¡¯t let it bother me, simply taking time to adjust before firing again. On my ninth shot, I hit it right in the eye. The back of the Arachnomantis¡¯s head exploded in a spray of black gore, its entire body flinching as every muscle tensed at the same time. For a moment it remained frozen in that position, but then it slowly slackened, arm and legs going limp as its torso fell backwards onto its own abdomen. [Defeated (Newborn Arachnomantis - Level 21)] [Bonus experience awarded for defeating an enemy more than fifteen levels above your own!] [Reward: 50 Points] [New Point Total: 133 Points] [Congratulations! You¡¯ve leveled up multiple times! Showing level ups¡­] [You are now level 5!] [You are now level 6!] [You are now level 7!] [You are now level 8!] [Stat Points Available: 40] Relief and exhaustion washed over me, my muscles turning to jelly as I slowly lowered myself to the ground, drinking in deep breaths of air as I tried to catch my breath. Something warm flickered in my stomach, and it took me a moment to realize what it was. I did it. I won. I beat the Arachnomantis, an Anathema seventeen levels higher than me, and now Lily and all the other people in the shelter were going to be safe. They were safe. A giddy laugh bubbled from me, and I didn¡¯t bother to contain it as relieved, happy tears streamed down my face. Chapter 19 - The Return My hands were sore. I rubbed at them, shivering in the cold air as the ringing in my ears began to die down. I hadn¡¯t noticed it while I was fighting the Arachnomantis, but it turned out shooting so many times in an enclosed room had consequences, even with the silencing enchantment on my gun. My HUD showed my mana bar at about a sixth of the way filled, and I felt myself swallowing. I¡¯d emptied sixteen magazines plus another nine bullets. That added up to 249 bullets, plus the one I¡¯d had chambered at the start for an even 250. Almost seventeen points worth of ammunition just to take down that beast. All for fifty points. Between the level difference and me lacking the full bonus of my Magical Girl powers, it made sense it took so many bullets to kill. But only fifty points? I had expected more from a boss. I shook my head. I was being ridiculous. I just defeated a giant spider-mantis centaur with scythed legs and arms, and I was worried about the points? Why did that matter when I¡¯d just saved everyone in the third floor shelter? Gently, I pressed the sides of my ankle again. Selene had told me to use the rest of the regenerative salve I¡¯d bought earlier, and the swelling had gone down considerably. Apparently the salve was incredibly effective on things like sprains and bruises, especially if applied relatively quickly after getting hurt. My ankle already felt much better, and other than some tenderness, I was pretty sure I would be able to walk and run on it normally. I pushed myself to my feet, groaning as my body reported a whole new set of forming bruises. It was a familiar sensation, though, and I was able to ignore it with a practiced effort of will. My legs and arms felt rubbery, which was a little surprising. I knew I wasn¡¯t athletic or anything like that, especially considering I was exempt from most of my gym classes, but the pangs of soreness seemed out of place. Or maybe this was just what an actual fight felt like? It couldn¡¯t have been more than a few minutes at most¡­ were fights really that exhausting? [Congratulations, Mai,] Selene interrupted my thoughts. [You¡¯ve done something that not many would even consider possible. Defeating an Anathema seventeen levels above you and doing it without your Astral Shift¡­ Truly, this is an extraordinary accomplishment.] An embarrassed blush warmed my cheeks. ¡°Thank you¡­ but I really couldn¡¯t have done it without you. I¡¯m, um¡­ I¡¯m sorry about what happened to you. I couldn¡¯t-¡± [Don¡¯t worry about it. It was painless. I¡¯m only frustrated that I wasn''t able to help you more. That, and my forced demanifestation is going to complicate things. That, however, we can get to in a moment. First, we should focus on shutting off the coolant pipe that was-] A hissing sound interrupted Selene, and I jumped as I snapped my gun to aim at the Arachnomantis. It lay unmoving, and I frowned until I realized the gas coming out of the pipe began to thin out as the hissing grew higher in pitch. The second the gas stopped coming from the pipe, the hissing stopped, and I slowly lowered my gun. [Ah. Well, it is good to know the emergency shut off systems are still working. Using the pipe to freeze the Arachnomantis was an excellent bit of improvisation, by the way. I was worried how your combat instincts would translate from game to real life, but it seems I was being overly cautious.] ¡°I¡­¡± I gave a shrug, fidgeting. ¡°It just felt right at the time¡­ I should have thought about using it during our planning session, though. It would have made things so much easier.¡± [Perhaps. At any rate, things went about as well as could be expected. Especially against such a tough opponent.] ¡°Yeah¡­ I can¡¯t believe it was only worth fifty points, though. I know it would have been a lot easier if I was using my Astral Shift, but it''s still not a lot for a boss.¡± [A boss? Mai, that was just a normal Anathema.] Silence stretched between us, a chill running through me that had nothing to do with the temperature. ¡°W-what? But in Rebellion¡­¡± [Oh. Oh, Mai¡­ I apologize, It seems I wasn¡¯t completely clear in my communications. Rebellion uses Anathema as a reference for its monsters, but the creatures it chooses to use as ¡°bosses¡± are usually just challenging or particularly unsettling Anathema. In the real world, the Arachnomantis is just another type of Anathema that can be encountered, not some special subtype.] ¡°Oh¡­¡± I felt my heart fall a little at that. ¡°Wait, are there special types of Anathema then? Ones that are actually like bosses?¡± [Yes¡­ The Guardians of Earth tend to use a different classification system that would take a while to explain, but the Zenith one is split into four simple categories. The first are Common Anathema, which are exactly what they sound like and what you¡¯ve been facing so far. Next are Elite Anathema, which are Anathema that is a higher level than their type is normally found at. For instance, an Elite Fomorian Hound would be level six or higher. Then there are Rare Anathema. These are types that are not normally found among the masses, and when they appear, they tend to not have any standardized level. Rare Anathema are very dangerous due to their unique abilities and intelligence. They fit the criteria of boss monsters well enough.] Selene paused for a moment, almost as if considering her words. [Finally, above those are the Aberrants. Those¡­ those would be something even stronger than a boss monster. Aberrants are everything a Rare is but worse. They have intelligence that can equal a human''s along with powers and magic that can rival a Magical Girl¡¯s. If an Aberrant is found, usually multiple squads of Guardians are called in to deal with it. Aberrants are some of the most deadly creatures, and where one shows up, disaster usually follows. If you ever encounter an Aberrant alone, you run. No exceptions. It doesn¡¯t matter what or who you are trying to protect, if you stay to fight an Aberrant alone, all you will accomplish is losing your life along with whatever you were fighting for, and the world cannot afford to lose Magical Girls in hopeless battles. Do you understand?] There was an undertone in her words, something that almost sounded desperate, like she was pleading for me to accept. I gave a nod to the empty air, gripping my gun a little tighter as a sliver of fear worked its way into my stomach. [That being said, if you are at least a hundred levels above an Aberrant, you can probably fight on even ground. Besides, Aberrants are very rare and can be detected well in advance of their arrival. They aren¡¯t something you just stumble into by accident.] That made me feel a little better, and I let out a relieved breath of air. [Now then, I believe you¡¯ve recovered enough. We should move on with our mission.] ¡°Right,¡± I looked around the room. ¡°The generator.¡± I started moving, heading to the back of the room. Selene had told me before the fight I didn¡¯t have to worry about shooting anything except the pipes because the generator itself was retracted into the floor. It was a security measure to help protect it if the shielding station went offline. All I had to do was use the access panel to get the generator to come back up. Reaching the back of the room, I was greeted with a closed metal box, just like Selene had described to me. There was actually a small dent in it, and I winced as I reached out and pulled open the front panel. Inside was a hand scanner along with what looked like a card reader. I placed my hand against the screen, almost jumping when it lit up blue. After a second it turned green, and a loud mechanical whirring suddenly filled the room. I turned around, looking with wide eyes as the center of the floor simply pulled itself open. A circular portion of the floor indented itself before splitting in half and then sliding away. Once the circular hole was clear, a hum filled the air, and a circular platform slowly rose to replace the flooring. I watched, slowly approaching as the platform settled itself into place, the sound of machinery abruptly coming to an end. The circular platform was made of metal, and there were only two objects on it. The first was a cylindrical pedestal indented to allow a perfect sphere to rest on it. Both were made of some kind of reflective silver metal with a hexagon pattern engraved in it. The sphere itself was bigger than my head, and something about the object made me feel¡­ uneasy. Something about it was off, like my eyes couldn¡¯t quite see it correctly. [Try not to stare,] Selene advised me. [You are looking at an almost perfect sphere. It was created and shaped to the specifications of the first million digits of pi. Your brain is recognizing that it is indeed a sphere, but because it is so much closer to a perfect one, it is causing a psychological reaction. It will pass, but you will probably get a headache before you get used to seeing the shape.] I turned away from the alien sphere, blinking my eyes at the sudden strain they felt. Careful to avoid looking directly at it again, I turned to look at the second object in the metal circle. It was¡­ a box. Large, made of black metal, and completely featureless except for a cable as thick as my leg attaching the box to the pedestal, and another leading directly into the ground. Judging by the box sporting the same hexagonal pattern as the sphere and pedestal, it was clearly some piece of Zenith technology. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I frowned at the box. [I don¡¯t know.] I blinked. ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know? It¡¯s Zenith technology, right?¡± [Yes, but¡­ there is nothing in my database about it.] ¡°Is that¡­ bad?¡± [Not at all,] Selene responded cheerily. [There is plenty of information that I either do not have access to or simply do not have the memory capacity to hold onto. Because I was designed to fit inside your Soul Gem, there was a limit to how much data I could take with me. For instance, I only know the first fifty levels worth of Anathema creatures, and that list is hardly extensive. Most of my memory is taken up by the Vaults, Abilities, and Skills, but even then it is only the most common items. More specialized or unique equipment would require a search of the Arcane System, and with the Usurpation zone cutting off access beyond simply buying and receiving things, I¡¯m currently unable to find out what this might be.] ¡°Oh. But this isn¡¯t anything to worry about?¡± [I don¡¯t believe so. It¡¯s Zenith technology hooked up to a mana generator, so it must have a purpose of some sort. It may be some type of booster or possibly a safety device. Although not a standard piece of equipment, a Guardian must have purchased and attached it for one reason or another. Once we get back to the shelter, we can ask Error Machina about it if you are still curious.] ¡°Okay¡­¡± I stared at the box for another moment before I turned my attention back to the mana generator. ¡°So, what do I do now?¡± [Before we can continue, we should discuss something. Mainly, what the plan is for our return trip.] ¡°Right,¡± I checked my mana in the corner of my vision. ¡°I¡¯m only at 82 mana right now, so we should wait until I can manifest you again at¡­ 220 now that I¡¯m level eight, right?¡± [Yes, except for one small caveat. When my physical manifestation gets destroyed, there is a sort of penalty in place for an hour, requiring you to spend double the normal amount.] ¡°Wait, what? I thought you told me you could be manifested again without any repercussions?¡± [Ah. I meant that there would be no lasting damage to myself or you. Truthfully, I didn¡¯t mention this penalty earlier because I did not anticipate being dispelled. An Anathema would have to be well into the one or two hundred range to see me, so I assumed I was safe. I did not take into account the idea of me helping you in direct combat at the time. I¡­ also did not want to add another thing for you to worry about, especially with the chances of it happening being so low. Apologies.] ¡°No, it¡¯s¡­¡± I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s fine. That makes sense¡­ but what do we do now?¡± [We can simply wait an hour. That, or you can spend some of your stat points on your Willpower and Spirit to quickly regenerate the appropriate amount.] ¡°But that would mean spending more stat points without a plan,¡± I bit my lip, thinking about it. ¡°I¡¯d need to spend at least fourteen points in Willpower to get enough, but it would still take¡­ almost fifty-two minutes to regenerate enough mana? Unless I spent even more in Spirit to boost my regeneration¡­¡± Doing the math in my head, I began to feel uneasy. Sure, it would only take a few points to regenerate my mana back up in twenty minutes or less, but that would mean spending close to half of the stat points I¡¯d just gained. It would get me out of my immediate situation, but what about the future? The more I just spent stat points without developing a proper plan, the more I was going to have to correct in the future and the more at risk I would be while I worked with something suboptimal. ¡°I don¡¯t want to spend my stat points if I don¡¯t have to,¡± I finally said. ¡°Not right now.¡± [Agreed. Spending them without a plan seems unwise. I suppose we could work on developing one while we are waiting for the manifestation penalty to time out.] ¡°Um¡­ how much time does the shelter have left before the shield goes down and it opens up?¡± I asked, fidgeting. [Three hours, sixteen minutes. They would still have a little over two hours of time left even if we waited.] I frowned at that. Something about the idea made me feel intensely uncomfortable. Waiting an entire hour, doing nothing felt¡­ wrong. The idea of leaving Lily and so many other people in danger any longer than I had to didn¡¯t sit well with me. Sure, I¡¯d gone out of my way to defeat a few Anathema before reaching the generator, but that was to help ensure I had all the resources I might need to save them. If I had the choice to immediately protect them, shouldn¡¯t I take it? Besides, something about the idea of waiting made the back of my mind itch, like I was trying to remember something important. There was something there, the just didn¡¯t feel right. ¡°When we turn the generator on, will we be able to tell if the shielding station goes online?¡± [Not really. There won¡¯t be a direct response, but the mana generator control screen will inform us if it is online and sending the mana. That will tell us if the shielding station restarted and is drawing mana as planned. Even if I have limited information on the subject, Error Machina seemed to also believe the shielding station would automatically restart when powered, so there is little doubt about it working.] ¡°And once it begins restarting, it¡¯ll draw the Anathema there, right? So won¡¯t the path to the shelter be clear if we follow the same path back?¡± There was a moment of silence before Selene responded in a hesitant tone. [Yes. It should be, but the safer option would be to wait until I can scout ahead, just in case.] ¡°I¡­ Selene, it might be safer for me, but what about everyone in the shelter?¡± I chewed on my lip nervously. ¡°I know they¡¯d still have plenty of time but¡­ it just feels wrong. I don¡¯t want them to have a doomsday clock ticking down on them any longer than possible. Letting them stay in danger¡­ it just doesn¡¯t sit right with me. Also¡­¡± I trailed off, searching my mind as I tried to root out the nagging sense of worry that was plaguing me. There really shouldn¡¯t be a problem with letting the shelter wait another hour, but- I blinked, a shiver running through me as I realized it wasn¡¯t shelter three that I had to worry about. ¡°What if Ji-woo or Sergeant O¡¯Malley decide to come after us because we¡¯re taking too long? We never planned for me being missing for an entire hour¡­¡± [That¡­ is very true. They might get worried you failed or were injured and send someone out. In fact, the longer we wait, the more likely that scenario is. You could spend all your points in Willpower and Spirit to regenerate the necessary mana in only a few minutes, but that would unbalance your stat distribution enough to be detrimental to your future¡­] Selene trailed off, thinking about it for a moment before sighing. [Very well. Returning immediately without waiting to remanifest me is a course of action I can approve of. The return back to the shelter should be safe, and potentially risking the officers¡¯ lives or your future growth for a redundant safety measure isn¡¯t worth it. Excellent job analyzing the situation and realizing the potential consequences, Mai.] My shoulder relaxed in relief, cheeks warming at Selene¡¯s praise. ¡°Alright. What should I do?¡± [There is a hand scanner on the pedestal, but you should pick up your magazines and possibly refill them before you set out. We also need to deal with the webbing in front of the door.] ¡°Oh¡­ right.¡± I went to work, collecting my scattered magazines from around the room, storing them in my backpack. Selene helped me find them, using my HUD to highlight them in gold so I was able to see them even in the dim emergency lights. I stopped over one of them, something catching in my throat as I looked at where it had fallen. ¡°Selene¡­ What happened to the bodies?¡± I asked quietly, staring at the puddle of blood my empty magazine rested in. [I was hoping to avoid this, but¡­ the remains of the team previously sent are currently cocooned in the corners of the room, near the ceiling. The Arachnomantis eats much like a normal spider does, injecting venom and¡­ well, the specifics don¡¯t matter.] ¡°Oh¡­¡± I said, staring at my magazine. There was a handgun lying near it, in the same puddle. It was blockier than mine, more square shaped. But it was still a handgun, lying in a puddle of blood. It had belonged to someone. Someone who tried to use it to protect others. Someone who had friends, family, a dream. And now it was just¡­ I was suddenly reminded of the blood soaking the back of my jeans from when I¡¯d fallen. The blood coating my left hand¡­ My chest felt tight. [You don¡¯t have to pick up that magazine if you don¡¯t want to,] Selene told me gently. [You can always buy more.] ¡°Okay,¡± I whispered. I stared at it for another moment, then turned away. Only one of my magazines had fallen in blood, and I had Selene buy me another three full mags, bringing me down to 130 points. I could have just bought ammo to refill my empty ones, but I really didn¡¯t want to stick around longer than necessary. I had a few empty magazines lying outside the room I¡¯d have to scoop up on my way out, and I made a mental note to do so¡­ and also told Selene to remind me just in case. Exhaustion was trying to creep its way back into me now that I was no longer in any direct danger, but the threat of having to go back out was keeping at least a small bit of adrenaline running through me. I stopped in front of the doorway out, sighing as I looked over my task. The webbing the Arachnomantis had used to block the way wasn¡¯t very thick, and I could make out the door on the other side through the webs. Selene and I had expected the Arachnomantis to web the doorway when I started shooting from safety, but our solution to getting back out again was¡­ less than ideal. Setting my gun down for a moment, I reached over my shoulder and pulled out my ice axe. It wasn¡¯t exactly the best tool for the job, but¡­ [I would suggest scraping at the sides of the doorframe and working your way along the outside.] Following Selene¡¯s instructions, I went to work, scratching at the wall and webbing. It went surprisingly well, only taking me a few minutes to clear the way. It did, however, take a lot of muscle power, and by the end of it, my arms were even more sore and I was sweating again. ¡°Alright,¡± I gasped when I was finished, pushing the now loose webbing to the side of the door. ¡°Anything else to take care of before we go?¡± [I do not believe so.] Putting my ice axe away and picking up my gun, I blinked as the section of my HUD containing my gun¡¯s information reappeared, showing me having only six bullets in my current magazine. I swapped it with one of my full ones, then made my way to the pedestal. On one of its sides was a hand scanner and keycard combo, and I pressed my hand to it. A moment later, it turned green, beeped at me, and then a holographic, blue screen suddenly sprang to life in front of my face. I took a step back in surprise, looking over the slew of buttons and information presented before me. [Everything looks good,] Selene informed me before I could even make sense of the various menus and graphs. [All you have to do is push this button, here. Then, we watch the third graph. So long as the line goes up and levels off, it means it is supplying mana.] Gold highlights appeared in my vision, marking the appropriate spots. Anxiety suddenly creeped up in my chest, making my heart flutter as I raised my hand to press the button. Please work, please work, please¡­ I pressed the button. Stolen novel; please report. More accurately, my finger pressed the holographic interface and then went through it. The button lit up, and I quickly retracted my hand. The display changed to a new sign, and I found myself reading it aloud. ¡°Warning: Mana generator was shut down due to mana overdraw. Default maximum mana generation is 80%. Attempted draw was 82%. Do you wish to restart the generator without a mana generation maximum?¡± [Interesting,] Selene remarked. [This must be what caused the shutdown. Whoever set up the generator didn¡¯t allot enough capacity. This mall is a fairly new building, and the shielding station must have drawn more to power the shelters than was expected.] ¡°So¡­ all of this was just one big accident?¡± I asked incredulously. [It would seem that way. As this mall was not part of the original city designed and constructed by the Zenith, it would have been humans in charge of all the calibrations and testing. I suppose someone along the way made a mistake¡­ I will make sure to bring this up with Guardian Command to ensure this doesn¡¯t happen again. I¡¯m astonished that the fail-safes and testing didn¡¯t catch this, but I suppose technology can be fickle, especially when set up by those unfamiliar with it.] I frowned, eyeing up the machine in a contemplative silence. Something about that didn¡¯t sit right¡­ but maybe I was just reaching for an explanation. Something better than ¡°oops, we made a mistake.¡± A lot of people could have died and some people did die trying to fix it. Chalking it up to just an accident was unsatisfying, even if it was true. ¡°Why is it set to a 80% maximum anyway?¡± I finally asked. [Two reasons. First, more than 80% shouldn¡¯t ever be needed to power everything the shielding station is responsible for. 75% is the most it should ever be generating at one time, even with emergency shields in all the shelters activated, but a 5% margin of error is added just in case. Secondly, the 80% serves as a good way to measure if something is wrong. If the shielding station was damaged and attempted to overdraw power, the limit causes a shutdown until the problem can be addressed. Damage to a shielding station, a powerful piece of Zenith technology that actively turns massive amounts of mana into energy could have disastrous consequences. So, the limit is put on all generators to prevent any unfortunate accidents.] That¡­ made sense. But it also meant that this was just the one scenario in which the fail-safes had caused a problem instead of preventing one. It wasn¡¯t the answer I wanted, but I begrudgingly forced myself to accept it. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s what the problem was?¡± [As sure as I can be. The mana generator is only equipped with the bare essentials to monitor itself and ensure it is functioning properly. The shielding station, however, is equipped with a much more extensive suite of technology including security and monitoring equipment. I¡¯m sure the software up there has an extensive error report of what exactly went wrong and why more mana is being required than normal.] ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the mana generator have the same capabilities?¡± [Because direct interaction with a mana generator is only supposed to happen while the generator is offline. The extreme amounts of ambient mana contained in the room while the generator is functioning is highly toxic to a normal person. Nobody is supposed to be in the room, thus it makes sense to put the control and monitoring equipment elsewhere. Even turning the generator on directly would be dangerous to a normal human. Only your unique status as a Magical Girl protects you from mana poisoning. Being ¡°manaborn¡± also helps, though to a significantly lesser extent.] ¡°Oh¡­ so it''s like a nuclear reactor, then? You don¡¯t put the control and monitoring room right next to the thing generating all the radiation.¡± [That¡­ works as a comparison, I suppose. The only reason a control panel is installed into the generator at all is for emergency situations such as this.] I nodded, satisfied with my answers. Steeling my resolve once again, I placed my finger over the ¡°accept¡± button and took a deep breath. ¡°Alright. Push the button, make sure it¡¯s generating mana, wait a minute for the Anathema to begin leaving, run out the door, pick up my empty magazines, then run back to the shelter as fast as possible. Am I missing anything?¡± [No. I¡¯ll highlight your path with the HUD so you do not have to refer to your minimap.] ¡°Okay¡­ Here goes nothing.¡± I pressed the button, doing a better job of interacting with the holographic display this time. The second my finger left the display, a low hum began to emanate from the sphere, in a deep, throaty, bass sound. It began weak at first, then quickly grew in power over the next few seconds until I could feel it in my bones. Blue light suddenly shone from the borders of the hexagonal pattern, and the sphere rose in a gentle motion, suspending itself mid-air over the pedestal. Sapphire light gathered in a nimbus around the orb, shrouding the sphere in a haze of shimmering particles. After a moment, the haze began to fall, funneling into the center of the pedestal where I saw a small hole. The hexagonal pattern on the pedestal lit up this time, and the holographic screen in front of me lit up with new information. A short moment later, the mystery box next to everything lit up with its own light as well. [Mana output holding steady, though at significantly reduced levels¡­ the shielding station must be drawing a lower amount while it starts back up. It looks like everything is good to go!] I nodded, and turned from the display, jogging over to the door. Placing one hand against the handle, I started counting the seconds in my head. I tried to take deep, calming breaths as I waited, but I could feel the steel wires of worry encircling my heart. It was a familiar thing, though, and I quickly grabbed hold of it. It was surprisingly easy, especially if I compared it to the anxiety and fear I¡¯d felt when first entering the shelter. Or even whenever school ended and I¡­ I hit sixty seconds before I could dwell on the thoughts too much, and without another moment of hesitation, I opened the door. I did a quick scan of the hallways but found nothing but darkness. Working as fast as I could, I crouched, setting my gun down as I took my backpack off and started shoving empty magazines inside. In my haste, one slipped from my grasp, clattering to the hallway loudly, and I winced, throwing another look around. Nothing immediately jumped out at me, so I finished packing the magazines, put my backpack on, grabbed my gun, and set off. Green arrows appeared underneath my feet even as I ran, and I followed them without hesitation. I ran the entire way, stopping only at intersections to do a quick check down the halls before continuing on my path. The entire way was quiet, making my footfalls eerily loud as I hurried. The arrows led me around another corner to a doorway where the door had been broken down, and I carefully stepped onto the door as I continued, aiming my gun in front of me as I began to clear the doorway. Then the lights turned on. One minute I was moving through almost complete darkness, the halls illuminated only by the dim red of emergency lights, and the next, there was searing white light. I blinked, blinded by the sudden change even as the low hum of air conditioning suddenly filled the halls. I had to squint to see anything, and even then my vision was limited as I continued stepping through the doorway, gun still aimed forward. ¡°Selene, what-¡± [MAI STOP MOVING NOW!] Selene screamed. Before I could react, a shape whipped out from the corner of my vision, wrapping around my left arm even as more wild, stringy forms reached towards me. A startled yelp escaped me as I tried to throw myself backward on reflex, but whatever was wrapped around my arm tightened, and I began to fall as it yanked me back through the doorway. I took the fall on my right side, landing painfully on my shoulder as I tried to turn my body to face whatever grabbed me. I forced my eyes open despite the brightness, looking to the corner above the doorway. A mass of black vines was knotted together, like some kind of monstrous plant mass stuck to the ceiling. It had shark teeth lining its tendrils, almost like some kind of demented thorns. Worse, in the center of the knotted mass was a giant bloodshot eyeball, quivering uncontrollably as if it was screaming. More vines shot out towards me, and I screamed as they grabbed at my arm, more reaching for my legs. I tried to roll onto my back to get my gun clear from underneath me to shoot at it. Before I could, the tendrils tightened along my left forearm, and then they twisted. Pressure built, something snapped and- Pain. Pain exploded through me, my vision disappearing in a flash of red as agony sharper than anything I¡¯d ever experienced before shot through my bones, lightning lancing up my arm as the pressure reached a limit and then snapped. A scream ripped its way out of my throat as my nerves lit themselves on fire. Every jostle of the vines trying to pull me closer, every spasmodic jerk of my arm, every tiny movement sent what felt like razor blades dancing through my flesh. The vines didn¡¯t let up, shifting their grips and tightening as they pulled and continued twisting in violent, jerking motions. Pressure built up in my arm again until another crack sent a second blast of pain through me. The edges of my vision darkened as the process repeated again and again, the vines searching for new grip points before snapping my bones. I would have screamed if I had any breath in my lungs, the jolting movement of the vine monster only sending more waves of shrill agony up my arm. It hurt. It hurt, it hurt, it hurt. It hurt so much, so much more than anything else in my life had ever hurt, and it wouldn¡¯t stop. Desperately, I pushed my gun out from underneath me and aimed from underneath my side, across my body. I couldn¡¯t see anything through the pain clouding my vision, but I didn¡¯t care. Even if my arm was in the way, all I wanted was for the agony to stop. I pulled the trigger again and again, and I didn¡¯t stop until the tentacles around my arm finally slackened and my arm fell away from its grasp, falling limply to my side with what felt like a jackhammer blow that loosed another scream from me. [Defeated (Corpse Blossom - Level 6)] [Reward: 10 Points] [New Point Total: 140 Points] I barely registered the kill notification, gasping for breath as pure torment pulsed up my arm in tune with my racing heartbeat. Tears filled my eyes as I blinked, desperately trying to make sense of what was happening. Shadows danced across my vision, turning everything blurry as pain railed against me, trying to overwhelm everything. [Mai. I need you to listen to me very carefully. You need to stay conscious. Listen to the sound of my voice.] Selene¡¯s voice was calm and soothing, a cold towel against the agony pounding through me. I latched onto that sound, clinging to it with every ounce of will I could muster. [That¡¯s it. Good. Keep focusing. Clear your vision.] I struggled to follow her instructions, blinking away the blurriness until I could make out my surroundings. I was lying down on the ground, partially on the door. Tendrils of black were still wrapped around my left arm, but they weren¡¯t moving¡­ Everything felt far away, realizations and sensations coming to me as if through a tunnel. Everything, that is, except for the pain. [Excellent job. I need you to sit up. Let go of your gun, and use your right arm to push yourself upright. Go slowly, and try not to move your left arm.] Pushing against the ground, my muscles felt like jelly. Even the small amount of effort sent new bouts of torture through me. I found myself letting out small, whining gasps as I pushed myself upright, my head swimming. After what felt like an eternity, I managed to get myself up, but only by keeping one hand on the ground. [Perfect. Now, slide along the ground to your right, away from the Anathema. You need to get your arm free from the vines. Your clothes seem to have prevented its teeth from ripping into your flesh, but they might be caught in the fabric.] I pushed against the away, the small movements jostling my arm and sending fresh pulses of fire through me. ¡°Selene¡­¡± I whimpered, tears leaking from my eyes. ¡°It hurts.¡± [I know, Mai, I know, and we¡¯ll take care of that in just a second, okay? For now, just focus on getting your arm clear.] I did as she said, the tendrils falling away from my forearm. Some of them were caught in my sweatshirt, forcing me to stop sliding and pull them out with my right hand. Slowly but surely, I managed to get myself free, and I gasped as I saw my arm. It¡­ my hand was facing the wrong way. I couldn¡¯t see anything beneath the sleeve of my sweatshirt other than odd lumps and shapes, but my hand¡­ [Focus Mai, deep breaths. I¡¯m going to purchase some things to fix you up, okay?] ¡°It really hurts,¡± I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the pain. [I know, Mai, I know. I just need you to nod your head if I have permission to buy what we need to get you fixed up, alright?] I nodded my head, tears flowing freely down my cheeks. Anything to make the pain stop. [Purchased: Cloud Nine Injection] [-30 Points] [Purchased: Manamolecular Bone Saw] [-50 Points] [Purchased: Emergency Clot Spray] [-10 Points] [Purchased: Greater Restoration Gum] [-20 Points] [Purchased: MG Bio-safe Type A12] [-0 Points] [Remaining Points: 30] A large, violet heptagram sprung to life on the floor next to me, flashing with purple light that coalesced into five different cases of varying sizes, all with the bunny and moon emblem emblazoned on them except for one. It was long and rectangular, and on it was a red ¡°plus¡± sign with the letters ¡°MG¡± stenciled on it. [First, open the small case closest to you.] Following her orders, I pressed on the release latch and flipped open the case. Inside was a long, black metal tube about the size of a syringe. It tapered off on one end into three distinct cones placed in a triangular pattern while the other end had a plastic bunny head capping it. [Almost there. Now, I need you to pick up the syringe and place the end with the points tightly against your neck. Anywhere will do. Then, use your thumb to push down on the bunny head like you¡¯re pressing a button.] My first attempt to pick up the device made it slip from my fingers. It took some fumbling, but I finally managed to grasp it and place it against my neck, my hand trembling. Putting my thumb on the bunny head, I pushed. Three sharp pin pricks poked into my neck, a sensation that barely even registered. [Excellent job Mai. Now give it a few seconds, and you should start feeling much better.] An odd, cold sensation started to spread from my neck, quickly working its way through my body. As it went, I noticeably felt my muscles begin to relax, and once the wave of relief hit my arm, it was like a pleasant touch of ice against the burning inferno. The pain receded before the sensation, and my ragged gasps quickly turned into shaky breaths. I blinked a few times as my mind began to clear, only for a new fog to settle in place. This one was gentle, though, like a blanket trying to wrap me up. ¡°Shheleene?¡± I slurred. [Cloud Nine is a powerful pain reliever that should hopefully allow you to retain enough of your mental functions to continue moving, which is what you need to do right now. You aren¡¯t out of danger yet. Nod if you understand.] I did so, glancing around. The hallway was still clear, but when my eyes landed on the mass of black tendrils, I felt fear and nausea spike through me in equal parts. The giant, bloodshot eyeball in its center had popped, sinking into itself from multiple bullet holes. To my side, I saw my gun lying with its slide clicked back into the empty position. [Okay. Mai. I need you not to panic at what I¡¯m going to instruct you to do next. I promise you, this can be fixed, but right now this is the only way to save your life. If you understand, open the second case.] At first I was confused which case she was talking about, but when she didn¡¯t stop me from reaching towards the next closest case, I worked to open it. It was hard with one hand to get the latches, but I somehow managed, pushing open the container. Inside was an object I vaguely recognized, though it was more polished and futuristic looking. It was a vaguely square blade with a curved handle attached to it, the entire thing made of dark metal except for my white bunny emblem on the blade. It was then that the purchase notifications finally clicked into place, and I stopped breathing. ¡°Selene?¡± I whispered, my voice hoarse. [This is a manamolecular bone saw. Using your mana, it will create a cutting edge capable of slicing through most materials. Mai¡­ I need you to take this saw and cut off your left arm.] Panic exploded through me, my breathing picking up as her words sunk in. ¡°What!?¡± my voice cracked. ¡°I- no, Selene, I can¡¯t, what are you-¡± [Mai, look at your health!] My eyes shot to the corner of my HUD and widened. Even as I watched, the red bar was slowly dropping, the number changing to 32% and only staying for a few seconds before losing another whole percent. [Mai, the Anathema snapped and shattered the bones of your forearm, wrist, and elbow in multiple places. Fragments and edges of those bones have cut into you, and you¡¯re bleeding internally faster than you could possibly heal with any of the medicines you have access to. If you do not remove your lower arm, you will bleed out. This can be fixed, I promise, but this¡­ This is the only way.] I watched my health continue dropping as horror grew inside me. 30%. My arm? I had to cut off my arm!? 29% But if I didn¡¯t- 28% There was no time, what was I doing!? 27% I reached for the bone saw. [Open the third closest case first,] Selene advised as I moved, her voice still impeccably calm. [It has the emergency clot spray you used before on your stomach. After the cut, you need to immediately apply it.] I followed her instructions, flipping open the third case before picking up the bone saw. It was light, and felt almost flimsy. Holding it in front of my face, I realized the blade had no edge to it whatsoever. [Good. Now, raise your left arm. You are going to cut right above your elbow in one clean slicing motion, bringing the bone saw down on it. The saw drains mana at an exorbitant rate, so once you activate it, you will only have a few seconds before you run dry. Activate the saw the same way you would the silencing enchantment on your gun, just like I taught you.] I raised my left arm, my eyes glued to it. My left hand was completely limp, and even through the baggy sleeve of my sweatshirt, I could tell that something was wrong with my entire forearm. I raised the bone saw, poising it over my arm. Sweat poured down my brow as terror pounded through me. My heart was racing so fast, it felt like it was going to tear itself apart. [Mai,] Selene¡¯s soothing voice washed through me. [You can do this. I believe in you.] I nodded and took a deep breath. Reaching out with my thoughts directed at the bone saw, I felt a familiar pull to it, an emptiness that lacked something important. Pulling up the warmth in my heart, I directed the ball of heat I gathered into the saw. Violet light sprang to life along the edge of the saw, letting out a hum, and I gasped in surprise. [Now, Mai, now!] I swung down without thinking. The saw cut through my arm without resistance. My lower arm fell to the floor. I felt nothing. The violet light on the saw flickered then winked out. I stared at the stump of my arm, a light, floating feeling washing through me as a small stream of blood sprayed out. Scarlet liquid hung in the hair before spattering across the white floor. [The clot spray, quickly!] Selene¡¯s voice snapped me back into action, and I dropped the saw. I grabbed the can and aimed the cone-shaped nozzle at my stump, pushing down the trigger the moment I had it vaguely in place. Gray foam sprayed out, getting everywhere as my arm shook. I managed to get a large glob of it around my stump, my breath catching in my throat as I watched my health in the corner of my eye. 19% The foam began to tighten around my stump, condensing itself. 18% The pressure reached a limit, then, as if by some unspoken command, the excess foam began to dissolve away, dripping to the floor and leaving my stump covered in a thick, uneven cast of gray matter. 17% My health stopped dropping, and I let myself breathe again. [Good job, Mai. Very good job. Now, the fourth case, the one with the red plus sign on it. Open it, and place your left forearm inside.] ¡°I¡­ what?¡± I asked, voice shaking. [Bringing your left arm back will allow us to reattach it. It is also advisable to not leave Magical Girl body parts lying around when possible. They are relatively rich in mana density, something that can greatly spur the growth of any Anathema who consume them.] I looked down at my severed arm, staring at the appendage. It was my arm. My hand. Blood was forming a small pool from where I¡¯d cut it above the elbow. I whipped my head away and vomited all over the floor. [It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re doing great. Let it out.] My stomach muscles felt weak by the time I was finished, but the sensation was detached, somehow. I forced myself to keep moving, to not think and just move. Turning to the case with the red plus sign, I unsnapped the latches and opened it. The interior was covered in soft black packing foam, but there was also a square touch screen on one end. A variety of statistics were displayed, all of them currently reading at zero except for the battery which displayed at 100%. Then I set my eyes back on my left arm. Revulsion crawled through me as I reached for it. My mind screamed at me, telling me this was wrong, that everything was wrong. I ignored it, grasping my arm. It was so thin, and I could feel bony, sharp objects underneath the skin. I gagged, moving as fast as I could to push the limb into the box. The display inside the case sprang to life immediately, various numbers and diagrams appearing. I tried to read the display, but for some reason, the words didn¡¯t sit in my head. I would read them, but the meaning behind them seemed to leave a moment later. I wasn¡¯t sure what I was looking for, something to tell me everything was going to be okay, maybe, but all I saw were red numbers and images. [Close the case Mai. Then take the Greater Restoration Gum in the last box. Afterwards, you need to pack everything up and head back. Slowly. We¡¯re over half way, but we need to be careful of any more surprises. I¡¯ll guide you the entire time, just follow my instructions.] I nodded, and grabbed the gum. Unwrapping it one-handed was a chore, the difficulty of it making my throat tighten. When I finally got it out, I simply popped it into my mouth and swallowed it whole. Then, I forced myself to stand. A wave of dizziness made me stumble, and I bounced off the wall. Forcing myself to ignore the babbling emotions that grew in my stomach, I started putting everything into my backpack. The case containing my arm was surprisingly heavy, something I tried to ignore. The hardest part was reloading my gun. It took me a while to figure it out, but I managed by keeping it still on the ground with my foot while I slotted in a new mag. During the whole procedure, things felt deeply off. A cloud of fuzziness had descended on my mind, and if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, everything I did felt strangely¡­ distant. Like I wasn¡¯t experiencing it, only watching somebody else go through the motions. Somewhere deep inside me though, I felt a building emotion, one I recognized even through the haze. It clawed at my stomach, trying to force its way up my throat. I pushed it down with fierce practice, even as it screamed at me that my arm was gone. I¡­ I wanted to cry. Really badly. I didn¡¯t let myself. Shouldering my now much heavier backpack, I took a shuddering breath and closed my eyes. Focus. Emotions later, task first. You¡¯re drugged, probably in shock. Get to safety first. Always safety first. You know this, Mai. Same as always. Pain, survive, safety, heal. Four steps. Just four steps. You got this. The thoughts seemed to clear some of the fog in my mind, a steely determination setting into my core. I opened my eyes and raised my gun in a one-handed grip. ¡°Get me out of here,¡± I pleaded to Selene, my voice cracking. Arrows appeared along the floor, and I followed them. The rest of the trip back passed in a blur. Selene had me stop at every corner and intersection and look both ways before continuing. Every doorway we passed I now peeked through first, looking at the ceiling for any more of those monsters. We went slowly, methodically, and the path that I could have run in about two minutes turned into ten. We made it to the stairwell without incident. Going up the stairs was difficult. My center of balance was off, and without a free hand to grip the railing, I had to move slowly. To open the doors, I had to tuck my gun into the crook of my left arm, using my stump to hold it in place. The reminder of my missing limb sent a pang through me, my storm of emotions in my gut threatening to overflow, and I let out an involuntary whine. [Almost there. Just a little more, Mai.] Selene¡¯s voice sounded angelic, a constant, unmoving rock in the lashing waves of raw emotion threatening to overflow inside me. I clung to those words, opening the door, and peeking down the Shelter¡¯s entry corridor. The coast was clear, and I made my way to the shelter door quickly, stumbling and swerving as I made it to the touch screen and slapped the call button. I needn''t have bothered. By the time I¡¯d stumbled to the door, it was already beginning to open. Once the doors had parted enough, I squeezed my way through. Only when the doors closed behind me did I let out my breath. It came out ragged and quick, and I couldn¡¯t force it to slow down. Carefully, I made sure the safety of my Umbra was turned on while I waited for the safety scan to complete. I felt myself wavering on my feet, my eyelids getting heavier. When the entry doors finally opened enough for a single person to fit through, I was greeted by the sight of Sergeant O¡¯Malley and Ji-woo looking at me with undisguised horror. ¡°Mai!¡± she cried out, rushing towards me. I tried to say something as I took a step forward, but I reached my limit. Darkness engulfed me, and I welcomed it. Chapter 20 - Revelations Toe-high water swished around my shoes as I walked through darkness, heading to the black and violet pillar of lightning thorns. The sound of swishing water and humming energy was oddly calming, and the reflected purple light felt¡­ welcoming. I made my way to the pillar, an odd sense of nostalgia mingled with comfort washing over me. There was something else under it though, a sharp, pining feeling of¡­ shame? Guilt? Fear? A mixture of the emotions, maybe, honed into a knife stuck inside the depths of my heart. I swallowed, trying to ignore the feeling as I reached the thorns, marveling once again at the unnatural darkness that made up the core of the lightning, its violet outline glowing in a beautiful accent. A gentle hum emanated from the electricity, soothing the needles of anxiety in my lungs. Once I reached within touching distance, the thorns crackled, shifting to open up a window, revealing a familiar looking girl covered only by stray strands of the dark and amethyst thorns. She looked up at me, scarlet and azure eyes peering at me with a pleading expression. ¡°Why?¡± she whispered, her voice soft with an undercurrent of regret. I swallowed the lump in my throat, looking away. I wasn¡¯t sure how, just that for some reason, I knew I¡¯d done something bad. Something I shouldn¡¯t have. The answer to what she was asking tickled at the back of my mind, teasing me with answers that I couldn¡¯t quite grasp. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I finally told her, and she gave me a sad smile. ¡°Why?¡± she repeated. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wait?¡± Memories flashed through my mind in a whirlwind of razor blades. Vines, a bloodshot eyeball, the pain. I recoiled, jerking my gaze to my left arm only to find it gone starting just above my elbow. A panicked cry escaped me as I went to grab my stump, stopping short as I tried to process, to understand. My hand began trembling as I felt myself begin to hyperventilate. My arm. It was gone. I cut it off. It had looked so odd, detached and lying on the ground. It was part of me. Now it wasn¡¯t. I¡­ I- ¡°Shh,¡± the girl shushed me in a soothing, empathetic voice. ¡°It¡¯s going to be alright. Like Selene said, it isn¡¯t permanent, so just¡­ breathe.¡± Her words wrapped around me like a blanket, and suddenly the panic didn¡¯t seem important anymore. It was still there, but it wasn¡¯t overwhelming, its talons no longer clawing into my heart. The horror and panic became far away things, something I could still think through. I took the opportunity, falling into my familiar method of calming down. I focused on my heart first, willing it to slow down to a normal pace. I let my racing thoughts melt away, imagining the still water of a pond. Slowly, I began to feel myself relax, my muscles unclenching as my breathing returned to a normal rhythm. ¡°Good. Just like we¡¯ve done a thousand times before¡­ But I still need to know¡­ Why didn¡¯t you wait?¡± I looked back into her eyes and felt them bore into me. It felt like she already knew, that this wasn¡¯t really a question, but I knew that only meant answering her correctly was that much more important. It always was when the person wasn¡¯t really asking. ¡°I¡­¡± I swallowed. ¡°I thought it would be safe. That it was smart.¡± ¡°But why?¡± she asked, voice trembling. ¡°Why did you think it would be safe?¡± ¡°Error Machina told me it would be. Selene agreed with him.¡± ¡°You trusted them,¡± she said with a sad smile, pausing for a moment to tilt her head. ¡°Why?¡± I opened my mouth to answer, only to find myself without words. Why wouldn¡¯t I have trusted them? They had no reason to betray me, and Selene had always been right before. But I¡¯d still gotten hurt, and that was her point, wasn¡¯t it? They had seemed so sure I would be safe on the way back that I¡¯d just¡­ trusted them to be right. I assumed and trusted, and now I was missing my arm. ¡°You understand, don¡¯t you?¡± the girl closed her eyes. ¡°Sometimes, it isn¡¯t about betrayal. Sometimes, being wrong is enough. But you know this very well already. You just forgot, didn¡¯t you?¡± My mouth felt dry, and I settled for just nodding in response. ¡°There¡¯s more, though, isn¡¯t there?¡± she asked, giving me another searching look. ¡°There has to be. Why else didn¡¯t you wait?¡± As I thought about it, I found myself slowly clenching my teeth, embarrassment and anger burning at my cheeks. ¡°I was overconfident,¡± I whispered. ¡°Everything was going so well, and all this Magical Girl stuff, points and stats, it¡¯s like a game. I¡­ stopped thinking about this like real life. I stopped thinking about what losing would actually mean.¡± ¡°Overconfidence¡­,¡± the girl murmured. ¡°Perhaps. Waiting to manifest Selene would have prevented this, but at the risk of others endangering themselves. Spending your points to renew your mana faster would have fixed things, but at the cost of your future. All for a safety net you shouldn¡¯t have needed.¡± ¡°I still shouldn¡¯t have treated this like a game,¡± I said through clenched teeth. ¡°It was stupid.¡± ¡°On the contrary, it was right.¡± I looked up in surprise only to see her looking back at me with big eyes. There was still pain and sadness in them, but beneath it all was something desperate. ¡°You don¡¯t understand yet, but you will. Soon, I think. You should have been right. Safe. You never should have lost that arm. Caught, but not mutilated. Embarrassed, not sundered.¡± I stared at the girl, her words pulling at something at the back of my mind, but whenever I tried to catch the stray thought, it retreated further away. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I finally shook my head. ¡°You do, just not yet. All the pieces, but no frame to put them in. It¡¯s okay. You made assumptions on fragments, thinking they were the whole picture. You¡¯ll see. The missing links are all there. Life has just been a little too busy for you to think about it, that¡¯s all.¡± The desperate intensity began to drain from her expression, her eyelids drooping as she resumed her sad, almost sleepy expression. She tilted her head, and her smile suddenly became strained. ¡°And what¡¯s the final reason you rushed into it?¡± her voice cracked as she asked. ¡°The important one you told Selene, the lie that has the painful truth hiding behind it?¡± Her words hit me like a hammer, a wave of pain pulsing through my chest. I didn¡¯t want to say the words, to admit it aloud. Yet, somehow, I felt like I owed it to her. ¡°I wanted to save Lily¡­ and everyone else in the shelter. I just¡­ wanted everyone to be safe, and if we waited and the officers came looking for me¡­ they might have gotten hurt. I couldn¡¯t risk that. It didn¡¯t matter if¡­¡± ¡°If you were safe,¡± she finished for me. ¡°If you got hurt. If you died. You never even stopped to really consider those things. Because it didn¡¯t matter. It never does.¡± I bit down on the inside of my lip, my hand clenching into a fist. I knew she was right, but she didn¡¯t know, didn¡¯t understand. There was more, so much more to everything than just some stupidly simplistic reason. She didn¡¯t know me. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s okay,¡± she hushed me, her voice growing more tired. ¡°I just wanted to make sure you understand, that¡¯s all. There¡¯s nothing wrong with putting others first, even to that extent, not so long as that¡¯s what you really want. What does it matter, getting hurt, if it¡¯s the path to your happiness? So long as you understand, we can bear it, just like we always have.¡± I looked up at her in confusion. Her eyes were drooping lower, words coming out even more slowly as she seemed to draw closer to falling asleep. Her body sagged against her bonds, the thorns giving an electric crackle as they pulled tightly against her body. ¡°It¡¯s almost time for you to wake up,¡± she whispered, and I blinked. Wake up? I looked around, suddenly aware of where I was. Or, more accurately, that I had no idea where I was, or why I was talking to a girl that looked just like me. A girl who was held by solidified lightning in impossible colors. A girl who seemed to know things about me that nobody could. ¡°What are you?¡± I asked, my heartbeat picking up as a sense of wrongness swept through me. The girl¡¯s eyes fluttered open, locking onto me with renewed vigor. A gentle, regretful smile stretched across her lips, and her next words reverberated through my bones with power. ¡°I¡¯m the painful truths you don¡¯t want to accept, bound by the lies we spin together to keep you safe. I¡¯m the ever present thorns imprisoning your heart and the shelter from all the pains you can¡¯t bear. I¡¯m the reflection of something shattered and beautiful, something perfect in its brokenness. So breathe, Mai, and let me shoulder a share of your burdens, just like I always have. Let me help, and forget, because it¡¯s not over yet, and you¡¯re running out of time.¡± Before I could ask what she was talking about, the world blurred as a sound filled the space and pushed me out. [Mai?] I opened my eyes and gasped, lifting myself up as information overloaded me. It was bright, and I was lying down somewhere. As I tried to push myself up into a sitting position, my left arm failed to find purchase, and I fell back onto my back. [Easy, Mai, easy!] Selene¡¯s voice washed over me. [You¡¯re safe! You¡¯ve been asleep for a little less than two hours, but you are still far from recovered. Take your time waking up.] I groaned, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I looked around. I was in the shelter¡¯s infirmary, on one of the beds. An IV was stuck into my right arm, a red liquid flowing through it. The sight sent a flash of memories through my head, and my eyes widened as I whipped my head to look at my left arm. It was a stump, ending just above my elbow. I swallowed, a jittery hysteria bubbling up inside me. I took a deep breath, looking around widely only to find Selene sitting on a table next to me. I mentally latched onto her comforting, plushie-like appearance, and I felt myself calming down as I took her in. Her tails were raised but drooped at the ends, her head bowed towards me. She looked worried, and maybe¡­ guilty? ¡°My arm¡­¡± I whispered hoarsely, coughing at the dryness in my throat. [How much do you remember?] Selene asked. Images flashed through my head, and I felt the horror in my chest try to boil over. To my surprise, it didn¡¯t. The emotion felt oddly distant, like I was remembering a nightmare I¡¯d already had time to distance myself from. Or, more accurately, it was like one of the bad memories that I¡¯d had time to push so far away that it took effort to make myself think about it. What I felt was just an echo of the true emotions the experience contained, as if time had blunted its edges. It still hurt, but it was a bitter wave instead of the sharp knife I would have expected. I wasn¡¯t sure why the fact I¡¯d just lost my arm felt so watered down. Was it because I lost it fighting the Anathema, trying to do the right thing? Had I really subconsciously understood that being maimed as a Magical Girl was a possibility? Or had I finally reached the point where this was just another drop in the ocean, another bad memory that barely made a ripple in how numb I¡¯d become? Or maybe it was some other reason¡­ Besides, Selene said it isn¡¯t permanent, so just¡­ breathe. The thought felt oddly out of place, and yet I still found myself calming down with a deep, shuddering breath. That was right. Selene had said that. I was a Magical Girl, a fighter on the frontline of humanity¡¯s endless war. I was already acutely aware that healing magic and magitech were things, and it was hard to imagine I wouldn¡¯t be able to reattach my limb with both at my disposal. If only that healing technology wasn¡¯t so rare¡­ A deeper pang of guilt, shame, and loneliness pulsed through me, and I quickly worked to answer Selene¡¯s question before I could fall into that particular line of thought. ¡°I remember,¡± I rasped, accepting a cup of water that Selene handed to me with her tails before I continued. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ blurry, but I remember getting back to the shelter and then passing out.¡± [Good,] Selene nodded, her body relaxing. [Though it seems you don¡¯t quite remember everything. The officers were unsure what aid to render, and you woke briefly to tell them to just give you a bed and leave you alone. You were fairly out of it at that point, and were only really repeating what I was telling you. When you had enough mana, I manifested and instructed them to give you a blood transfusion to aid in your recovery. I also informed them of everything that happened.] ¡°Oh,¡± I said, looking away from Selene. ¡°I see.¡± Silence stretched between us as I stared at nothing in particular. [Mai¡­] I heard Selene shift around nervously. [What happened-] ¡°Was my fault,¡± I interrupted her. ¡°I was careless. Everything had been going so well, and I just¡­ stopped being careful. I should have just spent my points.¡± [Maybe¡­ but at the time, I even agreed with your decision. It was a mistake, Mai, but it was not yours alone. None of this should ever have happened.] I shrugged, the motion making me acutely aware of the weight now missing from my left shoulder. The sensation sent a shiver through me, and my throat tightened. ¡°Is, um¡­ is my arm¡­¡± [What I said was not merely meant to calm you down,] Selene answered, and I turned to face her. [Losing your arm is not permanent. Fighting the Anathema is dangerous, and losing limbs happens. Thankfully, there are a few answers. Anything from buying a lifelike prosthetic from a Vault to using high level healing magic to regrow the appendage is possible. None of that will be required for you, however, as we were able to safely retain your arm. Even a relatively low level Magical Girl will be able to assist you in reattaching it. Honestly, even a normal surgeon with the aid of some Zenith technology would be able to do the procedure.] I felt myself relaxing more at Selene¡¯s words. Shock and fear still clawed at the insides of my chest, but some of the edge disappeared. ¡°The container I bought cost zero points,¡± I noted almost absently, glancing at my stump before looking away. [The bio-safe, yes. There are some items the Zenith deemed too important to the survival or well-being of Magical Girls to put a price on. One of those is a bio-safe capable of keeping any lost appendages in perfect condition. The case is enchanted with a spell of Gentle Repose, preventing any degradation or decay. It can last for three days unpowered, has a tracker inside it, and can be plugged into any electrical outlet to extend its running life. The case is also armored to keep Anathema from opening or destroying it. With your arm being kept in pristine condition while inside, the effort needed to reattach and fix it will be greatly reduced.] I shivered, a tingling feeling washing over me as Selene said ¡°Gentle Repose.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure how, but I could tell those words held power in them. It raised new questions, but none felt really appropriate for the moment, so I filed it away for later. ¡°Okay,¡± I said, more to reorient myself than anything else. ¡°So¡­ what happened? Why was that Anathema there, and why did the lights come back on?¡± Selene shifted uneasily, tails twitching. [The full explanation is best given in the control room, perhaps while talking to Error Machina. I woke you up because there are some time-sensitive complications we need to discuss with him. Before we leave to do so, I want to ask¡­ did you happen to have a dream while you were asleep?] ¡°A dream?¡± I asked frowning. ¡°I don¡¯t think-¡± Black and violet lightning shaped like thorns. Water tickling against my toes. A familiar looking girl with a sad smile. Scarlet and azure eyes. Images burst through my skull like an ice pick stabbing into my brain. I winced, raising my hand to my head. What¡­ Did I have a dream? It felt like I did, but trying to latch onto the memories only sent them retreating further away. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°I¡­ maybe?¡± I said. ¡°I think so, but I don¡¯t remember it¡­ why?¡± [Not quite yet, then,] Selene gave a relieved sigh, her tails relaxing. [You just seemed restless as you slept. Anyway, the reason I woke you up¡­ Well, Ji-woo wanted you to get as much rest as reasonably possible before we talked, something I agreed with. I can go get Ji-woo now so we can have a discussion, but perhaps you would like to take a shower before you leave. Ji-woo laid out some extra clothes on the nearby bed for you.] It only then really hit me I was still in my sweaty clothes, my jeans soaked with blood. I stifled the disgust that rolled through me, forcing myself to shake my head. ¡°No¡­ I want answers first. I¡¯ll change my clothes, but the shower can wait.¡± [Very well,] Selene gave me a nod. [I will go get Ji-woo while you change. Allow me to remove your IV for you first.] I nodded, and Selene¡¯s tails quickly wrapped around the line before removing it with a quick pull. It was more of a weird feeling than a painful one, a sharp pressure disappearing from beneath my skin I hadn¡¯t registered before. I got to my feet slowly, heading over to the pile of clothes even as Selene hopped away. Closing the dividing curtains around the bed, I went to work. My eyepatch was resting on top of the pile even though my backpack was nowhere in sight, and I quickly pulled it on. Changing the rest of my clothes with one hand was¡­ difficult. I ignored the clenching feeling in my chest as I focused on my task. With a little creativity, I was able to finish dressing in the gray sweats just as the door to the medical room opened. The last thing I did was roll up my left sleeve so it bunched up at the point where my arm ended. Then I quickly threw my other clothes into a semi-respectable pile before I opened the curtains and stepped out. Ji-woo stood before me, her eyes slightly sunken. She gave me a ghost of a smile, her eyes flicking down to my stump before returning to my face. ¡°Hey there¡­¡± she said softly, her voice soft. ¡°How are you doing?¡± Unease washed through me, and I shifted uncomfortably. ¡°Okay,¡± I responded. ¡°I, um¡­ It¡¯s not as bad as it looks.¡± Ji-woo flinched at that but quickly nodded. ¡°No, no, of course not,¡± she agreed. ¡°I mean, with healing magic you should be right as rain. Still¡­ it must have been¡­ hard. You should really talk to someone about it when this is all over. Get things sorted. I know a few therapists or even groups if you ever need anything. Just let me know, okay?¡± I nodded at her, but the thought of talking to someone about what happened practically made me want to vomit. I didn¡¯t want to think about it, let alone relive it. It was better staying buried, and I had plenty of practice in doing just that. I cleared my throat. ¡°Selene said there was something we needed to talk about?¡± The fake smile melted from Ji-woo¡¯s face, and she gave me a nod, gesturing for me to follow. I did, and we quickly made our way through the halls of the shelter straight to the control room. Sergeant O¡¯Malley was in there, and he looked up at me as the door closed behind us. My backpack and gun were on the conference table, looking untouched except for the conspicuous lack of the bio-safe that I¡¯d stuck into my bag. Selene jumped up next to the items as Sergeant O¡¯Malley gave me a deep, respectful nod. ¡°How are you doing?¡± he asked, his voice subdued. ¡°Okay¡­¡± I responded. Looking between the two officers, a thought hit me, and a surge of guilt washed through me as I realized why the two seemed so hurt. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± I quickly said, looking down. ¡°The other officers who went before me¡­ I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Mai,¡± Ji-woo hurriedly said, sounding shocked. ¡°You have nothing to be sorry about! There was nothing you could have done for them. From what Selene said, they were long gone before you could have even gotten to them.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± I struggled. ¡°You must have known them and-¡± ¡°We only knew them in passing,¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley interrupted. ¡°Guard duty for each shelter is drawn from multiple precincts, and ours was chosen to stay behind. What happened is awful, but you need to remember they were doing their duty. They volunteered, knowing the risks and even expecting the outcome. They were heroes, and what happened to them has nothing to do with you.¡± His words were strong and resolute, as immutable as a mountain. Some of my guilt melted away, and I gave him a nod. Part of me felt bad that knowing Ji-woo and the other officers hadn¡¯t lost anyone they personally knew made me feel better, but¡­ well, it did help, in the sense that their pain wasn¡¯t as bad as it could have been. That did leave me confused as to what exactly was causing Ji-woo and Sergeant O¡¯Malley¡¯s haunted, reserved expressions. ¡°Um¡­ There was something we needed to talk about?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley sighed. ¡°Selene informed us of what happened, and we came to some conclusions. I think it might be best if we contacted Guardian Command before we continue. Perhaps Error Machina can provide additional insight and assistance.¡± I frowned, doing a quick glance at Selene and Ji-woo. Everyone was being weirdly secretive, and it was starting to scare me. I swallowed down the hesitant, foreboding feeling and simply nodded at them. ¡°Okay.¡± I moved over to the communication console, the officers taking up position behind me as I placed my hand on the appropriate touch screen. ¡°Mai, I just want you to know,¡± Ji-woo suddenly said, her words coming out quickly. ¡°That whatever happens, it¡¯s your choice. You¡¯ve done enough, and-¡± ¡°Officer Oh,¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley¡¯s voice snapped out like a whip, cutting her off. Before I could ask any questions, the authentication process ended and the screen flickered to show Error Machina in his emerald, futuristic armor. His helmet was already retracted this time, revealing a relieved smile. ¡°There you are! I was getting worried! Things were taking so long and-¡± He stopped in his tracks, eyes widening as he seemed to notice my arm. The smile on his face disintegrated, replaced with an expression of horror. ¡°My god, what the hell happened?¡± he trailed off, eyes flicking between my stump and eyes. ¡°Um¡­¡± I struggled to find my words, shifting unconsciously to the side to hide my arm from view. ¡°We¡­ We left for the generator like we planned, but there was a Newborn Arachnomantis in the generator room.¡± ¡°You fought a Newborn Arachnomantis!?¡± Error choked out, eyes bulging. He stopped for a moment, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath. ¡°What were you¡­ No¡­ No, I suppose you probably felt like you didn¡¯t have much of a choice. Dammit¡­ What level was it?¡± ¡°Twenty-one,¡± I shrugged, and he let out a bitter bark of laughter. ¡°Jesu- I mean, dang. You really don¡¯t do things in halves¡­ Okay. So you fought the Arachnomantis and obviously won. To be honest, I¡¯m surprised you only lost an arm and-¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± I interrupted softly. He blinked, quickly looking me over again with a confused look. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I only got a few bruises on me from the Arachnomantis. But after¡­ I turned the mana generator on and was running back when a Corpse Blossom attacked me.¡± ¡°Shit,¡± he winced, letting out a slow breath. ¡°That would do it. Those Stalker types¡­ Wait, you said you activated the mana generator? The computer says the shield is still offline, though.¡± [We were attacked by the Corpse Blossom on our return,] Selene cut in, [just as the lights for the mall turned back on.] ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Error frowned, fingers moving over a holographic keyboard as he glanced to the side. [No. Not unless you take into account that there was an unidentified magitech box attached to the mana generator.] Error blinked. His eyes went from confusion and then to realization. Shock flashed across his face only to disappear as rage pulled his features into a tight sneer. His viridian eyes began to glow, hands clenching tightly against the table as he leaned forward, and I took a step back by reflex. Faint emerald light began to radiate off him as his lips curled back in a snarl. ¡°What?¡± he hissed. [It was a magitech device, clearly Guardian bought. With no markings on it, I originally assumed the only logical and reasonable explanation was that the box was some type of booster for the generator. However, if the shield generator hasn¡¯t turned on while the mall¡¯s lights activated¡­] There was a tense silence as Error stared at Selene with undisguised fury. Slowly, he leaned back into his chair, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. [The damage to her arm was significant,] Selene said quietly. [It cost a lot of points, and even then¡­ she had to self-amputate.] The silence became strained, lasting only for another few moments before Error shattered it. ¡°Fuck!¡± Error slammed his hand onto the table, and I flinched as my whole body went tight with nervous fear. Error seemed to catch the motion, eyes snapping to me, and he quickly held up his hands in a calming motion. The green light that had been coming off him disappeared, his glowing eyes dimming. ¡°Sorry! I just¡­ this is¡­ dang it,¡± he sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ this never should have happened to you, and I¡¯m sorry you had to go through this¡­ Did you manage to recover your arm?¡± [She made her first zero-point purchase,] Selene nodded at him, and he gave a bitter snort. ¡°Well, welcome to the club, for what it¡¯s worth,¡± he raised an imaginary glass to me, and I furrowed my brow in confusion. [It¡¯s considered a rite of passage among higher level Guardians,] Selene explained. [Because most zero-point purchases mean a truly desperate situation, having had to make one is a badge of respect.] ¡°So at least you have that,¡± Error spat. ¡°As for the magitech box and lights coming on¡­ I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t figure it out before. I never even considered it an option because it¡¯s so freaking insane and stupid. I should have seen it, though, or at least realized it was at least a possibility, but¡­¡± He shook his head. I looked between the grim, angry expressions on the officers¡¯ faces and Error¡¯s before I decided to speak up. ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t really understand. What does that box have to do with the lights?¡± Error sighed, rubbing his brow. ¡°Where to start¡­ Alright, so this whole time, we thought the shield station went down because of some glitch, yeah? That the shelters coming online all at once somehow made the generator think it was compromised because of the sudden draw in power. So it did an emergency shutdown, which caused a burst of mana, and that was what knocked the mall¡¯s power offline. That¡¯s what we thought happened, right?¡± He waited for me to give a nod before continuing. ¡°Well¡­ I assumed this was the case because the other possibility seemed too far-fetched. The possibility that the power supply was tampered with, that some idiot decided to mess with a machine that is literally responsible for keeping thousands of lives safe. Just to confirm my suspicions, when you turned on the generator, what percentage of power draw was displayed?¡± [82% was reported as the amount that caused the shutdown,] Selene answered. [At the time, I assumed someone had merely made a mistake setting up the generator because, as you said, the other possibility was too¡­ unlikely.] Error shook his head, eyes again flashing. ¡°Insane is the word you are looking for,¡± he spat. ¡°K¨­hai¡­ the reason the lights turned back on was because that mysterious box was leeching power from the mana generator. My guess is it¡¯s a mana converter, turning mana into electricity like the shield station is capable of. In other words, the mall was illegally siphoning power from the mana generator. That¡¯s why the generator went down, and also why the shield station didn¡¯t restart when you turned the generator back on. The shield station has the software and equipment to recognize there actually was tampering, so of course it didn¡¯t automatically restart when you turned the mana generator back on. Of course, because the shield station didn¡¯t begin restarting, it didn¡¯t draw any Anathema, and so the Corpse Blossom was there waiting for you when you tried to run back.¡± [It¡¯s also why I saw nothing immediately wrong on the readouts once we activated the generator,] Selene added. [The mana draw was lower than expected because even though the shielding station wasn¡¯t activated, the converter was drawing a large amount to reactivate power in the mall. If we had waited longer at the terminal, we would have seen the mana draw lower considerably and realized something was wrong.] Error had a sickened expression on his face as he shook his head. ¡°Some idiot decided to illegally siphon some power, probably to save the mall money on its electricity bill, and everything that has happened has been because of that. All the lives put in danger, the hole in Arcadia¡¯s shield network, all of it. It was all because someone wanted to save some money.¡± I stared at the screen in the silence that followed, my heart pounding as I processed all the information. The shield station¡­ if it hadn¡¯t gone down, I would have been able to make it to the shelter with Brian. I would have been safe, never had my guts sucked on, never would have had to fight against monsters. I would be safe right now, and so would the hundreds of people in the shelter. And I never would have had to cut off my own arm. Money. It was all because of money. ¡°Oh,¡± I sighed, somehow relieved by the familiar, sick feeling that settled into my gut. ¡°Okay. So the shelter on the third floor is still in danger, then? Can I make the shield station restart manually if I go there next?¡± Error and the officers blinked at that, giving me various shocked expressions. ¡°Okay?¡± Ji-woo asked, and I felt myself blush. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s all?¡± ¡°Y-yes?¡± I stuttered, nervously shifting my weight. ¡°I guess¡­ it just makes more sense than this all being caused by an accident, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Ji-woo¡¯s face tightened at that, more confusion flashing through her eyes. I felt myself growing increasingly uncomfortable under the worried look she was giving me when Sergeant O¡¯Malley finally cleared his throat, nodding at Error Machina. ¡°As a point of note, one of the owners of the mall happened to be visiting when the Usurpation started and is in this shelter. He was acting weird from the beginning, trying to put himself in charge of our decision making and only backed off when we threatened to arrest him. When the Familiar was informing us of what happened, we came to the same conclusion you did, so we decided to detain him.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Error¡¯s eyes narrowed, a thin, bitter smile crossing his lips. ¡°It isn¡¯t much, but I can at least promise that I will find the people responsible for this. All of them. And when I do, I assure you they will not be seeing the outside of a prison cell for the rest of their lives. The laws regarding tampering with shielding stations are quite clear on that matter.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley nodded, pausing for a moment. ¡°And I¡¯m also aware that normal attempts to interfere with a mana generator should have been detected. However, if the mana converter was provided and set up by a more legitimate source¡­¡± ¡°I understand what you are implying, Sergeant,¡± Error nodded. ¡°And I can assure you, no matter the credentials of who provided the converter, they will be punished. You have my word. As for the shield station, it can be restarted if you go there in person, but¡­¡± A dark, gloomy look fell over Error¡¯s face. He opened his mouth to say something, then paused, made an irritated sound and clicked his teeth together. His eyebrows rose slightly, then he let out an annoyed grunt and shook his head. Error¡¯s expressions continued to change at a rapid-fire pace, and it took me a second to realize he must be communicating with his Familiar. ¡°Is that what I look like when I talk to you?¡± I whispered to Selene, and Ji-woo let out a huff of laughter beside me. ¡°No,¡± she whispered back. ¡°You have a blank, faraway look that grows more thoughtful. It just looks like you¡¯re thinking really hard.¡± My cheeks warmed a little, and Error finally let out an exasperated sigh, looking down at the table in front of him. He looked crestfallen as he slowly shook his head. ¡°What I want to tell you is that you can¡¯t,¡± his finger started tapping on the table. ¡°But I¡¯m sure your Familiar would tell you the truth. I¡­ Look, our options are limited here. The shield station can be restarted with the proper authorization, which you have as a Magical Girl. The problem is, it requires double confirmation, one to begin the process and one to finalize after checking to make sure all readouts are stable. In other words, once you turned it on, you would have to sit there for the full five minutes it takes to start back up before you manually give a second confirmation command. The problem with that is the shield station will be gathering mana the whole time it¡¯s restarting, drawing all the Anathema in the area. So¡­¡± ¡°So she can¡¯t,¡± Ji-woo hurriedly interrupted. ¡°It would be too dangerous. But what if we escorted the people from the shelter instead? If we cleared out the Anathema along the path between here and shelter three, could we just bring them here once the doors are forced open?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, no,¡± Error sighed, ¡°not without a lot of them dying, at least. Looking at the map of the mall, there are dozens of passages Anathema could wander in from. Even if you managed to clear the immediate area out, escorting that many people would take a long time, and the chances of an Anathema stumbling into the area or coming in through a rift during that process are almost guaranteed. Even worse, some Anathema have a sort of ¡®life force¡¯ sense, letting them find living things from far away. They might not pick up on a a small group, but a few hundred? Anathema with the ability would be able to sense them from the other side of the mall. Hell, I¡¯d be surprised if the Anathema didn¡¯t just open up a rift and spawn a bunch of monsters right on top of them the second they sensed all the people.¡± ¡°What about the mana converter?¡± Ji-woo asked quickly. ¡°What if we disconnected it, would the shield automatically restart then?¡± ¡°No. The restart sequence requires double confirmation regardless of the circumstances after detecting an irregularity. Besides, I would not recommend messing with the mana converter. It would take a specialist to safely disconnect it without damaging the generator.¡± Error took in a deep breath, his hands clenching into fists. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there¡¯s only one way to save everyone in that shelter.¡± ¡°But she can¡¯t do that!¡± Ji-woo growled. ¡°You said it yourself! She would have to fight off who knows how many Anathema for five entire minutes before starting up the shield. Even if she did, there wouldn¡¯t be any way for her to escape, not with all the Anathema that would be drawn in. It¡¯s a suicide mission.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Error replied quietly, looking up and meeting my eye. ¡°It is.¡± I stared back into his gaze, my pulse spiking into my throat. It was his eyes, I decided, that sold it to me. There was something in them, a haunted, empty look that was too sharp not to come from somewhere deep. He meant what he said because he had experienced something similar to this. And, I was willing to bet, he was also seeing the same look reflected in my own eyes. The look of someone resigned to their fate. Because the fact of the matter was, I was scared. The idea of dying terrified me. It just didn¡¯t scare me as much as knowing that by not going, others would be dying. Other people would die, everyone in the third floor¡¯s shelter, all in exchange for my life. Lily would die so I could live. I would be killing my only friend. I decided, and it was easy. ¡°Okay,¡± I said, surprised by how collected my voice sounded. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t-¡± Ji-woo immediately started. ¡°I¡¯m the only one who can,¡± I interrupted quietly. ¡°And¡­ and I¡¯m a Magical Girl. I have a chance.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a Magical Girl without access to half of what makes you one,¡± Error snarled, and I recoiled at the venom in his voice. ¡°You have no idea how screwed this has already been, how much you¡¯ve already had to go through just because¡­¡± He cut himself off, head twitching as his eyes briefly snapped to something I couldn¡¯t see. ¡°If I don¡¯t go, people will die,¡± I whispered. ¡°People I know. People I care about.¡± I met Error¡¯s stare, and after a minute, he shook his head. ¡°Officers, I need a moment with my k¨­hai.¡± Sergeant O¡¯Malley nodded, and while Ji-woo looked torn, she relented and followed O¡¯Malley out. Once the door was closed, Error leaned back in his chair and looked at Selene. A silence passed between them before Error gave Selene a nod. ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± he said simply. [It is. It breaks regulation, but the circumstances warrant it. The rules set by the council have doomed her every step, and I won¡¯t have her doing this blind. She at least deserves to know the truth about her Astral Shift.] Error nodded, face curling with disgust, and I looked between the two of them in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked, and Selene turned to face me. [It¡¯s time I told you about the things I¡¯ve kept from you. About the ¡°Basic¡± section of your status menu, the reason you can¡¯t use your Astral Shift to transform, and about just how different your fights should have gone. What I say next, I will only transmit to you. All I ask is that you can forgive me, because even though you told me I could keep these things from you, what I¡¯m about to say is going to hurt.] I felt my breathing pick up a little, and I glanced between the two of them. Error gave a small nod. ¡°I¡¯ll be here for any questions you might have,¡± he leaned back, turning to look to the side. ¡°Take all the time you need.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked, my heart thumping in my chest. [It¡¯s time you learned your Origin, the reason you were chosen to become a Magical Girl¡­ and why that very reason has kept you from accessing your Astral Shift.] I looked between the two of them as my pulse continued to increase. Error wouldn¡¯t quite meet my eyes, and Selene¡¯s tails were limp, lying lifelessly on the table. I swallowed down my anxiety, steeling my nerves. ¡°Tell me.¡± Chapter 21 - Origin [Let¡¯s look at your status menu first.]
STATUS
Name: Mai Kuroki Alias: None
Level: 8 Points: 30
Health: 65% Mana: 300/300 (5/Min)
BASIC
Origin: [Hidden] Aspect: [Hidden]
Class: Locked Signature: Unawakened
STATISTICS
Strength: 10 Dexterity: 25
Vitality: 10 Agility: 25
Willpower: 30 Spirit: 1
40 Stat Points Available!
SKILLS
ABILITIES AUGMENTS
Demonic Eye of the Sable Waif
PERMISSIONS
VAULTS GRIMOIRES
First Aid Vault (Common) ??????§Ô??????§Ô??????????????§Ô????????:????? ??????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????
Kinetic Handguns (Common)
Modern Terran Clothing (Common)
The box appeared in my vision, and I blinked as I ran my eyes over it. I twitched at the fact my health was at 65%. I hadn¡¯t bothered taking a close look at my HUD and had completely missed the fact it was so low. Selene had said my previous injuries had reduced my health maximum once already, and I was willing to bet the loss of my arm had reduced it yet again¡­ I shook my head. Now wasn¡¯t the time to be falling back down that hole. I turned my focus to Selene, and her tails gave me a flick of acknowledgement. [Now let us discuss Origins. It is, as the name might suggest, the reason one was chosen to be a Magical Girl. There are many specific circumstances, but they are divided into seven basic ¡°emotions¡± or ¡°themes¡± that the Magical Girl is said to be a representation of. Each of these Origins is also given a color that the Magical Girl is obligated to use as the primary color in their outfit. Magically speaking, your Origin determines what is called your Origin bonus, sometimes called your color type bonus. These bonuses are extremely powerful and could be compared to the racial bonuses of a video game. Because of this, it usually helps determine the combat role a Guardian takes. Are you following so far?] I nodded, and she continued. [Good. The first Origin, and perhaps the most powerful, is Love. Love Magical Girls are represented by the color pink. Pinks have the desire to help others above all else, the epitome of self-sacrifice. The bonus they have is earning 25% more points and experience from all sources. Roughly 10% of all Guardians are pink, and they often take the role of the all-stars or all-rounders. While they may not be masters of any one area, they are exceptional in many, making them ideal for filling in any weakness while having none of their own.] My eyes widened. That bonus seemed absurdly powerful. Sure, it didn¡¯t help them directly in combat, but they would be able to grow more powerful at a much quicker pace. Not only that, but they would be able to face weaker Anathema and still get decent experience and points from them if they wanted. [I see you understand the implications,] Selene gave a flick of her tail. [Pink Magical Girls are some of the best simply because they get more rewards for the work they put in. They grow so quickly that they outpace their peers and often end up becoming team leaders simply due to the stat and point differences. Pinks also tend to be people with natural charisma, being friendly and compassionate as one would expect from a Magical Girl who represents love. They are, essentially, the ideal example of a Magical Girl.] I nodded, wondering if Lily would fit that criteria. With how friendly and magnetic her personality was, I could see it. [The second origin is Adventure, represented by the color red. This color represents those who constantly seek excitement and new challenges from thrills to fights. Reds have a permanent bonus to the effectiveness of their offensive spells, skills, and weapons. It is a percentage bonus that grows as they level. Red Magical Girls tend to be passionate, excitable, loyal, and sometimes hot headed. About 20% of Guardians have this color, and they often take the role of the warrior. Whether they fight on the frontlines as a whirlwind or cast devastating spells from afar, they are unmatched in their destructive potential.] I nodded, noting that the bonus would make Reds the damage dealers while remaining inclusive enough to make them equally dangerous as close or long range fighters. [The third origin is Hope, represented by the color blue. This color represents those who wish to help others, hoping that anyone can be saved and inspiring hope through their caring actions. Blues have a permanent bonus to the effectiveness of their support spells, skills, and weapons. It is a percentage bonus that grows as they level. Blue Magical Girls tend to be smart, calm, caring, empathetic, and sometimes shy. About 20% of Guardians have this color, and they often take the role of healer. Using their support magic, they can bolster their allies and hinder their enemies, all while healing any damage taken.] Blue Magical Girls would definitely be more team oriented, then. Sure, their support bonus would work on themselves, but it seemed like it would be more effective for them to team them up with other Guardians to get the most out of their bonus. [The fourth origin is Peace, represented by the color green. This color represents those who have a strong desire to protect others, who want normalcy and serenity above all else. Greens have a permanent bonus to the effectiveness of their defensive spells, skills, and weapons. It is a percentage bonus that grows as they level. Green Magical Girls tend to be determined, stoic, dauntless, and sometimes withdrawn. About 20% of people who become Guardians have this color, and they often take the role of defender. Whether fighting on the frontlines as an immovable rock or creating impenetrable shields from afar, they are the ones who protect themselves and comrades from any source of harm.] I kept my eyes from flicking to emerald form of Error Machina. With that description, it made sense he was working at Guardian Command to coordinate Magical Girls, though I wasn¡¯t sure exactly how well he could utilize his spells or his other bonuses from behind a computer. [The fifth origin is Wish, represented by the color yellow. This color represents those who hold a wish inside them, a dream they hold on a pedestal but cannot obtain, and they seek to give others a chance to reach their own wish. Yellows have a two part bonus, the first being that they often have a very unique Signature Magic that often breaks the rules of what should be possible with magic in general. The second bonus is that in exchange for becoming a Magical Guardian, they have their wish granted.] I blinked. ¡°What?¡± [It has to be a wish within reason, and some things are forbidden, of course,] Selene quickly amended, her tails swishing in something like amusement. [No bringing back the dead, no making somebody fall in love with them, no destroying reality by turning back time, that sort of thing. Also, if their wish would naturally be fulfilled by becoming a Magical Girl, then they can keep their wish to use later. On that note, one thing that should never be done is asking a Yellow what they used their wish on. It is considered highly taboo.] I nodded in understanding. Whatever they used their wish on would have to be something highly personal, especially if it was something powerful enough to help make them a Magical Girl candidate. Asking for them to reveal that would be beyond just being a little rude. Selene seemed pleased with my quick acceptance, and so she continued. [Yellows tend to have hyper or quirky personalities, be generally mischievous, fun loving, and sometimes have a poor sense of boundaries. About 20% of Guardians have this color, and they often take the role of rogue. Due to their unpredictable Signature Magics, they have no single defined combat type, instead specializing in unusual tactics that compliment their Signature.] That made sense. If all of them had widely diverse Signatures, it seemed wise for them to be specialists rather than a more standardized role. [The sixth origin is Dream, represented by the color white. This color represents those who dream of becoming a Magical Girl and everything it pertains, especially giving others the chance to achieve their own dreams in peace. A White Magical Girl has a 50% experience bonus. They tend to have a full, unpredictable gambit of personalities. About 7% of Guardians have this color, and they often take the role of an ace or master in their chosen field. Because they have such a high experience bonus but no point bonus, they often become hyper-specialized and masters of their chosen path.] Selene stopped, and I held my breath. So far, none of the colors had really seemed to represent me. I assumed the personalities weren¡¯t set in stone, but even then, none of their reasons for being chosen as a Magical Girl lined up neatly with my own. Which only meant¡­ [What I am about to tell you is something you should keep to yourself,] Selene said, her voice serious. [The reasons will become obvious, but just know, only Magical Girls of your Origin get the full and truthful explanation. You are free to give this explanation to anyone you wish, but others of your Origin would take it¡­ poorly. Those who heard the explanation might have an equally unfavorable response for a variety of reasons that will soon be made clear. Do you understand?] I nodded, the tension building inside me as Selene took a deep breath. [The final origin is Dark, represented by the color black. This color represents those who have experienced such darkness in their lives that the Anathema seem pale in comparison. Whether it be pain, despair, sadness, or a myriad of other emotions, Dark Magical Girls have no one unifying emotion, just a theme. Dark Magical Girls have experienced suffering, and in that suffering, have survived. They are chosen not because they wanted to escape their circumstances, but because they instead learned to live despite the shadows. Another interesting point is that every Dark Magical Girl is chosen partially because even though they faced horrors, they had no particular desire to become a Magical Girl until it was offered. This is mostly due to the fact that Dark Magical Girls never even realized it was an option, thinking themselves¡­ unworthy. The truth, however, is that their experiences make them uniquely capable to stare down the worst of the Anathema and fight without faltering. In many ways, they represent courage born through suffering. That is why they are chosen.] I flinched, taking in shallow, quick breaths as Selene turned her head slightly away from me. I wanted to shake my head, to tell her she was wrong, that my life wasn¡¯t like that. Sure, things weren¡¯t what I wanted, but¡­ there were reasons for that, and I had made my peace with those reasons. Maybe things were dark, but they weren¡¯t the worst. It was just how things were. I barely fit into that description, and even then, it was only from someone else¡¯s point of view. Right. I wasn¡¯t like that. Things weren¡¯t that bad. Other people just didn¡¯t understand. A dozen more reassurances ran through my mind, and I found myself breathing quicker and quicker. Before I could start hyperventilating, Selene gave a sharp flick of her tails, and my mind instantly cleared, the thoughts disappearing like fog before a strong wind. It was an alien sensation, almost like someone had snapped their fingers directly inside my brain. My attention snapped away from my spiraling thoughts and back to Selene. [The bonus Dark Magical Girls start with is threefold and intertwined,] Selene began slowly, making sure she had my full attention before continuing. [First, they begin with a completely Unique Grimoire, a powerful type of magic built solely for them. Secondly, their Signature Magic is also much more powerful than a normal Magical Girl¡¯s and often has a dark spin on it. Finally, their Grimoire, Signature, and the bonus provided by their Aspect are all linked together by some underlying theme and power, giving a Dark Magical Girl a naturally synergistic set of abilities that are not only powerful, but completely unique and therefore unpredictable. About 3% of Guardians have this color, and they take the role of the trump card. Dark Magical Girls are unparalleled in single combat due to the unique twists provided by their starting bonuses, and are often relied on as boss killers and duelists. As for their common personality traits¡­] Selene sighed, her tails twisting together nervously. [The truth is that they run a full gambit, but other Magical Girls often categorize them as antisocial, quiet, loners, and unstable. There are a lot of rumors regarding Dark Magical Girls. Many have realized that Dark Magical Girls tend to have something troubling them, something that occasionally causes them to¡­ snap. Combining Dark Magical Girls¡¯ unpredictable personalities with the power they wield, many think they are simply ticking time bombs. Bombs that are uniquely capable of hurting other Magical Girls.] ¡°What?¡± I looked up in confusion. [Mai, other Magical Girls are simply told Dark Magical Girls represent the emotion of Courage, to face darkness without wavering. While it is partially true, it is still nowhere near the entirety of it. Just becoming a Magical Girl doesn¡¯t rescue someone from their¡­ circumstances. They still have to find a way to deal with it on their own. Worse, the unique abilities Dark Magical Girls have usually make them great at defeating boss-type Anathema, but that isn¡¯t the only thing they are designed for. Think of it like this: Dark Magical Girls are often given abilities focused on facing lone creatures, even ones with a range of powerful abilities and magic. Does that description match anything else you can think of?] The bottom of my stomach dropped out, eyes widening. ¡°Magical Girls,¡± I thought to Selene. ¡°We¡¯re Anti-Magical Girls.¡± [Yes¡­ although it is not the main design of your powers, it is not lost on the more experienced Magical Girls just how dangerous a Dark Magical Girl could be. If you take into account that there is a stigma of Dark Magical Girls being emotionally unstable with troubled pasts while also possessing unnatural magics¡­] ¡°But doesn¡¯t the contract we made prevent us from abusing our powers?¡± I asked my mind racing. I didn¡¯t know why, but I was desperate to find a reason Selene might be wrong. [The question then becomes what constitutes abuse. How far is too far for one who is defending humanity? The contract Guardians make prevents the most heinous of actions, but even then, the rule can sometimes be twisted to prevent automatic punishment. The Zenith believe¡­ Well, defeating the Anathema is their top priority, and it takes a lot to convince them to punish a Guardian and deprive humanity of a hyper-capable warrior. In the end, it often comes to the community of Magical Girls to keep each other in line. In the most extreme cases, force may be necessary, in which case¡­ Well, it only makes sense to contact a Dark Magical Girl to help the authorities.] ¡°I see¡­¡± I thought to her, a deep, sinking feeling settling into my belly. [It doesn¡¯t help that some Dark Magical Girls have lashed out, either. It has led to people saying things such as, ¡°Dark Magical Girls are unstable. You can¡¯t trust them. They only care about themselves. They¡¯re crazy and will attack you without warning.¡± Those are just some of the less colorful rumors, but all it takes for some people to believe in them is the slightest bit of confirmation by a Dark Magical Girl having a bad day. And if one rumor is true, then¡­] I looked down at the floor, forcing myself to think things through slowly. So¡­ I was a Dark Magical Girl, an outcast even among Magical Girls. I was chosen not because I was anything special or heroic like other Magical Girls, I was just picked because of what I¡¯d gone through. Selene tried to say that courage was part of the reason, but I knew that was her just trying to find a silver lining because I wasn¡¯t courageous. Just surviving day-to-day didn¡¯t make me anything special, really. Besides, if courage really was the main reason Darks were chosen, then they wouldn¡¯t be called Darks in the first place. They would have a name referring to their color like every other Guardian, wouldn¡¯t they? I suppose none of the information was too surprising, especially not the part about how people would react to me. People already thought I was weird, so this was just more of the same, really. I¡­ could deal with that. Actually, it might even be easier this way. I wouldn¡¯t have known how to handle suddenly being popular. Yeah¡­ It would be fine. I wasn¡¯t sure why I felt so crestfallen, or why my heart felt tight, but everything would be fine. [Anyway, it¡¯s not like all Magical Girls see Dark Magical Girls this way,] Selene hurriedly added. [Yes, there¡¯s a negative stigma, but due to the positive nature of Magical Girls, most are able to look past the rumors. Just be aware that some might be hesitant¡­ or even outright hostile. Oh, and the public isn¡¯t aware of any of this! To them, Dark Magical Girls are simply another type of Guardian who happen to dress in black. As a reminder, courage is the emotional aspect focused on for those not in the know. In fact, many people love Dark Magical Girls due to their rarity and mysterious demeanors. So while some of the Magical Girl community might view you with negative connotations, you have nothing to fear from civilians.] ¡°Oh¡­. ¡± Some of the tightness in my chest disappeared. Now that Selene mentioned it, I¡¯d never heard anything bad about Dark Magical Girls before. Though, to be fair, I¡¯d been so uninterested and separated from anything Guardian related that I didn¡¯t know much of anything about them. ¡°That¡¯s not too bad then, I guess.¡± I shrugged weakly. [I¡¯m glad you understand,] Selene sighed, obviously relieved. [Now, I know how much you value your privacy, and the explanation about how Dark Magical Girls are chosen gives others some very personal insight. That is partially why other Guardians are given a more simplistic explanation. It is a policy meant to protect the privacy of Dark Magical Girls, and it is an unspoken rule among them not to tell anyone else the truth.] I nodded in understanding. Sure, there might be rumors that there was something wrong with Dark Magical Girls, but outright telling other Guardians the truth? I mean, Guardians were chosen based on the fact they were supposed to help people. If other Magical Girls learned for a fact that every Dark Magical Girl had either gone through or was going through some kind of darkness, some kind of disturbing personal issue¡­ It was easy to see why that would just be inviting trouble. Every Magical Girl would rush to find out what was ¡°wrong,¡± trying to figure out what the Dark Magical Girl was coping with, and then they would try to solve it. Every Dark Magical Girl would suddenly have to worry about every Guardian they met trying to ¡°fix¡± their problems, inserting themselves and trying to play hero. I shook my head. No. It was abundantly clear why the truth was hidden, even if it still led to rumors. I knew I personally wanted nobody interfering in my personal life. It was mine, not theirs, and they had no right to judge or mess with it just because they saw things differently. I didn¡¯t want their help. Besides¡­ I didn¡¯t need it. ¡°Okay, I understand why you kept this part from me¡­¡± I thought back to Selene. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a lot. A little frustrating¡­ and distracting. But it doesn¡¯t explain a few things like my Astral Shift or-¡± [We¡¯re almost there. The last thing I wanted to explain before I show you your unredacted Status was your Aspect. If Origin is the reason a person became a Magical Girl, the Aspect is meant to express what part of that Origin they express. For example, Red Magical Girls have the Origin of Adventure, so their Aspect might be Speed, Fighting, Exploration, or some other Aspect that could be associated with that emotion. As I explained earlier in the day, your Aspect gives you a unique bonus at certain milestone levels, and it is what¡¯s given you your unique Augment. Now, because Dark Magical Girls have an Origin that is a theme the combines various things, your Aspect is instead the exact emotion that best represents your¡­ darkness. With that explained, here is your unredacted Basic section.]
BASIC
Origin: Dark This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Aspect: Loneliness
Class: Locked Signature: Unawakened
I felt a serrated dagger cut my heart open. That wasn¡¯t¡­ That¡­ No. I blinked the box away, and turned back to Selene. I didn¡¯t want to think about it. Not right now. Not when there were more important things to worry about. ¡°Okay. What else?¡± I quickly asked aloud, and Error blinked, turning his attention back to me. Selene looked at me for a long time before giving what felt like a sigh. [So, with the knowledge of your Origin in mind and the stigma around it-] Selene started, pausing as Error raised a hand. ¡°Look,¡± he said, his tone clipped. ¡°I just want to say, I know the rumors about Dark Magical Girls aren¡¯t the whole truth, and I think I have a pretty good idea of what¡¯s really going on, but none of that matters to me. I¡¯ve seen plenty of Guardians of every color, and let me tell you, it doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯re all just people. We all have our problems and bad eggs, and stereotyping is definitely not the answer. What matters is what we do, and let me say, you¡¯ve already been more of a Magical Girl in these few hours than most are in their lifetime. You¡¯ve done good, k¨­hai. Better than anyone else could have in your position.¡± My cheeks warmed, and I looked away. I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to him or the fluttery heat in my chest other than just nod. [Yes¡­ You really have done amazingly. Especially considering you¡¯ve managed all of this without your Astral Shift.] I looked up as Selene¡¯s tone changed. I¡¯d heard her worried or nervous before, but even then her tone was always calm, a constant and almost ethereal quality to it. Now, though, it turned into an outright snarl, and it sent a shiver down my spine. ¡°Your Astral Shift¡­¡± Error spat the words out, but even his venom didn¡¯t hold a candle to Selene¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m curious. I¡¯m sure your Familiar told you that your Astral Shift is the stereotypical ¡°transformation¡± sequence. Bright lights and magical effects envelop you, and then poof, you¡¯re wearing your Magical Girl costume. I¡¯m also sure your Familiar told you without your Astral Shift, you only get a portion of the bonuses provided by your stats. She also probably danced around telling you the exact percentage of the bonuses you retain, am I right? Did you even consider it?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± I closed my mouth, then shook my head. ¡°No. I always just assumed it was low¡­¡± [I did not wish to upset you, and knowing the truth wouldn¡¯t have changed anything.] Selene looked down with something like shame in her posture. ¡°No, it wouldn¡¯t have,¡± Error agreed. ¡°So, what percentage of your stats do you think you were gaining?¡± I thought about it for a moment. I really had never considered it, but subconsciously¡­ ¡°Maybe fifty percent?¡± I tried. ¡°But now I¡¯m thinking less¡­¡± The corners of Error¡¯s lips lifted in the parody of a smile. ¡°Ten percent.¡± I stared at Error. Then I looked at Selene, and she nodded. ¡°You might as well not have had any bonuses considering your low level,¡± Error growled, and I closed my eyes. Ten percent¡­ Everything I¡¯d done, I assumed I was doing it with at least a slight edge to my physical abilities. Every calculation I made, every reassurance I¡¯d given myself¡­ and the whole time, I¡¯d been working with a ten percent bonus of what I should have. Considering I was still low leveled, Error was right. I might as well not have had any bonus at all. I swallowed down the bile in my throat. I wasn¡¯t upset at Selene, because telling me would have just built up my fear and despair. No, I was just upset that I didn¡¯t have access to my full stats. ¡°So my fights should have been easier,¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°But-¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± Error said, and I looked up in surprise. ¡°Your Astral Shift gives you more than just stats. It gives you protection. Have you ever seen footage of a Magical Girl fighting and they get thrown through a wall or take what should have been a nasty hit only to come out unscathed? That¡¯s part of your Astral Shift. It gives something like an invisible shield, kind of like a personal forcefield, and it absorbs a good portion of the damage that should be dealt to you. It¡¯s always active, protecting your entire body from harm. That¡¯s why Magical Girls can go into battle in skirts and frills instead of armor.¡± [The shield is commonly referred to as your Astral Barrier, often shortened to just Barrier,] Selene added, [and to put it in perspective of how powerful it can be even at lower levels¡­ If you had your Barrier, the Corpse Blossom would not have done enough damage to warrant cutting off your own arm. At most, you would have had bruises, maybe a broken bone at worst.] I stared at the two of them, shock turning me numb. A shield? I should have had a shield? I should have still had my arm? ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I choked out, trying to fight the wetness coming to my eyes. ¡°Why¡­ this¡­ I could have¡­ why? Why didn¡¯t I have access to my Astral Shift? Why did all this¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, k¨­hai,¡± Error said softly. ¡°But it¡¯s because of the same stuff your Familiar just told you all about. It¡¯s because you¡¯re a Dark Magical Girl, and the stupid fucking human clowns in charge decided to make the Zenith impose a new rule. A lot of politicians have bought into the rumors about Dark Magical Girls, and so they decided to make it so no new Dark Magical Girl could use their Astral Shift without first meeting another Guardian in person and getting their permission.¡± A wave of vertigo hit me, and I put my hand against the desk, leaning over it as the sensation washed through me. I closed my eyes, my head pounding as their words nailed themselves through my skull. [The official reasoning,] Selene explained bitterly, [is that it¡¯s a measure to prevent potentially unstable candidates from immediately going and abusing the massive amounts of power they are granted. There was an incident, you see, where a Dark Magical Girl¡¯s first act after becoming a Guardian was to do something¡­ terrible. Ever since, all Dark Magical Girls have to receive in-person permission from another Guardian before they use their first Astral Shift. This is a human rule, and although the Zenith argued against it, they believed it would be inappropriate to go against the wishes of humanity¡¯s chosen representatives.] The numbness inside vanished, leaving behind a cold hollowness as my ears started to ring. All of this¡­ the tampering with the mana generator causing the shielding station to fail, the shelter activating its emergency shield, and now the lack of something that would have helped me fight, that would have protected me. It. Was. All. People. Bitterness bubbled up and overflowed in me, a sudden fountain bursting from somewhere deep within. I almost started laughing. It had been, what, seven hours? In seven hours, people had managed to put my life in danger three separate times. If the shield never went down, I would have made it to the shelter. If the shelter never had its emergency shield up, I would have been able to get inside safely and not risk my life to save them. If I had my Astral Shift, I would have been so much safer during my fights and wouldn¡¯t have lost my arm. But no. Instead, I was half of a Magical Girl missing half of an arm, and now the only way I could save hundreds of lives was to forfeit my own. All because of people. But wasn¡¯t it always? I shouldn¡¯t have even been surprised. Maybe it was what I deserved, and this was just karmic balance finally swinging the executioner¡¯s axe. My head felt like it was spinning out of control. For the first time in a long time, anger boiled inside me. I had done nothing to these people. I was already trying so hard to do the right things, and this was still how it turned out. And the worst part? The worst part was that none of what I¡¯d just learned really mattered! It was all just context at this point, but none of it changed what needed to be done. There was still a shelter out there running out of energy, and in that shelter were a lot of people, people I knew, and a single person I really, really cared about. I didn¡¯t have a choice about what I did next, because there was only one path I could live with. Even if it was the path that ended with me dead. The sound of electricity crackling to life pulled me from my thoughts, and I opened my eyes to see small, jagged arcs of electricity bursting to life around my hand, the energy violet with a black core. It snapped between my fingers where my hand was pressed against the desk, the dark lightning flashing out of existence as shock rolled through me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Error suddenly said, making me jump and lift my head back to the screen. ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t help, but I am. A lot of Guardians warned the councils that they were making a mistake, that something bad might happen. I don¡¯t think anybody imagined something as bad as this, but¡­ here we are.¡± I blinked a few times, glancing between him and Selene. Error must not have seen the lightning due to the camera angle, but Selene was staring at my hand, her tails all frozen stiff. She slowly looked up at me, and after a moment, her tails returned to gently swaying back and forth. [I¡¯ll explain later,] Selene whispered into my head. [It¡¯s just a small, largely unimportant side effect of your strong emotions. First, we deal with this.] I swallowed, looking back down at my hand. For some reason, the oddly colored electricity seemed familiar, but¡­ it felt like I¡¯d seen it in a different shape before. When I tried to remember what exactly I was thinking of, it only made my head begin to pound with the beginnings of a headache. I gave up trying to recall, instead giving Selene a small nod before turning my attention back to Error. Whatever those sparks were about, the explanation could wait. The anger that had been in me was gone now, wiped away by the shock of seeing the electrical arcs. In the anger¡¯s place was an empty but steadfast numbness. I¡¯d felt it a few times before, a powerful resignation that what was about to happen had to, and so I would face it. Because I simply didn¡¯t have any other choice. ¡°Thank you for telling me the truth,¡± I said quietly. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t change the fact that people are going to die, and I¡¯m the only one that can help them.¡± ¡°No,¡± Error shook his head, a sickened, solemn look on his face. ¡°No, I guess it really doesn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll go to the shield station, begin the restart sequence, fight off the Anathema for five minutes, and then give the final initiation command.¡± As I said the words out loud, the emptiness inside me began to fill back up. Mostly, it was anxiety digging a razor back into the center of my heart, but to my surprise, there was a flicker of defiance in there too. Everyone seemed to think this was a suicide mission for me, but so what? So what if everyone else seemed to be working against me? This was the right thing to do. I was going to go and save lives. If there was ever something to give my life for, wasn¡¯t this it? Wasn¡¯t this what it meant to be a Magical Girl? ¡°What you¡¯re doing,¡± Error cleared his throat, looking away, ¡°the System has a name for it. When it hands out quests, there¡¯s an estimated difficulty attached. Easy, medium, hard, that sort of thing. But occasionally, there is a need to do something to save lives, even if it means the Guardian might not make it out alive. For that, there¡¯s a special name.¡± He turned back to me, meeting my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s called a Death Wish, and it is the duty of any Guardian to hear out the last wishes or requests from the one attempting the mission. Within reason, the Guardian¡¯s Association will try to fulfill your last wishes. I want you to know that the System has just given me a quest to hear out your Death Wish, making this official. So, if there is anything you want or any messages to pass on to family and friends, now is the time to tell me.¡± My throat felt suddenly tight, and I took a moment to take in a deep breath. By the end of my exhale, I knew what I wanted. ¡°There¡¯s a girl named Lily Parker in my grade,¡± I began quietly. ¡°I want her to know what I did, and I want her to know I always appreciated her going out of her way to be my friend. I know it probably wasn¡¯t easy, but it meant a lot to me. Tell her thank you, and I¡¯m sorry. Um¡­ if there¡¯s any way you can look out for her¡­ she wants to become a Magical Soldier. She told me it¡¯s a really tough selection process, but-¡± ¡°Done,¡± Error said with a nod. ¡°I¡¯ll personally make sure that she gets the appropriate scholarships and the best training opportunities. I¡¯ll purchase her the best magitech equipment myself if I have to. That is, of course, if you don¡¯t want to try to make her a Magical Girl.¡± ¡°What?¡± I blinked in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s your Death Wish,¡± Error said gently. ¡°There is a lot you can ask for. If you want, you can request the Zenith to take a serious look at her as a candidate. If she fits the mental profile and is physically compatible with receiving a Soul Gem, she¡¯ll become one. To the Zenith, it¡¯s a reasonable request that if they have to lose a Magical Girl, another might as well be nominated.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Then yes, I¡¯d like that.¡± It was easy to imagine Lily as a Magical Girl. She talked about it a few times, usually in a joking manner, but there was always something in her eyes when she did. A spark of longing and excitement. It was the same look she got when she told me she wanted to be a Magical Soldier, to become someone who could protect people and make a difference. Knowing I could help her fulfill those dreams sent a flutter of happiness through my stomach. ¡°Alright, then,¡± Error nodded, ¡°She is officially nominated. If she can¡¯t become one for some reason, then we¡¯ll go with the previous plan.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied, my shoulders loosening a little. Lily had done so much for me, and now I would finally be able to pay her back. I was sure she would be sad I was gone¡­ but she had a lot of other friends and a loving family. She was too caring, so it might take awhile, but she would be okay. An awkward silence stretched between us, Error eventually clearing his throat. ¡°What else?¡± I hesitated for a second, before shaking my head. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Error stared at me, and I looked down to the ground, unease and anxiety bubbling up in me. ¡°No other messages?¡± he asked, his voice subdued. ¡°To family or anybody else?¡± I shook my head, ignoring the pounding in my chest. I didn¡¯t want him to ask, to pry further, even if there was one other thing I should probably ask for. Helping Lily was the one thing I actually wanted, and¡­ there was nobody else. Just her. There was a moment of quiet before Error cleared his throat. ¡°Alright,¡± Error whispered. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s done. I swear it on my Soul Gem. I¡¯ll also look out for her, no matter what path she ends up on. I promise.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, a wave of relief washing through me. ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do,¡± Error murmured. ¡°I¡­ If you¡¯re going to restart the generator, all I ask is that you don¡¯t begin restarting it until there¡¯s only twenty minutes left before the third floor shelter loses power. I¡¯m going to do everything I can to find other Magical Girls who might be able to help you. It¡¯s a long shot, especially considering Command won¡¯t want to divert resources, but I can at least try.¡± I nodded, looking back up at him and taking in a shuddering breath. ¡°I understand,¡± I shifted my weight from one foot to another. ¡°Um¡­ about the actual plan. Do you have a map of the top floor? I need to hold out for five minutes, and if you have any advice¡­¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯ll pull up a map. Why don¡¯t you bring in the officers so we can inform them of what¡¯s going on.¡± Nodding, I went to the door, thinking about Error¡¯s demeanor on the way. When I first met him, he was full of life and energy. It kind of reminded me of how Lily acted when she was hyper. Now, though, he seemed¡­ tired. There was no humor in his voice, no teasing. It made sense, given the circumstances, but I wondered how many times he¡¯d done something similar to this to look so¡­ haunted. I shook the thought from my head as I opened the door, gesturing for the two officers to come in. They followed me back to the console at the end of the room where the display now held a map of the top floor, a small box in the corner of the screen relegated to showing Error. ¡°Officers,¡± Error said, his voice crisp. ¡°This is a map of the top floor. As you can see, the central area is a large, circular room with a dome of glass above it. This is where the shielding station is held. Mostly, the area is a garden of sorts with benches, statues, art pieces, and a few informational displays scattered about. There are four entrances from the outer ring of stores and offices into the central room, and each has a security door that can be closed. These doors are heavy duty, made of six inches of a silverite alloy. From the shielding station, you can close those doors, but-¡± ¡°Excuse me,¡± Ji-woo interrupted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but if we¡¯re talking about this, then¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going,¡± I said quietly. Ji-woo snapped around to look at me, and I looked away. ¡°I have to,¡± I quickly added. ¡°Nobody else can.¡± Ji-woo stared at me for a long moment before finally shaking her head, looking back to the screen. ¡°Then I¡¯m going, too.¡± I looked up at her with wide eyes, and she gave me a smile. ¡°The plan is to hold out for five minutes, right? The more people there defending, the better the chances. Besides, after the five minutes have passed, we¡¯ll have to escape by breaking through the Anathema. If I go with-¡± ¡°No.¡± The word came from me with more force than I expected, but I didn¡¯t flinch as I stared at Ji-woo with wide eyes. My heart was racing as I thought of Ji-woo coming with me. The woman who¡¯d brought me hot chocolate, who¡¯d talked to me nicely and hadn¡¯t tried to pry. If she came with¡­ An empty handgun sat in the pool of blood next to my empty magazine. It had belonged to someone. Someone who tried to use it to protect others. Someone who had friends, family, a dream. And now it was just¡­ No. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Ji-woo said. ¡°We can-¡± ¡°No,¡± I said again. ¡°I go alone. Nobody else dies.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll make it out together,¡± Ji-woo assured me, pointing to a portion of the map. ¡°Those are elevators right there, on the outer ring of stores. Once the five minutes are up, we can make a run for it and take the elevators down a few levels. We¡¯ll emergency stop it between floors and wait for rescue. The Anathema shouldn¡¯t bother us because they¡¯ll all be rushing to fan out again after clumping into one spot, and the elevators are reinforced. I doubt any of the tougher ones will take the time to pry them open.¡± I glanced back at the map, thinking her plan over. Considering I didn¡¯t have any alternatives, it seemed reasonable. I didn¡¯t think it would improve my chances that much, but it at least gave me a small chance of surviving. But¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll do that, then. Alone.¡± ¡°I understand you¡¯re worried,¡± Ji-woo said gently, ¡°but you know I¡¯m right. The more of us that go, the better, and-¡± ¡°No!¡± I shouted, panic and anger flashing through me. ¡°I have to do this, alone! I won¡¯t let anybody else die because of me! Not again!¡± There was a stunned silence in the room, and it took me a second to realize what I said. Horror washed through me, and I felt my cheeks beginning to turn red with embarrassment and shame. I turned from them, looking down at the desk. ¡°I, um¡­ I meant¡­¡± I stuttered, eyes flicking to the map. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t do this knowing somebody might die. I just¡­ can¡¯t.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Error assured me. ¡°I understand.¡± I looked up in surprise to see Error giving me a nod. He turned to look at Ji-woo, his jaw set and eyes steel. ¡°Officer, as a Magical Guardian, I am giving you and every other officer in your shelter a direct order to not go with my k¨­hai or attempt to follow her.¡± Ji-woo¡¯s eyes widened, but before she could say anything, Error held up a hand. ¡°She is a new Magical Girl, and above all else, a person,¡± Error said, his voice turning soft. ¡°If she were to make it out while you didn¡¯t, how could she live with herself knowing you sacrificed yourself? She hasn¡¯t had any experience in this war and hasn''t lost anyone fighting at her side yet. If you really do care for her, then respect her wishes. Believe me, your presence there would only marginally improve the odds, and even then¡­ It¡¯s not enough to justify losing another person. Trust me, if it was, I would be all for it, but even a if all the officers in your shelter wen with her, it wouldn¡¯t make a difference.¡± Ji-woo looked like someone had punched her in the gut. Her face twisted, and she looked away. Error stared at her for a moment, eyes flicking to Sergeant O¡¯Malley who merely gave him a nod, his face set in emotionless stone. Error returned the motion before shifting his attention back to me. ¡°Now. The elevators are a good idea. Here¡¯s what I propose: you close all the security doors around the shielding station except for one, and you leave that one partially open. The Anathema might try to get through the other doors at first, but when they realize there¡¯s an opening, they¡¯ll naturally funnel that way instead of breaking down the doors. It will give you a good, single chokepoint to hold instead of having to worry about holding multiple entrances. Additionally, I know it¡¯s taboo to ask, but considering the circumstances¡­ I was wondering if you could tell me your fighting style and stats so I can give some advice on how you should approach this fight. I promise on my Soul Gem not to share this information and to sign a Geas after these Usurpations as extra insurance.¡± I glanced at Selene, and she simply gave me a nod of assent. I suppose it didn¡¯t really matter if Error knew, not with how we were expecting this to end, but it was nice he was trying to make me feel better. [Reveal the basic parts of your special Augment as well,] Selene suddenly added. [It will give some context into your proficiency with guns.] ¡°I¡¯m level eight, ten Strength and Vitality, thirty Willpower, one Spirit, twenty-five Dexterity and Agility. Forty stat points to spend, thirty points for purchasing things. I use a nine-millimeter handgun and part of my Aspect bonus gives me a HUD with a targeting reticle. I have a first-aid, kinetic handguns, and an enhanced clothing Vault unlocked.¡± He raised his eyebrows letting out a small chuckle, the corner of his mouth raising the slightest bit. ¡°Well, that explains some things. A gun user, huh? Rare, and I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t make people happy considering you¡¯re already a Dark Magical Girl, but in this case, it works out very well. You¡¯ll be able to shoot the Anathema as they squeeze through the doors. But with one arm to reload¡­¡± ¡°Selene can slot in my magazines,¡± I quickly added, feeling an idea beginning to form in my head. ¡°She handed me them during the fight with the Arachnomantis, but this could work, too. It might be slower and more awkward, though.¡± ¡°I¡¯d imagine so,¡± Error nodded. ¡°Regardless, it¡¯s the best option. Alright, my advice? Dump your Stat Points evenly into Agility and Dexterity. It¡¯s only a small bonus, but better than the alternatives. So long as your Familiar focuses on dodging if she gets noticed, you won¡¯t have to worry about remanifesting her. As for your other points, which we call Gate Points by the way, you don¡¯t have many. However, I expect the central room containing the shielding station will have some Anathema to clear out. Probably not a lot, but it should give enough to buy you some ammunition, first-aid, and protective clothes. Don¡¯t expect those clothes to defend against much, but they¡¯re certainly better than nothing.¡± [I agree with the assessment,] Selene¡¯s tails flicked. [We already have some protective clothes we can reuse, though a quick wash might be in order.] ¡°Good. Now, after the five minute start up is over and the shielding station has fully activated, I would open the security door opposite of the one you left open. Hopefully, all the Anathema will have been drawn to the already open side and you can make a run to the elevators. Other than that¡­ I¡¯m not sure I have anything to add.¡± I bit on my lip, thinking over the plan as everyone else seemed to fall into a contemplative silence. The plan was actually decent, but¡­ ¡°How high level are the Anathema I¡¯m going to be fighting?¡± I asked, and Error winced. ¡°At the start? I¡¯m guessing fairly low levels. I¡¯d guess the max would be around low twenties, if the Arachnomantis was any sort of indication. The higher level ones have spread out towards the perimeter and are trying to break through our containment, so they¡¯ll have to run the entire way and probably won¡¯t make it, but they¡¯re around level 100 with pockets of even higher. In the five minutes the Anathema will have to get to the shield generator, I¡¯m guessing¡­ maybe the level fifties will get there?¡± I nodded, unfazed. They¡¯d said from the beginning this was a suicide mission, and I¡¯d refused to let any hope kindle inside me. The plan wasn¡¯t really to help me escape, it was to keep me alive for five minutes so I could give the final confirmation command. Anything else was¡­ well, hopeful thinking, really. ¡°Okay. If it gets bad, I¡¯ll have Selene close all the doors to make sure I can at least get the shielding station activated.¡± Error¡¯s jaw clenched tight, and he dipped his head in acknowledgement. I thought about it some more, thinking what else I could add to the idea. I would have a door with a small opening to fire at the Anathema as they came through. With the door already somewhat open, it would probably be easier for them to smash open further for their bigger variants, and I was sure I would be fighting around the shield station in a running sort of fight, like when I¡¯d cleared out the first floor¡¯s main area to get to the shelter¡­ Two ideas bloomed to life, and I looked up at Error sharply. ¡°You said I should wait until there were only twenty minutes left to start the process,¡± I glanced at Selene. ¡°How much time does the shelter have left before it runs out of power?¡± [One hour, two minutes,] Selene responded. So I had about forty minutes to get up to the top floor and clear the Anathema in the shielding station¡¯s room. Call it a generous ten minutes to sneak there, five to fight what few might be in the room¡­ that could work. ¡°Twenty minutes,¡± I said, looking back at Error. ¡°At exactly twenty minutes left, I¡¯ll start the process. I¡¯ll get other supplies on the way.¡± ¡°What were you thinking?¡± Error asked. ¡°Alcohol,¡± I told him. ¡°And points from whatever low level and lone Anathema I can shoot.¡± He gave me an inquisitive look, his eyebrow quirking upwards. ¡°Okay? Setting aside the alcohol for a moment, what were you thinking of spending your points on?¡± My lips quivered slightly as a memory sparked equal parts warmth and longing in my heart. ¡°Guns,¡± I told him. ¡°Lots of guns.¡± Chapter 22 - War (Error Machina / ???) In the command and control room of Arcadia¡¯s Guardian Spire, Magical Guardian Error Machina¡¯s eyes flicked across the five monitors on his desk as he soaked in the information displayed in front of him. The command room itself was huge, designed like a theater with dozens of rows gently leading down to a massive screen spanning the entirety of the opposite wall. Each of the rows held desks of sleek metal containing sharp angled computers, monitors, and other magitech devices. The lights were dim, giving way to the brightness of the monitors for the hundreds of operators working to save Arcadia from the unprecedented Anathema attack taking place. Error thought about that title, ¡°operator,¡± while he adjusted the deployment orders for the Arcadian police forces around Usurpation Zone 03-06. Handler might have been a better name considering what they did, coordinating the various Guardians, Magical Soldiers, and police forces. Dispatcher would even work, though operators were expected to be able to do more than just direct forces. Research, analysis, drone support, and even acting as a communications network between teams all fell under the duties expected of an operator. And for the few operators like himself who were Magical Guardians, there was only more responsibility and work to be done. Error sighed as an alert popped up onto his screen, quickly tapping a button to engage the privacy field around his work station. He was the lead operator of a team consisting of ten other people, putting his desk a row above theirs and giving him space from any of the other team leaders, but he still enjoyed using the noise canceling dome of energy to help him focus when he had to take a call. The field itself appeared little more than a fuzzy orb around him, cutting the sound and vision of his surroundings, and once it was fully activated, he took the call. ¡°Operator,¡± Error immediately replied as the line opened up. ¡°Yo man, it¡¯s Breakdance,¡± a man¡¯s voice said through Error¡¯s earpiece. ¡°I¡¯m done with that apartment building. Nothin¡¯ more than a few thirties.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Error forced himself not to sigh. ¡°What about the next apartment on the block?¡± ¡°Aw, man, come on, don¡¯t do me like this,¡± Breakdance said teasingly. ¡°There¡¯s gotta¡¯ be somethin¡¯ a little higher level out there? At least give me some forties.¡± ¡°Breakdance, that¡¯s not how this works,¡± Error closed his eyes, trying to keep his urge to strangle the boy from his voice. ¡°You get what you get. You¡¯re not cleared for level-parity work, and we have reports of fifties showing up in some of the forty zones.¡± ¡°Dude, the whole city¡¯s on fire!¡± Breakdance yelled. ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to be followin¡¯ some stupid rules! We all need to be doin¡¯ whatever we can, man.¡± ¡°Breakdance, you are free to deviate from your contract with Guardian Command,¡± Error replied, his voice turning sickly sweet. ¡°However, that will render the bonus points you¡¯ve been promised null and void. If you want to risk your life in unscouted territory, go ahead. Just don¡¯t expect a medivac, reinforcements, magical support, or sponsored time with our contracted healers when you inevitably get hurt biting off more than you can chew.¡± It took a moment for a response to come, Breakdance evidently surprised by the thin, strained tone underpinning Error¡¯s words. Error knew he was going too far, that his anger and frustration were getting the better of him, but at this point, he just didn¡¯t care. ¡°Geez, man,¡± Breakdance finally replied, dropping the whimsy from his tone. ¡°Don¡¯t gotta¡¯ be rude. You know I¡¯m just playin¡¯.¡± ¡°Now is not the time for fooling around, Breakdance,¡± Error snapped back. ¡°We already have one Death Wish on the table, and we¡¯re nowhere close to solving this mess!¡± There was a stunned silence on the other end of the line before Error heard Breakdance clear his throat. ¡°Ah, sorry man, I didn¡¯t know,¡± Breakdance mumbled. ¡°There hasn¡¯t been a notice yet, so¡­ is there anything I can do?¡± ¡°No,¡± Error sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. ¡°Not unless you can stand up to a horde ranging up to level 150.¡± Another quiet ensued, and Error heard something like a slap. ¡°Right, right. I¡¯ll get on those apartments. The block will be cleared in the next¡­ call it fifteen minutes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself,¡± Error warned him. ¡°It took you five just to clear that one building.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Breakdance growled, ¡°but that was before I knew we were losing someone¡­ Is it anybody I know?¡± Error closed his eyes. ¡°No,¡± Error whispered. ¡°Complete newbie. She just contracted today.¡± ¡°Fuck me. Make it ten minutes. Breakdance out.¡± The line disconnected with a beep, and Error deactivated the privacy field, the murmur of hundreds of operators communicating returning to him. If it wasn¡¯t for the silencing runes built into the room to divide specific areas, the sound would be overwhelming. As it was, he could only really make out the conversations of his team below, and even those were mostly tuned out unless he deactivated the specific enchantment. Error¡¯s eyes flicked back to the main display, the big screen that made up the wall on the far end of the room. Currently, it showed a complete map of the city of Arcadia. Symbols marked various squads of Magical Soldiers, police, EMS, and Guardians as they worked their way across the city. Most of the symbols were clustered around the circles of red marking the Usurpation Zones, with only the Guardians venturing inside. Well, them and a few Wardens, the elites of the Magical Soldiers. Of the many red circles, only one stood out to him above the rest. UZ 15-01. It was the first zone to officially appear on the island due to the shield generator responsible for that section failing, and it was also currently the biggest. The shield giving way had let the Anathema turn the outer perimeter of the zone into a virtual fortress, scattering all kinds of high level and dangerous Anathema to prevent Guardians from getting deeper inside. And it was in that incredibly fortified zone where his newest k¨­hai was currently heading to her death. A flicker of motion stole Error¡¯s attention as his Familiar moved across his desk, a green turtle whose shell looked like it was made from hexagonal LED screens. The Familiar wore a top hat, a monocle, and an impeccably curled mustache adorned his face like it was the most natural thing in the world. [Sir, you seem to be letting yourself get distracted,] the British voice of Error¡¯s familiar observed. [You have two requests for electronic support that came in sixteen seconds ago.] Error bit back a curse, and he called up his magic. With a flick of his will, a holographic keyboard appeared in front of him. The mouse on his computer¡¯s screen responded to his thoughts, leaving his hand free to type away as he opened the various requests. The first request was for a camera view inside a store, and the other was for supplies. He chose the camera request first, noting the address deep into his mind before he called up his mana and began shaping it. ¡°Find, Connect,¡± Error cast the spells in rapid order, magic pouring from him into his magitech computer, a focus item he¡¯d spent more than 10,000 points purchasing to help empower his spells. What would have taken a normal operator several minutes to accomplish was executed in seconds as his magic worked through the Arcadia network and accessed his target through the Usurpation Zone¡¯s usual communications barrier. A half-dozen camera feeds popped into life across Error¡¯s monitors, and he found himself frowning at them. The feeds showed the inside of a gas station, but the lights were out, making it hard for him to see anything. ¡°Observe,¡± Error added, and one of the cameras suddenly shifted, a highlight appearing over a dark mass. A moment later, a second camera did the same. Noting their locations, Error quickly contacted the request owner. ¡°Fortune¡¯s Fool,¡± a girl responded in a calm, smooth voice. ¡°Fortune, I have two confirmed targets on the cameras. First appears to be a Winterbane Fiend hiding behind the counter, second is a Floran Deceiver near the fountain drinks. No view of the backroom, and the cooler camera is hazy. Estimated level range is in the sixties.¡± ¡°Copy, operator. We¡¯ll clear the store. No further assistance required. Fortune out.¡± The line went dead, and Error closed the camera feeds before moving on to the supply request. The request stated that a team of Guardians needed him to¡­ open up some vending machine? Error opened the details and found it came from team Magical Cakes, a B-rank group of Guardians belonging to the guild of Guardians known as Maid Cafe. Checking on their operating time, he winced before calling up his magic again and began casting, silently incanting the spell names in his head. Find, Hack, Override¡­ Infect Local. He didn¡¯t bother casting them higher than their tier two adept variant, and the low mana cost of the basic spells was almost instantaneously recovered by his nearly fifty-nine mana regeneration per second. [Congratulations! Your Augment Digital Magic Affinity has leveled up to 44!] Error blinked the notification from his vision with a snort. In the past seven hours he¡¯d cast more spells than in the entirety of the last three months combined. The level up was early, but not particularly surprising. With a quick thought directed to silencing further notifications, he pressed the button to call the team leader of Magical Cakes. ¡°Cutie Pie,¡± an out of breath girl answered a moment later. ¡°Cutie, I just opened all the vending machines in your food court. You should also take a break, though, you¡¯ve been at this for seven hours straight. Caffeine and junk food isn¡¯t going to keep you fighting forever.¡± ¡°Thanks, Error,¡± Cutie replied, taking a deep breath. ¡°But no can do. Not when there¡¯s so much work to be done.¡± Error winced. Maid Cafe was one of the top Magical Girl guilds for a reason, recruiting only the most dedicated and passionate of teams into their ranks. Of the bigger guilds, it was also probably the one with the best reputation. Error was pretty sure he¡¯d never heard anything bad about them except for how hard their members tended to push themselves. ¡°Regardless, cleaning up the city is going to take a couple days,¡± Error responded. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself. Some of the other backline Guardians and I have already had to step in to save some teams who didn¡¯t know their limits.¡± ¡°Roger that, Error. Maid Cafe already told us they¡¯re pulling us out in another five hours by force if we don¡¯t take a prolonged rest before then, but¡­¡± Cutie trailed off, a tense silence coming between the two. ¡°Our guild contacted us and said a Death Wish is on the table,¡± she said, her voice thick with emotion. ¡°From a complete newbie. That the only reason Guardian Command hasn¡¯t sent out the notice is they don¡¯t want anybody getting reckless.¡± There was a pause, as if she was seeking confirmation, and Error swallowed the bile in his throat. ¡°You heard correctly,¡± Error replied, doing his best to keep his emotions from spilling into his tone. ¡°Command doesn¡¯t want people knowing, not when the worst we¡¯ve had is some severe injuries requiring a month of healing. They¡¯re afraid sending out the notice might¡­ well, you know. I¡¯ve been ordered not to send out the alert, but I won¡¯t lie to anybody who''s already found out.¡± Words and meanings passed unsaid in the quiet that followed. It was a conversation in itself, both Guardians struggling with what felt right and what they knew would happen. It gave Error a savage, bitter flash of triumph to know the Death Wish had already leaked to a few Guardians, but¡­ In all honesty, Guardian Command wasn¡¯t completely in the wrong. Error had seen it himself with Breakdance how the Guardians would react as a whole. They¡¯d managed to avoid any deaths among Guardians so far, but it had been an extremely close thing. If word went widespread about the Death Wish and its circumstances, Guardians all over Arcadia would start pushing themselves to their limits. After all, losing a Guardian was already horrible enough, but hearing it was for a Death Wish from a complete newbie? A girl with no combat experience, no training, and no reason to give her life except that it was to save others? It would be a reminder to every Guardian about their first day contracting, about the joy and excitement they got to experience as a whole new world opened up to them. It was a dream made manifest, the chance to be a hero and the ability to use magic. It was the day their future opened up before them, and a future that was bright. For many Guardians, contracting had saved them in more than one sense, giving them a chance to live a life filled with meaning. But not for this girl. Not for a girl who had been given power only to be told to die with it all in the same day. She hadn¡¯t been saved. She¡¯d been condemned. Hearing about the day-one Death Wish wouldn¡¯t just spark a fire in most of the Guardians fighting, it would ignite their souls. What was happening was the complete antithesis of what a contract should be, and at an instinctual level, it burned. ¡°Error¡­¡± Cutie interrupted his ruminations, her voice quiet. ¡°It¡¯s not my place to decide what we do¡­ but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s Guardian Command¡¯s either. Being a Magical Girl, a Guardian, is doing what we think is right. That¡¯s part of the reason why we were chosen, isn¡¯t it? Because each of us has something special inside that pushes us to be more than just smart or strong. It pushes us to be good, even if it is dangerous or scary. If the alert went out, maybe some Guardians would push themselves too far. Maybe they will get themselves hurt or worse, but the thing is, none of that is on you or anyone else. It¡¯s our choice what we fight for, and nobody gets to decide that but us.¡± Error¡¯s throat felt tight as a flame lit up in his chest, burning away his weariness and replacing it with a strong, determined warmth. He knew it was probably more than just her words, that she probably had a Skill of some sort at work, but that didn¡¯t mean that Cutie was any less right. ¡°Thank you, Cutie Pie,¡± he breathed out. ¡°I needed that. You really are a Pink, aren¡¯t you?¡± A pure tone of laughter echoed on the other side of the line, bringing a smile to Error¡¯s face. ¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± she giggled. ¡°But somebody has to be. We all know how you Greens get if you¡¯re left alone to brood too long.¡± Error barked out a short laugh, shaking his head. ¡°Fair enough. Still¡­ even if I send out the alert, I expect you and your team to take a break soon, okay? No funny business.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Cutie replied with exaggerated innocence. ¡°Unlike some people, I wouldn¡¯t dream of going against what Guardian Command says. Cutie out.¡± The call dropped before Error could retort, and he chuckled as his gaze turned back to his display. The amusement inside him began melting away, his smile dropping as his eyes turned back to UZ 15-01. Cutie¡¯s words had done a lot to push away the feeling of despair that had grown inside Error, but in the end, it still didn¡¯t change the situation. Error called upon his magic, creating his holographic keyboard in front of him even as he used his thoughts to flick through a few of the different windows displayed on his monitors. He checked the displays for what felt like the hundredth time, letting out a frustrated growl as he got the same answer back. [Sir,] his Familiar said. [You already have alerts in place to immediately contact you should the situation change. You are allowing yourself to become too distracted.] ¡°I don¡¯t know what else to do, Cipher!¡± Error threw up his hands in exasperation. ¡°We have hundreds of Guardians fighting across the island, but nobody who could go and rescue her! We don¡¯t have anyone available whose level is high enough to do it alone, and the strike teams are all radio silent while they¡¯re inside the high level Usurpation Zones. The only chance that girl has is if a strike team manages to finish clearing their zone in the next twenty minutes. Even then, I¡¯ll still have to convince them to go against command¡¯s orders, mess up the official battle plan, and risk their lives fighting a horde of Anathema to save a completely new Dark Magical Girl!¡± [I understand the situation, Sir,] Cipher responded politely. [And I also understand that there is only really one strike team who you think would be up for the task. I am merely suggesting you refocus your efforts on what you can affect.] ¡°I¡¯m trying,¡± Error growled, leaning back in his chair. ¡°But I just can¡¯t get her face out of my head. Her expressions, Cipher. It¡¯s like Zero all over again.¡± His familiar was quiet for a moment before letting out a huff of air. [Right then. If you can¡¯t get her out of your mind, then perhaps you can at least work to help her as much as possible in the meantime.] Error frowned at that, straightening his posture as he frowned at his Familiar. ¡°What do you mean?¡± [There is a pending censorship request regarding the young miss,] Cipher said, his voice quiet, and Error felt his blood freeze. A censorship request came directly from the Zenith when they found media of a Guardian¡¯s real-life identity that would prove harmful or humiliating. The Zenith¡¯s rationale was that a Guardian already had enough to deal with in their lives, and they hardly needed somebody making more trouble for them. With their advanced magitech, it was child¡¯s play for the Zenith to observe and pick out anything that might cause trouble. However, as a concession to humanity, they had made a two-step system where the Zenith only identified the problematic media before passing it to a human operator to make a final judgment on. Mostly, the two-step system was in place because humanity wanted to be certain the requests weren¡¯t abused for Guardians who got caught doing something troubling themselves. The requests the Zenith sent through, more often than not, had to do with sensitive photos or videos taken or shared without the Guardian¡¯s consent. In the age where everybody had a camera and easy access to the internet, it was hardly surprising some people lacked common sense or decency in regards to other people. Sometimes, though¡­ sometimes the request the Zenith sent through was something more than embarrassing or humiliating. Sometimes, it was something bad, something that needed to be deleted. And if a Dark Magical Girl was involved¡­ Error knew all too well how bad some of the censorship requests could be. [This video was caught during her vetting process,] Cipher explained gently. [Seeing as you have already seen her personal identity, the Zenith think it would be best if you dealt with it. The less people involved, the better.] Error clenched his teeth, but nodded slowly. Whenever a censorship request was processed, the Guardian involved was always informed of the fact a troubling piece of media had been reviewed. The operator responsible for the review was required to sign a Geas not to reveal anything about what they¡¯d seen or who was involved, but¡­ well, it didn¡¯t really help the fact that somebody had still seen something they weren¡¯t supposed to. ¡°How bad?¡± Error asked. ¡°On the scale?¡± [No need for the whisky, I should think. While the video is disturbing and¡­ disheartening, it is mostly due to the implications, not the content.] Error felt himself relax as some of the tension left him. Not as bad as some, then. It was a bitter consolation, but it was better than nothing. Error did a quick check to make sure he had no more requests pending before he reactivated the privacy field around his desk. Then he took a deep breath and steeled his will. ¡°Show me.¡± His screen flickered and the video played. Error watched as the cellphone footage began to play out before him. At first, Error was confused as to what he was watching, but then a familiar girl walked into frame in the distance. The camera zoomed in on her as she stopped moving near an object, and then¡­ What felt like a knife slipped through Error¡¯s ribs, and he sucked in a breath, his mind racing as a half-dozen realizations came to him at once as he watched the scene unfold. The video continued as the person filming stayed back for another minute before rushing closer to the girl, and several mocking voices began throwing insults and accusations. The girl tried to get away, and Error¡¯s heart leapt into his throat as things briefly became physical. After some struggling and more insults, the girl managed to slip free, running away while the person recording laughed. The video ended a second later. It couldn¡¯t have been more than a few minutes long, and yet it still had stolen Error¡¯s breath away. He stared at the screen for a long moment, forcing himself to just breathe as his heart pounded. ¡°How widespread is this?¡± Error asked, his voice dry. [It is remarkably contained. It has yet to be uploaded anywhere, and the file only resides on one cellphone and a computer. The video has been played six times, however, meaning others may have been shown the footage.] ¡°I want the file corrupted, not deleted,¡± Error told his Familiar. ¡°Send out the usual announcement after these Usurpations that an Arcadian security update may have corrupted some files. That should provide some cover.¡± [Of course, sir. The computer file we can corrupt immediately, as it is outside any of the ongoing Usurpations. The cellphone, however, is within one, and¡­] Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Cipher trailed off, and Error raised an eyebrow at his Familiar. ¡°What is it?¡± [By all accounts,] his Familiar sighed, [the owner of the cell phone and chief antagonist of the footage is currently in the shelter our young Guardian is giving her life for.] Error¡¯s hands clenched into fists, fury flashing through him. Of course they were. Why would the universe have it any other way? ¡°Fine,¡± Error shook his head in disgust. ¡°Just get to the file the second they get out and have an internet connection.¡± [Of course, sir.] A silence fell over the two of them, and Error found himself thinking back on the girl, how she had accepted the Death Wish so easily. After what he¡¯d just seen¡­ her final requests¡­ It pulled at his heart, and he couldn¡¯t help but think of his own sister. Just imagining her being put in the same position this girl had¡­ ¡°Cipher, remind me to give my little sis a big hug when all this is over,¡± Error said, bowing his head over his desk in exhaustion. [With the way you dote on her, I hardly think the reminder will be necessary, sir.] Error let out an amused snort. ¡°How are the defenses around her looking, anyway? It¡¯s been a bit since I resummoned any of the conjurations.¡± [About that, sir¡­ perhaps now is not the best time to inform you, but she left your house a few hours ago.] ¡°What!?¡± Error¡¯s head snapped to Cipher. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me? Where is she now?¡± [Sir¡­] Cipher said carefully, his tone calm. [I didn¡¯t tell you because I knew this would be your reaction, and she is currently extremely safe. You have multiple conjured creatures guarding her in case of another sudden set of Usurpations, though the likelihood of that happening and her not being able to get to another shelter in time is extremely low. Not only that, but she went to one of the field hospitals the Magical Soldiers set up to work as a volunteer. As far as safe places go, there are few better currently in the city.] Error¡¯s racing heartbeat began to slow, and he took a deep, calming breath. Volunteering at a field hospital? That did sound like something she would do, even if she would be her usual shy, stammering mess while she helped. She had a good heart, but her nerves and anxiety, they just didn¡¯t always cooperate. It was part of what made Error so protective of her, but¡­ he couldn¡¯t coddle her forever, could he? ¡°Okay,¡± Error breathed out, settling back into his chair. ¡°I see your point. Still, don¡¯t hide something like that from me again, Cipher! And let me know when the conjurations need to be refreshed. I¡¯ll double the guard, just in case.¡± [Of course, Sir. It just seemed you had enough on your plate. Another distraction seemed unwise.] Error grunted, waiving a hand in a vague concession. Cipher wasn¡¯t exactly wrong, and Error was all too aware he needed to give his sister space to grow into her own person. He couldn¡¯t always be there to protect her¡­ But, these days, it seemed he couldn¡¯t be around to protect a lot of people. Error looked back to his monitors, focusing on the display with the names of the various strike teams. Timers ticked next to each name, marking how long they¡¯d been inside their assigned Usurpation Zones and out of contact. The communication blackout was annoying but absolutely necessary. The magitech communicators capable of piercing an Usurpation Zone¡¯s interference field used small bursts of mana to contact the outside world. The only problem was that some specialized Anathema were capable of sensing those bursts of mana and could track down the source. Hence the communications blackout. It was the only way to be sure the Guardians inside the zone weren¡¯t being tracked. Error¡¯s eyes flicked to another monitor, displaying the names and status of other high level Guardians who weren¡¯t affiliated with Arcadia¡¯s strike teams. Most of them were in dangerous areas of their own and following the same protocol, but a lot weren¡¯t even in Arcadia. The highest level Guardians were actually holding back and defending the mainlands, just in case the attack on Arcadia was some sort of diversion. Strategically, Error knew it was the right call. It just also meant there was nobody he could beg for help. So once again, Error felt his eyes go back to the list of strike teams, stopping on one team in particular. They had been in their zone for almost the entirety of the Usurpation, which was unsurprising considering the miasma levels they¡¯d detected. Worse, it was over a fairly large area, meaning the strike team had a lot of ground to cover and dangerous Anathema to face. Still, Error knew of all the teams out there, this one was his best hope. ¡°Come on, Fantasy Fatale,¡± Error Machina whispered. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Night had begun to fall on Arcadia, and in the growing darkness, a Magical Girl stood atop the traffic lights of a four-way stop deep within the city. She looked to be in her late teens or early twenties, wearing brown, tight fitting leather armor over dark green clothes. An emerald cloak wrapped around her, the hood pulled over her head. Her attire was reminiscent of a fantasy ranger¡¯s except for the glaive she had resting across her shoulders. The pole of the glaive was made from an immaculately smooth, dark wood that led up to the wicked, single edged blade at its far end. The silver metal of the blade shone like liquid, an engraving of flowers delicately etched onto its otherwise unblemished surface. Magical Girl Everglaive suppressed a sigh as she watched the battle taking place below her, her team member and friend dodging back from her opponent as she prepared her next spell. The Anathema she faced was easily ten feet tall and mostly humanoid looking. It had a muscular frame and black, oily skin with four tentacles writhing behind its back. The monster¡¯s face was smooth and featureless with no eyes or nose, only a large, grinning mouth filled with pointed teeth that matched the claws on its overly large hands. The Anathema let out a roar deep enough that Everglaive felt it in her bones, and then it charged once again, going after its nimble prey. Although she kept an eye on her teammate, Everglaive was fairly sure the fight was as good as over. The creature¡¯s once immaculate skin was covered in dozens of wounds oozing black blood, and its movements had slowed considerably as the nearly thirty minute battle had waged onward. Three of its four tentacles had been severed, and barring any critical mistakes, Everglaive doubted she would have to step in. Down one of the other streets, a flash of scarlet lightning bloomed into existence followed by a thundercrack that echoed in the night. Idly noting the position of the lightning, Everglaive guessed her other teammate had finally finished her own prey. Normally she would have chastised her for using such a loud spell now that the sun had fallen, but with most of the city in lockdown and dozens of such displays happening regularly across the city, Everglaive figured she could let it slide this time. As she continued watching the Anathema below her rampage, her earpiece suddenly beeped to life, the manaless radio communications activating as one of her teammates contacted her. ¡°Ever, I¡¯ve got the last one above your location. Looks like it¡¯s about to dive bomb straight at you,¡± a man¡¯s deep, bass voice rumbled in her ear. ¡°That would explain why my Danger Sense has been tingling for the past five minutes,¡± Ever murmured back, not bothering to look up. ¡°Looks like he¡¯s a real admirer,¡± the voice chuckled. ¡°You want this one?¡± ¡°No,¡± Everglaive said. ¡°You can do the honors.¡± ¡°You know, if you keep letting us take all the experience, the rest of us are going to catch up to you soon.¡± ¡°No,¡± Ever replied, looking up as her Danger Sense Augment began to scream in the back of her mind. ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± In the darkened sky of Arcadia, Ever was barely able to make out a form diving toward her at speeds that made the object more of a blur than a shape. If it was the same as the other flying creatures they¡¯d dealt with in their zone, it would be another Tidecaller Siren, a half-human and half-fish with long wings growing from its lower back. Everglaive watched the shape approach her at what most would have found to be an alarming speed, and sighed as she saw a glint of golden light shine from a nearby rooftop. A moment later, a golden bolt of light streaked through the sky, intercepting the monster with perfect precision and halting its momentum completely. The siren gasped in shock a hundred feet above Everglaive, briefly suspended in the air as it looked down at the arrow of golden energy sticking through its chest. Before the siren could react, the arrow exploded in a brilliant flash of yellow light that gave off the clear tone of a bell chime. The explosion of energy disintegrated the siren¡¯s entire midsection, killing the Anathema instantly and sending its remains into a freefall. The two halves fell to either side of the traffic pole Ever stood on without touching her, crashing to the ground with wet, squelching thumps. Ever suppressed a snort at her teammate¡¯s show of control and power, turning back to the battle on the ground. She¡¯d never truly shifted her complete attention from it, not when it was the lowest level member of her team facing against a Seed Bearer. She needn''t have worried, however. The Anathema was currently suspended mid leap, four hovering orbs of water engulfing its hands and feet to keep it floating above the ground. The severed stumps of the monster¡¯s back tentacles flailed uselessly as it struggled to move, yet the effort proved futile. Down on the road, Ever¡¯s teammate strode towards the creature. She looked to be in her late teens with a slender, delicate build. Her skin was a pale blue color, and white cloth with intricate aqua colored embroidery wrapped around her in a short, toga-style dress. Her aqua hair was long and unbound, gently flowing like gentle waves of water as she moved, a trident of blue crystal clutched in her hand. Each of her steps made the short skirt of her dress flutter with a gentle grace around her long legs, the leather sandals that laced up all the way to her thighs only emphasizing her delicate beauty. Ever¡¯s teammate was breathing heavily as she closed to within ten feet of the Anathema, raising a slim hand to point at the monster. A teal-colored magic circle bloomed to light beneath her, the circle¡¯s design made from curling lines that gave the impression of a dozen intersecting whirlpools. Everglaive felt the buildup of mana from where she watched, and she gave a silent nod as she judged the spell level to be just strong enough to finish off the creature. Three seconds later, the magic circle vanished beneath her teammate only to reappear directly underneath the suspended Anathema. From the center of the circle, a geyser of water erupted in a pressurized beam as thick as a telephone pole, splitting the Anathema from groin to head in an instant. The geyser lasted only for a handful of seconds before dissipating, the monster falling to the ground in two halves along with the orbs of water that had been holding it in place. Ever adjusted the hood of her cloak as it began to rain, and she very carefully did not wonder if it was water or Anathema blood falling on her. The briefest of moments later, a snap echoed through reality. The air around her suddenly felt clearer, and the slight, tingling tension in her muscles dissolved as the Usurpation Zone blinked out of existence. [Quest Completed! - Defense of Arcadia: Usurpation Zone U19-01] [Description: Dozens of Usurpation Zones have appeared throughout the city of Arcadia. Work with Guardian Command to clear out the worst of the zones, beginning with U19-01. This is part of a multi-stage, cooperative quest. Each objective cleared will contribute to the main Defense of Arcadia quest line resulting in additional rewards once the situation is cleared.] [Difficulty: Medium] [Reward: 5,000 Points] [New Point Total: 11,670] The quest notification popped into her vision and was quickly dismissed. It was a decent chunk of points for the relative ease with which they¡¯d completed the zone. Sure, it had taken them well over seven hours, but that was with them being methodical and careful in their mission. Even though some of her teammates would have preferred to rush things, Ever had found the slower, safer route tended to pay off in the long run. Reaching up to her earpiece, she sent a spark of mana into the device to reconnect it to the main communications network. Hopefully Guardian Command would let them get a rest in before- ¡°Guardian Everglaive!¡± a woman¡¯s voice instantly said into her earpiece as a call was instantly forced through. ¡°Please listen carefully and don¡¯t accept any-¡± A burst of static cut the call off, only for the chime of another call being accepted to come through. ¡°Ever, it¡¯s Error,¡± a familiar voice rasped. ¡°I need your help.¡± Ever paused for a moment, glancing up as the rain from her teammate¡¯s geyser finally started to slow down. The fact that command had tried to instantly contact her only to be cut off didn¡¯t bode well. Worse, she¡¯d known Error for almost six years now. He didn¡¯t ask for help lightly, and the way he sounded¡­ It reminded her of times she would rather forget. She considered her options for a moment before making her decision. ¡°I see,¡± Everglaive murmured. ¡°How bad?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Death Wish.¡± The air left Ever¡¯s lungs, her muscles clenching instantly. Had the battle for Arcadia truly gotten so desperate? The briefing had said Arcadia was covered in Usurpation Zones, but the vast majority of them were relatively low level. The Familiars, Zenith, and Council had developed a battle plan that seemed like it would progress the defense of the island at a relatively safe and steady pace, but if a Death Wish was on the table, it only meant something had gone very, very wrong. ¡°Hold,¡± Ever ordered, and using her mana, switched her communication channel. ¡°Team, form up on me, priority orders incoming,¡± she ordered calmly before switching channels again. ¡°Whiplash, spool up and land on a building near my position, prepare for priority orders.¡± ¡°Roger that, Everglaive, show us three minutes out,¡± her strike team¡¯s helicopter pilot instantly replied, and she switched channels back to Error. ¡°Alright, Error,¡± Ever said, keeping her voice smooth and cold. ¡°You have three minutes. What¡¯s our status?¡± ¡°Retaking of the city is progressing smoothly, no fatalities, but do you remember that Usurpation Zone that showed up way before the others because of the shield failure?¡± ¡°Affirmative.¡± ¡°Well, long story short, the shield failure happened because someone was siphoning power from the mana generator. When the shelters started coming online and drawing power, the shielding station detected the tampering, and that¡¯s what caused the shutdown.¡± Everglaive frowned, absently noting the two shapes blurring towards her position as her team reformed. Her third teammate was already waiting beneath the traffic light Ever stood upon, leaning against it as she regained her breath. ¡°I see. How are we aware of this information?¡± There was silence on the other line before a sigh finally broke through. ¡°In that zone, a girl got caught outside the shelter trying to save a kid when the shield went down. Turns out she was a candidate, and she fought off an Anathema but had to do an emergency contract afterwards. She got to the shelter and contacted us.¡± Ever felt an eyebrow raise. Fighting off an Anathema as a civilian was no small feat, but it made sense that someone capable of doing that would have already been a Magical Girl candidate. The emergency contract implied she¡¯d been injured pretty badly, but that wasn¡¯t very surprising either. What worried Ever was she was being told all of this in the context of Error explaining the Death Wish. A pit had already formed in her stomach, but she refused to let the emotion rule her thoughts. ¡°Continue,¡± Ever said, thankful that Error seemed to be giving her time to process. ¡°Ever, she was on the third floor but ended up having to go to the first floor shelter because the one on hers activated its emergency shield. She had to escort the kid she originally went out to save the entire way, too.¡± Everglaive¡¯s gut twisted further. That sounded like a nightmare, contracting and being forced to immediately fight for not only your survival, but also that of a child without any training? Ever wasn¡¯t sure how- ¡°Wait,¡± Ever said, her eyes twitching as a realization sent a cold shiver down her spine. ¡°If the shelter activated their emergency shield-¡± ¡°They have no way to get power with the shielding station down,¡± Error confirmed her fears, his voice increasing in pace to a frantic babble. ¡°This girl¡¯s entire class is trapped in that shelter. They were on a field trip to the mall when this all went down, or something. Anyway, this new girl and I didn¡¯t realize the power supply being tampered with was what caused the shield to go down. So, she went down to the mana generator and restarted it. It was only after that we realized what the real problem was, and if she wanted to save everyone in that shelter, she would have to go directly to the shield station. But restarting the station requires a manual activation to start the sequence and a second at the end, and with the station drawing up that much mana-¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be lighting a beacon,¡± Everglaive murmured, dread curling inside her. ¡°All the Anathema in the zone will be drawn to her.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ It¡¯s a Death Wish level quest, Ever, and there¡¯s nobody else I can turn to. Command doesn¡¯t want to risk any forces for one girl, not when the city is already under siege. They won¡¯t even let me send out the Death Wish notification! I¡¯m begging you, Ever, help her. You and your team are the only ones who are strong enough, and¡­¡± He trailed off, and Ever realized her heart rate was beginning to race. She hadn¡¯t heard her friend this panicked in a long time. She understood he was upset and desperate, anyone with half a heart would be given the circumstances, but¡­ ¡°Error, what aren¡¯t you telling me?¡± Ever asked calmly, leaning into her Leadership Augment to keep her composure. Error cleared his throat, his next words coming out with a dry rasp. ¡°She¡¯s a Dark, Ever. She did all this without her Astral Shift. She defeated a fucking level twenty-one Arachnomantis guarding the mana generator. She lost her arm on the way back to the shelter because the shield station didn¡¯t restart and clear her path, and now she¡¯s walking to her death. To top it all off, Command won¡¯t even let anybody even know what¡¯s happening. Ever, if you heard what her last wishes were¡­¡± Error¡¯s voice cut off as he choked up, and Everglaive felt herself close her eyes as she processed the information, a surge of emotions drowning out the world around her. So. It was a new Dark Magical Girl. Her first day. She already fought something that should have killed her. She lost her arm. And now she was going to sacrifice herself with no hope of surviving. The memory of Ever¡¯s first day as a Magical Girl flashed through her mind. Before the contract, she had always been tense. It was the tension to always be perfect, to be in control. She¡¯d watched and reacted to things with care and planning, striving to never make a mistake. Every step was delicately placed, and every breath she took was always¡­ shallow. Then a hummingbird made of wood and metal had shown up, and everything changed. By the end of her first day as a Magical Girl, after the explanations and first steps, she felt like the world had opened up. No longer was it pushing against her, trapping her into being the essence of perfection. The constant tension wrapping around her muscles had disappeared, and she¡¯d learned it was possible to just relax and breathe. Ever¡¯s first day changed everything for her, and she often felt like it was that day her life truly began. This girl¡¯s first day would change nothing for her, and it would be the day her life ended. Ever¡¯s mixture of emotions and racing thoughts coalesced, fury and revulsion snapping into existence inside her, cold and sharp as it froze the blood in her veins. Her mana reacted, exploding in a shockwave of green light from her before she could regain control. She opened her eyes, forcing herself to resume breathing as she reined in her magic. She only vaguely noticed her teammate below reacting, each of them snapping into a combat stance on pure reflex, and a flicker of shame washed through Ever that she¡¯d lost her composure. ¡°I see,¡± Everglaive finally said, struggling to keep the emotion from her voice. ¡°I know I¡¯m asking a lot,¡± Error cleared his throat. ¡°Surviving the horde that will come your way won¡¯t be easy even with your levels, and-¡± ¡°Error, stop wasting time,¡± Everglaive murmured, her words frost on a midnight wind. ¡°Tell me where she is and how much time I have.¡± There was a startled silence, but Ever didn¡¯t regret her tone. There was only so much she could take, and between this poor girl¡¯s circumstances and hearing her friend like this again¡­ She needed Error to focus. Not just for his well being, but for the girl they both needed to save. He wasn¡¯t the only one with regrets, and this time, things would be different. ¡°I just sent the coordinates to your helicopter,¡± Error replied. ¡°If you went straight there, you would make it just before she¡¯s scheduled to start the shield generator, but-¡± ¡°We¡¯d be intercepted the moment we entered the zone,¡± Ever nodded. ¡°Flying Anathema would swarm us. We¡¯ll have to fly over the zone and drop down. It won¡¯t give the flying types any time to intercept us, and all the anti-air Anathema that would normally keep us from using this strategy will have been pulled out of position by the shielding station¡¯s start-up sequence.¡± ¡°But then you won¡¯t make it in time. You¡¯ll have to fly over 10,000 feet high, and descending down will take too long.¡± ¡°Only if we take the helicopter,¡± Ever said calmly. ¡°We¡¯ll combat drop. It shouldn¡¯t take us more than 50 seconds to reach her. Less if we use magic to fall faster the entire way.¡± ¡°From 10,000 feet? Ever, that¡¯s-¡± ¡°The only way we have a chance of saving her, if we really are that short on time,¡± Ever told him. ¡°We can manage, between our stats and support magic, especially with our Blue. Don¡¯t worry about us. Just focus on what you need to do.¡± Error went quiet for a moment, and Ever began to hear the faint hum of her team¡¯s helicopter drawing closer. ¡°Okay,¡± Error finally sighed. ¡°Are you sure your team will be up for this, though?¡± ¡°Error, you know them,¡± Ever chided him softly. ¡°My team consists of a battle maniac, a guy with a heart of gold, and one of the most blue Magical Girls a Blue can be. The danger isn¡¯t the issue, not when it''s for something like this.¡± ¡°No, I suppose it isn¡¯t,¡± Error took a deep breath. ¡°Okay then. I¡­ I need to do one quick thing. I¡¯ll contact you again in a minute, and we can form a more detailed plan while you¡¯re enroute.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Ever nodded, and the line went quiet with a click. [New Subquest! - Defense of Arcadia: Death Wish Rescue] [Description: A new Guardian has been tasked with a Death Wish. Work together with Error Machina and any other forces to rescue her as she restarts a shielding station. The thickness and potency of Miasma in the Usurpation Zone suggests there are many Anathema but none higher than level 150. Defend her from the oncoming horde and extract her from the area.] [Difficulty: Very Hard] [Reward: 20,000 Points] Everglaive blinked at the point reward before dismissing the notification from her sight. It was the single largest quest reward she¡¯d ever personally seen, and she was pretty sure the only thing preventing it from being higher was her level. It was a nice incentive, but she hardly needed it. Not when a life was at stake, and not when the person in danger was so willing to sacrifice her own life to save others. Ever shifted her balance and was about to jump down from her perch on top of the traffic lights when she felt a wave of mana wash over her. It was a tingly sensation, like that of static electricity forming, and a moment later, the emergency loudspeakers scattered about the city squealed to life. ¡°Attention all Guardians of Arcadia, this is Error Machina,¡± her friend¡¯s voice echoed through the city. ¡°This is the official notification that a Death Wish has been issued.¡± A silence fell over the city. The distant sounds of spell detonations, and even the gunfire from Magical Soldiers quieted as the city held its breath. Death notifications were usually delivered through the magitech communicators, but by hacking directly into the city¡¯s emergency loudspeakers, he¡¯d made sure every Guardian, Magical Soldier, police officer, and any citizen outside of a shelter knew what was happening. And the death of a Guardian was always a big deal, maybe now more so than ever. Every year since the beginning of the Anathema war, humanity had lost less and less Magical Guardians, growing stronger and more proficient at keeping the monsters at bay. Last year, only 173 Guardians had lost their lives. That amounted to about fourteen per month in the entire world. And with a Death Wish, one of those fourteen for this month had all but just been confirmed. ¡°A strike team is attempting to rescue her, but by the time they get there, it may already be too late.¡± Ever¡¯s hand clenched around her glaive hard enough that the enchanted wooden pole creaked. Whether they made it in time or not was the only thing she couldn¡¯t control. But if the girl managed to just hold on¡­ If Ever could reach her, she would live. Of that, there was no doubt in Ever¡¯s mind. ¡°Her name¡­ is unknown. She never got a chance to pick one because today is her first day.¡± The silence in the city became palpable, and Ever closed her eyes. For a shocked moment, nothing happened. Then, below her, three different bursts of mana exploded into existence. The first mana signature felt like a whirlpool opening up in an endless, beckoning maw that stretched to the bottom of the ocean itself. The second felt like the low growl of an ancient and massive creature awakening, its predatory eyes opening as it searched for what had disturbed its slumber. The third and last burst of mana felt like a storm breaking open the sky, the heavens themselves ripping apart in a web of endless, crackling lightning. As quickly as the bursts of mana came, they disappeared, vanishing from existence as the owners of the mana reined in their emotions and magic. The air itself seemed to ripple for a moment before settling, and Ever imagined other Guardians were having similar reactions across the city. She could hardly criticize their lack of control when she herself had reacted the same way. ¡°What more needs to be said?¡± Error¡¯s voice echoed through the city. ¡°Just know that while you are fighting out there, the least of us has been asked to do what only the best of us could¡­ and she did not hesitate. Not even for a second. Error Machina out.¡± The loudspeakers went dead, and before Everglaive could consciously place what she was doing, she had raised her hand upwards. She gathered her mana and cast a spell as the pressure in her chest built around her heart. A flare of green light shot from her hand, rocketing up into Arcadia¡¯s sky. Only when it had reached far above Arcadia¡¯s skyline did the simple spell explode, turning into a glowing star of emerald light. A second later, three more flares shot up from under her. Red, yellow, and blue flashes joined her own. Then a purple flare from across the city went up. Then a pink and a white. Then more. Then dozens. Flares went up from across Arcadia as Guardians sent up their own signals in a seemingly endless stream, and soon the darkness had all but disappeared. 1,075 stars hung over Arcadia in defiance, and Everglaive swallowed down the surge of pride and pain that washed through her at the tribute. Knowing that her helicopter would be in position to pick her up soon and that she still needed to brief her team, Ever forced herself to close her hand and release the spell. Her emerald star winked out of existence, and almost in unison, every other star flare followed suit. The light of a thousand stars died, and in that moment, the defense of Arcadia ended. And the war to retake it began. Chapter 23 - Death Wish: Part I Most of the mall¡¯s top floor was dedicated to the huge, circular room that held the shielding station, and it was beautiful. The room was designed like an outdoor garden with high, towering walls, and most of the floor consisted of a mixture of grass, flowerbeds, and stone paths. Small hedges and marble half walls partitioned off the various areas, and a smattering of benches and tables gave plenty of areas for people to relax and enjoy the sights. Statues, dozens of them, were scattered across the room, all of different Magical Girls in heroic looking poses. Adding to the atmosphere was the glass dome that made up the room¡¯s ceiling, and I was sure on a night with stars showing, the room would look otherworldly. Of course, while all of it looked nice, what really put the room together was the shielding station. Or, rather, it was what was housing the technology that created the shield. A giant aquamarine crystal rose from the ground in the direct center of the room. It was easily twenty feet tall, and was wide as a bus at the base before gradually tapering off to a point at its peak. The crystal¡¯s edges were rough and unevenly cut, giving it a natural, asymmetrical look. Combined with the glass dome ceiling, I was sure the crystal was dazzling during the day with the sun shining down on it. As it was, it merely glittered from the various lights hanging around the room, which might have been for the best. As distracting as the crystal already was, I didn¡¯t need more light reflecting off it while I was fighting. I sighed, glancing around the room once again. Taking the area from the few Anathema guarding it had been easy, but stressful. Selene had gone ahead of me to the main security room and closed all four of the thick security doors leading into the room except for one that she¡¯d left only slightly open. With the doors sliding shut from either end of a wall, it left a narrow opening that I¡¯d been able to shoot through as they came at me. Most had died on the run up to the door as they funneled towards me and made themselves easy targets, and the ones that hadn¡¯t had either perished trying to squeeze through the door or on the retreat back when they realized they weren¡¯t going to make it through. Between that fight, clearing my way to the shielding station, and taking out a few Anathema patrols as I gathered the supplies I needed, I¡¯d taken out twelve more Anathema. Five Fomorian Hounds, three Forsaken Ghouls, two Giant Cavern Wasps, and two new types I hadn¡¯t seen before. The first was a Fomorian Spinethrower, a creature resembling a hedgehog with a back covered in spines, four long, serrated tails, and a turtle-like head. Each of the tails ended with a dozen of thin, finger-length tendrils that Selene told me the creature used to pull out and throw the spines growing from its back. I¡¯d not experienced it personally because I¡¯d ambushed and killed the monster before it could do much more than spin around to face me, netting me a nice twenty points. The second new Anathema I¡¯d faced was a Lesser Lashbat. It was little more than a ribcage with wings and a tail that ended in a blade. It reminded me a lot of a manta ray, just with bone spikes sticking under its body. Apparently, its preferred tactic was to dive bomb its prey and whip its bladed tail at someone as it flew past. That, or it latched onto their face with its protruding ribcage. Again, I hadn¡¯t had to experience it. The Lashbat had been in the shielding station room, and I¡¯d shot it down from behind the door the second I saw it coming at me. A single lucky hit had been enough to ground it, the bullet shredding through the meat of one wing and rendering it basically immobile. After I dealt with the rest of the Anathema charging the door, I¡¯d gone and finished it off for fifteen points. In total, I¡¯d earned 125 points. Before I¡¯d left the shelter, I¡¯d spent twenty points of my thirty on 300 rounds of ammunition and an additional five magazines, bringing me down to ten points. Adding the points I¡¯d earned from the Anathema on the way up, that gave me 135 to work with, and I¡¯d spent every last one buying only what I absolutely needed. Twenty points had been spent on a Zenith enhanced shirt and leggings for more protection, and I was wearing my old enhanced clothing over them even though I hadn''t wasted any time washing out the blood soaking my jeans. I wanted every second I could to get my preparations in order for the battle to come. The battle¡­ I shivered, and Selene glanced up at me from the bench we sat at. The center of the room was slightly raised in a circular shape, and a half wall helped divide the central area from the artful garden around it. We sat at one of the many benches that had been placed along the dividing wall so people could sit and look at the dazzling gem. Interestingly enough, the crystal technically wasn¡¯t the shielding station, it was merely a defensive barrier and conduit for the magitech held deep inside of it. The crystal was supposed to be hyper durable, capable of withstanding damage from all but the strongest of Anathema. [Is there something wrong?] Selene asked me, and I shook my head. ¡°No¡­ I was just thinking¡­ Do you think we can really hold out for five minutes?¡± [Using the strategy we developed with Error Machina? Yes. After personally examining the security doors, however, I¡¯m afraid I would have to agree with his worst-case assessment. If we simply closed them, they would only be able to withstand Anathema below level fifty. Anything higher would be able to damage them significantly, and level 100s would not face much issue tearing them down. The doors are built two inches thinner than regulation, I¡¯m afraid. Though, I find it hardly surprising considering the other corners the mall¡¯s management decided to cut.] The stump of my left arm itched, and I resisted the urge to scratch at it, or even let myself think about it too hard. ¡°Will the Anathema be smart enough to go for the door we leave opened, though?¡± I asked, trying to distract myself. ¡°They haven¡¯t seemed that smart so far. Why wouldn¡¯t they just attack the doors?¡± [They might at the beginning, but once they hear the gunshots and notice other Anathema heading in one direction, they will follow suit. At lower levels, they may be rigid and unimpressive in their tactics, but they still have a base, animalistic instinct they follow. Part of that is to go through the path of least resistance. Even when a higher level anathema is acting as a coordinator or commander, it is the behavior they immediately turn to.] ¡°Okay,¡± I looked down at my Umbra sitting in my lap and ran my thumb idly over its side. A tense quiet settled between us, and I found myself fidgeting. There was a pressure in my chest, a tightness that wouldn¡¯t go away whenever I looked at Selene. It had been building ever since we left on our mission, getting worse and worse with each passing moment. I knew I had to say something, but¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure there was anything I could say. Not to make things better, at any rate. Which meant there was only one option left. ¡°Selene,¡± I whispered, voice cracking. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry. That you¡¯re stuck here with me, and that¡­ you have to die, too.¡± Selene¡¯s head snapped to me, her body freezing, and I suppressed a flinch. She stared at me for a long moment, and I found it hard to breathe. The pressure in the air felt exactly the same as just before I¡¯d left the shelter, when Officer Oh and Sergeant O¡¯Malley had helped me refill all my empty magazines with the ammo I¡¯d purchased. The atmosphere had been¡­ stifling. While Sergeant O¡¯Malley had simply seemed subdued, Ji-woo had been¡­ strained. She¡¯d been overly nice whenever she was talking to me, but her voice had always had a thin, thready undertone to it, like she was one wrong step away from snapping. It had made the hurried few moments I spent in the shelter almost unbearably tense. Even her words as I left still made me shiver. ¡°I¡¯ll see you when this is all over, all right?¡± I¡¯d only nodded in response, even though I was pretty sure we both knew how this was going to end. I knew I should have said something else, to make it easier on her, but I hadn¡¯t been able to find any words or the courage to say them. It was that same pressure I felt now, and as I saw Selene¡¯s tails begin to resume their gentle swaying, I took a deep breath and braced myself. Whatever Selene wanted to say, I would hear it. She¡¯d been bound to me, after all. It hadn¡¯t been her choice to do this, and if she had gotten any other girl as her Guardian, she would probably have had a good chance of escaping with them. Instead, she¡¯d gotten me, a Dark Magical Girl who couldn¡¯t even use her Astral Shift. She¡¯d gotten the worst luck being assigned to me. So I looked down at the floor, hunching into myself with the knowledge that I was the one who doomed her. It was my biggest regret about all of this, and no matter her response, I would hear it. I owed her that much. [There are two things I would like to say,] Selene began, her voice calm and oddly analytical. [First, even should you die, I will still most likely survive.] I snapped my head up in shock, meeting Selene¡¯s gaze with wide eyes. [I am a magical construct housed in your Soul Gem, and it is almost completely indestructible to everything but the highest levels of magic or Anathema. Even if you were to die, there is one last contingency that takes place. I would first manifest a physical form with your Soul Gem inside of me. From there, I would have one hour to reach another source of mana to sustain myself. Barring any unfortunate encounters with a powerful Anathema capable of seeing through the stealth magics protecting me, I would almost certainly be able to make it to Guardian Command and continue living as an untethered Familiar.] I closed my eyes as relief flooded through me. No, it was something more powerful than simple relief. Inside of me, it felt like a throbbing wound of guilt and shame had just been closed. I hadn¡¯t even known Selene for an entire day, and she¡¯d helped me with such kindness and patience¡­ She¡¯d had my back the entire time, never judging, never prying, and the knowledge that I was repaying her by getting her killed had been eating me up the past hour. A deep, stuttering exhale escaped me, and I felt my muscles relaxing as all the built up tension left my body. [The second thing I wish to say,] Selene continued, drawing my attention back to her, [is that there is no other Magical Girl I would rather be with right now, even if it meant making my demise a certainty. In these short hours we have been together, you have been nothing less than the embodiment of selflessness and courage. You have fought with all your heart, and I am proud to call myself your Familiar. I have no regrets, Mai Kuroki, except that you were denied the full extent of the powers you so rightfully deserve.] My vision blurred, and I turned away from Selene even as warmth flooded my chest and turned my cheeks red. I tried to say something, to tell her that nothing I¡¯d done was that special, that anybody given the same powers I had would do the same. Instead, I only managed a vague, incoherent noise. She was kind, even if she was overembellishing my actions. She made what I¡¯d done sound all noble and heroic, but all of it was just simple math and common sense. If a kid was in danger, you tried to help them. If hundreds were going to die, you risked the one life that could protect them. If your friend was in danger, you tried to save them. And if you did something horrible, something you could never make right, you spent your life trying to make up for it anyway. [In any case,] Selene continued, [do not give up just yet, Mai. There¡¯s still hope. After the five minutes are up and the shield is restarted, all you have to do is run. Escape through the doors opposite the one we¡¯re leaving open, and run into the elevator. I¡¯ll stay behind and close the shielding station¡¯s doors behind you, preventing any Anathema from following. The elevator doors are reinforced, and even if they try to pry them open, you can always run and hide on another floor. It¡¯s a good plan.] If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. I wiped at the dampness around my eyes, and nodded even though I didn¡¯t really believe her. The plan only worked assuming a thousand little things went exactly perfect. For instance, the plan assumed all the Anathema would be drawn away from the door I was escaping from. If my escape route opened and there were any waiting for me, I would have to fight through a swarm to make it to the elevators. For that matter, the plan also assumed I would be in decent enough shape to make the run after five minutes of fighting. I had no illusions about my physical abilities, and the two best adjectives that described them would be weak and frail. More than that, fighting for five minutes straight was a long time. I¡¯d read about that somewhere, that even just a few minutes of life-or-death physical exertion was enough to exhaust even a seasoned fighter. Sure, I had read it in a fantasy book, but I already knew from experience how accurate it still was. After my fight with the Arachnomantis, I had been absolutely exhausted. I wasn¡¯t sure how long it had actually taken, but it couldn¡¯t have been much longer than two minutes. The only saving grace I had was that I was using a gun, and theoretically, I wouldn¡¯t be moving nearly as much as a melee weapon would require. Combined with the fact that the first minute would probably only be a few Anathema arriving in a slow trickle, and I was only looking at four minutes of heavy exertion maximum. But once the higher level Anathemas reached me in the last minute or so¡­ It would all come down to stalling them as long as possible, and ideally, with the plan we¡¯d put together, they wouldn¡¯t even make it inside the shielding room with me. But that all relied on assumptions. Lots of them. Maybe if this was a game where the enemies were controlled by a predictable AI, this plan had a chance of working. As it was, with all the variables and things that could go wrong¡­ I took in a deep, steadying breath as a pang of fear echoed through me, and I pushed it down furiously. Honestly, I was just surprised how little I¡¯d felt leading up to this moment. Maybe it was because deep down, I knew this was going to be it, that the sliver of hope to escape was nothing more than a daydream. Maybe I¡¯d just come to accept what was going to happen. Or maybe it was because this was just what needed to be done. Even if this entire situation was screwed up, going through with this was still my choice. Something about that gave me a place to anchor myself, and when the panicky fear pulsed through me at the thought of how this was going to end, I was able to hold firm in the knowledge that what I was doing would save people¡¯s lives. It would save Lily¡¯s life, and the lives of all her friends. And maybe¡­ all those things put together was enough? Not enough to make me some fearless hero like Selene seemed to think I was, but enough to keep me moving forward. And, hopefully, that was all I needed. ¡°Is there anything else we can do to prepare?¡± I asked Selene, looking back up at the towering crystal. [Hmm. You might want to silence your kill notifications other than the chime that plays when you successfully defeat an Anathema. For that matter, doing the same for your level ups would be wisest. You can also make it so your Stat Points automatically assign themselves whenever you gain any.] ¡°Oh. That sounds good. How do I¡­?¡± [Think what you want with some measure of will, and it will happen. You should hear a sound if the change is successfully applied.] I scrunched my face in focus as I focused on my thoughts and was quickly rewarded with a small bell-like tone. I decided to split any Stat Points I gained from leveling up evenly between Dexterity and Agility. Sure, it wouldn¡¯t do much, but I needed every advantage I could get. [That seems to have worked. Other than those measures, I believe there is little else we can accomplish in the few minutes we have left.] A few minutes¡­ I swallowed down the spike of anxiety crawling up my throat. As the time passed, it was getting harder and harder to ignore. I needed to keep myself distracted¡­ ¡°What was with that electricity earlier?¡± I asked, fumbling with my words as I grasped onto the sudden thought. ¡°The black and purple lightning around my hand? You said it had to do with my emotions?¡± [Ah, yes. You may have noticed something similar happening to Error when he got emotional, a green light appearing around him and his eyes glowing. This is a side effect of being able to use magic. At its essence, magic is the metaphysical and conceptual given form. Emotions themselves have strong roots in both of those realms as well, which ties them strongly together with magic. Because of this, when one gets emotional, it tends to make their mana, their magical energy, fluctuate and leak out. This often causes a Magical Girl¡¯s eyes to begin glowing, and sometimes causes what is referred to as aural bursts. It can take different appearances depending on the Magical Girl and how set they are in the magic they use. However, the generic apparition is just that of a glow around their body and eyes, especially if the Guardian is attempting to control their mana from leaking out.] ¡°Glowing eyes¡­ is that why a manaborn''s eyes naturally seem so vibrant?¡± I asked. [Indeed,] Selene nodded, her tails swishing excitedly. [After all, being manaborn simply means you were exposed to mana at a young age or during your fetal stage. Being manaborn gives you a much higher natural amount of mana in your body than a normal human, causing the vibrant eyes and sometimes different hair colors. The eyes are the window to the soul, as it were, so a person with more magical energy in them would naturally have different eyes due to the conceptual link. For a Magical Girl, even gathering mana for a spell is enough to make their eyes glow slightly.] ¡°Okay¡­¡± I said, nodding along as I internalized all the information. ¡°But back to that¡­ aural burst. Why was mine that violet and black lightning instead of just a glow?¡± [It most likely has to do with you being a Dark Magical Girl. You already have a unique Grimoire as well as a special Aspect and Signature Magic. With them all being linked together, it makes sense your mana already has a strong conceptual image of what it should look like. Sparks and lightning are also fairly common appearances, but why that specific color, I am unsure. With there being literally endless types of magic, there are also many varying colors of lightning, all of which mean different things. We can look up its proper name when this is all over, though, and get some clues as to what it could mean. It should give us some early insight into your Grimoire and Signature before you even unlock them!] I swallowed down the bile building in my throat. ¡°Selene¡­¡± I started, only to be silenced as her tails gave a violent, swishing motion. [Mai. I know that you have prepared yourself for the worst, but I ask that you do not give up hope.] ¡°Hope¡­¡± I whispered. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know if I can do that.¡± Even saying the word tasted funny. After all the odds that had been stacked against me leading up to this moment, it felt ridiculous. Besides, what had hope ever done for me? Things were what they were, and wishing for something to be better didn¡¯t make it so. What was so wrong with just accepting what was and continuing to move forward? And¡­ It hurt a lot less that way, rather than constantly getting your hopes up only to have them ripped apart. [Do not discount hope, Mai,] Selene murmured, her voice soft as clouds. [There is a reason it is one of the quintessential emotions of a Magical Girl. To be a Magical Girl is to be the bringer and very essence of hope. To those that have lost everything or fallen to fear, hope shows them the path forward, freeing them from the barbed shackles of despair. It is more than just a salve to the broken, it is a fire, a burning desire that spreads through them and gives them strength to stride forward, a hand reaching to grasp the light they have been shown. To hope is to not just survive, but to live and defy. So don¡¯t give up just yet. You¡¯re a Magical Girl, and sometimes, all it takes is a little hope to turn magic into a miracle.] Before I could respond, light blossomed down on us. I jumped up in surprise, looking up through the glass dome as flares of light began to shoot up into the night sky, glowing like multi-colored stars. Red, blue, green, yellow, white, pink, and purple. Hundreds of stars flew into the night sky and shone down on us, their light reflecting off the crystal in a rainbow of colors that painted the room. I stared up in wonder at the sight for a moment before the shock wore off. ¡°Selene?¡± I asked, my hand gripping tighter around my gun. [Those are emergency flares from the spell Star Flare,] Selene whispered in something like reverence. [It is a common spell, one every Guardian is urged to take in case of emergency. All it does is send a flare of light into the sky, moving through even solid surfaces unhindered. It¡¯s normally used by Guardians to signal an emergency and need backup. It can also be used as a signal for other things, of course, but this¡­] ¡°What?¡± I asked, shifting my weight nervously as Selene went silent. ¡°What does it mean? Is Error trying to tell us something?¡± [I¡­ No, I don¡¯t think so,] Selene shook her head. [I think¡­ I think the Guardians of Arcadia are trying to say that even if you are alone, they stand with you. An alert must have been sent out about your Death Wish. I believe that this is their response. That even if you fight alone, they will still be standing with you. They know what you are doing, and you are honored for it.] I blinked up at the lights, a numb warmth spreading through me. That was¡­ No, they didn¡¯t even know me. Why would they even care? I was just some nameless girl doing what any one of them would, so why? Why would they go out of their way to do something like this? I was nothing to them. So why would they do something so beautiful? One of the stars, a green one, blinked out of existence, and just like that, all the others followed suit. The return of the night sky was striking in its darkness, and the inside of the room suddenly felt dim without the extra lights reflecting off the crystal. ¡°Um¡­¡± I licked my lips. ¡°Do¡­ Do we have time to go back to the shelter and ask Error what that was about? I don¡¯t think¡­ it seemed more like a message.¡± [I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have time. We would only have fifteen minutes to run down there and back, which would only be possible if we had a straight shot with no Anathema on our path. Even if we took the elevator down, I doubt we could make it back up in time. We never scouted the area around the first floor¡¯s elevator banks, so we would have to move carefully to get to the shelter¡­ no. I don¡¯t believe we would make it. It would depend too much on if there was a clear path and how many Anathema there were.] I bit down on my lip lightly, nodding along. Selene was right. We had just over twenty minutes before the third floor shelter lost power, and it would take five of those minutes for the shield station to restart. There was no way we could make it down and back, not without risking both my life and everyone in the shelter. [I really do believe it was meant as encouragement and an acknowledgement, if it helps. If the miasma in this zone wasn¡¯t so thick, I¡¯m sure Error could have sent us a message or even used some of his magic to aid us, but¡­] ¡°Miasma?¡± I frowned. [Ah, yes. Long explanation cut short, miasma is negative mana, that is, magical energy with a negative alignment. It is what the Anathema are made of, and they have trouble surviving without it. Usurpation Zones are bubbles of that miasma, and the more Anathema in the area or the stronger they are, the more miasma there is. It has the side effect of interfering with things such as long-distance magic. Although Error is much stronger than any one Anathema in this zone, there are so many I doubt his magic could affect anything here from his position at Guardian Command.] ¡°Oh¡­¡± I blinked. I hadn¡¯t even realized that magic could work like that. I hadn¡¯t really thought too deeply on what exactly a Guardian like Error would even do, but I suppose it made sense there were ways for him to assist even from off the battlefield. If there wasn¡¯t, it would kind of be a waste of a Guardian¡¯s potential. [At any rate¡­ I am afraid it¡¯s time.] Cold slithered through my gut, and I took in a sharp breath as I froze. Anxiety electrified my muscles, turning them into live wires pulled so tight it felt like they could snap at any moment. All the mental barriers I¡¯d built up over the past forty minutes vanished for the briefest moment, and fear stabbed an icy blade deep into the center of my heart. This was it, and I knew how it ended. I didn¡¯t want to die. But I didn¡¯t want to let hundreds die even more. I moved forward, and just like that, my mental defenses were back in place. The fear took a backseat, whispering behind the heart-pounding anxiety. I readjusted my grip around my Umbra, the weight reassuring me as I went forward. Near one of the faces of the crystal, just in front of the stairs leading down to the garden area of the room, there was a pedestal made of smooth marble. It was a little over half my height, a perfect cylinder sticking from the floor with a tilted, oval shaped top. I walked up to the pedestal as Selene had instructed me previously, and after I tucked my gun under my left armpit, I placed my hand on it. Glowing blue lines suddenly appeared, crisscrossing over the pedestal like circuits, and a low humming sound came from seemingly nowhere. After a moment, holographic screens appeared in front of me displaying various menus, readouts, and alerts. I looked over them for a moment, hesitating as I tried to read through the various information. [One moment. I¡¯ll highlight the correct options through your HUD.] A second later, one of the buttons appeared to glow, and I pressed my finger against it. To my surprise, the holograms were actually made of something physical, making it easy for me to press through the various options without having to worry about my finger going through the display. A few more button presses later, mostly going through a bunch of warnings that tampering had been detected in the power supply, and I was finally left with one message in big letters. Are you sure you wish to restart the Reality Reinforcement Shielding Station? I stared at the message for a second, swallowing down the tightness in my throat. [We¡¯ve got this, Mai,] Selene assured me, her voice filled with complete certainty. [We¡¯ve prepared. All that is left is to put the plan into action.] I nodded. She was right. There was no point in hesitating any longer. I pressed the button. Chapter 24 - Death Wish: Part II I ran towards the entrance even as the crystal behind me began to light up, a deep, bass hum filling the room. The air itself began to feel thicker, tickling against my skin. It wasn¡¯t an unpleasant sensation, though it was fairly distracting, and I almost slipped on some of our defensive preparations as I reached the security door. Calling it a security door wasn¡¯t quite accurate. It looked a lot like the blast doors the shelters had only thinner. They closed together from either wall they were placed inside of, and this entrance had been left slightly open. It wasn¡¯t much room to work with, and even with how thin I was, I had to scrunch my shoulders to squeeze through. On the other side of the door, there was a wide hallway that went completely around the shielding station room. There were a few passages leading off from the hall to other parts of the mall¡¯s top floor, but none were located near this particular entrance. Even from the closest hallway or stairway, I would have plenty of time to see any Anathema coming. I moved more carefully to the far wall, the floor a horrific slipping hazard with what Selene and I had done to it. Stray clothing and blankets littered the ground, a thin layer of liquid giving what little of the floor did show through a dangerous sheen. My boots made squelching noises with each step, and the stench of alcohol was overpowering. I did my best to ignore it as I positioned myself near the far wall to see down either direction of the long, gently curving hallway. Selene was right next to me, each of her tails wrapped around a magazine, and I found some of the anxiety in me lost its edge. I wasn¡¯t alone. We could do this. We had to. Next to the wall was a bench, and on it were two boxes with my bunny emblem. Lying on top of them was an inhaler along with a piece of greater restoration gum already unwrapped. I set my gun down, quickly popped the gum into my mouth and swallowed it before using the inhaler, breathing in the pain-relief medication. Selene had suggested the idea, saying that while I didn¡¯t have access to a Combat Stimulants Vault, I could just as easily use the two items from my First Aid Vault before the battle. The pain-relief inhaler would hopefully help to keep me focused if I got hurt, and taking the gum preemptively would heal me if I got injured. She¡¯d also mentioned that the gum couldn¡¯t be relied on too much, not with how many I¡¯d already taken today, but even a little healing was better than nothing. Hopefully, combined with the enhanced shirt and leggings I¡¯d purchased for twenty points and was wearing underneath my old set of enhanced clothing, it would be enough to give me the protective edge I needed. A loud, hissing shriek echoed out, and I jumped, picking up my gun and aiming down the hallway to my right as a ghoul came bounding on all fours from around the curve. It screamed again as it saw me, but I didn¡¯t let it shake me. I took my time, letting it draw closer as I centered my reticle and fired. With only one hand, my accuracy had decreased dramatically, as Selene and I had found out while we were gathering our supplies for the defense. It had taken me five magazines and five bullets to kill the twelve Anathema I¡¯d faced on our way up. Without a second hand to steady my gun, my bullets had gone all over the place at first. After refilling my empty magazines with the spare loose ammo I¡¯d purchased in the shelter, I was down to twenty-three full magazines counting the one in my gun. Of course, defeating those twelve Anathema did help me grow accustomed to shooting one-handed, and it showed. Two gunshots echoed out in quick succession, the ghoul stumbling as one shot ripped through its leg. Between the wound and the slick floor, the ghoul lost its balance and slipped, slapping against the floor and losing most of its momentum. It flailed, trying to get its feet, but the loss of speed was a death sentence. Four more shots, each with a breath between them so I could adjust my aim, and I heard a ding as the System confirmed the kill. I didn¡¯t have time to celebrate, however, as movement from the left had me whipping my gun around. Two Fomorian Hounds charged forward, and I opened fire. The two were close enough together that I barely had to move my gun to target one from the other. They stumbled and fell just as I hit empty, the slide of my gun clicking backwards. Only one ding went through my head, and I quickly hit the mag release, lowering myself into a crouch as I held my gun down at a slight angle. Selene was there instantly, a tail slotting in a new magazine with mechanical precision. We¡¯d practiced the motion for almost ten minutes straight and found that while it worked surprisingly well, the biggest drawback was I had to be staying still for us to pull the maneuver off. Nevertheless, that was more than good enough for what we had planned. I hit the slide release and raised my gun, but I needn¡¯t have bothered. The hound was struggling to stand, but most of its body seemed to be limp. I only had a moment to consider finishing it off before another Anathema appeared in the hallway. It was covered in the same slick black skin of the other Anathema I¡¯d seen and vaguely resembled a large but emaciated bear. The major difference was that it had no head, just a large, oval shaped hole filled with rows of teeth and a long, barbed tongue. I fired at it, taking my time between shots as it slowly rumbled forward and blinked in surprise when it went down after my seventh shot. With how large it was, I¡¯d expected it to be tougher. Maybe my shots had gone directly down its throat and into its internal organs? Shrieks from the right hallway had me turning, and my eyes widened as three ghouls and a hound came barreling around the corner. Without hesitation, I unloaded my gun into them, doing little else than making sure they were in my targeting reticle. I tried to spread my shots between them, switching targets whenever I saw one flinch or stumble from a hit. I ran out of ammo quickly, but Selene was there and had me reloaded a second later. If the hallway wasn¡¯t so long with no cover, the four Anathema would easily have gotten to me. I¡¯d timed it earlier, running at a sprint and found it took me almost fifteen seconds from either visible end to the door. I was pretty sure my accuracy was terrible with the relatively long distance, but that was fine. Every bullet they took weakened them, the silverbane ammunition ripping them apart at a magical level, and every second they came nearer, my accuracy only increased. So I continued shooting and very soon reached empty on my third magazine. Other than a few twitches and useless flailing, none were moving, and I even received a ding as one died off from its injuries. Which was good, because a scream told me more were coming from the other direction. I turned and- I paled. A massive clump of Anathema was moving towards me and was closing quickly. Ghouls, hounds, and one of the bear things. They were so bunched together I couldn¡¯t make out how many there were exactly, but I knew it was too much for me to handle with my Umbra. I spun to the bench next to me, set my Umbra down, and picked up one of my new purchases. It was a plain looking gun in black with a rectangular, boxy design, its most noticeable feature the long magazine sticking out of its handle. I snapped back to face the mass of Anathema, lined up my reticle, and then gently squeezed the trigger for a second while sweeping the gun left to right. The Ripple Mark I let out a chattering roar, and fifteen bullets scythed out in fully automatic fire. The recoil was powerful against my hand, and I was pretty sure the last several bullets went into the ceiling. Still, the front line of the Anathema group fell, their comrades behind them tripping and falling over their wounded and dead, and I took the opportunity to adjust my aim before letting loose another, shorter burst at a section I saw still moving. And then another. I hit empty and stared in wonder at the unmoving forms. Six Anathema, all cut down in the span of seconds. I found myself shaking slightly as a bead of sweat fell from my brow, adrenaline making my heart pitter-patter in my chest. Tilting my gun slightly, I stared at it, a faint trail of smoke whispering from its barrel. [Mai, focus!] I snapped out of my shock and quickly crouched, Selene putting in the second extended magazine. Each contained thirty-one nine-millimeter bullets, and the Ripple had come with one when I bought it. I¡¯d purchased another five for two points each, and combined with the Ripple¡¯s price, I¡¯d spent a total of thirty points. And in the span of seconds, I¡¯d already more than made up for its cost. I shook my head, looking down either side of the hall. For a second, nothing else came, and I almost let out a sigh of relief when something rounded the corner. I raised my gun, eyes widening as my stomach turned over in equal parts revulsion and horror. An Anathema looked at me from the far end of the hall, head tilting almost curiously. Its body was nothing more than a ribcage and spine made of black bone, tumorous organs pulsing between the gaps in its ribs. It stood on its elongated spine, like some kind of cobra, and dozens of tiny fingers extended from the spine like centipede legs. It had no arms, just a skull-shaped head with two bulging eyes. I was only frozen for a second, but that was all it took. The creature opened its mouth and screamed. It was the sound of someone who was about to die, of somebody watching a knife descend into their heart in slow motion. Despair and desperation bled together in that noise, a wail of hopelessness that begged for a savior it knew would never come. It was murder made incarnate, torment weeping from a thousand open wounds. It was the moment of unavoidable doom screamed from a life watching itself be extinguished. The sound made me stumble, pain stabbing through my ears and into my brain. Desperately, I raised the Ripple and began firing, pulling the trigger in short, quick motions. My reticle shook along with my body as the sound continued, bullets shattering against the walls and floor of the mall. I tried to focus, to still myself, but I could feel the sound in my very bones. Finally, after my fifth or sixth burst, the creature¡¯s scream suddenly ceased, turning into a gasp. I almost fell to the ground in shock at the sudden lack of sound, but I kept my eyes on the creature as it fell to the ground, undulating as it sucked in short, desperate breaths. It stopped a second later, and a ding echoed through my head. ¡°What was that?¡± I asked Selene through my head, my ears still ringing with pain. [A Flailed Shrieker, level 16,] Selene hurriedly replied. [It¡¯s a sentry. Hurry, grab your Umbra, we¡¯re moving to phase two. Every Anathema that heard that scream is going to be coming to this exact location.] I didn¡¯t argue, tucking my Ripple under my armpit and grabbing the Umbra. I was pretty sure I was violating all kinds of gun safety rules, but I wasn¡¯t about to make two trips to get my guns out. Following Selene¡¯s advice, I ran through the doors to our first fallback point. It was down the main path leading to the shielding crystal, giving me a clear line of sight to the entrance. A half wall and hedges lined either side of the path, acting as natural barriers to make the path a funnel for anything coming through. I reached the spot, crouching down next to a bench with a few lit candles set on it alongside more of my ammunition and some of the other items I¡¯d purchased. I set down my Umbra and after checking my HUD, released the magazine in my Ripple to let Selene reload it. There were only four bullets left, and I wanted the full capacity available for when I needed it. Once that was done, I set the Ripple within easy reach before taking up my Umbra and aiming it at the door. I was breathing heavily now, and I struggled to regain control of my aim. [Breathe, Mai, you¡¯re doing great,] Selene said from next to me, her tails grabbing more ammunition from the small stockpile we¡¯d left at the spot. ¡°How much longer?¡± I gasped out. Before Selene could answer me, a timer appeared at the top of my vision, showing four minutes, twenty-two seconds left. ¡°Oh.¡± [Careful. This first minute, most of the Anathema will be in the process of running to us. What we¡¯ve faced were only the ones that were quick or already on the top floor.] I nodded. It was all as we had planned, but we¡¯d moved to phase two earlier than expected. Was it- [The Flayed Shrieker was unfortunate,] Selene said, as if reading my mind. [They not only are extremely loud, but their screams are capable of giving a mental impression to Anathema. The exact location it was at was transmitted, meaning most of the Anathema aren¡¯t even going to try breaking down the other doors. They¡¯ll be heading straight for this entrance, and doing so with fervor.] Anxiety danced pin needles inside my heart. We had been relying on at least some of the Anathema to be slowed down by the other entrances, but if they were all heading straight to this one¡­ Before I could fully fall down that train of logic, I saw movement through the door. A shape appeared, and a moment later a hound was squeezing itself through. Even though the doors weren¡¯t as thick as a shelter¡¯s, they were still almost two hand lengths wide. It forced the hound to twist, its canine body just big enough to make it awkward. I aimed as it struggled, the door slowing it down enough for me to get my reticle fully centered on its head before I fired. My shot took off a chunk of its shoulder, and it yelped, flailing as it fell, caught halfway through the door. I adjusted, then fired again. A puff of black vapor exploded from its head, and it fell with a ding. Before I could so much as take a breath, there was a ghoul trying to claw its way in. With the hound in the way, it tried to climb on top, slipping on the body as it tried to squeeze through. I started firing, my first shot hitting its chest and a second sparking off the doors. The third and forth blew through its neck and head respectively, killing it. And then there were two Anathema stuck halfway through the door. Something pounded against the door, and I heard some hissing and weird, insect-like clicks. A second later, something grabbed the ghoul and hound and started pulling their bodies out. With the corpses being completely limp, it was a struggle, and triumph surged through me. Every second they spent trying to get the bodies out of the way was another less on the timer. So long as I could continue this loop of killing them inside the door, it would force other Anathema to spend precious time clearing the bodies. The lower level Anathema would be the first ones arriving and therefore the ones crowding the door, slowing down the really dangerous Anathema and preventing them from even getting near me. That, and they wouldn¡¯t be able to get to the door and try breaking through it. Even if the higher level ones grew frustrated and went to break down one of the other doors, it would be too late by then. I could do this. I just had to keep them out of the room. Finally, the bodies were pulled out, and then another ghoul was squeezing its way in. This one was smarter, slipping through sideways into the room in two quick, jerky motions. I blinked in surprise as it stumbled in, opening fire and emptying the rest of my magazine as it ran at me. Nine bullets ripped through it, and it fell in a heap against the ground. In that brief moment, a hound was almost through, and by the time Selene had helped me reload, it was bounding forward. I shot a half dozen times before it fell, and I snapped my gun up as another ghoul was through and heading towards me. I fired until it went limp, then snapped my aim to the door as another Anathema came through, a skinny humanoid with four stick-thin arms ending in curved blades. Its face was jawless, two wide, bloodshot eyes staring at me as a long tongue hung limply from its mouth. I shot as it ran at me, slashing at the air in front of it as it charged. Two shots landed, hitting its torso and shoulder. The blows threw it off balance, and it fell to the ground as my gun clicked empty. Panicking, I dropped my Umbra after releasing the magazine, picked up the Ripple, and fired a spray of bullets at the spasming Anathema. Bullets tore a line of death through it, and the second I heard the confirmation ding, I was turning back to the entrance as a ghoul and hound pushed their way in. Death fell upon them in a hail of bullets as I emptied the remainder of my mag into them, a few stray bullets finding their way through the opening in the doors and into the Anathema beyond. [Switch!] I quickly dropped the Ripple and picked up my Umbra that Selene had reloaded. A hound was struggling through the doors, and I fired, taking five shots to put it down. With it stuck in the doors, I had a brief moment to breathe. My heart was racing now, my hand slippery on the grip of my gun. All it had taken was one smart Anathema slipping through, and the others had almost been able to capitalize on it. Barely thirty seconds had passed, and I already almost lost our best defensive position. I redoubled my focus, squeezing my shaking hand tighter on my Umbra as the body was pulled free. I prepared myself for the next Anathema, and was ready when another of those skinny humanoids with blade arms slid through. It flailed its arms as I opened fire, one of the bullets sparking off a blade before my barrage put it down. It fell, body slapping against the ground after closing over half the distance between me and the door. A flicker of panic flashed through me as I realized it had also taken me ten shots to take the thing down. Between its erratic movements and skinny frame, it had been able to close the distance way too easily and use up too much of my ammunition. I ground my teeth together as Selene finished helping me reload, snapping my gun up to the entrance as a Formorian Spinethrower wiggled its way in. Its serrated tails spasmed as I fired, two bullets striking the ground near it before a third shattered across its spine covered body. The impact combined with the slick floor made the creature lose traction, and two shots later, a spray of black blood exploded from its body as it went limp. I didn¡¯t have time to breathe, however, because another hound was pushing its way in. A bead of sweat made me blink as I let loose, one of my bullets going wide only to hit the next hound trying to enter. After my sixth shot, both were dead and there was another Anathema corpse stuck in the door. That hardly mattered, however, as the next Anathema flew in above the body. The wasp kept its six bat-like wings folded around the pale chitin of its body, diving in and bouncing off the floor before coming to a stop. Its wings unfurled a second later, flapping as it furiously tried to get into the air. It barely had time to hover off the ground before I was on it, firing four shots and- My shots all missed, and my Umbra clicked empty. I blinked in surprise as the wasp managed to get back into the air, turning as it locked onto me. I scrambled as it arched its body back before launching a stinger my way. It flew past me as I threw myself forward, slamming into the ground with a thunk. My chest bounced off the tiled pathway, sending a shock of pain that stole the air from my lungs. I ignored the feeling, sucking in a breath even as I let go of my Umbra and picked up one of my new guns from the bench next to me. I raised the weapon in the wasp''s general direction as I struggled to my feet. The motion was enough to get the wasp dodging back into the same evasive pattern as the wasps I¡¯d faced earlier, and I was ready for it, squeezing the trigger as it reached its end point. The Judgment was a small, all black revolver with a short, snub-nosed barrel and a long, oversized cylinder. As I pulled the trigger, I prepared myself as much as I could for the recoil, but even then it wasn¡¯t enough. The gun roared, bucking against my hand and wrist as I struggled to keep hold of it. I wasn¡¯t surprised by the immense recoil, but even with Selene¡¯s warning, it was all I could do to control it with one hand. After all, it was shooting a modified shotgun shell. Pellets blasted from the revolver, spreading out and ripping through the wings of the wasp, causing it to drop like a rock. I reoriented my aim, taking my time as it flapped lopsidedly on the ground. Even though the creature had six wings, they were all placed close together and overlapped somewhat, meaning that the pellet I¡¯d hit with had torn through two wings at once. Without them, the wasp only managed to send itself sprawling in random directions as it writhed. Before I could contemplate finishing it off, another wasp dove inside, the corpse of the hound stuck fast in the door. I switched targets, aiming the wide targeting circle in my vision at the wasp as it began to rise from where it landed, and squeezed the trigger. Another roar, and the wasp practically flipped over itself before landing. Its wings fluttered, slowly raising itself above the ground before I put another shot into it. It fell once again, but this time its wings were barely working. It flopped on the ground with even less energy than the first, and I turned my aim back to the door as a new shape slipped in. It was a Lesser Lashbat, the winged rib cage with a bladed tail. Unlike the wasps, the Lashbat managed to turn itself sideways, opening up its ribcage wide as it slipped through the door. It flipped around, wings flapping as it instantly took to the sky, narrowing the distance between us while rising rapidly. I let it, heart hammering in my chest as I waited. It dove towards me a second later, and I fired off a quick shot before jumping to the side. The monster slammed into the ground with a crunch, flailing, and I put the last shot from my revolver into it from point-blank range. Blood sprayed across the ground, and the Lashbat stopped moving. I forced myself to keep moving, tossing the now spent revolver to the side even as Selene flicked her tails to slide my reloaded Umbra to me. The Judgment had been an amazing call on Selene¡¯s part. Costing only five points, the five shot revolver wasn¡¯t especially powerful even against normal Anathema. However, the fact they could be loaded with shotgun shells made them perfect for taking out the fragile airborne targets. Even though it still wasn¡¯t great at killing them, all it took was one pellet shredding through their wings, and they were rendered practically harmless. Which was why I had bought another two Judgments, even if the last one wasn¡¯t loaded with shotgun shells. I picked up my Umbra, ejecting the empty magazine and letting Selene slot in a new one. I was shaking now, the stress and adrenaline making my muscles burn. I tried to wipe the sweat from my forehead with my left hand only to remember I didn¡¯t have one anymore. Giddy hysteria tickled at my throat, and I swallowed it down, glancing at the time left as the Fomorian Hound¡¯s corpse was finally pulled free from the doors. Two minutes, ten seconds. It had been less than three minutes, and how many Anathema had I killed already? Just judging by the bodies littering the ground around me, the number I¡¯d killed in the door that were then pulled out of the way, and the ones I¡¯d defeated outside, it had to be¡­ almost thirty of them? I let out a shuddering breath, keeping my aim trained on the door. The steel wires of anxiety twisted tighter around my chest with each passing second, threatening to rip my heart apart. There had been too many near misses, too many mistakes. All it took was one thing going wrong, and then Lily and all those people¡­ But I had to hold out. I had to, at least until we were sure that when we closed the door, it would buy us enough time to activate the shielding station unmolested. Originally, we estimated about one minute, but with how things were going¡­ ¡°Selene? Phase three?¡± I asked, watching the door for the next Anathema. [It would be ideal if you could hold the door for one more minute. Even activating the trap before we close the door will only buy us so much time. The more bodies they have piled up, the more of a barrier the trap will make for the higher levels that can actually damage the door.] ¡°I know, but-¡± I stopped my sentence halfway as something grabbed the doors. Large fingers, each as thick as my torso wormed through the opening, grabbing the security door on either side. The fingers were made of the same slick black flesh of the other Anathema I¡¯d seen, and the worn and chipped nails were as pale as bone. The hands were so big, one had to grab through the opening above the other, each large enough to fill the gap on their own. As the fingers flexed around the doors and grabbed hold, they pushed. Metal groaned, and for a brief moment, nothing happened. Then the doors shuddered and slowly began to slide open. I stared in shock for a moment as the opening began to widen, and as it did, I saw the face of the creature responsible appear between the hands. The humanoid face was low to the ground, as if the creature was lying prone or else crawling. The black flesh of its face was peeled back as if it had no skin, giving it an eternally smiling grin of white, pointed teeth. Four giant eyes stared at me, and I could have sworn its grin widened as the doors continued to open further. [Mai, the Equalizer, now!] Selene screamed in my head. [That¡¯s a Crawling Nightmare! It¡¯s high level and if we don¡¯t stop it from prying the doors open-] My body jerked into motion, setting my Umbra down and picking up my final new purchase as I sprinted towards the door. From the very beginning, everything relied on the door. The massive rush of low level Anathema trying to squeeze in kept the higher level ones from getting near and simply tearing the door down. It was why we were waiting as long as possible to close the doors, because the second we did, even the relatively dumb low level Anathema would quickly figure out they couldn¡¯t damage it and move, making room for their stronger kin. The plan had seemed to have worked so far, but¡­ The doors were already open, so they didn¡¯t have to get one strong enough to tear through them. Just one strong enough to push them open wider. I did a small hop over one of the Anathema corpses, dodging around the still writhing wasps and reaching the door as metal continued to squeal, the gap widening. I was only a few feet away from the opening, and the monster¡¯s wide, bloodshot eyes tracked my movement. Raising the heavy gun, I pointed it straight at its forehead and squeezed the trigger as hard as I could until the gun finally fired. The Equalizer V6 was a big, all black revolver with a hefty frame and long barrel. It looked ridiculous, like something a movie villain would have to exaggerate how scary they were. In my tiny hand, it looked comical. However, the gun was easily the most powerful weapon I¡¯d purchased, costing twenty-five points. That combined with the lesser rune of recoil reduction I¡¯d had it enchanted with, and I¡¯d spent a total of forty points on the gun as a final, emergency measure against anything big and unexpected. And I couldn¡¯t have been more glad I did. The gun didn¡¯t roar, it exploded. The sound was deafening, even louder than the Judgment¡¯s, and the recoil almost ripped the gun out of my hand even with the enchantment. The gun bucked in my hand, twisting against my wrist painfully as my entire arm went up into the air. The shock went up my entire arm, and I stumbled backwards. The bullet smashed into the Anathema¡¯s head, snapping it back and- If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. And it failed to get past its skull. I stared, wide-eyed at the creature. I could see where my bullet was stuck in its forehead, between its eyes. It looked like the surrounding area had been dented, but other than that, there was no discernable damage. It looked back at me, it¡¯s smug ever-grinning face seeming to taunt me as it flexed its hands to give another push on the door and- I moved without thinking, sticking the Equalizer an inch from one of its eyes and fired again. The eye burst in a spray of blood, and the monster¡¯s mouth opened in a hissing scream. It let go of the doors, trying to swat at me, but because it was so close to the door to get the best leverage, it couldn¡¯t seem to actually push its hands through any further. It writhed some more, massive fingers wiggling before finally settling on the door again. So I stepped forward and took out another eye. Black droplets sprayed onto my face as my Equalizer roared out, the Anathema screaming as another of its eyes disappeared. Still, it persisted, and I felt panic well up inside me. I didn¡¯t understand how it was still alive, not after I¡¯d just put two shots straight into whatever its brain was. Regardless, I moved to the next eye and repeated the process, eliciting another choking wail. Yet it still moved, the doors groaning as they widened further. I couldn¡¯t see what was beyond the nightmare with its huge hands and face in the way, but the opening was much wider now, easily able to let a ghoul or hound walk in, and if it got any further, I knew I was doomed. I aimed at the last eye, my arm shaking. Even if I couldn¡¯t feel any pain thanks to the inhaler, my muscles felt weak. I bit down on my teeth, willing myself to steady my aim as I squeezed the trigger. Another explosion of sound and another spatter of blood onto me. The Anathema groaned, hands going limp on the door, but no kill chime sounded. Before I could aim again, the nightmare began to move. The doors were open wide enough that it could place both hands at the lower part of the door, and I watched in horror as it grabbed both sides and gave another push. Its head was between the two hands now as it tried to squeeze its way in. The doors slid further, and I stepped forward, jamming my gun into the eye socket of its head. It tried to push a hand through at me, but I pulled the trigger before it could reach. The back of the creature¡¯s head exploded in gore as my final shot took the monster out. I heard the chime sound out as the monster went still, but I had no time to register that because of what I saw outside. The creature was huge, nearly three feet thick even lying flat against the ground. It was little more than a torso with arms, and a trailing spinal cord acting as some sort of tail. With the doors now opened further, I was able to look over its corpse and into a sea of Anathema. Wasps, hounds, ghouls, and plenty of others I didn¡¯t recognize filled the hallway, and all of them stared at me over the corpse of the nightmare. I was frozen for a brief moment, a cold chill of dread sweeping through me. [Mai!] Selene screamed. [Phase three, NOW!] Then a hound jumped on top of the corpse, and the moment of stillness was broken. I choked on a scream, stumbling backwards as the hallway beyond exploded into motion, other Anathema scrambling to climb on top of the nightmare¡¯s body and into the room. The hound on top lunged at me, and, in a panic, I threw my now empty Equalizer at it. With one skinny arm and no experience with sports, it was a terrible throw, and the hound barely had to move at all to avoid the gun entirely. Still, the dodge bought me time. I ran, sprinting towards the bench even as I heard a variety of hisses and clicks behind me. Something sharp flashed across my ankle, and I bit back a scream as one of the wasps I crippled earlier managed to swipe its stinger into me as I passed. I ignored it, the pain quickly fading to a dull ache as I reached the bench with my guns. Two Judgements, my Umbra, and the Ripple all rested there. I didn¡¯t hesitate, reaching for them. And I went right past all of them to grab one of the lit candles instead, throwing it onto the ground in front of me. Before all of this, Selene had helped me set up the trap. It was a lot like the liquor store from earlier, spilling alcohol over the ground to create a huge, flammable spill around the entrance and the hallway outside. Selene had helped me select the correct alcohol like before, targeting the ones with the highest concentrations to make sure the liquid would actually catch fire. More than that, we¡¯d stopped at a few clothing stores and picked up random things to drop on the ground and soak in the alcohol. Selene had told me that even if the alcohol burned fast, adding pieces of loose clothing on the ground would enhance the trap, giving the fire more fuel. So I watched as the candle landed in the alcohol, and it spread in a wave of flame accompanied by a crackling roar. The bodies of the various Anathema I¡¯d defeated had been resting in the spill, and the fire engulfed them hungrily as it reached the door and ignited the nightmare¡¯s corpse. Any other Anathema, and it might have been less dramatic, but for the creature that seemed to move by dragging its entire torso across the ground through the alcohol trap? It burst into flames, and the various Anathema climbing it screamed. Two ghouls and a hound had made it through and were chasing me when the trap ignited, and they stumbled, jumping around as they tried to escape the flames underneath them. I grabbed the Ripple and let loose a chattering burst into them. They fell as I swept the gun across my sightline, and I let out a curse as I used up an entire magazine holding the trigger a second too long. Still, the Anathema fell, and the fire quickly spread to them. Through the fire, flying Anathema began diving in, unaffected by the trap. I ejected the magazine of the Ripple before dropping it for Selene, switching to another Judgment. I fired quickly, missing one shot entirely as I jumped back and forth, trying to make myself a harder target. The shotgun blasts didn¡¯t kill any of the four fliers, but I still managed to hit them, ripping holes in their wings and sending them crashing to the ground. After my fifth shot, I threw the spent Judgment, picking up the Ripple just as burning forms began to clamber inside. Some were only partially covered in fire, and I directed my aim at them first, firing in short bursts. I only needed one or two hits for the potent silverbane ammunition to stumble them, making them slip and fall into the fire. I went through another magazine, and I felt my heart leap into my throat as forms continued to race over the burning body, seeming to be unbothered by the flames spreading to them. By the time Selene finished reloading me, there were another four forms slipping and stumbling through the flames towards me. Snapping my aim from one target to the next, I took them down, the Ripple clicking empty as a lucky shot snapped the head of a ghoul back, killing it instantly. [That was the last Ripple magazine!] ¡°What about the door!?¡± I screamed in my head, dropping the gun and picking up my Umbra. ¡°Can we close it?¡± [The body is in the way, there¡¯s no way it will close now!] Terror spiked through my heart as I looked at the time remaining. One minute, twenty seconds. I tore my attention away from the timer even as everything in me screamed that I wouldn¡¯t be able to make it. I ignored it, because¡­ Because I had to. Everyone was counting on me. They would die if I didn¡¯t. Lily¡¯s laugh echoed in my head, and something in me snapped. I turned my attention back to the door, raising my Umbra as a wave of cold washed through me. My arm felt weak from shooting so much already, but I pushed through the sensation as I opened fire. My reticle seemed to shrink as I calmly walked to the edge of the fire, pulling the trigger almost as fast as I could at the emerging Anathema. I didn¡¯t bother trying to get the smallest targeting circle, I just lined them up and let loose. I went through one magazine faster than I thought possible with the semi-automatic gun. And then another. And another. Selene was struggling to keep up with my pace as I poured shots through the opening, not even waiting for a figure to emerge. I knew they were coming, that they would fill the gap, and so I answered with a rain of lead. I fired, hit empty, had Selene reload, and then did it again and again. I didn¡¯t bother trying to keep track of time or ammunition, focusing only on killing the Anathema. And for a moment¡­ it worked. The tide was pushed back, corpses piling up that they had to push or pull out of the way to climb on top of the burning nightmare only to take bullets and add their own body to the pile. Smoke rose in the air as the fire trap burned, and I was pretty sure only Selene¡¯s tampering with the fire alarms at the security booth earlier prevented the sprinklers from going off. I hit empty on another magazine, and I reached down to let Selene slot in another. [Four reloads left!] I swallowed down the bile in my throat, forcing myself to stop preemptively firing. I¡¯d gone through a majority of my magazines in what felt like an instant, but it had slowed down the tide. Now they were coming in slower, one at a time, and I placed my shots as carefully as I could. It wasn¡¯t enough. After another magazine they seemed to realize it was safe to rush in again, and four Anathema surged inside. Instead of trying to rush me through the minefield of burning corpses, they spread out, heading into the garden on either side of me and disappearing from my sight behind the half walls and taller hedges lining the path. My heart leapt into my throat as I retreated back to the bench, doing my best to continue firing as more burning Anathema climbed in. My eyes flicked to the time even as I reached the bench, setting down my Umbra for a brief moment to jam my last Judgment into my sweatshirt pocket before picking the Umbra up again. Thirty-two seconds. [It¡¯s time!] Selene shouted, seeming to agree with me as I started sprinting to the crystal. I was about three-quarters of the way there, right where the hedges lining the path ended, when two hounds jumped out from either side. Flames licked from spots on their charred flesh, and they looked at me with their wide, unblinking eyes as I came skidding to a stop. I did a heel turn, turning back and- Something sharp slammed into my abdomen just above my left hip, and I let out a gasp as heat and pain flashed through me. I looked down to see a serrated spine stuck out of me. Raising my head, I saw the hedgehog-like Fomorian Spinethrower scampering towards me, another one of its tentacle tails pulling another projectile from its back. [Mai-] I didn¡¯t have time to listen to Selene, not with the clicking noises of the hounds¡¯ claws closing in from behind me. So I did the only thing I could. I turned, running straight at a bench near the half wall and the taller hedge behind it. I leaped, pushing myself off the bench onto the wall and then threw myself over the hedge into the area beyond. At least, I tried to. I¡¯d never been athletic, so when I tried to vault the hedge it turned more into a roll through the top of the plants. I crashed through, landing hard on the ground beyond. The gun in my pocket dug into my side painfully while the spine sticking out of me shifted inside my guts. Even with the pain-relief medicine, I let out a short cry of pain as I stumbled to my feet, raising my Umbra. I needn¡¯t have bothered, because I was surrounded by the walls of the hedge maze. It was one of the things I¡¯d noted when we first scouting the area, that it provided a good barrier to the side of the main path. The only problem was I hadn¡¯t memorized the layout. Thankfully, the mini-map on my HUD had. ¡°Selene, navigation,¡± I thought to her, trying to hold in my gasping breaths as she landed next to me. Glowing arrows appeared underneath me, an overlay put up by my HUD as Selene manipulated it, and I took off. Each step now brought a stabbing pain from the spine in my side, and my heavy breaths quickly turned into something more ragged. I twisted through the maze, trying to ignore how the spine shifted with each movement as Selene led me to the exit closest to the shielding station and- A bone blade stabbed through the wall to my right, missing me by only inches. I twisted, aiming my Umbra and fired through the hedge blind even as I forced myself to continue. A second later, a serrated tail stabbed through at ankle height, and I did a hop over it. When I landed, the spine inside me shifted again, and I bit down on my lip as the sharp pain brought tears to my eyes. I continued through the maze, twisting through it and expecting to see an Anathema facing me at every turn. To my surprise, I never encountered one, only more probing strikes as they stabbed through the maze wall. After only a dozen or so seconds, I escaped from the maze, and I instantly oriented myself to the steps leading to the shielding station¡¯s raised area. It was only a dozen or so feet away, and I sprinted for it. Out of the corner of my eye, there was a blur of motion, and I turned with my gun raised to shoot- Something big hit me straight on, and the bones in my chest cracked. The air in my lungs exploded from me as I was thrown backwards and onto the ground, the impact sending a wave of agony through my entire body that made my Umbra slip from my grasp. I let out a choking gasp as I tried to push myself up, eyes widening at the creature looming in front of me. It was about five feet tall and vaguely ape like, but its mouthless head was sunken into its chest. Every inch of its body was rippling black muscle, and its yellow on black eyes burned as it lumbered towards me. It moved on all fours, its massive arms helping to propel itself forward. It moved at a casual pace, as if it was enjoying the moment.. I desperately used my feet to push myself away, searching for my Umbra only to see it a few feet from me. I would never be able to reach it in time, so I dug my hand into my sweatshirt pocket and pulled free the Judgment, aiming it at the Anathema. It seemed entirely unfazed by the tiny little gun, and I took a ragged, steadying breath before I pulled the trigger. If it had been loaded with a shotgun shell, I was pretty sure the pellets wouldn¡¯t have done much to the hulking creature in front of me, but this Judgment, unlike my previous two, was colored in silver metal to remind me it was loaded with ammunition of the same size but of completely different function. Namely, it was loaded with five .45 Colt rounds. I didn¡¯t bother seeing how effective one shot would be. Instead, I emptied all five rounds into the monster as fast as I could pull the trigger. The recoil rose my aim with each shot, the final one blasting a chunk from its head and sending gore spraying into the air. The Anathema fell, its body slamming into the ground face first, and I groaned, letting go of the gun as I pushed myself to my feet. I immediately felt something was wrong. It was hard to tell exactly what with the pain medication, but there was a familiar tightness to my chest. Every breath came to me only after a struggle, and even through the meds, every breath caused a clawing pain. If I wasn¡¯t mistaken, at least one of my ribs was bruised if not broken, and it was making each breath an ordeal just to get the smallest amount of air. [Mai!] Selene shouted, hopping up to me while using her tails to slide my Umbra to my feet. [Five seconds!] I bent down, letting a cry of pain as the motion sent agony through my chest along with a cracking feeling. Tears filled my vision as I picked up my Umbra, slowly straightening myself as I took short, shallow breaths and forced myself to move. I didn¡¯t see any Anathema around me as I climbed the stairs, pushing myself to hurry. It was only then I realized I hadn¡¯t been keeping track of my health bar this entire time, so I took a quick look. 26% Swallowing down the pounding anxiety, I stepped up onto the crystal¡¯s platform. The area immediately around the crystal was surprisingly clear, and I took in a sharp breath as it seemed to glow. The air felt thicker, an odd, resonant humming sound coming from the crystal. Just in front of it was the control pedestal, a holographic display open above it. When I saw it, I felt my heart soar, and without a second of hesitation I sprinted. I ran, ignoring the pain from both my ribs and the spine in my side. I moved as fast as I could, focusing only on the pedestal- [Above you!] I whipped my head up in time to see a Lashbat diving on me, but too late to do anything other than raise the stump of my left arm in front of my face. The Anathema¡¯s tail whipped into it, the blade ripping through my sweatshirt and protective shirt underneath to slash open my bicep. I cried out as it took a chunk of flesh out of me, blood spraying in an arc as it glided past and back into the air. Heat blossomed along my arm, and I bit down harder on my teeth, resuming my run to the pedestal and ignoring the circling creature. I reached the pedestal a moment later, saw that there was a simple prompt on the holographic display that I quickly skimmed. Warning! Tampering with the mana generator has been detected. Are you sure you wish to initiate the Reality Reinforcement Shield? Please consult all data before- Before I could finish, a sharp, invasive pain exploded through my chest, and I let out a gasp, stumbling backwards as I looked down. A pale serrated blade the length of my forearm stuck out from between my right ribs. I stared at the protruding piece of bone, my mind going blank as I suddenly couldn¡¯t breathe. All the strength in my body seemed to disappear, and I fell, dropping my gun as I landed on my knees, hands reaching up to touch the giant piece of bone even as a fuzziness seemed to descend on my brain. What¡­ how¡­ My thoughts were jumbled pieces, and I tried to suck in a breath only to feel liquid fire erupt in my lung. I coughed, specks of red spraying on my hands as I took in a gurgling breath. It wasn¡¯t enough air, and I choked, trying to gasp in more as darkness encroached on the edge of my vision. [Mai! You need to press the button! I don¡¯t have authorization!] Selene was shouting at me, but I couldn¡¯t make sense of it. My chest hurt, and everything felt wrong. I couldn¡¯t breathe and- [Think of Lily! You need to save her!] Lily. Memories flashed through my head. Seeing her at school, abandoned after practice by the people she¡¯d stayed to mentor in track. Giving her one of the drinks I¡¯d been sent to collect and talking for the first time. Lily coming to me during lunch the next day. And then again another day. And another. I remembered when I told her I had no clue about anything related to pop culture, and she immediately invited me to her house to fix that. I remembered watching movie after movie, entirely engrossed by the films. I remembered her showing me her favorite games for the first time and laughing as I made a silly mistake. I remembered loving that carefree, joy-filled laugh and letting myself join in with her. I liked her laugh. And I wanted to hear it again. I cried out, a choking, gurgling sound as I willed myself to stand. My legs felt like mush, but I pushed anyway, throwing every ounce of strength I could into them. Slowly, I began to raise myself back to my feet, sparks of violet and black electricity snapping over my body. I staggered forward. One step. Then another. And another. And then the pedestal was back in front of me. I reached my hand out- And I pressed ¡°yes.¡± The thickness in the air along with the humming stopped, and the world seemed to freeze for a moment. Then the crystal burst into blinding light, a wave of blue, ethereal motes exploding outward and washing over the room. I looked from the console to see dozens of Anathema along the main path leading to the crystal shudder, some of them stumbling while others simply fell on the ground and spasmed. For a second, even with my shallow, hiccupping breaths, I could breathe again. As fast as it came, the feeling disappeared, and I gasped as the air in the room returned to normal. There was still a lingering hint of the intensity, but it felt as if it had settled, somehow. I watched in horror as slowly, the Anathema began regaining their senses too, and as they stood up and shook off whatever that was, all their eyes turned to me. ¡°Selene?¡± I thought to her, stumbling backwards until I felt the crystal at my back. I leaned against it, letting it prop me up. The world felt fuzzy, the only distinct sensation being the pain shooting through me like lightning with each of my movements. [I¡¯m here,] she said softly, and I looked down to see her at my feet. I tried to give her a smile even as I sucked in wet, gasping breaths, and her tails lowered as she bowed her head. ¡°Did we do it?¡± [...Yes. You did it, Mai. The shielding station is online.] Tears spilled from my eyes, relief washing through me even as the aches and pains of my body seemed to grow, fire turning into an inferno. Around me, I saw Anathema cautiously stepping up onto the central platform from the main pathway, staring at me and fanning out in a circle around us. I wasn¡¯t sure what they were waiting for or why they seemed so cautious, but I didn¡¯t care. I didn¡¯t even have the strength to stand anymore. I slid down the crystal, sitting against the ground. Glancing around, I saw my Umbra lying a few feet away, and when I reached my hand for it, Selene was there, sliding the gun the rest of the way into my palm. ¡°Thank you,¡± I thought, taking in a coughing gasp. ¡°Thank you for everything, Selene.¡± [Mai-] ¡°Thank you for giving me the power to fight,¡± I continued, picking up the gun as the Anathema circled closer. ¡°Thank you for giving me courage. For being patient with me. For putting up with me. For going along with my stupid plans.¡± The hounds and ghouls were slowly closing their circle around us, giving the crystal behind me wary glances. ¡°But most of all, thank you for being my friend, even if it was a burden.¡± Selene stared at me, her entire body shaking. [No,] she whispered. [I didn¡¯t give you any of those things. The power, the courage, the empathy. It was all you. It always was. Not me, not anyone else. You.] My lip trembled, and I gave a jerky nod to Selene for the kind lie as I raised my Umbra at the Anathema. Everything felt cold, and even my vision was beginning to blur as shadows grew in the corners of my eyes. It felt like a fog had settled on my brain, making everything more distant. Even just moving my body took all the effort I could muster¡­ but that was okay. It was all settled. The shield was on, and Lily would live. All my classmates and everyone else in the shelter would be safe. Brian would get to go see his family again when this was all over, and Lily would be taken care of. Selene would survive, and she would hopefully find someone or something better to help. I¡¯d done it. So why did I still feel so scared? I trembled against the crystal, tears falling freely as the abominations around me began to step forward. Memories of the Fomorian Hound¡¯s lamprey mouth flashed through my mind, and as I looked at the various fangs, claws, spines, and serrated tails, I remembered losing my arm, feeling the bone being crushed, and¡­ I made my decision. I stopped aiming at the Anathema and pressed my Umbra¡¯s barrel underneath my chin. ¡°Tell Lily I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t a better friend.¡± And then I pulled the tr- The reinforced glass dome above me shattered. I stared up in shock as four shapes fell from the sky and landed around me in a semicircle, the ground beneath them cracking as dust exploded from their impacts. I stared, barely conscious as my mind tried to process what I was seeing. The glass falling from the ceiling froze, glittering in the air like snowflakes as the four figures began to rise. No, not figures. Magical Girls. I only had a brief flash of their intricate outfits before they landed and magic circles bloomed to life underneath them. Green, red, blue, and gold mandalas burst forth, glowing with a power that made the air quiver with electricity, similar to what the shielding station had felt like as it powered up and activated. The first figure to rise was surrounded by a red circle with intricate lines and shapes carving a sharp design that reminded me of lightning. She was small and wore a short, white and black dress with an overwhelming amount of red accents and patterns that dominated the color scheme including a short red cape. The skirt puffed out around her thighs, red and black checkered thigh-high socks covering her legs and leading down to complicated red sandals with small heels. Her blonde hair was tied into two pigtails with red ribbons tied into bows, and as she rose, she lifted what looked like a red rubber mallet with a large, cylindrical head. The air around her crackled, the circle around her spinning faster as she pointed the mallet at the Anathema and- ¡°Greater Chain Lightning,¡± a squeaky voice growled, and the world exploded in scarlet. Lightning the color of blood flashed out, hitting one of the hounds and instantly exploding through it before chaining to every nearby Anathema and repeating the process. A webwork of light flashed in front of my eyes, engulfing every single Anathema around us in a roar of thunder that made my ears pop. The flash blinded me, and I blinked my eyes as the light quickly faded to reveal¡­ nothing. Where the dozens of Anathema around us once stood, there was nothing but ash. Even along the path to the main door, every Anathema that had been stalking forward was simply¡­ gone. I stared in shock as the girl in red twirled her hammer before giving a satisfied nod. Then the next figure rose. This time it was a tall young man with dark skin, and he was covered in golden armor over dark clothing. He looked like a knight that had come straight out of a fantasy game, but instead of wearing plate armor, his armor was made of scales. His shoulder pieces were shaped like dragon heads, and the rest of the armor followed a similar theme, pointed and fierce looking with spikes all done in to form vaguely draconic features. His hair was shaved close to his scalp, and I only caught a glimpse of his chiseled features before he was twisting his body, raising a golden bow shaped like two wings. The Guardian pulled back on the bow string, the golden mandala beneath him spinning faster with images of dragons in flight, and an arrow made of golden light appeared. ¡°Dragon Rain,¡± his deep voice rumbled, and then he let loose. Instead of one arrow, a dozen beams of light shot forth, taking sharp angles around the room as they went for the dark shapes of airborne Anathema. The beams pierced through them, following them even when they tried to run or evade, and every Anathema that was hit exploded into golden fire. Dozens of fiery comets fell from the sky, and the Guardian nodded to himself in satisfaction. The third figure rose, a green magic circle beneath her with patterns that reminded me of trees and nature. Unlike the others, she was facing me, and I stared up at her through my flickering vision. She wore brown, tight-fitting leather armor over simple green clothes with an emerald cloak draped around her shoulders. She carried a glaive in her hand, the pole made of dark wood and ending in a single-edged blade that shone like liquid metal. Her long blond hair hung freely, but it failed to disguise her pointed ears and the smooth, ephemeral beauty of her face. She looked like the picturesque example of an elven ranger, strong, beautiful, and utterly composed, as if nothing could so much as touch her. Eyes the color of pine needles stared down at me with a complete and utter serenity, flicking over my features in rapid succession. ¡°Naiad, what¡¯s her status?¡± she asked, her voice calm as a summer breeze. I shivered as the fourth figure crouched next to me, a blue circle following beneath her with the pattern of dozens of wavering, intersecting lines like whirlpools. She was in her late teens and had a slender, delicate build. Her skin was a pale blue, a white toga-style dress wrapped around her with extensive aqua colored embroidery. The dress was short, showing off the leather sandals laced all the way up to her thighs. The most noticeable thing, however, was the way her aqua hair moved, flowing like gentle waves with each of her movements. She looked up at me, blue eyes with whirlpool-shaped pupils going wide as she held her hands over me. A gentle blue light began glowing from her palms, making her eyes widen only further. I blinked, shadows dancing across my vision as I tried to say something only to let out a gurgling cough. Everything that was happening¡­ didn¡¯t make sense. The odd, distant feeling from before was only growing, turning my vision into a tunnel as my thoughts slowed to a crawl. Even though I was seeing all these things, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like none of it really mattered. I only felt cold. It had replaced most of the pain, and with the cold came a deep, beckoning exhaustion. It felt¡­ peaceful. And I was tired. So tired¡­ I just wanted to close my eyes, and- ¡°Critical!¡± the blue girl screamed, and the elf girl¡¯s eyes widened. She spun, the emerald magical circle beneath her expanding as she twirled her glaive above her head before slamming it down onto the ground. Beyond her, I could vaguely see the shapes of more Anathema beginning to pile into the room. They were blurry, and I could barely make them out, but there had to be dozens of them. And then the elf girl cast. ¡°Glade of Glaives.¡± The words made the air ripple, and power burst from her. All along the edges of the room, emerald magical circles appeared, pine trees exploding from the ground inside them. In a few short breaths, the trees formed a complete encirclement around us. The needles gleamed a metallic color, and it took me a moment to realize that every single one was shaped like a glaive¡¯s blade. No¡­ They weren¡¯t just shaped like them, they were blades. The Anathema in the room looked around for a moment as the perimeter continued to thicken with more trees. A hound took a step forward only for a tree branch to burst from the ground and impale it, the end of the branch ending in a metallic glaive. All around the room, the scene began to repeat itself, Anathema being skewered the second they moved inside the artificial glade. Near the entrance, I saw one of the trees seem to shoot their ¡°glaive needles¡± into anything trying to enter. Each one shot out with the force of a bullet, whip-cracking through the air before exploding through Anathema like pieces of shrapnel. The magical circle around the elf girl disappeared as she turned around, looking back to me. Numbly, I noticed the blue girl whispering things under her breath, the glowing light in her hand flashing. ¡°What do you need?¡± the elf ranger asked calmly. ¡°Lesser Healing Balm. Numb Nerves. Extreme Clot. Rejuvenating Waters. Sympathetic Organ. Give Vitality. Breath of Air.¡± Each of her words carried a weight to them, and the more she chanted, the more the pain in my body began to fade. Still, it felt like my mind was fuzzy, and I wasn¡¯t really sure what was going on. I looked around, trying to choke out words, liquid hot on the back of my throat. ¡°Shh, shh, shh, it¡¯s okay,¡± the blue girl said, her voice wobbling. ¡°Just lie still. I¡¯ve got you. Don¡¯t you worry.¡± ¡°Naiad?¡± the elf asked, and I saw Naiad lips tremble. ¡°She¡¯s already over her healing limit,¡± her voice cracked. ¡°I need to do full-dive surgery, but even then she¡¯s in shock and¡­ her lung, and all the blood¡­I don¡¯t¡­¡± Tears spilled from her face, and the elf walked up to her, putting a hand on her shoulder and squeezing. ¡°You can do this. You¡¯ve healed worse before.¡± ¡°That was other Guardians! In their Astral Shift with plenty of Vitality to help them! Even if I tried, it would mean I can¡¯t help you three-¡± the girl began before the elf shook her head. ¡°The three of us can hold them off, even with the horde coming. Believe in us, Naiad, just like I believe that you can save her.¡± The blue girl stared up at her for another moment before nodding, taking in a deep, stuttering breath. ¡°Okay,¡± she whispered, closing her eyes as the blue circle beneath her lit up with intensity. ¡°Fountain of Youth.¡± The ground beneath me suddenly began to melt, turning into a shallow pool of water that glowed with a soft light. Gently, the blue girl pushed me down into the pool while using a hand to keep my head above it. Instantly, the cold that had been biting into me began to recede, and even the fog over my thoughts began to lift. The darkness at the edge of my vision lifted marginally, and I gasped, sucking in a breath as I tried to say- ¡°Don¡¯t speak,¡± the girl said gently, her voice cracking as she put a hand on my forehead. ¡°You¡¯ve done your part, so let us do ours. I¡¯ll save you¡­ I promise.¡± She took in one last deep breath before looking me in the eyes and giving a shaky smile. ¡°Rejuvenating Slumber,¡± she whispered. And then the darkness took me. Patreon Announcement! Hello everyone! After the outpouring of encouragement, kindness, and advice I received last chapter, I''ve decided to open up a Patreon. A lot of you managed to get through my thick skull that I already AM offering content, and I should let people support me for the things I''m already giving. So that''s what I''ve decided to do, even if it is a little stressful. Right now, there are three tiers: $1, $5, and $10. It is currently set up to charge you on the day you join membership, and then monthly on that same date. If you would like to suggest other tiers, let me know. Currently, you can read two chapters in advance if you are at least at the $5 tier. $1 tier is just for those who want to support but don''t have much to give, which is completely understandable. Every little bit helps! The $10 tier doesn''t offer anything extra as of yet, but is there for those who can afford to be generous. Make sure to take care of yourself first, though! You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Thank you for everyone encouraging me with both the story and to make a Patreon. I really appreciate it, and I can''t wait to continue the story. No news on next chapter''s release date quite yet, sadly, but it''s coming along nicely. Other than that, I''ve been a little busy cleaning some details. Chapter 20 is getting an added paragraph or two of explanations just to help clear some things up, and Chapter 19 is getting a small dialogue rework to better frame Mai''s decision to not wait on remanifesting Selene. Finally, Chapter 16 is getting an added paragraph about the "codes" needed to deactivate a shelter''s emergency shield to clarify why it isn''t possibly for Error to simply give them to Mai. These changes aren''t in effect yet but will be noted on next chapter''s Patch Notes. That about sums up everything I''m working on right now. Once again, thank you for supporting me so far, and I hope everyone has a great (and spooky) day! Chapter 25 - Arc One: Epilogue (Various) Magical Girl Everglaive looked down into the pool of water Naiad sat in, the young girl¡¯s head propped up on her lap while the rest of her body remained submerged. The faintly glowing water was stained with red, and the girl was¡­ pale. So pale. She turned away from the scene, her heart tight. The girl was in bad shape, and Ever knew saving the girl was going to be a close thing. If any other healer at Naiad¡¯s level were here, Ever would have seriously doubted her survival. With only second tier magic and no Finale-class spells, bringing somebody back from such serious injuries while they were already over their healing limit was a slim prospect at best. Thankfully, Naiad was more than just her Stats. Everglaive had seen Naiad work literal miracles before, even saving a Guardian who had been cut into three different pieces. But it was more than just Naiad¡¯s hard earned abilities, it was her dedication. Whenever she wasn¡¯t directly fighting Anathema, Naiad was out patrolling hospitals, healing as many people as she could until she was literally falling asleep on her feet. It was a fairly common occurrence that Ever had to force the younger girl to take breaks and recharge herself. Naiad might have been younger and under the level 200 milestone, but Ever still trusted her more than any other healer she¡¯d worked with. Even if Naiad didn¡¯t have confidence in herself, Ever believed in her. The only real question was if the rest of them would be enough to hold off the oncoming horde. Ever turned, studying the surroundings. Gildscales and Thorina were alert, weapons at the ready as they watched the entrance. So far, the Anathema had failed to get past her Finale-class spell. The glade would hold for a while, but as the Anathema began breaking down the other three doors into the room, Everglaive¡¯s magic would quickly be strained. She took a deep breath before making her decision. ¡°Plan B. Gild, head back up through the dome and take care of any flyers that try to get in. Thorina, roaming defense. Go out the entrance and work your way around the circular hallway surrounding this room. Take out as many as you can, and try to make sure they don¡¯t get any more doors open. Both of you, fall back as you need to, and play it safe. I can defend while you recuperate. Save your own Finale-class spells if you can and assume Naiad won¡¯t be participating. No healing or buffs but what we can buy.¡± Both of them nodded, Thorina giving a wide grin as she twirled her mallet. They¡¯d planned for this contingency in the helicopter, the possibility that Naiad would be out of action while she healed the new Magical Girl. Granted, they¡¯d hoped it would only be for a few moments. Naiad being taken out for the entire fight was¡­ problematic. This Usurpation Zone covered multiple city blocks and had been going on for multiple hours without being culled, meaning there were hundreds or even thousands of Anathema. Their only saving grace was that based on the miasma quality, none should have been higher than level 150. The rest of her team was just over level 200, and Everglaive was considerably higher than that, giving them a significant power advantage. It would be a war of attrition, minimizing their mana and stamina expenditure while maximizing the damage they dealt. And without Naiad, they were missing more than just a quarter of their firepower, they were missing their dedicated healer. While they could always use the Gate to buy healing items, they were never as effective as outright magic, especially not from a Blue. Everglaive shook her head as her team went into motion. Golden light bloomed around Gild¡¯s back, the glittering embers of light forming together before giving off a flash and manifesting into two draconic wings with yellow scales. The giant wings flexed as he crouched, and then he jumped, a wave of wind blasting out as the force of the motion made his entire form disappear instantly. Meanwhile, Thorina was skipping her way to the already opened door, avoiding some still smoldering corpses of Anathema. Ever¡¯s glaive trees parted for the Magical Girl, and she hopped onto the charred body of an Anathema lying halfway through the doors before disappearing into the hallway beyond. A second later, thunder boomed through the building. Ever sighed. She was sure Gild would be able to properly pace himself, but Rina tended to lose herself in battle too easily. Though, with how much fighting they had ahead of them, maybe this was the exact situation Thorina would thrive in. Everglaive opened her Status to check her mana before nodding. Her Finale-class spell had taken almost 1,700 mana, nearly a third of her total. With her nearly reaching the mana regeneration penalties for using so much mana in such a short time, she¡¯d have to be careful with what spells she cast for a bit. Ever would have to rely on her Glade of Glaives combined with her teammates to buy her enough time to recuperate. In all, the situation was¡­ not ideal. If it came down to it, her team could certainly escape, especially with Gild¡¯s Signature Magic, but that would mean leaving the girl behind. In the condition she was in, Ever had no doubt it would take time to just stabilize her wounds. Naiad would let them know the second she was transportable, but until then, it was up to Ever and her team to protect their healer and hope for the best. Ever sent some mana to her earpiece, reconnecting it to the main network. There was no point in staying out of touch if the Anathema already knew where they were, and getting information from Error and Guardian Command would be vital. Reaching out with her mind, she pushed her communicator to connect her to Error. She got a waiting tone, and frowned but resumed looking around the room as thunder continued to rumble through the building. As her eyes roamed, she noticed a backpack sitting next to the shielding crystal. Walking over to it, she used her glaive to push it across the floor next to the pool of water before she resumed her vigil, making a mental note to look for any other items around the room that might belong to the girl. Her communicator clicked a moment later, drawing back her attention. ¡°Ever, it¡¯s Error,¡± an out-of-breath voice said. ¡°Tell me you made it in time.¡± ¡°We did,¡± Ever replied calmly. ¡°But barely. The girl¡¯s critically wounded and at her healing cap, forcing Naiad to do deep healing. No ETA on when she might be done. We¡¯re going to have to hold out until the girl¡¯s stable enough to move.¡± ¡°Is she going to make it?¡± Error hissed. Everglaive hesitated for only a moment before responding. ¡°I believe so, yes. The main issue will be us surviving the incoming siege. If you have any resources to support us with-¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem,¡± Error growled. ¡°Just keep her safe. We¡¯re coming to you.¡± Ever blinked, frowning as she tried to parse the words. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean that after my announcement, almost 80% of the Guardians in Arcadia broke off from their tasks to redeploy around your zone. The second the shielding station began restarting, it drew the Anathema out of their hiding spots and into the open on the streets as they rushed away from the perimeter. They started rushing in clumped, massive waves and-¡± ¡°-And then the Guardians struck,¡± Ever finished breathlessly, eyes widening in realization. ¡°It¡¯s a slaughter,¡± Error growled with savage satisfaction. ¡°Hundreds of Guardians falling on Anathema with their backs turned? I haven¡¯t ever seen anything like it before. That poor girl didn¡¯t just save that shelter with her Death Wish, she set us up to retake the biggest, most problematic Usurpation Zone in the city. So you just keep her safe, okay? The Guardians of Arcadia are on their way.¡± ------- Wearing a hooded leather coat and designer skinny jeans, Magical Guardian Breakdance bobbed and weaved his way down the road, the towering buildings of Arcadia clumped on either side of him. Dramatic, orchestral battle music played from his spell, and he bounced and bobbed to the tune, moving around the dozens of Anathema corpses littering the road towards his opponent. An Anathema faced him, a straggler who had survived the initial, fast moving assault of the first Guardians. It was a thick, humanoid creature with rippling muscles and four arms. Its face was dominated by a large, quivering eye and a jawless mouth with dozens of tentacles that wiggled hungrily. It lunged at him, but Breakdance was ready. Four arms swiped at him, each ending in a clawed hand whose bladed fingers would easily rip through flesh and stone alike. None found their mark as Breakdance slapped and twisted the blows aside, each counter parrying the flurry of blows to the beat of his music. Every motion built up the energy inside him as his Signature Magic charged up, and once it reached its peak, Breakdance struck out, doing a partial, backwards flip onto his hands and kicking upwards straight into the Anathema¡¯s tentacled chin. Scarlet energy flashed through the monster¡¯s head, exploding it into a pulpy mist of gore as his Signature unleashed his stored power into the strike. The Anathema dropped, but Breakdance didn¡¯t miss a beat, continuing the back handspring and landing on his feet in one smooth, uninterrupted motion. Never stopping, he resumed his dancing even as he moved further down the street. Absently, he wiped his sweat soaked brow, pushing away a few stray, scarlet hairs. He knew he wasn¡¯t the most powerful Guardian around, thus relegating him to cleaning up any Anathema the higher level Guardians had missed on their mad-dash towards the center of the zone, but Breakdance didn¡¯t mind the job. As long as he was helping to save that new Guardian, or at least avenge them, he didn¡¯t much care what he was doing. Sure, it would have been cool to be part of the vanguard, sweeping through the streets and killing dozens of Anathema with every spell, but he wasn¡¯t anywhere near that level yet. More than that, he was still a solo Guardian, unbound to any team or Guild. Being only a D-rank Guardian with nobody to support him, it only made sense for him to be on the cleanup detail. So Breakdance continued moving, taking his time as he built back up his Signature for the next Anathema he encountered. Judging by his Rival Sense Skill, there was at least one more monster in the area, though he couldn¡¯t pinpoint its exact location. However, with his Center Stage Skill actively challenging any Anathema in the area, he wasn¡¯t bothered. Combined with the enchanted battle music playing from his spell, his opponent would be taunted out into the open in short order. [Alley on the right, watch out for its might,] Breakdance¡¯s Familiar rhymed in his head, and he twisted as a new figure slunk from the shadows between two towering apartment buildings. It was big, easily ten feet tall with a worm-like body. Eyes and tentacles covered its slick black body, a human face topping the worm with a gaping, circular maw. It hissed, revealing dozens of teeth as it reared at him, increasing its height even further. Jagged bits of bone wrapped the entirety of its body like barbed wire, each undulating movement rasping the bone blades through the ground like it was butter. Breakdance felt his heart skip a beat as his skill Size Up told him he was way, way out of his league. The thing had to have at least twenty levels on him, and judging by the hissing sound and noxious fumes from where its spit landed, it had some kind of acid ability. It only took Breakdance a second to decide to retreat, but as he began gathering his mana to cast his go-to combination of escape spells, a figure jumped from the roof of the apartment building behind the Anathema. Breakdance saw little more than a shadowy form as the figure descended with unnatural speed, a long katana blade flashing in the night before sweeping down to cut the monster clean in half. A whispering scream wailed out as reality itself seemed to tear along the blade¡¯s cut, a black and violet portal opening up in the center of the Anathema¡¯s body. The monster hissed out a scream before its body was violently jerked into the rift in one pull, and just like that, the monster was gone. The gaping portal remained a moment before seeming to let out a sigh, gently shrinking and then popping out of existence. The figure who had landed in a crouch rose, and Breakdance felt his heart start to race as the hairs on his body prickled in fear as the figure wearing all black rose before him. The Dark Magical Girl wore a samurai-esque outfit with a ragged black cloak draped around her body. She had a large, conical bamboo hat dyed the color of shadows, its brim hanging low enough to cover the upper half of her face. In her hand was an oversized katana, the guardless hilt wrapped in black, bandage-like cloth while the jagged blade was almost longer than Breakdance was tall. Dark Anathema blood flowed through small indents on the sword, filling up sharp-edged symbols that seemed to whisper with malice. The Magical Girl looked around carefully before taking slow, steady steps towards him, and Breakdance felt himself tense. He¡¯d heard the rumors of the rare Dark Magical Girls, and although he wasn¡¯t one to normally let things like that sway him¡­ there was something about every Dark he¡¯d met so far that made him intensely uneasy. It was never quite the same feeling, some simply giving off a creepy vibe while others appeared completely normal except for the occasional social tick. If it was just a little weirdness, he was sure it wouldn¡¯t be an issue considering how weird other Guardians were on the regular. No. The problem was that to go with those traits, they always had some sort of power, some ability that absolutely set his teeth on edge. Out of curiosity, he¡¯d once used his Size Up skill on a Dark Magical Girl he knew was at least ten to fifteen levels below him. Instantly, he¡¯d broken out in a sweat as his skill sent a wave of nauseating cold through him. There was no sense of power or danger, just¡­ cold. Not even an Anathema had given him that feeling before. After that, he¡¯d asked around, but hadn¡¯t gotten much information. The general advice was to be extra courteous and stay the hell away from them. If you were ever in trouble, there was nobody you would rather show up as reinforcements, but any other time, it was best to keep as far away as possible. But for every relatively neutral opinion, there was also one that was much more venomous. He¡¯d heard stories of teammates being betrayed or even other Guardians being attacked out of nowhere by Darks. ¡°Unstable¡± was maybe the most courteous word he¡¯d heard describing them. Worse, they had a reputation for being unbeatable fighters in solo combat, meaning this exact situation was the last thing he ever wanted to happen. Every nearby Guardian was busy, leaving him completely alone with a girl who had just killed a powerful Anathema in one strike. Breakdance swallowed, his throat suddenly dry as the Dark approaching him stopped ten feet away, her katana resting across the back of her shoulders nonchalantly. He put on his best smile, still continuing to dance as he used his will to change the music playing from his spell to a more passive, background tune. ¡°Yo, girl, thanks for the assist,¡± he grinned, hoping his nervousness didn¡¯t show. ¡°That was one scary mofo you just took down. I probably would have bailed if you hadn¡¯t come along. Wasn¡¯t expecting a mysterious savior, but you won¡¯t hear me complaining. Oh, I¡¯m Breakdance by the way.¡± The girl looked up, the brim of her hat lifting enough to give him a look at her face. She was Asian, perhaps in her mid to late teens with thin, severe features. Her eyes were the color of silver, the pupils ragged, vertical slits like the edge of her katana. Her skin was a pale gray, almost corpse colored, but a soft smile raised the corners of her black lips as she watched Breakdance continue to dance in place even while he talked to her. ¡°Mourning Edge,¡± she replied, her voice surprisingly soft. ¡°Are you on cleanup duty too?¡± ¡°You know it,¡± Breakdance said, ignoring the shiver down his spine. ¡°The joys of being solo, ya¡¯ know? Whole counter attack was sorta¡¯ last second, so I got stuck with the lame job. No goin¡¯ off rescuin¡¯ the damsel for me, nope. Just me, a buncha¡¯ mostly dead Anathema, and the occasional passing Guardian. Kinda¡¯ lonely, actually.¡± Breakdance didn¡¯t know what he was saying. He knew he should just shut up and let the scary, reality-cutting girl move on, but his nerves just kept him talking. Even worse, the girl was kind of cute in the ¡°scary goth samurai who could totally murder you and nobody would ever know¡± kind of way. If he kept talking, and there was no way he could stop himself now, he was sure he would say something to offend her. Hell, it happened with just about every other person he talked to, and that was when he wasn¡¯t sweating up a storm remembering every scary story he¡¯d ever been told about them. The Dark Magical Girl smiled as he did a nervous spin, and Breakdance desperately hoped that it was amusement twinkling in her eyes and not hunger as she watched him continue dancing in place. There was no way he was going to stop now, though, not when his Signature powered him up the longer he danced. Worst case scenario, he could always channel the magic he was building up into a burst of speed and run from the girl. I¡¯m being ridiculous, Breakdance thought to himself. She¡¯s a Guardian just like me, right? She wouldn¡¯t just attack me. Pull yourself together, Breakdance. Since when have you cared about gossip? ¡°Well, I happen to be solo too,¡± Mourning Edge said almost hesitantly, pulling the brim of her hat down over her eyes. ¡°So maybe¡­ we could team up for a bit?¡± No! Absolutely not! Breakdance screamed internally. ¡°Hell yeah, girl!¡± he replied, dismay washing through him as his mouth moved independently of his common sense. ¡°Let¡¯s kick some ass! Think you might be a little stronger than me, though. You sure you want to party up with me?¡± The girl stiffened in surprise, lifting her face to look at him with wide eyes, and Breakdance felt himself start to panic. Did he say something to offend her? Oh god, was it because he called her girl? Everyone knew Guardians tended to keep their youthful looks, making it hard to tell their actual age. Maybe she was actually older than him? Should he have gone with miss? Ma¡¯am? Wait, was he just assuming her gender and- ¡°I think¡­¡± Mourning Edge interrupted his fumbling thoughts. ¡°It should be fine. I¡¯m over level sixty, but I¡¯m fine only taking on the stronger ones and watching your back. Safety in numbers and all that¡­ If that¡¯s okay¡­?¡± ¡°Cool, cool, cool,¡± Breakdance replied, licking his lips nervously. ¡°Yeah, that sounds cool. I¡¯d definitely appreciate the backup. I come in, give ¡®em the good ol¡¯ one-two, and if I pick on something stronger than me you can just come in and show ¡®em what¡¯s up, yeah? It¡¯ll be like havin¡¯ a big, scary sister followin¡¯ me around. Uh, I mean, not necessarily big ¡®cuz you ain¡¯t that tall or nothin¡¯. I mean, you are tall, just not like HUGE, ya¡¯ know?¡± Breakdance wanted to melt as words continued spilling from him. Maybe he had enough points to buy an invisibility spell and he could just disappear¡­? The girl let out a quiet sound Breakdance didn¡¯t quite catch, her hand moving to her mouth as she turned away, her shoulders shaking lightly. She turned back to him a few seconds later, the brim of her hat covering her face as she nodded to him. ¡°Alright then,¡± she said. ¡°I look forward to working with you, Breakdance.¡± ¡°Likewise,¡± Breakdance lied, knowing that he¡¯d doomed himself. ------- Magical Girl Cutie Pie gasped as the blow from the Anathema sent her skipping across the road and into a parked sedan with enough force to dent in the door. Pain exploded through her body, her Barrier soaking up most of the damage, but even still the blunt force whipped through her muscles as she bounced off the car and onto the ground. She scrambled to her feet, jumping clear from the spot just as a beam of black fire ripped through the spot she was just standing. The car was shorn clean in half, the fire even blasting through the concrete of the buildings beyond. She staggered, raising her chef knife and frying pan at the Anathema facing her. It was big, a chimera-type with an armored, centipede lower body that stretched the length of a school bus. The torso was more humanoid, but with two muscular arms that ended in serrated crab claws. Large bat wings stretched from its back, adding to the demonic look of its rugged, horned face. The Anathema clamped its jaw shut, cutting off the beam of fire as it gurgled out something akin to a laugh, two yellow on black eyes with slit pupils glittering dangerously. Cutie Pie ground her teeth together, not taking the bait as she retook her position. Behind her, she heard the pained whimpering from her teammate as their healer tried to triage her wounds. Kitten Claws had lost her arm in the first seconds of the fight, the Anathema appearing from seemingly nowhere as its magical camouflage bled away. Now, their Blue, Sugar Rush, was desperately trying to cast the right combination of spells to stem both the bleeding and pain. She quickly glanced down at her magically reinforced outfit, taking in its condition to gauge her remaining Barrier. Her maid dress was dirtied with small rips in the frilly pink accents and apron, but otherwise remained whole. The edges of the short skirt were frayed, but her pink thigh-highs were still whole. Judging by those details, she still had over half her Barrier left. She didn¡¯t dare open her status menu to check for details, though, not with the monstrosity standing before her. Cutie returned her attention to the monster, gathering her mana while remaining in her defensive stance. The Anathema growled in response, rushing forward on its hundreds of tiny legs as it lunged at her, a giant crab claw aiming to snip off her head. There was a whoosh of air as her teammate intercepted the blow mid air with a flying kick that sent the claw flying off course. The girl wore a short-sleeved maid outfit with a green apron and accents, her arms and legs covered in tight-fitting, silver power armor. Although the armor stretched up her neck, she wore no helmet, her long dark hair only held back by the frilly headband that matched the rest of her outfit. Tiny jets of fire blasted from her feet as she spun in the air, raising a hand and shooting out an emerald beam of energy from her palm into the Anathema. The beam washed against the Anathema like water against a stone, and it slapped at her with its other hand, forcing her to abort the attack as she spun out of the way. Cutie Pie capitalized on the moment of distraction, aiming her knife and shouting as she let loose her own spell. Pink light streamed forth in a tight, sparkling beam that tore into the monster¡¯s armored bicep. It roared in pain as the beam pierced through the chitin, a savage smile spreading across Cutie¡¯s face as the edges around the wound began to transform into dough speckled with chocolate chips as her magic began changing the flesh around his injury into a cookie. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. The Anathema twisted, one of its large wings acting as a shield to block the beam. To Cutie¡¯s surprise, the thin webbing held against her spell, dispersing the ray with ease. She let the spell go, hopping backwards as Metal Maid launched her own attack. Green light glittered around her outreached arm as she launched a roaring barrage of viridian energy bolts. She flew around the Anathema as she attacked, aiming her attacks to strike at the unguarded centipede portion of its body. Cutie risked a look back at her other two teammates as the Anathema roared in agony, twisting away as it tried to swat Metal Maid out of the air. Sugar Rush and Kitten Claws both wore maid outfits like Cutie and Metal, their aprons and frills blue and red respectively. Kitten held the stump of her right arm, her face contorted in rage as her red cat tail twitched behind her. Sugar held her hands out, a pristine cupcake with blue frosting sitting in her palms. Kitten took it with a growl, scarfing it down even as Sugar turned her attention back to Kitten¡¯s stump. It wasn¡¯t bleeding anymore, and as Kitten took another bite of the cupcake, blue light began glowing around the wound, skin knitting itself over the exposed flesh and bone until it was completely closed. Sugar gave a nod, turning to Cutie. ¡°Healed and sealed, but I used almost 30% of her healing cap,¡± the blond haired girl with pigtails told her, her face smudged with flecks of blood. ¡°And I¡¯m at 30% mana regen penalty now.¡± Cutie nodded with a confident smile, only letting herself swear on the inside. They¡¯d gone straight from clearing Usurpations for hours on end into rushing into the Death Wish Usurpation with the rest of the Arcadian Guardians, and the lack of rest was starting to show. Normally, Kitten would have never been caught by a surprise attack like the one the Anathema had pulled, but they had just pushed themselves too far, too quick. Not that they had much of a choice, not if they wanted to help save the Death Wish girl and the strike team who went after her. The moment Error¡¯s message to Arcadia had ended, her guild contacted her and started organizing the counter attack with the other big guilds, capitalizing on the fact that the Anathema would be drawn out by the shielding station¡¯s start sequence. Guardian Command had joined when it became clear over half the Guardians would be abandoning their previous tasks for the new plan, but even with their help, it had been a frantic, hasty plan. Still, no Guardian in their right mind wanted to be left out if they could help it, not if it meant helping the poor girl who¡¯d taken the Death Wish. It was the best they could do, attacking the horde from ¡°behind¡± and destroying the worst of the forces charging towards her. Cutie had no illusions that whether the girl lived or died wouldn¡¯t be decided by their actions, but she¡¯d be damned if she was going to let her sacrifice go by in vain. If nothing else, Cutie and her comrades were determined to wipe out the vast Anathema forces and clear the zone in her honor. But their mad, vengeful rush was precarious, and all it had taken was one strong Anathema with semi-decent stealth abilities to ambush them successfully. Cutie turned her attention back to the Anathema as Metal was sent flying back to them, slamming into the ground in a crouch that cracked the road beneath her. She grunted, standing as sparks arced from thin metal armor over one of her arms, a tear in her outfit¡¯s shoulder revealing more of her power armor beneath. Kitten stepped up to Cutie¡¯s other side, scarlet light wrapping around her remaining hand before condensing into a giant, kitten-paw shaped glove with claws extended. Sugar took position behind the three, picking up a large spoon that served as her staff. The giant Anathema faced them, letting out a cautious growl as it took in the four magical girls arrayed against him. ¡°Definitely around 150,¡± Kitten hissed, her cat ears twitching in her short, scarlet hair. ¡°Not as fast as me, though.¡± ¡°Anti-magic wings,¡± Metal noted. ¡°My spells are barely leaving a scratch.¡± ¡°Watch its crab claws for fire beams, not just its mouth,¡± Cutie nodded, activating her Inspire Skill. ¡°It may be big, it may be bad, but we¡¯ve faced worse. We don¡¯t have time for small fry like him, not when a girl on her first day is fighting for her life. Hit fast, hit hard, and take him down, Magical Cakes.¡± A faint aura of pink energy seemed to surround her teammates, their stances changing minutely as confidence combined with a minor Stat boost infused them. The Anathema seemed to sense the shift in their demeanor, and it roared, a black magic circle with an eldritch pattern appearing in front of its mouth as it prepared to unleash another beam of fire. ¡°Go!¡± Cutie screamed, and her team charged forward. ------- Error Machina ran through the winding halls of Guardian command, and people parted to either side of the white, futuristic hallways without hesitation. He pushed himself, sprinting as fast as he could, but he was no agility-based Guardian. Even with over 200 levels propping him up, he¡¯d invested less than what was considered average into the stat. Still, he was moving faster than any normal human should be able to, and he was able to make it to his ¡°office¡± from the command room in less than a minute. He pressed his hand against the scanner, growling under his breath as he urged the verification process to hurry up. He¡¯d already been delayed too long in the command room helping the guilds and Command put together a new plan to attack the Usurpation Zone. Worse, some of the higher ups had tried to delay him by screaming pointless words like ¡°insubordination¡± and ¡°reckless endangerment¡± after he¡¯d sent out his message across the city. They had, of course, shut up when they realized he literally wasn¡¯t listening to them. Only after he¡¯d gotten the confirmation from Everglaive did he leave the command room, letting his team of Operators take over. He had other places to be. The scanner beeped, the doors in front of him sliding open with a swish as Error stepped into his seat of power. The room was big and spherical, an unsupported pathway leading from the entrance to the room¡¯s center. The walls of the sphere were made from dozens of monitors, and as Error stepped forward, they flicked on, showing camera footage from all across Arcadia. The doors closed behind him as he made his way to the center of the room where a metal harness-like contraption dangled from the top of the sphere. Large wires and tubes ran from the harness to the ceiling, and Error stepped up to it, turning his back as he sent a wave of mana into the machine. The machine hummed, unfolding claw-like fingers that wrapped around his back and attached to his armor. Magnetic clamps activated, securing him and gently lifting his body from the platform as the entire pathway began receding, leaving him suspended in the center of the sphere with only the light of the monitors around him. Error Machina took a deep breath in, pulling up the energy inside him as he let his emotions spill out. The anger, anxiety, and fear swirled in him, and he fed the maelstrom, pushing the energy to grow. A heat began to warm his chest even as an emerald magical circle appeared beneath his suspended feet, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Error pushed himself, feeding the power even further as he pulled power from his memories. A small, too-thin girl with an eyepatch, telling him how she would go turn on a mana generator even without her Astral Shift. The girl appearing again, now with only one arm as Error told her what had gone wrong. The realization washing across her face when she realized people were responsible for everything that had happened. The quick acceptance followed by the decision to sacrifice her own life. The single, simple wish that she gave, one so basic and innocent Error would have done it even without it being her Death Wish. And finally, a weeping girl wearing a black hospital gown in a dark, dingy warehouse. She stood in a pool of blood deep enough to cover her bare toes, four mangled bodies arrayed around her as she cried. Her bandage-covered hands were pressed over her face as she wailed, her wide eyes shaking as she peered between her fingers at Error¡¯s horrified expression. Zero. Error cried out, letting the flood of emotions pour into his spell as tears fell from his eyes. Not again. Never again. ¡°Digital Domain,¡± Error screamed, and his Signature Magic flashed outward in a wave of emerald energy, the magitech devices behind the monitors surrounding him beginning to hum in a fever pitch as they resonated with his magic. A second later, Error¡¯s vision became that of the hundreds of cameras as his mind connected directly to the Arcadian defense network. Information streamed into his brain, and it took all his focus to keep up with the flow as he was informed of the various orders and communications being sent through Guardian Command. Dozens of conversations whispered through his skull as he was connected to the current Operator calls across Arcadia, hundreds of status displays and readouts flickering across his vision and disappearing just as quickly. Error focused through the noise, narrowing his attention to Usurpation Zone 15-01 as he prepared to use his magic directly on the Guardians within. It was something that was impossible only minutes ago. Affecting things in an Usurpation Zone from beyond with magic was already difficult, and the sheer amount and quality of miasma in UZ 15-01 had been enough that any spell he cast would have been quickly nullified. But now that the shielding station had been reactivated, things were different. The shield reinforced the boundaries of reality, helping to reduce and weaken the miasma in the zone by a considerable amount. Unfortunately, while the remaining miasma wasn¡¯t enough to block his spells, there was still enough left to weaken his magic considerably, and the distance involved was doing him no favors either. Thankfully, he¡¯d spent well over 100,000 points building the room around him to negate those exact difficulties. Magitech devices, ritual implements, enchantments, and runes designed to enhance his magic surrounded him, all working in unison to boost his power. More than that, his Signature allowed him to synchronize with and fully control any electronic device like it was an extension of his own body. By using his Signature on the magitech around him, he was strengthening the very devices meant to empower his spells while also linking himself to the vast information of the Arcadian defense network. Even still, he knew it wasn¡¯t enough for his spells to reach the center of the Usurpation Zone and provide meaningful help to Fantasy Fatale. The miasma at the center was still more than enough to negate most of his spells. But the perimeter where Guardians were already reducing the miasma by taking out Anathema? That was a different story. Error¡¯s mind flicked over the various defensive options he now had access too, watching through cameras as the situation unfolded. Squads of Guardians in groups of four to eight rolled through UZ 15-01, slaughtering Anathema by the dozens. Groups of Guardians with flying magic soared between Arcadia¡¯s towering buildings, raining down lightning and fire in strafing runs that blasted apart the Anathema-crowded roads. Spines and acid shot forth at them in counterfire from the windows of buildings only to be blasted apart by arrows and spells from ranged Guardians leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Dozens of scenes of combat played out across Error¡¯s vision as an unprecedented number of Guardians worked together to bring death to the Anathema. Error forced himself to look through the chaos, searching through the scenes for any Guardian that might need his assistance. Error spotted a group of Guardians being surrounded at an intersection by dozens of two-headed, human-faced hounds, and he reached out. Seize Domain, Digital Armor, Digital Blades, Summon Virtual Legionnaires. He cast the spells, releasing his magic into the network as he watched the effects from a security camera. Instantly, a grid of green light spread beneath the Guardians, the energy reaching up to form ethereal plate armor over their outfits, their weapons igniting with pixelated, viridian fire. On every side of the Guardians, four figures rose from the ground. They were translucent beings of light made of a flickering, emerald wireframe that outlined their bodies and the Roman soldier armaments they were equipped with. Each held large square tower shields and spears, and they moved in unison to create shield walls between the Guardians and the Anathema. The Guardians let out a cheer, instantly going on the offensive as the summoned legionnaires kept the tide of Anathema at bay, spells and enhanced attacks flying from the Guardians to rip through the monsters. Error only watched for a moment before turning his attention to another problem area, repeating the process again. And then again. And again. He tailored his spells to each instance, sometimes only summoning a group of legionnaires to act as meat shields and other times calling forth one of his powerful angels to swoop in and rescue an injured Guardian. He kept his eye out for any truly critical situations, but no matter where he looked, none of the Guardians were truly desperate. There were simply too many Guardians fighting in the zone, and every time he spotted a situation he thought might turn really bad, another Guardian swooped in to flip the battle around. Even Error¡¯s interventions proved to be mostly redundant, other reinforcing Guardians often arriving just as his spells took effect. He even recognized some of the long-range spells taking effect as coming from other Guardians working as Operators, lashing out from their own ritual rooms. Quickly, the biggest problem Error faced was making sure he didn¡¯t waste his mana overlapping his support magics with another Guardian¡¯s. Error took a deep breath, forcing himself to slow his pace as his mana dropped to less than half. He knew he was pushing himself too far, too fast, but he couldn¡¯t stop himself. Even with his emotions artificially boosting his mana regeneration, he couldn¡¯t keep up with the dozens of situations he was throwing himself into, often casting more spells than he knew was necessary just to ensure the Anathema would be slaughtered as quickly as possible. His attention turned as a distress call to an Operator caught his attention, and he flicked his attention to the spot in question, sucking in a deep breath as he saw the Guardians in distress. The Anathema they faced was strong, and Error barely had to check the miasma readouts to know the monster was the Seed Bearer, the source of the Usurpation Zone itself. Error built up his mana, his muscles beginning to ache as arcane power rippled through him, and then he unleashed his fury. Hang on, k¨­hai. I promise, this will all be over soon. ------- Magical Girl Cutie Pie panted as she jumped back from another of the Anathema¡¯s attacks, beams of dark energy shooting out in a rain of death from the dozens of black magic circles glowing on the monster¡¯s wings. One of the beams clipped her side, blowing completely through her Barrier and ripping a gash beneath her ribs. She bit back against the cold, gnawing pain as her flesh disintegrated, forcing herself to continue skipping back and forth as she twirled through the rest of the beams. Kitten dashed past her a second later, twisting through the dozens of attacks with ease as she rolled, spun, and launched herself over the endless barrage of death until she reached the body of the Anathema. She let out a shout, scarlet energy gathering around her clawed glove as she slashed upward from three feet away. Five crimson lines of energy hissed outward, flashing across the distance and into the Anathema¡¯s torso to tear through its flesh with ease. Blood sprayed out in a crimson mist as the Anathema roared, aborting the beam attack as it folded its wings protectively over itself. Cutie took a step forward to press her own attack but stumbled as pain caused her to lose her footing on the rubble of the destroyed road beneath her. Sugar was next to her in an instant, reaching out a hand to Cutie¡¯s injured side and whispering a word. Blue light began glowing from her hand, glittering motes of sapphire gliding into Cutie¡¯s wound and slowly easing the throbbing pain in her side. The Anathema began to unfurl its wings only for Metal Maid to come flying in, unleashing twin beams of green plasma from her palms. The Anathema crouched back behind its wings, the beams dispersing against them harmlessly, but a sonic boom exploded the windows of a nearby building as a glowing pink arrow shot out, stabbing into the Anathema¡¯s wings before exploding in a kaleidoscope of color. Another Guardian joined in, a classic fireball shooting from a rooftop down on top of the monster, but still the wings seemed to hold against the inferno. More Guardians struck out, launching their own strikes in an endless rain of spell strikes to keep the Anathema pinned down. Lightning bolts, spinning discs of water, and even iridescent musical notes flew into the Anathema, exploding against the creature in a relentless onslaught of magic. By Cutie''s guess, there were another six or seven Guardians aiding them now, but they were all staying on the backlines. None of them must have been high enough level to stand front and center with Cutie¡¯s team, but the constant flow of support magic and long-ranged attacks was more than just appreciated. In fact, It was only due to their constant interruptions of the Anathema¡¯s attacks that Cutie¡¯s team was still standing at all. Still, even with all of them working together, it wasn¡¯t enough. The Anathema probably had at least ten to fifteen levels on Cutie, which was hardly insurmountable with her entire team backing her up. The problem was that this was no ordinary Anathema, it was a Seed Bearer, an Anathema that fused with the Curse Seed responsible for keeping the Usurpation Zone anchored in reality. Anytime an Anathema fused with a Seed, it made the creature significantly stronger. And judging by how tough this particular Anathema was, it had already been an Elite or Rare even before eating the Curse Seed. It was big, tough, and capable of using basic magical attacks. Worst of all, this Anathema had a ridiculous amount of regeneration. Every attack they landed healed up in only a few dozen seconds. It wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up forever, but it was a war of attrition, a question of if they could wear out the Anathema¡¯s abilities before it took one of them down. So far, Cutie wasn¡¯t liking her odds. ¡°There,¡± Sugar gasped from her side, staggering away from Cutie in exhaustion. ¡°Best I can do for now. Those beams are definitely curse magic.¡± Cutie let out a hiss of air through her teeth. Plenty of Anathema could use magic, but dealing with curse magic was an entirely different story. Combined with the monster¡¯s already absurd physical abilities, Cutie knew it was just too much for them to handle. Cutie raised her hand to her earpiece even as more spells fell upon the Anathema from a new Guardian that joined in. With an effort of will and flick of mana, she sent out an emergency call to Command that was accepted immediately. ¡°Mayday, mayday, mayday. This is Cutie Pie of Maid Cafe, rank B. My team and other Guardians have engaged the suspected Seed Bearer of UZ 15-01 and are being overwhelmed. Target appears to be capable of using curse magic. Requesting immediate assistance, 150 plus only! I say again-¡± Before she could finish, the Anathema let out a roar, a wave of black energy exploding outward. The spells caught in the blast of energy disintegrated, and Cutie was forced to jump back as the wave ate away at the ground beneath the Anathema, dissolving everything in a twenty foot circle around it. Street lights and cars caught in the wave simply broke apart into blackened ash, creating a perfectly empty circle around the monster. It growled, raising a crab claw hand at Cutie, and three shadowy tendrils of light began to curl between its pincers like a whirlpool, spinning inward into a ball of darkness that sucked in the color from the world around it. Violet lightning sparked across the orb as it began to grow in size, and Cutie let out a warning shout as she felt the gathering miasma and mana spike to massive levels. She grabbed Sugar Rush and physically threw the girl away from herself, calling up her own mana and beginning to cast a shield spell even though she knew the gesture was futile. Before she could cast, a grid of emerald light spread across the ground beneath her while a giant magic circle with a pattern of repeating ones and zeroes bloomed into existence next to the Anathema. From the circle, an eight-foot tall figure rose. They were made entirely of emerald light, their form a mere wireframe outline that showed a vaguely angelic figure wearing a dress with plate armor covering their chest, shoulders, and arms. Wings spread out from the figure as it hefted a giant sword of buzzing emerald energy, and with a flickering slash, the angel cut off the arm of the Anathema in a single, elegant motion. The orb of shadows held between the pincers flickered before exploding in a vortex that vaporized the dismembered limb, and the Anathema let out a roar of agony. Cutie stared in dull shock as she heard calm, assured footsteps echo out behind her, and she turned to look at the approaching figure. The young man walking towards her wore a skintight suit of dark green with emerald pieces of glass-like armor covering his chest, shoulders, hands, and legs. A completely featureless, angular mask of black metal hid his face but left his moss-green, spiky hair uncovered. Glowing emerald lines lit up his outfit in a pattern like circuits, and his entire form was semi-transparent, as if he was some kind of ghost or¡­ a hologram? He stepped forward with utter confidence, walking up to the Anathema without a care in the world. ¡°Good work, Cutie,¡± a modulated voice said, and Cutie blinked in surprise as she recognized it as Error Machina¡¯s. ¡°Looks like you got it under half health. I¡¯ll take it from here.¡± Error continued walking forward, passing by the towering angel figure as he neared the Anathema. The monster snarled, swiping out a claw with lightning speed, and Cutie let out a gasp as the claw hit Error and- Went completely through him, leaving him utterly unharmed. ¡°That¡¯s right, dumbass,¡± Error snarled, and Cutie swallowed as she felt the mana in the air building up. ¡°I¡¯m not actually here. Unfortunately for you, you¡¯re still in my domain.¡± Error reached out a hand towards the towering Anathema, a magic circle appearing beneath his form and spinning at a sickening speed. The small hairs on Cutie¡¯s skin prickled as she felt more mana building up in one place than she¡¯d ever felt before, and then Error snarled words that made reality ripple. ¡°Force Close.¡± The Anathema froze in place, utterly unmoving. A loud, staticky crackle like feedback from a speaker ripped through the air followed by a shrill, long beeping tone. Pieces of the Anathema turned blue and featureless while others jittered out of place like jigsaw pieces, entire sections of the Anathema flickering from one spot to another as if it was glitching out. The monster¡¯s entire form blurred, suddenly becoming horribly pixelated, and then- It vanished. No flash of light, no gradual disintegration. One moment the Anathema was there, and the next it was gone, leaving the dark, ruined intersection of the city utterly empty. [Defeated (Cursed Centipede Chimera - Level 153)] [Bonus experience awarded for defeating an enemy more than fifteen levels above your own!] [Bonus experience awarded for defeating a Rare Anathema!] [Bonus experience awarded for defeating a Seed Bearer!] [Experience split among all combat participants based on participation.] [Congratulations! You¡¯ve leveled up multiple times! You are now level 137!] [Stat Points Available: 20] [Congratulations! Your Class Pastry Princess has leveled up multiple times! You are now level 126!] [Congratulations! Multiple Skills have leveled up! Check Status Log for more information!] Cutie looked on in awe at Error Machina as he lowered his hand, a subtle snap echoing through reality as a tension in the air seemed to relax, the Usurpation Zone dropping around them. Error turned, giving Cutie a nod before his form vanished in a flash of light along with the emerald angel and the grid beneath them. Cutie stared for all of a minute before taking a deep breath, forcing herself to move. The Usurpation Zone may have fallen, but there were still plenty of Anathema to clean up, even if they were now significantly weakened. Besides, after what she had just witnessed, Cutie knew she still had a long, long way to go if she ever wanted to be like Error. So she moved, giving orders to her team to form up. The battle may have been won, but they still had a war to win. ------- On the roof of the Grand Arcadian Mall, next to the broken dome of glass peering down into the shielding room, a spherical patch of reality appeared oddly smudged. It was a slight thing, as if the colors of the world had bled slightly into one another. Even then, it was an almost imperceptible change, and Gildscales failed to notice it as he fought on in the skies above, releasing arrow after arrow into the endless stream of flying Anathema. His spells split apart into dozens of golden shards, streaking through the night like comets before exploding in brilliant golden flashes that lit up the darkness. Still, the tide came, but it was never at a pace Gildscales couldn¡¯t seem to keep up with. Anytime more than a few creatures gathered together, a spell from the Guardian would lash out, vaporizing the group before they could overwhelm him. Beneath him, the two invisible figures inside the patch of cloaked reality did nothing to interfere or reveal themselves, merely watching as he fought on. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t make it in time¡­¡± a voice sulked from near the edge of the glass dome. ¡°We can¡¯t be everywhere,¡± a second voice comforted the first. ¡°Besides, it all worked out in the end. Just not how we might have expected it to.¡± ¡°Still¡­ We¡¯re usually on top of things like this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being too hard on yourself. Being in all seven Sanctuary Cities at once had us spread too thin, especially with Eden being our priority. We had no way of catching this in time, not with how things played out, and definitely not with this being caused by a completely new Guardian popping out of nowhere.¡± There was another grumble, and the second voice sighed. ¡°If it makes you feel any better, I¡¯m sure this girl will be part of your next assignment.¡± ¡°Really?¡± the first voice piped up, her voice quivering with excitement. ¡°After what happened here? Of course. There¡¯s too many questions left unanswered, and she¡¯s a Dark anyway. I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ll be spending more time on her than the others, too.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± the first voice giggled. ¡°It¡¯s been too long since I had a proper muse!¡± The second didn¡¯t respond, simply watching as the events in Arcadia unfolded. Even as they observed, there was a snap, and reality seemed to relax as an invisible tension disappeared from the air. Both figures let out a sigh as the Usurpation Zone lifted. ¡°That¡¯s our cue,¡± the second voice sighed. ¡°On to the next city, then.¡± A moment later, the blurred patch of reality flickered back to normal, but the two figures were already long gone. Forum Interlude - Death Wish Information? Arcadia Community Forums ¡ú Current Events ¡ú Death Wish Information? SlothHiveMind [Arcadian] [Verified Journalist] [High Standing] [Fact Checker] Hey everyone, Sloth here. So it¡¯s been a few days now since the huge, worldwide Anathema attack was fought back. There¡¯s been a lot of discussion and theorycrafting about what that was all about, but there¡¯s been an almost conspicuous lack of talk about the events that led to the end of the siege in Arcadia. So, I figured I would compile all the information I¡¯ve been able to gather so far and put out a call to anyone who might have more to add. Bear with me while I get through some background information, I promise it will come into play later. What we know: During the unprecedented, city-wide attack (that also targeted the other six Sanctuary Cities), one of the shielding stations failed. There¡¯s a few theories floating around, but the general consensus is that it might have had something to do with the Grand Arcadian Mall, the location where the shielding station is located. The mall is a fairly new construction, not originating from when the Zenith teleported the island in, and the shielding station was relocated there from a different spot because it made for a better location. The only real theory we have right now is that the installation must have been done incorrectly. This combined with the massive amount of Usurpation Zones put too much of a load on the station, resulting in the shield going offline. With the shield down, the Anathema were able to bring in a TON of creatures. Although the zone wasn¡¯t the strongest (highest level of other zones reported in Arcadia were house sized zones in the high 200s) the massive amount of Anathema were able to claim a large amount of territory and begin hunkering down. Guardian Command stated that because of the sheer number of Anathema, their tactic was to wipe out the other, smaller zones first while formulating a proper attack plan. This way, they wouldn¡¯t risk the smaller zones becoming stronger and lashing out during what would be a long and arduous process of clearing out the bigger zone. Here¡¯s where things get hazy. A lot of people have been claiming various things, but let¡¯s start with the facts. Although there were many Usurpation Zones, the city was far from completely covered, and about seven hours, thirty minutes into the ¡°invasion,¡± a notification went out through the city¡¯s emergency broadcast system. This broadcast can be heard in the various videos from people outside the zones, and was recorded many times. Listen to a cleaned up version here: DeathWishNotification.mp3 (Point of clarification for those of you who may not be well-informed about the intricacies of Guardians: A Death Wish is a classification of ¡°quest¡± or task they can be offered. Doing these quests help Guardians get stronger, and each quest is given a difficulty level. Death Wish is the highest level and is defined as a task that the Guardian is not expected to survive. These quests are offered when there is a critical situation that desperately needs to be resolved even though it almost guarantees the death of the Guardian who takes it.) As you can hear, Magical Guardian Error Machina seems to have used his powers to broadcast the alert. Shortly after, Guardians from all around Arcadia used signal flare spells in a sort of tribute and acknowledgement. There are plenty of videos of the event circulating, so I won¡¯t bother linking any here. What I will note is that shortly after the notification went out, Guardians from across the city began breaking from their previous positions, rushing to the Usurpation Zone where the shielding station failed. Thanks to drone footage observing from safe areas, we have tons of footage of Anathema beginning to pour out of buildings and start running to the center of the zone where the shield failed. The incoming Guardians took advantage of the Anathema mindlessly turning their backs on the perimeter, and with the hundreds of Guardians working together, a vast majority of the Anathema were slaughtered with relative ease. Around five minutes after this event began, the shielding station reactivated, further weakening the Anathema. This raises a few questions: Why did the Anathema all start moving to the center of their zone, and how does the Death Wish fit in? From the events I¡¯ve just described, I think it is safe to assume the Death Wish in question had to do with reactivating the shielding station. These stations require a LOT of mana (magical energy) and have a long start-up process. From my research, it appears that this starting process also produces a lot of mana. As Anathema are naturally attracted to mana, it makes sense that every Anathema in the zone suddenly abandoned their positions and beelined it to the station. This would also explain why the quest to restart the shielding station was classified as a Death Wish, because with that many Anathema heading toward you, not many Guardians could survive let alone a completely NEW Guardian on their first day. Now, this still leaves a few crucial questions that must be answered: First of all, why was it necessary to restart the shielding station? From what my sources say, Guardian Command had a competent, safe plan for pushing back the Usurpations. Granted, restarting the shielding station DID get all the Anathema to rush out into the open, making them easy targets for the massed Guardians to defeat. In fact, many have credited this turn of events for how Arcadia was cleared much more quickly than the other Sanctuary Cities. The Anathema seemed to have portaled most of the forces into what they thought was a weak point only to make the mistake of being lured out by the shielding station¡¯s startup sequence. But still, why did the shielding station have to be restarted? What made it so critical that a Guardian on their first day was given the task? And also, maybe most importantly, what is their status? Error Machina said in his message that a strike team was on the way to save them, but it sounded like prospects of rescue were dubious. The lack of announcement on if the rescue was a success is more than a little concerning. I¡¯ve made inquiries to my contacts, but it seems like the government is keeping things quiet for now. Even the Guardians I¡¯ve contacted have told me they don¡¯t have any information on the matter or won¡¯t make a comment. That¡¯s why I¡¯m turning to all of you. If anyone has any information, please feel free to share it. I¡¯ll update this post with anything we figure out only after I¡¯ve confirmed it myself. Let¡¯s see if we can figure this out together! TenderLion [Arcadian] God I hope the Guardian is okay. I can¡¯t even imagine what it must have been like. Saklin [Arcadian] @Tender Lion. LOL of course they are okay. U really believe this whole death wish thing? Pretty obvious the guardians just wanted to farm points instead of actually doing their jobs. Typical. Leaving the rest of us sitting in shelters while they only help themselves. SocklessKhajiit [Mainlander] @Saklin. Obvious troll is obvious. Go cry somewhere else that you were inconvenienced while people were literally putting their lives on the line. Try harder next time. @TenderLion. I think the Guardian in question is probably okay. Governments are usually pretty quick to have announcements/memorials when one falls. My guess is they are keeping quiet because the Guardian in question is so new they don¡¯t even have a name. They¡¯re probably working on figuring out how to manage this properly. It doesn¡¯t help that they¡¯re at the center of such a big event and now have millions of eyes on them. Saklin [Arcadian] [Message deleted by Moderator] SyntheticBliss [Moderator] @Saklin. None of that now. Your first comment was somewhat off topic, but I allowed it. If you¡¯re going to get angry about somebody calling you out and respond like that, then I¡¯ll go further than just deleting your comment. Consider this a warning. @SocklessKhajiit. Try to remain cordial towards others. If someone needs to be bonked, leave it to the mods. OopsItsOrion [Mainlander] Damn. Don¡¯t know about anyone else, but the videos of that tribute the Guardians did make me tear up every time. I¡¯m hoping for a good ending to all this, but every time I remember that scene I can¡¯t help but get depressed. Somebody message me if we find out the Guardian made it? XenoAlertTV [Arcadian] It¡¯s fairly obvious that we¡¯re all missing what really matters. Some poor kid was drafted by the Zenith to die in THEIR war because they ¡°deemed it necessary.¡± Anyone who¡¯s read the Zenith Accords knows this goes DIRECTLY against what they promised. ¡°No person shall be given the gifts of magic for the sole purpose of resolving a dire situation happening in their immediate area.¡± Yoinking some random kid, forcing them to fight as a child soldier, and then giving them a task that is certain to get them killed? Does NOBODY else really see the problem with this??? And before any of you say ¡°oh they had a choice, nobody forced them,¡± need I remind you about the socially manipulative parasites that call themselves Familiars? I wouldn¡¯t call it much of a choice when those things will do everything in their power to make somebody feel like they are doing the ¡°right thing.¡± Can a kid really be expected to see through the lies of an alien whose only goal is their own survival? And, of course, it just so happens most Guardians that are chosen are easily manipulatable teens because ¡°matured adults aren¡¯t usually compatible with soul gems.¡± I mean, come on! This is just another disgusting showcase of how little the Zenith really care about us. I wish I could say I was surprised, but I¡¯ve been saying it all along that it was only a matter of time before the Zenith became more blatant in their ways. We¡¯re just cannon fodder in their war, and this is all the proof you need. ChairMimic [Arcadian] [System Fanatic] SocklessKahjiit has the right of it. Another thing to consider is the new Guardian might have been injured and is currently incapable of making decisions. Magical healing can still take quite a bit of time depending on the circumstances, and with how resigned Error Machina sounded in his message, it seems fairly likely the Guardian was looking at severe injuries if they survived at all. It¡¯s entirely possible they are keeping news quiet until they Guardian is in a position to make their own decisions. Until then, all we can really do is hope and pray they make a full recovery. As for why the Death Wish might have been issued, these quests are generally only offered under three conditions. First condition is that if the task is not accomplished, there will be a significant loss of life. Second is that whatever the task is, it needs to be finished urgently, meaning there is some sort of time factor involved. The final condition is that the task is significantly beyond the Guardian¡¯s relative power level. As for how many people might be in danger if the task is not accomplished, the lowest amount of people recorded being saved in a Death Wish quest was 237 people by Magical Girl Broken Blade. With that in mind, I¡¯d agree with the assumption that restarting the shielding station was necessary to save lives, so the situation must have been one that couldn¡¯t wait for Guardian Command¡¯s strategy of clearing the zone at a later time. As for situations that might cause that¡­ I¡¯m not entirely sure. While I pride myself as a System nerd, my understanding of magitech isn¡¯t nearly at the same level. It doesn¡¯t help that the shielding stations are VERY complicated with a variety of functions. Let me do some research to refresh myself on their intricacies, and I¡¯ll post back with what I¡¯ve found. @XenoAlertTV. You make some bold claims when we don¡¯t even know what exactly happened. I know you¡¯re one of those people who don¡¯t trust the Zenith, and I¡¯m not even going to try to convince you differently. Hell, I think remaining cautious and open-minded is a good thing, but don¡¯t go trying to exploit this event without even knowing how any of it played out. There¡¯s any number of reasons explaining how this could have happened. Let¡¯s wait a little before sounding the alarm bells. Barookia [Arcadian] Don¡¯t know if this is relevant, but my friend works as a secretary for one of the mall¡¯s owners (the mall the shielding station is in) and said the police came around to bring him down to the station for some questioning. GirlInYellow [Arcadian] A new Guardian doing a Death Wish on their first day¡­ One thing¡¯s for sure, whatever caused this tragedy goes beyond just bad luck or an accident. Though, that¡¯s just par for the course with most Death Wishes¡­ The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. SlothHiveMind [Arcadian] [Verified Journalist] [High Standing] [Fact Checker] @XenoAlertTV. Lots of speculation. I know I¡¯ve said this to you before, but I¡¯ll say it again: if you have any concrete proof of your many claims about Zenith overreach or abuse, I would love to see it. I¡¯m aware of the ¡°theory¡± you like to spread to your viewers, but I have yet to find any significant shred of evidence on it. Regardless, I agree with ChairMimic. It is much too soon to claim they violated the Zenith Accords. @Barookia. Interesting. Following your lead, I asked around, and it does look like there is some sort of investigation going on. Of course, I didn¡¯t get much further than that because it was an ¡°active situation,¡± but it¡¯s better than nothing. I¡¯ll keep an eye on how that is playing out. @ChairMimic. Great insights, and I¡¯d appreciate any more info you come up with. @GirlInYellow. Although there¡¯s no proof yet, I¡¯m inclined to agree. After your comment, I was inspired to look into the circumstances of past Death Wishes. Interestingly enough, over 80% of them involved human negligence or misconduct in some manner that led to the situation being as bad as it was. Good catch, though it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean it was the case here. BeepBeepImAJeep [Arcadian] Calling it now, the newbie Guardian totally survived and is going to be famous from all this. Probably a Pink too. QuitFix [Arcadian] Honestly makes no sense why they won¡¯t just tell us if they survived. Feels like their just trying to build up a bunch of hype or something, maybe make some big reveal to distract us from all the uneasiness the attack left. MermA [Mainlander] [System Fanatic] For those of us who know the different colors/origins and what they mean, anyone want to take bets on what color this new Guardian was/is? Something like this is a classic Pink move, right? I mean, they single-handedly turned around the entire attack on Arcadia by themselves in a heroic last stand. Also, couldn¡¯t that be the cause of the Death Wish? Maybe the Zenith predicted more lives were going to be lost in the long run if the attack wasn¡¯t stopped immediately. It doesn¡¯t really fit with the urgency other Death Wishes have had, but this wasn¡¯t any ordinary event, either. TieRANT [Arcadian] @MermA. Definitely sounds like something a Pink would do. Though it seems like they survived, so maybe a Green? Lines up with peace and protecting people and all that. Plus they¡¯d have the defensive bonuses, so it makes sense. JustTodd [Arcadian] [System Fanatic] @MermA. Maybe let¡¯s not? We all know the Pink bias is strong, and it¡¯s just rude to the other Guardians to constantly remind them of that. At least make a different thread, this one is for information gathering. As for your idea bout the Death Wish, I kind of doubt it. Like you said, the urgency requirement isn¡¯t really there. Was going to post what I know about Death Wishes, but ChairMimic beat me to it. I¡¯ll confirm/endorse what he¡¯s said so far though. He knows his stuff, so probably best just to wait on him unless anyone else has any relevant information that hasn¡¯t been added yet. ChairMimic [Arcadian] [System Fanatic] [Message deleted by Error Machina] Error Machina [Magical Guardian - Peace] [Operator] [Tier Three] Oookay, and that¡¯s my cue. Let¡¯s try to nip this in the bud before it gets out of hand. @ChairMimic. Just to be perfectly clear, this is a soft little bonk. I didn¡¯t put a black mark on your account or anything because I don¡¯t think you did anything wrong on purpose. However, some of the information in your post could prove problematic, so I¡¯ll take it from here. I suggest you keep the ¡°extra¡± things you found out to yourself. First of all, let me begin by saying that yes, the Guardian who went on the Death Wish did in fact survive. The only reason we¡¯ve been quiet about it is we were hoping they would wake up so we could get their input on how much we should reveal. They¡¯ve been in a magically induced rest, and it looks like its going to take them a little longer to recover. Unfortunately, curiosity knows zero patience, and some sleuths in this thread and others have begun digging up information. So instead of people poking their noses where they don¡¯t belong, I¡¯ll just make an ¡°official¡± statement. I even ran it past the Guardian Command to make sure it wouldn¡¯t muck anything up, so here we go. First of all, some information on shielding stations: Shielding stations have a secondary function that rarely gets discussed, especially in Arcadia. Basically, if a shelter activates its emergency shield, the shielding station can power it indefinitely. If there is no shielding station to power it, shelters have batteries that can last nine to ten hours (in Arcadia, at least) before they run dry. When this happens, the shelter opens up as it can no longer maintain basic life support functions. Normally, such a situation wouldn¡¯t be an issue in Arcadia. Most Usurpations don¡¯t take longer than an hour or two to clear out, and even the trickier ones only take around five. With that information in mind, you¡¯re probably able to guess the problem now. The shielding station went down, and a shelter under its protection activated its emergency shield. Because of the Anathema ¡°invasion,¡± every Guardian was busy clearing out other zones, and because the shielding station went down, the zone with the shelter that needed rescuing was filled with too many Anathema for a Guardian or even a team of them to get close. Worse, if we pulled every Guardian from their tasks to clear out the zone and save the shelter, the Anathema would have been able to fight us every step of the way, buying time for other zones to mature and get worse. The one thing nobody could have counted on was a new Guardian already inside the zone. After they contacted Guardian Command and found out the situation, the Death Wish was issued to restart the shielding station, allowing the emergency shield to be powered and saving the people in the shelter. The rest is history. The new Guardian managed to activate the shielding station which also had the side effect of drawing out all the Anathema in the zone, the Guardians rushed in to save the newbie and take advantage of the Anathema revealing themselves, and a strike team was able to save the new Guardian by sky diving directly onto her location thank to the flying and anti-air Anathema having been drawn out of position. Now, let me be clear about this next part. There is, obviously, a few investigations going on regarding this situation and what occurred. Feel free to ask questions in this thread, I¡¯ll check back periodically and answer what I can, but I would highly recommend not investigating into this further on your own. There are some very serious issues revolving around this event including some completely unrelated things that only add further complications. Consider this your one and only warning. An official statement will be going out on the news relaying this same information soon as well, so look forward to that. SlothHiveMind [Arcadian] [Verified Journalist] [High Standing] [Fact Checker] @Error Machina. Thank you for the information! This clears up a lot of things, but most importantly, I¡¯m happy to hear the Guardian is safe and recovering. I¡¯ve got a few questions, and I¡¯ll try to ask some that I know others will inevitably bring up.
  1. Is there anything you can tell us about this new Guardian? I know you probably won¡¯t say anything, but people will ask so I figure I¡¯ll just get the question out of the way.
  2. Can you share any information on what caused the Shielding Station to go down?
  3. Which Guardians were responsible for the daring rescue?
  4. Did the shelter activating the emergency shield have a valid reason? From what I understand, it would take an especially strong Anathema to breach Arcadia¡¯s reinforced shelters, but the Usurpation Zone in that area wasn¡¯t reported as being that powerful.
  5. Any word on how this is going to affect the introduction of this year¡¯s newest Guardians?
Thank you for your time and your service! ChairMimic [Arcadian] [System Fanatic] @Error Machina. Sorry about that. I should have realized some of the information I posted could have been problematic considering privacy concerns and the weirdness of the situation. I¡¯ll be more careful next time. I guess the only question I have that Sloth hasn¡¯t asked is¡­ How do I get a space in my name like you? MermA [Mainlander] [System Fanatic] @Error Machina. What Origin is the new Guardian? How old? What kind of weapon and magic do they use? Can you get them on here to answer these questions if you won¡¯t? Error Machina [Magical Guardian - Peace] [Operator] [Tier Three] @SlothHiveMind.
  1. Nope. There will be no information given out about the Guardian unless it is by them directly.
  2. Nope. It is an ongoing investigation.
  3. Fantasy Fatale (who are currently serving as a strike force in Arcadia) went and did the deed. Everglaive, Thorina, Naiad, and Gildscales. Big damn heroes, the lot of them. Don¡¯t even think about trying to bother them for details, though. If I¡¯m not sharing, they won¡¯t either.
  4. The shelter¡¯s emergency shield activation was a manual, unwarranted one. Technically this is an ongoing investigation too, so don¡¯t press for more details.
  5. Currently, nothing has changed as far as I am aware. Introductions should begin around the same time as previous years.
@ChairMimic. No worries, I know you weren¡¯t being malicious. As for how to get a space in your name, it¡¯s actually pretty simple. Just become a Guardian. @MermA. Refer to answer 1 above. I¡¯ll let them know there¡¯s interest regarding them, but don¡¯t expect them to come onto the forums anytime soon. They¡¯ve been through a lot and deserve a slow, gradual introduction into all of this. NosTrix [Mainlander] @Error Machina. Operator tag, wtf? Why are you wasting your abilities doing what an intern could do for minimum wage? JustTodd [Arcadian] [System Fanatic] @NosTrix. What you just said is so stupid on so many different levels I can¡¯t even¡­ TieRANT [Arcadian] @NosTrix. Uhh¡­ you realize you¡¯re talking to a Guardian right? MermA [Mainlander] [System Fanatic] @TieRANT. Shh! It¡¯s going to be funny when he realizes what happens when you¡¯re an asshole to a Guardian. Just get the popcorn ready! Error Machina [Magical Guardian - Peace] [Operator] [Tier Three] @NosTrix. First of all, my whole gimmick is digital magic. Sitting behind a computer is literally the best place I could be. From Guardian Command, I can cast my magic throughout most of the city, creating barriers, summoning creatures, and empowering other Guardians while utilizing some powerful technologies and ritual implements to strengthen my magic. While not as effective as me being there in person, I can affect DOZENS of Guardians in different locations at once. Secondly, while I find your comment more amusing than anything else, other Guardians might be less chill. One thing that you may not know about Guardians is that we have something called ¡°Guardian Immunity,¡± meaning we¡¯re legally immune to prosecution for most non-violent crimes. So you being rude to me is just¡­ astronomically stupid. In fact, it¡¯s so stupid I think I¡¯ll edit your tags to make sure everyone knows you messed up. Finally, being an Operator is a lot of work. I could explain all its intricacies, but I¡¯m pretty sure you wouldn¡¯t understand. I mean, you are only a fitness blogger working part time as a night shift security guard. Nothing against security guards or anything, but judging by the fact you spend most of your shift playing Magical Girls Sunset: Rebellion, your particular job doesn¡¯t require much effort. So maybe you aren¡¯t in the best position to lecture people on job complexity? Also, stop using your underleveled, slow, power-type Magical Girls in the third dungeon. Your team keeps wiping because you can¡¯t dodge any of the attacks. It¡¯s been eight attempts now, don¡¯t you think its time to change strategies? Now, I know what most of you are thinking. ¡°OMG, Error Machina just found out that guy¡¯s personal info and spilled it online! How could he? That¡¯s kind of messed up!¡± Well¡­ yeah. It is a little bit, even if I didn¡¯t post anything too personal. And that¡¯s my point here. Yes, as Guardians we try to live up to the reputation of idols and heroes, but for the love of all that is holy, remember we are just people. We put our lives on the line on a daily basis, watch as our friends and allies get hurt and die around us, and witness some of the most horrific moments in human history. So when somebody comes around and does something to ACTUALLY piss off a Guardian¡­ you may get a reaction that isn¡¯t as restrained as mine was. Now, just to be clear NosTrix, I¡¯m not really mad at you. I¡¯m doing this as a lesson to treat other Guardians better and to just take a moment before you say something dumb online, or even worse, in person. Other Guardians (or even normal people) with less self-control might react poorly, and that would be unfortunate for everyone involved. It makes the Guardian look bad for punching down, the authorities look weak because they can¡¯t really punish the Guardian so long as they don¡¯t go too far, and you just end up getting hurt in the end. Finally, I¡¯ll be around in Rebellion tonight during your shift, so I¡¯ll send you a friend invite. Let¡¯s see if we can¡¯t get you through that dungeon, shall we? Okay! Back on topic, I¡¯ll be stepping away for a bit. Got a lot of paperwork to do from recent events and some other developments need my attention. Nothing serious, but it¡¯ll take my attention away for awhile. I¡¯ll be back eventually to answer any more questions that get asked. NosTrix [Mainlander] [Dummy] @Error Machina. Uhh, sure. Sorry. NosTrix [Mainlander] [Dummy] @Error Machina. Dummy!? Seriously? How do I get rid of this tag? MermA [Mainlander] [System Fanatic] Aww, a surprisingly tame reaction. Was hoping for more of a complete and utter thrashing. But yeah. Error¡¯s lesson is a good one. Guardians will put up with a lot, usually, but Error¡¯s right. If they snap at you, there¡¯s not much you can do legally so long as they don¡¯t just murder you (which they wouldn¡¯t do anyway, because you know¡­ GUARDIANS). The Guardian Diplomatic Protections Act gives them about as many diplomatic protections as a country. Sure, the public can get mad at them, but otherwise¡­ what can really be done? They¡¯re super magical warriors who use literal magic to fight world-ending monsters on a daily basis. Be nice to them because they deserve it¡­ and can cast fireballs from their fingertips. Or I suppose you can just f*** around and find out. Let me tell you though, there¡¯s an entire wiki page of people who¡¯ve done that, and it NEVER ends well for the non-Guardian. XenoAlertTV [Arcadian] [Message deleted by Moderator] SyntheticBliss [Moderator] @XenoAlertTV No. Just no. This is not the place to baselessly accuse a Guardian of violent crimes and gross misuse of their power. Not only is it way off topic, but accusations like that without proof are highly volatile. Your posts already hinge on conspiracy-theory levels of statements, but this is going way too far. Let¡¯s get back to the topic, everyone. The Death Wish and survival of the new Guardian thanks to team Fantasy Fatale. If you wish to discuss other topics, there is nothing stopping you from creating your own discussion elsewhere on the forums. As this has become a fairly important informational thread, anything deviating too far from the topic will be punished from here on out. Thanks for your understanding! [Page 1 of 118] Chapter 26 - Survivor I woke with a start, flailing as half-formed memories of Anathema, pain, and gunshots flashed through my mind. A choked scream was quickly aborted as I sat up, the dryness of my throat turning the sound into a scratchy cough. I blinked the sleep from my watery eyes, and it took a moment for my vision to clear. I was in an¡­ unlit bedroom? Everything was colored in soft white and grays, giving the room a bland, professional feel. A giant widescreen TV hung on the wall across from me while nightstands flanked either side of the bed I was in. The wall to my right was covered in curtains hanging from top to bottom, suggesting the entire thing might have been one large window. Finally, a few pieces of watercolor art depicting gentle landscapes were placed around the room, helping to finish off the minor furnishing along with a few lamps. Two doors led into the room with one of them open, but I couldn¡¯t see what it led to from my position in the bed. I looked around, heart pounding as I tried to process what I was seeing. The one thing that didn¡¯t fit with the decor was an IV pole standing next to me. A bag of blue, glowing liquid hung from it, a thin tube leading down from the bag to a needle in my right arm, just below a rolled up sleeve. More confusion swept through me as I looked down at myself and saw I was wearing black, long-sleeved pajamas with a purple bunny-head pattern repeating across them. Moreover, something white and fluffy was seated on my lap. It almost looked like a stuffed animal, like a bunny, but- [You have fifteen pending notifications!] The blue, semi-transparent box suddenly appearing in my vision made me jump slightly, and the form sitting on my lap stirred, fox tails unfurling as Selene stood up. Her crescent moon pupils stared up at me, floppy ears twitching as her tails began to gently wave back and forth behind her. [Good morning, Mai,] her gentle, clear voice echoed in my mind. [It is good to see you awake.] I looked from Selene to the room around me, a dozen questions forming. Of them, one rose above all the rest, burning so fiercely that I felt my heart begin to race. I forced myself to take a deep, steadying breath only to start coughing again as the air aggravated the dryness of my throat. [The nightstand on the right has some water for you,] Selene directed me, and I looked to see a water bottle placed there. I reached for it with my left arm, the one not attached to the IV, and- I stopped, staring down at my left arm with wide eyes. I had both of my arms. Emotions started to bubble inside of me, rising in my chest and into my throat. I desperately pushed them down, forcing my shaking hands to grab the water bottle and open it. Some water spilled down my chin as I hurriedly drank, and Selene gave a slow nod of her head. [Good. Now, I¡¯m sure you have a lot of questions-] ¡°The shelter,¡± I interrupted her. ¡°Is the shelter okay? Is Lily¡­?¡± My heart pounded as I stared at Selene, desperation making me shake. My memories felt fuzzy, the entire fight at the shielding station just a blur. I know I pushed the button, but what happened after? Was the shelter saved? Did the plan work? [The shelter is fine,] Selene quickly assured me. [You successfully restarted the shielding station, restoring power to their emergency shield. Though their battery was severely drained, it was enough for the shelter to last a day on low power mode. That proved to not be necessary, however, as the Usurpation was lifted soon after the shield was restarted, and the shelter was rescued.] I stared at Selene, the tightness in my chest not disappearing. The shelter was¡­ rescued? That didn¡¯t make sense. No, it did, but it couldn¡¯t be that simple, could it? ¡°But what about¡­¡± I fumbled, squeezing the water bottle tight enough to start crinkling it. ¡°We were surrounded and¡­ The attack on Arcadia and¡­ Um¡­¡± I stuttered, fidgeting as I tried to put into words the desperate restlessness that wouldn¡¯t leave my body. [Mai,] Selene whispered, her voice soft. [You restarted the shielding station. You saved them, and some Magical Girls saved you. You fought with everything you had, and you won. You did it, Mai. You saved your friend and hundreds of other people. It¡¯s all over now. All of it.] Slowly, my heartbeat began to slow as her words sank in, the tension melting from my body. As it did, I felt the churning emotions in my chest begin to bubble over, and I looked to the bedroom doors. ¡°Is anybody out there?¡± I thought to Selene, not trusting my voice. [No, it¡¯s just us for now,] Selene responded. I nodded, taking a deep breath. And then I broke down sobbing. The memories of fighting, of my stomach being blended by an Anathema, of trying to keep Brian safe, of learning that my friend was going to die, of my arm being twisted and crushed, of cutting it off, of my desperate fight against the Anathema, of my final words to Selene¡­ all of it seemed to flash through my mind at the same time. And it was just too much. Every moment had been constant tension, like shards of glass were scattered inside my heart, digging deeper with each passing moment. Every breath had been measured, none of them ever quite filling my lungs. More than that, it was the desperation, the fact that every moment I¡¯d had one clear, indisputable goal in front of me pushing me on like nothing had ever before. But now all of it was just¡­ gone. I woke up, and it was over, like it never even happened. I knew it was stupid, that I should be happy everything had turned out fine, but part of me just felt hollow. Maybe the worst part was it didn¡¯t feel real. Even as I thought back to the events, everything felt like a dream, like I hadn¡¯t really done any of it. It was worse than an emptiness, it was a feeling of loss. Every reason I¡¯d had for fighting, for pushing myself to keep moving forward was gone, and that left me with¡­ What did it leave me with? So I sobbed. It was an ugly, gasping sob that left me breathless and coughing as I let myself cry. Selene had assured me nobody was around, so I let myself give in. Whenever I thought I was almost done, a wracking pang of emptiness would echo through me, and I would start again. I don¡¯t know how long I cried, but by the end of it, I was exhausted. It felt like all my energy had left with my tears, leaving my body trembling. I wiped at my eyes, sniffling as I looked up at Selene. Her head was bowed, tails lying limp against the bed. [It¡¯s alright. You¡¯ve been through too much, too soon. I apologize. I don¡¯t know how best to comfort you. If it helps, know that not every day as a Magical Girl is like what you experienced.] A Magical Girl. That¡¯s right, I¡¯m a Magical Girl now¡­ Just thinking that felt weird. Maybe it was because I¡¯d never transformed or used magic, but I didn¡¯t particularly feel like a Magical Girl. Sure I had my HUD, but even then, nothing felt different. I glanced up at my health and mana bars absently and saw that while my mana bar was full, my health was resting at 87%. I suppose that wasn¡¯t too surprising considering my injuries and the fact I still had an IV in my arm, though. But that did make me wonder¡­ ¡°Selene,¡± I frowned as I peered at the glowing liquid in the IV bag, ¡°What¡­ What happened? Where am I?¡± [Well¡­ perhaps we should start with what the last thing you remember is?] ¡°I¡­ um. We were fighting in the shielding station, and I was running to the terminal. Then¡­¡± I shivered, a hand going to my chest. I looked for the wound that should have been there but felt nothing other than the softness of my pajamas. ¡°I got hit¡­ but I kept going to press the button. After that¡­¡± The memory of my conversation with Selene made my throat tighten. I¡¯d been half-delirious from my injuries, I knew that now, but the things I said to Selene made my face heat up. Even worse, I wasn¡¯t sure how to talk about what I was about to do when the Anathema had me surrounded. It had felt like a reasonable thing at the time, but how was I supposed to say that now? ¡°I¡­ the glass dome broke,¡± I finally said, skipping over that part and hoping that Selene wouldn¡¯t bring it up, ¡°and some Magical Girls came down. They cleared out the Anathema with magic, and then¡­ put me to sleep?¡± The final parts of my memory were blurry, particularly around what the Magical Girls had been saying, but Selene still gave me a nod, her tails swishing excitedly. [You seem to remember everything, more or less. A group of Magical Girls came to rescue you. By the time they arrived, you were already seriously wounded, forcing them to put you into a magical sleep while they treated you. Once you were stable and the Anathema were fought off, they transferred you here, the Fairlight Hotel. There are various circumstances that made it a more reasonable choice than the Guardian hospital, but I think they would like to discuss those with you directly. They can also explain any other questions you might have.] ¡°They?¡± I asked, an edge of apprehension forming in my gut. ¡°What do you mean?¡± [The Guardians who rescued you want to have a few words with you,] Selene clarified. [There are quite a few events that transpired while you were unconscious, and there are things that we need to discuss with them. Besides, you still need your Astral Shift unlocked, and they would be capable of doing so.] I hesitated for a moment. They had gone out of their way to save me, and I knew I owed them a lot. They¡¯d also already seen me without my transformation to hide my identity, so talking to them now wasn¡¯t much of a problem. Still, something bothered me about the idea, something nagging at the back of my mind. No matter how hard I tried to grasp the trailing thought, it eluded me. I gave up after another handful of seconds, instead asking about something else. ¡°But¡­ what about everything you said about not trusting other Guardians?¡± I felt bad the moment the words left my mouth. After they¡¯d risked their lives to save me, it felt stupid to be doubting them, but it was the only real concern I could vocalize. Even as Selene began to answer me, I knew it wasn¡¯t the real issue that was bugging me. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. [These aren¡¯t just any Guardians, Mai. They are a strike team, a group contracted to serve as an elite defense force for Arcadia. More than that, Error Machina was the one who sent them, and he trusts them. While I maintain that other Guardians may be nervous or antagonistic around you, I believe you should trust these ones. I¡¯ve personally reviewed their public records and found nothing to suggest ill intent. Furthermore, they have already signed a Geas to keep all information they¡¯ve learned about you private. I had planned on asking them for an oath when you awoke, but they actually surprised me by taking the initiative with the Geas.] I let myself process the information for a minute before giving a slow nod. When Selene had first told me to be wary of other Guardians, I hadn¡¯t quite understood her reasoning. Now that I knew what being a Dark Magical Girl meant and the stigma around being one, it made a lot more sense to be cautious. A Dark Magical Girl¡­ I shivered, and Selene tilted her head at me inquisitively. [What¡¯s wrong?] ¡°It just doesn¡¯t feel real,¡± I admitted quietly. ¡°None of it. I don¡¯t feel like a Magical Girl, like I was fighting against Anathema. It¡¯s like everything was just a dream.¡± [A certain amount of dissociation is only to be expected,] Selene dipped her head. [It is common for new Guardians to struggle with their new status, and after everything you have been through, it is no surprise you feel out of sorts. If you would like, we can hold off on talking to the Guardians while you process recent events. There is no particular rush, and this hotel room is yours to use as you see fit.] I bit my lip, thinking it over. Some time to just breathe sounded nice. Everything had been one thing after another, and I¡¯d never really gotten time to think about what any of it meant for the long term. I mean, I usually just took one day at a time anyway, but this changed everything¡­ Or did it? Would being a Magical Girl really make anything different? I mean, I was supposed to keep going out and fighting Anathema, but outside of doing that, had anything changed? I was still just¡­ me. Wasn¡¯t I? The problem, I realized, was that I just didn¡¯t know what it meant to be a Magical Girl. Sure, I knew what it meant to fight Anathema, but when Guardians weren¡¯t doing that, what exactly did they do? Most seemed more or less just like celebrities. Talk shows, reality TV, merchandise, concerts, and live streaming were just some of the activities I knew they participated in, but what did any of it mean exactly for my daily life? I just didn¡¯t know, so how was I supposed to process what any of this meant? Combined with the fact that I really wanted to know what happened after I was put to sleep, it seemed like there wasn¡¯t much point in waiting around. As nice as it sounded to just have some time to breathe, it wouldn¡¯t solve anything. ¡°Um,¡± I licked my lips. ¡°Could I talk to the Guardians now? I don¡¯t¡­ I need to know what being a Magical Girl means outside of fighting, I think, and I really want to know what¡¯s happening.¡± [Completely reasonable,] Selene nodded. [There is a living area with chairs and couches just outside this room we could use for our conversation. Should I go contact them now, or would you like a few minutes to freshen up?] ¡°I¡­¡± I stopped myself, brow furrowing in confusion as I realized I felt great. Other than my throat being a little dry and the slight fogginess in my mind, there was nothing I could really complain about. I didn¡¯t have to use the bathroom, and I wasn¡¯t even hung- As if triggered by the thought, my stomach suddenly growled as an empty hole of ravenous hunger opened inside me. I bit my teeth down on my lip, tightening my abdominal muscles as I furiously pushed against the feeling. Raising the bottle in my hands, I quickly drank the rest of it, hoping the water would help trick my hunger away like it usually did. [Ah, of course, you¡¯ve been through no small amount of magical healing. Food will be required to replenish your body¡¯s reserves. I can ask the Guardians to bring some food with them. Do you have any preferences?] ¡°No, that¡¯s fine,¡± I hurriedly said. ¡°I can get some later.¡± I already owed the group of Guardians more than I could repay, and if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, it was clear from the room I was in that this wasn¡¯t exactly a cheap hotel. I had no idea what the cost was going to be, but- [Nonsense,] Selene shook her head. [You need to eat, Mai. Magic always comes at a cost, and the cost of receiving magical healing is that your body needs nourishment. While the nutrients you have been receiving from the IV have helped, nothing beats actual food. Besides, you¡¯ve been asleep for a week now, so-] I missed the rest of what Selene was saying as the bottom of my stomach dropped. I blinked a few times, her words ringing in my head. My heart stuttered, then began to race as the implications rushed through my mind. I felt my body tensing as I sucked in a ragged, horrified breath. [Mai?] Selene gasped. [Your vitals-] ¡°A week?¡± I whispered numbly. ¡°I¡¯ve been asleep for a whole week?¡± [Today would be the seventh day, but don¡¯t worry! Guardian Command and the strike team have assisted me in making an appropriate cover story for your disappearance.] My heart wouldn¡¯t stop pounding as I looked at Selene. Even though I tried to calm myself down, I could feel something cold slithering its way behind my lungs, looming over my heart with detached dread. ¡°I, um¡­¡± I stuttered. ¡°Has¡­ Has it worked? Has anyone tried calling?¡± [We took the initiative to contact your family, of course,] Selene responded. [Right now, they believe you are recovering in a hospital after receiving an injury to your leg saving Brian. We can talk about that more with the strike team, but the story seems to have worked. Your father has called twice a day to ask about your condition and when you can be released. Currently, he believes you are being held to receive magical healing from a Guardian as the wound proved problematic.] I stared at Selene, the chill inside me sinking deeper into my lungs. The story made sense, and I had walked into the first floor shelter with a wound to my leg, but that wasn¡¯t the problem. I tried to tell myself that everything was going to be fine, that I could deal with this. Really, it couldn¡¯t be that bad. I had good reasons for being gone, didn¡¯t I? Closing my eyes, I forced myself to take slow, steadying breaths. The cold sense of doom never quite disappeared, and steel wires of tension had wrapped themselves through my body, but that was okay. I was used to the half-breaths and tightness around my heart. It was nothing I didn¡¯t know how to deal with. [Mai,] Selene started, her voice hesitant. [I know we¡¯ve only been together for a short time, but if there is a problem, you can tell me. It¡¯s your decision, of course, but I¡¯m here to help with anything you might need.] Something in me recoiled at that, and I realized I was letting myself slip. Quickly, I opened my eyes and forced myself to smile at Selene, making a concentrated effort to relax the muscles on my face. With a small amount of effort, I forced myself to loosen my posture. ¡°Sorry¡­ I just was a little surprised,¡± I lied. ¡°Seven days is a long time to be asleep. I was worried it might make people suspicious.¡± [Ah¡­ Well, no need to be worried on that front. The cover story we¡¯ve concocted is quite good, if I do say so myself.] I kept my eyes on Selene¡¯s tails as she talked, watching for any deviations from their normal expressiveness. They never stopped the gentle sway back and forth they usually maintained, and I let out a slow breath of relief as I nodded at Selene. ¡°Okay¡­ Can you get the Guardians, then?¡± [Of course. I¡¯ll get them to bring a variety of foods so you have your choice.] I opened my mouth to assure Selene I was fine, but she was already hopping away. She reached one of the two doors in two quick bounds, then jumped through it like there was nothing there, her motion only slowing slightly as she phased through. I swallowed down a sigh, filing away the fact I¡¯d have to find a way to pay back the Guardians for whatever food they bought me. I started extricating myself from the bed, slowly putting weight onto my feet to test out the strength of my muscles. Only when I was sure my legs would hold out did I stand, putting some of my weight on the IV pole just in case. The hardwood floor was cool against my bare feet, and I shivered as I made my way to the doors. The IV stand had little wheels attached to it, so I rolled it with me, unsure if it was okay for me to remove the line from my arm. As I reached the door Selene had phased through, I was able to see through the other doorway and see a bathroom. It was huge, all tile and expensive looking marble for the countertops. It had both a shower and a tub big enough to fit multiple people. I felt my throat tighten at the sight as I wondered how expensive this hotel was. I walked into the room, flicking on the lights almost idly as I held my breath and looked into the mirror. What I saw made me wince. My already messy mop of hair was looking particularly chaotic, and my eyes were red and puffy from crying. Maybe it was my imagination, but my face also looked particularly thin. Other than that, I didn¡¯t look too bad. The pajamas I had fit me perfectly, and they felt extremely soft, which was¡­ I frowned, looking down at my pajamas, and that was when the realization of what had been bothering me before hit me like a hammer. I had been healed by a Magical Girl, and they¡¯d also changed my clothes. My jaw clenched tightly enough to hurt my teeth as my throat constricted in panic at the implications. I carefully lifted my left sleeve from my wrist only to find¡­ Letting out a long breath, I lowered my sleeve. I wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it, so I started checking the rest of my body. It didn¡¯t take me long to realize none of the wounds I¡¯d taken fighting the Anathema had left any sort of scar, not even where I¡¯d cut off my arm, but any mark or blemish I¡¯d had beforehand remained. But what did that mean? Did magical healing only affect recent wounds, or¡­ I closed my eyes. It didn¡¯t matter. Chances were, I had to be prepared for questions. Selene hadn¡¯t said anything, maintaining her promise to let me keep my privacy, but I couldn¡¯t expect that from a stranger. They¡¯d probably jump straight into misunderstanding and have plenty of questions. But I could handle that. I had my explanations ready, and if all else failed, maybe I could leverage my status as a Magical Girl now? Selene had said they¡¯d already signed a Geas to keep any information about me secret, so even if they did try to pry, they shouldn¡¯t be able to bring up anything to anybody else. Which meant¡­ it was probably fine? I chewed on my lip, fidgeting in front of the mirror for another moment before I turned on the faucet and started washing my face. My heart was still racing, but I wasn¡¯t sure there was anything else I could do but stay ready. So I washed my face and wet down my hair, hoping it would help make me look a little less rough. When I was finished, I made sure to brush the fringe of my hair to help hide my right eye. Hopefully that would make them more comfortable talking to me and keep them from staring. Eye contact was nice, but it was painfully obvious to me when someone was flicking their gaze from one of my eyes to the other. Satisfied I looked at least a little better, I left the bathroom, opened the other door in the bedroom, and stepped through. I stumbled slightly as I took in the new space, jaw dropping. It was big and obviously very expensive. I was in a sort of living room area with three sofas in dark leather surrounding a glass coffee table with various knicknacks carefully arranged around it. There was another large TV set up over a fireplace, and some small end tables dotted the room with artistic lamps done like sculptures. A small refrigerator was placed next to a desk, and elsewhere there was a countertop with a fancy coffee machine, microwave, and various cups placed on it There were a few other things to take in, but the more I looked the more my heart began to fall. The tasteful yet nondescript art pieces, the door leading to another bathroom with what looked like a jacuzzi, and the blinds drawn over the large windows making up one side of the room all suggested that this was a very nice hotel, one that cost a lot of money to stay in. And I¡¯d been here for a whole week? A stress headache began to form even as I hurried to one of the sofas facing the entryway and sat down. This¡­ How was I supposed to afford this? I already owed the Magical Girls who saved me, and this was only adding to the bill. If that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the glowing blue liquid in my IV suggested they clearly had spent points on me, but- Wait. I had points now too. I could buy things with those points. I probably couldn¡¯t just outright buy money, but surely I could buy them things to make up for what they¡¯d spent? Or maybe there was a way to trade points between Magical Girls? I had to have some points after the fight and¡­ I felt my eyes widen. No, I had to have a lot of points. Even Error Machina had said after this was all over, the System should reward me for what I¡¯d done. I¡¯d even gotten the alert that I had fifteen pending notifications, so some of those had to be rewards, right? I shook my head, feeling a little stupid. Before I could open my status menu, though, Selene reappeared, jumping through the door and hopping over to sit on the table in front of me. [Alright, the Guardians have been informed that you¡¯ll be ready to talk with them in ten minutes,] Selene said, a hint of giddiness entering her voice. ¡°Ten minutes?¡± I asked. [Well, I figured that before we talked to them, you should look at your notifications!] Selene said, tails swishing excitedly behind her. [Looking at all the rewards you received should help you to feel like a proper Magical Girl! Also, I thought that by reviewing them now, you would be able to ask the Guardians coming in any questions that may arise. Their advice on what to spend your points on may prove invaluable.] I hesitated a moment before nodding. I hated to owe them more after everything they¡¯d done for me, but Selene was right. I had literally no idea what I was doing or what my future held. Any help they might give me really would be priceless. [Excellent!] Selene cheered. [Let¡¯s get started then.] Chapter 27 - Rewards [Displaying pending notifications!] [You have defeated a horde of Anathema! This is a consolidation of multiple combat notifications. For a full list, please request more info.] [Reward: 675 Points] I felt my eyes widen at the blue boxes that appeared in my vision. Had I really killed that many Anathema? I tried to remember, but the entire fight felt hazy, one desperate action after another. I remembered taking down a lot of them when they were pouring over the burning corpse of the Anathema that had pried the doors open, but¡­ I mulled over the memories for a bit before shaking my head. It may have been hard to believe, but it wasn¡¯t like the System would lie. No, what I should be doing right now was trying to think like a Magical Girl. What would a proper Guardian do after getting a notification like that one? ¡°Can you show me the notifications for the new Anathema I killed?¡± I asked after a moment. If I was going to be fighting more Anathema, it felt like it made sense to at least know what I¡¯d faced so far. Besides, there was an itch of curiosity in me. The fight had been¡­ desperate. I wanted to know just what kind of monsters I¡¯d managed to defeat. [Of course.] [Defeated (Devouring Bear - Level 7)] [Reward: 15 Points] That must have been the headless Anathema with the gaping maw instead of a head. It had been fairly easy for me to defeat, but I had been shooting directly down its throat. If I were to guess, it was probably tougher to take down with a melee weapon. [Defeated (Flailed Shrieker - Level 16)] [Reward: 30 Points] I shuddered as I remembered the sound of the monster that had called out to the rest of the Anathema. Again, it had been relatively easy to take down, but its ability to alert others to its exact location more than made up for its lack of defense. If I ever had to fight those again, taking them out first would have to be a priority. [Defeated (Blade Reaver - Level 14)] [Reward: 25 Points] I was guessing that one was the skinny humanoid with four arms ending in blades. It had been hard to land a hit on its thin frame, and I was willing to bet it was a nightmare to fight in close combat with four different arms flailing around. [Defeated (Crawling Nightmare - Level 24)] [Reward: 50 Points] Surprise flashed through me. That could only have been the Anathema that opened up the door, and it had been an even higher level than the Newborn Arachnomantis. It hadn¡¯t been much of a fight, but it had taken me using every bullet from my Equalizer, five of which had gone straight through its eyes and into its brain. If I was being honest, it was kind of shocking it had taken that much to kill the thing even when I was hitting a vital organ. I could only imagine how terrifying it would have been to fight if it hadn¡¯t been completely fixated on opening the door. [Defeated (Hulking Mass - Level 12)] [Reward: 20 Points] And that must have been the giant Anathema near the very end that blindsided me as I was exiting the hedge maze. I ran a hand across my ribs but didn¡¯t feel even a twinge of discomfort, not even from the spot where the spine had pierced through me. Maybe it shouldn¡¯t be surprising considering my arm was reattached, but it still felt weird to go from injured to waking up completely fine. [Now, onto the next,] Selene said, keeping me from brooding. [I would suggest waiting for the end before you pull up your status menu.] Before I could respond, another blue box popped into my vision. [Congratulations! You¡¯ve leveled up multiple times! You are now level 12!] [Stat Points Available: 0] I winced at the last part, wondering how much I had messed up my ¡°build¡± by funneling points into just Agility and Dexterity. At least I had only earned four levels. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was impressed I had leveled or disappointed by that many levels. I knew I got experience from defeating Anathema, and while I assumed experience functioned like the other video games I¡¯d played, I never really got the details from Selene. Thankfully, I had an expert sitting right in front of me. ¡°Selene, how does earning experience work exactly?¡± [The main source of experience is defeating Anathema,] Selene happily launched into an explanation. [The higher the Anathema¡¯s level, the more experience you earn. Every time you level up, the experience needed to get to the next level increases. Moreover, there are certain ¡°milestone levels¡± where the amount of experience required increases by a dramatic amount. Levels ten, twenty-five, fifty, and 250 are considered minor milestones, while every hundredth level is a major one. The only other functional thing you need to know is you get less experience for defeating Anathema lower than your level, but it only really becomes a significant reduction when there is a level difference of fifteen or more. Of course, the reverse is also true.] I nodded slowly. That information matched up with my new level, then. Thanks to our strategy, most of the Anathema I¡¯d taken out at the shielding station were fairly close to my own. Combined with reaching level ten, it wasn¡¯t surprising I¡¯d only gained four levels. If anything, it made it more impressive. [Next?] Selene asked, and I nodded. [Congratulations! For reaching level ten, you have unlocked Classes!] [Number of Classes Available: 10] [I would recommend waiting to explore your available Classes for now,] Selene interjected immediately after the notification. [Also, while I¡¯m sure you probably understand what a Class is considering your gaming history, I would like to give you a proper explanation later. I think bringing up your options with the other Guardians and asking for their opinions may also be beneficial.] Even though I was tempted to take a peek at what I¡¯d unlocked, I inclined my head in agreement. Getting a proper rundown of what a Class did for me seemed like a good idea. Most video games treated a Class more or less the same, but there were plenty of little nuances that differed from game to game. I wasn¡¯t in any rush to choose one now, anyway, so I resisted the urge to call up my Class choices and waited for the next notification to appear. [Congratulations! For reaching level ten, your Augment (Demonic Eye of the Sable Waif) has been upgraded!] [As thy power grows, thy second sin reveals itself. To you whom hath watched, whom hast observed others and wondered what set thou apart, whom hath desperately grasped for the normalcy of others, the Envy Sin opens a new eye. O Waif of Sable, let thy sight reveal all aspects to thee whom yearns for what thou never may obtain. Witness the truths occulted from the world as only one whom lives under the light of the Lonely Moon can.] [Accept Upgrade?] Reading the description made a pit form in my stomach just like the last one had as I realized what it was implying. The System acted like it knew everything about me, but it was wrong. Sure, I watched people closely, but it was only to keep myself out of trouble. I didn¡¯t care about being like other people... I bit down on my lip as a bitter taste entered my mouth. Maybe¡­ maybe I did wish I was normal, but it still wasn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t envy them. I just wished things were different¡­ I glanced at Selene as knots of anxiety continued to twist tighter in my chest, but she only gave me a shrug of her tails. [As I said before, the Arcane System has its quirks. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t begin to guess what this upgrade will give you until you have accepted it. Like before, I can only assure you that whatever upgrade to your Augment this may be, it will not be detrimental.] A small sigh of relief left me as she didn¡¯t comment on the description further. I thought about it for a moment before deciding to just take the plunge and accept. I gasped as heat flashed through my right eye along with the intense sensation of tiny little needles poking across my iris. I lifted my hand to my face reflexively, but by the time my palm was covering my eye, the heat had already faded. I blinked a few times, gingerly removing my hand. Nothing in my vision seemed different, but a blue box appeared a moment later. Demonic Eye of the Sable Waif Level: MAX Original Sin: Sloth [Displays health, mana, Astral Shift duration, Dress durability, status effects, map data, overlays, and visual assist elements when activated. No restrictions. No mana cost. Keyword: Lullaby.] Second Sin: Envy Thin eye coverings no longer restrict sight while HUD is active. Active Ability: when activated, display the name and level of any Anathema, magical construct, Magical Guardian, or mana-awakened creature within direct line of sight so long as your right eye is unobstructed. No mana cost. Keyword: Identify. [LOCKED] [LOCKED] [LOCKED] [LOCKED] [LOCKED] I read the description a few times. Thin eye coverings¡­ Did that mean I could see through my eyepatch? I¡¯d gotten so used to wearing one, it would be a little weird to suddenly be using both my eyes again. It didn¡¯t seem that useful beyond being a nice little ability, but the activated part seemed interesting. I wasn¡¯t sure how good- [Oh dear,] Selene interrupted my thoughts with a loud sigh, tails twitching. [Hmm¡­ Mai, I want to let you know right now you should not tell anybody about this ability under any circumstance.] I tilted my head in confusion, as Selene took a deep breath before continuing. [There are a few reasons. First, I need you to understand that there are no Skills or spells in the entire System that allow somebody to get a direct level and name of an Anathema, let alone a Magical Girl. The closest thing are skills that give a vague sense of an Anathema¡¯s strength in relation to the user, but those Skills are nebulous at best with their reports. What you have isn¡¯t just a rare ability, it is probably one entirely unique to you. If other Guardians knew you had this, it could cause problems.] ¡°Wait¡­¡± I furrowed my brow. ¡°Is it really that powerful?¡± [Let me put it this way,] Selene¡¯s tails twisted on themselves. [Fighting Anathema is all about knowing their powers and weaknesses. To that end, Guardian Command has entire divisions devoted to recording information about our adversaries. Many Guardians spend hours studying the bestiaries we have created, but the difficulty comes in identifying Anathema in the heat of battle. Sometimes, the difference between two Anathema types is incredibly minute. For instance, the only visual difference between a Fomorian Hound and a Leach Hound is that the Leach Hound¡¯s tail is smooth and it has six claws. The problem is, Fomorian Hounds only go up to level five, but Leach Hounds can be found at level twenty. Missing such a small detail could lead to an encounter completely different and much more dangerous than initially planned.] I leaned back on the sofa as comprehension washed through me. So far, Selene had been able to tell me about everything I was facing, but she had said her database was limited. It also didn¡¯t help that there wasn¡¯t always time for Selene to inform me what Anathema I was fighting, but with this addition to my Augment, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about misidentifying what I was fighting, I would always be able to tell just how strong the thing I faced was. What was the old adage? Knowledge is power? It certainly fit with why I was always keeping my eye on other people¡­ ¡°I think I understand why it¡¯s good,¡± I said slowly, ¡°but why would it cause problems with other Guardians?¡± [Three reasons. First, Guardians are very private about their exact level, stats, and Skills. If other Guardians found out you could discover their exact level, it would almost certainly make them uncomfortable.] ¡°Why?¡± I asked. ¡°I mean, why not tell people your level?¡± [Hmm. Let me ask you this: Would you be comfortable telling complete strangers your level and exact stats? Letting them know exactly how fast and strong you were? Would you be fine with giving them numbers that directly measure your every capability and letting them compare themselves to you? Would you be alright if other Guardians judged your worth based on numbers alone? Or, even worse, would you be okay with your exact stats leaking to the internet for a bunch of armchair, non-Guardian, System theorists to critique you over?] ¡°Oh¡­¡± I said, feeling stupid as I began fidgeting at the thought. ¡°Umm¡­ Not really?¡± [Exactly,] Selene let out a sigh. [It¡¯s simply human nature to compare things, and the Arcane System makes it all too easy to begin assigning worth from those comparisons. It doesn¡¯t help that your level is, in a way, a measure of how much you have contributed to the protection of humanity. Some Guardians have taken to using level as a measure of importance, leading to elitism and sometimes bullying. To prevent this, Guardians have decided to adopt a policy of only revealing their general level. The only exception to this rule is when you team up with other Guardians, but even then, only an accurate summarization of your abilities is expected. Keeping exact levels hidden just helps prevent any unhealthy comparisons or judgements.] I nodded along, seeing all too easily what she was saying. People were always turning everything into a competition, and I assumed Guardians were no exception. It probably didn¡¯t help that the System was so game-like, making it easier for people to directly compare how ¡°good¡± somebody was to another. [So,] Selene continued, [you can see why Guardians would feel uncomfortable if they knew you could ascertain their exact level, especially with the rumors about Dark Magical Girls. That leads into the second reason, actually. If I¡¯m reading this ability correctly, you should be able to use your identify ability on a normal person, and if they are a Guardian, it would tell you their codename and level.] My eyes widened, and Selene nodded. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. [I see you understand the implications. If other Guardians knew you could discover them while they were outside their Astral Shift, their opinion could possibly go from just uncomfortable to outright hostile. Unmasking a Guardian is a big deal, and your ability would allow you to do it at will. Because of this, it is absolutely imperative we keep the full grasp of this ability hidden.] I swallowed, giving Selene a serious nod. People were already suspicious of Dark Magical Girls, and if they knew one could discover them when they weren¡¯t transformed, it was just asking for trouble. I knew all too well the value of privacy, and the idea of somebody walking around who could just take it all away on a whim was terrifying. [The final reason is pretty simple. As a Dark, it is best if you keep as many of your capabilities as hidden as possible. If you ever had to fight other Guardians, whether it be in a friendly duel or otherwise, keeping your exact powers hidden is key. It¡¯s part of the reason I cautioned you so early on about trusting other Guardians. You haven¡¯t had much of a choice up to this point, but from now on, I would still highly recommend exercising caution for any new Guardians you meet.] I shivered, the thought of fighting other people making my stomach turn. The Anathema were one thing, and I could easily justify fighting horrific monsters, but people? I¡­ I wasn¡¯t good with dealing with people as it was. The idea of actually fighting somebody, let alone another Magical Girl¡­ [Apologies for bringing the mood down,] Selene¡¯s soothing voice interrupted my spiraling thoughts. [I may be focusing on the negatives too much. I suppose I should be saying congratulations on receiving yet another powerful, unique boost to your capabilities. You continue to impress me, and I can only wonder in anticipation what your Augment will unlock at higher levels.] Blushing, I turned away slightly from Selene. I wasn¡¯t sure why she would be impressed by me. It wasn¡¯t like I had done anything, it was just the System arbitrarily deciding to give me the upgrade. I was just getting lucky, that¡¯s all. [Now then,] Selene¡¯s tails swished excitedly. [If you would like to continue going through your notifications, we¡¯ve arrived at your quest rewards! A quick explanation: The Arcane System sometimes awards tasks called ¡°quests¡± for Guardians to complete. These tasks can range from taking down an Usurpation Zone to helping a child find their lost dog. Any task that helps to protect or restore hope to humanity is eligible to be a quest. However, know that the System does not make everything into a quest. There is much debate as to how the System decides what should and shouldn¡¯t be one, but that is a topic for another time. What you need to know now is that quests are always given an estimated difficulty which represents the System¡¯s estimation of the danger or complexity of the task at the time the quest is offered. This difficulty level is not concrete, as circumstances can always change. The System can¡¯t read what might happen in the future, after all.] ¡°Would my, um¡­ Would the Death Wish still have been one if the System knew the other Magical Girls were coming?¡± [Almost certainly,] Selene nodded. [Just consider how difficult it was to survive long enough to start the shielding station. There is also the fact that your rescue attempt was only possible because of your actions, but we¡¯ll get to that later. For now, the only other thing to cover about quests is rewards. You only receive points for completing a quest, and the amount you receive depends on various factors such as your current level and danger encountered. Please note that just because a quest is higher in difficulty, it does not always guarantee a higher reward. For instance, finding a runaway dog may be classified as very hard for Guardians without searching Skills or magic, but the reward would still be relatively small as it isn¡¯t a hyper-critical mission. Also, complications during the quest may be cause for additional rewards or even new quests to form called ¡°sub-quests.¡± Any questions?] I shook my head. It all seemed fairly standard in terms of what a quest was in a video game except for only getting points and no experience. [Very well, then. Let¡¯s take a look at the quests you accomplished.] [Quest Completed! - Shelter Escort] [Description: Escort Brian to the shelter on the third floor of the mall. Bonus points may be awarded based on Anathema activity as well as difficulties encountered and overcome.] [Difficulty: Medium] [Reward: 100 Points] That must have been my first official quest, issued right after I became a Guardian. One hundred points for escorting Brian was a fairly generous reward, especially because Selene had been able to scout out a clear route for me. I was surprised the difficulty wasn¡¯t lower, actually, but maybe it had to do with me not having my Astral Shift? [Quest Completed! - Shelter Escort: Part Two] [Description: Escort Brian to the shelter on the first floor of the mall. Bonus points may be awarded based on Anathema activity as well as difficulties encountered and overcome.] [Bonus objective completed for defeating the Anathema guarding the first floor shelter.] [Difficulty: Hard] [Reward: 300 Points] I felt a little taken aback at the reward. Sure, I¡¯d had to take on a bunch of Anathema with just my gun, but even still, that was nearly half the points I¡¯d received for all the Anathema I¡¯d taken out during the shielding station fight. [Quest Completed! - Restart The Mana Generator] [Description: Restart the mana generator within the mall to restore shield functionality and save the civilians in shelter three. Bonus points may be awarded depending on the number of civilians saved.] [Difficulty: Medium] [Reward: 250 Points] [Sub Quest Completed! - Restart The Mana Generator: The Arachnomantis] [Description: Defeat the Arachnomantis guarding the room holding the mana generator.] [Difficulty: Very Hard] [Reward: 200 Points] I looked over the two notifications, noting how the sub quest was listed as being very hard difficulty but still gave less points than escorting Brian to the shelter and restarting the generator. Maybe the System put more value on saving people¡¯s lives than just defeating Anathema? It would make sense considering Magical Girls existed to bring hope to people in the first place. [Quest Completed! - Death Wish: The Shield Generator] [Description: Restart the mana generator on the Grand Arcadia Mall¡¯s top floor, saving the citizens within the third floor shelter. This is a Death Wish quest. Send your final requests to your Familiar or Guardian Command as well as any messages for your loved ones. They will be cared for, and your sacrifice will not be forgotten.] [Difficulty: Death Wish] [452 bonus points earned for the number of civilians saved in the shelter.] [Note: Some of your Death Wish requests may be modified. Please refer to your Familiar for details.] [Total Reward: 1,452 Points] I stared at the point reward, my mind reeling. Selene seemed to notice my shock, a gentle, mirthful chuckle resounding through my head. [Yes, it is quite the reward indeed. At your level, Death Wish quests grant 1,000 points, and the bonus for saving civilians is a nice boost. To be honest, you should earn even more points for the task, but various factors such as the slow maturation of your Soul Gem restrict how much you can earn. It is also important to remember most of the reward from a Death Wish is supposed to be from the requests you make due to the low chance of survival.] ¡°I¡­¡± I stuttered, trying to refocus myself. ¡°Um, what does it mean that some of my requests may be modified?¡± [Ah, yes,] Selene shifted around, her tails curling downward. [Well, about your request to make Lily a Magical Girl candidate. Usually, that request is allowed because one Magical Girl is expected to die, so a replacement is reasonable. With your survival¡­] ¡°Oh¡­¡± I replied as Selene trailed off, my heart falling. It was more than a little disappointing, but I guess it made sense. ¡°So she¡¯ll just get training to be a Magical Soldier, then?¡± [She¡¯ll be looked after and given all the opportunities she could ask for,] Selene responded. [It may be a bit hard to properly convey everything she will receive due to privacy concerns, but I can promise you that the spirit of your wish for her will be more than fulfilled. You will also be receiving some fairly surprising rewards yourself.] ¡°Me?¡± I furrowed my brow. ¡°Don¡¯t the points already cover that?¡± [Yes, but not entirely. Surviving a Death Wish is very rare, Mai, and yours had more than just a few irregularities around it. We¡¯ll get to that soon, but for now you have a few more System rewards to claim. Before that, there is one more quest you completed.] [Grand Quest Completed! - Defense of Arcadia] [Description: Arcadia is under attack from an unprecedented number of Usurpation Zones. All Guardians are hereby requested to contact Guardian Command for orders. A battle plan has been drawn up and is in effect. Any Guardian cooperating with this plan will receive a point reward based on their contribution to the effort. Deviation or disobedience may result in penalties to your point reward or outright quest cancellation. Go forth, Guardians, and know that you defend one of the seven bastions of humanity. It must not fall.] [Difficulty: Very Hard] [For participating in a critical event (Death Wish), 500 bonus points have been awarded.] [Total Reward: 1,000 Points] [New Point Total: 3,977] I blinked a few times, staring at my point total before the blue text box winked out of my vision. Almost four thousand points¡­ The most something had cost me was the Kinetic Handguns Vault at one hundred points. What was I even supposed to spend it all on? [It¡¯s quite a large amount of points,] Selene said, seemingly reading my mind, [and I have plenty of suggestions for possible purchases, but there are still a few more notifications. These next two are Achievements, which are awarded for doing something truly remarkable. Naturally, they provide impressive and unique rewards as well. Take a look.] [Achievement Unlocked - Broken Wings] [Description: In fighting the Anathema, you received multiple horrific, nearly fatal injuries to protect the lives of others and continued to fight on regardless. While being a Magical Girl is often portrayed as fantastical, there is very real danger that goes with it. You have discovered this much earlier than most through no fault of your own. Deprived of the very power that makes you a Magical Girl, how else could things have turned out? Though this will hardly make up for the trauma you endured, take this award and know your particular circumstances will NEVER happen to another.] [Please keep the details of how to acquire this Achievement to yourself.] [Reward: +10 Vitality] ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± I trailed off as I looked at the reward. [A permanent upgrade to your Vitality, yes,] Selene said smugly. [Achievements give very, very powerful rewards but are also extremely hard to get.] Saying it was powerful seemed like an understatement. Sure, ten points didn¡¯t seem like a lot, but that was an entire level¡¯s worth of stats added to my Vitality. That was a huge boost to the stat considering I would be splitting my stat points between six different categories each level. Gaining a permanent level¡¯s worth of stat points was no small thing. ¡°Why does it say to keep the details secret?¡± I asked, still marveling at the reward. [This particular Achievement can only be acquired by having a Guardian selflessly risking their life and getting injured. The key part is that the Guardian isn¡¯t trying to get hurt, they simply receive the injury while doing their duty. If Guardians knew you could get an Achievement by getting hurt, some might try to game the System. Ironically, this would only prevent them from receiving the reward. As such, it is best to keep the details on how to acquire this Achievement secret.] Nodding, I squinted at the message again, an edge of unease settling into me as I read the last half. ¡°Why does the message sound like it¡¯s coming from somebody? And what does the last part mean?¡± [The System was designed to have a more personable tone,] Selene shrugged her tails. [The idea is that Guardians won¡¯t feel as uncomfortable if it sounds like a friendly guide. The Zenith can also access the System to send personalized alerts, quests, and other notifications, so it might actually be a personal message. As for what the last part means¡­ I¡¯ll discuss that with you later. Right now, you still have one more Achievement to accept.] There was a giddiness to Selene¡¯s voice, but before I could ask, another blue box popped into my view. [Achievement Unlocked - Seraph¡¯s Halo] [Description: You took on a Death Wish, succeeded, and survived. More impressively, you did so without utilizing your Astral Shift and only one arm. Fate, politics, and misfortune conspired against you, and yet you strode into the darkness anyway, fully ready to be the light necessary to save hundreds of people even if it meant sacrificing yourself. People may have failed you and forced you to fight without your Astral Shift, but you did not fail them. For these reasons, you have been awarded the Seraph¡¯s Halo, one of the highest awards a Magical Girl can receive. Thank you for your service.] [Reward: +5 Strength, +5 Dexterity, +5 Vitality, +5 Agility, +5 Willpower, +5 Spirit] [Note: This stat bonus will upgrade at certain milestone levels.] I stared at the text box, something in my brain short-circuiting as I looked at the reward. It was three whole levels worth of stat points, and the description of the achievement¡­ [Congratulations, Mai,] Selene said, her voice warm. [Very few Guardians can claim the Serpah¡¯s Halo. It is more than just an Achievement, it is an award given only to the bravest and best Magical Guardians, something you have managed to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt.] My face felt hot, and I looked down as shame flooded through me. I didn¡¯t know how to tell Selene that this was a mistake. I¡¯d already been rewarded for doing the Death Wish, and this¡­ I didn¡¯t deserve it. All I¡¯d been trying to do was save Lily and keep people alive. I was the only one who could, so it wasn¡¯t like there¡¯d been any real decision to make. It was just¡­ I just did what made the most sense. It had nothing to do with bravery or anything like that. An awkward silence passed between us for a moment before Selene gave a slow, almost understanding nod. [And your final notification,] Selene continued, as if nothing had happened. [A bit anticlimactic to end with this, but still exciting in its own way.] [New daily, weekly, and monthly quests are available!] I latched onto that last notification, grateful to have something else to think about. I was curious what those quests might be, but before I could inquire, my status menu opened up in front of my vision.
STATUS
Name: Mai Kuroki Alias: None
Level: 12 Points: 3,977
Health: 87% Mana: 350/350 (30/Min)
BASIC
Origin: Dark Aspect: Loneliness
Class: None [10 Available!] Signature: Unawakened
STATISTICS
Strength: 15 Dexterity: 70
Vitality: 25 Agility: 70
Willpower: 35 Spirit: 6
SKILLS
ABILITIES AUGMENTS
Demonic Eye of the Sable Waif [MAX]
PERMISSIONS
VAULTS GRIMOIRES
First Aid Vault (Common) ??????§Ô??????§Ô??????????????§Ô????????:????? ??????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????
Kinetic Handguns (Common)
Modern Terran Clothing (Common)
I stared at the stats section, shaking my head. It was hard to believe how far I¡¯d come, only starting with ten in most of them except Willpower and Spirit. My eyes drifted further down to my Grimoire section and the mangled text there. With everything happening, I¡¯d forgotten that Selene had told me she would explain what was going on with that. ¡°Selene? My Grimoire, the one I¡¯m supposed to have because I¡¯m a Dark¡­¡± [Ah yes,] Selene nodded. [I believe the error text stems from the fact you haven¡¯t awakened your Signature magic yet. As I said before, your unique Augment, Signature, and Grimoire are linked due to your Origin being Dark. Therefore, I believe your Grimoire is most likely locked due to the fact you have yet to awaken your Signature magic. Unfortunately, that process can be a bit tricky and is best done at Guardian Command with the proper tools to identify the various facets of your personal magic, so we won¡¯t be able to access it right this moment. I do believe we should make doing so a priority, however. Knowing what your Signature and unique Grimoire is will give us a good idea of what the most optimal paths might be for your combat style.] Nodding along, I mentally put that near the top of my list of things to do. It helped me feel a little better, to have a goal in mind now that everything was over. Maybe it was wrong, but the idea of unlocking new things like I was in a video game excited me. For some reason, it just made things seem so much clearer knowing what I needed to do to ¡°progress.¡± Before I could ask Selene any more questions about unlocking my Signature or what it might be, there was a gentle knock on the door. ¡°Hello?¡± a calm voice asked, the sound muffled by the door. ¡°This is Magical Girl Everglaive. May I come in?¡± Chapter 28 - Repercussions: Part One My heart leapt into my throat as I stared mutely at the door. I¡¯d lost myself in going over the notifications with Selene and forgotten that I was supposed to be talking to people soon. It wasn¡¯t just any random people, either, it was the Magical Guardians who had saved me. I took a deep breath, adjusting my posture even as I smoothed out the expression on my face. There was a tightness in my chest, and I focused on it, using it as a base to build up my internal walls. When I felt ready, I got up, moving to the door with my IV. Every step of the way, I could feel my nerves building. I was about to talk to a Magical Girl, one of the protectors of humanity who I also owed my life to. Sure, I¡¯d managed to swallow down my anxiety when I spoke to Error Machina, but that hadn¡¯t been face-to-face like this. Besides, I hadn¡¯t really had a choice then, events forcing me to keep moving forward without really considering the implications. But now I was about to sit down with a Magical Girl, and I had no idea how I was supposed to act, especially not with what they might think they knew about me. It wasn¡¯t like I could just back out either, not if I wanted proper answers and advice, but I felt myself tensing up nonetheless, mind racing as I tried to figure out the best way to present myself. It was only when I was turning the door handle that I realized I was still in pajamas. Warmth flushed my face, but the door was already halfway open before I could stop myself. An elf stood across from me, her long blond hair falling over pristine features. It was hard to tell her exact age, but she looked no older than her late teens or early twenties. She wore the same outfit as I remembered, her tight leather armor and green cloak accentuating her slim body in a deadly elegance. Pine colored eyes with pupils the shape of a sharp edged flower looked down at me, and a small smile quirked the edges of her lips as her gaze flicked over my form. ¡°Hello,¡± she said, her voice smooth and sanguine as a still pond. ¡°It is good to properly meet you. My name is Everglaive, team leader of Fantasy Fatale.¡± She gave a slight bow of her head, and I found myself stammering as I tried to return the greeting. ¡°H-hello. I¡¯m, um¡­¡± ¡°No need for a name just yet,¡± she smoothly interjected. ¡°You¡¯ve hardly had the time to think of an alias. We can discuss finding you a suitable one soon, if you¡¯d like. But first¡­¡± She offered her hand to me, palm face up, and I looked at it in confusion. ¡°Please, place your hand on mine,¡± she requested gently. ¡°There is one quick matter we should take care of before continuing.¡± I looked from her hand to her eyes, hesitating. I wasn¡¯t sure why she wanted my hand, and I wasn¡¯t really the biggest on physical contact. In fact, I really preferred to avoid it as much as possible, even if Lily was big on hugs¡­ [Go ahead,] Selene whispered in my mind. [She means no harm, and I promise this will be beneficial for you.] Almost begrudgingly, I lifted my hand, placing it in hers. She gave a shallow nod, slowly moving her other hand and placing it on top so my hand was held gently between hers. ¡°In my authority as a Magical Guardian, I hereby release the Blacklight Protocols placed upon you. Liberate.¡± A warmth seemed to flow from her hand into mine before shooting through my body, and I shivered at the tingling sensation. [Congratulations! You now have access to your Astral Shift! Please set aside an appropriate amount of time for outfit creation with your Familiar.] My eyes widened in surprise as Everglaive released my hand, giving me a calm nod. ¡°Good. Now that you are free of any restrictions, I would request that we have a discussion. If you would rather not talk with me and my team, then I have also written down all the pertinent information for you. I do believe talking directly will yield greater results, but the decision is entirely yours.¡± I stared at her, completely off balance. I¡¯d expected to have to at least talk with them before they gave me my Astral Shift, not to just be handed it. In a way, I hadn¡¯t really had a choice about whether to talk to them or not, but now I was free to actually just walk away right here and now. I recognized it was an attempt to build trust on her part, but I couldn¡¯t tell if it was because she was just genuinely being thoughtful or something else. It took me a moment to shake off my shock, and I quickly gave her a grateful bow of my head. ¡°Thank you,¡± I quickly said. ¡°Um¡­ please, come in.¡± The hall leading to the door wasn¡¯t really big enough for two people, so I quickly moved further inside. She followed, and I heard the door close behind her. Selene had moved to the same sofa I had been sitting in, and I stood next to her as I turned to face Everglaive. She took a position across the coffee table from me, giving Selene a respectful nod before returning her attention to me. I shifted nervously as I found myself unsure what to do next. Normally I would be offering refreshments or otherwise trying to be a good host, but I was in a hotel room without anything to really give her. I also had no idea what sort of social dynamic we had. We were both Guardians, but she was my senior and quite obviously more powerful than me. Those factors alone made it a mess to figure out, but the fact that she also risked her life to save mine just made things a tangled web. ¡°Um¡­¡± I mumbled, my mind going completely blank. Embarrassment flooded through me as the moment stretched on, and I looked down at the floor awkwardly. My pulse began to pick up, my anxiety letting me know how much of an idiot I was making of myself. ¡°Why don¡¯t we sit down?¡± Everglaive gave me a soft smile. ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot, and I would feel rude keeping you standing. I have some things to give you as well, if you don¡¯t mind?¡± My blush only deepened at how effortlessly Everglaive cut through my indecision, and I gave a jerky nod as I sat down. She reached over to the coffee table, clearing some of the decorative knick knacks to the side before hovering her hand over the table. Emerald motes of light began to sparkle below her hand, rapidly multiplying and forming a ¡°L¡± shape before disappearing in a bright flash, the entire thing taking maybe a second. Where the light had been was now my Umbra, and my eyes widened. Everglaive moved her hand and began repeating the process, covering the table with more and more of my items. The process looked similar to what buying things from the Gate did, just without the magic circle, but the items were distinctly mine, the black color and bunny head emblem unmistakeable. ¡°What¡­?¡± I sent to Selene in wonder. [Dimensional storage magic,] Selene thought. [It lets her store items in a pocket dimension and resummon them. She¡¯s either utilizing an enchanted item or has bought a Grimoire to use the spells directly. It¡¯s a fairly staple tool for Guardians due to the sheer amount of utility it provides.] It only took her a few more moments to finish, and I looked at the array of items. In all, there was my Umbra, Ripple, two Judgments, my backpack, and fifteen magazines, twelve for my Umbra and three for the Ripple. There were also three different file folders that she¡¯d arrayed in front of me. ¡°Apologies,¡± Everglaive said, moving over to sit on the sofa across from me. ¡°I realize you had more items than this, but I¡¯m afraid they were either damaged or destroyed. As our fight went on, we were forced to use some of our less delicate magics to defend the area.¡± ¡°No,¡± I quickly shook my head, bowing it deeply as I latched on to the opening she gave me. ¡°Thank you. Thank you for saving me. This is more than I could ask for.¡± ¡°It was our pleasure,¡± Everglaive replied. ¡°I¡¯m only sorry we couldn¡¯t arrive sooner.¡± She seemed to hesitate for a second, and I looked up from the table to see her settling into the sofa, folding her hands over her lap. Something about her poise radiated an effortless elegance, as if it was second nature to her. Pursing her lips, she tilted her head slightly before giving a nod to herself, like she had just decided something. ¡°The rest of my team should be arriving shortly,¡± she told me, ¡°but I believe we can begin with explanations while we wait. Before we get into all of that, though, I would like to ask how you are holding up. I¡­ Well, I¡¯ve done introduction speeches to other Magical Girls before, but never one who was thrown directly into the fire on her first day. I imagine things are a little confusing at the moment, yes?¡± I nodded at her, and she returned a gentle smile. ¡°That is only to be expected. Hopefully, by the end of our conversation we can remedy that. Speaking of which¡­¡± She gestured from across the table to one of the file folders in front of me. ¡°This folder contains a copy of the magical Geas my team signed as well as the ones for Error Machina and the officers you interacted with. The language is a bit complicated, but please feel free to take a look or ask your Familiar for the details. I hope going over them should assuage any worries you have over your personal information being leaked.¡± I reached out for the folder she had indicated, more out of curiosity than anything else, and opened it to see a few thick stacks of documents. I glanced over them, my eyes glazing over the words. I¡¯d never read an actual legal document before, but this was exactly what I imagined one to look like. It was all convoluted word choices with dozens of stipulations and references to other pages or laws I had never heard of before. ¡°Selene?¡± I thought to my Familiar. [I¡¯ve already had a chance to peruse the information in the database, and everything is in order. With this Geas, all personal information they have gleaned about you from this event is to be kept secret. Interestingly enough, Error Machina and Fantasy Fatale both have signed the additional mentorship clause which says any System or Guardian related information they learn in the next three months will also be classified. As a note, the Geas on that part is more¡­ vague. While I would still keep your exact details secret, sharing general information with them should be fine if you feel comfortable. You can also allow them to share certain pieces of information with others, if you wish.] I set down the folder, chewing on my lip. Maybe I was being paranoid, but it was a little worrying how much Everglaive seemed to be cutting through all of my potential worries. It both made me feel more comfortable and tense at the same time. It was like¡­ Well, it was like she¡¯d had an entire week to plan out this encounter while I had just woken up. She was also obviously skilled socially, while I was decidedly not. It had taken me months to get used to talking to Lily, and even then it was only her easygoing attitude that helped smooth over my occasional bouts of silence or awkwardness. ¡°Are you satisfied with everything?¡± She asked, and I nodded after a moment. ¡°Good. Now then, how about we get to the events that happened after-¡± A knock on the door interrupted her. ¡°Hello? It¡¯s Magical Girl Naiad.¡± I felt myself freeze in response, unsure what to say. Thankfully, Everglaive picked up on my indecision almost instantly. ¡°Would it be alright if I told my teammate to join us?¡± I quickly nodded, and Everglaive smiled softly. ¡°Please, come in,¡± Everglaive called out. My eyes flicked to the doorway, and I felt my muscles tense as the electronic lock on the door gave a small beep before opening. Magical Girl Naiad appeared to be in her late teens with pale blue skin and a slender, delicate build. A white, toga-style dress was artfully draped around her, aqua-colored embroidery extensively decorating the dress in gentle patterns reminiscent of waves. The short skirt of the dress showed off quite a bit of her legs, leather sandals wrapping around them all the way to her thighs. Finally, her aqua colored hair fell down to her shoulders, moving with an ethereal gentleness as if underwater. She smiled at me as she entered, and I felt my breath catch as I remembered. She had been the one healing me at the shielding station, which probably meant she had been the one taking care of me while I was asleep. Which meant¡­ ¡°Ever, what are you doing?¡± Naiad gasped, hurrying over to both of us. ¡°Are you trying to get my patient sick?¡± Everglaive and I both blinked as Naiad gestured with a hand, a flash of blue light condensing into a thick blue sherpa blanket with a logo on it. It was composed of two Fs with a ¡°4¡± below them, and the 4 was made up of the silhouettes of a glaive, arrow, trident, and hammer. Naiad unfolded the blanket as she approached me, and I held my breath, muscles tensing as she drew closer. Her steps slowed, a flicker of something crossing over her face as she reached me. Moving slowly, she draped the blanket around me, giving me a smile. ¡°There we go,¡± her eyes met mine. ¡°Is that more comfortable?¡± The blanket was soft, like a cloud had descended upon me. It had to be Zenith made, because I had never felt anything more comfortable in my life. It didn¡¯t make my heart stop racing as I wondered how this conversation was going to go, but the warmth was welcome. Stolen novel; please report. I gave a simple nod to Naiad, cursing myself as the motion came out stiff. ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± she told me, hesitating for a moment before she moved away to stand next to Everglaive. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Naiad by the way. I¡¯m the Magical Girl who healed you and took care of you while you were asleep. I have some medical things I would like to go over with you, but it can wait. Unless any of your previous injuries are feeling uncomfortable?¡± I quickly shook my head, a spike of dread worming into my gut. She was the healer, so she knew. That meant the conversation she wanted to have with me¡­ ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± she gave me a quick grin. ¡°My healing should have been enough to get you back into shape, but I always like to go over exactly what I did and any potential complications with my patients no matter how unlikely they might be. I¡¯m bound by a special sort of doctor-patient confidentiality, though, so it¡¯s best if we have that conversation in private.¡± I nodded, suspicion making my mind race. Was she trying to hide what she really wanted to talk to me about, or did she really only want to go over my injuries? For that matter, how intrusive was magical healing? Maybe she hadn¡¯t noticed anything after all? But if my clothes were changed¡­ No, she had to have questions. ¡°Oh!¡± Naiad blinked, looking around the room before her gaze settled on the fancy coffee maker in the corner. ¡°Would anyone like anything to drink? Coffee, tea, or something else?¡± ¡°Tea sounds lovely, thank you,¡± Everglaive gave Naiad a smile, and the girl fidgeted slightly, her grin deepening before she turned to me inquisitively. ¡°Um¡­¡± I hesitated. Something warm did sound nice, but it wasn¡¯t like I could just ask a Magical Girl to- [Hot chocolate would be lovely to help keep my Guardian warm,] Selene interrupted, and I shot her a look. ¡°Oh, hot chocolate does sound nice,¡± Naiad nodded, moving over to the table with the coffee maker. ¡°Just give me a second, and I¡¯ll have all that ready.¡± She waved her hand over the table, and items began to flash into existence. An entire kettle appeared, and she opened it up, placing her finger inside. She murmured a word, and the sound of water falling briefly filled the room as steam began to rise from the kettle¡¯s top. Naiad seemed completely unbothered by the heat, her expression unchanging as she continued to fill it. Everglaive shifted, the motion drawing my attention back to her as she gave me a nod. ¡°Now then,¡± Everglaive continued. ¡°The events after you fell asleep first, then we can get to properly introducing you into being a Magical Girl. To begin with, my team is currently working for Guardian Command as a strike team, a group of elite Magical Girls working together to take down some of the toughest Usurpations. For reference, members of strike teams are generally level 200 or higher.¡± I tried not to show my surprise, grateful that the blanket let me shift my hands around nervously. While I didn¡¯t have a great idea of how powerful that was exactly, I knew what I¡¯d been able to accomplish with my low level and no Astral Shift. If I compared it to the power of the Anathema I faced, then she was almost ten times stronger than the Archnomantis at a minimum. ¡°During the attack,¡± Everglaive resumed, ¡°my team was ordered to deal with an Usurpation Zone. Because it was high level, we were out of reach from communications in order to protect ourselves. You see, higher level Anathema can sense the mana our communicators use to breach the Usurpations, so it wasn¡¯t until we dealt with our zone that Error Machina contacted us and gave us a brief rundown of your situation.¡± Everglaive paused as Naiad came by, holding two mugs with steam pouring off them. She handed Everglaive one and placed the other in front of me before going back to get a third for herself and sitting down next to Everglaive. ¡°Thank you. Now, we received the information that you were in trouble and decided to attempt a rescue. Here is where things get¡­ interesting.¡± She lifted her cup to her mouth for a sip, and Naiad jumped in. ¡°You have to understand, nobody knew you or the shelter were in trouble except a few people at command. The commanders kept it quiet because¡­ well, they knew that if word got out that a shelter needed rescuing and a new Magical Girl was trying to save them, some of the other Guardians might have left their assignments even if they had no chance of getting to you safely.¡± ¡°Which would have been a strategic mistake,¡± Everglaive said quietly. ¡°But I believe Error explained all this to you already?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± I said slowly. ¡°It would have taken too much manpower and too much time. The other Usurpations would have gotten worse.¡± ¡°Exactly right, but just because it was correct on the strategic level doesn¡¯t mean it was on the personal level. A new Magical Girl going off to face a Death Wish on her first day is something a lot of us just couldn¡¯t stomach. That¡¯s why our team decided to take up Error¡¯s request and attempt a rescue. The idea that a Guardian would, on their first day, be given the burden of sacrificing their own life was too much. We had to at least try.¡± She paused, taking a long sip of her tea before continuing. I took the moment to try my own drink, shivering at the rich taste as warmth filled my body. It tasted even better than the one I had in the shelter, and I let myself savor it as I mulled over her words. It didn¡¯t entirely make sense to me. From a numbers perspective, Guardian Command was right. Putting high level Guardians at risk to save a low level one just wasn¡¯t the smart thing to do, not when the potential for their combined contributions would always outweigh mine. Even if you counted everyone in the shelter, it still didn¡¯t outweigh the potential help four Guardians might provide in the future. I only partially understood why they did it anyway. It was more about emotions than anything else, but that didn¡¯t explain why my Death Wish had upset them so much. It wasn¡¯t like they knew me, and if the odds of surviving were against them, why would they risk it? Sure, I¡¯d risked my life to save Brian, but I had no way of knowing the shield would fall and put me in that much danger. Yes, I¡¯d gone for both the mana generator and the shielding station, but that was to save Lily and everyone else in the shelter. I didn¡¯t know a lot of my other classmates that well, but just from what I¡¯d picked up in conversation, I knew most of them were decent people. I couldn¡¯t just sit around and do nothing, not when it only risked my life to save hundreds. I¡¯d had plenty of selfish reasons for what I did, but for them¡­ I didn¡¯t understand. ¡°After we accepted the request, Error did something,¡± Everglaive continued. ¡°You see, when a Death Wish is issued, a notification is usually sent to all Guardians in the area. It¡¯s more or less a last ditch effort to alert Guardians of what is going on in case one can actually help. Error Machina gave a speech, and after he was done, all the Guardians sent up flares as a tribute of sorts. I don¡¯t suppose you happened to see it through the shielding station¡¯s glass dome?¡± I nodded, and Naiad¡¯s smile became wry. ¡°It was Everglaive that started it,¡± she said, giving the other girl a smile. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her get that worked up more than a few times.¡± Everglaive let out a slow breath, closing her eyes for a moment. The silence stretched on for only a few seconds, but when she continued, there was a weight to her words. ¡°The day I became a Magical Girl was the best day of my life,¡± she said, her voice quiet. ¡°It changed everything for the better. It gave me freedom and a destiny I could be proud of. When I heard your first day was about to be your last¡­ I did not take it well.¡± She was silent for a moment, and Naiad looked at her with shining eyes. She hesitantly moved a hand as if to pat her on the shoulder, but aborted the motion mid-movement, turning to rub the back of her own neck instead. ¡°It was the same for me too,¡± Naiad quickly said, ¡°and I imagine most of the other Guardians who heard the notification experienced the same thing. The contrast between what our first days were and yours was going to be was too much. I guess that¡¯s why so many of the other Guardians in Arcadia came to help us.¡± I blinked at that, tilting my head in confusion as Everglaive nodded. ¡°Part of the reason nobody could come rescue you or the shelter was how many Anathema there were in the zone and how fortified they managed to make their positions. As you know, when you started the shielding station, it was like a beacon. Most of the Anathema in the zone immediately charged for you, exposing themselves on the open streets in huge, clumped groups. The Guardians took advantage, attacking the Anathema¡¯s turned backs and wiping them out en masse. It wasn¡¯t more than a half hour after we arrived at your location that the Usurpation Zone fell. Proper clean up of any hiding Anathema took longer, but the vast majority were eliminated.¡± ¡°It was a huge event,¡± Naiad nodded excitedly. ¡°The entire attack on Arcadia was so dangerous because of how big your Usurpation Zone was, but because of your bravery, the entire thing was turned around in an instant. Hundreds of Guardians heard your story, saw those lights, and were inspired to act. Never before in human history have that many Guardians worked together at the same time. And it was all because of you.¡± I sputtered, my face heating up as I quickly shook my head in denial. ¡°T-that¡¯s not what I did,¡± I quickly protested. ¡°I was just trying to save the people in the shelter! My friend and classmates were in there!¡± ¡°And it was exactly that selflessness that inspired us to act.¡± Everglaive shrugged. ¡°It wasn¡¯t-¡± I bit my lip, watching as Naiad¡¯s smile began to turn into a confused frown. Everglaive¡¯s serene expression never changed, but I somehow got the impression my objections were making her concerned as well. I looked down at my hot chocolate, and Everglaive leaned forward towards me. ¡°I understand it might not feel right to take credit for everything that happened,¡± she said slowly, picking her words carefully. ¡°But whatever your reasons or intentions, the Death Wish you chose became a much bigger event than it would normally be. Hundreds of Guardians were offered quests to change their tasks to attack the Usurpation Zone after the notification about what you were doing went out. The biggest Magical Girl Guilds in the city collaborated to form a new strategy, and even Guardian Command was forced to switch to supporting the attack. I tell you all this not to embarrass you, but to help you realize you were the center of it all. That has drawn no small amount of attention and interest that we have to deal with.¡± My head shot up at that, eyes widening further, but Everglaive held up a calming hand. ¡°We¡¯ve managed to hide the exact identity of this mysterious ¡®Death Wish Newbie¡¯ so far. That¡¯s why we took you to this hotel instead of the Guardian hospital. Nobody but my team, Error Machina, and the officers you interacted with in the shelter know it was you. Still, a lot of Guardians and most of the public are curious. Once you assume your Magical Girl identity, whether anybody finds out you were responsible is your choice, but I would recommend keeping quiet for now. The kind of attention it would draw to you could be problematic, especially because you are a Dark.¡± I froze, watching carefully as Everglaive took a sip of tea. She said it like it was a normal thing, as if she was completely unbothered, but I¡¯d been completely unable to read her so far. She kept up a constant mask of graceful serenity, one that suited her elven appearance. Naiad, however, made a frown, shifting uncomfortably as she wrung her hands together almost nervously. ¡°Selen told me there were¡­ rumors about Dark Magical Girls?¡± I asked carefully, hoping to draw out something more. ¡°Unfortunately, yes,¡± Everglaive shrugged. ¡°I believe it has to do largely with the rarity of Darks. That alone invites rumors, and while some incidents haven¡¯t helped, I believe the main source of it to be centered around a combination of jealousy and MCS.¡± I tilted my head questioningly, and Everglaive chuckled. ¡°Main character syndrome. It refers to the phenomenon of highlighting your life like that of the protagonist in the story and framing your experiences through that lens to an unhealthy degree. Mostly, it demeans the value of others, putting them in a secondary importance compared to yourself. While I believe everyone does this to some extent, MCS refers to doing so in a much more severe manner.¡± ¡°It¡¯s similar to a lack of empathy,¡± Naiad added. ¡°But I think MCS is a more willing outlook than an accidental thing, letting yourself believe that you are the most important person in the room and actively treating others worse because of it.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t help that we¡¯re literally the chosen ones,¡± Everglaive pointed out, amusement entering her voice. ¡°We are ¡®picked by the Zenith to defend all of humanity,¡¯ after all. You can see how it might get to some people¡¯s heads. Anyway, all that is to say I think the rumors are mostly caused by ego as well as jealousy of the unique starting bonuses a Dark begins with. It¡¯s a similar phenomenon with a Yellow¡¯s wish and their powerful Signature Magic, but the fact that Darks are so rare and tend to be unmatched duelists adds to the fire.¡± I nodded slowly, careful to keep my face expressionless as Naiad sighed, sitting further back into the sofa. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m sure it kind of sucks to become a Magical Girl only to learn you got the one type everyone¡¯s nervous and suspicious about. If it helps, the public is largely unaware of the stigma. In fact, the rarity of Darks tends to make them pretty popular.¡± I elected to give a shrug instead of answering, taking another sip of my drink. I was pretty used to dealing with rumors by now, but the popularity might be a problem. Though, as long as I kept my Magical Girl life separate from my personal one¡­ ¡°On the note of popularity,¡± Everglaive said. ¡°Your accomplishments have certainly garnered attention, but as I said earlier, I would recommend keeping quiet about them for the time being. Your start as a Magical Girl has been turbulent enough, and I believe drawing attention to yourself at this stage will only make things more difficult. Guardian Command also requests the same and suggests you wait until the end-of-year Magical Girl award ceremony to reveal your role in the Death wish. The choice is, however, completely yours.¡± Confusion swept through me. If Guardian Command thought I should be doing something, why was it my choice in the first place? Didn¡¯t they command Guardians? For that matter, did Error Machina get in trouble for going against their orders? ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I admitted, shifting beneath the blanket nervously. ¡°I thought Guardian Command was in charge, so why is it my decision? And¡­ Did Error Machina get in trouble for helping me?¡± Everglaive paused, tilting her head for a moment as if listening to something before she began speaking. ¡°Apologies. I forget your knowledge on the intricacies of Magical Girls is still in its fledgling stages. Guardian Command is technically the name for the physical location where the Guardians Association makes their decisions, but the name often gets used interchangeably. At its core, the GA is the international organization that coordinates humanity¡¯s war against the Anathema and is directly in command of Magical Soldiers. While they work with us Guardians and provide aid, we do not fall under their direct authority. It is, however, often in our best interests to make use of their resources, so we usually work together. Very few Guardians truly work completely solo without any form of outside support, and it is not something I would recommend doing.¡± ¡°Guardian Command is mostly made up of normal people too, not Guardians,¡± Naiad added. ¡°Generals, analysts, strategists, and others with many years of experience make more sense to be in charge than a Magical Guardian who only got their power in their teens. Even the oldest Guardian only has twenty-one years of experience at this point. Plus, it¡¯s usually a better use of a Guardian¡¯s power to fight on the front lines. Certain Guardians like Error Machina can function better from Guardian Command and choose to work for them directly, though.¡± ¡°And if you¡¯re worried about Error Machina being punished, don¡¯t be,¡± Everglaive shook her head. ¡°By going against orders, he was partially responsible for the massive counterattack that helped clear out the Anathema so quickly. They weren¡¯t happy with him at the time, but they can barely argue with the results. Besides, his job as an operator isn¡¯t at stake. They can hardly afford to fire him and deprive humanity of his talents. No, from what he¡¯s told me, the only thing he¡¯s received is strong lectures and reprimands, nothing more.¡± My shoulders relaxed a little at that. I was still only a first year in high school, so I hadn¡¯t really had a detailed class on anything more than the basics of what Guardian Command was. It felt weird to me that they weren¡¯t in direct charge of Guardians, but the explanation made sense. Between quests offered by the System and the resources the GA could offer, I was sure most Guardians ended up more or less following Command¡¯s lead anyway. ¡°It also helps that Error Machina¡¯s notification turned the tide on Arcadia¡¯s attack so quickly,¡± Naiad added. ¡°We didn¡¯t lose a single Guardian here and we cleared out the city faster than any of the other Sanctuary Cities. Except Eden, of course, but Eden¡¯s always been a little special.¡± I blinked at that, turning to look at Naiad as a chill went through my body. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked. ¡°The other Sanctuary Cities were attacked too?¡± Everglaive sighed, eyes flicking to Naiad who wilted visibly. ¡°Indeed they were,¡± Everglaive said after a moment. ¡°Arcadia, Eden, Avalon, Atlantis, Elysium, Shangri-la, and Nirvana all suffered a simultaneous attack by the Anathema. I¡¯m sorry to tell you that the attack on the city wasn¡¯t just an isolated incident, it was a worldwide invasion.¡± Chapter 29 - Repercussions: Part Two ¡°But¡­¡± I sputtered, mind reeling at the implications. ¡°I thought the Anathema weren¡¯t intelligent like that? That they were like the weather, unpredictable and just a part of life?¡± ¡°That¡­ is a complicated subject,¡± Everglaive sighed. ¡°The Anathema are a blight, a malice that seeks to cause the most destruction possible. This malice may be best described as a vague and nebulous hive mind, showing at least some coordination in order to effectively accomplish its goal. While we¡¯ve never seen a worldwide ¡°invasion¡± like this before, there are instances of Usurpation Zones or large scale attacks working in sync to accomplish the most damage. Comparing the Anathema to the weather is apt, but only if you modify the definition into saying the weather sometimes decides to try causing the most chaos possible.¡± Everglaive paused, then nodded to herself as if making a decision. ¡°Some higher level Anathema are capable of commanding and coordinating others of their kind, but we¡¯ve never seen one capable of operating on this scale. Theoretically, it isn¡¯t impossible, but we have yet to discover any real leadership or command network behind the Anathema¡¯s overarching actions.¡± Some of the tension left me as I nodded. It was interesting to know that some Anathema could get strong enough to command others, but even from what I knew, it didn¡¯t seem likely they were organized. If they were, I doubted they would be opening Usurpations at seemingly random locations and intervals, attacking places where they knew they were going to be repelled. ¡°Regardless, the goal of the worldwide attack has come into sharp focus the past few days,¡± Everglaive continued. ¡°Taking down the Sanctuary Cities was never going to happen with the level of forces they used, but between the number of Usurpations and Anathema they sent, reality around the Sanctuaries has been drastically weakened. Our early warning system has fallen from being able to predict Usurpations up to an hour in advance to only fifteen minutes. Even worse, we¡¯ve been experiencing multiple daily Usurpations. All of them have been low level and fairly small in size, but it is clear they are attempting to keep reality weak around the cities with constant attacks.¡± ¡°How bad is that?¡± I asked, clenching my mug tighter. ¡°Well, it¡¯s actually quite good for Guardians,¡± Everglaive responded. ¡°The Zenith recruit new Guardians in giant waves, so right now, there are a lot of new Guardians who can potentially make use of this for easy levels and points. The Usurpations are also weak and small enough that the Magical Soldiers can take care of them on their own if needed. While it has caused more disruptions in the city, most of the Zones are limited to only a building or two in size with maybe two or three dozen Anathema appearing at the most. In the long run, it will be quite beneficial for the growth of new Guardians like yourself.¡± ¡°For now, more experienced Guardians are taking care of it,¡± Naiad said. ¡°Just until the academy starts up and the new wave has enough training to actually fight.¡± ¡°There¡¯s an academy for Guardians?¡± I asked, vaguely remembering Error Machina mentioning something about that. Everglaive and Naiad both paused, looking at each other and then back to me. I felt myself curling up further into myself as Everglaive tilted her head at me curiously. ¡°Excuse me for asking,¡± Everglaive began slowly, ¡°but you are in high school, yes?¡± ¡°Um¡­ yes?¡± I answered, nervously shifting around. ¡°I see¡­ It¡¯s just, most people know about the Guardian Academy. It¡¯s somewhat of a cultural phenomenon, especially with the annual festival they hold. There¡¯s a few high school classes that also teach about Guardian culture and events if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡± A blush creeped up onto my cheeks. Of course I¡¯d heard of the festival they held every summer. It was a huge, city-wide event with days of games, events, and even tournaments. I¡¯d just never actually watched it more than stopping on the street to see some of it being broadcast on a TV. I had so much else to worry about and do, Magical Girl things had never really seemed that important. ¡°Oh¡­ I didn¡¯t realize there was an Academy involved. I, um¡­ I haven¡¯t paid much attention to Magical Girl stuff. I¡¯m only a first year in high school, and we haven¡¯t really gotten into Magical Girl things yet¡­¡± The last part was a blatant lie. We had talked about various things, but I¡¯d mostly used the time to either study other subjects or work on homework. That, or I was resting my eyes for a few minutes¡­ ¡°Ah,¡± Everglaive said, nodding. ¡°Apologies, sometimes I forget there are people out there who aren¡¯t as interested in Magical Girls as I was before becoming a Guardian. Going back to your question, yes, there is an academy. One in each Sanctuary City, in fact. While it isn¡¯t mandatory that you go, I would highly recommend it. Classes there are taught by either experienced Guardians, Familiars, or subject matter experts. There, you¡¯ll learn things like proper fighting technique, the lore behind magic, the common types of Anathema and how to recognize them, marketing yourself as a Guardian, working in teams of Guardians, and a variety of other things. The academy is starting up soon, and the knowledge you can learn there is invaluable.¡± [It is highly recommended that all Magical Girls go through at least one year of the academy, preferably all three,] Selene added. [The survival and growth rate of a Guardian increases dramatically for each year you attend. Additionally, there are many special opportunities that can only be attained by attending.] It sounded incredible. I¡¯d been stopping to ask Selene for explanations constantly, and I was still learning things. Sitting down and actually getting a chance to absorb the information would be a blessing. It already felt like I¡¯d forgotten half the rushed answers Selene had given me. The only problem was¡­ ¡°Um. How does it work with regular school? Would I stop attending my normal classes or¡­?¡± ¡°There are a few options,¡± Everglaive nodded expectantly. ¡°One is to go to only the academy and receive private tutoring on the normal school subjects. This is something I wouldn¡¯t recommend. Immersing yourself with only Magical Girls can be incredibly insulating and skew your perspective negatively. It also robs you of any chance of normalcy, something we as Guardians need to balance out the stressful, combat filled lives we live. No, the normal route is to go to a normal school on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and then attend the academy on Thursday, Friday, Saturday.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± I frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the schedule for the special offering students?¡± The SO students were a sort of unique phenomenon in Sanctuary Cities. They only went to a normal school half the week before heading to a specialized school the second part. Mostly, it was for students who both already decided what profession they wanted to pursue and had some sort of special circumstance. Things like surviving a brutal Usurpation, losing family, or having the highest level of grades for the school entrance exams were ways to get offered a spot. Supposedly, it helped the brightest of students excel in their field and also gave the misfortunate ones a chance to thrive. SO schools were known for producing some of the most experienced graduates and were highly coveted. My brother had gotten into one designed around magitech engineering due to his grades, and he was already working at a company as a paid intern with a promise of employment upon graduation. ¡°It is the same schedule,¡± Everglaive confirmed. ¡°SO schools help as a sort of smoke screen for Magical Girls, allowing those who wish to keep their private identities secret a legitimate way of hiding what they are. The unique blend of a normal school environment combined with specialized learning helps produce well-rounded individuals for both SO students and Guardians.¡± I let out a quiet sigh of relief, feeling myself relaxing. My school situation was¡­ not great. But it was manageable, and I wasn¡¯t willing to lose my friendship with Lily just to escape some annoying bullies. I¡¯d handled it just fine since middle school, even if they had gotten more aggressive lately¡­ I shivered, remembering my current predicament with Katie. I still had no idea how I was going to deal with that¡­ ¡°Speaking of private identities, I never asked you if you wanted to be a public Magical Girl or keep your personal identity secret,¡± Everglaive said. ¡°Not many choose to be public, but some enjoy the fame.¡± ¡°Um. What would you recommend?¡± I asked, already fairly certain what I wanted. ¡°Keep your identities separate unless you want to be recognized every time you go out in public,¡± Everglaive said seriously. ¡°Once you go public, there¡¯s no going back. Everytime you go out to eat, to buy groceries, or even just walk down the street, there¡¯s a good chance you¡¯ll be recognized. Considering your deeds and the fact that you¡¯re a Dark, I would say there¡¯s almost zero chance of you ever going outside unnoticed. Linking your two lives together takes any chance you have at normal interactions with non-Guardians.¡± ¡°Some people love the attention,¡± Naiad sighed, shaking her head. ¡°They like the full celebrity treatment. Honestly, though? We get enough of that while we patrol around in our outfits. Never having a chance to just be a normal person, to just go outside and not worry about being the symbol of hope Guardians are made out to be¡­ Look, unless you are a serious extrovert, I seriously don¡¯t recommend it either.¡± I shivered, shaking my head. That literally sounded like my version of hell. I already got enough looks and stares because of my stature and eyepatch. It was a good day when I got to take the train to school and nobody bothered me about it. The last thing I wanted was more attention. ¡°How does having a secret identity work exactly?¡± I asked. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know much about the specifics.¡± ¡°Part of your Astral Shift has enchantment magic weaved into it,¡± Everglaive explained. ¡°It affects the part of the brain that recognizes faces for anybody who looks at you. While you may not look any different from your normal self, the magic tricks people into associating your appearance with a completely separate identity. It also works through pictures and video, and is potent enough that even if somebody had an image of you in both forms and compared them, they would still think that the pictures didn¡¯t match.¡± ¡°The only way to break it is if you directly tell somebody you are a Magical Girl or what your personal identity is,¡± Naiad added. ¡°Although, it isn¡¯t complete protection. Just because they won¡¯t ever see a Magical Girl that looks like you, they can still believe your personal identity is one if you leave enough hints. Going out every night without a good alibi, disappearing whenever something dangerous happens only for a Magical Girl to appear at the scene, and other stuff like that can lead people to suspecting the truth.¡± ¡°With how strict laws are regarding the revealing of a Magical Girl¡¯s personal identity, it¡¯s more or less a moot point,¡± Everglaive said. ¡°The Zenith technology we have access to also makes it possible to constantly monitor for people trying to expose a Magical Girl. Not once in twenty-one years has an identity been revealed to the public. The biggest part you have to worry about is somebody close to you finding out the truth.¡± Everglaive suddenly stopped talking, her head tilting slightly to the side. She let out a long sigh a moment later. ¡°I apologize, it seems we¡¯ve strayed from the core topics I wanted to cover. While all of this is good information, I would like to finish up going over the repercussions of recent events before we discuss more Guardian information.¡± ¡°Oh, right,¡± I blushed. ¡°Sorry¡­ I get carried away with my questions sometimes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem!¡± Naiad cheerily assured me. ¡°It¡¯s a little out of order, but this is all stuff we¡¯d be covering with you eventually.¡± ¡°But back to the topic at hand,¡± Everglaive said. ¡°To summarize: Your Death Wish achieved much more than just saving the shelter, it also helped Guardians clear out Arcadia quickly. As a result, you¡¯ve gathered quite a bit of fame for your heroics. We¡¯ve kept your identity secret and intend to at least until the award ceremony in December unless you decide otherwise. Are we on the same page about everything so far?¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± I replied, and she froze for a second. ¡°Just Everglaive is fine,¡± she said gently. ¡°Guardians can always refer to each other by their codename. Some might try to be pushy if they are a higher level, but those that do so are generally considered¡­¡± ¡°Pricks,¡± Naiad interjected, nodding sagely. ¡°Not incorrect,¡± Everglaive rolled her eyes. ¡°But perhaps not the most eloquent way of putting it. Moving on, the next thing I wanted to discuss was the first cause of your Death Wish, the illegal activation of the shelter¡¯s emergency shield. In the mall¡¯s third floor shelter, only inexperienced mall guards with no emergency training were present, and an Anathema specializing in psychological combat showed up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what that means,¡± I admitted as Everglaive paused. ¡°It could speak,¡± she clarified. ¡°Which is exceptionally rare at the lower levels. While not very strong, its strength lies in putting its opponent off balance with its words.¡± I shuddered at the thought. Anathema already looked like things out of nightmares, and I could only imagine how much more horrifying they would be if they spoke. ¡°When it spoke, one of the guards panicked,¡± Everglaive continued. ¡°He tried to activate the emergency shield. A student attempted to stop him and succeeded with some help, however-¡± ¡°Excuse me,¡± I interrupted, my heart lurching in my chest. ¡°Um. Was that student named Lily Parker?¡± ¡°They were,¡± Everglaive confirmed with a nod, and I felt a wave of relief and joy wash through me. I¡¯d told myself over and over again that Lily didn¡¯t give up on me, but I hadn¡¯t been able to completely ignore the whispers deep down inside. That she¡¯d abandoned me. That she hadn¡¯t cared enough to try keeping her promise. I knew doubting her made me an awful person, that I didn¡¯t deserve her as a friend. But I was glad she was anyway. Knowing that she¡¯d tried to keep her word made me feel warm inside. I didn¡¯t even care that the shield had still somehow gone up. Just knowing she tried was¡­ everything. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Naiad asked, and I looked up in surprise. I was shaking a little, and my next shuddering breath came in with a sniffle. Cursing myself for letting my mask slip, I quickly nodded my head at her. ¡°Yes, I just¡­ She promised me she wouldn¡¯t let anybody activate the shield when I went to save Brian and¡­ Oh, do you know about that, or¡­?¡± ¡°We were informed of your actions by Error,¡± Everglaive gave a deep nod. ¡°As we already discovered your personal identity, it was deemed beneficial for us to understand the full scope of your actions for the purpose of developing a cover story for you. But back on topic, your friend did manage to stop the guard. However, one of your teachers, Mr. Toujou, activated it during the commotion.¡± I froze, staring at Everglaive. Mr. Toujou. My homeroom teacher. He was the one who set all this into motion? A mixture of emotions swirled inside me. It was mostly exhaustion mixed with bitterness, anger only vaguely coloring the edges into something sharper. I knew there was no point in getting angry, so I quickly smothered that part, leaving me feeling just¡­ tired. And cold. People. It was always people. ¡°Oh,¡± I replied simply, taking a sip of my drink, hoping the warmth would fill the empty feeling inside me. Everglaive tilted her head curiously, but Naiad¡¯s eyebrows practically raised off her head. ¡°¡®Oh?¡¯¡± Naiad asked. ¡°Just ¡®oh?¡¯¡± ¡°It makes sense,¡± I shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s my homeroom teacher and-¡± ¡°He¡¯s your homeroom teacher?!¡± Naiad shouted, shooting up out of her seat. I flinched away at the outburst, folding into myself as fear flashed through me. I tried to come up with an excuse even though I didn¡¯t know why she was so upset at me. I opened my mouth a few times but couldn¡¯t find any words that felt right. ¡°Naiad,¡± Everglaive murmured calmly. ¡°Please, sit down.¡± Naiad blinked, looking from Everglaive to me before her eyes widened. She quickly took her seat again, raising both hands in a pacifying gesture. ¡°Sorry!¡± Naiad quickly said. ¡°It was just a surprise, that¡¯s all. We only knew the basics of your situation and that your class was on a field trip, but we didn¡¯t realize he was your homeroom teacher.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Everglaive quietly intoned, a slight frost seeping into her voice. ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but most schools in Arcadia still follow a more Eastern style where homeroom teachers are, for lack of better term, the school parent of the class? Their responsibilities do still include counseling the students in their class, helping them plan for the future, and looking out for their wellbeing if I¡¯m not mistaken?¡± ¡°Um¡­ yes, ma¡¯a- I mean, um, yes. But he¡¯s new, and¡­ hasn¡¯t really been good with students.¡± I tried my best to mollify them. I wasn¡¯t about to tell them how bad he really was, that I¡¯d tried to tell him about Katie and the other bullies and been shrugged off. He¡¯d suggested they were probably just trying to be friends by teasing me, and I should try harder to get along because I was the loner in the class. Katie poured a can of cranberry juice on me the next day. It had been really hard trying not to cry when I realized I was going to have to replace some of my clothes because I couldn¡¯t get the stains out. ¡°I see¡­¡± Everglaive replied, her voice still cold. ¡°Well. There is a levy of possible charges he could be tried with. Criminal negligence for turning the shield on when he knew people were still outside is possible, but his lawyers might argue he acted with reasonable care to protect the students in the shelter due to the rarity of the Anathema he encountered. Involuntary manslaughter is a possibility for the deaths of the police officers who went to turn on the mana generator, but his lawyers would argue the true fault lies with the mall owners.¡± Everglaive gave a tired sigh, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. ¡°What he will be charged and convicted of is felony shelter operation for activating the emergency shield against the automated system¡¯s recommendation, resulting in civilians or rescue personnel being put into danger, injured, or killed. It more or less covers the previous two charges, and there is no doubt he violated that particular law. With all the facts of the case, I would guess he gets a maximum of ten years in jail and a fine he will be paying off the rest of his life. It¡¯s possible he takes a plea deal down to just the fine and parole depending how much his lawyers can leverage the extenuating circumstances including the fight that broke out, but we¡¯ll see.¡± I felt my brain wrapping itself in knots as Everglaive gave her legal analysis, and Naiad let out a giggle as she saw my expression. ¡°Ever¡¯s been a Guardian for six years now,¡± she explained. ¡°You get to know the specifics of emergency shelter laws when you¡¯ve been a Guardian as long as we have.¡± Right¡­ I¡¯d forgotten that Guardians tended to keep their youthful appearances. Even some of the first Guardians from twenty-one years ago looked like they were in their late teens or early twenties. I wasn¡¯t clear if they just stopped aging or how it worked, but I made a note to ask Selene later. ¡°Anyway,¡± Everglaive shrugged. ¡°Your teacher will be punished, though not as much as he should be. Because both you and Brian survived, the crime is less severe. It also doesn¡¯t help that a lot of the fault of the situation lies with the mall owners for tampering with the mana generator. We¡¯ll get to that in a moment, but first¡­¡± She gestured to the second file folder in front of me. ¡°Inside, you will find everything we¡¯ve set up for your personal identity¡¯s cover story. The police officers you interacted with helped us and are on the same page. Officially, you snuck with Brian to the third floor shelter after encountering a hound that you dispatched without injury. Upon learning the emergency shield was activated, you went to the first floor, finding some Anathema patrolling outside the shelter¡¯s entrance. You lured those into a store and set them on fire, freeing the way for you and Brian to make your way in. Unfortunately, an Anathema swiped your leg when you set off the trap, causing severe damage to your calf muscles. Because the damage would take weeks to heal and months of physical therapy, we¡¯ve been keeping you in a hospital to be instantly healed by a Magical Guardian due to your heroics.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fairly close to what actually happened,¡± Naiad said, ¡°which makes it more believable. We¡¯ve taken out any mention of you using a gun, though. One thing that helps your cover story is that people in the first floor shelter saw you walking in the hallway. It will lead them to believe you weren¡¯t the new Magical Girl who went on the Death Wish.¡± I must have looked confused because Everglaive interjected a moment later. ¡°They saw you injured. A Magical Girl wouldn¡¯t be injured and would be in their outfit. As for what¡¯s in the folder, we have medical logs corroborating the story, an initial police report regarding the incident that you¡¯ll have to finalize later, a damages report for you to fill out on what personal belongings were damaged or lost, and a letter.¡± ¡°A letter?¡± I tilted my head. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to leave that one as a surprise for now, and I recommend looking through that folder on your own time to familiarize yourself with the details of the cover story. Speaking of which, we need to discuss the media¡¯s reaction to your story and how they¡¯ve been reporting it the past few days.¡± My mind went blank, the bottom of my stomach dropping as horror flooded my veins. ¡°What?¡± I whispered, my eyes widening in panic. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Naiad quickly assured me. ¡°I promise, it¡¯s not as bad as you think.¡± ¡°There were a lot of civilians involved in this,¡± Everglaive explained. ¡°The security guards, your classmates, and the people in the first floor shelter¡­ it was inevitable someone would tell the press, and your classmates speculating on social media forced us to run with the cover story. A high school girl who risked her life to save a young boy, killing an Anathema and being injured in the process because of an emergency shield activation? The story was too sensational for the media not to jump on it. Thankfully, due to the strict privacy laws of Arcadia, your name and Brian¡¯s haven¡¯t been publicized, nor any potentially identifying details. They reached out to your father for comment and permission to interview you, but both were denied. Brian¡¯s family, meanwhile, said they weren¡¯t comfortable talking to anybody so long as you wished to remain anonymous.¡± Nausea bubbled in my stomach like acid, and I found myself clenching my teeth tight as I looked to the ground. So. Father knew. I swallowed down the bitterness in my mouth. I should have realized it, that at least me risking my life to save Brian would get out there. The fact that I also fought and defeated Anathema was just icing on the cake. I had no idea how he was going to react to that, but the first part¡­ And then there were my classmates. God, how was that going to turn out? I knew most of the people in my class didn¡¯t think much of me. I was just the weird loner girl with creepy eyes to them thanks to Katie. The rest of my grade I wasn¡¯t so sure about. I was sure Katie¡¯s rumors had spread to them as well, but I didn¡¯t know how much they believed them. I wasn¡¯t in any clubs and didn¡¯t really interact with anybody else besides Lily. I felt a headache building up while the nausea increased, and I looked back up to see Everglaive and Naiad watching me closely. I quickly forced a weak smile, clearing my throat. ¡°So¡­ how many, um¡­ how bad is this?¡± ¡°The story itself garnered quite a reaction from the public,¡± Everglaive responded slowly, gauging my reaction. ¡°Your classmates were quite talkative about the fact you got locked out of the shelter, which we believe is how the media discovered it was you. To prevent any other people from learning your identity, Error Machina has gone and lowered the visibility and reach of any online post mentioning your name. In other words, while your classmates will still see posts about you, strangers won¡¯t be able to find them. This should prevent anybody else from discovering the truth, and Error Machina is on the lookout for any potential problems just to be sure.¡± I felt myself relax a little bit at that. If it was just limited to my school and a few reporters who knew, I could deal with it. So long as people weren¡¯t recognizing me on the street¡­ Otherwise, what was the point of having a personal identity separate from my Magical Girl one? I didn¡¯t want fame or attention. ¡°Sorry,¡± Naiad gave me a sympathetic smile. ¡°It¡¯s kind of damage control at this point, but on the bright side, you¡¯re going to be pretty popular at school from all this! I bet your friends are going to go wild when you tell them the story.¡± I forced a smile, trying to keep my face relaxed as I gave her a nod, hoping it looked like I was agreeing with her. Internally, I was torn between wanting to cry and just going back to sleep. I could imagine the chaos of the first few days back at school, and I was looking forward to it about as much as I was dealing with Father¡¯s reaction. ¡°Remember to read the cover story we¡¯ve prepared,¡± Everglaive said seriously. ¡°It¡¯s imperative to keep the details straight. Your heroics combined with a new Magical Girl popping up in the mall is very suspicious. Keeping to the story and stressing your injured leg kept you sedated in the shelter are imperative to prevent anyone from making a connection.¡± I gave her a deep nod, taking her advice to heart. The only way this got worse was if people started suspecting I was a Magical Girl and making a big deal out of it. I couldn¡¯t deal with the added pressure, and if Father found that out too¡­ I couldn¡¯t let that happen. ¡°With that out of the way,¡± Everglaive continued, ¡°the last thing we need to go over is the device you found attached to the mana generator. The investigation is ongoing, and due to the possibility of a Guardian being responsible for supplying the generator, some specialized investigators are involved. As this matter is quite sensitive, there isn¡¯t much more I¡¯m allowed to say other than warn you to keep this matter to yourself for now. If you¡¯d like updates, you can contact Error Machina or me directly. Understood?¡± I nodded, fidgeting with my cup. I wasn¡¯t sure how bad it really was, but the fact that a Guardian might be the cause of what happened was clearly a pretty big deal. I imagined if it became public knowledge, there would be a sharp dive in trust with Guardians as a whole. That would cause fear, and that would just invite more Anathema in¡­ ¡°Excellent. Now that we¡¯ve covered the after effects of your Death Wish, we can begin the true and proper tutorial that you never received. There¡¯s a few administrative things we need to take care of such as getting you registered at Guardian Command, deciding on your academy attendance style, officially choosing whether you are going to be a public or private Guardian, giving you your starting gift bag, and all that. Before anything else, I need to ask you one important question.¡± She leaned forward, and I felt her stare intensify as she studied my face. ¡°Do you even want to be a Magical Girl?¡± Chapter 30 - The Question ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± I asked, unsure if I heard Everglaive correctly. ¡°Is being a Magical Girl something you want?¡± Everglaive gave a gentle shrug. ¡°I believe your contract was an emergency one, yes? After which, you were placed in one life-threatening situation after another. So, I¡¯m curious if you even wanted to be a Magical Girl in the first place, or if your hand was just forced at the time.¡± ¡°I¡­ D-does it matter?¡± I fidgeted, a flurry of discordant thoughts rising up inside me. ¡°With the contract, haven¡¯t I already agreed to be one?¡± Naiad waved her hand in a so-so gesture. ¡°Yes, but there¡¯s other things you could do besides fighting on the front lines. Plenty of Magical Girls have either ¡®retired¡¯ or take a non-combat focused specialty like crafting. Magical Girl Index, for example, serves as a sort of knowledge expert on¡­ well, kind of everything, I guess. Magical Girl Hephaestus-chan is a master crafter and enchanter, and Dungeon Master creates defenses and fortifications for cities. There¡¯s all kinds of other specializations that don¡¯t involve combat available, really.¡± ¡°There¡¯s plenty of options available for roles that deviate from the standard Magical Girl archetype,¡± Everglaive nodded along. ¡°Which is why I ask if you truly want to be what most would consider a ¡®standard¡¯ Magical Girl. While switching paths later is certainly possible, making a decision now when you are still at the beginning of your career would be much more efficient.¡± I chewed on my lip, feeling a little lost. Ever since meeting Selene, I¡¯d always just assumed that this was my path now. Killing Anathema and doing whatever else it was Magical Girls did. If I really did have a choice though¡­ What did I want? It seemed like an eternity ago, thinking about my life before the mall. Every day had just been living in the moment, never really giving thought to the future. I¡¯d been looking for a part-time job, but finding one was difficult. Sure, there were plenty of openings for cashiers and other customer service jobs, but¡­ I was weird and awkward. It had taken months for me to just get comfortable talking to Lily, and I still managed to mess up regularly. Even if I managed to get a job somewhere, there was no way I¡¯d be able to hold it for long, not with the added social pressure and anxiety. I wouldn''t be able to handle it, and that would make me bad at the job itself. Other than trying to find a job to earn the money I desperately needed, I didn¡¯t really have any plans for my future. I needed to move out as fast as possible, I guess, but that wasn¡¯t likely to happen any time soon. But after that, I had no idea what I really wanted. My future plans had always been dark and nebulous because getting from one day to the next was always the priority. But becoming a Magical Girl had changed everything. It had given me the answer to a question I¡¯d never really had the luxury of asking. It was like I¡¯d been handed a future, a path that I could follow and be proud of. When I¡¯d contracted, the power had been exactly what I needed to keep myself alive and protect everyone. But was it what I wanted? Did I really want to fight in life-or-death battles for the rest of my life? To face fears and nightmares made manifest? More than that, was that something I was even capable of? Then there were all the other aspects of being a Magical Girl that didn¡¯t involve combat. Selene had called it being a beacon of hope, but what did that even entail? Talking to people and inspiring them? Interviews and marketing deals? If that was the case, then I already knew the answer from my failure to find any suitable jobs. My only real hope on that end was maybe I was mistaken about what it involved. Still, if half of being a MG was combat and half was social stuff, and I wasn¡¯t sure about either part¡­ ¡°I¡­¡± I slowly started to say before the electronic lock to the room let out a soft beep. A second later the door was thrown open, banging against the doorstop noisily as a blond girl with pigtails entered, a wide grin on her face. I let out a surprised squeak, pulling the blanket coving me higher over myself as I curled up into a small ball, my heart thundering in my chest. The girl appeared to be in her mid to late teens and was short enough to barely be taller than me. She wore a complicated short-sleeved dress with a puffy skirt and sleeves. The color scheme was white and black as a base while a red diamond pattern dominated the edges, tapering off near her stomach. Red and black thigh-high socks following the same checkered diamond pattern covered her legs, but I couldn¡¯t see what she wore on her feet from my position. Red bows and ribbons adorned her dress, and a scarlet headband rested on her head with lightning bolt shaped pins rising off it. I only had a second to recognize her as one of the Magical Girls who rescued me before she threw her hands into the air as if cheering. ¡°The food has arrived!¡± she announced with a high pitched voice, an excited look on her round face. Everglaive and Naiad had both snapped their heads around to the door when it was thrown open, Naiad halfway rising out of the sofa. Upon seeing the girl, Everglaive let out a long sigh, shaking her head as Naiad put her hands on her hips and glared at the newcomer. ¡°Rina! What were you thinking entering like that?!¡± ¡°Uh,¡± the girl blinked sheepishly as she took in the room, ¡°I was thinking that I came bearing food and it would make for a cool entrance? Um¡­ My bad?¡± There was a silence before Naiad let out a sigh, throwing up her hands in a gesture of surrender as she fell back into her seat on the sofa, arms crossed. ¡°Sorry about her,¡± Naiad grumbled. ¡°She didn¡¯t mean any harm. She just sometimes doesn¡¯t use her brain. Or, ever does, really.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± the girl squawked. ¡°This is our teammate Thorina,¡± Everglaive continued over the girl¡¯s protest. ¡°I apologize for her rudeness. Would it be alright if she joined us?¡± Slowly, my heart began to slow down, and I forced the tension from my muscles to unwind as I relaxed my posture. I gave an uncertain nod. Thorina grinned at that, walking over and sitting on the couch to my left without ceremony. As she sat and stared at me with a wide grin, I noticed she had startlingly blue eyes with pupils in a thunderbolt pattern. Fidgeting under her gaze, I looked away uncomfortably. A soft knocking made me look back to the still open door. ¡°Excuse me,¡± a deep voice rumbled. ¡°Is everyone in there decent enough for me to enter as well?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Everglaive murmured with a raised eyebrow. ¡°So Gildscale and Naiad both have the manners and presence of mind to knock before entering a girl¡¯s room, and yet you don¡¯t, Thorina?¡± Thorina sputtered, looking at Everglaive in shock. ¡°But he¡¯s a guy! Of course he should knock!¡± ¡°Rina, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a guy or girl, normal people knock before entering a stranger¡¯s room,¡± Naiad chided her teammate, shaking her head. The girl grumbled, crossing her arms and slouching into the sofa with a pout that turned her already soft face even more childish. Everglaive turned to address me. ¡°Do you feel comfortable with our last teammate joining us?¡± I looked down at myself, feeling more self-conscious as I pulled the blanket a bit higher over my pajamas. It was a little embarrassing to be seen by so many people in bunny-print pajamas, but the blanket more or less covered me up as long as I didn¡¯t move around too much. I nodded to Everglaive, and she smiled before calling out. ¡°Come in, Gild.¡± A man with dark skin entered. He appeared to be in his early twenties with sharp, chiseled features and black hair shorn close to his scalp. His armor was like that of a fantasy knight, but made of golden scales. Every design detail I could see seemed to be sharp and jagged, coming to points like claws or talons. The heavy metal pauldrons covering his shoulders were shaped like that of dragon heads, but beyond that, I couldn¡¯t see the rest of his costume due to the mountain of fast food bags he held cradled in his arms. I must have made a surprised face, because Everglaive glanced back to the entryway just as the man dexterously used his foot to close the door without even looking. Everglaive¡¯s eyebrow twitched at the sight, and she quickly stood up. ¡°Would it be alright if I moved some of your items so Gild can set down the food?¡± I quickly nodded, and Everglaive went to work relocating my guns and magazines to a different table. Naiad followed her example, shooting a look at Thorina who slouched back into the sofa with an excited expression as she stared at the food. ¡°You came barging in here without knocking, and you weren¡¯t even the one with the food?¡± Naiad asked dryly, and Thorina stuck her tongue out. ¡°Gild offered to carry it all!¡± ¡°Only because if you tried,¡± the Guardian¡¯s deep voice rumbled as he began setting bags on the table, ¡°you wouldn¡¯t be able to see over them.¡± ¡°Oh, ha ha, a short joke,¡± Thorina rolled her eyes. ¡°Very original, never heard that one before.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not our fault any other joke we make goes right over your head,¡± Naiad grinned. ¡°These jokes may be low hanging fruit, but at least you can see them coming,¡± Gild agreed. Thorina¡¯s mouth fell open at the rapid-fire lines, looking between the two Guardians with a look of betrayal. ¡°Wah- you can¡¯t do this! Look, the newbie is at least as short as me if not shorter! Any joke you make at me might as well be at her too, so who''s the one being rude now?!¡± Everyone but Thorina had just finished setting the variety of takeout bags on the table, and they froze for a second, Naiad shooting a warning scowl at Thorina before glancing at me worriedly. I felt a prickle of frustration mixed with embarrassment at the mention of my height, but Thorina seemed completely oblivious as she turned to face me. ¡°You¡¯re under five feet, right? Or, uh, under 150 centimeters, about? If my conversion is right?¡± ¡°Rina¡­¡± Everglaive drew out her name in something like a warning, and I saw the girl visibly tense up at the frost in Everglaive¡¯s voice. ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer that,¡± Naiad quickly added, sitting down on the sofa and giving me a worried look. I felt the feeling inside me intensifying, a blush starting to form on my cheeks. Looking away from the three figures, I decided to just give a quick nod. It¡¯s not like they couldn¡¯t see my height, so I wasn¡¯t sure why this girl was asking in the first place. I didn¡¯t think she was trying to embarrass me judging by the innocent, excited expression on her face, but that hardly mattered when that was the effect she was having. ¡°Hell yeah!¡± Thorina threw her hands up in victory. ¡°Let it be known that the alliance of below average height gains another capable warrior this day! We may be tiny, but we are fierce! And us shorties gotta¡¯ stick together. Am I right or am I right, new girl?¡± She held out her hand in a fist to me, and I blinked in surprise. I was frozen for a second before she wiggled her fist, an expectant look on her face. More on autopilot than anything else, I nervously reached out, gently tapping her fist with mine. ¡°Awesome,¡± Thorina grinned, clapping her hands together excitedly. ¡°Now onto the food and-¡± ¡°Just¡­ slow down a moment,¡± Everglaive sighed, her normally restrained voice fraying. ¡°You still haven¡¯t properly introduced yourselves.¡± ¡°Ah, apologies,¡± the young man in golden armor dipped his head to me in greeting. ¡°I¡¯m Gildscale, but most people just call me Gild. I serve as the Archer for our team.¡± I bowed my head slightly deeper than him, stopping myself from giving my name on reflex. Now that I could see him better, I noticed he had faint golden scales on some of his skin. Combined with the spikes and design of his armor, it gave him a draconic visage. The hyperactive girl gave me a wave, a bright, lopsided smile on her face. ¡°Yo, I¡¯m Thorina, but my friends call me Rina. I smash things for our team.¡± ¡°Striker is the term you¡¯re looking for,¡± Naiad shook her head. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°Eh, what does it matter what it¡¯s called so long as the Anathema ends up as crushed hamburger? Oh! Speaking of hamburger¡­¡± Thorina pointed to the food on the table, practically bouncing up and down. Naiad was just giving her a disgusted look, and Everglaive gave a quiet, restrained sigh. ¡°Well. I suppose anything else can wait. Gild, what did you pick up?¡± ¡°Thorina made the point that we didn¡¯t know what our new friend wanted, so we decided to get a little bit of everything. We have a variety of burgers in these three bags, fried chicken and wings in those two, various Chinese meals in these three, and then some salads in the last two.¡± Everglaive nodded at him with a small smile, before turning and gesturing to me. ¡°Go ahead. Take your pick.¡± Feeling a little overwhelmed¡ªmostly from the ball of energy that was Thorina¡ªI stared at all the food bags. A sudden, deep worry began gnawing at my guts. They¡¯d gotten so much food, and I already owed them more than I knew how to repay. Accepting food would just be adding to my debt. While they seemed kind enough, I barely knew them¡­ I couldn¡¯t just accept more things from them. My stomach rumbled, and I clenched my teeth together hard as I squeezed my abdominal muscles tight, trying to quell the growing hunger. I wasn¡¯t sure if the sound was audible to the rest of them, but Naiad tilted her head inquisitively. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? If there¡¯s nothing you like, we could get something else.¡± ¡°Oh, no, it¡¯s just¡­¡± I chewed over my words before I continued. ¡°I already owe the four of you so much. I don¡¯t really know how to begin repaying you. I can¡¯t accept this unless I can give you some points or¡­¡± I trailed off as I saw the strange looks I was getting. Naiad and Gild were both watching me closely while Everglaive simply sat expressionless. Thorina gave me a baffled expression, though, letting out a snort. ¡°Owe us? You don¡¯t owe us anything. We¡¯re Magical Girls, saving people is what we do.¡± ¡°But¡­ I just¡­ You risked your lives when you didn¡¯t have to, and¡­ I don¡¯t know how many points you spent or how much this cost, but¡­¡± The pressure inside me was building, making me fumble over my words as a pulsing headache began to form. Arguing with Lily about things like this was one thing I¡¯d grown accustomed to, but this was completely different. I didn¡¯t know how to make them understand. I did have a debt to them, and that was something that had to be paid. ¡°It¡¯s fine, really,¡± Thorina waved a hand dismissively. ¡°It was a good fight, anyway. Been a bit since I was in a siege battle, so it was nice to shake the rust off. No worries about anything like that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± I struggled, anxiety making my heart skip. I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. They needed to understand, but I couldn¡¯t seem to find the words. ¡°Besides,¡± Thorina laughed. ¡°It¡¯s just a couple dollars, so-¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just a couple dollars!¡± I raised my voice, half rising out of my chair. ¡°It¡¯s a debt, and that needs to be paid back!¡± The room went utterly quiet. Staring at the confused girl, it only took me a second to realize what I just did. Horror welled up inside me as I took in their surprised expressions. A pit formed in my stomach, and I sat back down, panic making my hands jitter as I readjusted my blanket. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I whispered quickly, looking down. Thorina recovered first, letting out an amused breath of air. ¡°You¡¯re fine. I just don¡¯t get-¡± ¡°Thorina,¡± Everglaive snapped, her voice arctic. Thorina¡¯s mouth almost audibly clicked shut, and she shot a confused look to Everglaive. The other girl merely let out a slow breath, leaning forward slightly as she addressed me. ¡°I believe I understand your feelings,¡± she began slowly, ¡°and that kind of emphasis on integrity and returning another¡¯s kindness is a truly wonderful thing. However, I believe there is some miscommunication going on. You see, you¡¯ve already more than paid whatever debt you feel you might owe to us. The same goes for whatever you may feel you owe Error Machina as well.¡± I frowned at that, my racing pulse slowly calming as I listened to her speak. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Perhaps it would be easier to look at it this way: We didn¡¯t help you simply because we wanted to but because we were hired to.¡± Naiad gave Everglaive a look like she¡¯d gone crazy, and Thorina seemed equally baffled. Gildscale simply lifted his eyebrows but seemed otherwise unbothered. ¡°By who?¡± I asked carefully. ¡°The System, of course,¡± Everglaive gave me a soft smile. ¡°You see, it wasn¡¯t just us acting on our own desire to help, all of us were also offered quests to help you. My main quest alone was worth 20,000 points, and that doesn¡¯t even include the other points we earned from defeating Anathema.¡± I tried not to let my jaw draw open as my mind stuck on the number. She¡¯d gotten nearly twenty times the number of points as me? Even though my quest was a Death Wish¡­ [Quick point of clarification,] Selene interjected smoothly. [Fantasy Fatale received more points from their quest rewards due to their level. As I explained earlier, there is a limit to how fast a Soul Gem can grow. Every hundredth level you achieve will increase the amount of possible points that can be rewarded to you through quests.] ¡°Indeed,¡± Everglaive gave a respectful nod to Selene. ¡°And, as for the food, you were subjected to rather intense amounts of magical healing. Both casting spells and having healing magic cast on you takes a lot of your body¡¯s energy. Seeing as Naiad unilaterally took you on as her patient¡­¡± Everglaive turned to Naiad, giving her an expectant look. Naiad had a wide-eyed expression of something like understanding, and she nodded quickly. ¡°That¡¯s right! Usually I try to ask before healing someone, but it was kind of an emergency. Now that you¡¯re my patient, though, your health is my responsibility. Any and all expenses belong to me alone, and I¡¯m being more than compensated through the experience my Skills and Class are gaining. Eating food to rebuild your energy reserves is part of your recovery treatment, so please, don¡¯t feel like you¡¯re imposing! Everglaive¡¯s right, all of this was more than paid for already.¡± I bit down on my lip, glancing between the group. None of them seemed upset at me yelling at them, and their words seemed oddly calm and reassuring. I knew better than to completely trust their outward reaction, but I didn¡¯t see any of the body language that usually set off alarm bells in my head. They seemed relaxed except for Naiad who had clasped her hands on her lap tightly. As for the logic of what they were saying¡­ It probably made sense? It kind of felt like a loophole to me, even if I couldn¡¯t figure out why. It was more a reframing of the situation than anything else. I hadn¡¯t really thought to consider the quests as jobs, but that¡¯s more or less what they were in video games. Just because the System was the one handing them out instead of people didn¡¯t really change that. They were just doing their jobs and attempting to follow through on them. After another moment of indecision, I gave a reluctant nod. ¡°Okay.¡± Naiad gave a smile as I reached for the bags, and Thorina grinned excitedly. ¡°Awesome! Here, let me help get these unpacked on the table so you can see the full selection.¡± Thorina hopped to it, and Gildscale let out a chuckle as he began to help her. It didn¡¯t take the two of them long to have a veritable feast of foods lined up on the table, and the smell made my stomach clench painfully again. Thorina gave me an expectant look, gesturing. ¡°Go ahead, you get first pick.¡± There were a few things I¡¯d never tried before, so I just stuck to what I knew and grabbed a burger. I wasn¡¯t really picky about toppings or anything, I just wanted food. Once I¡¯d taken my pick, it was like a signal went off, and everyone began grabbing things for themselves, eating without a second thought. I joined in, and most conversation died out for a bit. At first, I was worried about how fast I wanted to eat my burger, but I watched in equal parts awe and horror as Thorina finished her first one off in less than a dozen seconds before reaching for another. The others seemed to be eating at a more sedate pace, but with Thorina there, I felt less bad about easing up and just focusing on the food. It wasn¡¯t often that I got to eat fast food, just when Lily bought some for me really, and I wasn¡¯t going to let the opportunity go to waste. I knew the food wasn¡¯t healthy, but that didn¡¯t change the fact it was insanely tasty. It was a bit shocking how much everybody was able to eat. I ate by far the least while Thorina and Gildscale seemed to be competing using a fast versus slow method respectively. By the time the five of us finished, the mountain of food had been reduced to almost nothing. Thorina seemed to have fallen into a food coma two-thirds of the way through, letting out something between a groan and contented sigh as she fell back onto the sofa. I felt similarly stuffed, but I wasn¡¯t going to let it show. ¡°Well then,¡± Everglaive said, still slowly eating a salad. ¡°I suppose we can get back to matters at hand. While we ate, I was thinking about the question I asked you, and I realized you probably don¡¯t know the intricacies of what being a Magical Girl entails, do you?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No¡­ Not beyond fighting the Anathema, I mean.¡± ¡°If only that were the whole job,¡± Thorina groaned, and Gildscale chuckled. ¡°Fighting is about half of the job,¡± Everglaive nodded. ¡°The other half is a mix of patrolling, training, managing your fame, and promoting peace, hope, and joy. Or any other positive emotion, really, but those are considered the major three.¡± ¡°How do you do that, exactly?¡± I shifted uncomfortably. ¡°There are multiple ways Magical Girls go about it, but it all more or less boils down to being an ¡®idol¡¯ of some sort. Some do exactly that, going the traditional route and performing concerts. On the other end of the spectrum, some Guardians stream their battles against the Anathema. Livestreaming has become popular for a variety of activities, actually, and some Guardians engage in everything from playing video games to hosting talk shows. There¡¯s virtually a limitless amount of ideas, but it all boils down to making people feel safe and happy.¡± ¡°I play violin and dance, for example,¡± Naiad smiled. ¡°Everglaive¡¯s a really talented singer. Sometimes we team up.¡± ¡°I stream my battles,¡± Thorina shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s what I¡¯m good at and enjoy, so I double dip rather than go around trying to cheer people up.¡± Everyone turned to Gildscale, and he sighed, clearing his throat before he spoke. ¡°ASMR,¡± he rumbled, his voice somehow becoming so deep I could feel it in my bones. It sent tingles down my spine, and I shivered. Thorina let out a giggle at my reaction, pumping her fist in victory while Naiad smiled. ¡°Sometimes, the four of us come together to play as a band,¡± Everglaive continued. ¡°We¡¯ve had years to build our skills to a passable level, and taking on hobbies is a necessity for any Guardian to relieve stress.¡± ¡°Except Thorina,¡± Gild pointed out. ¡°Except Thorina,¡± Everglaive agreed. ¡°Complete and utter battle maniac,¡± Naiad nodded sagely. ¡°Pfft, don¡¯t listen to them,¡± the Magical Girl in question scowled at her team. ¡°I mean, yes, I¡¯m a hopeless battle maniac, but there¡¯s nothing wrong with that. And I do have a hobby! It¡¯s figuring out how to kill Anathema as efficiently as possible! And leveling! Those count, right?¡± The rest of the group seemed largely amused by her reaction, and I could tell they¡¯d had this conversation many times before. Seeing them getting along did feel a little weird, partly because I was the odd girl out, but I was used to that feeling. I just watched on, keeping the smile mostly off my face as they teased her. ¡°Regardless of that questionable assertion,¡± Everglaive continued, ¡°the point remains. Outside of combat, most Magical Guardians find a duty to perform for citizens. Many of us share our hobbies as a way to both relax ourselves and accomplish the goal of easing their minds.¡± ¡°Is there some kind of requirement?¡± I hesitantly asked, but Everglaive shook her head. ¡°No. Some Guardians prefer to be completely off the radar and fight without gathering any attention. This method, however, does mean they earn less points. The System offers plenty of quests for helping civilians out, and although you might not get many at once, it adds up. You also earn a small amount of experience for inspiring people, but you are unlikely to notice it except at the early levels or if you perform something like a large concert.¡± I tried not to show how relieved the lack of requirements made me feel. I had no idea what I would do if there was one. I didn¡¯t really have any natural talents, and while I¡¯d gotten decent at cooking, I didn¡¯t see how that was going to help anybody. ¡°Other than that, there¡¯s managing your fame. As you become more famous or powerful, it¡¯s natural you¡¯ll develop a fanbase. Things like commercials, merchandise deals, interviews, cameos, and other such experiences are all things we have to deal with. I¡¯ll leave the details for the academy, as they have an entire class on managing your Guardian image. Just be aware that as a Magical Girl you¡¯ll be under a microscope when you¡¯re seen in public. Anything problematic you do could have more than just a detrimental effect on your social status but also on the population¡¯s emotional status as a whole. We are in the business of building hope, not fear.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pain at first,¡± Naiad added, ¡°but you get used to it pretty quickly. Contrary to popular behavior, it¡¯s not all that hard to avoid being a jerk to people.¡± I nodded, but I wasn¡¯t too worried about that aspect. Going under the radar was second nature to me. Even if people were paying attention to me, I was used to keeping everything hidden behind a carefully crafted mask. ¡°Now, such a brief explanation of what being a Magical Girl entails obviously can¡¯t fully convey how it feels,¡± Everglaive said, a small smile tugging up the corner of her mouth. ¡°And so, I think before you give me your answer, we need to do two things. First, after you¡¯ve set up your Astral Shift, I want to take you out on a ¡®patrol.¡¯ It¡¯s a fancy way of saying we¡¯re going to walk around the city being seen by people. It makes people feel safer, and it keeps us mobile in case an Usurpation happens. By going out together, I can show you how to handle being recognized on the street as a Magical Girl.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I agreed. It didn¡¯t sound that complicated, but doing it with a veteran for the first time would still be nice. More than anything else, I was interested in finally getting my Astral Shift. ¡°Wait,¡± Thorina perked up, giving Everglaive a confused look. ¡°If we take her out and patrol with her, won¡¯t it be super obvious she¡¯s the newbie from the Death Wish? I thought Command told us to try to avoid that?¡± The three other Guardians in the room stared at Thorina incredulously until finally Everglaive shook her head. ¡°Normally, yes. That¡¯s exactly why the experienced teams have been taking all the newbies out on patrols. We¡¯ve already done this with over two dozen of them, and although people asked about it at first, they realized we were just training the new Guardians and left us alone.¡± ¡°Oh, a smokescreen, I get it¡­¡± Thorina blinked a few times, then made an outraged face. ¡°Hey, wait! How come I never got any newbies to train?!¡± ¡°We tried,¡± Naiad said dryly. ¡°But every time we asked, you told us you were too busy training or leveling. Besides, would you really have wanted to give up hours of your time patrolling when you could be fighting Anathema?¡± Thorina opened her mouth, closed it, then let out a huff of air. ¡°Yeah, okay, fair enough.¡± Naiad chuckled. ¡°Anyway, Rina brought up a good point. Since the invasion, all of us senior Guardians have been taking out the newbies on training patrols. We usually wait to do this until after the academy begins, but with all the daily Usurpations happening, it was seen as more advantageous to get them experience as soon as possible. Nobody should suspect you were the Guardian we saved more than the other girls we¡¯ve been mentoring.¡± Nodding, I glanced at Thorina. I hadn¡¯t even thought of the implications of patrolling with Fantasy Fatale, and I was kind of surprised Thorina picked up on it. Then again, for how carefree she seemed, she was still an elite Guardian. I doubted anybody truly absentminded made it to her level. ¡°What¡¯s the second thing we¡¯re doing?¡± I asked, turning back to see Everglaive giving me a vacant smile. ¡°Well, it¡¯s simple really. We¡¯re going to throw you back into the first suitable Usurpation we find.¡± Chapter 31 - Advice I stared at the Magical Girl, wondering if she was crazy. ¡°Um¡­?¡± I trailed off, glancing around with some concern. ¡°One of the problems you currently have is one of perception,¡± Everglaive explained, folding her hands on her lap. ¡°You¡¯ve been fighting without your Astral Shift this entire time. So while you know what it¡¯s like to fight Anathema, it is as a normal human, not a Magical Girl. You¡¯ve had no real stat advantages, no magic, and no shield. If you were not already aware, when you use your Astral Shift, you get a shield which we refer to as our Barrier. It¡¯s capable of reducing the damage we receive or even negating it completely.¡± Everglaive watched me carefully as she explained the last part, but I only dipped my head in acknowledgement. She must have been unsure about my reaction to not having that available for my Death Wish, but Selene had already told me about it. Everglaive gave a careful nod, continuing. ¡°You¡¯ve experienced the terror of fighting the Anathema as a normal human. Before you make your decision of being a Magical Girl, you need to experience what it¡¯s like to properly fight them with all the tools at your disposal. Well, at least two out of three. It might be a bit early to commit to purchasing any magics just yet.¡± Chewing on my inner lip, I grudgingly accepted her logic. The thought of going back out there to fight more Anathema so soon made my heart flutter in panic, but¡­ she was right. I¡¯d lacked most of the physical and magical benefits of being a Magical Girl, so I really couldn¡¯t make an informed decision if I wanted to be a ¡°standard¡± Magical Girl or not. ¡°Oh God, it¡¯s going to be so fun for you!¡± Thorina laughed. ¡°You must have gotten a good amount of levels from what you did, so you¡¯re going to go in and feel a huge difference!¡± ¡°It should prove, if nothing else, enlightening,¡± Everglaive agreed. ¡°I will also be with you the whole time, so there will be no chance of real danger.¡± Instantly, I felt a lot more calm about the idea. An over level 200 Magical Girl keeping me safe against whatever low level Usurpation they found for me took away most of my worry, though a small pit of it still gnawed at my stomach. It was unreasonable, but after everything that happened, after the mistakes that had been made not by the people I put my trust in, but by the circumstances¡­ it was hard to just fully accept her decision without some worry. I would have to content myself with knowing that even if something unexpected were to happen, Everglaive would at least be there, and I doubted the person who risked her life to save me would just watch me get hurt. ¡°Okay,¡± I agreed, hesitating. ¡°Um¡­ Before any of that, should I spend my points to prepare?¡± ¡°Hm. I would recommend saving the majority for now except to spend on whatever you will be using for a weapon. Speaking of which, you used guns in the mall. While that was most definitely the most pragmatic choice for the situation, I have to ask if you plan on sticking with firearms for your primary weapon.¡± I thought about it for only a few moments before nodding. Swords, bows, and fantasy weapons were cool, and while I loved watching shows where people did superhuman things with them, I was pretty sure that wasn¡¯t me. Maybe I could see myself using two short blades like the Magical Girl I played in Rebellion, but using the guns had felt more than just good, it had felt great. Besides, with my HUD, it seemed a little bit of a waste to use anything else. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Everglaive hedged. ¡°If your Familiar hasn¡¯t already warned you, guns pose a bit of a problem for optics. However, that mostly applies to the traditional kinetic firearms you¡¯ve been using.¡± ¡°Selene told me, but¡­¡± I trailed off, shifting nervously as I considered my words. ¡°It would work.¡± The bass voice of Gildscale suddenly broke the silence, and I looked at him in surprise. He had a thoughtful look on his face as he flicked his eyes over me in examination, rubbing his chin. ¡°No, not just work,¡± he shook his head. ¡°It would be very effective. She might even be the most ideal candidate to introduce guns as a more commonplace weapon among Magical Girls.¡± ¡°Gild, please explain,¡± Everglaive said, a hint of curiosity in her voice. ¡°Hmph. From a marketing standpoint, she would be able to fill many of the same tropes and archetypes that Thorina does. While not quite fitting as a ¡®pint-sized powerhouse,¡¯ an argument could still be made. More importantly, her smaller stature leads to a natural cuteness that the ¡®girls with guns¡¯ genre can exploit for maximum effectiveness, especially because she will be double dipping with ¡®young gun.¡¯ Even better, if she ever uses larger guns she¡¯ll easily fit in the ¡®small girl, big gun¡¯ trope. Depending on her Astral Shift, she could very easily make use of ¡®little miss badass¡¯ or ¡®badass adorable.¡¯ Another possibility is ¡®military moe¡¯ with team Panther Four being the most popular example, but I digress. To put things simply, her natural appearance would put many people at ease when paired with a gun, and with the amount of tropes and archetypes backing her, she would quickly become popular without being seen as particularly problematic. I¡¯d expect her to earn quite a number of fans very quickly with this approach, especially due to its current rarity.¡± I stared in shock at the seemingly quiet man as he finished his marketing speech, only sort of following along with what he was saying. Mostly, I¡¯d just heard him call me short and cute a few times, but it all had come out with a clinical and detached delivery that didn¡¯t leave me feeling particularly hurt or embarrassed. Naiad looked over at me, and blinked at my surprised expression. ¡°Oh! Gild is sort of our image consultant. He knows all about marketing and stuff like that, so we generally go to him with any of our questions. He¡¯s helped all of us refine our outfits into what they are now, so you can see he¡¯s kind of a genius.¡± Gild waved a hand, looking away in something like embarrassment. Everglaive was quiet for another moment before giving a slow nod. ¡°I see¡­ I believe I might agree with your assessment. Very well, then. If your choice is firearms, then you have my support. Just remember, you are still a new Magical Girl. There is no shame in rebranding and trying something new, though doing so earlier is better, obviously.¡± I nodded, giving Gild silent thanks in my heart. I¡¯d already had this conversation with Selene, but hearing an experienced Guardian say guns wouldn¡¯t be an optics problem for me made me feel a lot better. Truthfully I was still a little lost on the nuances of what he was saying, but that hardly mattered so long as it worked. Everglaive clapped her hands softly. ¡°Well then, to answer your question about spending points, all you will need to purchase is ammunition for whichever guns you want to use during this expedition. All that remains now is for you to pick your Astral Dress and whatever alias you will be using as your codename.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ Before that¡­¡± I glanced at Selene and started sending my thoughts to her. ¡°Should I ask for advice on what to use my points on in the future?¡± [Only if you feel comfortable, but I would highly recommend it. Remember, they are bound by the mentorship geas now, meaning the information you ask or share should be safe in their hands.] I nodded, taking a deep breath before addressing the group. ¡°I-if it¡¯s all right, could I, um, get some advice on what I should be planning to spend my points on for later?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Everglaive said, raising her eyebrows in surprise. ¡°We would be happy to help. Normally, this kind of thing is best learned at the academy, but with the large windfall of points you¡¯ve come into, I believe it would be prudent to advise you now. If you feel comfortable sharing, could you tell us how many points you are working with, or at least a general amount?¡± ¡°4,000 points,¡± I answered, and Thorina whistled. ¡°Very nice. You¡¯re going to be an absolute monster with a lead like that. Could buy eight of your Skills right off the bat.¡± ¡°That would be a waste,¡± Naiad frowned thoughtfully. ¡°At least until she reaches level ten and gets her first Class.¡± I bit my lip, and after hesitating, I decided to make a leap of faith and tell them my general level. The geas should keep me safe, but it was also hard for me to see Fantasy Fatale using that information against me. It¡¯s not like my level would be remaining static, so giving it away to get better advice seemed like the smartest move. ¡°I¡¯m, um, over level ten,¡± I stated, and all of them blinked. Everglaive gave the barest hint of a wince while Naiad full on grimaced. Gild looked at me with a deep, hard to read expression, and Thorina¡­ ¡°Hell yeah, sister!¡± she jumped out her seat in a cheer. ¡°You really kicked some ass! I knew you must have had it rough, but damn, girl, the Anathema definitely got the short end on this one. Level ten on day one of being a Magical Girl? In what, like seven, eight hours? You probably made a record!¡± A blush warmed my cheeks as Thorina shook her head in amazement, and Naiad let out a groan. ¡°Oh God, she¡¯s going to go on another leveling binge now, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°Without a doubt,¡± Gild sighed. ¡°Congratulations are most definitely in order,¡± Everglaive addressed me, speaking slowly. ¡°While it is easier to level the lower level you are, achieving what you have is no small matter. You should be proud of yourself. I am only sorry you had to go through what you did.¡± I shrugged, ignoring the acidic bitterness boiling in my stomach. It was what it was. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like I hadn¡¯t gotten anything out of it. ¡°Should I choose a Class now, then?¡± I asked Everglaive, trying to ignore the aching sensation the memories brought back. ¡°Not until you¡¯ve decided what kind of Magical Girl you want to be. Though, I find myself curious. How many Class choices do you currently have?¡± Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°Ten,¡± Naiad and Thorina both made a choking sound, Gildscale shaking his head in amazement. A small smile pulled up on the corner of Everlglaive¡¯s lips as she dipped her head toward me. ¡°Once again, congratulations. You normally get offered a generic seven, meaning you unlocked three unique Classes through your achievements. Unique Classes offer more specific options and will most likely be slightly more powerful than average. We can deal with those later, though. Right now, we are on the topic of spending points.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Naiad shook herself from her shock. ¡°Well then, should she just save them until she picks up her Class? Getting all those Skills early on means she can start earning experience and leveling them up.¡± ¡°I think that would be wisest,¡± Everglaive said. ¡°What she spends her points on should wait until she¡¯s decided her path as a Magical Girl. If she chooses not to be a traditional one and work on the backlines, she¡¯ll be spending her points very differently. Apologies, but for now I would recommend we don¡¯t make any suggestions until then.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Naiad gave an apologetic smile. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have mattered if you weren¡¯t level ten, because Skills wouldn¡¯t be a realistic option, but you are, and getting those Skills early will let you start earning experience and leveling them up to be stronger. Waiting seems like the right choice for now.¡± ¡°Lame,¡± Thorina grumbled. ¡°I wanted to spend points with her now.¡± ¡°Patience, Rina,¡± Everglaive murmured. ¡°You can help her later, but for now, I believe waiting would be most prudent.¡± I nodded, feeling vindicated in my choice to tell them. I forgot Selene said getting my Class would unlock special Skills depending on what I chose. I really needed to write down notes on everything sometime soon, just so I could go over everything without bothering Selene about the same thing repeatedly. ¡°That just leaves you choosing your Astral Shift,¡± Everglaive said. ¡°The process is pretty simple, actually. You go lie down somewhere, and you¡¯ll enter a sleep-like state. During that time, you and your Familiar will be able to create your outfit in what is more or less a dream. Once you finish, that will be your new outfit when you activate your transformation. You can change it once a day, so don¡¯t worry about choosing something permanent. As for the actual mechanics of your Astral Shift, I believe your Familiar can go over the details with you once you¡¯ve chosen your outfit. Hmm. What else¡­¡± ¡°Magic skirt and enchantments,¡± Naiad said offhandedly. ¡°Ah, right. The magic skirt. Perhaps the usual demonstration then? It does tend to get the point across better.¡± Naiad shot Everglaive a betrayed look, but the other girl¡¯s face remained passive. On the sofa next to me, Thorina got a malicious grin as she popped up onto her feet, walking over to Naiad. Grumbling and hesitantly standing, Naiad shook her head as she folded her arms in front of her chest. ¡°You see,¡± Everglaive explained. ¡°All of our outfits, properly called an Astral Dress, can be enchanted with several effects. It doesn¡¯t require a Vault, and you can get several useful utility effects such as water wicking and thermal regulation. There is, however, one enchantment that every Guardian gets for free called the ¡®magic skirt.¡¯ Thorina, if you would do the honors? Gild, girl talk time.¡± Gildscale looked straight up to the ceiling, squinting as if he was studying it in great detail. Meanwhile, Thorina looked at Naiad with a dark glitter in her eyes. Without any warning whatsoever, she reached down to Naiad¡¯s short skirt, and in one quick, violent motion, brought both her hands up, catching the hem of the skirt with her fingertips as she tried to flip Naiad¡¯s skirt. Thorina¡¯s arms were a blur, the speed at which they were moving causing an audible woosh of air, and I watched as Naiad¡¯s skirt flicked upward, moving up her thighs and- I blinked, the hem of her skirt stopping just before anything intimate was visible. Naiad still flinched, very obviously holding her arms tight while scowling at Thorina. The smaller girl merely cackled, skipping back to her sofa and jumping into it. Naiad¡¯s skirt fluttered for a second before lowering back to its proper position. She quickly sat down, smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles in it with a faint blush on her face. ¡°That is what we call the magic skirt enchantment,¡± Everglaive replied. ¡°To put it simply, any skirt you wear will refuse to fully obey the laws of physics, always working to provide modesty from any visual observer. It¡¯s what allows us to wear such extravagant outfits without worry.¡± ¡°It still feels really embarrassing,¡± Naiad grumbled. ¡°So no need to worry about any upskirts!¡± Thorina gave me a thumbs up. ¡°Oh, and even if somebody did get a straight up view, like if you jump over them and they look up, all they would see is darkness. The enchantment makes enough shadows that it¡¯s like a void under there.¡± Everglaive nodded. ¡°Indeed. However, please note that if your skirt takes severe enough damage, even the enchantment won¡¯t be able to do much. However, if your Dress has taken that much damage, you¡¯re most likely in too serious of a situation to worry about such things. Just keep that in mind when choosing the undergarments for your Astral Shift. In the worst case scenario of somebody getting a picture or video they shouldn¡¯t have, there is a division at Guardian Command that is one hundred percent effective at finding and deleting such things.¡± ¡°You can also disable the enchantment when you turn eighteen,¡± Thorina piped up, and I gave her a baffled expression. ¡°Why would¡­?¡± ¡°Fanservice,¡± she shrugged. ¡°Some Guardians play into the sexy angle to build their popularity.¡± ¡°Until you turn eighteen, it¡¯s best to avoid trying to play into that style,¡± Everglaive warned, a serious edge to her tone. ¡°I don¡¯t believe I have to explain why.¡± Feeling a little embarrassed by the subject matter and also for Naiad having to go through that demonstration, I nodded vigorously while glancing at Gildscale. He was still frowning as he stared at the ceiling, studying it with an impressive amount of focus. Thorina gave him a nudge with her elbow, and he blinked a few times, lowering his gaze back to a neutral position. ¡°Beyond that advice, there isn¡¯t much more to say on your Astral Shift,¡± Everglaive said, pausing briefly after. ¡°Unless you would like Gildscale¡¯s advice on possible outfits, of course. Your Familiar will have opinions of their own, but a second opinion from a professional never hurts.¡± I shifted nervously, giving Selene a glance, but she shrugged with her tails as she spoke directly to me. [I will not be offended. So long as you feel comfortable with receiving his opinions, I would highly recommend taking the offer. While the Zenith believe they have a good grasp on human fashion sensibilities, it never hurts to receive opinions from an actual human, let alone a professional in the field.] I fidgeted slightly before giving a nervous nod. Gild leaned forward, eyes narrowing in thought. Although he stared at me, it lacked a certain sense of discomfort I would have expected. It almost felt more like he was analyzing a complex equation than looking at me directly. ¡°Hm. Well, the first thing you need to know is there are a few different overarching styles you can aim for. Generally, they are divided into the four broad categories of cool, sexy, pretty, and cute. Some might use the term elegant instead of pretty, but they are talking about the same thing. My style would be an example of cool, Naiad and Everglaive both have a focus on pretty, and Rina¡¯s is a cute and pretty combination. Generally most outfits are a combination to some extent.¡± He took in a deep breath, squinting further at me. ¡°I would recommend one of three possibilities. First, if you wanted to go the more ¡®cool¡¯ route, you could opt for a more military theme. Obviously, it would work well with you utilizing guns, and being a Dark limits you to primarily using the color black, working in your favor for this style. The biggest issue you would run into is differentiating yourself from a normal Magical Soldier or their elites, the Wardens. I would recommend offsetting this by adding a themed aspect. You could go for a modern aesthetic with animal attributes, possibly delving into changing your physical appearance while shifted like Naiad does with her skin and hair or Everglaive with her ears. Alternatively, you could choose a more historic outfit like a World War Two inspired uniform, though this might limit the appearance of your weapons if you wanted to stay ¡®in character.¡¯ I would say this route has a good chance of success, and would be especially popular among gun fanatics.¡± ¡°Your second option is to go for a more ¡®pretty¡¯ oriented style. This is a fairly broad option as you would simply need to choose a more complicated looking dress. Beyond that, I don¡¯t have many notes, not without working with you directly to compare your interests in tastes. Black limits your choices, so I would recommend a Victorian style, possibly utilizing a crinoline or some other type of puffy underskirt to make the dress over it flare out. Keeping the skirt on the longer side will help align you more into this style. Alternatively, going for a fallen angel style with a simpler dress could also be effective. Overall, this type of outfit would be more distinct than the cool style in general, though many Darks tend to wear something similar if they choose a pretty route.¡± ¡°Finally, cute¡­¡± He hesitated, giving Naiad a look who only gave him an encouraging nod. ¡°Well¡­ You have a lot of the same positive attributes Thorina has going for her. Your diminutive size and slender build create a natural cuteness, and no matter what outfit you end up going with, that is going to shine through. You could very easily capitalize on this by focusing on a cute aesthetic. I would recommend something similar to the pretty aesthetic, possibly going for a cuter gothic Victorian style that is sometimes called ¡®Gothic Lolita.¡¯ It¡¯s very similar to a normal Victorian dress, but with more ribbons, frills, and bows added to give it the cute factor. I would once again recommend a dress, but the puffy underskirt is more optional. Keeping the skirt shorter, no longer than knee length at the most, and using thigh-high socks, tights, or some kind of leggings would most likely look best. Going for this style would, in my opinion, maximize your natural looks while also building off your choice of guns in a beneficial juxtaposition of cute and dangerous. Personally, this is the style I see working the best and having the highest chance of becoming something iconic.¡± He settled back into the sofa, and my face burned lightly after his analysis. He had said everything with a professional, analytical tone, but it still felt weird to hear somebody talk about me like that. ¡°Those are the ideas off the top of my head,¡± Gildscale shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of other possibilities or themes. A dark knight princess, a more sci-fi special forces angle, or some kind of animal themed huntress are other ideas. You have a variety of options to work with, and I¡¯m sure your Familiar has quite a few ideas. The only thing I would urge is for you to make sure you have some kind of signature, something that will differentiate you from others wearing similar outfits. Naiad has her water spirit appearance, for instance. I have my dragon themed armor with scales, Everglaive her elf ears, and Thorina¡­ Well, her personality more than makes an impression of its own.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Thorina shot him a half-hearted glare, and he smiled. ¡°Um¡­ I have a few ideas,¡± I nodded, my hand instinctively going to brush the hair covering my right eye further into place. I wasn¡¯t sure how unique eyepatches were among Magical Girls, but maybe it would work? When Katie revealed to my class I was wearing it to cover my heterochromia and not an ¡°actual¡± reason, I¡¯d gotten called edgy and goth a lot. A few of the more creative ones called me a chuuni, which was slang for a Japanese word describing kids trying to act dark and dramatic. But if it was for my Magical Girl outfit, maybe my eyepatch would actually look good? My augment¡¯s new improvement should let me see through my eyepatch, so it wouldn¡¯t even hinder my use of firearms. ¡°That sounds promising,¡± Everglaive gave me a soft smile. ¡°So, unless there¡¯s anything else we need to cover, I suggest you go set up your Astral Shift. Afterwards, we can proceed with the rest of the plan. I¡¯ll wait out here for you to finish, if that¡¯s alright?¡± I nodded, mostly because they already seemed to have keycards to my room, so it didn¡¯t matter where she waited. I did plan to use the lock on the bedroom door I spotted earlier, if for nothing else than my peace of mind. ¡°Uh, do I have to stay, or¡­?¡± Thorina gave Everglaive a pleading look, and the other girl sighed. ¡°No, Rina, you can go and begin your leveling spree. We¡¯ll contact you when our new friend is ready to spend points, if that is her wish.¡± Thorina jumped up, letting out a cheer and giving me a quick wave as she ran to the door and left. Gildscale shook his head, turning to me. ¡°I¡¯ll be returning to my room, but feel free to stop by once you have your outfit finalized. I might have some more advice once I see what direction you are going in.¡± Nodding, I stood up while keeping the blanket wrapped around myself only for Naiad to rise with me. ¡°Before you begin, I was hoping we could have that private word about the medical magics I used on you?¡± I felt my heart skip a beat. I¡¯d almost forgotten the predicament I was in with the healer. She had remained ambiguous about what she knew so far, but I had no way of knowing if that was because of everybody listening in, or if she really didn¡¯t know anything. ¡°S-sure,¡± I stuttered, about to move for the door when Everglaive raised a hand. ¡°Oh, please take the third folder with you,¡± Everglaive quickly added. ¡°Error Machina wanted me to give it to you and told me it was important for you to read before you left. Perhaps you can read it after your chat with Naiad?¡± I jerked my head in acknowledgment, picking up the folder and heading to the bedroom. Selene went ahead of me, claiming a spot near the edge of the bed. It was a little hard juggling the IV, folder, and blanket all at the same time, but I somehow managed to reach the bed and set everything down just as Naiad closed the door behind her. I sat down next to Selene, facing the healer. She gave me a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes, and I held my breath as I wondered exactly how much she knew. Chapter 32 - Privacy ¡°Privacy Field,¡± Naiad spoke, the words whispering with power. A tingle swept through me, and I shivered, turning to look at the girl as she gave me a soft smile. ¡°A simple spell. It will make it so nobody can hear our conversation. It disables electronic surveillance too.¡± I gave her a nervous nod, and she leaned against the wall, folding her hands in front of her. ¡°First of all, I want to make something clear. I know it can be a bit jarring to get used to at first, but Magical Girls tend to be older than they look. I¡¯ve been doing this for four years now, making me twenty. Thorina, who looks the youngest of us all, has been a Magical Girl for five, and both Ever and Gild have been working together for six. What I¡¯m trying to say is that we have more experience than our apparent age or demeanors might suggest at first.¡± I carefully nodded, unsure where this was going exactly. The tension in my chest was already squeezing my lungs tight, and I had to force myself to remember to breathe normally. ¡°I tell you this to let you know I have quite a bit of experience as a medic, and also a doctor to some extent,¡± Naiad said slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve taken classes at the academy, and I know what I¡¯m talking about. I also take what I do very seriously. All Magical Girls who specialize as healers are taught the importance of patient confidentiality, because with our magics, we can see quite a bit of personal information if we want to.¡± My blood froze, but I kept a neutral expression on my face as she continued. ¡°Which leads me to my second point. Due to the extensiveness of your injuries, I had to perform magical surgery on you and do what is called a ¡®full dive,¡¯ meaning I had to use the full extent of my observational magics in order to heal you. I did this to save your life, but it was, nonetheless, without your permission. Because of that, I know quite a bit not just about your physical condition, but also your body¡¯s past injuries. In that regard, healing magics are very¡­ revealing. I apologize for that.¡± She gave me a searching look, but I could only stare back at her, my mouth dry. My heart was beating much faster now, and I clutched the blanket tighter around myself. Naiad continued after a moment, keeping her tone soft. ¡°Now. There¡¯s obviously precedence for a situation like this. Magical Girls have gotten injured badly before, and others have had to operate. The general rule of thumb is to just move on. Healers pretend they saw nothing and never share any information. It¡¯s a rule that¡¯s been upheld for as long as I can remember, and the few cases where it was broken quickly resulted in the healer being punished and ostracized from the Magical Girl community. So, on that part, you have no need to worry. In fact, I swear on my soul gem that your personal health information will be kept confidential. I will share it with nobody, nor will I make any suggestions or remarks that may lead others to find out the same information. I will also be signing a geas as soon as possible to cement your privacy. For future reference, this is a request any Magical Girl can make of another who used extensive healing magics on them.¡± A small weight lifted from my shoulders, but I kept my face a careful, expressionless mask. I¡¯d been in this same situation before, and if I wasn¡¯t mistaken¡­ ¡°However,¡± Naiad continued, concern emerging on her face. ¡°While I won¡¯t share what I¡¯ve observed, I was hoping you¡¯d be willing to talk about it.¡± And there it was. I stared at her, and she gave me a friendly smile. ¡°You¡¯re a Magical Girl now. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been going through, but whatever it is, I¡¯m not here to judge. I just want you to know I¡¯m here to help you if you need it, or even if you just want somebody to talk to.¡± My pulse was beating in my ears now, the thorns of anxiety shooting through my like lightning as I forced myself to remain as still as possible. I took in slow, deep breaths through my nose, trying to ignore the pressure trying to choke me. Making myself swallow the lump in my throat, I looked at Naiad. She had a gentle, compassionate look on her face. So far, she¡¯d gone out of her way to save my life and to keep my privacy intact. Every interaction I¡¯d observed, she¡¯d been warm and kind, even giving me the blanket my fingers were currently clutching. She¡¯d taken care of me, spent points on getting me pajamas and medicine, and generally just treated me like a normal person. I had no reason to lie to her. So I took a deep breath, forced a smile, and shook my head. ¡°Thank you for your concern,¡± I recited. ¡°But everything is fine.¡± The concern on her face changed to one of worry. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to argue with you, but you have several things going on with your body that tell me things aren¡¯t okay. Some of your bones haven¡¯t had completely smooth heals from previous fractures, and your weight and size are¡­ concerning.¡± ¡°Everything¡¯s fine,¡± I repeated, flinching at her words as shame stung into me. ¡°I¡¯m manaborn. I have some health issues because of that, just like other manaborn.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s not-¡± There was a whip crack of air, and I snapped my head to the side to see Selene tails bristling. [Magical Girl Naiad,] she said, her normally gentle voice gaining a serrated edge. [When you came to me with your concerns, I believe I told you I would be monitoring the situation and looking out for the well-being of my Guardian is my responsibility. Part of the reason healers are told to leave other Guardians alone no matter what they find out is the fact that Guardians have Familiars capable of constantly monitoring the situation and acting appropriately. If my Guardian wishes to discuss her personal health issues with you, that is one thing, but I believe she has given you her answer. I insist that you respect it and leave this matter to me.] I stared at Selene with wide eyes before turning back to Naiad. She was likewise frozen for a moment before blinking her eyes a few times. She turned her head away, an ashamed look on her face. ¡°Of course,¡± Naiad whispered. ¡°I apologize to both of you. I¡¯m not your doctor, and you aren¡¯t going through this alone. I shouldn¡¯t have tried to pry¡­¡± She took a deep, shuddering breath, and when she looked back to me she was smiling beneath the slight sheen in her eyes. ¡°Alright. How about we go over what treatment I provided you, then?¡± I watched her carefully for a moment before giving a hesitant nod, the pressure pounding in my head beginning to lessen. I realized I¡¯d barely been breathing during the short exchange, and I forced my muscles to relax themselves as I took in a deep breath. ¡°Okay,¡± Naiad gave a wavering smile. ¡°So. You received quite a multitude of injuries. The major ones were two fractured ribs, a punctured lung, moderate damage to your intestinal tract, and your severed left arm. What complicated things when we arrived was that you were already at your healing limit.¡± Naiad must have seen my confusion because she stopped herself. ¡°Healing magic isn¡¯t something that can be done infinitely on somebody,¡± she quickly explained. ¡°As healing mana permeates the body, you become saturated with it to the point that more healing magic has a hard time finding purchase. It¡¯s like watering a plant, you can¡¯t just keep pouring water into the soil and expect it to continue having the same beneficial effect. Everyone has a set amount of healing they can receive before any further healing becomes much less effective. It isn¡¯t impossible to heal somebody over the limit, but you have to spend much more mana and effort to get the same effect.¡± [People with higher Vitality have larger healing limits as well,] Selene added helpfully, and I frowned. ¡°But why was I at my healing limit?¡± [The healing items you used throughout the day were magical in nature. Because they were only common rarity, also known as tier one, they were relatively ineffective at how much they healed in comparison to how much they raise your healing limit.] ¡°Generally, items bought from Vaults aren¡¯t as effective as magic from a Magical Girl anyway,¡± Naiad added. ¡°They don¡¯t have a caster with stats and Class bonuses to make the healing more efficient. If you ever have a choice, healing magic is almost always better than items.¡± She let out a breath, seeming to steady herself as she went on. ¡°So I performed full-dive surgery. What this means is instead of just saying the magic words and letting the spell heal you, I¡­ hmm¡­ it¡¯s a little hard to explain. Basically, I narrowed down the scope of my attention to just the inside of your body. It¡¯s kind of like I hyper focused, using a microscope to see all the tiny details of your anatomy. This allowed me to not cast healing spells at your body in general, but at the specific injured parts. I would see a broken bone and begin mending it, or a severed vein and stitch it back up. For every small tear or break in your body, I had to figure out the best healing spell and what intensity to cast it at all while focusing on keeping your vitals stable. I worked at a micro level instead of a macro one, working past your healing limit by casting the spells and focusing them to just heal one small issue instead of simply throwing a spell at your body and trying to brute force it. Does that make sense so far?¡± I nodded, but it was hard for me to imagine the scale at which she must have been acting. With how many injuries I had, she must have been fighting a miniature war of her own. ¡°That sounds¡­ complicated,¡± I hedged, and she gave a lopsided grin. ¡°It¡¯s not called surgery for nothing. The full dive part comes from how much attention it takes from a healer to do it properly. In terms of mana and healing limit efficiency, it¡¯s much better to do the micro-level healing, but we often don¡¯t get that chance in combat. Anyway, that should give you an idea of how I went about healing you. I managed to fix all of the injuries you received, but it took the entire week to avoid putting too much of a drain on your body while I fully regenerated the damage to your lung and intestines. Organ damage always takes longer to repair properly than something like a broken bone or even a severed limb. We decided it would be best to keep you out of a hospital and away from prying eyes partly because I¡¯m a high enough level for my magic to easily be capable of taking care of an unconscious individual for extended periods of time.¡± She paused for a second, glancing away. ¡°I¡¯m just below level 200, meaning I can cast tier two spells. That means I¡¯m capable of healing past injuries that didn¡¯t heal quite right, including scars. I didn¡¯t touch any of those, because I didn¡¯t have your approval. If you want¡­ I could heal them for you. No questions asked.¡± My throat tightened, and I quickly shook my head, not trusting my words. ¡°Okay,¡± she whispered. ¡°Well¡­ I think that covers everything I wanted to go over with you. All your injuries should be fully healed, but if you have any problems like tingling or phantom pains, please let me know. I have quite a bit of experience doing these things so I don¡¯t expect any issues, but it never hurts to be careful. I can remove the IV now, if you¡¯d like. It¡¯s a Zenith mix of fortifying elements that¡¯s given to people undergoing major magical healing. Nutritional supplements and things like that.¡± I nodded, and she walked over, gently grabbing my arm and going to work. Feeling the IV slide out of my skin was always a strange sensation, but I managed to suppress a shiver until she finished. She grabbed the IV pole and started wheeling it out, stopping at the door to look back at me. ¡°Um¡­ If you ever change your mind about your scars or even just want to talk¡­ I¡¯m here. Okay?¡± Giving her another strained nod, she smiled back before opening the door and leaving. A second later, there was a soft popping sound, and the faint tingling sensation of the privacy spell disappeared. I let out a long breath, my muscles slowly relaxing. [She has a good heart and means well,] Selene said, and I flinched. ¡°I know, but¡­¡± [But meaning well does not always translate into being able to help.] ¡°I don¡¯t need help,¡± I shot back. ¡°People just¡­ They wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± There was a long pause, Selene saying nothing. Something in me tore open at that, at how she¡¯d continued to respect my boundaries, how she¡¯d been with me through everything without a complaint. Selene never had a choice about being bound to me and having her life tied to mine. And yet she still kept being everything I didn¡¯t know I needed. It wasn¡¯t fair to her, but I didn¡¯t know how to fix that. ¡°Selene,¡± I thought to her. ¡°I¡­ My circumstances¡­ I don¡¯t really know how to explain everything. I just¡­ When we have to go back to my house, you¡¯ll see.¡± [Completely reasonable,] Selene agreed. [A complicated situation is sometimes easier observed than explained. It feels slightly unfair to you that we are bound together, and that gives you no choice but to reveal things to me.] A throb of pain made my heart ache, and I shuddered. ¡°I should be saying that to you¡­¡± [Nonsense. You didn¡¯t ask to share your life with another entity. As such, I will endeavor to keep your privacy in mind as much as possible. We haven¡¯t had time to set proper, clear boundaries yet, though I think I have a good understanding of what you prefer. Maybe we can go over those later tonight, or, at least, before you return home?] ¡°That sounds good,¡± I let out a sigh of relief, and Selene¡¯s tails swished excitedly. [Excellent. Now, how about you open up the folders to see what Error Machina sent. Then we can begin constructing your Astral Shift!] This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. I nodded, the excitement in her tone infectious enough to make me smile softly. I would be lying to say I wasn¡¯t a little bit excited myself. I was finally going to start my path as a proper Magical Girl, getting full access to my stats and Aura. After that, I could unlock my Signature, my Grimoire, my Class, my Skills¡­ There was a lot coming up to look forward to, and it had ignited a small spark inside me I hadn¡¯t felt in a while. It was a dull, flickering thing, a tempered excitement that I could quickly smother if things didn¡¯t work out. I¡¯d found it was best to keep my emotions pulled back on that front, letting myself be pleasantly surprised by things rather than let down. For some reason, though, I was finding it hard to fully rein myself in. I opened up the folder to find a single page of paper, and I started reading it. Dearest K¨­hai Yo! It¡¯s Error Machina, in case Everglaive didn¡¯t tell you. She¡¯s good people, though, so I¡¯m sure she already let you know. Anyway, I¡¯m happy you made it out okay. I know you were in pretty bad shape when Fantasy Fatale found you, but I¡¯m glad they were able to heal you. Physically, at least. Listen, most Magical Girls have a hard time after they receive their first serious injuries. They¡¯re used to their Barriers or stat advantages protecting them, and then they experience mortality for the first time and¡­ yeah. It¡¯s rough. I hope you take it easy for a while, let yourself settle and find your calling. The world¡¯s your oyster now, and you can be pretty much anything you want. Plus, you get to do it with magic added on top! No matter what path you choose, count on me to have your back. I wouldn¡¯t really call what happened with the generator and shielding station ¡°working together¡± as I couldn¡¯t use any of my magics to help you, so I would enjoy the opportunity to properly work with you sometime and show off a little so you know I¡¯m not all talk. Speaking of what happened, I wanted to talk about your Death Wish quickly. One of the provisions you asked for was to let your classmate Lily know what you did and what happened. Now, I took this as a ¡°if the worst case scenario happens to me¡± sort of thing, so no messages or anything like that have been sent just yet. If you¡¯d like, I can still carry through, but it seemed wiser to wait and just ask. Just let me know, my contact information is included at the bottom. For the rest of the Death Wish rewards, I¡¯m sure your Familiar probably already explained what¡¯s going on. If not, ask them. They¡¯re better at explaining that kind of stuff than I am. Finally, there¡¯s one last thing I need to cover with you. One of the services the Zenith provide to Magical Guardians is a sort of monitoring program. Basically, they use their advanced technology and magic to monitor the internet and technology in general for any photos or videos that might be harmful to a Guardian. Whether it¡¯s embarrassing, a breach of privacy, or just downright cruel, they try to find stuff like that and delete it. This is a protection service that doesn¡¯t just cover you while you¡¯re in your Astral Shift by the way, it also extends to your personal identity. With that explained, a video was found from before you became a Guardian, recorded on a cellphone by a classmate of yours. Per the Zenith accords, a human operator has to review the footage and confirm its deletion to prevent the Zenith from just erasing any footage of a Guardian committing crimes or something problematic like that. It¡¯s kind of stupid if you ask me, because the Zenith could just be doing that anyway, and we¡¯d be none the wiser, but whatever. The point is, a censorship request came in regarding the video they found during your vetting process. Seeing as I already know your personal identity, it made the most sense for me to be the one to watch it. After reviewing it, I agreed with the Zenith assessment and the video has now been deleted from the cellphone and computer it was found on. I¡¯ve also signed the appropriate geas to keep everything secret, so you¡¯re good to go! Again, it¡¯s good to hear you¡¯re safe. I¡¯d love the opportunity to work with you in the future, and I¡¯m excited to see where you end up going. You¡¯ve got more heart and guts than some of the best Guardians out there. If you ever need anything, let me know. Even if you don¡¯t, shoot me a text sometime. I¡¯m always down to just hang out and play Rebellion¡­ or any other myriad of games, really. Gotta¡¯ do something when nothing is going on in this control room. Anyhow, that¡¯s it from me. Good luck, bunny k¨­hai! I¡¯ll be cheering you on! Go get ¡®em, Error Machina Slowly, I set down the letter, taking slow breaths that cut into my lungs. A jagged, throbbing pain whispered on the shadow of each exhale, and I shivered. Error saw the video. But¡­ He didn¡¯t mention anything? Beyond the explanation of what censorship requests were, it was barely a footnote. He told me he deleted it, then immediately moved on. It was like he was just pretending he never saw anything at all. Was it because he¡¯s done stuff like this before, so he has experience ignoring things like that? It was weird, but then again, so was Naiad¡¯s response. Both of them were trying their best to respect my boundaries and privacy, but they really had no reason to. They were Magical Guardians. If they wanted, they could barge into my personal life and make a mess of everything. It¡¯s what I expected any normal person to do, really. So far, though¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I told Selene. ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to care about the video. Why? Wait, do you know about the video?¡± [I do. It was caught during your vetting process. That hardly matters as I assume you will talk to me about it when or if you feel comfortable. As for Error Machina¡­ He is a professional operator and elite Guardian. He undoubtedly has much experience dealing with these sorts of situations. While he may have seen the contents of the video, he is endeavoring to maintain the polite fiction that he never has, refusing to let it color his actions or emotions. He¡¯s trying his best to move on and continue treating you as he normally would. Many operators struggle to achieve this level of compartmentalization. It is a credit to his character that he is attempting this, and even more so that he left you a way to avoid him if you feel uncomfortable by the fact he saw the video.] ¡°He did?¡± I blinked in surprise. [He sent a letter. He could very easily have told you this in person or over a call, but I believe he knew the contents might make future interaction awkward or uncomfortable. By sending this letter, he informed you of what you needed to know while giving you an easy way to avoid him. If you never contact him, it would be a trivial matter to never interact with him again.] Slowly sliding the letter back into the envelope, I picked it up and set it on the bedside table. The pain in my chest had faded to a dull ache, and I sighed. ¡°This isn¡¯t normal, is it?¡± I asked. ¡°Error, Naiad, and Everglaive have all been extremely nice to me. The rest of Fantasy Fatale, too. It feels¡­ It feels like they know exactly what they should do to make me feel the most comfortable, even if they are all going about it in different ways.¡± [No, this isn¡¯t normal. In fact, many other Guardians would already be intruding on your personal life by this point, even if it was only minutely.] ¡°Seriously?¡± I felt my eyes widen. [Yes. It is common courtesy and an unspoken rule among Guardians to stay out of one another¡¯s personal lives. However, as pointed out by Everglaive and Naiad, it is very easy to develop a main character complex being a Guardian. Many would think it worth breaking the rules in order to ¡°help.¡± Even if it meant making you angry, they would tell themselves it was worth it. In truth, they might only be creating a more messy, chaotic situation that they can justify by saying it is at least being resolved. This comes back to the same reasoning the situation of Dark Magical Girls is kept secret.] ¡°Then¡­ Why aren¡¯t Error and Fantasy Fatale doing that?¡± Selene paused for a second, her tails curling downward. [It¡¯s mostly experience. Being a Guardian as many years as they have, they know better than to interfere with another Guardian¡¯s personal life. There is also a reason why I was more relaxed at the shelter when we learned you would be talking to Error Machina. He¡­ He has some experience in the matters of Darks. By extension, Everglaive does too, though not to the same degree.] I looked at her in surprise, and she quickly shook her head. [I would like to not say more. It is not my story to tell, and even if some of the particulars of the incident are available as public knowledge, I do not feel comfortable giving the information out.] ¡°No, that¡¯s fair,¡± I quickly agreed. ¡°He deserves his privacy as much as I do.¡± I sat back, quiet while I thought about the implications. As unlucky as I¡¯d been with the Death Wish, it felt like I was finally getting a break on some of the aftermath. Naiad had healed me, but was keeping doctor-patient confidentiality sacred and relying on Selene to look after me. Everglaive was giving me advice, explaining things to me, and even going out of her way to make sure I even wanted to be a Magical Girl. Error Machina had found, seen, and deleted Katie¡¯s blackmail video and then promptly pretended nothing ever happened. Wait. The blackmail video was gone. I let out a weak little laugh, and Selene glanced at me, tails curling with concern. ¡°Sorry,¡± I sent to her. ¡°I just realized I¡¯ve been looking for motivations and angles so much I almost missed the fact the video was deleted.¡± Selene dipped her head in acknowledgment, and I giggled as a weight was lifted from me. Before this, I was clueless about what I was going to do about that video. Ever since Katie took it, every day of school had been a fearful hell as I wondered if she was going to show it to more people. I¡¯d already been lucky enough Katie and her group had made the wrong assumptions, but I was under no illusions what could happen if the wrong person saw it. Or if Lily saw it. I sighed, letting some of the unconscious tension in my muscles bleed away. Lily. I wanted to see her again. It felt like an eternity since we separated to save Brian and his sister. There was so much to talk about¡­ like the fact I was a Magical Girl now. A twinge of discomfort and anxiety shot through me, and I felt the relief inside me hardening to worry. Quickly, that worry gained a razor edge, my breath hitching for a moment. The very thought of telling her made my heart begin to race, my muscles coiling with tension. Claws squeezed around my lungs, and it was suddenly difficult to breathe. Why¡­ Why does the thought of telling her scare me so much? [Mai?] Selene¡¯s voice made me jump, and I turned to see her looking at me with a concerned expression, her tails still except the occasional twitch. ¡°S-sorry. Just lost in thought.¡± Selene gave me a slow nod, her tails resuming their swaying after a moment. [As much as I would like to give you more time to process all the information you¡¯ve received, I do believe Everglaive and her team are waiting for you. Perhaps it would be best to begin the process of creating your Astral Shift?] ¡°Right¡­¡± I nodded, taking a shaky breath. ¡°Um, what do I do, exactly?¡± [Lay down on the bed and close your eyes. I will take care of initiating the process.] I went to follow Selene¡¯s instructions, then paused. Quickly getting up, I went to the bedroom door and locked it. I wasn¡¯t sure why there was a separate lock for an inner door when this was a hotel, but then again, this was my first time in an actual hotel, so maybe that was normal. It wasn¡¯t like the lock would stop any of the Magical Girls from getting into the room if they really wanted to, but it still made me feel better anyway. Returning to the bed, I followed Selene¡¯s instructions, laying down and making myself comfortable before I closed my eyes. [Astral Dress Construction Initialized.] [Mana Resonance: 127%] [Soul Gem Stability: 100%] [ERROR: Grimoire desynchronization detected.] [Analyzing¡­ Source found: Unawakened Signature.] [Calculating¡­ Minimal divergence expected.] [WARNING: Astral Dress may require adjustments after Grimoire and Signature Awakening.] [Continuing¡­] [Testing Stat integration¡­ Complete.] [Reformatting Reflection Room¡­ Co???mpl???ete.] [Arranging Creation Room Format 07¡­ Complete.] [Loading Familiar Suggestions¡­ Complete.] [Beginning Astral Dress Construction.] A rush of text flowed past my closed eyelids, and I was barely able to keep up with it. When it finished, I felt a weird, refreshing sensation roll through my body almost like a summer breeze on a hot day. [You can open your eyes now,] Selene told me, and I did. I let out a gasp, sitting up on the bed as I looked around. My surroundings had changed from the hotel room to what I could only describe as the world¡¯s largest clothing shop. Rows and rows of clothing racks surrounded me within a modern looking store of white tile floors and marble pillars. The store itself was multileveled, escalators on either side of me leading to the next floor while a simple full-length mirror stood in front of the bed. [In front of the mirror, please.] Pushing myself from the bed, I walked to the mirror, hesitating before I looked into it. I appeared the same as I did when I last looked at myself. Selene hopped up onto a stool next to me, tails swaying excitedly. [Excellent. Now, a few points of information. Your Astral Dress is free to customize as you see fit. You can change its appearance once per day, but staying consistent is important to establishing a brand image. When you activate your Astral Shift, any clothing you are currently wearing will turn into mana and be stored while your own mana weaves together your outfit. As such, you will be selecting everything you want to wear in your Magical Girl form from undergarments to accessories. Some items you buy from the Gate can also be ¡°attached¡± to your Astral Shift, essentially storing them and then being retrieved with your transformation. For instance, you could have a gun holster as part of your outfit and put a handgun you purchase inside of it. When you deactivate your shift, your handgun would disappear with your outfit and safely be stored, reappearing with your outfit the next time you transformed. Do you understand me so far?] I nodded, and Selene continued. [Besides choosing clothes, you can also make minor alterations to your physical appearance. Everglaive¡¯s pointed ears, Gildscale¡¯s dragon scales, and Naiad¡¯s aqua skin are examples. Other popular options include cat or fox ears, and some Guardians even have tails. Your hair length is completely adjustable and may be changed to any style you wish. As you reach a higher level, more dramatic cosmetic options become possible.] ¡°What about my eyes?¡± I asked. ¡°Most of the Guardians I¡¯ve seen have pupils that look different.¡± [Your pupils will automatically change to reflect some part of your nature as a Magical Girl, but you won¡¯t have a choice. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to wear contacts if you wish them to appear differently. The same goes for eye color. Eyes are the windows to the soul, and as such, are not something that can be naturally adjusted. I expect your eye colors to remain the same and your pupils to change to crescent moons if the symbology adorning me is any indicator. We can check in a moment once the room finishes settling. For now, I was wondering if you had any ideas in mind for your outfit or Magical Girl name.] I faltered, rubbing my hands against my pajama pants nervously. I wasn¡¯t really big on buying clothes. My only real concerns were if things were cheap and fit me decently. ¡°Um¡­ Not really. Gildscale seemed to know what he was talking about, but¡­ I don¡¯t really know what I could make look good.¡± [That¡¯s completely fine,] Selene said, excitement building in her voice. [It just means we¡¯ll get to try all manner of combinations! This entire store contains an endless multitude of options, but I understand picking items one at a time may be a bit overwhelming. If you¡¯d like, we can begin with some completed outfit ideas I¡¯ve developed and work backwards from there, replacing things that don¡¯t work until we achieve something ideal.] ¡°Okay?¡± I said, slightly unsure. ¡°How does that work?¡± [Simply hold still a moment, and we can look at the first outfit idea.] An involuntary yelp escaped me as the sensation of my clothes against my skin abruptly disappeared, and I looked down to see they¡¯d transformed into motes of violet light in the outline of my pajamas. As I watched, the outline shifted, the light flowing like water into a new shape. The energy settled quickly, and with a flash, manifested back into physical clothes. I let out a sigh as the glowing light disappeared, peering closely as the outfit revealed itself to me and- I let out something between a squeak and scream as my hands flew to cover myself. I fell into a crouch, trying to hide as much of my body as possible. ¡°Selene!¡± I squeak-screeched at her, my entire face burning as I shot a look at my Familiar. She sat on the stool innocently, tails flicking with something like amusement. [Is there an issue?] She asked innocently, and I glared at her as I hunched further in on myself. [I think this outfit looks quite cute on you! It even has an animal theme to make you more distinct!] ¡°I don¡¯t care how cute it looks!¡± I hissed. ¡° I am not going to wear a bunny girl outfit!¡± Chapter 33 - Identity I groaned, slowly sitting up on the bed as I blinked the sluggish malaise of sleep from my eyes. Listlessly glancing around the hotel room, I saw nothing that seemed out of the ordinary. My eyes eventually found a digital clock on the nightstand. It was a little past eleven now, meaning I had been working on my astral shift for just over an hour. Selene was sitting on the edge of my bed, fluffy fox tails swishing happily, as I stood up and stretched. Needles danced across my muscles in pinpricks of numbness, as if I¡¯d been laying down for a much longer period of time. The entire experience certainly felt like it had been longer than an hour. I was hesitant to call picking out my Astral Dress an ordeal, but Selene had certainly had some¡­ interesting ideas. Warmth flashed across my cheeks at the memory of the bunny girl outfit, and I suppressed a shiver. [Well, with that finalized,] Selene spoke cheerily, [you''re one step closer to realizing your full potential as a Magical Girl. All that is left is unlocking your Signature and Grimoire. Congratulations, Mai!] I fidgeted, awkwardly tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as I looked away with a shrug. It wasn¡¯t like I had done anything special. Sure, unlocking my Astral Shift was a long time coming, but it was something all Magical Girls did, so I wasn¡¯t sure why there was a need for any congratulations. Seemingly sensing my awkwardness, Selene hopped off the bed and ambled over to the door before turning back to me. [Unless there is anything else you¡¯d like to discuss, I would recommend initiating your Astral Shift so we can continue with Everglaive¡¯s plan.] A small pit formed in my stomach, and I gave a jittery nod. Right. We were going to go on a patrol out in the city, and then¡­ I swallowed down the nervousness tickling the back of my throat. It would be fine. Everglaive wouldn¡¯t just throw me into a dangerous Usurpation and abandon me. She¡¯d probably be right there with me just in case anything went wrong. But that didn¡¯t make the fear in my stomach stop burning any less. I shoved down those thoughts, giving a slightly stilted nod to Selene as I took in a breath and closed my eyes. Thinking any more about my situation wasn¡¯t going to solve anything. I¡¯d just have to make do like I always did, one step at a time. With another deep breath, I directed my thoughts inward. After Selene and I had decided on my costume in the weird dream space, she¡¯d let me practice going through the process of using my Astral Shift a few times. In essence, it was a lot like what I did to manifest her or activate the silencing enchantment on my gun, reaching inside myself and finding the pool of warm, thrumming energy. The only difference was what came after. For enchantments and spells, it was a fairly simple process of reaching out to my mana and then connecting it to whatever I wanted to do. With enchantments, that was literally feeling for the empty construct I wanted to power and then pushing some mana into the enchantment. Spells were apparently similar, except I had to create the construct in my imagination and activate the spell by mentally or verbally saying its name. My Astral Shift was more like an enchantment in that I could feel the construct of the transformation magic already waiting inside me just waiting to be powered. However, unlike most enchantments, there were options on how much mana I could commit. The amount used partially determined how strong my Barrier, my protective shield, would be. Apparently my stats also had something to do with how strong my shield was, but Selene hadn¡¯t explained that part quite yet. What she had told me was that I had a choice of using ten, twenty, or thirty percent of my total mana whenever I shifted. Using thirty percent of my mana would give me a Barrier at full capacity, twenty percent would give it about eighty percent capacity, and ten percent would give me only half capacity. When I¡¯d asked Selene why a Magical Girl would want anything less than a full capacity Barrier, she¡¯d explained it was a matter of mana consumption and context. In an ideal world, a MG would always be able to shift ahead of time, getting a full Barrier and letting their mana replenish back to maximum before they fought. In emergency situations, however, having more mana might be more important than having a full Barrier. For instance, Magical Girls who mainly relied on magic might value having more mana for their spells than the passive protection of their Barrier, especially since they would be attacking from a distance. The other benefit of using less mana was it apparently sped up the ¡°transformation sequence.¡± Interestingly, the actual transformation sequence made the Magical Girl fairly impervious to harm due to the amount of mana being released and some other complicated magic reasons, but in emergencies, it was obviously better to transform as quickly as possible. If I used the minimum ten percent of my maximum mana, it was almost an instantaneous shift while thirty percent it took around six or seven seconds. Realistically, there wasn¡¯t any reason for me not to do a full shift, so I reached within myself into the gentle warmth centered in my chest. The mana itself reminded me of water, but it thrummed with a gentle heat between the imaginary fingers I grasped it with. Gathering the amount I needed, I let out a slow, measured breath as I connected it to the empty construct of my Astral Shift. ¡°Shift,¡± I whispered, and a sudden void opened up inside me as my gathered mana disappeared in a rush, violet light flashing around me. Beneath my feet a magic circle formed, the same heptagram pattern with overlapping runes, circles, and moon symbology filling the circle to the brim. I crossed my arms over my chest as oddly familiar black and amethyst thorns of lighting burst upwards from the circle, crackling with electricity. Some of the thorns reached up, forming a partial cage around me even as energy arced between the strands and myself. Other thorns snapped directly to me, wrapping around myself even as my clothes appeared to disintegrate into motes of purple light wherever the baleful electricity touched. I knew that my clothes weren¡¯t really being destroyed, just being turned into energy and stored within my soul gem, but it didn¡¯t make the feeling of my clothes swiftly vanishing any less startling. I managed not to let out a yelp only because of Selene having me do practice runs, but it was a near thing. The purple-black energy was quick to replace the portions being shunted away, energy solidifying into cloth. I did my best not to pay attention, simply holding my breath as the light show played out around me. A few uncomfortable moments later, the shift finished with an electrical snap. Silence followed, and I shivered, my new clothes hugging me with a supernatural softness. Looking down at myself, I was relieved to see I was wearing the outfit Selene and I had settled on. It wasn¡¯t like I was expecting her to trick me, but after the initial¡­ incident, I was a little on edge. Thankfully, my worry was unfounded. With Gildscale¡¯s recommendations, actually creating my outfit had been mostly painless. We had started with his first recommendation, trying for a mix between a modern and historical military uniform with a hint of frills. It took a few iterations to create something easily recognizable as a Magical Girl costume without it just looking like a military outfit. We had eventually made something that I was fairly pleased with, but Selene had insisted on trying at least one more combination, one she thought would work well. She¡¯d ended up going with Gildscale¡¯s third recommendation, something cute in the Gothic Lolita style. I¡¯d been incredibly uncomfortable at first, but as we went over the details, swapping things out that I didn¡¯t like, I slowly began to feel¡­ something. Clothes were never a big deal to me. If they were cheap and comfortable, I was more than happy. But staring into the mirror of that dream world, looking at my finished outfit, I felt a giddy warmth flush through me. It wasn¡¯t that I felt pretty or beautiful, I knew I didn¡¯t have the looks for anything like that, but I¡¯d been left feeling¡­ satisfied? Excited? I wasn¡¯t sure what it was, and even though I was embarrassed at the thought of someone seeing me wearing this, actually wearing the outfit wasn¡¯t¡­ It wasn¡¯t the worst thing in the world. And, all matters of what I looked like aside, the outfit was cute. So, with a little nagging from Selene, we decided on that one. It took a little bit more time adding some additional ornaments, especially because Selene insisted on embarrassing me by taking time to pick out more customized and girly details even down to my underwear. Why that mattered when nobody would be seeing that particular part of my costume, I would never know, but it had been easier to just go along with Selene¡¯s enthusiasm than fight it, especially after she started monologuing. It¡¯s not about other people seeing it, it''s about YOU knowing you¡¯re wearing something cute and taking confidence, pride, and general happiness in that! Every piece of your outfit is part of a greater whole, seen or unseen! Fashion is the armament of your identity, of your very soul! It is part of a passive, inner strength for you to draw on, to build your confidence from and express your personality, even if it is to nobody but yourself! I refuse to let you leave here with an outfit consisting of anything less than perfect unity that resonates completely in a beneficial psychological and spiritual cohesion! ¡­It had quickly become clear I wasn¡¯t escaping, and so I¡¯d given up and endeavored to just finish that particular portion as quickly as possible. Selene at least seemed to acknowledge my extreme discomfort and hadn¡¯t prolonged my suffering too much. Other than the mortifying few minutes following that speech, the experience of picking out my costume with Selene was¡­ fine. Mostly, I was just happy I had something that both looked like a Magical Girl costume and felt softer than silk. Just the sheer, all-encompassing comfortableness was worth the effort. Starting from the bottom of my costume, I had on heavy, lace-up combat boots that went up halfway to my knees. They were all black except for the deep violet of the crisscrossing laces and a small bow of soft fabric near the top. My legs themselves were covered in thick black tights colored as dark as the void, the material completely opaque with a faint sheen that gleamed when the light caught it just right. Over that was the main part of my outfit, a Gothic Victorian dress that was all black except for the purple accents. The skirt of the dress was shorter than I was comfortable with, magic modesty enchantment or not, only reaching halfway down my thighs. Thankfully, we had gone with the puffed out style Gildscale recommended, so underneath the black fabric was the layered underskirt to give the dress shape. It was in purple, and the amount of layers of thin fabric made my legs virtually disappear into it like a fluffy cloud, providing extra cover that would have helped even without the enchantment. The skirt of the dress itself ended in a frilly, ruffled trim of violet that blended with the underskirt. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Cinching the dress tight and separating the bodice of the dress from the skirt was a black, waist hugging corset crossed with violet laces. A purple satin sash hung tightly around my hips like a belt and was tied at the small of my back in a giant, fluffy bow that trailed two streamers down the back of my skirt. Selene had assured me the sash would be durable and strong enough to support any holsters or ammunition pouches I decided to hang off it. The rest of the dress¡¯s bodice was fairly simple, consisting of unadorned black cloth that reached to my neck. The sleeves were long, and the upper portions were bound tight just over my elbows by violet ribbons tied into bows. The lower half was looser, ending in voluminous cuffs with purple frills and ruffles matching the skirt¡¯s hem. My hands themselves were partially covered in ornate black gloves that only covered the back of my hand in a triangular piece of silky fabric that stretched from my wrist to the base of my middle finger where the material was secured by a ring of cloth. Around the wrists were ruffled lace cuffs done in violet, giving more accent to the elegant, minimalist gloves. The last part of the outfit didn¡¯t really have a proper name being something between a half cloak and a mantle. The dark cloth was draped around the shoulders of the dress, falling about halfway down my biceps and ending in more purple lace. Secured by a purple bow at my neck with a silver, crescent moon pin in the middle, the mantle helped provide a little more complexity to the dress. Also attached to the cloak-mantle was a voluminous hood. Unfortunately, Selene had convinced me to keep the long, floppy bunny ears, assuring me they would be both cute and practical, not getting in the way because the mantle could be easily detached by pressing down on the center of the purple bow that tied the garment at my neck. Worse, I couldn¡¯t really argue that it didn¡¯t look cute when my hood was up with the two ears trailing down the sides, because part of me completely agreed. I just wished I wasn¡¯t having to show it to other people. The only other visible detail of my costume was, of course, my eyepatch. I was worried at first that it might make me too recognizable, that a girl with blue and red heterochromatic eyes and an eyepatch was too easy to draw connections to if I went with the same look for my Magical Girl costume. Selene had tried to assure me that the magic protecting my identity would keep me safe, essentially ¡°downplaying¡± those details in the minds of anyone trying to notice the similarity. While I wasn¡¯t completely convinced, I also wasn¡¯t willing to leave both of my eyes uncovered. I knew how people looked at me when both my eyes were visible, and I hated the feelings it brought me. Every extra second of staring, every slight shifting of their gaze as they looked from one eye to the other brought a flush of shame through me as past words whispered through my head. What a freak. Just looking at those things makes me nauseous. She looks like a monster. Can¡¯t even stand looking at her. She looks completely unhinged. I ground my teeth together tightly. Even now, Katie¡¯s mocking laughter and wry grin made my stomach clench. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so bad if I wasn¡¯t manaborn, but the vivid color and brightness of my eyes made my heterochromia that much more noticeable. It just¡­ It just wasn¡¯t worth it. So, with Selene¡¯s reassurances, I went with the same white, medical style eyepatch over my right eye that I normally wore. In my normal life, people might give it a quick glance before looking away, afraid to be caught staring at what might be an injury. In my Magical Girl costume, it didn¡¯t really look that out of place. Sure it might come across as edgy or ridiculous, but most Magical Girl costumes had something equally fantastical or impractical anyway, so it was par for the course. Besides, with my latest upgrade to my Augment, I could see through the eyepatch as if it didn¡¯t exist, so there was no real worry about it hampering my vision. Selene had also seemed rather enthused about the eyepatch for some reason, though I wasn¡¯t quite sure why. I assumed it was because it gave my outfit another extra flair besides the bunny-eared hood, but something about her excitement felt off. The only other thing that was included in my Astral Shift was a slight change to my hairstyle. Normally, my hair was a shaggy mess that fell just below my chin, and it was cut so the bangs would fall partially over my right eye, helping to conceal my eyepatch. In my shifted form, my hair was the same length but a lot neater. The bangs were also cut equally to give both of my eyes a clear view. It felt a little weird not having that extra layer of protection over my eyepatch, especially because I was seeing through it like it didn¡¯t exist. All I could do was hope I would grow accustomed to it in time. Moving my hands over my outfit slightly, I noticed a part of my HUD had changed. Joining the red and blue bars in my upper left of my vision was a new green bar attached to the bottom of my red health bar. Ah, right. That must be a bar for my Barrier¡¯s remaining durability, then¡­ The other addition to my HUD was a timer in the same corner. It was already counting down from sixty minutes, the maximum amount of time I could stay in my Astral Shift before having to go through the transformation process again. Thankfully, there was no cooldown period between Astral Shifts, but it did require another chunk of mana. [Well?] Selene asked, startling me from my contemplation. [Any second thoughts?] ¡°N-no,¡± I fidgeted nervously, hands smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles on my skirt. ¡°I¡¯m just not used to clothes like this.¡± [Hmm,] Selene hummed. [Well, that is only to be expected. The best way to grow accustomed to your new outfit will be to wear it out in public. Having Everglaive out on your first patrol should also help take some attention away from you.] I gave a shaky nod, looking towards the doorway. My heart jittered a nervous dance around my ribs. The door seemed like such an innocuous thing, and yet, at the same time, I couldn¡¯t shake a feeling of intense unease, like walking through would change everything. Selene cleared her throat after a minute or two. [You do have to actually open the door if you want to go on your patrol.] ¡°R-right.¡± I stepped to the door, anxiety tightening around my lungs and making it hard to breathe. Unlocking the door and placing my hand on the handle, I felt my stomach roil with nausea. Seriously, what¡¯s wrong with me? I¡¯m just stepping back out to meet them. There¡¯s no reason to be this nervous. So what if I¡¯m wearing¡­ this. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s any weirder than what other Magical Girls wear. I let out my breath, opened the door, and stepped out into the room. Everglaive and Naiad were both lounging on the sofa, chatting softly about something. Their heads turned as I entered the room, both of them standing up and staring at me. A silence stretched between us, and I watched their gaze trail over me, my cheeks heating up as their eyes flicked over the details. Everglaive¡¯s stoic expression remained unchanged, but I saw Naiad¡¯s eyes widen, her jaw opening and closing a few times. Neither of them said anything, and I found myself tugging my skirt down slightly, wishing it was longer. ¡°Cuuute,¡± Naiad cooed quietly. The soft, drawn out word caused fire to dance across my face, but it seemed to break the frozen moment. Everglaive blinked, turning to give Naiad an amused look that made the other girl blush. Turning back to me, Everglaive gave me a nod and gentle smile. ¡°I find myself agreeing with my teammate, you do look quite charming. Even knowing what Gildscale¡¯s recommendations were, this final outcome has exceeded my expectations quite thoroughly. I¡¯m sure the public will be quite enthralled as well.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if it was possible for my face to turn as scarlet as my eye, but I was pretty sure it was a fairly close approximation by now. A nervous, buzzing thrill tickled my chest, and I fiddled with my skirt a little more, unsure what to say. Thankfully, Everglaive seemed to take mercy on me. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I do have one question,¡± she said carefully, turning partially to Naiad. ¡°The eyepatch. Were there some difficulties with your healing, or¡­?¡± I felt myself freeze, realizing that besides Naiad, the rest of her team probably hadn¡¯t gotten a close look at my eye colors. Other than when I was wounded at the mall, I¡¯d kept my hair carefully arranged to hide it. Everglaive probably noticed my heterochromia being the only other one to look at me before I was put to sleep, but she had no way of knowing how my eye colors made me feel being exposed. Freak. Creepy. Monster. Naiad shook off her stupor, oblivious to the ugly swirl of thoughts in my head, a big grin still on her face. ¡°Uh, nope, no complications. It¡¯s-¡± She stopped herself, something like realization flashing across her features. Her smile flickered for a moment as she turned to me with a pained look. ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry! Do you usually wear an eyepatch to cover¡­? I didn¡¯t even think about it, but with your normal haircut, I should have realized¡­¡± She trailed off, and I swallowed down the lump in my throat. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± my voice came out strained. ¡°I do, but my hair covers it well enough.¡± Everglaive looked back to me with curiosity, and I gave a small shrug, looking away. ¡°I have heterochromia,¡± the words came out thick, and I had to spit them out. ¡°Blue and scarlet. Being manaborn makes it¡­ distinct.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Everglaive nodded, seemingly unphased. ¡°I believe I understand. Well, no matter the case, I believe the eyepatch goes with your outfit well. It helps give it an extra, distinguishing feature for people to latch onto. Your heterochromia will also give you a beneficial feature should you ever need to remove your eyepatch.¡± I bit down on my lip, giving another small shrug as I looked down at the ground. Selene had suggested the same thing, that I might even consider removing my eyepatch anytime I got into combat to give me some sort of dramatic flair, but¡­ ¡°Well, I think you look great either way,¡± Naiad said cheerily. ¡°And with your costume all settled, we can take you out on your first patrol! That is, if you still want to. I know setting up your first Astral Shift can be a bit draining, so if you want to reschedule¡­?¡± I quickly shook my head. Nerves aside, I knew if I put this off, the discomfort would only grow stronger. It was better to get this over with now. Besides, I could hardly impose on them any more than I already had. ¡°N-no, it¡¯s okay.¡± Naiad grinned, and the edges of Everglaive¡¯s lips turned up in a soft smile. ¡°Very well then. I suppose the last thing to ask you is what your alias, your Magical Girl name will be. While we could come up with something temporary, choosing one now would certainly be the simplest solution.¡± I gave a hesitant nod, trying to steady myself. This was one of the things Selene and I had discussed while making my costume, but I still felt unsure about it. We had talked over a few names, but ultimately, we were limited by the fact that I was both a Dark Magical Girl and that I wanted to use guns. My costume helped reconcile both those things, but Selene was afraid even a more neutral name might not fit well. Ultimately, what had helped finalize the choice was when we checked the shape of my pupils after I transformed and found them to be crescent moons. Combined with my outfit, the repeated moon symbology in both my magic circle and Selene, and the temporary emblem that she¡¯d put on my guns, the choice had seemed obvious. It also helped that Error Machina had already suggested the name. And no, it had nothing to do with him saying it was a cute name. Nothing at all. Looking up at the two more experienced Magical Girls, I tried to calm my nerves. Giving a short little bow, I forced myself to give my name, even if it did make me feel ridiculous. Logically, I knew my name was perfectly within the norm for most Magical Girls, but saying the words out loud still made me feel stupid. Unfortunately, between twenty-one years of actual Magical Girls existing and the genre already having been established in media, having an extravagant or cutesy name was pretty much expected. By that measure, most of Fantasy Fatale was incredibly tame. To be fair, by Magical Girl standards, my name was too, especially considering some of the names out there like Super Velocity Cat Ranger, Hyper Kinetic Railgun, or Eternal Starlight Nova. So, really, it wasn¡¯t that far out there, even if it still did feel embarrassing. ¡°Moon Bunny,¡± I blurted out. ¡°My name is¡­ Magical Girl Moon Bunny. It¡¯s a pleasure to be working with you.¡± Risking a glance up at the two, I was met with a beaming smile from Naiad, and something approaching actual warmth on Everglaive¡¯s face. ¡°Likewise. I hope to do great things together, Moon Bunny.¡± Chapter 34 - First Patrol My heart wanted to jump into my throat as we went down the elevator, the numbers slowly lowering towards my certain doom. Both Everglaive and Naiad seemed unfazed, the first a picture of noble serenity, the second wearing a bubbly smile. To distract myself, I tried to remind myself of what Selene and Gildscale had instructed me on when we briefly stopped by his room, folding my hands in front of me while keeping my shoulders from hunching too much. It had been a quick stop, just to see what he thought of my costume, and he¡¯d been quite impressed. It was then I found out that showing off my outfit to the two older girls was one thing, but having his appraising eye gliding over the various frills, lace, ribbons, and general fluffiness of my outfit was another. I hadn¡¯t been able to keep myself from fidgeting, my gaze lowered as he took me in. Thankfully, he seemed to approve of my outfit. Both my eyepatch and bunny-eared hoodie earned special praises for giving me something more distinguishing, especially when I explained my heterochromia. Apparently, a few Magical Girls had tried the eyepatch idea for their costumes before, but it wasn¡¯t really that effective outside a pirate or scarred warrior theme. With my eye colors, though, he¡¯d been eager to let me know it would make me popular, especially if I got into theatrics like removing my eyepatch before I fought. I tried not to wilt too much at the idea, and thankfully he hadn¡¯t said anything else on the matter. After sharing a few ideas mostly directed towards Selene, he gave me some pointers on what posture to adopt for my patrol. Which had been both humiliating and relieving at the same time. Apparently, I gave off a naturally shy impression, which would work well with my choice of outfit. Hearing that made my face turn red, but he¡¯d assured me it was a good thing. It would work well with my aesthetics to give an image of a new, cute, and unthreatening Magical Girl and would only be reinforced by my alias. His only advice for how to act while I was on patrol was to generally be myself. He did suggest keeping my hands folded in front of me to keep from fidgeting with my skirt too much, though. That, and to relax my shoulders to keep myself from looking too nervous. It had only been a few minutes of conversation, well, instruction more like, but it had already left my nerves slightly frayed. The looming sense that this patrol was a bad idea had grown to the point that nausea swirled inside my stomach. I found myself missing the comforting weight of my Umbra, but Everglaive had offered to store my personal effects and weapons in her storage device for the patrol. Considering I didn¡¯t have one of my own and a backpack would look completely out of place with my outfit, I hadn¡¯t had much choice but to accept. Overall, I wanted nothing more than to call the whole thing off and disappear inside a mess of blankets beneath my bed. Before I could make the conscious decision to voice my concerns, fate took the choice out of my hands as the elevator dinged and the door opened. I already knew the hotel I was staying in was nice, but seeing the lobby stretched out in front of me only reinforced that idea. It was all plush furniture, tasteful art, and carefully manicured plants that gave a warm but sophisticated feel to the place. I tried to ignore the shiver of dismay in my guts, reminding myself that I didn¡¯t have to pay for this. This was part of Fantasy Fatale finishing up their quest, one they¡¯d been paid for. I didn¡¯t owe them anything¡­ It still didn¡¯t make the hollow feeling in my gut disappear. Everglaive and Naiad both stepped from the elevator, and after a moment of hesitation, I followed with Selene, who had reactivated her invisibility for everyone but me in the hopes it would draw less direct attention my way. There were only a dozen or so people in the lobby as we stepped out, and almost all their eyes turned to us instantly. I stumbled a bit, my hands squeezing tighter in front of me as the two older girls continued forward. Everglaive moved with a graceful but unyielding stride while Naiad seemed to flow across the room, her watery hair and loose costume swaying like wind playing over a calm lake. I was sure I looked ridiculous by comparison. Thankfully both of the taller girls were going at a slower pace so I didn¡¯t have to take quicker steps to match their own. Instead of looking at the people watching us, I tried to focus my gaze on Everglaive¡¯s back as we went straight for the doors. I still caught people pulling out their phones and directing them our way. Doing my best to ignore them, I followed after the two Magical Girls. Still, I couldn¡¯t help but overhear some whispers. ¡°Woah, are those Magical Girls?¡± ¡°Well they aren¡¯t cosplayers, idiot.¡± ¡°Holy shit, that¡¯s Everglaive and Naiad!¡± ¡°Woah¡­ Wait, who¡¯s that other girl, then?¡± ¡°Must be one of the new ones they¡¯re showing around¡­¡± ¡°Cute!¡± ¡°Black and purple colors, huh? She¡¯s one of those rare ones, then.¡± ¡°A Dark, yeah. Pretty sure they represent courage or something.¡± ¡°More like cuteness.¡± I felt my face turning red, but the other two seemed completely unfazed. A plain looking girl in a yellow scarf and matching sundress blinked as we passed, looking up from her phone with wide, amazed eyes. Her phone quickly shot up to start taking pictures of us, and I tried my best to look unfazed even as my cheeks burned hotter. ¡°Absolutely adorable¡­¡± I heard her giggle as we walked past, and I wondered if it was too late to call off the patrol. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t take us long to step out of the hotel and into the midday light. It took me a moment to blink away the glare, and when I did I immediately looked around. Navigating in Arcadia was made somewhat easy by the fact the city was mostly circular, buildings growing taller and denser the closer to the middle you were. That, and the fact that the Arcadia Spire was directly in the center of the city also made orienting yourself simple, the skyscraper of smooth angles, glass, and helipads standing out with a distinctly futuristic architecture. I wasn¡¯t great at judging the distance, but by the buildings around me it looked like we were in one of the inner-middle districts. It was a fairly nice place in the city, busy but not claustrophobic like the central circle. That being said, it was midday, which meant the streets did have a decent number of people on them. And, of course, three Magical Girls stepping outside drew attention almost immediately. To my surprise, most people just kept moving, giving the occasional glances or watching from the corner of their eyes. A few did pull out phones and point them our way, and I tried not to wring my hands together too tightly as my throat suddenly felt very dry. ¡°The first thing to learn about patrols,¡± Everglaive said, choosing a direction and beginning to walk, ¡°is the unwritten etiquette of approaching or bothering Magical Girls.¡± I followed along, the three of us moving at a leisurely pace. Selene kept by my side, a gentle presence that helped calm my nerves. ¡°It¡¯s a behavior people have more or less adopted over the years,¡± she continued, ¡°as to when it¡¯s okay to approach a Magical Girl or not. Most of it is subconscious, but some people have actually codified it online. The first indication is how fast the Magical Girl is walking. If it¡¯s a leisurely stroll like this¡­¡± She paused as a woman in a sweater nervously approached. Everglaive gave her a smile, slightly tilting her head. ¡°Hello. Is there something I can help you with?¡± ¡°I-I, um,¡± the woman shifted nervously, clutching her purse tighter. ¡°I don¡¯t want to bother you, but¡­ Can I get an autograph?¡± ¡°Of course. Do you have something you¡¯d like signed?¡± The woman paled looking at her purse in horror. ¡°Oh, um¡­¡± ¡°No trouble,¡± Everglaive assured her. ¡°I have something right here.¡± With a flourish of her hand and a flash of viridian light, a photo appeared in one hand and a sharpie in the other. Naiad made a similar motion, similar items also popping into her hands. The woman¡¯s eyes bulged at that. ¡°Would you just like a signature, or would you like it made out to someone?¡± ¡°Oh! C-could you sign it to Melissa? That¡¯s, um, my daughter. She¡¯s a big fan of your team.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Everglaive nodded with a relaxed smile, sharpie moving deftly over the photo. It only took her and Naiad a second and then they were handing the pictures over to the stunned woman. She looked between the two of them with a big, thankful smile. ¡°Thank you so much for this! It¡¯s going to mean the world to her that, oh-¡± She trailed off, seemingly only now noticing me standing behind the other two Magical Girls. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not familiar with you, but I¡¯m sure my daughter would still love a signature.¡± Inwardly I started to panic a little. My mouth moved a few times, but no words seemed to come out as my heart started pounding in my ears. Naiad glanced at me, then gave a cheerful wave of her hand at the woman. ¡°Ah, she¡¯s new! I¡¯m afraid she hasn¡¯t made her debut yet, so she¡¯s not doing signatures right now. We¡¯re taking her on a sort of training patrol, you see. Thank you for asking, though!¡± ¡°Oh, right,¡± the woman nodded a few times, giving me a big smile. ¡°Well, good luck to you, then! I¡¯m sure my daughter will be excited to hear I met a Magical Girl pre-debut. And thank you, all three of you, for everything you do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s our pleasure,¡± Everglaive demurred with a slight bow of her head. The woman gave a little wave and walked off with a bounce in her step, but while we were standing still, a small crowd had formed around us. Maybe spurred on by the woman¡¯s actions, more people started to approach Everglaive and Naiad. I swallowed down my anxiety, doing my best to keep myself looking calm even as I took a few steps further back and to the side to be less obtrusive. As the two Magical Girls signed some more autographs, I heard more than a few people ask about me only to be given the same explanation from Naiad or Everglaive. Some people still tried to approach, but thankfully Naiad intercepted most of them and explained them off. To say the whole thing was uncomfortable was an understatement. It was worse than being a third wheel because I was still getting attention, and all I could do was nervously smile at the people taking pictures and try not to wring my hands together too much. I felt so tense that I had to remind myself to breathe. [Don¡¯t worry,] Selene¡¯s voice soothed. [You¡¯re doing great.] ¡°I¡¯m just standing awkwardly while they do all the work.¡± [Ah, but you¡¯re looking great doing it.] ¡°What do you mean? It has to be obvious how nervous I am.¡± [It is,] Selene agreed, and I felt myself tense more. [But that¡¯s the beauty in it. There aren¡¯t many Magical Girls who can pull off or even try to pull off being the shy type.] ¡°I¡¯m not trying to pull off anything!¡± I mentally hissed at her. [Exactly! That makes what you¡¯re doing genuine, and it shows. People like that.] I tried not to squirm more hearing that I was being watched, being judged, that closely. Thankfully, after a few more minutes, the crowd finally began to dwindle, and I let out a long breath when we were left alone. A few people still had phones taking pictures from afar, but the street immediately around us was finally clear. ¡°Good job,¡± Naiad said, walking up to me with a gentle smile. ¡°You did amazing!¡± ¡°That¡¯s what Selene said, but I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± I muttered, looking at the ground. ¡°That¡¯s nonsense,¡± Naiad frowned. ¡°You did two very impressive things. First, you were yourself.¡± I gave her a confused look, and Everglaive stepped in. ¡°Many Magical Girls put on a mask of sorts, adopting a personality. Fierce and unafraid. Steadfast and loyal. Lighthearted and energetic. Kind and sisterly. Whatever the combination, they see being a Magical Girl as the chance to live a separate, new life that was denied them. While I don¡¯t begrudge anyone seeking a fresh start, it sometimes comes across as disingenuous, especially early on while they discover their new persona.¡± ¡°And in time, those do become true personalities,¡± Naiad agreed. ¡°But most Magical Girls choose to be more heroic or larger than life. Not many choose something honest and vulnerable. It¡¯s funny, in a way, but being all dressed up in a costume and having the powers we do as Magical Girls actually makes it harder to not act like some heroic defender.¡± I wasn¡¯t really sure what to say to that. They were congratulating me like I had made a conscious decision, but I was literally unable to pretend to do anything other than just stand there. It would have been more impressive if I had been able to act confident and unafraid. At least then I would have been doing something brave. But I had just been filled with too much anxiety to do anything else. I hadn¡¯t even thought about the possibility of it. I¡¯d just defaulted to being myself, and I was just¡­ just¡­ Awkward. Nervous. Shy. Weird. Unimportant. Pathetic. I swallowed down the lump in my throat, the word echoing in my head. ¡°I¡­ I was mostly just trying to remember to not stop breathing¡­¡± ¡°Like I said,¡± Naiad said, giving me a soft, pained smile. ¡°You did two impressive things. The first was being who you are instead of trying to put on a mask. The second was going out of your comfort zone.¡± That earned her another confused look, and Everglaive chuckled. ¡°Remember, there are some Guardians who forgo the public aspects of being a Magical Girl completely. You lose out on quests and points, but for some people, that¡¯s worth it.¡± It would totally be worth it¡­ Shifting from foot to foot, I gave them a helpless shrug. ¡°I, um¡­ I mean I¡¯m not good at this anyway, so¡­¡± Naiad blinked a few times, head tilting. ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯re kind of a natural, you know.¡± I stared at her. That¡­ wasn¡¯t true at all? So why had she said that unless- Oh. She¡¯s being sarcastic. She¡¯s making fun of me. I bit down on my teeth, looking down and hunching into myself. Pushing down the pang of hurt that flashed through me, I clenched my hands tighter together. She wasn¡¯t wrong really, and it really wasn¡¯t that big of a deal to make a joke or two about me considering everything she¡¯d done. It still hurt, a surprise papercut to the back of my heart I wasn¡¯t prepared for. ¡°Oh, uh, no, I¡¯m being serious,¡± Naiad suddenly insisted, sounding suddenly worried. My throat felt dry, and I was about to say it was fine until Everglaive hummed in agreement. ¡°It¡¯s true. You¡¯ve had no PR training, and yet seemed to know exactly what to do. Anytime somebody pointed a camera your way for a picture, you made sure to look at them and smile, one that didn¡¯t look too forced as well. It gave off the impression that although you were uncomfortable, you still cared. For introverted Magical Girls, this is exactly the type of perception that is recommended.¡± ¡°But, I¡­¡± stammering a bit, I looked between the two of them. ¡°I wasn¡¯t even thinking about it. I just didn¡¯t want to be rude.¡± Naiad giggled a little, and Everglaive¡¯s lips quirked up at the corners, her eyes glittering. ¡°Which is already more awareness and empathy than most people can muster on a normal basis,¡± Naiad smirked. ¡°Trust us. You did good. It probably doesn¡¯t feel like it, but for your first time out in public being swarmed? You were great. Sure, we were here to help ward off the worst of it, but that¡¯s just a good tactic for first timers.¡± Everglaive nodded, eyes flicking to Naiad with amusement. ¡°Indeed. Although I seem to recall that even with good planning, things don¡¯t always go nearly so well.¡± Naiad froze, and a pink blush formed that was stark on her pale blue cheeks. ¡°Ever!¡± She sputtered, eyes wide. ¡°I¡¯m just making an observation,¡± Everglaive gave a hapless shrug. ¡°Things could have gone much worse. You could have frozen solid before turning and sprinting off into the distance.¡± Naiad groaned, slapping her hands over her face and murmuring something about payback and never taunting the healer. With how high-strung my emotions felt, it took me a moment to work out what was being said. ¡°Wait¡­ you¡­?¡± I trailed off as Naiad let out a louder, more dramatic groan. ¡°And just like that, my reputation with the newbie is ruined,¡± she whined, causing Everglaive to chuckle. ¡°Let¡¯s just say, our soft and friendly healer wasn¡¯t always so good at dealing with people. She¡¯s mostly grown out of it now, though¡± ¡°I¡¯m still an introvert,¡± Naiad pouted. ¡°I¡¯ve just gotten better at wearing a mask while I¡¯m out. It¡¯s not like I hate doing this kind of stuff, but I¡¯d much rather be alone listening to some piano and rain sounds while reading a good book.¡± I¡¯ve just gotten better at wearing a mask when I¡¯m out. Something in me clicked together at that, and worry and guilt instantly flooded my veins as I looked at the sulking healer. Here she was forcing herself to spend time out with me, and I had just assumed she was okay with that because she made it look so easy. Stupid. I should know how easy it is to hide behind a mask. How did I miss it? Chewing on my lip, I took a few halting starts before I found the words. ¡°I, um. I-if it helps, you make it look easy,¡± my cheeks began heating up. ¡°I mean, I know it¡¯s not, but I, um, I would never have noticed. And, um¡­ thank you. For helping me, I mean.¡± I felt particularly dumb by the time I finished stuttering through my botched attempt at making her feel better, but Naiad didn¡¯t seem to notice. Instead she had a hand over her chest and was giving me a warm, gentle smile. ¡°Thank you,¡± she responded quietly, the words filled with meaning. ¡°That means a lot to me. As a healer, I interact with people a lot, but it took me a long time to get to where I am now. Also, you¡¯re welcome. I¡¯m just glad I get to spend my time helping a new Magical Girl, especially one as nice as you.¡± My face felt like it was on fire, and I wasn¡¯t sure how to properly react to that. Thankfully, Everglaive saved me from ruminating on my embarrassment by gently clapping her hands together. ¡°Well, now that we¡¯ve had our first meet and greet, shall we continue? Crowds are starting to form again, so unless we¡¯d like a repeat performance, we should get moving.¡± I gave a jerky nod that Naiad mirrored with liquid grace. Everglaive started walking without preamble, and I followed. Weirdly enough, Everglaive was moving at a quickened pace, a fast walk that Naiad easily matched without discernible effort. I had to take extra steps to keep up with the two taller girls, but I found myself matching their pace without too much issue. ¡°So, back to our lessons,¡± Everglaive continued as we wove our way down the street. ¡°We were talking about the etiquette of approaching Magical Girls. As was just demonstrated, when we¡¯re going at a leisurely pace, people are many times more likely to approach for pictures and autographs. However, if they see us moving at a good pace like this, the chances of being stopped dramatically go down.¡± Naiad nodded, absently looking over at a young, wide-eyed girl staring at us as she was pulled along by her mom. Naiad smiled, giving a wink and wave that made the girl¡¯s mouth drop open in a wide grin. ¡°Part of it is subconscious behavior. We look busy, we¡¯re basically celebrities, and we sometimes have legitimately life saving duties we¡¯re trying to get to. Combined together, and most know not to just stop a Magical Girl moving with purpose. The unofficial guide to interacting with Magical Girls that was put online has also helped. The more hardcore fans who would normally be likely to stop you will have read it and know not to interfere.¡± ¡°It still sometimes happens,¡± Everglaive shrugged. ¡°If it does, a simple apology and explanation that you¡¯re trying to get somewhere is usually enough. If not, you can pull the patented emergency escape maneuver.¡± Naiad giggled, then held up a hand to her ear. ¡°Yup. Just press your hand to head like you¡¯re listening to an earpiece and look serious, then suddenly take off running in a direction or jump to some rooftops. People will assume you got an important call or are heading to an Usurpation. Makes it easy to disengage if people are making you feel uncomfortable.¡± Nodding a few times, I found myself feeling conflicted. On one hand, pretending to get an important call just to avoid a conversation felt a little¡­ disingenuous. On the other hand, it would let me avoid social interaction if it got to be too much. Which meant I¡¯d definitely be pulling that move with minimal amounts of shame. ¡°On that note, there¡¯s the etiquette of running and roof hopping,¡± Everglaive said as we paused at a crosswalk. ¡°Generally speaking, if you have high enough Agility, rooftops are fair game to traverse for Guardians. So long as you aren¡¯t loitering or causing damage with your jumps.¡± ¡°How much Agility do you need for that?¡± I asked, excitement coloring my voice as I imagined myself soaring through the air, the city skyline outlining the horizon around me. ¡°It depends. Some of the packed residential and commercial areas have rooftops pretty close to one another, while others can have vast height differences. Generally, the biggest obstacle is being able to jump across streets. Officially, a minimum of 100 Agility is recommended with 150 being preferred.¡± I stumbled a little at that, eyes wide as Naiad giggled. ¡°Yeah. Lower than you would have thought, huh? It¡¯s surprising how much distance you can get with a running long jump. Honestly, the biggest obstacle is when building heights are different. You don¡¯t get nearly as much value on your vertical jump from Agility as you do horizontally.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. That¡­ that meant I wasn¡¯t that far away from meeting the basic requirements. I mean, if I focused on it, I could get there in only three levels. But, it would mean horribly skewing my stat distribution. More so than I already had, anyway. As tempting as it was, it probably wasn¡¯t worth it. The weirdest part was that I didn¡¯t feel particularly different, even with my Agility and Dexterity at seventy. There was no sense of speed or sudden strength. I just felt¡­ normal. Although, now that I thought about it, I¡¯d been keeping up with Everglaive¡¯s fast pace for a bit now, and I wasn¡¯t feeling even the slightest bit winded. In fact, the pace didn¡¯t feel that much different than a normal walk. It wasn¡¯t like we were running or anything, but I¡¯d never been athletic. Being manaborn also seemed to come with a fifty-fifty chance of coming with a variety of health issues, and I¡¯d been one of the unlucky ones to have some manifest. It was surprising I¡¯d done so well at the mall, really. Then again, adrenaline and being in a literal life-or-death situation probably had something to do with it. ¡°Other than roof jumping,¡± Everglaive continued, drawing me from my internal musing, ¡°the other way to get around quickly is running on the streets. If you¡¯re going that route, use the bike lanes, but be mindful of actual bikers and other Magical Girls. It¡¯s always the responsibility of the Magical Girl with the higher Agility to make sure accidents don¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°Also make sure to follow traffic laws,¡± Naiad chirped as we crossed a street. ¡°Obey red lights and things like that. The only exception is if you can safely jump over an intersection, but at that point you definitely have enough Agility to be on the rooftops, so¡­ yeah.¡± We continued in a comfortable silence for a while, drawing the eyes of people but never having anyone come out to stop us directly. I still tensed up whenever I saw a phone appear to take pictures, but I did my best to continue as if I didn¡¯t notice. Selene for her part followed along happily, hopping along with us and taking in the various sights with interest as we passed onto a street filled with cafes and other small restaurants. Everglaive was also looking around, stopping in front of a quaint looking coffee shop and pointing to a symbol on the glass window. It looked vaguely like a pointy wizard¡¯s hat on top of a girl¡¯s smiling face done in a cutesy, chibi style. ¡°Ah, perfect. You see this symbol here? That¡¯s the icon for a store offering discounts to Magical Girls who come in costume. A blue hat and circle around it means you get a flat five dollars off any purchase a day plus a ten percent discount after that. A green version of the symbol means you just get the percentage discount.¡± ¡°It¡¯s honestly a good deal for businesses,¡± Naiad hurriedly added, glancing at me with a complicated expression. ¡°Sure, they give us free stuff and discounts, but in return, they get great marketing. How many people do you think stop to take pictures or shop at a place where a Magical Girl is purchasing things from? I¡¯ve literally walked into an empty coffee shop to enjoy some peace and quiet and had it fill up not ten minutes later. Just try not to take advantage of the five dollar discount at the same store every day. Other than that, stores really don¡¯t mind giving out the discounts, and they love it when you stick around, even if it¡¯s just for a few minutes.¡± Everglaive dipped her head in agreement as we continued walking. ¡°Precisely. Any loss they incur from our purchases is more than made up for by our presence. On that note, don¡¯t be afraid of being approached while at a restaurant or getting coffee somewhere in costume. It¡¯s very frowned upon to approach a Magical Girl while they¡¯re eating somewhere.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t stop them from waiting until you¡¯ve left the store though,¡± Naiad sighed. ¡°So don¡¯t be surprised if you get mobbed on your way out, especially when you get more popular.¡± I nodded, my eyes now looking for the icon on the windows of the stores we¡¯d passed. I¡¯d seen the symbol before, but never really questioned what it meant. Chibi art and more anime-themed ads were pretty common in Arcadia, in part due to the large Japanese population but also just the increase in popularity the style had seen when Magical Girls had become an actual part of reality. Now that I was looking for the symbols, they seemed to be everywhere. It seemed more rare for a store to not at least have one. The blue discounts were certainly rarer except at the cafes and pastry shops where they seemed to be a standard practice. As far as the discounts went, I found myself coming to terms with the idea quickly after the explanation. I¡¯d make sure to take Naiad¡¯s advice and not visit the same shop too often, but being able to get five dollars off a purchase was¡­ Well, it was surprising the amount of value five dollars could get you if you knew what you were looking for. ¡°Other than common etiquette, traveling rules, and discounts,¡± Everglaive continued her lecture. ¡°The only other thing to cover is dealing with inappropriate or rude members of the public. That and crime, I suppose.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Naiad screwed up her face in distaste. ¡°You¡¯ll have classes at the academy about public relations and how to finesse situations where people are being weird or annoying. Honestly, for now I¡¯d just recommend using the emergency escape maneuver if you find yourself in a bad situation.¡± Everglaive nodded, giving a polite smile to a businessman who¡¯d stopped in his tracks to stare as we passed. ¡°Agreed. Disengaging with an unpleasant community interaction is rarely a bad move. As for crime¡­ It¡¯s honestly best left to the police to handle. Interfering with a situation opens you up to all kinds of liability, and without proper training, it¡¯s all too easy to make a mistake, especially at the lower levels. It is important to remember we are not members of law enforcement, nor are we vigilantes or heroes running around in masks. Despite the surface-level similarities, we are Guardians, defenders against the ever encroaching nightmare.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Naiad nodded emphatically. ¡°Right now, your focus should be fighting Anathema and buying increasingly lethal spells and weapons. At higher levels, you¡¯ll have more wiggle room to pick up some nonlethal disabling spells, but there¡¯s not much reason to pick anything like that for now unless you¡¯re specifically going a controller mage route and focusing on locking down enemies.¡± I frowned, only taking a second to work up the courage to ask my question. ¡°What should I do if I see something bad happening in front of me, then?¡± Naiad winced, spreading her hands in a hapless shrug. ¡°I mean, it depends on the situation, but you mostly just do whatever feels right. So long as you don¡¯t go overboard and hurt anybody badly, you¡¯ll most likely be fine. Oh! Even if you do get sued, you¡¯re protected by the government! They¡¯ll handle the case and everything for you, and even if you somehow lose the case, they¡¯re the ones who will cover the costs. There¡¯s little the law can do to really punish you except with serious criminal charges.¡± ¡°Magical Girls have a unique series of legal immunities,¡± Everglaive agreed. ¡°Just please remember that just because you can get away with most things doesn¡¯t mean there won¡¯t be consequences eventually. I¡¯m sure your Familiar has clued you into that already.¡± Everglaive looked at me with a sideways glance that I responded to with a small nod. I remembered all too well Selene¡¯s talk about what Dark Magical Girls were sometimes called up to do, about what happened when Magical Girls went too far beyond the law. Suppressing the shiver at the thought of fighting other Magical Girls, I turned to Naiad as she gave a sigh. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about it too much. You¡¯ll have classes at the academy to teach you about the legal stuff like that. So long as you behave like even a halfway decent human being, there¡¯s not much to worry about. That, and actually stumbling on street crime is pretty rare. It¡¯s more common the police call for assistance and a Guardian is given the choice of responding, but that¡¯s best left to the more experienced girls.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Everglaive gave me a speculative look. ¡°And with your chosen specialty of weapons, it would almost certainly be best to keep away from normal crime.¡± ¡°That, and trying to use appropriate levels of force can get a little hard to judge, especially when you get to a higher level and aren¡¯t used to pulling your punches,¡± Naiad added with a sigh. That sounded¡­ oddly specific. I was considering asking about it when Everglaive and Naiad both stopped, heads snapping to the side to look at the rooftops across the street. I followed their gaze to see a girl standing on a building wearing some kind of pink dress with gleaming plates of silver armor attached to it. ¡°Is that-¡± Naiad started, only to be cut off with a sharp gesture from Everglaive. ¡°Let me deal with this. Moon Bunny, please stay next to Naiad.¡± Naiad stepped closer to me, positioning herself slightly between myself and the mysterious figure. Before I could ask what was happening, the figure blurred into motion, soaring across the street in a single bound and landing in front of us before I could finish letting out my breath. Despite the ridiculous speed in which she¡¯d leapt, she slowed down with an unnatural quickness and landed gently, her toes gracefully arched down and meeting the concrete with a distinct lack of force before she lowered her heels to the ground. Up close, I could make out a few more details about her. She looked to be in her late teens with pastel pink hair flowing down to her shoulders. Her eyes were a matching color with pupils that looked as if they¡¯d been shattered into pieces while remaining vaguely circular. Her dress reminded me of an ornate Victorian ball gown, but with segmented armor plates over her chest and along the sides of the skirt. The combination gave her an elegant, battle princess look. She smiled, looking at Everglaive with her smooth, heart-shaped face. ¡°Ever, It¡¯s good to see you again!¡± she cheered in a sing-song lilt. ¡°You too, Naiad! It¡¯s been too long.¡± ¡°Pristine Peace,¡± Everglaive dipped her head in greeting. ¡°What a pleasant surprise. Are you out on a patrol?¡± ¡°Oh, you know. Just taking care of the dailies. Say, I was actually wondering if I could speak to you and Naiad about something in private real quick. It won¡¯t take more than a moment.¡± Everglaive gave an apologetic smile, stepping to the side slightly and gesturing to me. ¡°Apologies. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re currently in the middle of a training patrol with one of our newest kohai. Moon Bunny, I¡¯d like to introduce you to Pristine Peace. We went to the Academy together.¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± I quickly said, giving a greeting bow. The Magical Girl stared at me, her cheery smile twitching slightly as a short silence formed between us. Something about the way she stared at me with her unblinking, shattered pupils sent a chill over me. Her eyes finally shifted from me, darting to look around us, and I followed her quick glances. Most of the people on the street were giving our group a wide berth, though a few were trying to take inconspicuous photos or videos. The Magical Girl in front of me took a deep breath, returning her unblinking gaze to me. ¡°Likewise,¡± she finally replied, her voice strained. I tensed, recognizing the tone. It was the one the other girls at school had used when I introduced myself before I knew about the rumors and lies Katie had spread about me, the same they had used when I asked a simple question but didn¡¯t want to look like they were associated with me. It was the exact tone most of the other students not in my class used when they talked to me. It had taken me a few weeks of high school to really figure it out, a slow dread seeping into me as I wondered what was happening. In retrospect, those had been the more manageable days. Now their voices were just filled with scorn and disdain if they even acknowledged me at all. The Magical Girl turned back to Everglaive, I felt my muscles relax noticeably without her focusing on me. Still, I took a shuffling step to put myself further behind Naiad. ¡°Well, I get that you¡¯re a little busy,¡± she spoke in her lilted, cheery tone again. ¡°But it¡¯s kind of important. I¡¯m sure Moon Bunny won¡¯t mind me taking you away for a second, or rescheduling if-¡± ¡°Pristine,¡± Everglaive spoke gently. ¡°I know what you want to talk about, and I assure you, it is alright.¡± The other Magical Girl faltered, blinking a few times. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ okay? Um¡­ Are you sure?¡± Pristine Peace¡¯s voice lost the over-the-top tone she had been using before, shifting to one of concern. ¡°It is,¡± Everglaive nodded sagely. ¡°I can guarantee it.¡± The Magical Girl bit her bottom lip, glancing back at me. Unlike before, there was no intensity in the look. If anything, she looked more worried than intimidating. ¡°I just¡­ after¡­ you know¡­¡± ¡°I know,¡± Everglaive nodded with a sad smile. ¡°You were just worried. I appreciate it, I do, but in this circumstance, I can happily say your worry is completely unfounded.¡± Pristine Peace stared into Everglaive''s eyes for a long handful of seconds, then finally sighed, letting out a hissing breath between her teeth that turned into a groan as she covered her face with her hands. ¡°Man, I really screwed this up, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Maybe a little,¡± Everglaive¡¯s lips quirked in an amused smile. ¡°But not too badly to make amends.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± The Magical Girl in front of me let her hands drop to her sides, taking in a deep breath before she turned to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that, let¡¯s try this again,¡± she spoke, holding out her hand. ¡°Hi! I¡¯m Magical Girl Pristine Peace! It¡¯s nice to meet you, kohai!¡± Hesitating for only a moment, I took her hand and shook it. Her grip was soft as a feather, as if she was afraid I might break under the slightest pressure. ¡°Sorry about my first impression,¡± she winced after the handshake ended. ¡°Sometimes I just act without thinking, especially if I think my friends are¡­ uh¡­¡± She trailed off awkwardly, then gave a hapless shrug as a blush formed on her face. ¡°A-anyway,¡± she trilled. ¡°I should be getting back to my patrol so I stop making a fool of myself. Ever, Naiad, nice seeing you again. Moon Bunny, good to meet you. I might not be as strong as these two, but if you ever need advice, feel free to send me a message on MGO! Later!¡± Without so much as waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel and leapt, soaring in a high arc to land on a roof across the street before hopping again and disappearing from view. Naiad giggled, shaking her head. Everglaive gave her an amused glance before she began moving with the quick pace we were using before. The few bystanders who had been loitering quickly made way for us. ¡°Honestly, that went better than I thought it would,¡± Naiad chirped. ¡°Pristine is the good sort,¡± Everglaive shrugged. ¡°Perhaps she doesn¡¯t always think things through, but she means well.¡± The elven Magical Girl looked back to me, a small frown forming on her face. ¡°As for you, how are you holding up? I do hope Pristine didn¡¯t leave too bad of an impression with her blunder.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine,¡± I lied, the edges of my nerves still tingling with frayed anxiety. ¡°Um, what exactly¡­¡± ¡°Was that about?¡± Everglaive finished, and I nodded even though I was going to ask what I did wrong. I was pretty sure I already knew what had just happened, the situation feeling all too familiar. A small part of me hoped I was wrong, but I wasn¡¯t going to hold my breath. ¡°Hmm. Pristine¡¯s always been one to jump to her friends if she thinks they might be in danger or an uncomfortable situation. It¡¯s gotten her into misunderstandings in the past, and I¡¯m sure it will again.¡± My brow furrowed in confusion, only for Selene to brush me with her tails mid hop. [She saw two of her friends on patrol with an unknown Dark Magical Girl and assumed they might not be patrolling with you willingly. Either you were following them for some strange reason, or they were coerced into patrolling with you. So, she attempted to pull Everglaive and Naiad away into a private conversation to make sure they were okay.] Naiad winced at Selene¡¯s words, and I swallowed the lump in my throat, nodding. Just as I thought, then. In a way, it was a relief. If Pristine had been concerned about me for some other reason, I wouldn¡¯t really know how to take it. Dealing with rumors and whispers I couldn¡¯t control was familiar, though. It was an old sore already scabbed over. A few more pokes from a new direction wouldn¡¯t change much. Besides, Pristine hadn¡¯t been outright hostile towards me, which was more than I could say about some of my classmates. Intense? A little, but it came from worrying about her friends. I shouldn¡¯t really fault her for that. She doesn¡¯t even know me, though¡­ I ignored the acidic feeling burning in my stomach, trying to move my thoughts past Pristine¡¯s reaction to me. We kept moving, Everglaive glancing at me while Naiad openly kept an eye on me. Nobody spoke for a minute, and as time drew on, Naiad¡¯s expression quickly grew more dismayed. ¡°Um. Are you okay? I know we talked about the stigma around Darks, but experiencing it is¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I lied, my voice even. ¡°She meant well.¡± Everglaive¡¯s eyebrow quirked up as she side-eyed me. ¡°That does not excuse her behavior. Had she taken a moment to consider the situation, it would have been clear both Naiad and myself were in no distress. Between our high levels, shared history, and the fact we¡¯ve been going on training patrols with the newest Magical Girls, there shouldn¡¯t have been any question about what was happening. Instead, she jumped to the worst case scenario that we were forcibly paired with a Dark Magical Girl to go on patrol together.¡± ¡°Which is ridiculous,¡± Naiad sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not like anybody could or even would force us to patrol with somebody if we didn¡¯t want to. Even the Association isn¡¯t stupid enough to try commanding around Magical Girls like that. Make requests? Sure. Force them to spend time working with someone they really don¡¯t want to? That¡¯s just a recipe for disaster, especially with some of the egos and power levels involved.¡± Everglaive nodded, looking off into the distance as we went by an outdoor cafe, phones from the half dozen customers quickly rising. A fashionable blond girl a few years older than me grinned a wide, vulpine smile as she whispered excitedly to her friend beside her, a tall girl with long, curly black hair and glasses who gently smiled at her friend¡¯s excitement. The blond gestured wildly toward us, bottle-glass green eyes wide with excitement, and her friend nodded a few times, quiet but watching us with interest. I wonder if that¡¯s how Lily and I look when we¡¯re hanging out. I ignored the longing pang that thought brought, returning my focus to Everglaive. ¡°Agreed,¡± Everglaive continued, sounding distracted. ¡°I¡¯m just glad Moon Bunny¡¯s first experience was with somebody acting out of concern, not malice. I do hope that¡­¡± Everglaive trailed off, putting her hand up to her ear. A small smile bloomed on her face a moment later. ¡°Excellent, thank you for informing me. Would you be so kind as to mark us as on our way and set up a cordon? Oh, and a police escort to our location. Yes, the cafe. Perfect. Oh? She¡¯s doing wonderful, though you should really be asking her yourself. No, I don¡¯t think that will be an issue. Of course. Thank you.¡± She lowered her hand a moment later, turning to Naiad and me with a smile. ¡°Good news. Error Machina has detected a low level Usurpation and reserved it for us. It¡¯s a bit far, so we have a police transport on the way.¡± My blood froze, my heartbeat suddenly loud in my ears. Schooling my expression into passiveness was a skill I had plenty of practice in, though, and so I gave a simple nod. Everglaive searched my face, her serene features betraying nothing. Still, there was a certain intensity to it that made the already considerable anxiety in my veins spike. Thankfully, I knew how to deal with unwanted attention, too. ¡°Is it normal to call for a transport?¡± ¡°If you are a lower level and the Usurpation is far away, yes,¡± Everglaive shrugged. ¡°Or if you lack the Agility to just run there.¡± Naiad hummed agreeably, the sound of sirens picking up in the distance. ¡°There¡¯s a bunch of support options like that you can call for, especially here in Arcadia. We even have long-range support Guardians like Error who can cast magic into the lower level Usurpations. Shields, summoned constructs, buffs, the whole shebang. They can¡¯t really be used in higher level Usurps, but they¡¯re pretty effective in the weaker ones. You¡¯ll learn more about calling for that stuff later, but never be afraid to ask.¡± ¡°Could Error Machina solve some Usurpations all on his own, then?¡± I asked curiously, imagining him leaning back in his chair and eating chips while he watched his magic constructs take care of an entire Usurpation. ¡°Definitely. His summoned creatures are pretty powerful. The only issue is it would stymie the growth of newer Girls like you, so things like that are saved for emergencies, like if we see a civilian that didn¡¯t make it into a shelter in time. Even then, they usually only do the minimum to get them to safety before backing off and letting an appropriately leveled Guardian get the experience and points.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Everglaive nodded. ¡°Truthfully, it makes the lower level Usurpations in the city quite safe for new Girls, so long as they aren¡¯t afraid to ask for assistance.¡± ¡°Is there a reason why somebody wouldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Experience for kills gets shared among every Guardian who participates based on the level of contribution. If a high-level Guardian gives out support like that, chances are the System gives them most of the rewards. Points also only go to the one who kills an Anathema unless you use the System to form a group with the other Guardian first.¡± ¡°Greed and glory kill far more Guardians than actual heroics,¡± Everglaive said quietly. ¡°Never let yourself forget that we¡¯re all facing the same enemy, and that you aren¡¯t alone in this fight¡­ No matter how much some of our comrades might try to convince you otherwise.¡± The seriousness of her tone made my chest tighten, and I nodded. The sound of sirens was near now, and people around us were looking around excitedly, the few who had phones out turning to the source. In a surprisingly short time, a large, heavily armored police van came around a corner and slid to a stop in front of us. Everglaive opened the back and climbed into the van without preamble. I followed inside with Selene hopping in behind me. Looking around, I saw that the back of the van was hollowed out except for cushioned benches along either wall. I climbed into a spot across from Everglaive and Naiad, finding a small seatbelt I fumbled to buckle as Naiad closed the door behind me. A middle-aged officer with a bald head turned back from the driver seat, glancing over us. ¡°That everyone?¡± ¡°It is, officer,¡± Everglaive gave a curt nod. ¡°Do you know the location?¡± ¡°Yup. Alright, hold on tight ladies. This ain¡¯t no sports car, but I¡¯ll have you there in twenty or less or your money back.¡± And then we were off, the sound of the sirens surprisingly muted on the inside. Everglaive leaned forward towards me, folding her hands on her lap. ¡°Moon Bunny. As one who has signed a mentorship contract, I find myself in an awkward position when it comes to advising you about your choice in weapons considering I have no real experience with your chosen specialty. Thankfully, there is a simple solution. I happen to be on good terms with an expert in that particular armament, and I would like to invite them to the Usurpation to introduce the two of you. I believe they could prove to be an excellent instructor, and I personally trust them to keep things secret.¡± I chewed on my lip, turning to Selene for her opinion. Her form shimmered a bit as her invisibility dropped, her head turning to Everglaive. [May I ask who this person is?] Selene inquired, making Everglaive smile. ¡°A good friend of mine, but more importantly, a Warden team leader.¡± [Ah¡­] Selene turned to me. [I believe this would be a good idea. The Wardens are the elite, special forces of the Magical Soldiers. They¡¯re given high quality Zenith equipment purchased from Magical Girls, and are quite powerful. To be honest, I cannot think of a better tutor for you.] Internalizing that information for a moment, I nodded. ¡°Okay,¡± I told both Selene and Everglaive, pushing down my apprehension as a phone was summoned into Everglaive¡¯s hand that she began texting on. It was confusing and frustrating, to be honest. Every step of the way, it seemed like Selene or other Magical Girls were warning me to not trust anyone, but then I kept being put in situations where I had no choice but to rely on other people. Which was usually a terrible idea, in my experience. The Geas contracts dispelled some of my worry, but still, it felt like I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Even worse, everyone had been nice so far. Despite Selene¡¯s and Error¡¯s warning about the reputation of Dark Magical Girls, I hadn¡¯t had any problems yet beside Pristine, but even that had been mild. No, that¡¯s a poor conclusion. I¡¯ve only met six other Guardians so far, and one of them was willing to act on those rumors even though she knew Everglaive and Naiad. If anything, one in six taking negative action is worrying, especially when four of those were recommended by Error and are part of the same team, meaning it¡¯s obvious they would have similar reactions. Really, that meant one of my two random encounters with Guardians had been colored by the rumors of being a Dark. I¡¯d gotten lucky with Error Machina, probably more than I even fully realized. I needed to keep my guard up. I¡¯d trust Everglaive¡¯s judgment about this Warden, but only because Everglaive had risked her life for mine and it seemed counterproductive to turn on me at this point. I wanted to fully put my trust in her and Error, but¡­ I just couldn¡¯t. I knew how quickly somebody could change. After all, even Katie started out trying to be my friend¡­ ¡°We¡¯re here, ladies!¡± the officer¡¯s voice suddenly rang out, pulling me from my musings. ¡°Good luck and good hunting!¡± ¡°Stay safe,¡± Everglaive responded, and the officer turned around in surprise before flashing a wolfish smile. ¡°Stay dangerous!¡± he replied, and Everglaive nodded, opening the back door and hopping out. Naiad and I followed, and I found myself on a street with a barricade of police cars. A few police officers manned the perimeter, sleek-looking automatic rifles in their hands. They gave us a nod as Everglaive strode forward like she owned the place, officers moving one of the barricades for her. I followed with Naiad, trying to keep my head down. ¡°Go get those bastards¡­¡± a young officer whispered, almost too quietly to be heard, venom dripping from her voice. The sheer animosity made me stop for a moment, and I glanced up to see her watching us with a burning anger, eyes gleaming with a mixture of hate and loss. It was a look I was all too familiar with. Suddenly, the bladed edge of my anxiety seemed to blunt itself. It still scraped across my bones with each pulse of my heart, but it felt less important now. She lost someone to the Anathema. The monsters. The monsters that threaten everyone. The monsters that maimed and tried to kill me. That tried to kill Brian. That would have killed Lily. My jaw set, steel forming in my veins, and the officer finally noticed I¡¯d stopped and was looking at her. She blinked in surprise, cheeks flushing in embarrassment that I¡¯d overheard her. I simply gave her a slow, deep nod, then turned away and hurried to catch up with the other two. The three of us walked for another two blocks, and I took in the surrounding city with interest. Most of the buildings here weren¡¯t more than a couple of stories tall, meaning we¡¯d moved even further from the city center, probably into the outer-middle districts proper. It seemed like this was mostly a residential area, a few apartments and nicer houses with actual lawns. Actual greenery and space separated the structures, giving the surroundings a more open, breathable atmosphere. Finally we turned a corner and I saw the Usurpation. It was an odd thing, almost like somebody had put down a giant glass bowl over the area. I could see into it, but the images were blurred and distorted, making it hard to make out details other than I was looking at a two story building that sprawled out quite a bit. Something about the architecture seemed familiar, but I couldn¡¯t place it. The other thing that grabbed my attention was the futuristic black sports car parked on the edge of the bubble. Light played oddly off the car, not quite gleaming off it like it should. It seemed bigger than other sports cars I¡¯d seen, but still sleek and dangerous looking. Those extra portions of the car reminded me more of armor than anything else. We made our way towards the vehicle, its windows tinted completely black. The driver¡¯s side door opened as we came near, and a figure stepped out. She wore a futuristic set of black armor that covered her from head to toe, all sleek curves and segmented plates that hugged her body tightly. It looked like something straight from a sci fi movie, some kind of close-fitting power armor that radiated danger. The helmet was designed more like a knight¡¯s, a slim black visor where the eyes would be over the V-shaped faceplate. Dark red lines across the armor acted as accents, subtly emphasizing the woman¡¯s tall and slim form. The lithe figure sauntered the rest of the way to us with an uncaring confidence, and I saw Naiad¡¯s normally cheerful expression flicker briefly into something like a scowl before resetting. She stopped in front of us, Everglaive giving her a nod with a small smile. ¡°Sergeant,¡± Ever greeted her simply. ¡°Girl,¡± the figure growled back, the feminine voice slightly distorted with an electronic twang. The two stared at each other, neither moving for a moment, and I felt myself tensing up as the silence stretched. Then, at some unspoken signal, the woman laughed and held out a hand that Everglaive clasped with a chuckle. ¡°Good to see you again, Glaivy,¡± she said, and Everglaive gave the slightest of exasperated sighs. ¡°You too, Sanguine.¡± ¡°And you!¡± the Warden said, stepping away from Everglaive to pick up Naiad in a big hug that made the smaller girl squeak. ¡°I never got to properly thank you for helping out Pixie! She¡¯s doing awfully good, by the way. No tingling or weakness in her feet at all. You really know how to reattach some limbs, girl! She¡¯s been asking about you, too. Think she wants to give you a ¡®thank you present,¡¯ if you know what I mean.¡± Naiad¡¯s shocked expression was quickly replaced with a carmine blush so deep it looked like she was sunburned. Naiad sputtered, finally being released and dropping a few inches to the ground. Then the Warden turned to me, putting her hands on her hips. ¡°And you¡­¡± she stopped, her head tilting. ¡°A manaborn Guardian? I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve met you, yet.¡± ¡°Guin,¡± Everglaive said, gesturing to me. ¡°Allow me to introduce Magical Girl Moon Bunny and her Familiar Selene. She¡¯s new, and our team is currently in the process of showing her the ropes.¡± ¡°Oh? Well, let me properly introduce myself then.¡± She waved a hand over her helmet, and it flashed with red light before vanishing like I¡¯d seen other items do when put into storage items. A young woman¡¯s face looked back at me with pale skin and freckles painted across her nose and upper cheeks. Her hair was colored scarlet, done up in a bun with a few strands escaping to frame her face, and her eyes were a matching red with the vivid sheen of a manaborn. She held out her hand to me, a wry grin on her face. ¡°Sergeant Tessa Kelley,¡± she introduced herself with a wink, her voice tinted with the faintest of Irish accents. ¡°And my Warden codename¡¯s Sanguine, or Guin for short. Good to meetcha, Moon Bunny.¡± Chapter 35 - Magical Girl I shook her hand, her armored grip surprisingly gentle. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± I murmured nervously, not knowing how to really respond. Sergeant Kelley didn¡¯t seem to notice my anxiety, simply turning to Everglaive with her hands back on her hip. ¡°So, I think I get why you¡¯re here. There¡¯s a nice low risk Usurpation for her to cut her teeth on, and it should give Moon Bunny here some good experience and points, yeah? The only thing I can¡¯t figure out is why you asked me here. I mean, yeah, I¡¯m good, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯re more than capable of helping her yourselves. Seems kind of overkill to bring me out, not that I¡¯m complaining about getting to hang with you or anything.¡± Everglaive gave a placid smile, simply gesturing to the Usurpation. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the specifics inside. I have Error Machina ready to put a privacy shell around the Usurpation so we can speak in peace.¡± The Warden raised an eyebrow, but something like mischief twinkled in her ruby eyes. ¡°Oh? A secret mission? You should have led with that. Let¡¯s be on it, then.¡± She twirled on her foot and strode towards the distorted air without hesitation, humming happily as Everglaive followed. Naiad¡¯s face had finally turned back to a more normal color, and she muttered something under her breath as she hurried to catch up. I glanced at Selene, who simply shrugged with her tails. [Magical Girls do not have a monopoly on unique personalities, I suppose.] A surprised, amused huff escaped through my nose, and I shook my head before going after them. I was hesitant as we approached, and watched with interest as Sergeant Kelley reached the bubble and kept going. The air rippled as she went inside, the effect similar to watching something fall into a still pond. Everglaive and Naiad entered in the same manner, Naiad briefly stopping to give me a comforting smile. As I reached the distortion, I found myself holding my breath as I forced myself to keep walking. A moment later, I stepped into the Usurpation. Instantly, the faintest sense of wrongness tickled over my skin, like a summer breeze that had somehow been corrupted. The feeling quickly disappeared, but it left me feeling anxious. [You can sense the miasma better in your Astral Shift,] Selene whispered in my mind, the explanation helping to soothe my nerves. Now that I was inside the Usurpation, I had a better look at the structure contained within. It had the same modern, clean architecture common in most of Arcadia¡¯s buildings. The building was long, covering a fair bit of ground with a big entrance and sign that I quickly read over. Meadow¡¯s Track and Field Center. The size of the building suddenly made more sense. ¡°Alright,¡± Sergeant Kelley clapped her hands, turning so she was halfway looking at us while still keeping an eye on the building. ¡°So what¡¯s the big secret, then?¡± Everglaive hand went to her ear, head tilting slightly. ¡°Error? We¡¯re inside. The privacy shell, if you please.¡± I felt a slight prickle against my skin, and turned to notice the distorted view of the world beyond the Usurpation becoming even more prismatic. In a few short breaths, the view became perfectly opaque, as if I was looking at an unreflective wall of glass. Turning back to Everglaive with a frown, she gave me a nod. ¡°Apologies. I meant to talk with you about this beforehand, but it was an idea I only recently came up with. Guin, I assume you¡¯re aware of some of the colorful rumors around Dark Magical Girls?¡± She snorted, folding her arms and rolling her eyes. ¡°Sure. Hard to work with you lot and not catch a word or two. Think it¡¯s a load of bull, personally. I¡¯ve worked with plenty of Darks before, and honestly, we tend to get along better with ¡®em than any other color except maybe Blues. I¡¯m of the personal opinion that those rumors are mostly just jealousy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not entirely wrong,¡± Everglaive nodded. ¡°And that brings me to the purpose of our privacy shell. Moon Bunny here is a special case, even among Darks, and I¡¯m hoping to get her as much training as possible while keeping her exact abilities hidden. I believe this will give her an edge. While I hope she doesn¡¯t need it, having an extra ace up her sleeve certainly wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± she nodded. ¡°Though it doesn¡¯t explain my purpose here.¡± Everglaive smiled, turning to me and waving her hand at the ground. Emerald light flashed, and my backpack materialized onto the grass. ¡°Would you like to show Guin your chosen weapon, Moon Bunny?¡± I nodded nervously, and Sergeant Kelley watched me with interest as I crouched down to open my backpack. Reaching in, I very carefully removed my Umbra, making sure to keep it pointed at the ground even if it was unloaded with the slide locked back. ¡°A Magical Girl focusing on using actual guns?¡± Sergeant Kelly asked, voice filled with glee. ¡°Oh. Oh yes. Glaivy, I see where you¡¯re going with this, and yes, I accept a thousand times over. This is something I have to see.¡± ¡°I thought you might be interested,¡± Everglaive sniffed with a haughty expression, looking at her nails. ¡°You do have a reputation, after all.¡± ¡°Oh come off it, elf,¡± the Warden waved a hand at her, eying my Umbra with interest. ¡°So I assume you were thinking I could teach her a thing or two about guns, then?¡± ¡°More or less. Moon Bunny will be attending the Magical Girl Academy, and part of the curriculum is weapons training. I was hoping you would be willing to give her a few pointers right now and possibly help me find an instructor to fill her weapons training class. I¡¯m sure the Academy would have contacts, but I¡¯d rather she gets the best while keeping it under the radar.¡± Sergeant Kelley hummed thoughtfully, and I found myself frowning. ¡°Is it really that useful to hide the fact I¡¯m using guns?¡± I asked nervously. ¡°Just¡­ Won¡¯t it be obvious pretty quickly? I don¡¯t really know how I¡¯m supposed to hide it¡­¡± Naiad and Everglaive glanced at each other, and Naiad sighed, nodding almost hesitantly. Everglaive turned back to me. ¡°You are correct, it will be difficult to keep it a secret, but you wouldn¡¯t have to hide it for long. You see, there is something of a tradition among Magical Girls, that should there be an argument or conflict between two Guardians, one can challenge the other to a duel.¡± I felt my eyes widen, but Naiad quickly put up her hands in a placating gesture. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as it sounds! The duels are held in a special arena, and the fight is usually only until one¡¯s Barrier is depleted. The arena itself is heavily enchanted to detect anything that might seriously injure a Guardian, and can place a shield around anybody in danger in milliseconds. In the twenty-one years of Magical Girl duels, there hasn¡¯t been a single death.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very safe,¡± Everglaive agreed. ¡°There are also various rules and regulations about who can challenge who, but that¡¯s besides the point. The duels themselves can also be refused. No Magical Girl is obligated to accept a challenge, although refusing a challenge when somebody has a legitimate complaint can have social consequences.¡± I frowned, eyes flicking between the two in confusion. ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t understand. I don¡¯t plan on causing trouble with anybody, and people are already not going to like me just for being a Dark, so¡­ Why does it matter?¡± ¡°It mostly doesn¡¯t,¡± Everglaive admitted. ¡°However, one of the things that can be done in a duel is making a wager. Usually, it¡¯s Gate Points, though only a limited amount can be gained or lost per month through duels. More importantly, there are other things that can be wagered.¡± ¡°Patrol zones, for instance,¡± Naiad nodded. ¡°If two Guardians are arguing who gets dibs on a certain location if Usurpations show up, they can wager the area in a duel. That¡¯s probably the second most common wager, but there¡¯s not really a limit to what can be put up for grabs. In your case, however¡­¡± ¡°You could make a wager for people to leave you alone and have it be officially enforced,¡± Everglaive sighed, glancing at Sergeant Kelley who was taking in the conversation with a carefully neutral expression. ¡°Newer Magical Girls who haven¡¯t had a chance to actually work with a Dark yet are much more likely to fall for the rumors older Guardians pass along. That combined with the general angst and aggressiveness of teenagers who have suddenly gained magical fighting powers, and there¡¯s little to no doubt somebody will try to cause trouble with you. Hence, this ploy. Error already agreed to help, casting privacy shells over any Usurpation you fight in and using magic to clean up your battlefields until the truth comes out. If you can hide the fact you use firearms, you¡¯ll be able to pull one out in your first duel, giving you a massive advantage over your opponent who will be misinformed about your capabilities.¡± ¡°It would pretty much guarantee a win, especially with a Warden training you, and if you wait to accept a duel until it¡¯s from somebody who is really bothering you¡­¡± Naiad shrugged. ¡°You could get the most bang for your buck. No pun intended.¡± There was a long silence that followed, the three of them watching me as I stared back. I internally went over their explanation a few times. Something tied a knot around my heart and began to squeeze. I couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°E-excuse me,¡± I managed to whisper, storing my gun in my backpack before turning around and taking several hurried steps away from them. [Mai?] Selene asked with concern, but I ignored her as I closed my eyes. Everglaive, a Magical Girl powerful enough to lead a strike team to come save me in the middle of a hoard of Anathema, called in a literal special forces operative and got Error Machina, another powerful Guardian, to agree to assist her in spending their valuable time and points all so I could make sure the first person to really start harassing me would leave me alone. My chest hurt. Why? It was hard to breathe. Why go through all this trouble for me? I blinked away the moisture in my eyes. Why were they being so nice? My hands squeezed into tight, impotent fists. Was it pity? Was it because I was so useless? Was it that obvious? I let out the breath in a quiet hiss of air. Does it matter? Slowly, I felt the not entirely unpleasant tightness in my chest loosen. I¡¯ll find a way to pay them back. If nothing else, I can spend my points getting them gifts. I took a few more moments to gather myself, letting the tension slowly pass from my body. Once I felt ready, I tried to discreetly wipe at my eyes before I turned around and rejoined the group. They seemed to be talking to themselves about something, but stopped as I neared. ¡°Sorry, I just¡­¡± I trailed off, realizing I didn¡¯t have a way to explain how I was feeling without it being completely humiliating. My face began to heat up, a heavy blush forming on my face, but Naiad quickly stepped in. ¡°It¡¯s alright! I know that having to go through all this cloak and dagger stuff is a little frustrating. I know I¡¯d be upset if I was in your shoes.¡± Even though that wasn¡¯t exactly the cause of my reaction, I gave the girl a thankful nod for the escape opportunity. Then, I bowed appreciatively to the three of them. ¡°I really appreciate what you¡¯ve done for me so far, and what you continue to do. I hope I can find a way to repay all of you for your help.¡± ¡°Moon Bunny¡­¡± Naiad hesitated, and Sergeant Kelley let out a laugh that had me looking up at her in surprise. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think that will be too hard. In my case, all I want in exchange for some training is a promise that you''ll invite me to the duels, especially the first! Just thinking about it now has me excited. Just imagine it: some bratty girl who thinks she¡¯s top of the world has been bothering you and finally gets you to accept a duel, and then¡­ Oh lord, just imagine the look on her face when you pull a gun on her and she realizes she brought a sword to a gunfight!¡± She cackled with an infectious glee, and I found a giggle escaping me. Naiad chuckled herself while a Everglaive¡¯s lips twitched with a small smile. ¡°Okay,¡± I told her, giving her a serious nod. ¡°I promise.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re quickly becoming my favorite Magical Girl, Bunny,¡± she rubbed her hands together. ¡°Now then, how about we get started. We are technically in an Usurpation, even if it isn¡¯t that dangerous with us around. How about you show me that gun of yours, and we can start with some basics?¡± I nodded, once again retrieving my Umbra from the bag. I started to raise it to hand it to her but paused, a blush forming on my face. ¡°I, um¡­ I don¡¯t really know the safest way to give this to you. Selene taught me the basics of gun safety and shooting, but¡­¡± Sergeant Kelley¡¯s face sobered immediately, and she gave me an impressed nod. ¡°What you just did is one of the smartest things you could do, girl. Never be afraid to ask questions or admit you don¡¯t know something, especially with something as serious as handling a weapon.¡± A flash of scarlet light materialized a handgun into her hands. ¡°Here, watch what I do. First, make sure the safety is set. Then take out the magazine, clear the chamber, and make sure the action is locked back like this. Next, hold the gun reversed and pointed down, hand gripped over the slide and receiver like this while making sure your fingers are wrapped over the trigger guard here. After that, you simply offer them the grip.¡± She moved slowly, making sure I could see every step of the process. When she finished, she quickly reloaded her gun and put it back into her dimensional storage. I followed her instructions, and even though my Umbra was already empty, I went through the motions, and she nodded approvingly as she then took the gun from me, inspecting it carefully. ¡°The Umbra, huh?¡± she said thoughtfully. ¡°Model A, mark one by the looks of it. Nine millimeter? You¡¯ve got a solid starter gun right here. It¡¯s definitely one I¡¯d recommend to a beginner. Very nice accuracy and it handles recoil much better than other nine mills. Its only real weakness is its low caliber is going to struggle against some of the bigger nasties. At low levels, it shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem, though.¡± ¡°Is there something else you would recommend?¡± I asked, soaking in the information. ¡°Mmm¡­ I¡¯m partial to forty calibers, myself. Good balance of stopping power with ammo capacity. You¡¯ll have more recoil than you would feel with a nine mill, but with some practice and your magical stats bullshit, I imagine you¡¯ll adjust fairly quickly. If you like the Umbra¡¯s design and feel, I know it¡¯s made in both a forty and forty-five variant too, so the adjustment won¡¯t be too big.¡± She waved a hand dismissively. ¡°But all that¡¯s for later. Let¡¯s talk about some gun basics first. Safety, strategy, that sort of thing.¡± I listened as she went into a miniature lecture, though a lot of it was the basics Selene had drilled into me. I still nodded along, not interrupting her as she gave some examples of bad gun handling and the consequences that could happen. After finishing the safety instructions and the most basic of shooting stances that she had me practice a few times, she gave a thoughtful hum. ¡°There¡¯s plenty more to teach on tactics, teamwork, and all that, but I think most of that can be left for another time. The last thing that you really need to know is collateral. When you point your gun and are about to shoot, you need to always know what will happen if you miss. Bullets can penetrate through a lot of objects, and while civilians should be evacuated when you enter an area, that might not always be the case. So, before you shoot, always know if your bullet is going to miss and hit a soft target that it could penetrate through, or a harder material that will stop it. If there¡¯s ever any doubt, it¡¯s better to hold off and reposition.¡± Giving her a serious nod, she handed my Umbra back. ¡°Like I said, it really shouldn¡¯t be a problem here in Arcadia. There¡¯s enough shelters and warning time before Usurpations that it¡¯s exceedingly rare for civilians to get caught out, but it never hurts to be careful. You might not always be deploying in Arcadia, and you never know when a scared kid might be hiding in a cupboard or something.¡± I winced at that, the image of Brian cowering in the clothing store flashing through my mind. She didn¡¯t comment on it, simply looking at the other two. ¡°That should cover the need-to-know. I¡¯ll admit, you lot can cheat a lot with your stat magics enhancing you, so I¡¯ll have to really think about training lessons and gun recommendations. Right now, though, I think that seeing her in action is going to give me the best idea where to begin.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Everglaive smiled. ¡°Which is why Moon Bunny will be soloing this Usurpation with just her gun. We shall simply be observing.¡± Sergeant Kelley frowned. ¡°Alone?¡± ¡°Yes. Moon Bunny has had some¡­ interesting experiences as a Magical Girl. It has, however, slightly skewed her view on certain things. Completing this Usurpation should give her a better idea of her actual capabilities. Speaking of which, there is one more thing Moon Bunny needs to learn.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Guin,¡± Everglaive said, motioning for Naiad to take a few steps back. ¡°Do you remember the test we did after trivia night at Mac¡¯s? Moon Bunny needs a proper introduction to the strength of a Magical Girl¡¯s Barrier.¡± Sergeant Kelley stared at her blankly for a moment. Then a wide, malicious grin spread over her face. ¡°Oh, do I remember? Are we doing the first or second one?¡± ¡°The second one, if you would. Moon Bunny, I urge you not to panic.¡± I watched in confusion as Sergeant Kelley stalked towards Everglaive who stood there passively, hands folded behind her back. ¡°I don¡¯t think this will ever get old,¡± the Warden gave a contented sigh. Then scarlet light flashed, a handgun appearing in her hand that she promptly pointed directly at the side of Everglaive¡¯s head. From no more than an inch away, she fired. A strangled scream escaped my lips that was aborted as Everglaive didn¡¯t so much as flinch, a green light flaring against her head. Everglaive simply smiled at me as Sergeant Kelley lowered the gun, storing it again with a laugh. She looked around for a moment before bending over and picking up a squished bullet, a wide grin on her face. ¡°Lord, you Girls are such bullshit,¡± she laughed. ¡°I love it!¡± I stared dumbfounded at them, my mind trying to process what I¡¯d just seen. ¡°This is the power of your Barrier, your shield,¡± Everglaive stated. ¡°Like we told you, It¡¯s capable of absorbing most of the damage from hits, and if it¡¯s strong enough, it can absorb the entirety of a blow. Your stats determine the strength of your Barrier.¡± [Willpower determines your Barrier¡¯s overall capacity,] Selene added. [Vitality gives your Barrier better defense against physical attacks, and Spirit does the same but for magical damage. Please note that Vitality and Spirit do not provide nearly as much damage reduction to your shield as they do to your body. Spirit also determines how quickly your Barrier regenerates. Barrier regeneration is generally slow, taking sixteen minutes and forty seconds to regenerate to full if your Willpower and Spirit are of equal value.] ¡°Your Barrier is also adaptive,¡± Everglaive said. ¡°Meaning it knows how much your Vitality and Spirit will naturally resist and let the appropriate amount of damage through before draining your shield. For example, as a Guardian who focuses on Vitality and has over 900 in the stat, my physical defenses are quite high. As such, my Aura knows to let most of the damage ¡®bleed¡¯ through the shield to be negated by my body¡¯s enhanced resilience instead of burning itself up against an attack.¡± She reached up, pointing to the side of her head where I made out some fragments of bullet that had smashed itself against her skin. ¡°This is an example. I didn¡¯t even lose a single percentage point of my shield because a standard bullet doesn¡¯t pose much threat to me, especially because Sergeant Kelley was using one of her weaker guns. If it was from a Zenith catalog of a higher rarity or fired by a Magical Girl, there would have been some actual danger involved.¡± ¡°Just remember,¡± Naiad jumped in, looking at Everglaive with concern. ¡°Your shield can¡¯t always absorb all the damage. If an attack is strong enough or has some kind of piercing aspect, it can get through much easier.¡± My heart had finally slowed down from the display, and I found myself shaking my head. ¡°You really weren¡¯t exaggerating when you told me I wouldn¡¯t have lost my arm if I had my Barrier back then, were you?¡± I thought to Selene, hoping the bitterness didn¡¯t fully transfer over. [No. It¡¯s part of the reason what happened is so upsetting.] I swallowed, nodding. ¡°I understand,¡± I told them. ¡°Excellent,¡± Everglaive nodded. ¡°Then all that is left is for you to clear this Usurpation and test out your new abilities, including your physical capabilities. Based on what you told me, your reaction time, speed, jumping, and accuracy will be greatly improved, so make sure to study those limits carefully.¡± ¡°Um,¡± Naiad said sheepishly. ¡°Do you know how to clear out an Usurpation?¡± Everglaive paused, looking at me. I shook my head, and she looked slightly embarrassed. ¡°Ah, yes. Well. Every Usurpation is formed by what we call a Miasma Seed, or Seed for short. At lower level Usurpations, it¡¯s a stationary object that looks like a glowing, semi-crystalline flower. In higher level Usurpations, an Anathema will sometimes absorb the Seed, increasing their abilities drastically. Destroying the Seed or the Seed Bearer will end an Usurpation.¡± ¡°Usually it¡¯s a good idea to destroy as many other Anathema as possible before targeting the Seed,¡± Naiad added. ¡°The seed will call all the remaining Anathema to it if it¡¯s under attack. Don¡¯t worry too much if you end an Usurpation before defeating all the Anathema, though. Except in very rare cases, Anathema can¡¯t survive outside Usurpations, so they will either die or return to where they come from. You will be missing out on points and experience, though, so it¡¯s best to try to get them all first.¡± Taking a deep breath, I nodded to them, and Everglaive smiled at me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. This is the weakest of Usurpations, and Error Machina has assured me there won¡¯t be any Anathema over level ten. As for numbers, you¡¯ll be looking at twenty to thirty Anathema. The three of us will be following you, but I¡¯m going to put up some invisibility spells with Naiad¡¯s help to stop the Anathema from coming for us.¡± ¡°What if I accidentally shoot at you?¡± I asked, worry in my voice, but Everglaive smiled. ¡°I¡¯m a defensive Guardian. I¡¯ll have spells in place to protect us, but even without them, a few bullets at your level wouldn¡¯t be able to seriously hurt any of us, as our recent demonstration has proven.¡± I glanced at Sergeant Kelley, and she merely laughed, gesturing to her power armor. ¡°Magical Soldiers are given Zenith bought equipment, mostly guns and such, but us Wardens, as you may have noticed, have all kinds of toys from dimensional storage items to enchanted power armor and third tier weapons. I even have a personal shield generator of my own. In all, I¡¯m easily equipped with over 300,000 points of equipment, not including the cost you Girls have to pay unlocking those Vaults. I probably also have over 50,000 points of expendable items alone like grenades, first aid, and ammunition. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± I felt my eyes widen, and Everglaive nodded with a smile. ¡°Wardens are equipped with enough enchanted magitech gear that I would bet on them being able to defeat any Guardian lower than level 150. I have no doubt some of the stronger Wardens like Sanguine here would beat any Guardian level 199 and lower.¡± ¡°Damn right I would,¡± Sergeant Kelley flexed in her black armor. Everglaive shook her head, lips twitching. ¡°Is there anything else you would like to ask before beginning?¡± I could feel my pulse beginning to pick up, my mouth drying as I realized I was about to be thrown back into danger again. Squeezing the familiar weight of my Umbra in my right hand helped to soothe my nerves, and I only stuttered slightly when I spoke. ¡°Do you, um¡­ do you have any advice for me? On tactics, or just how to go about this?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, I mostly want to see how you do on your own to get a baseline, but¡­ I suppose I would say to remember what you already did in your first Usurpation. What worked and what didn¡¯t, that sort of thing.¡± ¡°Um,¡± Naiad interjected, taking a step forward shyly. ¡°This might sound dumb, but what helped me was looking at Usurpations like I did dungeons in Magical Girls Sunset: Rebellion. I¡¯m assuming you have experience in that? Did you get far?¡± ¡°The fifth dungeon,¡± I replied, and both Magical Girls stopped. ¡°But¡­¡± Naiad sputtered. ¡°Weren¡¯t you an emergency¡­ How long did that take you?¡± ¡°Two weeks, I think?¡± I said, and Everglaive let out a huff of air, shaking her head while Naiad just blinked a few times. ¡°Oh. Well¡­ I guess that shouldn¡¯t be that surprising, given everything. That¡¯s, um, still pretty crazy. Okay then. So, I would say that you should approach this Usurpation like you would a dungeon before you go into it. I don¡¯t want to interfere too much, but does that make sense?¡± Approach it like I would a dungeon in Sunset? That¡­ I could do that. I nodded to Everglaive who gave me a comforting smile. ¡°With that out of the way, we¡¯ll give you time to prepare. Again, don¡¯t worry about hitting the three of us. Just focus on the Usurpation. Although I doubt something will go wrong, we¡¯ll be right there to help. Oh, and if you could speak out loud to your Familiar at least during the planning phase so we can hear your thought process, that would be appreciated.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I said, and she walked away, gesturing to Naiad and Sergeant Kelley to follow. The first gave me a thumbs up and the latter a wink as they trotted off. Naiad started murmuring some words, and with a snap of her fingers, the image of the three suddenly wavered before fading into nothing. I stared for a moment. Okay. I really need to unlock some magic soon. That¡¯s too useful and too cool to pass up. Turning back to the building, I crouched down, Selene¡¯s tails wavering back and forth. ¡°Okay¡­ so a dungeon,¡± I whispered. ¡°First step¡­ information. Selene, can you scout it out?¡± [On it.] She hopped away, form blurring from spot to spot. Thinking about it for a moment, I turned to the spot where the three had disappeared. With how far Fantasy Fatale was going for me, it didn¡¯t make sense to leave out information, especially when it might affect the advice they were going to give. The same went for Sergeant Kelley, but I was still going to ask her if she would sign a Geas afterwards, just to be safe. ¡°My, um, bonus for being a Dark,¡± I started. ¡°I have a HUD. It comes with a targeting reticle and minimap. Anything Selene scouts out also updates on the map.¡± I did leave out the part about identifying things. Selene had done a good job of explaining how dangerous that information getting out might be, and while I wanted to trust them, it was better to just be safe. I should have tried identifying Fantasy Fatale, I realized a moment later, giving a mental facepalm. I¡¯ll do it later. Focus on the Usurpation for now. With Selene off scouting, I decided to start with some testing, so I stood. ¡°I don¡¯t know how fast I can run yet,¡± I told the empty air. ¡°So I¡¯m going to do some tests while Selene finishes her scouting.¡± Nobody responded, which was expected, but it still made me feel a little silly. Picking a tree at random some distance away, I ran. And I was there in a matter of seconds, no more winded than if I walked. Picking a spot further out, I ran again. I repeated the process a few times, going at speeds ranging from an all out sprint to a jog. I pointed my still-empty Umbra a few times, getting a feel for holding the gun at my new speed, and was quickly shocked at how steady my targeting reticle was. While it still enlarged by a good bit as I moved, it was much less than before, and when I aimed when I wasn¡¯t moving, I could tell it had shrunk a small amount. Even better, the reticle seemed to shrink faster when I aimed, narrowing in quicker than I remembered as I focused on a point and kept my breathing steady. By the end of my testing, I was only breathing a little heavier, no more than if I¡¯d been doing a fast walk down the street. The results were¡­ impressive. Overall, I was pretty sure I wasn¡¯t superhumanly fast yet with my 70 Agility. However, I was definitely faster. I didn¡¯t have a lot of reference, but I felt like I was probably close to a professional track sprinter. Even my jogging speed was ridiculous now, and I was certain I could beat anybody on the school track team in a 100 meter dash with just my new long-distance running pace. I think I¡¯m even faster than Lily now. I shoved down the thought as it brought an aching pang up into my chest, not letting myself get distracted for more than a moment. The other thing I noticed was that I wasn¡¯t just faster, I also had much more stamina. Even running at my full sprint speed, it felt like I could maintain it for longer than normally should be possible. In fact, I was almost certain I could be going at a full sprint for twenty to thirty minutes at a time. So Agility has a huge effect on stamina, not just speed¡­ Wouldn¡¯t Vitality be the stat that determines stamina? Or does Agility somehow reduce my stamina loss when it comes to running? It doesn¡¯t really make logical sense, but the stats seem to affect things more based on their theme than physical logic¡­ Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Making a note to ask more about how stats worked exactly, I decided to test my standing jump height. And I promptly let out a half shriek as I flew over ten feet into the air. My arms windmilled as I tried to control myself, stomach flipping as I started to fall. I choked down a scream as I landed directly on my feet, knees bending slightly, and- I gasped, finding myself completely unhurt and standing with a slight hunch. Quickly standing back up with a blush, I forced myself not to look around, knowing I wouldn¡¯t be able to see any reaction. I knew the others were probably trying not to laugh right now, but I couldn¡¯t blame them too much. Jumping a few more times, I forced myself to get used to the sensation of falling from such a high distance. Once I was fairly certain I wouldn¡¯t vomit if I had to make such a jump, I practiced doing some leaps, sprinting at full speed and jumping. Turns out, the combination of my new speed and ridiculous jump height let me cover a lot of distance. I¡¯d been skeptical of Everglaive¡¯s claim that 100 Agility at a minimum was recommended for jumping across rooftops and over streets, but now I knew she hadn¡¯t been exaggerating. It felt odd to me that my jump height had been affected so much more drastically than my actual speed by my Agility stat. I mean, I could jump as high as a basketball hoop, but I was only running at the speed of a professional athlete. Though, my stamina also seemed to have been affected disproportionately¡­ Leaping around a few more times, my eyes flicked to my minimap as I saw Selene¡¯s icon begin making her way back to me. I was slightly winded from the exercises, but nothing a few seconds of resting wouldn¡¯t cure. By the time I made my way back to my backpack, Selene was sitting there waiting for me, and I gave her a nod, looking over the now filled out minimap on my HUD. It responded to my intentions reflexively, zooming in or changing floors as I looked over it. [The building is three stories. The largest area is the track, but there¡¯s an attached workout gym with various weightlifting machines. The other rooms are a variety of specialty rooms with a few offices. The Seed is located on the second floor in what I believe to be a yoga room.] Nodding to her, I studied the map, paying attention to the red dots Selene had put down where she encountered Anathema. ¡°Any information about the Anathema?¡± [A total of twelve in the track room consisting of hounds, ghouls, and wasps, another nine patrolling the rest of the building, and one Corpse Blossom in the locker room. With all the variety of potential Anathema, it¡¯s interesting that we¡¯re encountering more of the same from the invasion.] ¡°Is that bad?¡± [Not especially. The Anathema take corrupted forms based on fears, myths, and legends. There¡¯s plenty of choices for them, so consolidating into certain types has interesting implications. Perhaps it is a coincidence, but I¡¯m sure the analysts would find it intriguing.] Nodding, I looked back to my minimap. Examining it, I came to the simple conclusion that it was a mess. Actual buildings, unlike game-designed dungeons, were filled with hallways, turns, and side rooms that could hold Anathema. The moment I started firing, I was sure to start drawing some of them to me, and once I got further into the building, it would be all too easy for them to come at me from an unseen angle. Of course, the worst part was the fact I would be confining myself to short hallways with little to no time to properly aim and get my shots off. The whole point of using a gun was to hit things at range, not get up close and personal. Even with my Barrier, it would be stupid to put myself in a situation where I would be at a disadvantage. Which just left one thing to do. ¡°We¡¯ll enter the room with the track,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s big and open enough to give me plenty of room to fight in. Between my new speed and range, I should be fine taking them down considering how far away you marked them from the entrance. If they do start to overwhelm us, we retreat back onto the street and use the door as a chokepoint. I¡¯ll leave the Ripple in a spot outside the doors just in case. After that, we wait for any that are drawn by the noise to come to us. Does¡­ does that sound good? Will they even come to the noise of the gunshots?¡± [It seems like a reasonable plan. This building was not built with the same sound suppression materials of the mall, and a firearm going off in such a big room is going to echo. The sounds of fighting should be enough to draw most of them out, but a few might continue on their patrols.] I nodded, then began to think to myself about how much ammunition I wanted to buy. I had a bunch of empty magazines in my backpack, but I didn¡¯t really want to spend more time refilling them while I was sitting in the middle of an Usurpation. After considering it for a while, I made out my order to Selene. [Purchased: 9mm Silverbane Magazine x8] [-8 Points] [Purchased: 9mm Silverbane Magazine (30) x3] [-6 Points] [Remaining Points: 3,963] Violet light coalesced in the magic circle that appeared next to me, forming into a familiar black case. I opened it, quickly removing the magazines and loading up. One for each gun, the remaining nine going to Selene¡¯s tails. With that finished I stood, and¡­ I paused, taking a deep breath, hand squeezing around my Umbra tightly. This was it. I was going back into a fight against the Anathema of my own free will. Even with my Astral Shift¡¯s advantages, I couldn¡¯t shake the fear that flashed through me. The memory of their claws and teeth, of the blood where the security team fought the Arachnomantis, of being surrounded and lying against the crystal and- No. I sucked in a breath and started moving, a walk at first, then jogging towards the entrance to the track. I survived, that¡¯s all that matters. I reached a side door, setting my Ripple down on the ground before putting my hand on the handle and sharpening my focus. Besides¡­ I threw open the door and stepped in, immediately raising my gun as I spotted a Fomorian Hound turn towards me from no more than ten feet away. I need to know¡­ Aiming at the creature, surprise briefly flickered through me at how small my reticle was, its entire size easily being contained by the Anathema¡¯s body as it began to move. If anything has really changed. I fired, twice in quick succession, the sound echoing in the room. Black blood sprayed from the Anathema¡¯s back as I realigned my aim and- It toppled over, a ding resounding in my head. [Defeated (Fomorian Hound - Level 2)] [Reward: 10 Points] I blinked, staring in shock even as I mentally suppressed the notification to not pop up until later. Two bullets to the body was all it took? But- [Moon Bunny! Move!] I acted on reflex to Selene¡¯s shout, jumping to the side as a blur of spine shot into where I was standing. Landing on the floor, I stumbled, using the momentum to start running even as I took in the room. Three wasps flitting around in the air, two ghouls on the far side, two more roaming, and a pack of four hounds sprinting towards me. I snapped my aim to the hounds first, firing six shots in quick succession into the group. Somehow, two went down, and a third¡¯s kneecap burst open, sending it crashing to the ground. The wasps buzzed forward, briefly stopping to fire their stingers, but none came close to hitting me as I continued running. Switching my attention to the fourth hound, I was surprised to find that even though it was still sprinting towards me, it was rapidly losing ground to my pace. Somehow, I¡¯d managed to add another twenty or so feet from the initial distance. Slowing slightly, I twisted around, taking time to aim at its head before firing once, planning to take single shots to conserve my remaining mag. Its head exploded in a fountain of gore with a corresponding ding, and I once again stared in shock, fairly sure that a nine millimeter bullet shouldn¡¯t be able to do that. Even the sprays of blood I was getting from body shots looked more like something out of a particularly violent action movie than the quick puffs I¡¯d mostly been getting at the mall¡­ My stats I belatedly realized. I¡¯m level twelve punching down at things lower than level five, and I have half my stat points poured into Dexterity. I¡¯m hitting for way more damage than a normal person would be. I started moving again, slowing to a jog and aiming up at one of the wasps. It did the same ¡°4¡± shaped evasive pattern, and three shots were enough to actually bisect the thing when one finally hit. I twisted, turning to another wasp only to see a blur of motion followed by a slap against my shoulder that made me stumble backwards as purple light flared briefly in the side of my vision. More to buy me time than anything else, I emptied my mag at the two wasps as I glanced down at my shoulder, simultaneously crouching to reload. Nothing. No blood, no insectoid stinger, not even a tear in the fabric of my mantle. Even my shoulder felt completely fine. On the ground a few feet away was one of the wasps¡¯ stingers, as if it had been deflected off of me. Glancing up to my HUD, I checked on my health to find it unchanged from its weird 87%, and my Barrier¡­ 98% A magazine was slapped into my hands, and I reloaded, hands moving with more confidence and speed than I¡¯d ever managed before. Launching myself back into a run, I did another quick look around the room and saw the ghouls closing on me. Two were behind me, one from my side, and the last straight ahead. I reangled myself to be going away from them, turning my aim to the wasps. Both tried to dodge. Three bullets tore through the first one, and then the second followed a similar fate when I fired my next three into it. In all honesty, I probably didn¡¯t have to use three bullets, but with how small a target they were and the distance involved, I wanted to be sure. The first had actually gotten a wing torn off by the first bullet and fallen, but the second wasp I¡¯d missed with my first two shots, the third ripping a chunk from its thorax and killing it. Turning behind me, I saw that the ghouls were even less capable of keeping up with my speed than the hounds. I let myself get some more distance, then turned, dropping into a crouch and taking my time to aim. In video games I¡¯d played, staying still and crouching down increased your accuracy by a lot, and reality didn¡¯t disappoint me either, my reticle shrinking slightly as I carefully sighted over my first ghoul. I squeezed the trigger, and its shoulder was blown completely off, dismembering the ghoul. A ding sounded in my head to let me know that had been enough damage to kill it. I turned to the next, my reticle covering its body and head, and fired. A solid chunk of its head burst open, killing it instantly. I missed the third one with my next shot, but as I adjusted, the second round ripped off the ghoul¡¯s jaw and sent blood spraying from its neck as it fell. Even with me taking my time to aim, the fourth was still about twenty feet away when I turned to it and fired. It took the shot to the chest, falling briefly to the ground only to start weakly squirming, trying to push itself back up. A second shot ceased its movements. And that left me alone in the suddenly still and quiet room. Something surged up inside me. Excitement? Amazement? Confusion? I wasn¡¯t sure how to classify the swirl of emotions as I looked around a room cleared of twelve Anathema, of literal monsters, all with the knowledge that I had done it. And it hadn¡¯t even been that hard. I took a breath, pushing the emotions down for later and ejecting my magazine. Two rounds were still inside and another in my Umbra¡¯s chamber, but I wasn¡¯t about to continue with so few bullets. Reaching to the side, Selene was immediately there, slapping another mag into my hand that I slotted in, feeling the satisfying feeling of the mag locking into place. My mind both felt like it was moving at a thousand thoughts a second and completely clear, my pounding heart only highlighting the dissonant feeling. I wanted nothing more than to back off and take a moment to think. Instead, I stood and dashed further into the room, directing myself to the middle of the track to give me the most distance for any Anathema coming at me. On my way there, I stopped to finish off the disabled hound and wasp with a bullet each, feeling a little surprised how sluggish and clumsy the hound was acting considering it was only missing one of its legs. As I crouched down to wait in the center of the room, I noticed I wasn¡¯t even breathing heavily. Ignoring that with a shake of my head, I kept my eyes on the doors and waited. It didn¡¯t take long for the first ghoul to barge in, eyes immediately locking onto me as I aimed. It had barely taken a step before a bullet tore through its chest, a gurgling sound escaping its throat as it fell. It died a few seconds later before I could place my next shot. The next five Anathema who entered did not fare any better, and I actually let them close some of the distance just to get better shots on them to avoid wasting ammunition. The most trouble I had was when two hounds came at the same time, but even they didn¡¯t manage to make me abandon my spot. In all, it took me another seven bullets, one having missed and another only grazing a ghoul¡¯s side. I waited, forcing myself to take slow, patient breaths, but after a few minutes, it became clear to me that no more Anathema were going to be lured in. I released my mag for a fresh one, handing the semi-empty one to Selene. Then I quickly collected my other two expended magazines, giving them to her as well. ¡°Okay,¡± I said, taking a slow breath. ¡°Selene, we¡­ um. We¡¯re heading in. Nearest Anathema first. You scout ahead.¡± [Roger that.] Selene hopped off without preamble, and I followed behind after giving her a head start. Watching her slowly phase through a door was still weird to see, and I briefly wondered how that must feel for her. Walking through the rest of the building was both terrifying and extremely uneventful. The lights were still on, but the lack of movement or sound was grating, especially when I passed by windows looking into a big weight-lifting area with abandoned bags and water bottles. I tried to ignore it, but the image of the Usurpation warning going off and people panicking to run to the nearest shelter flashed through my mind. My hand squeezed tighter around my gun. We found the first Anathema in a hallway, a ghoul hunched over and staring listlessly into a glass cabinet filled with pictures. Something about the scene made me freeze, watching as it just stood there. Even from twenty feet away, it didn¡¯t seem to notice me. Slowly, I raised my gun, aiming down the sight and steadying my aim until my reticle was almost completely contained within its head. It made no movements. Carefully, I began to move forward, my reticle shrinking further as I closed the distance. It still didn¡¯t react. I swallowed, heart pounding in my ears as I took one last step, my boot squeaking slightly on the floor. Slowly, it turned its featureless head towards me, its wide mouth and pale, pointed teeth letting out a heavy breath of air. I fired. The ghoul¡¯s head exploded, black blood spraying across the glass case. It fell bonelessly to the ground, and I swallowed down the bile in my throat as I stepped forward, looking down at the Anathema before glancing into the glass case. It had pictures of various people holding trophies, some of individual weight lifters and others of school teams, their faces grinning at me through the blood spattered glass. A single bullet hole cracked through the glass, miraculously missing any of the pictures to dig a hole into the back of the case. In one of the pictures, a girl looked back at me with a grin, sunflower blond hair tied in a tight bun as she showed off a medal. My heart skipped a beat until I squinted a little closer. Green eyes, not blue. Sharper face. Not enough muscle. More endowed. Wrong track uniform. Not Lily. I moved on, heart racing from the moment. I¡¯ll see her soon. We¡¯ll talk. Everything will be fine. The next Anathema was a hound in another hallway, and Selene had me wait until its patrol took it a dozen feet away from the door I had to open to reach it. When I threw the door open, the hound reacted almost immediately and began turning. It had only managed to face me when I opened fire, three shots pulping the hound¡¯s face and spraying gore across the floor as it fell. We continued to the next, a ghoul located at the reception area for the gym portion of the building. This one was shaking, twitching in spasmodic motions as it looked around, vaguely facing the front doors as its clawed fingers tapped on the ground restlessly. It noticed me as I stepped into view from the hall leading to the gym, letting out a hissing breath before launching itself towards me. It closed maybe five of the twenty feet before one shot hit its emaciated shoulder and sent it spinning to the ground. My follow-up took it where its eyes should have been, finishing it off. [Only one left,] Selene noted, her normally musical tone coming out flat. I gave a distracted hum of agreement, heart jittering for a moment as I realized what that meant. A cold, biting chill swept through me, and I suppressed a shudder. Selene turned to look at me. I stared at her, saying nothing. She nodded, and then led the way to the women¡¯s locker room. Every step closer to the location marked on my mini-map made it harder for me to breathe. I forced myself forward, not pausing until we were outside one of the doors. [The Anathema is directly above the doorway ten feet to your left after entering,] Selene told me. I nodded, turning the handle slightly, my pulse pounding in my ears as I slowly opened the door. The lights were off in the locker room, turning the rows of lockers into ominous cages. I took only one step into the room, aiming to my left as I saw the door Selene had been talking about. Just above it, there was a patch of shadows. I aimed at it, the reticle wider than it should be. Black tendrils lined with bone-white teeth unfurled, revealing an all too familiar bloodshot eye. I fired, my aim going wild as I unloaded a half-dozen shots that echoed painfully in the enclosed room. The corpse blossom fell, landing onto the locker room floor with a splat. I kept my Umbra trained on it well after the confirmation ding went off in my head. My ears rang as I approached it, the only sound in the room was my ragged breathing as I stopped myself, standing over it. My bullets had popped the eye, black blood leaking everywhere as it laid there lifelessly. Staring at it, my eyes trailed down to the toothed tendrils. Tendrils tightened along my left forearm, and then they twisted. Pressure built, something snapped and pain exploded through me. I felt my breaths start to come faster. Lightning lanced up my arm as my bones snapped, and I screamed as the pressure continued to build only to be followed by another crack that lit my nerves on fire. Dimly, I heard Selene trying to say something to me. I swung the saw down, meeting no resistance. My lower arm fell to the floor, but I felt nothing as I stared at my stump, small streams of blood spurting out onto the floor. Something in me snapped, and I raised my gun and fired another shot into the Anathema. Then another. And another. I kept firing, each shot coming out progressively faster until my Umbra¡¯s slide clicked back empty. The Corpse Blossom was little more than a mangled mess of flesh, blood forming a thick pool underneath it as I gasped for air, the sulfur smell of gunsmoke thick in my nose. Closing my eyes, I tried to bring my breathing back under control. I felt Selene brush up against my ankle, her body leaning against my leg as I took a quivering breath in. Gratefulness flickered through me, the slight weight helping to ground me. It didn¡¯t take me long to get myself back under control. When I opened my eyes again, I was left feeling tired and empty. I reached down, receiving a fresh magazine that I swapped out, the empty going to Selene. ¡°Just the Seed left?¡± I asked, Selene responding with an affirmative hum. ¡°Okay. Lead the way.¡± Walking through the empty building was still tense even knowing there wasn''t any Anathema remaining. I tried to keep my guard up anyway, but my thoughts kept trailing to the Corpse Blossom and the rest of the Anathema I¡¯d killed today. It had been nothing like the mall. Every encounter there had been a panicked haze of desperation as I tried to pull out every trick possible to just stay alive. Here, though, the fights had been a joke. I¡¯d only been hit once, and it barely reduced my shield at all. Most of the ¡°combat¡± had been nothing more than me outrunning and outranging everything. And I barely knew how to use a gun beyond the absolute basics. And I hadn¡¯t used a single spell or my Signature Magic. And I didn¡¯t have a single Skill or my Class unlocked yet. But I¡¯d still beaten twenty-two Anathema without even really trying that hard. It was¡­ weird. I wasn¡¯t sure what I was expecting to feel really. Part of me just felt relieved it was over, but another part felt satisfied. One hound had almost been enough to kill me at the mall, and the Corpse Blossom¡­ but I¡¯d taken them out. Nobody would have to go through what I did, and having defeated twenty-two Anathema¡­ I mentally unsilenced my notifications, looking over the log. I hadn¡¯t gained any levels, but earning 205 points brought me up to 4,168. Considering I¡¯d gone through less than four points of ammunition, I¡¯d more than come out ahead, especially with how easy this all had been. So many points. My handgun Vault only cost me 100 points. Just what kinds of things am I going to be able to unlock with over four thousand? Excitement fluttered through my chest, a small smile pulling on my lips as I wondered how much stronger I was going to be after I spent my points and- I stopped in my tracks, the smile fading instantly. Am I actually enjoying this? During the fight I¡¯d mostly been scared, adrenaline pumping through me as I fought, but thinking back, there had been an undercurrent, a slight thrill as I outran the monsters and defeated them, a fierce satisfaction as I aimed and hit my shots. And that wasn¡¯t even touching how it felt to be getting so many points. Now that I¡¯d had a few hours to adjust from waking up, I realized I actually felt a little excited to explore what kinds of things I could purchase. It reminded me of the feeling I sometimes got when I beat a hard dungeon in Rebellion. It was a sense of accomplishment mixed with eager anticipation at the possible rewards, but somehow, it felt more real. When was the last time I felt like this? Standing there, I realized that I wasn¡¯t sure if I¡¯d ever really felt like this. Even the first time Lily had invited me to her house, I¡¯d been more nervous and wary that it was some kind of trap by Katie than anything else. [Moon Bunny?] Selene whispered, her gentle voice radiating concern. Shaking myself from my thoughts, I hurried after her. My mouth felt uncomfortably dry for some reason, but it wasn¡¯t the time to be spacing out. Selene led me up the stairs and across the floor. The rooms looked to be a mix of offices, meditation spaces, and yoga rooms. It was to one of the latter rooms that Selene led me, and I opened the door after she phased through without waiting for me. Inside, the room was almost empty except for the yoga mats on the floor and what could only be the Miasma Seed. A giant flower grew in the center of the room. It looked almost identical to a red spider lily, although its petals were a glowing violet color while the stem was an inky black. From the center of the flower, fractal lines of black shadow arced out into reality, splitting the air as if it was made of glass. As I stepped closer, I began to hear faint sound of dissonant whispers. The sound rasped through the room like a dying breeze, a wordless sigh that brushed against my skin. I shivered, staring at the Seed. In a way, it was beautiful, but it also felt wrong in a way I couldn¡¯t fully comprehend other than the fact filled me with equal parts sorrow and dread. [This is the Miasma Seed,] Selene said, startling me out of my reverence. [Doing enough damage will cause it to disperse. With an Usurpation of this level, a single bullet should be more than enough.] Nodding to her, I raised my Umbra, carefully aiming it at the flower. Then I fired. The gunshot rang out followed by the sound of breaking glass as the flower shattered. As it fell apart, the shards disintegrated into swiftly fading motes of light. The whispers faded, and I felt an almost imperceptible change in the air as the invisible tension I¡¯d felt upon entering the Usurpation disappeared. [Quest Completed! - Girl¡¯s First (Official) Usurpation] [Description: Although you may have already braved a much more deadly Usurpation, you have yet to experience more than the most basic capabilities of being a Magical Girl! Go along with Everglaive and Naiad to clear your first official Usurpation and get a feel for your true abilities!] [Difficulty: Very Easy] [Reward: 50 Points] [New Point Total: 4,218] Blinking in surprise at the notification, I turned to Selene who shrugged her tails. [You seemed to have enough on your mind on our way here, so I confirmed the quest in your stead. I hope that is acceptable?] I nodded at her, opening my mouth to say something only to jump in surprise as the air in the corner of the room shimmered. I started raising my gun, stopping when the image of three familiar figures solidified in front of me. ¡°Now that was quite the show!¡± Sergeant Kelley grinned at me, hands on her hips. ¡°I¡¯ve got to say, it¡¯s always a treat seeing a Guardian in action, but seeing a newbie wipe out an entire Usurpation with just a handgun? Amazing. Let me just say, for having no real training, you did a dang fine job.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Everglaive gave me a gentle smile. ¡°Your speed and accuracy were quite impressive.¡± I felt my cheeks flush as Naiad stepped up to me, tilting her head as she peered at my shoulder. ¡°Are you alright? It didn¡¯t look like the wasp¡¯s stinger made it through your Barrier, but¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± I told her, fidgeting under her attention. Naiad seemed to realize she was making me uncomfortable because she backed off a moment later. Everglaive looked over at me almost expectantly, folding her hands behind her back as she addressed me. ¡°I hope that this experience has given you some perspective on what it means to fight as a proper Magical Girl. That was the purpose behind this exercise, after all. Hopefully, you can now make a more informed decision on what kind of Magical Girl you wish to be.¡± I chewed on my lip, shifting my weight from side to side nervously. Honestly, I only felt more conflicted than ever. I¡¯d come into the Usurpation expecting it to be this big, horrible event I was going to struggle through only to have the opposite happen. Combined with the help offered by Fantasy Fatale and Sergeant Kelley, it left me feeling¡­ torn. There was one thing that tugged at the back of my mind, though. ¡°It won¡¯t always be this easy, though, will it?¡± I asked quietly. It was mostly a rhetorical question, considering I knew how bad things could get. Maybe they weren¡¯t doing it on purpose, but by taking me to this Usurpation and showing me how ¡°easy¡± it was, I felt almost like I was being fed a false sense of security. It was a trick Katie had used against me a few times now, letting up on her bullying only to hit me when I let my guard down. I wanted to believe that wasn¡¯t what was happening here, but it still felt like there was some manipulation going on. ¡°That remains entirely up to you,¡± Everglaive responded, surprising me. ¡°Some Guardians don¡¯t take quests or fight Usurpations unless they have a five to ten level advantage at a minimum. Others, like Thorina, enjoy fighting Anathema of higher levels and the challenge it brings. Neither path is wrong.¡± ¡°Some might look down on ¡®casual¡¯ Guardians, the ones who barely level and only pick fights they know they can win,¡± Naiad added softly. ¡°But there¡¯s nothing wrong with being safe. It¡¯s more important that the world has Guardians regardless of what they do.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Everglaive tilted her head to the side. ¡°But I think you already have enough on your mind to contemplate. Now that you¡¯ve experienced a proper Usurpation, I think you should take some time to figure out your next steps. Sanguine, Naiad, and I will be waiting outside when you¡¯re ready to depart. One last thing, before I leave you.¡± She held out her hand, and an emerald flash of light materialized my backpack into her hand. Setting it down, Everglaive gestured to it. ¡°In the second folder I gave you, I said there was a letter. I would recommend reading it now before you make any decisions. Ladies, let¡¯s give Moon Bunny some time to think.¡± Everglaive turned on her heel and left without preamble, and Sergeant Kelley followed behind with a wave and grin. Naiad hesitated, seeming to want to say something. Instead, she just gave me a little nod before she left. Watching them leave, I let out a breath, sitting down next to my backpack and putting down my Umbra. I¡¯d done it. I defeated more monsters and cleared out an entire Usurpation on my own. So why did I feel so torn? Empty yet satisfied? Guilty yet excited? Why didn¡¯t I feel any closer to an answer than before I agreed to this plan? [Mai,] Selene¡¯s gentle voice rolled over me. [Please know that regardless of the path forward you choose, I am with you.] Numbly, I nodded as I grabbed the folder I was looking for from my backpack. Pulling out the envelope inside, I leaned against the wall, hugging my knees to my chest and closed my eyes. Everything felt like it was happening too quickly. Even though it had technically been a week since the mall, I¡¯d been asleep the whole time, so it really didn¡¯t count. To me, my life had been drastically changed in less than a day¡¯s worth of time, and I was struggling to figure out my new place in life. I decided to try to save a boy, almost died, had been chosen to be a Magical Girl, was locked out of a shelter, got into gun fights with monsters, lost an arm, and then chosen to sacrifice what little I had to save the lives of an entire shelter along with my best and only friend. And the only reason I was alive was because others had risked everything for me and continued to treat me like I was some kind of hero, like I¡¯d made this great big sacrifice that had helped Arcadia fight off an entire invasion. But I wasn¡¯t. I was just one selfish, lonely girl who didn¡¯t want the blood of her friend or innocent people on her conscience. I wasn¡¯t what Everglaive or the rest of Fantasy Fatale seemed to think I was. Even Selene, as supportive as she was, didn¡¯t really have a choice in the matter. She was tied to me, so of course she would try to make me feel good and help me. I just¡­ I felt lost. Even before becoming a Magical Girl, I¡¯d just been moving forward one step at a time. With Dad, my brother, and everything I owed¡­ I didn¡¯t have a future, not one I got a real choice in, anyway. Which was fine. It was just the way things were. The way the world worked. Except¡­ now it wasn¡¯t. Somehow, the Zenith had picked me, and if I wanted, everything could be different. Wanted. That was the problem, wasn¡¯t it? I hadn¡¯t really thought about what I wanted in a long time. Beyond stealing some of Lily¡¯s time, playing games on my phone to take my mind off everything else, and trying to make good on what was required of me, I didn¡¯t really know what I wanted. Was defeating Anathema with Selene fun? Did I like shooting guns and being rewarded with points for killing monsters? Weirdly, yes, but that felt¡­ shallow. Shamefully so. Could I really make a decision on what I wanted to do with the rest of my life based on fun? Based on what I liked? I¡¯d made the contract to be a Magical Girl, but Fantasy Fatale made it clear it was my choice on what ¡°fighting the Anathema¡± meant. It all just depended on what I wanted. Wanted. That word again. That frustratingly vague, hazy concept that I couldn¡¯t grasp because it hadn¡¯t ever really mattered what I wanted. All that mattered was what I had to do and what I deserved. And what right do I have to make a decision based on what I want? How much more selfish can I possibly be? What right do I have to make this decision? Silence fell on me, the quiet gaining a weight that pushed down on my shoulders and squeezed my chest tight. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do, Selene,¡± I whispered to her numbly. ¡°I¡¯m not what everyone thinks I am. I¡¯m not brave. I didn¡¯t do what I did at the mall because I¡¯m a hero. I¡¯m not strong. I¡¯m just¡­ I just did what I had to. I¡¯m not Magical Girl material.¡± [Mai¡­] Selene started, but I shook my head, raising my head to look at her. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t been bleeding out on that mall floor,¡± I whispered, finally giving words to the niggling doubt that had been gnawing at the back of my thoughts, ¡°you would never have gone through with choosing me.¡± Selene went still. I stared into her eyes, searching for some hint, some confirmation that I was right. [Open your letter.] Her voice was calm and quiet, but there was an unwavering steel in her tone that brooked no room for argument. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I opened the letter, pulling two folded pieces of paper free and unfurling them. Dear Mai, My name is Lucielle Palmer, and my husband Jacob is also here helping me find the right words. I¡¯m not really sure how to write this sort of thing, so I¡¯ll just come out and say it: Thank You. You don¡¯t know us, but it¡¯s thanks to you and your friend Lily that our children, Brian and Lucy, are safe. You risked everything for them, put yourself in danger, and even fought those monsters to save our baby boy. There are no words for the sheer gratitude we have for you, and it was devastating to hear you were injured keeping our boy safe. For this reason, we decided to write you this thank you and get well soon letter. Brian has been over the moon since he¡¯s been home, telling us about how brave and cool you were. He¡¯s always been bright and curious, and we were afraid that maybe this incident might have hurt or changed him. It hasn¡¯t. He¡¯s just as energetic as ever, and seems to have come out of all of this unscathed. Other than carrying his new toy around everywhere, it¡¯s almost like nothing ever happened. I don¡¯t know how you managed to keep him safe while also keeping his spirit alive, but you have my eternal thanks. Lucy is doing good too, although she refuses to let Brian out of her sight when we are outside now. She¡¯s been inspired by your friend Lily, and has started getting into running to ¡°become cool and strong like her.¡± Speaking of your friend, I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯ve heard, but she did everything in her power to stop the shelter¡¯s emergency shield from activating. She even put herself between the controls and fought a panicking security guard to stop it from happening. I hope you don¡¯t blame her for what happened, because when it came down to it, she was the first one to fight for your safety and the most torn up when the shield went up. I¡¯m sorry if this letter comes off as rambling, but there truly is no way to express how thankful we are to you. We¡¯re going to get to watch our boy grow up thanks to you, and our little girl won¡¯t know the agony of losing her brother. We get to be a family, to have birthdays and Christmas parties, to laugh and live without having to shoulder the pain of losing somebody dear, and it¡¯s all thanks to you. If there is anything we can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask. We¡¯ve included our home address and phone numbers to the bottom of the letter and would love to have you over for dinner sometime to give you a proper thanks. Heaven knows Brian would love to see you again, and Lucy would be overjoyed if you brought along Lily. Please know that you are always welcome at our house, and do not hesitate to call if there is anything we can do for you. You are such a blessing. Sincerely, The Palmers. I stared at the words, eyes glued to the last line. A blessing. ¡°You¡¯re a curse,¡± Dad snarled, as I curled up on the floor, trying to choke down my sobs at the throbbing pain in my stomach. ¡°You owe this family everything! Don¡¯t you realize that!?¡± My vision blurred, wet spots appearing on the letter. I moved it out of the way, revealing the second paper. It was a picture done in crayon. On it were two crudely drawn people, stick figures except for the clothes they were wearing. The first was a boy, holding a smaller stick figure in his hands with a smile. The second was a girl, one eye a bright blue and the other an eyepatch. In one hand she held the boy¡¯s free arm while the other held something like a pickaxe. On the ground next to them was a black colored dog-like creature with two red Xs for eyes. Finally, above the two figures were words written in crayon. Thank You! I lowered the picture, my hand trembling. [You did that, Mai Kuroki,] Selene told me, her words absolute. [Regardless of what you perceive your motivations to have been or how you rationalize your decisions as necessary, it does not change the fact that you saved a child. Then you saved hundreds. You stopped thousands of other people, of families and friends, from having to mourn their losses. If nothing else, take heart in the simple fact that when it came down to it, you chose to save others over yourself.] The world became an indistinct swirl of colors as a thick, heavy feeling rose in my chest. I tried to take a calming breath, wiping at my eyes with my sleeve. Deep inside me, I felt a flicker of genuine happiness tinged with actual pride. And wasn¡¯t that a weird feeling? It wasn¡¯t the cheap thrill of conquering a challenge in a game, the brisk relief of hearing I cooked another satisfactory meal for my family, or the brittle relaxation I found listening to music. It was a real, fulfilling feeling that I had done something worthwhile, and that I enjoyed it. I¡¯d never really known what I wanted for my future. I didn¡¯t have any stand out skills, was too awkwardly shy to be talented socially, and other than Father¡¯s connections and small amount of fame, I had no real advantages to rely on. From all my attempts at trying to find some kind of job I might be good at, I was all too aware of what I wasn¡¯t good at and what I didn¡¯t like. But maybe that was enough, because if I knew what I didn¡¯t like, then maybe I could find my calling in preventing those things. It seemed like an obvious idea in retrospect, but to be fair, I was pretty sure that line of reasoning only worked if you were passionate about whatever you didn¡¯t like, if it was something you hated. It just so happened that I knew exactly what I hated. The hollow ache of loneliness, the subversive barbs from cheap insults, the burning throb of a fresh bruise, and the bitter, ever-present emptiness of loss. Pain. I¡¯d grown used to it to the point it hardly bothered me anymore. It didn¡¯t stop me from hurting, from having sleepless nights being frustrated at how helpless I was, but it became easier to keep moving forward regardless of how I felt. In a way, being hurt was more of a familiar feeling than a revolting, intrusive one. I¡¯d adapted to it, because that was just how life was. But the one thing I¡¯d never grown used to was seeing other people in pain. How could I when I was so familiar with what they were going through, when I¡¯d struggled through what they had, when I¡¯d lost nights of sleep trying not to cry too loudly over the gnawing ache of loss and hurt? How could I turn away when I knew what it was to be helpless? I accepted pain that happened to me, but pain itself? I abhorred it. I outright loathed watching others suffer. Nothing in my life made me feel more relieved and happy than the few times I¡¯d been put into a position to ease someone else¡¯s pain. But this time with Brian and his family, I was actually able to prevent it altogether. Now, after reading their letter and realizing how much it meant to them, it seemed obvious what I wanted. I wanted to save people from having to go through the same pain I had. Maybe that was a fragile dream I would never have been able to follow just a little while ago, but now? Now I could walk that path if I chose to. I could be more than just Mai Kuroki, the awkward, weak little girl with weird eyes. I could be Moon Bunny, the Dark Magical Girl who killed monsters and protected those who couldn¡¯t protect themselves. The fact that I actually enjoyed some aspects of being a Magical Girl would just be a bonus. Everything clicked into place, and I suddenly knew. Looking up from the letter at Selene, I took a deep shuddering breath in. ¡°Selene,¡± I rasped. ¡°I¡­ I want to be a Magical Girl. I want to fight Anathema. I want to stop anybody from having to go through what I have. I want to protect people.¡± I licked my suddenly dry lips, forcing myself to not look away from her gaze. ¡°Will you help me?¡± I murmured the question. Selene¡¯s scarlet eyes glowed, tails fanning about behind her. [Nothing would make me happier.] Chapter 36 - Arcadia Spire Sitting in the passenger seat of Sergeant Kelley¡¯s supercar gave me time to pull together my frayed emotions as we enacted the next part of Everglaive¡¯s plan. Everglaive had been pleased when I walked out of the building and told them I wanted to be a combat-focused Magical Girl, to directly fight the Anathema. Naiad had been encouraging too, and Sergeant Kelley, well¡­ Glancing at her from the snug, impossibly comfortable seat I found myself in, I saw she still had on a shark-like grin as she hummed happily. She¡¯d been ecstatic at my announcement, informing me she already had some ideas on getting me proper training with firearms as well as some tactics for leveraging my stats. I pulled my eyes away, briefly looking over the interior of the car again. It was mostly colored black with red accents, giving it a dark and mysterious feel. The surfaces were all smooth curves and glass displays that made the entire thing look more like a futuristic spaceship than anything else. Even Selene looked intrigued from where she sat on my lap. I squeezed her tight as Sergeant Kelley picked up speed, passing a car only to take a sharp turn a moment later, somehow making the maneuver without jostling us about. It didn¡¯t take away from the fact that I could see how close she was passing some of the vehicles, and although I couldn¡¯t see the speedometer, I was pretty sure we were going way faster than we should be, especially in a city. It also didn¡¯t help that somehow all the lights along our route were green, letting Sergeant Kelley drift through traffic with impunity. Thankfully, the traffic in Arcadia was relatively tame. One of the bonuses of having a city custom designed and teleported in as a finished product was that it had an extensive public transportation system built into it. The thorough subway lines and extravagant monorails were bolstered by numerous city buses that helped cut down traffic significantly. While traffic could still be pretty thick during rush hours, I¡¯d heard it was still way better than most modern cities. Of course, that just meant Sergeant Kelley had ample room to maneuver between vehicles to shave off as many seconds off our commute as possible. I¡¯d already let out a few strangled yelps as Sergeant Kelley weaved through afternoon traffic with almost casual disregard. I¡¯d only realized I was squishing Selene to my chest when one of her tails flicked into my face after one particular turn. Selene didn¡¯t seem to mind, informing me when I tried to apologize that her current summoned body literally had both the appearance and the consistency of a soft plushie specifically for comfort and cuddling. Apparently, the Zenith designed Familiars that way so Guardians could have something soft to hold or squeeze when they needed to relieve the inevitable stress they¡¯d built up. Which was¡­ fair. Also a little bit weird considering Selene¡¯s consciousness inhabited the body, but she assured me she didn¡¯t mind. Besides, after giving her a few experimental squeezes and realizing how soft she was, I kind of didn¡¯t want to stop. Maybe I can get an actual plushie of her for when I¡¯m sleeping? The thought sparked some amusement in me, but I quickly shut down the idea. Spending points on something frivolous seemed dumb, especially because I was new and needed every point I could get right now. Thankfully, I was now sitting at 4,218 after the Usurpation. Selene had also told me I was close to completing all of my daily quests, something she assured me we could look at later. She did explain that Guardians received three quests every day that were fairly simple to complete. They usually only rewarded ten points each, but that was still a decent amount considering how quickly the rewards would build up over time. There was also a single weekly and monthly quest rewarding 100 and 250 points respectively, but they generally took much more time and effort. Other than those guaranteed quests, it was up to the whims of the System what did or didn¡¯t qualify for generating a quest. But as curious as I was about the contents of my quests, right now I was more focused on trying to pull my tattered emotions together for what came next. Namely, traveling to Arcadia Spire to set up my enrollment in the Guardian Academy followed by unlocking my Signature Magic. The very idea sent a wave of excitement through me that I was careful to push back down to a more reasonable level. It was difficult though, considering it involved me finally learning actual magic. Not only was I intensely curious to find out what my unique Signature Magic was, but if Selene was right, it would also unlock the special Grimoire that I¡¯d been given as part of my bonus for being a Dark Magical Girl. Glancing at the glitched red text on my status screen to distract myself from the drive, I chewed on my lip thoughtfully. ¡°Selene,¡± I directed my thoughts to my familiar, ¡°how do Grimoires and buying magic work exactly?¡± [They function identical to the way Vaults do. Grimoires have themes, acting as catalogs containing spells that fall under their purview. Once you buy a Grimoire, you are free to purchase any spell and then use said spell as much as you want. As humans are unable to use or control mana naturally, these spells are similar to how computer programs function, each one preset and predesigned for a specific use. This does mean that modifying them isn¡¯t possible without the appropriate Skill. That is to say, the spell will always cost the same amount of mana and have the same effect.] Selene¡¯s tail twitched as Sergeant Kelley swerved between two cars, earning a few muffled honks even as I squeezed Selene tighter. [As for the spells themselves, there are actually three separate versions, sometimes referred to as qualities, that you can buy. For instance, if you wanted to buy a spell to throw a fireball, you could purchase the lesser, adept, or greater version of the spell. The main difference is the adept version is fifty percent more powerful than the lesser quality for twice the mana cost. The greater version is twice as strong as the lesser for three times the mana cost. This three version pattern applies to all spells.] That¡­ made a lot of sense. If you had to have a specialized Skill to modify spells, offering three separate presets to buy from would let people have more flexibility without forcing them to use one of their Skill slots. [As for spells themselves, they are ranked into five basic categories based on their mana cost, which correlates to how complicated or powerful the spell is. Every spell has a ¡°class¡± ranging from the strongest being called S-class while D-class are the weakest. The exact math behind these classifications can be covered another time, but to put it simply, D-class spells should be able to be cast 100 times if it is the lesser quality before reaching zero mana. C-class spells would take 50 times, B-class 20 times, A-class 10 times, and S-class 5 times. There is also a sixth category, Finale-class spells, but you don¡¯t unlock the capability to use or purchase those until level 200, and they have other restrictions.] I found myself frowning as I processed those words. ¡°If spell classes are based on mana, how does that work when every Guardian can choose how many points they put into their stats with each level? Some Guardians will have different amounts of maximum mana, won''t they?¡± [That goes into the math I was avoiding. To put it simply, it is based on the ¡°average¡± amount of maximum mana a Guardian is estimated to have at the time they unlock a new tier of spells. For instance, at tier one, all Guardians begin with 300 mana by default. Therefore, a D-class lesser spell should cost only three mana. At level 100 when you unlock the next tier of Vaults and Grimoires, the average maximum mana should be around 1,785, meaning a tier two D-class spell of lesser quality would cost eighteen mana if rounded up.] I nodded in understanding, taking a moment to consider what I wanted to find out next. ¡°With my unique Grimoire, will I still have to purchase the spells I want to use? And do higher class spells have a higher point price?¡± [You will still have to purchase the spells within. Your unique Grimoire will already be a powerful boon considering it holds spells with special qualities to them. As for your second question, higher class spells do cost more, but the lesser, adept, and greater qualities of a spell all cost the same amount.] ¡°Oh¡­ Can other Guardians besides Darks get Unique Grimoires?¡± [Yes. There¡¯s a low possibility of unlocking one at level 100 if the Guardian has done enough to establish a unique theme or style, but most only unlock one at level 200 where it is guaranteed. Once reaching one of those two milestones, it becomes possible for Guardians to unlock a single unique Grimoire tailored to their Class or one based on their other attributes and achievements. As a Dark, this means you will eventually have access to two unique Grimoires. Having two completely unique magics at your call will give you a diverse number of powerful tools to utilize.] My brow furrowed in confusion. What she was saying made sense, but theoretically I could purchase as many Grimoires as I wanted in order to diversify, so I didn¡¯t quite see the advantage. ¡°Just how good is a Unique Grimoire when compared to a normal one?¡± [The main bonus of a Unique Grimoire is the fact they synergize well with your abilities or offer unique side effects not commonly seen. For example, your Class Unique Grimoire will contain a multitude of spells directly correlating to the bonuses your chosen Class gives you. This means your spells will be much more effective compared to ones from other Grimoires. Beyond that, the spells within Unique Grimoires are usually more powerful or have special traits to them that give them an edge over normal spells. For example, when compared to a basic ¡°Fire Magic¡± Grimoire, a unique one called ¡°Grimoire of the Raging Phoenix¡± might offer fire spells that spread and burn more easily and with more explosive force. The appearance of said fire would also be different from a standard fire.] My attention shifted as I noticed Sergeant Kelley pull off onto a side street, slowing her speed noticeably as she seemed to look for a place to park. Looking out the window I could see we were only a block or two from Arcadia Spire, the towering glass and steel structure looming into the sky. ¡°Is there anything else I should know about magic?¡± [Hmm. Two things. First is that while you can purchase an unlimited number of spells, you can only have a set amount of ¡°active¡± spells according to your level. At the first tier, levels one through 100, you gain one of these ¡°spell slots¡± corresponding to your main level. Upon reaching level 100 and unlocking tier two, you gain two spell slots until you reach tier three. The pattern repeats, the number of active spell slots you gain increasing with each tier. Spells themselves take up a number of slots equal to the tier they were purchased at. For example, a spell purchased from a tier two Grimoire takes two slots, a tier three uses three, and so on.] Taking in all that information, I slowly nodded. [So right now, at level twelve, I have twelve spell slots? That means I could learn twelve spells seeing as I can¡¯t buy a higher tier Grimoire yet?] [You can have twelve spells to actively use, yes. If you do purchase more than twelve, you can change which ones are currently in your loadout at any time, but the change will only take place at midnight. Another thing to note is that the lesser, adept, and greater versions of a spell all share the same spell slot instead of each taking one individually. This lets a Guardian keep quite the repertoire of spells available to them without needing to worry too much about their choices.] I nodded quickly in agreement. It was easy to imagine how much a nightmare micromanaging and choosing spells would be if each version of a spell took up a slot. [The second thing to note is that for every 1,000 mana you use in five minutes, you will receive a ten percent mana regeneration penalty. This limit can stack up to a total of a ninety percent penalty. Every five minutes of not incurring another penalty will lower the penalty by five percent. Once you reach level 100 and every hundredth level afterward, the maximum mana you can use within five minutes without incurring the penalty increases by 500. Activating your Astral Shift does not contribute to this penalty, of course, and some Skills can even artificially increase your expenditure cap or reduce the penalty when it is applied.] I scrunched my brow together. That bit of information was incredibly important, especially because it would affect how I allocated my stat points in the future. The only thing was¡­ ¡°Why is that a thing? Or spell slots, even?¡± [It¡¯s important to remember the Arcane System is more of a shortcut that allows humans to use magic, and although it may be simplified into game-like terms, it is all based on how magic is actually behaving. In this instance, the mana regeneration penalty has to do with the mana core and circuits that generate and conduct mana throughout your body overheating and needing rest to avoid damage. Likewise, your spell slots have to do with the maturation of your soul gem. As your level increases, the soul gem grows to have more capacity for holding the precreated spells supplied by the Zenith. Think of it like upgrading a computer¡¯s storage to hold more programs.] Frowning, I started to think of another question only to be quickly interrupted by Selene. [Any further explanation will have to wait for later I¡¯m afraid, as it appears we have arrived.] Looking up from where Selene was sitting in my lap, I saw that Sergeant Kelley had pulled us into an alley, and had just finished putting the car into park. She turned to look at me, a bright smile on her face. ¡°Well, looks like this is where we part ways for now. All part of Glaivey¡¯s plan, yeah? Don¡¯t want anyone seeing you and a Warden and noticing the connection.¡± I gave her a hesitant nod, before bowing my head to her in thanks. ¡°T-thank you for the ride, and your offer of assistance, Warden Kelley.¡± ¡°Oi, none of that now,¡± she waved me off. ¡°The ride just made sense. Not like you can go roof jumping quite yet, and it gave me an excuse to use my traffic override to let loose a little with my baby here. And helping you learn how to use firearms will easily be worth it just to see what a Magical Girl using guns comes up with in terms of tricks. I¡¯m thinking I¡¯ll be able to pick up some ideas from you by the end of it, even if I won¡¯t be able to totally copy them. The big payoff when you show off in a duel for the first time is just going to be icing on the cake. Also¡­¡± She turned to me, holding out her gauntleted hand for a shake, grinning wider. ¡°Just call me Tessa or Guin. Sanguine when we¡¯re on official business.¡± I carefully took her hand and shook, wincing internally. It felt really rude to address her by her first name, but her codename might not be as bad if I thought of it like a title. ¡°Okay. Thank you, Sanguine.¡± ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll get working on making sure you receive discreet and proper firearms training for your academy class, as well as trying to find some time to give you tips myself. No promises on too many sessions of the latter, not with all the craziness that¡¯s been afoot recently. Either way, I¡¯ll be in touch.¡± I bowed my head in acknowledgment before opening the door and stepping out. The alley she¡¯d found seemed to be free of bystanders, and I gently closed the car door before taking quick steps away, Selene hopping along with me. Glancing at my HUD, I noticed my Astral Shift was running out of time. With a quick effort of will, I pulled up the necessary mana and reactivated my shift. Purple and black light with some arcs of lightning quickly snapped over my outfit, an odd sensation like wind tickling over my skin making me shiver. After taking a quick look over my clothes to make sure nothing had gone awry, I nodded to myself and continued on. The whole process had barely taken a second, much faster than my initial Astral Shift and with much less fanfare. I¡¯d asked Selene earlier about reshifting, and she¡¯d informed me it was not only quick, but it also completely recharged my Barrier to the maximum that was determined by how much mana I used. However, because there was no real transformation sequence, there was also no period of invulnerability like when I initially activated my shift. But being able to quickly recharge my Barrier was still a nice boon. I doubted it would be practical in many combat situations because of how much mana it cost, but I could still see it being useful if I wasn¡¯t using much magic and only relying on my guns. [Mai?] Selene¡¯s voice drew me from my thoughts, and I blushed as I realized I¡¯d stopped just a few steps from exiting the alley. ¡°Sorry, I got lost in thought¡­¡± I thought to her, chewing on my lip as my nerves began to flare up. Staring at the alley¡¯s exit, I made myself take a deep breath and go through a similar routine to the one I normally did before school. I checked my posture, loosening my shoulders and gently clasping my hands in front of me to keep myself from fidgeting with my skirt. With a few more deep breaths, I forced myself to adopt a neutral expression. Finally, I did a quick adjustment of my eyepatch to make sure it was securely attached before returning my hands to their previous position. Deep breaths. Relaxed posture. Fast pace. Neutral expression. Put on the mask so nothing can touch you. After taking another moment to steady my nerves, I stepped out of the alley. Walking onto the streets without Everglaive or Naiad while wearing my Astral Shift was¡­ daunting. I was acutely aware of just how different my dress was compared to normal clothes, a feeling that hadn¡¯t been nearly as bad when I¡¯d had the other two Magical Girls walking with me. But now, as I began walking towards Arcadia Spire, I could feel the full intensity of people watching me. It was an almost physical weight, a pressure that made my chest clench with breathless anxiety. I kept my pace quick, doing my best to show I was busy like Everglaive taught me. Surprisingly, it worked, and nobody tried to approach me. Even the people walking on the sidewalk with me moved to give me space as I passed by, which was nice. I still had to deal with people pointing their phones at me or whispering, and knowing I was being recorded was¡­ unsettling. Partly because of my outfit, and partly just because I really didn¡¯t ever really enjoy attention. To distract myself, I took in my surroundings. It was my first time being in the innermost circle of Arcadia, where the buildings were the tallest and more crammed together. I¡¯d always imagined it as a claustrophobic environment, but now that I was looking around, things didn¡¯t seem that bad. The spacing between buildings never quite crossed into the territory of feeling cramped, and there was a level of polish and cleanliness to the buildings that kept them looking pristine. It was¡­ nice. Even with the numerous people and towering buildings, things seemed urban but not suffocating. It reminded me of some of the pictures I¡¯d seen of Tokyo, just with slightly different architecture. I also began noticing just how many advertisements there were of Guardians. There were numerous posters and videos on giant monitors of Guardians showing off various products. They endorsed a variety of things, though I noticed most were centered around food, snacks, and clothes. One of the more interesting videos was of a sleek magitech car racing against a Guardian who sprinted next to it on foot. And there were dozens of such ads. Maybe it was just because I¡¯d been born and raised in Arcadia, but I¡¯d never really noticed just how prevalent marketing was for Guardians. Seeing their pictures on everything from posters and cereal boxes was just¡­ normal. It was something I¡¯d always kind of glazed over until now. But now that I was a Magical Girl¡­ would I be doing stuff like that? Before I could go too far down that train of thought, I noticed I had finally arrived. The massive tower that was the Arcadian Spire loomed in front of me. A twenty-foot tall metal wall formed a perimeter around it, but just before that, there was a grassy park that separated the entire area from the modern sprawl of the city. The ring-shaped park was wide, and I could see it was filled with a variety of people ranging from office workers on break to groups of tourists taking pictures of the wall and spire. I tried my best to ignore them, following the sidewalk next to the road that led towards one of the entry gates. It grew harder as people noticed me approaching and some of the more excitable ones got the attention of their friends. Keeping my focus on the large gate, my eyes flicked over the details. It was wide enough for four lanes of traffic, not including the sidewalks bordering the road. A faint, translucent field of green energy hung over the opening, and I resisted my urge to tilt my head in curiosity. [That¡¯s a variable forcefield,] Selene suddenly said, as if sensing my question. [While the east and west gates are open for the public to enter for tours and such, the north and south are restricted to Guardians, employees of the Guardian¡¯s Association, and Magical Soldiers. Anyone without the proper credentials will be kept out by the forcefield.] I nodded in acknowledgement as we approached, and I saw a small guard station to the side. A few Magical Soldiers wearing unarmored fatigues sat inside behind monitors, and one gave me a nod and smile but made no move to stop me as I approached the forcefield. [The guards here know not to stop anyone wearing clothes that might mark them as a Guardian,] Selene explained. [Although, that policy has resulted in a few funny videos of cosplayers trying to sneak in only to walk face first into the forcefield and bounce off.] A huff of laughter escaped me at the mental image, a small smile twitching at the corner of my lips as I walked through the forcefield. Unlike when I entered the bubble of the Usurpation, there was no unpleasant feeling. Instead, it was only a tingle that ran over my skin, almost like static electricity. Looking around, I saw the immediate area past the wall was similar to the park bordering the outside, except there were less trees and other obstructions. There were also a few roads that led to big helipads or into odd looking tunnel entrances that dipped underground. [The tunnels lead to underground parking structures,] Selene continued. [And the helipads, as you may have noticed, are all empty because they are also teleportation pads. Various aircraft can land on them and then be transported to underground hangers for storage. The reverse is also true, which allows for quick deployment of Magical Soldiers in the case of emergency.] My eyes widened a little at that as I kept moving forward, looking up at the large building that was Arcadia¡¯s central spire. I¡¯d always known the spire was tall considering it towered above any of the other buildings in the city, but I¡¯d never realized how wide it was. It seemed like it was twice as big as some of the other towering office buildings I¡¯d seen, and I found myself wondering just how much space was inside. Part of me couldn¡¯t help but feel intimidated as I walked closer to the sleek metal and glass tower. The entrance was a set of sliding metal doors that hissed open as I approached. Hesitating, I took a deep breath before going inside. I found myself in a decently sized lobby, a large, U-shaped desk sitting at the far end with several receptionists manning it. Behind them was a bank of elevators and doors, all with handprint scanners or card-readers. There were some chairs, tables, and sofas around the entrance that made a nice waiting area, but it was currently empty. And, of course, everything from the polished floor to the furniture looked expensive and futuristic. There was a lot of glass and smooth, shining metal that was common to see in the more expensive architecture of Arcadia. I¡¯d only ever really had direct exposure from some of the middle school field trips I¡¯d been on. [No need for the receptionists,] Selene told me as she hopped ahead of me. [They are mostly there for employees of the Guardian¡¯s Association or visitors. We can use the elevators directly.] I followed after her, stopping briefly to give a small greeting-style bow towards the receptionists as they looked up at me. They seemed surprised by that for some reason, but one of them, a plain-looking girl who looked younger than the others, gave me a wide smile, returning the gesture in an excited manner that made the yellow ribbon in her hair bounce wildly. She also almost bumped her head on the desk with how low she went. Hoping to spare her some embarrassment, I hurried on after Selene to the elevators. I was a little curious about the looks I¡¯d gotten from the gesture. With how prevalent Japanese culture was in Arcadia, it seemed odd that they¡¯d be unfamiliar with using a bow to respectfully greet another person. Even if it was more common for people to use a simple head nod, I didn¡¯t think using bows was that rare¡­ I shook the thoughts from my head as I reached the elevator. It had a little card and hand scanner next to the buttons, and Selene instructed me to use the latter. Pressing my palm against the slightly cold glass, it only took a moment for it to glow green and give a chirp, the up and down buttons next to it lighting up. I pressed ¡°up,¡± and waited, an indicator display above the elevator displaying a negative fifteen that was swiftly rising. [We¡¯ll be going to floor ten, which serves as the central hub and lobby for Guardians at levels one through 199, also referred to as tier one and tier two Guardians,] Selene informed me as we waited. [As a reminder, many people prefer referring to Vaults, Grimoires, and the things you purchase by their tier rather than the rarity classifications the System uses as it is simpler to remember.] I nodded. Truthfully, I¡¯d mostly forgotten about the rarity tags because they hadn¡¯t come up that much. It was also a little difficult to remember all the different rarities¡­ Common, Rare, Masterwork, Arcane, Legendary, Mythic. ¡­Unless you were a nerd like I was, I guess. Still, the rarity tags for Vaults and Grimoires didn¡¯t really make sense if you were referring to a Guardian. ¡°Tier one, the common rarity, is levels one through ninety-nine, and every hundredth level is a new tier, right?¡± I asked quietly, mostly just making sure I wasn¡¯t misremembering anything. ¡°And I can also only buy those higher tier Vaults and Grimoires if I¡¯m at the corresponding tier?¡± [Correct. I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re remembering things so well considering how rushed the explanations were.] I shrugged uncomfortably. Honestly, I felt like I had probably forgotten half the things Selene had told me. What I really needed to do was sit down and go over everything again while taking notes. Making a quick reference guide seemed like it would be really useful, especially because I didn¡¯t want to annoy Selene by having her repeat things over and over again¡­ The elevator arriving made me snap my attention up as the doors opened to reveal two Guardians inside, one who looked to be about my age while the other seemed a few years older. Both wore form-fitting leather armor and chainmail in a medieval style with heavy fur cloaks draped around them. The older one had her outfit dyed in deep reds while the younger was in earthy greens, but both had extravagant images of wolves and Nordic runes etched into their armor. As they saw me, both stiffened, the green Guardian¡¯s eyes going wide underneath her long blond hair. Their reaction made me hesitate for a moment before I decided to ignore it, moving forward to get inside the elevator. The younger Guardian took a hurried step back, and the Red¡¯s eyes narrowed into a glare that sent a chill through me. Before I could take another step, she reached past her companion and pressed a button on the elevator¡¯s interior. The doors immediately began closing, and I froze in place, watching as they slowly slid shut. I stared at the elevator, completely stunned for a moment as the indicator number began to rise. Then my brain fully processed what had happened. Pressure built in my chest, my throat tightening even as warmth built in my cheeks. I tried to ignore the uncomfortable, acidic feeling biting at my bones. It was a familiar mixture of hurt, confusion, and embarrassment, the sensation only intensifying as I realized the receptionists behind me probably saw what happened. I swallowed, forcing myself to move and call for another elevator. [Mai-] Selene started to say, but I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I whispered, my voice thin. Selene went quiet. Thankfully, the next elevator was quick to come and was empty. Stepping in, I blinked when I saw the control panel was an electronic touch screen. It only took me a moment to adjust and input the number ten before hitting the accept button. Only after the doors closed did I let out a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding. I was frustrated at how hurt their small, petty action made me feel, especially because I had been thoroughly warned about how other Guardians might react to me. But there was still something uncomfortably sharp about receiving that sort of reaction from people who didn¡¯t even know me, who had no reason to- I clenched my teeth, pushing down the nauseous swirl of emotions. There was no reason to get so upset about it. It had just caught me off guard, but now¡­ now I would be ready. It would be just like school, keeping my guard up when people were around. It wouldn¡¯t be that hard, not with all the practice I had. My mask had slipped as we¡¯d walked over, as I let my mind wander, but now¡­ I would be ready. I nodded to myself, ignoring the tightness in my throat. Unfortunately, that still left me in the awkward silence of the elevator ride, trying not to look at Selene or acknowledge what had just happened. ¡°What other floors are there for Guardians besides the tenth?¡± I asked, hoping to distract the both of us. [Ah!] Selene chirped excitedly. [An excellent question. While I could explain it, perhaps it would be simpler to use your HUD. Let¡¯s see here¡­ Let me just show you the ones that you¡¯ll find immediately interesting¡­] Before I could question what she meant, the familiar translucent blue screen that usually appeared when I looked at my status or System notifications popped into existence with a simple list. [Arcadia Spire: General Guardian Floors: Tier One and Tier Two Guardian Floors Floor 10: Lobby, Tavern, and Request Hall Floor 11: Storage Rooms Floor 12: Workout Areas Floor 13: Training Rooms Floor 14: Guardian Shops Floor 15: Recreational Zone (Computer Rooms, VR Stations, Arcade, TTRPG Rooms, etc.) Floor 16: Sleep Rooms Tier Three and Tier Four Guardian Floors Floors 20 through 26 follow the same pattern. Tier Five and Tier Six Guardian Floors Floors 30 through 36 follow the same pattern. Other Floors of Interest Floors -11 through -20 are Currently Restricted Floor -5: MG Garage Floor 1: Spire Reception Floors 40-45: Grand Library Floor 50-55: Operator Control Rooms] I only had enough time to read the list before the elevator stopped with a chirp. The doors slid open to reveal¡­ A¡­ medieval tavern? No¡­ an adventurer¡¯s guild hall? The room was huge and made almost entirely of wood. The immediate area was open with a path that led to a long desk manned by a half-dozen uniformed receptionists. Glass and wood served to partition the desk into sections, giving some semblance of privacy to the different spots people would line up at. The entire setup reminded me of something I might see at a bank. Meanwhile, the left half of the room looked like an actual tavern. Wooden tables with benches and stools dotted the area, many of which had Guardians in a wide variety of outfits sitting at them. Waiters and waitresses wearing medieval uniforms went around, taking orders and serving a variety of food and drinks. I could also make out a bar along one of the walls, but my eyes were instead drawn to a wooden stage where a girl in a blue jester¡¯s costume was playing a lyre and singing a soft, haunting melody that I couldn¡¯t quite make out. Finally, the right side of the room had giant notice boards made of glass touchscreens. Currently, they displayed dozens of paper pages with writing on them, emulating what looked like notices. Guardians loitered around the boards, occasionally swiping or pressing buttons to rearrange them. There were also tables on that side, but these ones had more modern looking benches and couches around them. Small devices in the middle of the tables were turned on, holographic displays showing a variety of things. Taking it all in was¡­ overwhelming. It wasn¡¯t just my confusion at the interior appearing exactly like an adventurer¡¯s guild lobby from some of the anime I¡¯d seen, it was also the sheer number of Guardians. There were dozens of them lounging about in a myriad of styles. Rugged medieval chainmail, stylish high fantasy plate armor, regal Victorian ball gowns, gleaming power armor, skintight superhero spandex, classic wizard robes, and even just fancy modern outfits were just some of the more prevalent designs I noticed. There were also a few I hastily moved my eyes from, like the large shirtless guy with rippling muscles or the slender girl with a only a few thin swaths of cloth wrapped around her in a revealing dancer¡¯s outfit that bared most of her skin and- I mentally shook my head as I pulled my eyes away, cheeks heating up as I refocused on the main issue. Because it wasn¡¯t just the vast variety of designs that shocked me, it was the sudden uncomfortable feel of walking into a room full of Magical Guardians. Before today, I¡¯d only ever seen them in videos or on TV. The closest I¡¯d come to one before the mall was seeing them hop rooftops in the distance or when one ran by on the road in a blur. But now I was in the room with the literal defenders of humanity. With how much Guardians were built up by people as almost mythical figures, it felt weird to suddenly be in a room filled with them. While at the mall, when I was talking to Error Machina, I hadn¡¯t really had the leisure of worrying about such things, and after I¡¯d woken up¡­ Well, it had been nerve-racking meeting with Fantasy Fatale, but even then, I¡¯d been pushed by the necessity of having my Astral Shift unlocked and finding out as much information as possible. Without any of that, I couldn¡¯t help but feel¡­ out of place. To me, it was only yesterday that I was just another sixteen-year-old girl trying to get through school. Even the mall was more like a bad dream I was trying to forget than reality. And in front of me were the defenders of humanity. People who fought monsters and died so normal people could live normal lives. They were heroes, idols, and celebrities, and I was just¡­ Me. You are such a blessing The words from the Palmers¡¯ letter echoed in my head, and I sucked in a breath. I¡­ I had saved people. Brian, my classmates, and all those other people in the shelter¡­ I still didn¡¯t feel like a Magical Girl, not really, but maybe knowing that I had still saved people was enough for now? [Mai?] Selene sent to me telepathically, and I realized I¡¯d been standing in the elevator unmoving for too long. Carefully taking another controlled breath, I stepped out into the room. It was only then that I noticed that the sound was strangely muted. Even with the dozens of Guardians talking at the tables and the singing bard, everything sounded far away and quiet. Before I could ask, Selene had already nodded to me and began hopping towards the reception desk, so I followed. [We¡¯ll be talking to the receptionists here, although most refer to them as attendants. They¡¯re responsible for assisting Guardians with a variety of functions from finding out information to assisting with requests. Also, you may have noticed this lobby is similar in appearance to those of an ¡°adventurer¡¯s guild,¡± as seen in various anime, manga, and video games. This is not a coincidence, as a vote was held among the first Guardians as to what this lobby would look like. Many thought the atmosphere would be both familiar and appealing in nature.] I nodded, unable to hide the small smile pulling on the corner of my lips. It was a nice atmosphere, and, as silly as it was¡­ well, it was really cool. I was walking through a scene straight from some of the fantasy anime I¡¯d watched, and I¡¯d seen areas like this in the few games I played more times than I could count. I couldn¡¯t stop from feeling a flicker of wonder and excitement in my stomach as I walked forward. One thing that almost made me stumble was noticing there were other Darks in the tavern area of the room, and both of them had noticed me. The first was a college-aged man with dark hair in a ponytail wearing what I could only describe as a sci-fi western outfit. He had on an armored black, skintight bodysuit with blue, glowing lines as accents. Over it, he wore a tattered trench coat and a cowboy hat in a matching style. As I caught his black-gray eyes, he merely gave me a small nod and tip of his hat before turning back to the large wooden tankard in front of him. The other Dark looked like a highschool girl in an elegant, shoulder-baring Victorian ball gown of shining black, scarlet ruffles and trim being the only other color to her dress. Her arms were covered with black lace gloves reaching up to her elbows with small rose patterns in gradients that turned from red to black. The moment I noticed her, she looked up at me, her long, straight black hair shifting minutely. Even though she sat at a corner table fairly far from me, I could see she had irises as black as her pupils, the only color to them being scarlet cracks that seemed to burn with a faint luminescence. Much like the first Dark, she merely tipped her head in acknowledgment to me before turning back to the faded paperback book she had been reading, one hand idly picking up a glass of a ruby liquid that matched her lips. I turned away from both, suppressing the worry that had briefly sparked on noticing them. They were both Darks¡­ Which meant they both knew about our Origin¡¯s hidden meaning¡­ And yet, they hadn¡¯t done more than acknowledge my presence. There had been no rushing towards me, asking if I needed help or trying to get me to answer questions. Instead, they were simply going about their business, respecting my privacy. Although, maybe I was being unfair to them with my assumptions. They were probably just as worried about people doing the same to them¡­ Maybe there was some sort of etiquette for this kind of thing among Darks? Whatever the case, I let out a quiet breath of relief as my attention turned back to the desk with the attendants. As I finished my approach, I noticed two things. The first was that in front of each of the attendant''s lanes, there was a square of magical runes painted in white on the floor just in front of the desk. Two other Guardians were talking to other attendants while standing within the runes, and I couldn¡¯t hear any sort of sound from either of them. The second thing I noticed was at the height the desk was at, it was going to be incredibly awkward for me considering how short I was. Before I could get too embarrassed about that realization, a section of the wood floor rose as I got near, rising high enough to give me a little platform to stand on. I wasn¡¯t sure if that was incredibly thoughtful or humiliating, so I chose to focus my attention on the attendant across the desk from me as I stepped onto it, briefly startling myself as the sound from the rest of the room disappeared. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. The attendant was a blond, college-aged girl with freckles and a nervous expression on her face. Her hands fiddled anxiously with her sleeves. Now that I was at a higher vantage, I could see all the attendants wore the same uniform of black dress pants and a matching suit vest that covered most of the white long-sleeved shirts they wore beneath. Swirling lines of silver embroidery gave an elegant finishing touch to their vests, and combined with their bowties, made them have a very professional appearance. ¡°H-hello,¡± the attendant stuttered, smiling awkwardly at me. ¡°How may I help you today?¡± Selene jumped onto the counter before I could answer, a muted flash of light briefly enveloping her as she made herself visible to the attendant. The girl gasped, eyes going wide as Selene¡¯s nine fox tails swished behind her. [Greetings!] Selene chirped happily. [My Guardian is new and looking to register herself with the Association. If you could pull up the proper forms on a computer tablet for us to fill out as well as her welcome gift, I would be very grateful.] The girl stared at Selene, blinking a few times in silent shock. It wasn¡¯t until Selene tilted her head questioningly that the attendant seemed to snap out of it, a blush darkening her cheeks as she looked around. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! Yes, of course¡­ um¡­¡± She pulled out a thin tablet and placed it on the counter, tapping away at it. I let her work in silence, trying not to rush her by seeming impatient. She chewed on her lip, brow furrowing in confusion as she stared at the tablet screen. ¡°I, um¡­ wait, no, it should be here¡­¡± The attendant seemed to get more distressed as she continued working, occasionally glancing up at me only to hurriedly return to the tablet. I felt my own anxiety begin to prickle as I wondered what was going on. Was there something wrong with my registration? From what Everglaive had told me, it was supposed to be a quick and simple thing I could take care of before meeting her for the awakening of my Signature. Watching the girl continue to flounder, I tried not to fidget as the awkward silence between us began to thicken. Lowering my eyes to the desk, I began to study the patterns in the wood. ¡°Excuse me, is there anything I can assist with here?¡± a man¡¯s voice smoothly interrupted, and I looked up to see another attendant had stepped next to the girl. He was an older man, with neatly cropped gray hair and deep wrinkles on his face that gave him a grandfatherly visage. There was a warm, relaxed smile on his face as he looked between us and the girl. My attendant blushed further, wincing as she turned to him with a hurt look. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, she¡¯s here to register as a new Guardian, and I haven¡¯t been trained on that yet, but I thought I could find it easily enough, but it doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s anywhere, and-¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± he gently cut in, smiling softly. ¡°You just started a few days ago. Nobody expects you to know everything.¡± The attendant relaxed a little at that, letting out a stuttering breath as the man turned to address me. ¡°Greetings, miss, I¡¯m senior attendant Edward. If you¡¯re in a hurry, we can have another attendant help you while I teach Megan. Otherwise, I can walk her through the process and have her practice with you.¡± Blinking a few times, I felt a sympathetic pang towards the girl. She seemed stressed, and I knew how easy it was for anxiety to overwhelm everything when it came to social situations. ¡°N-no, it¡¯s okay,¡± I shook my head. ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t mind waiting.¡± ¡°Thank you, miss,¡± he nodded towards me gratefully before pointing to the tablet. ¡°Alright, the first step is to open the Magical Guardian identification search application¡­¡± I let my attention slip from them, carefully trying to look unbothered while I waited. The nerves that had been building relaxed only a little at the knowledge that I wasn¡¯t the problem. I couldn¡¯t relax completely, though, not with how nervous the younger attendant was still looking. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t take long for them to finish, and Edward gently slid the tablet across the counter to me. ¡°If you would be so kind as to press your thumb against the tablet, it will be able to verify your identity. From there, you have the option of filling in the informational section yourself, or having your Familiar do it for you. Personally, I would recommend the latter. Your Familiar should have all the required basics, and can input the information in seconds. Just as a note, all the fields are optional, and the questions we do ask are only for the purposes of helping us determine if you should be contacted in the event of an Usurpation or emergency. Any information you put in is safeguarded by Zenith technology, and I can assure you none of us have direct access to it.¡± I slowly nodded, then followed his instructions, watching as the screen changed to one with a bunch of questions. Some were simple such as my chosen alias, preferred pronouns, and things like that. Others, however, were much more probing, such as where I lived, what school I attended, if I was planning to attend the Guardian Academy, and¡­ ¡°My level?¡± I frowned, feeling more uneasy as the questions under it asked about what Vaults and Grimoires I possessed, my preferred weapon, combat style, Class, and my Skills and their individual levels. They were even asking for my exact stat numbers! While Selene¡¯s explanations at the mall had been rushed, I still vividly remembered her reasons for keeping those things secret. Moreover, now that I was actually being asked for my stats and secrets, I felt an instinctive revulsion to it. It was the same kind of feeling I got when giving some of my more personal information to a doctor. Seemingly sensing my reluctance, Edward cleared his throat. ¡°The association uses the more personal information to determine if you might be a good fit for an Usurpation. By knowing things such as your level, we know whether to send you a notification if an Usurpation appears near you that you might be capable of handling. The other questions about your specialties are likewise used if we have a troublesome Usurpation that requires a specific type of abilities. I would like to repeat that none of us at the Association will be able to access this information, we merely operate off the recommendations the Zenith program gives us. If any of the questions make you uncomfortable, there is no issue with you leaving some or even all of them unfilled.¡± I glanced at Selene, her tails flicking for my attention. [It is all highly protected information. Only an incredibly powerful Guardian could theoretically be capable of retrieving any data, but even then, they would not be able to do so stealthily. I recommend providing as much as possible and am more than happy to input the information for you. Perhaps you can then look over it for any redactions that need to be made afterwards?] That¡­ seemed fine. If Selene was convinced of the security, I had no reason not to trust her. She had been overly cautious about warning me about other Guardians, but the Zenith? There was little point in not trusting them considering they were the ones who made me a Magical Girl in the first place. With how careful they were about protecting a MG¡¯s private identity, I had little doubt they would be more than capable of keeping safe whatever information I gave the Guardian¡¯s Association. There was also the fact that the Zenith probably also knew most of my information already from the period of time Selene had been watching me, but I didn¡¯t let myself linger on that part. I moved the tablet closer to Selene, nodding to her. Her tails swished, one moving to gently tap the tablet before sinking into it as if it were water. The forms on the screen suddenly began filling with information at an incredible rate, scrolling through the entirety of the documents in only a second. Once Selene removed her tail from the tablet, I took a moment to look through what she¡¯d entered. All the questions she¡¯d answered were accurate, but it was interesting to note she¡¯d skipped some, such as medical history and concerns. While others¡­ ¡°Um¡­¡± I thought to Selene, blushing as I tilted the tablet further towards me and away from the attendants. ¡°Why do they need to know my height, weight, and¡­ measurements?¡± ¡°That¡¯s for the Guardian Academy uniform,¡± Selene quietly sent back. ¡°Instead of having Guardians in their Astral Shift and forcing them to constantly refresh every hour, they make uniforms that have similar identity obstructing magic. It will make people recognize you as your Magical Girl identity instead of your private one.¡± Ah¡­ That did make sense¡­ Continuing through the document, I saw there were some questions Selene had highlighted asking me for preferences on things like what kind of uniform I would prefer for the academy, what hours I was considering patrolling, and what area I thought I would be most active in. I filled out the ones I knew for sure before looking back at the attendants. ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t have an answer to some of these questions. Can I answer them another time?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Edward smiled. ¡°You¡¯re free to amend the information at any time. It¡¯s fairly common for a Guardian¡¯s schedule and availability to shift, so don¡¯t worry about bothering us by asking to change it. Updating information is one of our most frequent responsibilities.¡± Looking back to the tablet, I quickly skimmed over the information. Selene seemed to have done a good job of anticipating what I wanted to avoid answering, and it only took me a few minutes to finish up and press the submit button on the bottom of the form. Only after the information disappeared did I set down the tablet and slide it back to the attendants. ¡°Excellent,¡± Edward said before turning to Megan. ¡°Now, once the Guardian has finished registering, it should only take moments for us to receive their initial welcome package in the teleportation cubby. Just wait for the chime, and¡­¡± A clear, bell-like tone rang out. ¡°There we go,¡± he reached under the counter, opening something before displaying a look of surprise. ¡°Ah, good, we¡¯ve gotten the extended package this time.¡± Edward pulled out a case, setting it so it was facing me. It looked remarkably similar to the cases that the items I bought with points came in. ¡°All new Magical Guardians that register with the Guardian¡¯s Association get a welcome package,¡± the attendant explained. ¡°However, there are a few different types of packages, such as this extended package which holds the most amount of items. The exact rationale between who receives what is kept secret due to privacy concerns, though I¡¯m told Familiars are allowed to tell their Guardian why they received the package they did. If you would open the case, miss, I can explain the items provided as you pull them out.¡± Following his instructions, I popped open the case, opening it to reveal a variety of items. The first thing I pulled out was a smaller case, about the size of a ring box. ¡°Inside that, you will find your Association-issued communicators. They are advanced pieces of magitech, and fit into your ears like Bluetooth earbuds. These have a variety of useful functions beyond just allowing you to communicate with support personnel, but I will leave it to your Familiar to inform you of the exact details later. For now, know that if they are damaged or lost, you¡¯ll have to pay for replacements.¡± Setting it back inside the larger case carefully, I pulled out an envelope next, with a purple wax seal bearing a magical circle. As my fingers brushed the envelope, I felt a tingle run across my skin, similar to what I¡¯d felt when walking through the forcefield. ¡°That envelope will contain information regarding your enrollment into the Guardian Academy,¡± Edward said slowly. ¡°The envelope itself is enchanted to only open for you, as it contains information about your private identity.¡± [While you were recovering,] Selene whispered to me, [unbound Familiars with the Association will have begun taking measures to help maintain your civilian identity. If you recall from Everglaive¡¯s explanation, we use the special offering schools as cover for Magical Guardians, so the envelope will most likely contain the cover story they¡¯ve established for why you¡¯re suddenly being given a transfer spot, and what groundwork they¡¯ve begun laying with your family.] Fear flashed through me, and I stiffened as I suddenly realized I had no idea what I was going to do about Father. Suddenly being offered a spot at an SO school¡­ that¡­ should be fine? Father had been disappointed that my high school placement tests hadn¡¯t earned me a spot at an SO school or a scholarship to any of the private schools. Getting one now¡­ it¡­ should work. I couldn¡¯t see him objecting, at least, not when he¡¯d told me I¡¯d be doing the exams again at the end of the year to see if I could transfer. He¡¯ll accept. It will work as a cover story. Even if he didn¡¯t, the Zenith probably have some way to still get me to attend¡­ [Mai?] Selene¡¯s whisper made me jump, and I snapped my attention up from the envelope to see the attendants staring at me. Megan seemed confused, but Edward was seemingly unbothered, standing with a patient smile. ¡°Sorry!¡± I blurted out, hunching into myself. ¡°I, um¡­ got lost in thought.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no problem, miss,¡± Edward replied easily. ¡°I¡¯m sure whatever your Familiar was telling you was important. Anybody who works closely with Guardians becomes used to the silent communications that happen between Guardians and their Familiars fairly quickly.¡± I fought the urge to fidget under his misunderstanding, instead setting down the envelope and moving on to the next item in the box, a metallic black card with a thick envelope underneath it. ¡°This is a debit card along with information on the new bank account that has been set up under your Guardian alias. If you push a small amount of your magical energy into the card, it will become locked to your particular mana signature. Each time you wish to use your card, a small amount of your mana will be required. This bank account will also be how the Association pays you for the various services you may perform.¡± I stilled, my mouth going dry. A shiver of excitement tried to ignite hope in my chest, but I smothered it forcefully, keeping my face blank as my eyes flicked to him. ¡°The Association pays for things?¡± I asked, keeping my voice emotionless. ¡°Indeed,¡± he gestured to my right, to the notice boards where some Guardians lingered. ¡°There are a few avenues for Guardians to make money from the Association, most of which are handled through our notice boards. There, we display a variety of what we call ¡®requests,¡¯ things that have been put up as optional jobs for the Guardians of Arcadia to accomplish. Requests can be posted by anyone and cover a variety of tasks. For example, civilians may ask for Guardians to help in locating missing animals, repairing specific types of damage, finding lost personal items, assisting in various personal projects, showing up to parties, or requesting the purchase of specific magitech items from a Vault. These requests can sometimes pay nothing, in which case they are known as voluntary requests, or they can pay in money and are known as compensated requests.¡± My mind raced at the implications, but I forced myself to remain calm as Edward continued. ¡°The Association often puts up requests for specific items from Vaults, such as medical technology and supplies, rare building materials, weapons, and specific magitech items. However, the Association often puts out bulk requests for these things, and only turns to Guardians capable of fulfilling the shipment all at once. If that is not possible, they will then continually break down the request into smaller chunks until it is fulfilled. Unfortunately, this means lower tier Guardians often don¡¯t have a chance to fulfill the bigger requests as the monetary payments are quite lucrative.¡± I nodded, ignoring the bitter disappointment biting at me. Thinking I would be able to solve that in one instant was too good to be true, but¡­ ¡°Are the compensated requests from civilians often taken quickly?¡± ¡°It depends on the payment and what is involved,¡± Edward explained. ¡°Requests for tier one and tier two items have become rarer over the years as the market has become saturated with them from Guardians looking to make money. As almost seventy-five percent of Guardians belong to those two tiers, there are also numerous suppliers available. That isn¡¯t to say it is impossible to find a compensated request, but most of them will be for providing a specific service and will net a relatively low amount of money. The few item requests that remain unfulfilled are usually for more esoteric items, or things that are always useful, such as civilians requesting to personally buy first-aid supplies.¡± ¡°Weapons and ammunition are also popular,¡± Megan spoke up suddenly, and I had to stop my head from snapping to look at her. ¡°A lot of people like the idea of having things that might protect them from Anathema, even if it is pretty safe in Arcadia.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Edward asked, tilting his head. ¡°I know the sale of weapons, let alone magitech ones, is heavily regulated and carefully tracked. I¡¯d assumed the number of tests and safeguards involved disincentivized many from pursuing such a thing.¡± ¡°O-oh, um, I don¡¯t know about that, but¡­ My brother is a Magical Soldier, and they end up getting all the certifications needed during their training. I¡¯ve heard him complain a few times how he wished he could get a magitech weapon for personal use, but the ones sold to civilians are either really expensive or things like swords and bows. He¡¯s used to the guns he¡¯s been trained with in the MS, but not many Guardians use or sell things like that, so he has to rely on human manufacturers. But militaries usually buy everything up, so¡­¡± She trailed off, and I kept my face carefully neutral. It was only through careful control that I forced myself not to pry further, to find out exactly how much money I could get for something like my Umbra and silverbane bullets. It probably wasn¡¯t worth too much considering they were both tier one and really cheap, but any amount of money would¡­ I swallowed, taking in a stuttering breath. It would change everything. ¡°I see,¡± Edward smiled at Megan, making her blush. ¡°Even with all my years here, I wasn¡¯t aware of that information.¡± She stammered something in response, looking embarrassed as Edward turned back to me. ¡°Back to the types of requests posted, Guardians can also make requests of their own. The four most common are Guardians looking for others to assist in taking down a specific Usurpation, Guardians looking for help in leveling specific skills, Guardians looking for a crafting-focused Guardian to create or enchant a specific item, and support-type Guardians looking for certain materials or information. Guardians often offer payment in points or favors, but some pay in normal currency as well.¡± Carefully, I set down the card and envelope, keeping my face blank. Selene obviously knew something was up, considering both the look she was giving me and the fact she was able to sense my vitals, but I wasn¡¯t going to freak out in the middle of the room just because I might have found an answer. No, don¡¯t get your hopes up, I mentally shook myself, fighting down the almost sharp feeling in my chest. It¡¯s¡­ it might be a solution, but I can ask Selene more about it later. It¡¯s not something that will disappear. I forced myself to continue pulling contents from the box, but I found it hard to pay attention as Edward continued to explain them, Megan occasionally interrupting to ask a question. The other things inside included a card that gave me a 100-point discount on a purchase from a crafting-focused Magical Girl, a book containing a list of support Guardians and the services they offered, a small card informing me that I would be gaining priority access to ¡°AS:D¡± at the Guardian Academy (something Selene assured would be explained best at the academy, and that it would be incredibly useful), a waiver to claim any basic Astral Shift enchantment for free, and finally¡­ ¡°That slip,¡± Edward nodded to the red ticket I was holding, ¡°would be a notice that for the next year, you are allowed to claim a free meal from the tavern in this lobby once a day. While the excellence of the normal food is something I can vouch for, I would recommend trying to wait until dinner. Many support Guardians take turns preparing those meals, and with their magics, they are able to enhance them to temporarily boost your abilities. The ticket itself is unnecessary to keep, as your personal mana signature has been registered and can be scanned for any payment at the tavern.¡± I stared at him in shock, sputtering. I had more than a few questions about that, but¡­ ¡°Um¡­ are there really that many Guardians with¡­ cooking magic?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a mystery, but even among combat Guardians, there are a high number with either a food theme or cooking-related magic and Skills,¡± Edward chuckled. ¡°Of course, that doesn¡¯t even cover the Guardians who simply like to cook and bake as a form of stress relief. I¡¯m told that between using the points they use to buy training materials, the advanced magitech cookware in the kitchen, and the magic they use to aid them, even Guardians who don¡¯t have a food theme can regularly create otherworldly meals.¡± Right¡­ magitech. A kitchen regularly used and shared by Guardians was probably outfitted with numerous points worth of magitech appliances. Even just the basic items I bought were already incredible, but with Guardians using them and adding in actual magic to the mix, I didn¡¯t doubt Edward¡¯s words at all. And now that he mentioned it, there were more than a few groups of Magical Girls that had food themes. Was that all really a coincidence, or¡­ I made myself focus. That wasn¡¯t important right now as I needed to find out why I got this ticket. ¡°Do all Guardians receive a free meal ticket?¡± I asked carefully, trying to ignore the lump forming in my throat. ¡°No. The basic welcome package for a new Magical Guardian consists of the communicator earbuds, the debit card and bank account, and information for them on joining the Guardian Academy. You¡¯ve received the extended package, which is a bit more uncommon and contains a variety of extra items. Usually, only a handful of new Guardians every year receive this package. As attendants, we¡¯re told not to pry into why this is or make any assumptions, but your Familiar should be able to inform you about the specifics.¡± [There are a few reasons Guardians may receive an extended welcome gift,] Selene whispered to me, tails flicking in agitation. [For you¡­ it is due to the factors involved with your contract and, of course, the Death Wish. Because of the idiocy of the Blacklight Protocols and what they resulted in, your extended welcome package is meant as a small measure of thanks for what you were able to accomplish and as an apology. Even if the human governments were responsible for the rules, it is not a decision that should have been allowed.] She sighed, tails drooping as she looked up at me before continuing in a wry tone. [In a way, I suppose you could think of it as a bonus reward for completing the Death Wish under such ridiculous constraints. In games, taking on a quest with an imposed challenge to artificially increase the difficulty often increases the rewards, no? As such, it would be remiss of the Zenith not to provide appropriate compensation when the System is unable to due to your Soul Gem¡¯s current maturity.] I blinked owlishly at her before slowly nodding. I could hardly argue with that logic, and the fact that I had almost died because of the stupid rules set by people¡­ Anger bubbled inside me, and I grabbed hold of it tightly, carefully taking a deep breath before letting it out slowly while keeping my expression as smooth as possible. It was over with. The important part was that I was now getting extra rewards from it, some of which were invaluable. The bank account and the possibility of making money in exchange for points was already more than enough, but now, between the Magical Girl discounts and freebies offered by shops and being able to get a free meal every day at the tavern¡­ Only when I was sure that my voice would come out calmly did I set the meal ticket back into the case before closing it, giving a small bow to the two attendants. ¡°Thank you for the explanations.¡± ¡°It was our pleasure,¡± Edward returned the small bow. ¡°Other than the welcome gift, would you like a tour of the common floors available to you?¡± [That will not be necessary,] Selene tilted her head. [I¡¯m afraid we have an appointment to keep.] ¡°Of course. Normally, I would at least offer a quick explanation of the lobby, but we¡¯ve already covered the tavern and request boards, so I believe you should have an excellent idea of the services we provide on this floor. If you ever require any help finding requests, posting one, or anything else, please do not hesitate to find an attendant for assistance. It was a pleasure meeting the both of you.¡± I gave a quick goodbye nod before picking up the case and stepping away, Selene hopping down with me. The moment I stepped off the raised step, the sound of the rest of the room returned to me, though it was still more muted than it should be. [Silencing enchantments,] Selene seemed to sense my curiosity as I blinked in surprise. [The tavern¡¯s area is quieter unless you are inside, and the areas around each attendant are completely muted for privacy.] I nodded, starting to move towards the elevator when a shimmer of light appeared in front of me, revealing a Familiar in the form of a hummingbird made of metal, its feathers made of blades. [Greetings, Moon Bunny,] it said with a feminine voice that was a mix of wind rustling between the leaves and the gentle ringing of a drawn blade. [I am Everglaive¡¯s Familiar, Fern. She sent me to tell you that all has been prepared, and we await your presence on the thirteenth floor of the spire, in training room twenty-four. Shall I lead you there, or do you have other business to handle?] ¡°W-we¡¯re ready now,¡± I responded with a slight bow to the Familiar. She hummed in acceptance, turning and gently fluttering to the elevators. Selene and I followed, entering behind her. A gentle tap of the Familiar¡¯s beak against the control panel had the floor destination set, and we were away. A sudden wave of nerves made my hands feel sweaty, and I discreetly pressed my palms against my skirt. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what unlocking my Signature Magic would involve, just that Selene had told me back at the mall that it would take an ¡°unknown amount of uninterruptible time,¡± and that Signatures were sometimes hard to figure out or even dangerous to their users. Which only made me feel more nervous about what was coming up. The elevator came to a stop, doors opening with a gentle chime. Fern flew out, and Selene and I followed into a small, half-circular room. Glass screens on the walls appeared to show a map of the floor, various rooms colored in green or red with numbers labeling them. Fern led us to the left, flying swiftly down a hallway lined with doors. Looking at them closer, I felt confused about how close together each one was. The doors weren¡¯t touching, exactly, but the spacing meant the training rooms would have to be closet sized. ¡°Um¡­ Why are the training rooms so small?¡± [The spires of the Sanctuary Cities make liberal use of both magitech and enchantments,] Fern responded. [That includes spatial magic to make rooms much bigger on the inside then would normally be possible. You¡¯ll find that most floors of the spire are actually quite a bit larger than they would outwardly appear, so much so that some floors use teleportation technology to simply get around in a reasonable time.] Fern fluttered over to a door, spinning in a small circle in front of a palm scanner and tapping it. It quickly gave off a chime, and the door slid open. Fern wasted no time and zipped inside, Selene and I following behind. Even after hearing her explanation, I still felt shocked as I stepped into a room much bigger than should have been possible. It was set up like a monitoring or control room, the far end having a large glass window that looked into a mostly empty room beyond with a single metal door leading into it. A long desk was set up in front of the window with dozens of computer monitors, several touchscreens, tablets, keyboards, and a half dozen comfortable looking chairs. Everglaive and Naiad were already inside, Naiad giving me an excited wave and smile as the door shut behind me. ¡°Welcome, Moon Bunny,¡± Everglaive nodded to me. ¡°How was your first unaccompanied trip through the city?¡± ¡°It was¡­ okay,¡± I shifted awkwardly, internally wincing at my unrefined response. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it,¡± she gave me a soft smile. ¡°Now then, unless you have any concerns or questions, I would like to explain a few things about Signature Magics while we wait for our expert to arrive.¡± ¡°Expert?¡± I asked worriedly. ¡°Awakening a Signature Magic can be¡­ dangerous,¡± Naiad rubbed her arm nervously. ¡°Signatures are magics unique to each person, so the System doesn¡¯t have prior information or safeguards actually built in. Some Signatures can harm their Guardian accidentally or purposefully in the case of something like a berserker-type magic that hurts them to make them stronger. Other Signatures are powerful attacks that can cause devastation, and some Signatures are just hard to pinpoint what they do.¡± ¡°Hence the recommendation for three Guardians to assist in an awakening,¡± Everglaive nodded. ¡°One high-level combat Guardian to help test combat-focused Signatures, a support Guardian who specializes in analyzing information, and a healer just in case something goes wrong. The support Guardian we are waiting for will be able to tell us the detailed effects of your Signature by using the various magitech scanners in this monitoring room along with their own magic. They are also, of course, bound by a Geas not to reveal any information about Guardians they test.¡± ¡°This is all standard practice,¡± Naiad tried to assure me. ¡°We even have a Magical Girl coming who we personally know and trust.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but squirm slightly at the thought of another Guardian being brought in to help me. Something about her also specializing in information analysis also made me feel uneasy, like I was inviting someone to poke into all my secrets. There was something in particular about her finding out the details of my Signature that also had me feeling even more uncomfortable. Everglaive must have seen my unease, because she gave me a patient smile. ¡°Signature Magics are very personal things. There''s a certain instinctual protectiveness around Signatures that is intrinsic to all Guardians. In fact, many Magical Girls keep the exact specifics of their Signature secret, even going so far as to only speak the true name of their Signature when they absolutely have to or are among trusted friends. Even though Naiad and I are both under a mentorship contract with you, we can absolutely leave the room after you¡¯ve awakened your Signature and are being given the details of how it functions.¡± ¡°O-oh¡­¡± I hesitated, feeling conflicted. I did feel irrationally nervous about them being there, but with how experienced the two Guardians were, they would probably have numerous tips or suggestions on how I could use my Signature¡­ ¡°Before you make a decision,¡± Everglaive cut in, ¡°perhaps an explanation on how Signature Magics function might be useful?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure how that would help, but it would at least buy me some time to turn over the jumble of emotions churning in my gut, so I gave Everglaive a grateful nod. She took a breath, looking thoughtful for a moment as Fern circled around her before landing on her shoulder. ¡°Very well. First, the basics. A Guardian''s Signature Magic is a deeply personal magical ability that is unique to them. Just as no two people are exactly alike, the same can be said of Signatures. The easiest comparison to make is that your Signature Magic is like your own personal superpower, one that is a manifestation of your soul. As such, Guardians usually have two names for their Signature, a true name that reflects its full nature, and a code name that they can share with others. This is done to avoid sharing the intimate details the true name might reflect about them. If you do hear the true name of another Girl¡¯s Signature, it is considered highly taboo to share it with others.¡± She paused for a moment, waiting to see if I was following along, then continued. ¡°Signature Magic can be divided into three basic categories based on how they work and their effects. These categories are hardly perfect as some Signatures can fit into multiple categories, but they do help in understanding their basic functions.¡± Everglaive held up a hand, raising a finger. ¡°The first type is Direct Signature Magics. These express themselves by acting directly on the outside world, either causing a targeted action to be performed or creating something the Guardian can then manipulate. The prime example of Direct Signatures is one that creates an element the Guardian can control. For example, a Direct Signature could allow a Guardian to create magical fire they can then manipulate in a variety of ways, summon magical swords they can then control telekinetically, or launch a magical attack at an opponent. As their designation would imply, direct Signatures have a direct effect on the world.¡± Her second finger came up as she took a deep breath. ¡°The second type is Indirect. These Signatures function through, and require, a preexisting medium. Their effects can include boosting the abilities of others, controlling various elements that already exist in the environment, or causing an effect on an opponent. Error Machina¡¯s Signature magic is a prime example of an Indirect Signature, as it allows him to access, manipulate, and even boost the effects of electronics. It also allows him to have a much easier time using spells through any electronics he¡¯s actively using his Signature to connect to. Another example is my own Signature magic¡­¡± She turned, waving her hand at a plant in the corner of the room, and I felt a shiver pass through me as something tickled against my senses. ¡°Razorglade.¡± The word left Everglaive¡¯s lip, and I felt power brush against me. The plant in the corner suddenly began to change, leafy greens transforming into a scintillating metallic gray that gleamed in the light. Then, after the plant had changed, it began to move, leaves gaining serrated edges even as the plant began to grow, stems waving around dangerously. ¡°My Signature Magic allows me to transform any plant life into a unique, powerful metal that I can then freely manipulate at the cost of my mana. Its code name is Nature¡¯s Blades, and I would appreciate it if you kept its true name secret.¡± Staring at her in shock, I watched the plant continue to writhe, stems and leaves changing into a variety of different blades before she let out a sigh, and dropped her hand. The plant shivered, then began to return to normal, the extra stems and leaves disappearing as the metal shifted back into soft greens. Naiad chose that moment to give a nervous chuckle, drawing my attention to her. ¡°My Signature, Rills of Restoration, is also an indirect Signature. It lets me enchant water in my surroundings, giving it regenerative effects and letting me control it. It also works on spells based on water too, which makes my water-based healing magics much stronger. Its code name is Rejuvenating Waters.¡± Looking between the two of them, I felt a mixture of warmth and panic flicker deep inside my chest, threatening to ignite as I tried to figure out why they¡¯d just told me the true names of their Signatures. Were they expecting something of me, or¡­ Everglaive gave me a gentle smile, and I forced myself not to fidget. ¡°You¡¯ve had to put a lot of trust in us. Regardless of magical contracts and promises, you have hardly been put into a fair position to deny us, not if you want to get the information and help you deserve. Returning that trust is the least we can do.¡± My throat tightened, and to avoid having to try to say anything, I gave her a simple nod. She returned the gesture, lightly clearing her throat before continuing. ¡°The final type of Signature Magic is Internal, which refers to Signatures that act on the Guardian themselves in some way, such as allowing the Guardian to teleport short distances, power themselves up in some way, or even giving them a unique secondary resource similar to mana that they can utilize in their magics. The most famous example of an Internal Signature is Silver Saintess and her Second Chance. Using it, she can revive herself from death at a predetermined location so long as she has enough mana. Carefully planning around and using her Signature has allowed her to become one of the strongest Magical Girls in the world. She is also one of the longest surviving Magical Girls, having been contracted during the very first year the Anathema invaded.¡± Even I had heard of Silver Saintess and her death-defying magic. Her snowy hair, armored dress, and silver blade made for an iconic image that I had seen all over Arcadia. I¡¯d even overheard my classmates gushing about her more than once, spreading all kinds of stories. One of which made me stop now that I knew more about Magical Girls. It¡­ didn¡¯t seem possible, although¡­ ¡°Did¡­ um¡­ I heard she started out as a Yellow?¡± I asked uncertainly, and Naiad gave me a thumbs up. ¡°Yup! That¡¯s actually why her Signature Magic is so powerful, because of the Yellow¡¯s Origin bonus letting their Signatures break the rules of normal magic. Legitimately defying death and reviving herself isn¡¯t something a normal Signature can do, but you¡¯re curious as to why she¡¯s called Silver Saintess and wears white like a Guardian of Dreams, right?¡± I nodded, and Everglaive¡¯s expression turned somber. ¡°Her story is known well,¡± she spoke quietly. ¡°It¡¯s something she¡¯s shared herself on occasion. She used to be called Sunlight Saintess, and began as a Yellow Magical Girl, a Guardian of Wishes. As one of the first Magical Girls, she had little to no support. The Guardian¡¯s Association hadn¡¯t formed yet, the Sanctuary Cities had just arrived and weren¡¯t populated, and she had no example templates to follow for her Stats and point expenditure. Still, she persisted and fought against the horrors of the Anathema, even against¡­¡± Everglaive swallowed, her graceful demeanor cracking as she took in a steadying breath. ¡°In those early desperate days, a Death Wish was much more common. Saintess didn¡¯t falter¡­ but she also didn¡¯t always succeed. It is only her Signature that has let her survive multiple Death Wish situations. Survive them, and bear witness to the consequences of failure.¡± I blanched as Everglaive took a moment to regain her composure. ¡°She fought and died again and again, never faltering. No matter how horrific the situation, she brandished her sword with a smile. As the years went on, though, she had to deal with something that she couldn¡¯t handle.¡± ¡°Teammates,¡± Naiad whispered. ¡°Watching her friends and allies die while she survived. The survival rates of the first-gen Magical Girls were horrific. Of the Guardians contracted in those first seven years, only thirty-six percent are still alive today. She was forced to fight alongside others knowing that even if they died, she would still live.¡± My stomach churned, and I placed my hands over it, feeling sick as I tried to imagine it¡­ ¡­and found that I couldn¡¯t, not without my breathing coming to a halt. ¡°Three years in, Saintess reached her limit,¡± Everglaive continued. ¡°She couldn¡¯t take being too weak to save those around her anymore, so¡­ she used her wish, the one all Yellows received. She wished to change her color, to get a different Origin bonus that would let her fight better. Her wish was granted, and she turned herself into a White Magical Girl, gaining the bonus of receiving more experience from all of their actions. However, there was an unintended side effect.¡± ¡°Her Signature,¡± I breathed out, and Everglaive nodded. ¡°A Magical Girl¡¯s Signature Magic is a reflection and manifestation of their soul. It isn¡¯t something that can be changed, even with something as powerful as a wish. As such, Saintess was able to change her color while keeping her rule-breaking Signature and obtaining a White¡¯s massive experience bonus in order to become powerful as fast as possible. Then, she utilized both to their fullest. She threw herself into hopeless hordes of Anathema, killing as many as possible before being slain. Then she did it again, and again, and again.¡± ¡°She would even fight things much higher level than her,¡± Naiad added, ¡°because even if she lost, she would just revive and try again later having learned all their tricks. Her main level, Class level, and Skills leveled at an insane rate, and now she¡¯s one of the few Magical Girls in the world above level 500.¡± As the story finished, I felt a mixture of awe and sorrow at the sheer willpower Silver Saintess had. I knew that if I had been in her position, if I had to watch- Lily -people I care about die¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have handled it well. She had done that for years, though, and still continued fighting, even using her personal wish so that she could become better at saving others. I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d heard of a more selfless person in my life. ¡°The last thing I will say on Silver Saintess,¡± Everglaive sighed, ¡°is that she is one of the only Yellow Guardians to have been able to change her color. Others have tried in order to get multiple Origin bonuses, but there are apparently several restrictions and requirements around the wish given to a Yellow that prevents others from easily following her example. Of the handful that have succeeded, none have been as successful as her so far.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Naiad winced. ¡°So don¡¯t try to bring it up to a Yellow. It¡¯s already a big no-no to ask if they¡¯ve used their wish yet or what they used it on. Trying to suggest they try Saintess¡¯s trick is kind of a sore point for some of them.¡± I gave a serious nod. I¡¯d already planned to never ask a Yellow about their wish or bring it up even obliquely, so it was hardly an issue. ¡°At any rate,¡± Everglaive shook her head. ¡°Silver Saintess has a prime example of an Internal Signature Magic, even if it is more powerful than usual. With the three categories of Signatures covered, the only other thing to note about them is that your Signature Magic grows more powerful with your main level. Depending on what exactly it does, your stats may also affect it. Other than that, you¡¯ll learn a few things about what is possible with your Signature at the academy, but¡­¡± Everglaive frowned, then gave a shrug. ¡°I suppose I should also mention it is possible to bend or focus on particular aspects of your Signature Magic, essentially causing it to manifest in a variety of ways similar to but different to its base function. These are called Signature Techniques, but developing them takes a lot of time and effort. The academy will explain them in much more detail, but I mention it so that you know your Signature is often capable of much more than what it can do at its most basic form.¡± ¡°Think of it like a superhero¡¯s power,¡± Naiad chirped excitedly. ¡°Like¡­ if your power was to create and control fire, you could learn to focus on the fact that fire is primarily energy, and instead of fire, you might be able to do the same for lightning. Or, you could just focus on the heat of your fire, and learn to create miniature, contained stars to throw around. There¡¯s so many cool ideas, and it¡¯s all about utilizing your Signature¡¯s conceptual themes to-¡± ¡°Those are good examples,¡± Everglaive cut in, giving the other Magical Girl a stern look. ¡°But as I said, Signature Techniques are very advanced and difficult to cultivate. As you can imagine, it can also be highly dangerous. I highly recommend waiting until the Guardian Academy begins to teach you about Techniques and only try to create them in the safety of rooms like this.¡± Naiad had an embarrassed, sheepish expression, though Everglaive looked more exasperated than truly frustrated with her. I let my muscles untense once I knew Everglaive wasn¡¯t truly angry, quietly releasing my breath as I took Everglaive¡¯s warning to heart. Honestly, I was just going to be happy to have my Signature Magic and Unique Grimoire finally available. Learning more advanced things could wait for now. Everglaive suddenly raised her hand to her ear, going still for a moment before smiling. ¡°It seems our expert has arrived,¡± she murmured, amusement in her voice as she walked over to the door and put her hand on the scanner. ¡°Do not be alarmed.¡± I had all of a second to process that statement before the door opened, and- I blinked. A¡­ a giant stuffed polar bear stood outside the room, fur looking exorbitantly fluffy. There were runic symbols done in patterns of silver on its white fur, but it was the sheer, absolutely sullen look on its face that drew my attention. It plodded forward, reaching the too-thin doorway and slowly squeezing its way through with a grunt of effort. I stepped back to give it space as it shuffled inside, the door sliding shut behind it. An awkward silence settled as Everglaive returned to her spot, facing the polar bear with the rest of us. We stared at it. It stared back. Eventually, it huffed, then shook itself lightly. I heard a very faint groan, then noticed some of the fur on its back was moving. A vaguely human shape covered in the same snow white fur slowly peeled itself from the bear¡¯s back, sliding off and falling to the floor with a gentle smack. Then, they pushed themselves up off the ground, yawning loudly. A girl stood before me, looking no older than thirteen. She wore a fluffy polar bear onesie complete with a hood that had a bear face and ears on it. Her hair was a long, tangled mess of snow white strands that looked like it desperately needed to be combed. She had on a bear-themed sleep mask that she slowly pushed out of the way to reveal Asian features and silver eyes with flecks of white swirling in them like a miniature snow storm. There were dark circles under her eyes that she rubbed at, and it seemed to take her a moment to fully realize where she was, squinting at us in confusion. ¡°Ever?¡± she asked sleepily, her voice sounding as young as she looked. ¡°Oh¡­ is it that time already?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Everglaive replied, lips twitching in the hint of a smile. ¡°Bookbear, may I introduce to you a member of the newest generation of Magical Girls, Moon Bunny.¡± The girl blinked a few times before her gaze turned to me and she let out a startled gasp. She quickly bowed deeply, and even the polar bear next to her dipped its head lazily. ¡°O-oh! It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you! I¡¯m Bookbear, but feel free to call me just Book or Bear! I hope we get along well!¡± Naiad stifled a giggle, a hand over her mouth as Everglaive turned to me. ¡°Moon Bunny, this is Bookbear, one of Arcadia¡¯s highest-level support Magical Girls who focuses on information gathering and analysis.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± I responded reflexively, bowing to Bookbear. When she straightened, I saw her eyes quickly flicking over me, and it was only then that I noticed that her pupils were shaped in the silhouette of a bear head. ¡°Oh! Oh, a Dark! I didn¡¯t realize we were doing a Dark¡¯s Signature today! Yes!¡± She pumped her fist excitedly, bouncing on her knees. ¡°Oh, and your Astral Shift is great! I love the bunny hood! As a fellow connoisseur of cute, I can definitely say your outfit nails the aesthetic! Just cute enough without being overly frilly, you know? And I love your Familiar! They look so comfy! Not as comfy as my Yuki, but a bunny and kitsune hybrid is so cool! Hmm¡­ would that make them a bunsune? Rabsune?¡± I felt my cheeks redden under her exuberance and praise, and Everglaive cleared her throat loudly causing Bookbear to freeze for a moment. Even Bookbear¡¯s Familiar gave her a deadpan, exhausted expression that had her give an awkward laugh. ¡°Oh, ah, sorry,¡± Bookbear rubbed the back of her head. ¡°I¡¯m uh¡­ I¡¯ve been really busy since the whole invasion. Lots of analysis to do on new Anathema types and how the patterns have shifted since then. I haven¡¯t got more than a few hours of sleep a day. I¡¯ve mostly been running on naps and caffeine, so I¡¯m kind of loopy¡­ sorry.¡± Her embarrassed expression was broken by a yawn, and concern flashed through me, my attention snapping back to the dark rings under her eyes. ¡°We can¡­ we can do this another time, if you want?¡± I offered, worry building in me even as she waved me off. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve been pushing myself because this has been a good opportunity to level up my Class and Skills. The more I rest, the more time other Girls have to analyze things, which means less things for me to figure out and get experience from. Besides, doing a Signature Magic analysis is always interesting, especially on Yellows and Darks! I get to actually push myself to figure out all the interesting details. I¡¯ll also get tons of experience, so it''s totally worth it!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ okay,¡± I responded, still feeling a little put off. ¡°Anyway, I think I¡¯m ready to go on my end. Do you have any questions?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± I floundered. ¡°What exactly does this involve?¡± She blinked at me. ¡°Oh, they didn¡¯t tell you. Okay, so it¡¯s pretty basic. You¡¯ll enter the ritual room while the rest of us stay in here. Then you¡¯ll sit down and ask your Familiar to begin the awakening process. Normally, awakening your Signature Magic can take anywhere from several hours to a full day, but there¡¯s a bunch of enchantments and magitech in the room that will speed up the process, help keep you safe, and scan for information that I can use. It shouldn¡¯t take more than an hour, and your Astral Shift will be maintained the whole time, so no need to worry about that. As for the specifics of what you¡¯ll be going through¡­¡± She gave me an apologetic shrug. ¡°We aren¡¯t supposed to give details. It makes it easier if you go into it without any prior preconceptions. What I can tell you is you¡¯ll enter a sort of meditative trance. Other than that, all I can say is not to worry too much.¡± Her lack of explanation left me feeling more than a little apprehensive, but¡­ It wasn¡¯t like this was school, and she certainly wasn¡¯t Katie or her friends trying to pull a prank on me. Nevertheless, my instinctual reaction was to still look at the others, looking for the poorly concealed grin or gleam of anticipation in their eyes that might mark this as a trap. Everglaive remained as elegant as ever, though, giving me a simple nod, and Naiad was smiling at me reassuringly. Selene also looked unperturbed, tails swaying without worry. Forcing myself to let go of my paranoia, I nodded to Bookbear. ¡°Okay¡­¡± I moved towards the metal door next to the glass window, quickly using the palm scanner before entering. The room was fairly empty, but the floors and walls consisted of large white squares. The material felt soft and slightly spongy under my feet, which made me hesitate for a second. Then Selene hopped in after me, pressing firmly on the material before bouncing high into the air in a flip. Her next hop took her even higher, spinning so that her nine tails spun behind her like a helicopter, and I had to fight the smile working its way onto my face. [Whee!] Selene sang happily, her next hop turning her upside down before she used her tails to right herself and land properly. I shook my head, not quite sure how she was bouncing on the material considering how squishy it was. Continuing my walk, I moved to the center of the room where there was a cushion set on the floor. Painted around it was a complex looking magic circle full of dozens of symbols that turned it into an eye-watering mandala. An intercom crackled to life, making me jump slightly. ¡°Please sit down on the cushion, and then have your Familiar help you begin the process.¡± My nerves began building up, humming uncomfortably underneath my skin as I followed Bookbear¡¯s instructions. Keeping my hands on my skirt, I sat on my legs seiza style, taking a deep breath in. Selene stopped bouncing to sit in front of me. [The process is simple. Close your eyes, and I¡¯ll guide your mana. When you feel the pull, do not resist.] I hesitated for a moment before doing as Selene said. When my eyes closed, I only had to wait a few seconds before I felt something. It was an odd sensation, almost like something was tugging gently at my heart with a whisper-wind touch. Remembering Selene¡¯s words, I didn¡¯t resist as it pulled me. And then I fell.