Chương 37: 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 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 only until one's Aura 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 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.

Nodding to myself, 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 lowered my head, giving the three of them an appreciative bow.

"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, Moon," 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. Then, 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. Then, 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 under the clothing rack 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 shield."

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 Aura, 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 Aura."

[Willpower determines your Aura's overall capacity,] Selene added.

[Vitality gives your Aura 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 Aura regenerates. Aura regeneration is generally slow, taking sixteen minutes and forty seconds if your Willpower and Spirit are of equal value.]

"Your Aura 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 Aura 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, Moon."

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 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 pretty sure I could beat anybody on the school track team in a 100 meter dash even just going at 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, I was pretty sure 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…

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?"

[Twelve hounds, ghouls, and wasps in the track room, 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?"

[No, just interesting. 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 shield, 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…

Raising my gun, surprise flickered through me that my reticle was noticeably smaller. Not by a lot, but even a small amount made a big difference. It lined up entirely inside 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. I'd managed to add another twenty or so feet from the initial distance. Slowing slightly, I twisted around, taking time to aim the reticle 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 last four shots at the two wasps as I glanced down at my shoulder and crouched 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 83%, and my Aura…

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 into a run, I did another quick sweep of the room to see the ghouls closing on me. Only two from behind, one from my side, and one 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 I'd missed with the first two, 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 weird, 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 gripped 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 shuddering, twitching 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. It let out a hissing breath, 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 sweeping through me.

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 a 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 left. 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 ormy 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 4188. Considering I only spent a few points on 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, 238] 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 darn 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 Aura, 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. Sergeant Kelley, 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.

But 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 was… 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 figures, 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 others, of family members 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 something similar to what they were struggling against?

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.]