“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 one. 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 almost 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, and faint yellow blotches along the left side of my body where I’d fallen. Strangely, pressing on my left 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 Unfortunately, the greater regenerative gum is no longer in effect, so you won’t be healing anymore.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… hmm…” 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 a 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 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 seven bullets left. 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 a fine 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.

[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. Though, 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 murmured, 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 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 pocket. 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.”