Chương 38: 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 the 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 to 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 take 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 Dark's 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 twelves 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 spells 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 later, 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 look 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 mosts 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 wracking 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 nod 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.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and 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 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 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 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 talk 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 words 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 was horrific. Of the Guardian 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 hoards 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 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 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 to 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 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 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 foot, 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 on 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.