"Will you cancel my engagement with Jonathan?"

"Hmm? Jonathan? Who's Jonathan? Wait..." Kageyama and my father suddenly came to a realization.

"Canceled."

A bright light flashed, and I was no longer Magical Girl Black Lily but simply Yuri. My hand shook as Kageyama and my father looked at me, wide-eyed. This was the first time I had gone against their wishes. I don't like Jonathan. If I have to run away from home and live in Guardian Command to escape this marriage, then... I might just do it.

"Pfft! Bwahahahaha!" Laughter filled the room as Kageyama roared with mirth. "I have never been so amused and embarrassed in my entire life."

He then ceased laughing abruptly and said, "Done. You will never have to see Jonathan again. Anything else?" His smile was unexpectedly warm, a stark contrast to my father. Why had I been so afraid of him? Was it because of how my father portrayed him?

"Wait, but if we cancel the engagement, our relationship with Newstar Corp will be ruined!"

"Let it be ruined. Osamu, you've always been like this. That's why you never advanced. Do you really think I would hand over a magical girl to them as a wife? You must be out of your mind! Now, Yuri, anything else?"

"That's it..." I was dumbfounded. My request was granted so effortlessly that I was left speechless. I had prepared myself to argue, even threaten to leave the Shirayuki household. But he acquiesced to my request just like that.

"Hahahaha! I was planning to cancel your marriage anyway if I knew you were a magical girl. You're more valuable working for Shirayuki. But why did the proposal come from you? Is there something wrong with Jonathan? I assumed you'd be pleased since Newstar company is wealthier than ours." He stroked his chin thoughtfully. I turned away, unwilling to discuss it further. Jonathan was a skirt chaser, an egomaniac, and arrogant. Yet, thinking about it, I realized I had no solid evidence for my disdain.

"Well… Jonathan is somewhat distasteful, isn't he? He treated me as if I were insignificant. Hahaha. And I must admit, I don't appreciate the way he spoke to you, Yuri-sama... it's a relief to be free from him. Hahaha." The mayor, Mr. John, unexpectedly chimed in.

"I see. It's his demeanor then. I'm familiar with his father, but... Hm…" He regarded me thoughtfully, as if considering something new. "We may need to reassess our relations with Newstar Corporation."

"Moving on, is there anything else you need, Yuri?"

"...No." I thought about it, but nothing came to mind.

"Then allow me to offer you an additional token of goodwill. You are always welcome at our Shirayuki main branch."

"Really?" Osamu suddenly beamed.

"Not you, Osamu. You've embarrassed me time and again. And I insist that Yuri's identity as a Magical Girl, including her privacy, promotional activities, and brand development, be directly overseen by me. Once again, you've blundered. Why is Yuri even here? You reported that she was safe in our bunker. More so, why was she in our bunker to start with? It's closer to the public shelter than to her school."

"The public shelter reached capacity, so they activated their barrier." Mayor John interrupted.

"Then you should've arranged shuttle buses from the shelter to transport them to other shelters! What happened to your management skills?" Kageyama berated the whole group. As his tirade continued, I reflected on his points, realizing they were valid. Our school does have buses, but our parking lot was compromised in the attack—a stroke of misfortune, admittedly, but that's hardly an excuse. The bus driver was even a trained Magical Soldier.

"Now, we're embroiled in this chaos. It's possible we may need to abandon New Mesa."

"What?" My shock was immediate.

"The destruction is significant. While it's not definite yet, you're aware, aren't you? New Mesa has faced over twenty usurpation zones, and we only have three Magical Girls. Reinforcements are on their way, so we'll have a total of 18... 19, including you. Moreover, the usurpations have been ongoing for about two days. The situation will become critical by tomorrow or the day after. A rebellion might spawn monsters up to level 200," Kageyama explained, with the mayor nodding solemnly alongside.

"What?" My father expressed his shock, understandably so, as his empire crumbled within just three days.

"We need to prepare for evacuation."

"The Guardian Command won't be pleased. I wonder if they'll spare one or two of their aces for us," Kageyama mused.

"That responsibility falls to you. My colleagues and I have usurpation zones to address." I answered harshly.

"Don't forget to enroll in the Guardian Academy later, Yuri. You are now Shirayuki's pride. Oh, and what type of Magical Girl are you? White, perhaps? But your attire has so much black... could it be? Have you become one of those rare, mythical black Magical Girls?"

"Mythical?" I turned to Felicia for clarification.

"Magical Girls of dark origin are seldom seen in public. In fact, out of 30 registered dark magical girls, only five have ever agreed to interviews in Eden. They're observed during usurpation events, of course, but their reclusive nature has led netizens to dub them mythical."

"Hahaha! We've struck gold! Not just any gold, but a rare specimen! This will give us an edge over other corporations. Osamu, ensure Yuri's safety at all costs. Your own life is secondary, but Yuri must survive. Wait, Yuri... why not evacuate now? You've only just become a Magical Girl; you shouldn't be obligated to fight Anathema yet."

"No." My answer came so swiftly and naturally that I was surprised by it. The notion of abandoning Alice's trio never even came to my mind.

"I suppose that's the expected response of a Magical Girl. Even though you were just contracted yesterday, it seems Zenith made the right choice after all. You used to always choose the safest route, always so cautious. It's a bit late, but better late than never. Yuri, don't die," he looked at me earnestly, and I returned his gaze.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Yes, I won't die." Just then, the door burst open, and Shining Arrow was there.

"Blac... Yuri! Why are you here? Don't sign any contracts yet. You're still new. You need education from the Guardian Command on these matters."

"Well... um... it was just a family matter; we haven't signed any contracts yet," I responded, just as Shining Arrow covered her mouth in surprise, while Sapphire and Red Flame facepalmed at their leader's outburst.

"Greetings. My name is Kageyama. I am Yuri's uncle. I hope my niece has not been any trouble to you. She's very new to this whole Magical Girl situation. It's reassuring to see she has already found such caring friends in her new life," the old man introduced himself warmly, as if the tension earlier was just an illusion.

"Hehe, well, Yuri is our friend now. Please, don't worry! Together, we're invincible!"

"It's comforting to hear Yuri has found such good friends. While most Magical Girls are kind at heart, some can be lacking in manners. We understand this, so rest assured, we don't judge based on that. Regarding our discussion, I'll be straightforward with you. Would you encourage Yuri to evacuate from New Mesa and return to Eden for now? She was contracted just yesterday. It seems premature for her to be fighting Anathema like the rest of you, especially given the discrepancy in rank. While having Yuri contract exclusively with us would undoubtedly benefit us, her familiar, Felicia, has clarified that integrating into the Guardian Command would be in Yuri's best interest. Therefore, she is absolutely free to join the Guardian Command, like any other Magical Girl, without any pressure from us."

"Black Lily has already been a great help to us. We've already discussed that matter among ourselves, but…"

"I will stay. If an evacuation is necessary, we will be the last to leave."

"But won't you just be a hindrance?"

"No, Yuri is incredibly strong. She can hold her own against E-level Anathema! Moreover, she can use shadow clones! She's like a ninja!"

"Well, if we can't convince her and she's not hindering you, then I guess our conversation has concluded. Please, take good care of our Yuri."

"You don't have to ask us twice, old man! She's going to be an amazing Magical Girl! And we'll be right there with her. Don't worry! You should be proud! She is a good Magical Girl!" Red Flame said, pumping his fist. The room suddenly became quiet before Sapphire hit him on the head.

"Alright. I'm signing off. Osamu, John, please look after our Magical Girl, okay?"

"Yes, sir." The screen then turned off.

"Let's go, everyone. We have more usurpation zones to clear." I astral shifted back into the white-haired girl with a black cape. Once we were outside, Sapphire and Red Flame vented their frustration at Alice.

"Shining! What were you thinking?! The Shirayukis wouldn't harass their own family! Now we've made the worst impression! Oh my God, if the commercial with Shirayuki's mobile brand gets canceled, there goes three hundred points down the drain!"

"Sorry!! I was just trying to protect Yuri... That Kageyama seemed so intimidating when we first met him, right?"

"Sorry about that," I turned away, pretending not to hear them. It's common for people to speak ill of important figures all the time. Perhaps that's why no Magical Girl wants to take on leadership roles.

"He seemed nice. Black Lily, do you think your uncle will forgive us?"

I nodded. "Now that he sees you as my teammates, he'll likely be more understanding."

"I see. Thank goodness," Sapphire and Red Flame sighed in relief. Meanwhile, Shining Arrow suddenly stopped and held her ears. Felicia told me someone was talking to her through her familiar.

"Everyone! Let's head to the dock. The reinforcements are arriving. They're anchoring at the western district dock in ten minutes," Shining Arrow announced, and everyone's face lit up instantly.

"They arrived faster than I expected," I murmured. "Wait, how did you know?"

"A message from my friend through the Zenith network just came in. The D rank group, the Quartet Shiny Destroyer, is a friend of ours," Alice explained as we all headed outside to meet our driver. "Everyone has been pushing themselves. Let's welcome them at the dock!"

"Watch out!" gunfire erupted from the wall. We all turned towards the sound simultaneously.

"An Anathema attack?" I wondered.

"Just a small fry. Two or three shots from the silver bullet should be enough," our driver, Le Kwon Yung, remarked. "Their attacks have become more frequent lately."

"It's actually called a silverbane bullet," Felicia corrected him, but only through telepathy to me. Though it was an unnecessary correction, I was more curious about the Anathema's activities.

"Oh, they haven't attacked us at all since yesterday, even though we didn't put up any barrier."

"It's because of the Reality Enforcement Device. Anathema hate it," Felicia materialized and spoke aloud. Alice turned to her. "That doesn't happen in Eden or other sanctuary cities, does it?"

"Anathemas detest the Reality Enforcement Device. However, it doesn't actually harm them. It's akin to cats hating water. They can still pass through if they really want to."

"Why are they doing it now?"

"Anathemas are drawn to signs of life, meaning they're more attracted to the lives inside the Guardian Command than their aversion to the RED."

"That didn't happen in Eden…" I murmured.

"Of course not. Eden is completely covered by the Reality Enforcement Device, with no blind spots. That's why Anathemas usually stay within usurpation zones," Felicia commented.

"Let's go greet our new friends!" Alice exclaimed, and we drove to the western district.

The western district was relatively peaceful, though low-level Anathemas were occasionally seen prowling around, promptly shot by Shining Arrow on sight. This district, primarily consisting of an airport, appeared flat, with no building taller than two floors, except for the prominent air traffic control tower. This contrasted with the residential, commercial, or industrial districts, where apartment buildings occasionally blocked the view.

"There are no usurpation zones here, right?"

"Yeah, they came here from other districts," Shining Arrow replied. "There's the dock. Sometimes it's nice living in a small city. Getting to a supermarket or convenience store when you live in Eden can be a hassle, you know."

In the distance, a ship approached us. Behind it, a blue dome blurred but visible—it was Eden. It seemed close but traveling there from here would take about two days. Again, I was awed by the majesty of Eden, the largest sanctuary city created by Zenith, humanity's last bastion against Anathemas.

Before the ship moored at the pier, four figures leaped from the large ferry. I wanted to question why they needed such a large ferry just to transport fifteen Magical Girls, but I remembered what Kageyama had said about the worst-case scenario of having to evacuate.

"Hello, guys! Shining! Haven't seen you in a while! Give me a hug!" a yellow Magical Girl shouted toward Shining. Shining hopped out of the jeep and greeted them warmly.

"Serene Night! How have you been!"

"Come on, you should visit Eden once in a while. You're Pink, and I'm Yellow. How come I got promoted before you, huh? Work harder; you're a Pink!"

"Hehehe, I got stuck figuring out my battle formation and style. Wasted tons of points testing things out."

"Hello…" Sapphire greeted somewhat awkwardly.

"Yo! Greetings, Senior Serene, Senior Red Hound, and Senior Ocean. Sorry, but I think this is the first time we've met. I'm Red Flame, Senior Green Magical Guardian. Nice to meet you all!"

"Hello, Sapphire! Nice to meet you! Ah, my Junior, Red Flame! Come here, you little rascal! Just four months ago, you were an F rank, and now you're an E rank. Good job! Ah, and here is Magical Guardian Wallbreaker, our tanker, a Green Magical Guardian." Red Hound petted his head. They seemed close, even with the difference in rank.

"Pleased to meet you; I'm Wallbreaker."

"Oh, you have a new member now, huh?"

"Yes, you should consider adding more members too. It's going to get tougher in higher-level usurpation zones without the full team of five. Of course, teamwork is everything. So, if it doesn't suit you, don't force new team members."

"Relax. As for new members, we have one here. Though unofficial, meet our new member, Magical Girl Black Lily!" Shining Arrow introduced me proudly, her voice reaching the new Magical Girls disembarking from the ferry to join their seniors.

"Hello, I'm Magical Girl Black Lily."

Everyone paused and looked at me. Was I that eye-catching?