Anathema, the calamity that brought our world to its knees. These monsters emerged through rifts in the Earth, an event we termed "usurpation." It began over thirty years ago, thrusting humanity into a desperate fight for survival. Armed with guns, tanks, and even nuclear missiles, we fought back. Yet, the very nature of the Anathema proved to be our undoing. Their ability to open rifts anywhere made conventional warfare futile. Despite our efforts, the first and second usurpations cost us millions of lives, both soldiers and civilians alike.

In our darkest hour, when hope seemed lost and despair reigned, the Zenith intervened. They transported seven sanctuary islands to our Earth, offering refuge to the remnants of humanity. These islands, shielded from direct Anathema invasions, provided a crucial buffer. Although Anathema could still penetrate these defenses, it would take them about an hour—a precious window of time for local magical girls or Magical Soldiers to evacuate civilians and prepare defenses. Twenty years later, living in the sanctuary cities, human leaders and corporations initiated the Reconquer Project in places like New Mesa, striving for a return to our lost lands, albeit with mixed success.

"Miss Agathe, may I offer you some assistance?" I approached Miss Agathe, our English teacher, who was struggling under the weight of towering stacks of papers and books obscuring her vision. Despite her clumsiness, her petite stature and kind demeanor had endeared her to the students.

"Oh, Miss Yuri, how thoughtful of you. Please," she responded, grateful for the help. With a practiced, though insincere, smile, I relieved her of half the burden, easing her load.

"Anathema! Kill it!" Shouts from outside the window interrupted the silence. Peering out, I witnessed several boys from our school attacking a black spider the size of a Chihuahua with sticks and kicks. With each strike, black ichor and miasma splattered until the creature lay motionless. Triumphantly, they boasted of becoming heroes who saved humanity from an Anathema.

"Should we report this?" I whispered, disturbed by their treatment of the Anathema. Though Anathema were humanity's foes, the boys' bullying felt unsettling. "The governor mandated reports for any Anathema sighting, right?"

"I'll discuss this with the principal, though he's likely to resist. Discovering an Anathema would mean closing the school for a week for investigations, impacting our studies."

"I understand."

"Let's proceed."

Suddenly, terror-filled screams erupted from the backyard. I scanned the area, only to find the boys who had tormented the smaller Anathema, who was now faced with a much larger spider Anathema. They ran in a desperate attempt to escape, but it was futile. The car-sized spider pounced, capturing one boy and gruesomely devouring his head, sending shivers down my spine.

Another scream, this time from a girl who had witnessed the scene from within the school, pierced the air, followed by a wave of panic-induced screams, throwing everyone into chaos.

With a speed surpassing that of sound, the news swiftly reached the principal, who promptly sounded the alarm, exacerbating the already mounting panic. New Mesa, distinct from sanctuary cities and other frontier cities, was nascent in its development. Incomplete infrastructure meant the absence of shielding stations or barriers, save for a specialized shelter located four or five hundred meters away. Typically, residents wouldn't rush to shelters upon sighting an Anathema; instead, they would call the Magical Soldiers (MS) on their phones and seek hiding spots, hoping to evade the creatures' notice.

"Could those be usurpation rifts?" I murmured upon noticing the black smoke swirling behind the Anathema. Unlike the situation in Eden or other sanctuary cities, there were no preemptive warnings of an Anathema's appearance here.

"Let's run!" Miss Agathe urgently dropped everything she was holding and seized my hand.

"To the parking lot. We can reach the bunker faster by car," I suggested, directing us toward the parking lot. This decision, however, proved ill-fated. Anathema were observed wreaking havoc, overturning bicycles and cars. Hundreds of smaller Anathema spiders were gnawing at the bicycles, rendering them useless. The sight of blood smeared across the scene indicated others had likely perished here as well.

"So many…" Miss Agathe stared in horror. My mind raced for solutions.

"We must head to the gate; we're not safe with so many Anathema nearby."

"Attention! An Anathema has been spotted on the school grounds! This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill. Please proceed to the northern or southern gate. Teachers will guide you to the bunkers. Magical Soldiers are en route," announced the speakers, belatedly warning of the Anathema's presence. Shadowed by a growing sense of panic, I followed Miss Agathe, the urgency apparent in our steps.

Doubt, restlessness, and worry began to haunt me, a revelation that surprised me. I had envisioned myself as someone who would face emergencies emotionlessly, making calm and rational decisions. Yet, in reality, I was a mere hypocrite, harboring a wish for the Anathema to destroy the world but enveloped in fear when confronted with the possibility.

New Mesa is divided into five districts: center, north, south, east, and west. The city was compact in size, spanning roughly only a 5 km radius. In each district, there are at least two bunkers, and they are equipped with minimal Zenith technology.

Our school is situated in the south district, and the nearest bunker is about 500 meters away. Under normal circumstances, this distance would be manageable on foot, but it was long enough for an Anathema to chase some of us down and catch us before we could reach safety.

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As we made our way toward our rendezvous point, gunshots rang out. Soldiers had arrived in their jeep and opened fire. However, the sound seemed distant. Upon reaching the southern gate, we found it deserted, save for some students who eagerly crowded around Miss Agathe upon seeing her. Among them were my friends: Nana, Li Wei, and Camille.

"Miss Agathe! Finally!" they exclaimed in relief. "Let's head to the bunker!"

"But what about the other students?" she inquired.

"We can't wait here! There are Anathema nearby!" the other students urged.

"Alright. Let's go," she conceded. I remained silent, agreeing with the decision. Lingering here when Anathemas roamed the building was not an option.

All of us ran as if our lives depended on it, accompanied by the sounds of glass shattering and gunshots as we fled the school. But it wasn't just our school; homes in the surrounding area were also under siege, as evidenced by the dark miasma swirling through their windows. Wolf-like Anathemas emerged from these houses and ran away, not fleeing from us, but rather joining their comrades battling the Magical Soldiers.

What was usually a ten-minute walk became a desperate two-minute dash. The five-hundred-meter distance to the bunker felt simultaneously close and infinitely far, as if we couldn't move quickly enough. Just around one more corner, and we would be upon the shelter. The speed at which we reached the shelter was astonishing, a testament to the extraordinary strength humans can muster when faced with danger.

However, our hope turned to despair in the blink of an eye as we rounded that corner. The three-story building was encased in a yellow transparent dome, the hallmark of Zenith technology. The five of us could only stare in shock, our eyes reflecting the blankness of our disbelief at the sight of the barricaded shelter.

"Why is the barrier up?" Li Wei asked in confusion.

"We were only a few minutes late. The barrier isn't supposed to be active unless Anathema attacks. And even then, the concrete walls and barbed wire are designed to hold them off for a few minutes," Miss Agathe observed, her gaze fixed on the barrier. It was a harsh reminder of human selfishness. Even in the most secure sanctuary cities with well-equipped bunkers, there were those who would raise the barrier without legitimate cause, leaving others to perish. Now, like expendable pawns, we faced our end, sacrificed so that a few might feel secure.

"We're going to die..." Nana crouched, holding her head in despair. As I looked at the barrier, my mind raced for solutions. People inside were looking out at us through a window, their expressions a mix of pity and helplessness.

"Um... What if we go to my house? My family has an emergency shelter there," I suggested quietly.

"Really? As expected of the Shirayukis! You even have personal bunkers?" Hope rekindled in their eyes.

"It's a small bunker, though. Considering all the maids and butlers, we could only accommodate three or four additional people," I explained. The bunker was intended primarily for my father and me, hence the limited space. "Or would you prefer trying for another bunker?"

"Where is your house? The next bunker is almost 2 kilometers away. We won't make it in time. Besides, they've probably activated their barriers amidst this chaos. Our best bet might be the central command bunker 3km away; they wouldn't activate their barrier over a few random Anathemas."

"My mansion is in the residential area. Let's head there," I proposed. The Shirayukis are among the top ten companies in Eden. Though my father is just a branch director, the main family ensured we had our own personal bunker.

"Alright. It's a kilometer away. Let's move," Miss Agathe decided. "By the way, do you have your ID card? In emergencies, teachers or any adult can access public bunkers. But since it's your personal bunker, I assume my ID won't work?"

"Correct. It won't open with your ID. It requires my ID or my fingerprints."

"May I have your ID card, then? It's standard for bunkers to be operated by adults."

"Sure," I said, handing her my ID card. I trusted my teachers; I was obedient, and they all adored me. I've always been a good kid, reciprocating kindness to everyone. Although some rubbed me the wrong way with their attitudes, it was never with malicious intent. As a good kid, I believed it was best to let the adults handle things.

"I'm going home after this. Why do we have to suffer through this nightmare? I want to be back in Eden!" Camille cried out, on the verge of a panic attack.

"Come on, we have to move!" Liwei and Nana supported Camille, urging her to start moving.

We ran as fast as we could. Being in the archery and naginata martial arts groups, I was accustomed to physical exertion. However, Nana was not, and she soon began to lag behind. I slowed my pace to stay with her. We were now in the residential district, just a few hundred meters from my house. It would be tight, but with careful management, the five of us could stay there for a day or two.

Glancing behind, I noticed a bee-like Anathema flying above us, its stinger as large as an ice pick. Suddenly, its body contorted and launched its stinger towards my friend. Reacting instantly, I tackled her, causing the stinger to pierce through my left calf instead. Blood gushed out, and a shock of pain nearly made me scream, but I restrained myself. Screaming would only attract more Anathemas.

"Yuri-sama!" Nana exclaimed, looking at me with concern, then back at Miss Agathe, Camille, and Liwei, her feet paralyzed by indecision.

I stood up but quickly fell forward as strength deserted my legs. The bee was closing in, demanding a swift decision. "Go! I'll follow you later!" I called out, and she departed without a backward glance.

Taking a different direction than Nana, I headed towards the nearby houses. The bee, having regenerated its stinger, pursued me closely. This time, it aimed directly at my head, but I managed to dodge by ducking, then rolled into a house, letting out a muffled cry of pain as my injured leg hit the floor. It was fortunate that the residents had left their doors open in their haste.

In New Mesa, it was well understood that one should not carry anything to the shelters that could impede one's speed. From hearsay on the internet, I knew that anyone who couldn't keep up would be left behind. This was a policy endorsed by the new governor, in collusion with my father, due to the shelters' lack of equipment. Attempts to procure more equipment had been thwarted by insufficient funding and a scarcity of willing sellers.

Once inside, I hid in a wardrobe as the bee entered, searching. The insect, large as a bulldog, landed and began to follow the blood trail I'd left. I managed to stop the bleeding with some towels found in the room. When the bee investigated the area, revealing its back to me, I seized the opportunity. Springing from my hiding place, I grabbed the bee with one hand and stabbed it with a kitchen knife I had taken from the dining room.

The bee buzzed loudly, struggling to stay airborne under our combined weight. After several stabs, it ceased moving and died, its stinger clattering to the wooden floor. Exhausted, I sat on the bed beside the carcass, catching my breath. My injuries, while painful, were not life-threatening. With some first aid and a tight bandage, I expected it to recover.

"Hello, Miss Yuri," a voice suddenly said. Startled, I nearly screamed, gripping the knife tighter, thinking another threat had appeared. A black cat with golden eyes had spoken, entering through the window with a graceful leap. Despite my initial fear, I realized it posed no danger.

"Will you make a contract?" the cat inquired, its gaze holding a mysterious depth.