"I think I'm going to go for Luminary Shield first," I said finally, making my decision.

My beam and bolt abilities already did the job with the zombies and that faceless monster. I desperately needed something defensive to protect myself and others.

Black Star nodded, "Good choice. It's always better to be safe than sorry."

I closed my eyes and focused on the Luminary Shield option. As I used my skill points to learn it, I felt a surge of energy coursing through me, and suddenly, I just understood how to create one.

Opening my eyes, I extended my hand, creating a light dome around us.

Black Star whistled, twirling a knife in his hand. "Nice one. Let's see how it holds up."

Before I could react, he stabbed straight into the dome with his knife. I gasped, expecting the shield to shatter into pieces, but to my surprise, the blade was deflected harmlessly.

"Wow, it actually worked," I said in disbelief.

Black Star grinned, "You see? You made the right choice."

I smiled, feeling a sense of satisfaction from my decision. I knew there was still a lot more to learn and improve on, but at least I was a bit more useful.

My smile unfortunately turned into a frown as I checked my MP once again. That shield had taken 43 points, dropping me to 8 magic points.

All my [Luminary] abilities seemed extremely MP-hungry, including the shield.

I had twelve points left, so I decided to spend a point to expand my MP pool and a point to heal myself up. I couldn't afford to be without my meager beginner magic during a fight, especially if it was needed to protect myself and others.

That left me with ten points left. I debated whether to spend them on upgrading my existing skills or learning a new one. Having a couple of points for an emergency restoration would come in handy.

I thought about it for a second, and decided to take up the [Aura Sight] skill as well, hoping it would give me an advantage in detecting enemies and threats before they caught us off guard.

As I closed my eyes and focused on learning the new skill, I felt my senses heighten. When I opened them again, I saw everything in a new light - colors were brighter, sounds were clearer, and I could detect a faint red aura around Black Star.

"Whoa, this is amazing," I said, marveling at the sight. "I can actually see your aura!"

Black Star raised an eyebrow, looking surprised. "Really? That's pretty neat. Not many people can do that without years of training. Sheesh, you Magical Knights really are handed a cheat code, huh?"

I laughed, feeling a newfound confidence. "Hey, we have to use every advantage we can get in a situation like this, you know."

Black Star chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I guess you're right, hero girl."

I had 7 skill points left and debated how to spend them. Upgrading my existing Luminary abilities was a good choice since they were already proven to be helpful.

But my thoughts settled on Luminary Conversion, in particular. I decided to use an upgrade since it was my only method of restoring MP in the field. I also wanted to know if it would grant me a new way to combat that blue, corrupting energy apart from yanking it out of people who were infected.

As I focused on the upgrade, I felt a sudden surge of energy coursing through me. I closed my eyes, concentrating on the sensation. I didn't feel any different, but I knew the upgrade would probably rear its head at some point in the field.

"That was intense..." I muttered, feeling slightly drained from the upgrade.

Black Star flipped his knife in his hand, nodding in approval. "Maybe you aren't so useless after all, hero girl."

I scoffed, "I have a name, you know; it's Sienna."

He shrugged, "Yeah, yeah. I'm just messing with you. Anyway, we should keep moving if we want to survive this clusterfuck."

"Where should we even go, though? A Magical Knight outpost, maybe?"

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Black Star scratched his chin, thinking. "It's a possibility, but it could also be crawling with those corrupted monsters along the way. We've gotta be careful, stick to the shadows. Maybe we can scavenge for supplies and find a safe place to hunker down until we figure out our next move. I don't know about you, but I'm starving right now."

My stomach chose that moment to growl loudly, making me blush in embarrassment. Black Star laughed, clapping me on the back.

"Looks like we're both hungry then. Let's find some food and shelter, and regroup. We can plan our next move then," he said, leading the way down the deserted street.

"And thirsty," I added, realizing how parched my throat was from all the running and yelling.

Black Star patted a fanny pack under his windbreaker bag. "I got a couple of water bottles and some protein bars in here. Not exactly a gourmet meal, but it'll keep us going."

I nodded gratefully, accepting the protein bar and water bottle he handed me. We ate silently, our minds filled with thoughts about what to do next. The reality of our situation was beginning to sink in.

We were in the middle of an invasion, with extra-dimensional monsters running rampant. It was horrifying, like something out of a nightmare, and it was all too real.

The narrow alleyway we were in offered a little solace, but the eerie quiet was a constant reminder of the world we were now living in. The city that was once filled with the noises of everyday life was now filled with the distant wail of panic and gunfire.

I finished my protein bar and chugged the remaining water, feeling slightly better. It wasn't much, but it would have to do for now. We finished our meager meal and set off, sticking to the shadows and avoiding any signs of movement or activity. Our only goal was to find a safe place to rest and regroup.

As we moved deeper into the city, the signs of destruction became more apparent - buildings were collapsed, cars overturned, and debris littered the streets. It was a warzone; we were just two teenagers fighting for survival. It was still the middle of the afternoon, but the sky was darkened by thick, ominous clouds that seemed to loom over us menacingly.

Suddenly, Black Star stopped and held up a hand, signaling for me to do the same. He turned his head slightly, listening intently. I could hear it, too - the faint sound of footsteps approaching.

We crouched behind a nearby dumpster, peeking over the edge to see who or what was approaching. As the footsteps grew closer, we could make out the figure of a man limping along the sidewalk.

He was covered in bruises and cuts, his clothes ripped and torn. He looked like he had been through hell and back. The man had dark skin and a firefighter's uniform on, and it was drenched in blood. He clutched a fire axe in one hand and a small bag in the other.

But what caught our attention the most was the fact that he wasn't alone - he was being chased by a large group of those blue-veined zombies.

Black Star motioned for us to stay quiet as we watched the scene unfold. The man was panting heavily, his injured leg slowing him down. The monsters were getting closer, their twisted bodies contorting as they leaped forward.

"We have to help him," I whispered urgently, my heart racing.

Black Star shook his head. "We can't risk it. There's too many of them."

But I couldn't just stand by and watch. I had to do something. I closed my eyes, focusing on my newfound abilities.

I extended my hand towards the man and channeled my energy, creating a wall around the zombies. The monsters slammed into it, their twisted forms bouncing off harmlessly.

The man looked up in surprise, his eyes widening as he saw Black Star and me hiding behind the dumpster. I motioned for him to come closer, and he limped toward us as quickly as he could.

As he reached us, he collapsed against the dumpster, breathing heavily. "Thank you," he gasped. "I thought I was a goner."

I helped him up, trying not to aggravate any of his injuries. "Are you okay? Do you need medical attention?"

He shook his head, wincing in pain. "I'll be fine. My legs cramped up running from those things. I just need a few seconds of rest and some water. Thank you for saving me. Name's umn, Jacob."

Black Star looked skeptical. "What were you doing out here, anyway? There are monsters everywhere."

The man looked offended. "I was just trying to find my wife and son. They're... somewhere nearby. I don't know where, but I had to try."

His aura flared with a sense of desperation and worry. I could tell he was a father who would do anything to protect his child.

"We'll help you find him," I said firmly. "We can't just leave you out here on your own."

Black Star scowled but didn't argue. "Fine, but you're looking for him on your own. We need to find someplace safe first if we're gonna hunt down survivors. We can't just wander around aimlessly like a bunch of assclowns."

I nodded in agreement, turning to the man. "Do you know of any safe places around here? Anywhere we can take shelter?"

The man looked thoughtful for a moment before finally nodding. "I'm a member of the KCFD. The fire department has a station not too far from here. They've fortified it and have a few survivors inside. It's our best bet."

I turned over to look at the wall of amber energy I'd conjured, penning off roughly two dozen zombies, and checked my status. Every couple of hits drained my MP a bit, and I was already down to 407 out of 520. Raising my hand, I fired a beam across the crowd, obliterating them all in one fell swoop. The wall of energy dissipated, and we followed close behind Jacob.

"Oh!" Jacob gaped, turning back to me. "You're a Magical Girl. I'm sorry. I didn't realize. It's an honor."

I shrugged, feeling self-conscious. "I got picked today, so nobody's shown me the ropes yet. I don't even know how to transform."

"I see," Jacob said, a small smile on his face. "Well, it looks like you're a natural at it already. You saved my life just now."

I blushed, not used to receiving compliments apart from Albert's. Black Star rolled his eyes, clearly not impressed.

Black Star interrupted our conversation. "Alright, enough chit-chat. Let's get moving before more of those things show up."

Jacob nodded in understanding. "Let's go then. By the way, I didn't catch your names?"

Black Star and I shared a look before he answered. "I'm Henry, and well, this dweeb is Sienna."

Henry? Was that his real name or a pseudonym?

A sudden, bestial shriek nearby cut through the air, followed by a chorus of roars. We all jumped in surprise, exchanging panicked glances.

"Shit. Run!" Jacob shouted, taking off down the street with us following close behind.