"Mmm, right there... That's the spot."

She brushed her waist-length curly black hair away, shivering and sweating as her companion's hands dug into her shoulder blades.

Her oldest friend seemed to know exactly where to lift and hold, how to press and release, and relieve her aches. It was just what she needed after all the stress and exhaustion of the last couple of weeks.

She gasped as she sank down into the table, arching her back and enjoying the warm sun and cool breeze through the open window.

Her chocolate skin glistened with sweat, and the cool water droplets trailed down her near-naked body, releasing all the tension and anxiety that had been building up inside.

Her teammate continued to work, whispering in her ear, "Feelin' alright there, Tessie?"

"You're a real lifesaver, you know that?" she said, barely able to form words as the tension faded from her body.

"Hey, you deserve it," her girlish, airy voice chuckled, shifting her weight as she adjusted her grip.

Heat emanated from her touch, warming the magical girl's bones and joints and easing her mind. "Can't leave you all coiled up like a spring out here. Can I?"

Tesschuckled, her eyes flashing purple as she looked up at the projection orb hovering overhead in their private little resting area, where several scenes were playing out at once.

She'd accomplished much in her career as a Magical Knight, saving millions of lives in a career that spanned nearly two decades. She was strong, confident, and she'd grown used to the excitement and challenges that came with it.

But the circumstances that had led her to this point had been nothing short of terrifying.

As hard as she had trained. As powerful as she'd become, the horrors that had rained down upon the world a month ago were apocalyptic.

In a short span of two days, entire cities had been emptied, millions upon millions had died, and every second had been a struggle to keep herself and the people immediately around her safe.

No matter how fast, how clever, how powerful she had been, it... just wasn't enough.

But despite the horrors they had faced, the hardships they had endured, and the losses they had suffered, her team was still here.

She shuddered as Emberline traced a finger down her spine, smirking slightly as she chuckled. "Hey, isn't it a little... well, much for you to throw actual monsters at the kids? The simulator droids were already hard enough when we were here."

"Eh, maybe a little," Tess replied with a carefree shrug.

"I mean, I know you trapped a couple hundred of these things when we dropped in over Refuge Gamma, but... is this really necessary?"

The projection in front of her displayed the students scattering throughout the misty plain, separating into groups as they approached the fortifications Eric had prepared for them.

"Ah, don't worry, Kat," Tess said with a smirk. "I know those little scrappers can handle a couple of monsters."

Kat huffed, moving to a table they'd set in the cabin to heat a glass canister of essential oils with her hands. "So, what is this whole thing about, anyway? I thought we were supposed to run an introductory training exercise or something. But you've flat out created some kind of survival game mixed with a blood sport."

Tess didn't respond for a moment, her eyes glowing purple as the scene in front of her swapped, and she caught sight of a pair of students with cat ears and tails trekking through the challenge she'd prepared for them.

"You've heard about the emergency contracts, yeah? The Guardians went nuts offering almost every worthy eight to sixteen year old in trouble a basic contract to save themselves when everything went to shit."

Kat tilted her head curiously. "Well, yeah. That's part of why you pitched your name in the hat, isn't it? Didn't you send your, you know..."

Tess scowled, biting her lip as she tried not to think about the memories that still haunted her.

She thought back to the awful feeling of helplessness as she watched Osmium Titan's enormous hands wrapped around her oldest and closest friend's throat as he bought time for help to arrive.

Mortifera Nox's vitriolic cackling, the tears flowing down her face, and the smell of the scorched earth filled her thoughts. Haru's final, reassuring smile was the worst part.

He had truly believed that he was making the right decision, that his sacrifice would be worth it to save the others. To put his faith into Nightingale Eclipse.

She hadn't truly been 'Tesseract' back then. She was still Euclidia, a journeyman magical girl who had wanted nothing more than to use her abilities to protect people and make the world a better place.

And yet...

She shuddered as Kat gently patted her on the shoulder, placing a soothing palm over her as she heated the oils again.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"I never wanted this life for her, Kat. But that's the way it is now. We can't change the past, and we can't ignore the fact that we need more knights if we're going to stand a chance against this threat. Kaleidoscope is one of the most prestigious Magical Knight Academies, and if we want to rebuild, we need to train the next generation."

"Still, I understand your apprehension," Kat replied, stepping back as she tapped her chin thoughtfully. "You always were a bit of a hardass. You wouldn't throw the kiddos in the grinder for no reason, though, would you?"

"Ah, not quite," Tess smirked. "But getting back to the point. These little woodchippers are being pretty silly, aren't they? The ones who had to get into the academy the traditional way prepared for years, and yet these little darlings come popping out of the woodwork. Now they've developed an us versus them mindset."

Kat shook her head, letting out a sigh. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. We can't have kids who are supposed to work together balkanizing and beating each other up, now can we?"

"So, I thought I'd mix them up a bit, put them in the same team, and see how they do. Sparks will definitely fly, but hey, that's life, isn't it?"

Kat let out a soft chuckle, pouring a dropper of fragrant lavender oil into her hands and rubbing them together.

Tess turned to her side, glancing at her teammate.

It was jarring sometimes to see her youthful, vibrant face, red hair and fiery eyes.

Older magical girls like them would always appear to be at their physical prime when transformed. They weren't immortal, nor did they live for hundreds upon hundreds of years, but they age slower than normal people, and it showed.

Kat had the appearance of a twenty-three to twenty-five year-old woman in a plain black t-shirt and denim shorts, but her real age was somewhere in her forties.

Her luscious, long red hair flowed around her shoulders, and she had a sultry, playful personality that always made Erichthonius flustered. It was easy to forget that she, Tesseract, and Strike formed arguably the strongest knight team in the world.

"Well, I guess we'll have to see how they handle things together," Kat giggled. "If you're so willing to put our precious little kittens in a spot, then I won't stop you, you crazy goose."

"Speaking of kittens," Tess glanced to the side at a red-haired girl with cat ears and gauntlets leading a charge through the forest. "That half of my section is getting along better than I expected, actually. I'm impressed."

Kat snorted, returning to her massage. "Don't get too cozy with this. You'll intervene if something gets too serious, though, right? We wouldn't be proper teachers if we didn't."

Tess hissed as Emberline traced her thumb down her back, digging into a knot by her spine. "Oh, no. I have no plans to play the part of the savior."

Emberline stopped, leaning in closer. "Wait, you're just gonna let them fight it out?"

Tess shrugged, glancing up at her orb. "I have a contingency plan in place, Kat."

Kat grimaced, stepping back and putting her hands on her hips. "You always were too cool for your own good. Let me know if you need me for this too, yeah?"

Tess yawned, giving her a lazy salute. "Yes, ma'am."

She adjusted her weight, reclining back into the table. "I do wonder what Strike came up with for his section. He has a bit of a thing about seeing people self-reflect, that one."

"Oh boy, he's still chasing that angle, huh?"

Tess shrugged. "His heart's in the right place, but maybe a little too into the idea of extreme ownership and accountability for their actions."

"I hope for your own rascal's sake, she has enough stubbornness to withstand whatever surprises he throws at them."

"Yeah... And who knows. Maybe they can even learn a few things from it."

"Let's hope so," Kat nodded. "Let's just stay sharp and keep an eye out in case things get serious."

"Yep, yep," Tess smiled, feeling the warmth and release of tension flowing through her body.

"Now, why don't you join me for a little sauna later, hm?" Kat grinned, turning toward the canister as she adjusted the temperature.

Tesseract licked her lips, flexing her fingers as she watched the students battle and strategize through her orb, a smirk forming across her lips.

"My, my," a new voice chuckled, a bright, deep purr echoing through the air. "What do we have here?"

Tesseract and Emberline reacted instantly, their transformations triggering and summoning their battle regalia with a rush of red and purple energy.

In less than a second, Tesseract had gone from lazing on a massage table to standing to her full height in a fighting stance, her chest and hands shimmering with silver light as a cluster of miniature singularities orbited her clenched fists.

Emberine glowed brightly, and her flaming dress blazed to life around her as she glared in the direction of the noise.

Someone had gotten past the layers of protections and wards that had been laid into the perimeter of her training ground.

She hadn't detected anything, and neither had her tracking equipment or the school's security feed.

Who could have possibly penetrated her defenses so easily?

She turned quickly, and her eyes widened as she caught sight of a black cat sitting by their doorway, its tail curled around itself as it gave her a bemused look. It had golden eyes and wore a golden collar with a large emerald that pulsed with mana.

Emberline stared at the creature, which glowed with magical power. "What the..."

Tesseract relaxed her posture, dispelling her Art. "Bastet."

The creature had a glimmer in its eyes, and its mouth twisted into an unsettling grin.

"Oh, you remembered me! How sweet," Bastet purred.

Her form shifted, growing and transforming into the lithe figure of a dark-skinned young woman wearing a black dress, gold bracelets, and a collar identical to the one the cat had worn.

She had golden eyes and long, silky, wavy black hair that flowed behind her like a cloak, with matching cat ears and a black tail.

"Of course, I didn't mean to interrupt your class, ladies," Bastet said, sitting down in a chair at their side table. "I was just passing through, and I saw your magic signatures flaring. I figured I'd get a front row seat for this exercise you've set up."

Emberline and Tesseract exchanged a glance, their minds racing as they took stock of the situation.

The Guardians had a strict non-intervention policy before the Cataclysm. They facilitated the World System and offered magical contracts to individuals and organizations, but they refrained from interfering with the affairs of cultures or nations.

But the advent of the Cataclysm had forced their hand, and they had mobilized their agents and forces to protect the fragile human civilization and maintain the balance of the world.

To have a high-ranking Guardian like Bastet arrive unannounced and in her cat form was strange to say the least.

"Oh settle down, you two," Bastet smirked. "I haven't come to cause any trouble or intervene in your little drama."

"Then why come, Lady Bastet?" Tess asked, keeping her tone respectful.

Bastet waved her hand, clicking her tongue. "Just bored, that's all. I figured it'd be more entertaining to watch the show live. Plus..."

Her eyes landed on a projection orb, and she leaned forward eagerly.

"Some of my chosen children are participating. They're so cute, aren't they?"

Tesseract followed her gaze, and she couldn't help but chuckle as explosions of orange-red filled half of her viewing mirrors.

Emberline sighed, shaking her head as she looked at Bastet. "Why do I have a terrible feeling about this? What are you plotting?"

Bastet smiled with a golden glint in her eyes, revealing sharpened canines as she purred.

"Well, you'll just have to wait and see."