''Emergences come in all size and threat level. Generally speaking the bigger a town and city is the more dangerous the Emergence end up being. That's why we don't end up sending a lot of Magical Girls to small towns Emergence. They're usually small enough for one or two experienced Magical Girls to deal on their own.''
''However while most people think the threat of an Emergence end once the Reality Usurpation is gone. That couldn't be further from the truth.''
''After an Emergence has happened it may take weeks or even months to get rid of all the Unfeelings that escaped the initial assault. And if we're not careful new Zone Ursurpations may appear and lure unuspecting shmucks in it's labyrinth, never to be seen again...''
An interview with second ranked Magical Girl, Winter Song. -2029
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By the time they had arrived at the cafeteria everyone has had their lunch more than a hour ago. So Rin was left with the reheated leftovers. Despite this she was so hungry that it felt like a five star meal as she devoured her plate like a Ravenous.
''My goodness I didn't think you were that hungry. Do you want more?'' Alicia asked and despite how embarassed she was about her rude display, Rin nodded. Her stomach still protesting with hunger.
[You've just become a Magical Girl. Not only that but you had a good amount of magic arleady drained before I could contract with you. It's only natural that your body is demanding more energy. As a Magical Girl you'll need to get used to eating a lot more than you used to. Magic burn calories like nothing else.] Lupin stated within her mind.
Once she was done with her second plate of spagheti. Rin decided to go back to her room. She considered going outside and join the other Magical Girls in the fight. But she was struggling to find a way to go out without outing herself to the rest of the shelter. And if she wanted to be honest she didn't feel like she had completely recovered from her earlier fight with the Rageless.
As she exited the cafeteria she saw that a crowd of people were huddled around a screen. She saw a flash of yellow on the screen and realized it was a magic arrow fired by a Magical Girl. They were watching the Magical Girls fighting the Unfeelings outside.
She slowly approached to see what was happening but froze when she caught the eye of a familiar woman who was watching the screen with a blank look while holding a glass of wine in her hand. It was Tressa, her mother.
She tried slowly back away, but unfortunately the movement caught her mom's attention and she narrowed her eyes when she saw Rin.
''So you survived.'' Her mom said with a neutral tone.
''H-hi mom.'' Rin replied quietly.
''Tch, you should have died out there, you tranny freak.'' She said before turning back to the television while clenching her fist.
Before she could do anything else Alicia walked up to her mother with rapid angry steps. And to Rin's shock and horror the old woman slapped her mom with a resounding smack. Making everyone turn around to stare at the scene.
''That's no way to treat your daughter! You heartless witch! She could have died today, don't you care about your kid?!'' Rin felt both happy to be called a daughter, but equally horrified to see how angry the words made her mom.
''I don't have a daughter. I just had a freak of a son who liked to play dress up! But he's not mine anymore, he will never be welcomed back in my home again! I've given him too many chances to finally kick off his crossdressing and Magical Girls obsession. I'm not dealing with him anymore!''
Alicia clenched her first. The only reason why she managed to not hit her again is because the woman walked away as soon as she finished delivering her speech. Alicia turned around and her heart clenched at the look Rin had in her eyes.
It wasn't a look of shock or sadness. But a look of resignation as if she had expected this outcome but had hoped otherwise. How could someone who call themselves a mother treat their child this way?
She looked back at the crowd who were still gawking from the spectacle. Alicia frowned. ''The show is over!'' She said while glaring at them. The people had the good sense to turn around and pretend they hadn't heard the drama, least they suffered the wrath of the old woman.
Alicia took took Rin by the shoulder and guided the poor unresponsive girl back to her room. After laying Rin in her bed Alicia left and closed the door behind her. She felt a tightness in her throat as she heard Rin finally letting go and started sobbing on the other side of the door.
She was tempted to go back in and give the poor girl a hug. But she knew she probably wanted to be alone right now and so she left to go back to the public living room where she watched listessly as the Magical Girls turned Unfeelings into dust with extreme prejudice...
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Rin hadn't intended to fall back asleep and felt guilty for wasting so much time sleeping when other Magical Girls were still fighting outside. ''How long was I asleep? Did I skip the whole Emergence?''
[You slept for another two hours. The Magical Girls have cleared most of the town. They're getting ready to destroy the Unfeeling nest and get this Emergence over with.]
''I have to help them!'' Rin shouted lifting herself up from the bed.
[They have this handled Rin. A rookie on her first day wouldn't do much to change the tide of the battle...but if you're still insistant on helping them you should at least get ready and reload your weapons properly. Once the nest is bursted a massive wave of Unfeeling will come crawling out in retalitation and you won't have much time to waste shopping.]
At Lupin's suggestion Rin transformed and started using her points to refill her RPG by buying four rockets and buy more ammo for her submachine gun.
> Rocket Propelled Grenade Ammo x4, 8 Points
> Uzi Extra Ammo x4: 1 point
> Points Remaining: 79
Rin could have and probably should have spent more. But she felt like this would be enough for now. She didn't want to make her point go down as much as it had earlier. You never know when she could need those points for something more urgent. She had heard horror stories about Magical Girls losing an arm or a leg and not having enough points to save it.
''All right...now how am I supposed to get out without anyone noticing there's a Magical Girl in the shelter?''
[...You could always use your Time's Breath spell. It should allow you to bypass everyone without being noticed.]
Rin smacked her face. Why didn't she think of that earlier? She opened the door and stepped out into the hall. Before she arrived in the living room she inhaled and stop breathing. The world turned gray-scaled and she started walking with a purpose.
The people were frozen in time still watching the veterant Magical Girls dealing with the Unfeelings in town. It looked like they had gathered around the fleshy dome she had seen when she had step out of the school.
Rin reached the exit of the shelter. She tried pressing the button but realised that with time stopped there was no one that could open the door. She had wanted to leave completely unnoticed but it looked like that wasn't impossible. She hoped the security guards wouldn't give her too much trouble to convince them to let her go. Rin exhaled and time resumed.
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Back in the security office a small alert rang from the surveillance terminal. Mark raised an eyebrow as he saw a young girl in a pink frilly dress suddenly appear out of nowhere and pressed the buton on the door's terminal to be let out.
''Look like our little Magical Girl is anxious for some action.'' Mark stated offhandely. The other two officers rushed to him and stared at the young Magical Girl in something akin to awe.
''So I was right, that boy is a Magical Girl.'' Jenna said with a triumphant look.
''And apparently he's transgender too just as you suspected Mark. A few hours ago there was an argument with the apparent mother of the boy-er girl? Apparently the mother disowned her for 'crossdressing' at home.'' Steven said his lip curled down.
Jenna smile dimmed down at that news. ''That's horrible, we're lucky the girl is still willing to fight for us after facing such an injustice.''
''So do we let her out? We're not supposed to let any civilians out of the shelter until the Emergence is over.'' Steven said.
Mark shook his head and sighed. ''She's not a civilian, she's a Magical Girl. Legally speaking she outrank all of us. So if she want to get out, there's not much we can do as her subordinates.''
''A middle school first grader is higher in rank than us? Sometime I forget how messed up the Magical Girl system is.'' Steven said with a frown.
''Messed up or not, we can't disobey our superiors.'' And with a sigh he pulled the lever to open the door. With a hiss the door slid open and the young Magical Girl step outside with a resolute expression on her face...
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As she step outside the shelter and the reinforced door closed behind her Rin could feel a faint buzzing sensation permeating her body. She didn't know why her body felt this way. But she instinctively knew that whatever it was she felt, it was powerful.
[You're feeling the residues of the magic left behind by the fights of the other Magical Girls. This is how powerful magic feel to someone attuned to it.] Lupin helpfully explained.
Rin gulped, now that she could feel how powerful their magic was she tought maybe Lupin had a point. What could she possibly do to help them if their difference in power was so great?
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
[It's a bit too late to turn back now. Just go see them and do as you're told and you should be fine. Most Magical Girls are happy to guide new girls.]
Rin nodded nervously and made her way toward where she had seen the Unfeeling nest. She could feel the hum of magic getting stronger and stronger the more she approached.
Finally the fleshy disgusting dome-like structure she had seen earlier in the day came into view. And standing in front of it was a group of two Magical Girls. Rin nervously hid behind a wall to observe them as they seemed to be discussing strategy.
[What are you doing Rin? You came here to help them, why are you hiding from them?] Lupin asked in a confused tone.
But there was no way she could just go there and just offer her service. They seemed so strong. What could a complete noob like her offer them? She knew coming here was a bad idea. But she had wanted to be able to help and now-
''Whoever is hiding back there come out! Otherwise I'm going to assume you're an Unfeeling and blow you up!'' A girl with fiery red hair yelled in Rin's direction.
''Moruga! It could just be a scared civilian seeking help!'' Another girl with a yellow dress and brown hair tied in a ponytail hair scolded her.
''If they're civilians they shouldn't be scared to approach us. I don't want to have an Unfeeling stab us in the back.'' Moruga replied with a scowl.
Rin gulped nervously at the prospect of revealing herself. But she decided she would rather not risk the prospect of being blown up by the feisty Magical Girl.
So she step out from behind the wall and tried to not fidget too much as the two girls stared at her with varying looks of surprise. Both of them looked like teenagers. But Rin knew that appearance could be deceiving when it came to Magical Girls. Even the ones who had contracted thirty years ago looked no older than eighteen.
''A Magical Girl?!'' The one in the yellow dressed exclaimed incredulously.
''And a really new one at that. She still has the starting outfit.'' Moruga said with an amused smirk.
'Starting outfit?' Rin tought confused.
[Ah yes, the dress you're wearing is a standard beginner outfit that most Magical Girls start with. You can change your outfit to your liking later. But I was waiting for the Emergence to be over to broach the subject. I did not think I should worry you too much about image and branding during a crisis.]
Rin mentally scoffed at his words. 'And yet you've argued against me buying guns multiple times because of 'branding'.
[...Touché.]
Rin was now standing right in front of the two much more experienced Magical Girls and was trying to not shrink too much from their attention.
The one in the yellow dress smiled gently down at Rin. ''Hello there, we didn't expect to get any reinforcement. I assume this is your town? Then you're welcome to help us retake it.''
''Really? Do we really have to babysit the new girl? She'll probably slow us down.'' Moruga said, putting both hands behind her head with an annoyed look. Rin winced at her words. She knew she wasn't exactly wrong, but it hurt to be told so bluntly.
''Moruga! That's no way to treat a fellow Magical Girl. Beside guiding new girls is part of our duty and will give us a good quest reward.'' She turned back to Rin and smiled apologetically. ''Sorry about her, she's never been much of a team player except when it come to me. I'm Pomelo and this is Moruga. Do you have a Magical Girl name yet?''
Rin tried to think quickly. She could just say she had no name yet. But that didn't sit well with her after they took the time to introduced themselves to her. But what name could she take? It had to do with something with her powers, or maybe her appearance. Some Magical Girls even named themselves based on their Familiar.
Well her main ability was to stop time. Maybe Magical Girl Stop Watch? Nah too boring and on the nose, she wanted something related to time but not be too obvious about it. Wait that's it! ''I'm M-Millenium! Magical Girl Millennium!''
[...Normally I would be against choosing a name on such a whim. But that's actually a pretty good alias.]
Pomelo smiled at her in approval while Moruga smirked in amusement. ''Alright then Millie.'' Rin spluttered at the immediate nickname from Moruga. ''Here's the plan, I'm going to burst open that nest like the disgusting egg it's trying to pretend to be. Once I do that a bunch of Unfeelings will come out to play. Me and Pomelo can handle all of them on our own. But since you're here you can assist us taking down the small fries. Just don't be a dumbass and put yourself in danger. I would rather not waste time having to save your ass when I could be crushing some alien freaks instead.''
Pomelo rolled her eyes at her partner. ''Moruga is as tactless as ever. But she has a point. Please don't charge at the enemies unless we tell you to. If you have a ranged weapon it would be better for you to stay back and just attack the Unfeelings from behind us while we deal with the bulk of them.''
Rin nodded. Most of her weapons were ranged weapons anyway. She only tend to use her sword when the enemies had come too close to her.
Moruga slammed both of her fist together with a grin. ''Alright let's get this show on the road then!'' Without warning a giant hammer materialized in Moruga's hands. It was bright red and was bigger than Rin's entire body. Moruga was holding it like it was a simple toy. Just how strong could Magical Girls be?
''Alright Pomelo give me a boost!'' Moruga yelled out.
Pomelo raised her hand and closed her eyes before a magic circle started glowing underneath her feet. ''Auctus Saltus!''
Moruga's body started glowing with a yellow sheen. Then she tensed her legs and leap. Rin yelped as the resulting jump created a shock wave that nearly sent her tumbling to the ground.
Rin looked up and her eyes widened in shock as Moruga was now easily above five hundred meters in the air. When she was above the Unfeeling nest. Her hammer started glowing red and she yelled. ''Igneus Meteorum!''
Moruga's hammer was engulfed in flames. As she fell down toward the nest like a heavy rock she swung her hammer and the sky was set ablaze. Rin could feel the heat all the way down where she was standing from the impact.
The Unfeeling nest bursted like a ripe fruit and she could see a copious amount of smoke coming out from the hole where Moruga had fallen in.
A voice suddenly came to life in the walkie talkie that Rin hadn't even noticed Pomelo was carrying. ''Alright! I killed the Queenless and I think I burned at least half of those fuckers. But the rest of them are coming your way, get ready!''
Just as she finished speaking they saw dozens of Unfeelings bursting throught from the fleshy walls of the nest. Rin had almost expected them to be angry to have their nest attacked but they looked just as blank and emotionless as ever which was almost worse.
Pretty much all the Unfeelings she had encountered on her way to the shelter were there. Ravenous, Merciless, Honorless and much to her horror there were three Rageless charging at them. The only one missing were Emotionless, which made sense since Emotionless were made from drained humans and as far as she knew, they couldn't be spawned in Unfeelings nests.
Pomelo expression twisted into a determined frown and suddenly a giant bow appeared in her hands. She pulled the string of the bow which confused Rin at first because she had not put an arrow in it. But then a bolt of yellow magic in the form of an arrow appeared in her bow.
To Rin's confusin instead of aiming at the advancing Unfeelings she aimed straight up at the sky. ''Pluvia Sagittae!'' Pomello yelled and the arrow suddenly tripled in size before she let go of the string and sent the arrow of magic fly into the sky.
Once it was a hundred meter high. The arrow exploded and Rin could only watched in awe as hundred of magic bolts rained from the skies and skewered the advancing Unfeeling horde. Most of the Ravenous and merciless were instantly killed and the Honorless and Rageless staggered as they were pelted by dozens of magic arrows.
'Remind me to never diss bows again.' Rin tought with her mouth wide opened.
[Noted] Lupin's voice sounded incredibly smug, which she might have been annoyed with if she wasn't so busy gawking.
However she snapped out of her awe once she saw that the Honorless and Rageless had resumed their charge. She didn't know what she could do against the Rageless, it had been incredibly hard to kill just one even after pelting it with explosive rockets. But the Honorless she could probably handle.
''I'l take care of the Honorless!'' Rin said before summing her anti material magic rifle. Pomelo seemed surprised at her choice of weapons but quickly got over it and nodded before pulling on the string of her bow and producing another magic arrow. ''Penetrabilior offa!'' The arrow was covered in a glowing white sheen before Pomelo released the string.
The arrow hit the closest Rageless and the arrow sliced throught it chest like butter. It collapsed on the ground and turned to dust.
Rin couldn't believe the older Magical Girl had dealt with one of those monsters in a single shot. But that was what separated rookies like her to veterants.
Rin focused on her own fight and aimed her sniper at one of the knights who was slowly advancing toward them with it's sword raised in the air. She pulled the trigger and the rifle whirred to life before spatting out a beam of magic right in the Honorless chest melting throught most of it's armor. But that wasn't enough to put the Unfeeling down as it continued to advance toward her without even stopping.
It was frustrating how hard to take down these damn knights were. But she would still rather deal with them than the Rageless. She aimed toward the chest again and pulled the trigger. This time the laser of magic tore throught the rest of it's chest and came out on the other side. The Honorless collapsed on the ground and turned into dust.
Her magic rifle started beeping and she could see smoke rising from it. She took aim at another Honorless and repeated the process. This time she tried to aim for the head but she missed the first shot much to her frustration and managed to finish it off with her second shot. However there still two Honorless left.
Her rifle was getting really hot and she could see a lot of smoke coming out from it. But she tried to ignore it and pulled the trigger on another Knight. To her shock her gun beeped in dissaproval and refused to shoot again.
[Your sniper need to cool down before you can use it again.] Lupin said simply with her mind.
Rin cursed, the Honorless were getting closer. Pomelo had dealt with a second Rageless. But the third one had come too close and she had summoned a spear to fight it more directly. One of the Honorless was charging toward older Magical Girl. And Rin was afraid she would be caught offguard by it.
She took a breath and held it in. Time froze around her as the world turned gray. Rin put her magic sniper back inside her soul gem and summoned an RPG. It hadn't been as effective as she had hoped against the Rageless. But hopefully it would be more effective against the Honorless.
She pulled the trigger and almost fell down the ground again. But this time she managed to still hold her breath at least. She disgarded the RPG by throwing it in the air. It sailed for about a meter before turning gray and hanging in midair.
She summoned a second rocket launcher and aimed at the last Honorless. Two rockets might have been enough. But she wanted to make sure to kill them. And so she summoned her two last Rocket launchers and repeated the process once again.
Once she was done she exhaled. Time resumed and the two Unfeeling knights were blasted with twin explosions each.
Unfortunately the sudden sound of explosion was enough to distract Pomello from her fight with the Rageless and the giant ape took that opening to brutally punch the Magical Girl. Rin cried out in fear and concern as the older girl was sent crashing against a tree so hard that the tree splintered and fell down from the impact.
Rin gulped in horror as the Rageless turned it's blank eyes toward her. And started running at her at full speed. Rin ran away and summoned her uzi. She reload the gun and started shooting at the advancing Unfeeling while continuing to run.
Unfortunately the bullets weren't penetrating the hard skin of the beast hard enough and it was barely doing more damage than the stings of a wasp to the giant monster. What's worse was that the Rageless was gaining ground despite it's large size and she wouldn't be able to escape it for long.
Rin was honestly scared to face another one of those things. But she wasn't willing to go down without a fight. And so she dismissed her submachine gun and summoned her sword before taking a fighting stance. If she was going to die here she was going to take that thing down with her.
To her immense relief before it could come down to that. She heard someone yelling and Rin felt hope as she saw Moruga charging toward the beast from behind.
She jumped in the sky and slammed down her hammer right on it's skull. The Rageless fell down on the ground completely stunned. Rin seeing the opportunity charged at the monstrous ape and stabbed it right in the eye. It roared in pain before going slack and turning into dust.
> Unfeelings Slayed!
>
> Honorless x4: 40 points
>
> Rageless: 15 points
>
> Total points: 134
Rin let herself fall on the grass and let out a breath of pure relief. Moruga grinned down at her and gave her a thumbs up. ''You did a good job for a newbie!''
Looking around she saw that the nest had completely burned down since their assault had begun and there was no other Unfeelings in sight.
The sky seemed to flash for a few seconds and the purple mist that had covered the sky since the start of the Emergence finally dissipated leaving an open blue sky and fluffy clouds in it's wake. It was finally over...