“Dr. Holzer, I would really appreciate it if you stopped pointing your weapon at us.”

Liara was doing something that every nerve in her body was telling her to flee from, which was to stare down the Dean of Discipline. Said dean was currently pointing his mana spear at Liara’s party after they had clambered over the makeshift barricade with a no small amount of difficulty due to Talia's wheelchair. The only people who had bothered to help them in the watching crowd in the safe zone were Belle Noblesse and the first year girl from earlier. Everyone else had passively watched, like animals waiting for the storm.

“Perhaps, Paladin, you should do as my Magical Girl says and relent from this foolishness.” Pellas floated in between Dr. Holder and Liara, his central eye taking on a slightly red hue.

Holzer’s bespectacled eyes glanced back and forth between Liara and Pellas until he flourished his mana spear with a twirl and extinguished the construct with the press of an activation stud, sending the tip of the spear and most of its shaft vanishing into the air.

“I recognize and greet you, messenger, but I was only being cautious.”

“The Mylocks?” Liara stepped up beside Pellas and Dr. Holzer nodded.

"Those things kept baying for help with the voices they stole. I silenced them, but when I heard your cry, I had thought more had arrived."

“Why have you not activated the barrier? If something larger than a Mylock comes here, a few chairs are not going to be much of a defense.” Pellas began grilling into Holzer, the older paladin cringed back, but not because he looked afraid. He looked angry.

Thinking about it, Liara was wondering why those Yabanchi had come so close to the safe zone too. Every girl’s first day of orientation always included an explanation of the academy’s safe zones and their barrier system. In the event of an invasion like they were experiencing, powerful mana fields were supposed to be generating spheres of invisible energy that Yabanchi senses were unable to encounter without severe pain. The fields, otherwise, were entirely harmless to humans. It was supposed to be a shelter for the students and staff to wait until help arrived, yet in the small office antespace with no windows, it felt more like a trap than a refuge.

“The barrier’s activation is supposed to be a simple procedure, yet when I arrived to control the scene, I found that it was not operational,” Dr. Holzer’s gaze flickered to the assembly of dozens of students watching them, “The staff are currently fixing that problem now.”

When Liara followed the dean's eyes, she felt like she would faint. Her entire life, she just wanted to be liked by others, and the more people mocked her the more she desired their approval. Now that she was a Magical Girl though, those eyes were bending themselves to her, seeking her strength in this time of trouble. She felt like she wanted nothing more than to fold back in on herself like she normally did.

A soft hand took her own mana reinforced one and squeezed a silent message of hope and dignity. It was Talia of course, a friend who had her back whether she was a Magical Girl or not. A friend who did not want to use Liara for what she could get from her, but leaned against her in their mutual support of one another.

"Perhaps we can take this conversation in your office Dr. Holzer?" Another staff member suggested, an admin woman whom Talia hardly remembered her name. She spoke again, "Belle, would you be a dear and watch the barricade for us?"

“Yes, Ms. Stark.”

That was it, Ms. Stark. She was not a professor or dean like Dr. Holzer, but an executive assistant to the academy president. The kind of woman who gave a polite greeting in the hall when she passed by, but did not stop and ask how your day was. It made sense to Liara that she would start to take control of the situation, so she followed the grey-haired woman into Dr. Holzer’s office, bringing Talia with her.

Dr. Holzer and Pellas came in afterward and the dean pointed at Talia, "Students should not be here. Go back outside with the others."

Talia flushed, but it was Liara who found a spark in her to say to Dr. Holzer, “I’m a student too. Should I go out there?”

The retired paladin looked like he swallowed an apple since his face turned red and he made a choking sound, but Ms. Stark answered the question.

“Of course not Liara, you’re a Magical Girl. What we’re going to discuss here is sensitive information, so I understand the good doctor's concern."

Liara was surprised that this woman who she had hardly exchanged more than a word or two with in the three years she had been attending the academy even knew her name. Yet from the way Ms. Stark’s eyes apprised her with a warm gentle smile underneath, she could tell that memorizing such details came easily to the woman.

“If you think I can handle it,” Liara replied, “then Talia can too.”

Ms. Stark was still smiling, but the warmth left her eyes, a calculation made. "Of course, ma'am, you are the highest in our chain of command."

"She hasn't even been a Magical Girl for an hour," Dr. Holzer started, "and we're going to listen to her?"

"If you don't listen to her, then you should listen to Me," Pellas glowered at Holzer, which seemed to shut the dean up.

“I’m sorry messenger, on behalf of the academy and the president, please forgive us for overstepping ourselves,” Ms. Stark, laid a hand on Dr. Holzer’s shoulder and bowed to Pellas and Liara. Dr. Holzer bowed too, but Liara could see that Ms. Stark exerting some pressure on his shoulder.

“Please, stop. I’m sorry for the inconvenience!" Liara stammered, but Pellas broke in and spoke too. "Your apology is noted and recorded human!" He scuttled by Liara and tilted next to her head, his robot voice whispered, "You are a Magical Girl now Liara. That woman was right, you are the highest ranked here."

The hours of doing flashcards with Talia paid off as Liara’s brain remembered the various ways that the Allied Navy, Conglomerate, and Magical Girl rank structures interacted with one another. In theory, a Magical Girl was outside the civilian conglomerate's command, as the academy staff would be, but Dr. Holzer was a paladin, though an inactive one. That would make him a mid-level officer in the Allied Navy and a deputy-level conglomerate executive like Ms. Stark. But Liara was a Magical Girl and all paladins, no matter how senior, had to respect that authority in absence of a higher one.

“I know, I’m sorry, sorry,” Liara whispered back to Pellas, then she said to Dr. Holzer, “and I know I was just another one of your students before the attack Dr. Holzer, and I still will be when classes start again, but I’d really prefer having my friend here.”

Holzer looked up from his bow, studying Liara, and bowed again, deeper and without being forced by Ms. Stark.

“I apologize too, Miss, Mistress Liara. The reality of our present circumstances is pressing us all beyond the normal call quicker than we would like.”

Liara smiled, feeling like everyone was starting to get along when Talia spoke, “Did the reality of the current situation make you abandon those first years you were touring?”

Silence ruled the air, electric as the looks exchanged between the professor and his pupil, but the wheelchair-bound girl did not look away. Holzer broke the awkwardness with a cough and looked away from Talia and at Ms. Stark, saying, "You may not realize it Ms. Talia, but the responsibility of protecting this safe zone during an attack is mine. My neural implant warned me immediately that something was," he paused and Ms. Stark nodded for him to continue. "Something was wrong with the safe zone barrier."

“What happened,” Liara asked.

Holzer and Stark exchanged a look, one seeking and the other commanding, and with a sigh, Holzer replied, “We believe that the main administration building is siphoning off power to keep its barrier up.”

“Oh no,” Pellas began, “Oh no, no, no, no. Don’t tell me this is some sort of cost-cutting thing. Haven't you heard the horror stories from other safe zones that mess with their generators?"

Ms. Stark struck the desk, “I want to make it clear that it is not the academy’s fault for this failure. To generate fields powerful enough to repel Yabanchi, the school has to utilize a system as powerful and complicated as void ships use when they long jump. Otherwise, they would not be operational due to the Yabanchi mana disruption.”

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Dr. Holzer spread his hands, less defensive than Ms. Stark, “We believe it has something to do with the academy president, Madam Anatova.”

Liara and every student at the academy were familiar with the school's illustrious president. She was a top-ranked Magical Girl before she was permitted to administratively retire to a desk job at the academy. Recalling what Anatova’s specialty was, sparked understanding in Liara’s head.

“Mrs. Anatova was a barrier specialist, her force fields were said to be impenetrable. If she can make a barrier, she can do the opposite too.”

Mr. Holzer nodded, jaw clenched, clearly uncomfortable with where this line of thought was going, but Talia carried it to its conclusion, “Then she’s siphoning power from the safe zone barrier?!”

Dr. Holzer clicked his tongue and sucked air through his teeth, glaring at Talia. Any other day he might have ordered her to silence, but given the circumstances, he tried explaining first, “I had the privilege of serving alongside Madam Anatova in the field. She is a brave and dutiful woman and not one who would shirk her duties or otherwise put her students in danger."

Ms. Stark waved Dr. Holzer down and looked around at everyone, “The president’s bravery or commitment to duty is not the question at the moment. We need to find out why the barriers are not up and the status of the other students and staff on campus.” She looked dead centered at Liara.

“That responsibility is yours.”

The urge to grow small and not be seen, to fly out the door and join the crowd, waiting, passed through Liara in a heartbeat.

Monsters were crawling all over the campus and she was supposed to do something about it?

“But I,” her words stumbled, the memory of the Mylock made her freeze. “But I can’t, I don’t want to.”

Ms. Stark had no sympathy left on her face, whatever fake smile there was in her eyes was replaced with a steely determination that Liara did not feel. Ironically it was Dr. Holzer who looked the more upset between the two of them. She hated seeing those familiar looks. The looks people had been giving her ever since she was adopted by the state all those years ago, pity and indifference.

It made her feel like she was channeling ice mana. Cold, numb, empty.

She remembered that she wasn’t alone in her room, people were watching, so she smiled and forced an embarrassed laugh, "Oh, I'm sorry. I just kind of lost track for a minute. I’m a little overwhelmed with being a Magical Girl.”

No, she wasn't. If anything she felt underwhelmed. A freak with a freak hand and a freak eyeball. She did not feel different, like a new person. Just the same pathetic waste of life that should have been left behind with the others.

A hand of comfort came from the most unlikeliest of places, Dr. Holzer. With his hand on her shoulder, he was still giving her that same pitying look, but he wasn’t staring through her but at her. She had not realized it until then, but her face was damp with tears and Dr. Holzer's eyes seemed to shimmer with the threat of them too.

“Perhaps you don’t know now, Ms. Liara, but you are still the same full measure of potential that we saw in you on Crestline.” He turned to Ms. Stark and said, "I will go. She can stay here and defend the safe zone.”

“No,” Ms. Stark spat immediately, “You need to stay here and protect us!”

"Liara is more than capable of protecting everyone here." Holzer's eyes narrowed behind his glasses, "And of course, you thought so too, why else would you suggest sending her out on her own?"

Ms. Stark glanced at Liara, hesitating in saying what she was really thinking, but that single glance spoke her unsaid answer: she didn’t.

A deep hum, like a growl, caught everyone’s attention and all their eyes went to Pellas, whose eye was just then dimming into a bright red pinpoint.

“If I may suggest, I think that Liara is more than capable of accomplishing this task. She is a Magical Girl after all.”

Ms. Stark nodded, satisfied, and was about to thank Pellas when he said, "I’m not finished, because I don’t think she should go out there alone either. Dr. Holzer should accompany her.”

He looked at Liara and bobbed in deference to her, “It is not that I don’t think you capable, I chose you after all, but you’re still inexperienced. Plus, traveling with Dr. Holzer would give you valuable paladin team experience.”

“You would leave all these students unprotected then, golem?” Ms. Stark was standing, hands planted on the desk like she was talking to a disobedient student, but Pellas seemed unperturbed.

“I think you mean, leave ‘you’ unprotected, and no, you will have dozens of protectors around you.”

Pellas swirled to look at Talia, startling the young woman when he pointed several of his legs at her.

“When Liara killed a Yabanchi earlier, she was not alone. Talia here helped.”

Talia tried scooching down in her chair to be less visible, “I’d hardly call what I did helping.”

"Yet you, and every student in the academy, are not only training in mana combat arts but each one of you has the potential to become a Magical Girl." The golem retracted its legs into its body and floated in the air above their heads, a smug air about it. "In essence Ms. Stark, you are surrounded by trained killers."

For the first time that Liara had heard in the three years she had been going to the academy, she heard Mr. Holzer laugh. Not just a quiet chuckle, but a full-throated laugh that he had to quickly stifle before it got too awkward. Nevertheless, the stodgy paladin looked pleased and was grinning.

“Well said golem, well said!”

Only one person in the room did not seem to like Pellas’ suggestion and she let them know it, “That’s absurd. I can’t ask those students to defend the school.”

“Then I’ll ask them.” Liara was making a bad habit of speaking before thinking, not something she was used to, but the back and forth was wearing her down. Something had to be done.

She strolled past Dr. Holzer and went out of his office into the lobby area. The three dozen or so students who were gathered in there all turned to look at her at once and Liara felt like she immediately regretted her hastiness.

“Gee Gee?”

That old familiar name came whispering from the crowd. She couldn’t tell who said it, but she could see it written on each of their faces. The doubt, the fear, and worst of all, the resentment. Why her? Who is she? What is she going to do? The pressure of every gaze bored into Liara's soul and she was going to buckle like she always did. She tried speaking, but nothing came out when she opened her mouth. Liara's chest tightened and she wanted to turn around and go back into the office. Tell Pellas he was wrong and that Dr. Holzer should go alone. She wanted to be alone.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” a trembling voice said. “We were worried about you."

The freshman girl that they had encountered earlier had spoken and was smiling at Liara. The small student was trembling, obviously terrified, but she still found it in herself to try and encourage Liara when it was obvious that the moment was fleeing from her control. Even then, another voice cracked through the paralyzing fear.

“Hey, shut up, Liara’s trying to say something!”

Belle Noblesse’s voice barked out from the back of the room where she was standing watch on top of the makeshift barricade. The blonde girl spoke with such confidence and authority, hands on hips, that all the others quieted down immediately. Anxiety trembled in her belly and squeezed her heart, but there was Belle’s cocky smile. Not mocking, not demeaning, just trying to encourage. She was not alone.

“Hi everyone,” Liara waved and tried looking back and forth between the attentive eyes of the freshman girl and Belle, all the others were like drops of water slipping down a window on a rainy day. If she did not focus on them, then she would be able to keep her clarity, “You may not know me, but I’m Liara. I’m a senior like most of you, but I’m a Magical Girl now too.” That brought a few excited whispers from some of the others, but for the most part, Liara was still holding their attention.

"The safe zone barrier is not working like it's supposed to and I need to go to the main admin building and find out why. I'm taking Dr. Holzer with me and we'll try to fix it, but we'll be leaving you all behind-“ Liara’s words were cut off by the surge of students shouting over each other. Even Belle’s voice did not fully stop the flow of questions hurtling at Liara.

“Why is the barrier down?”

“Please don’t go!”

“Why can’t we come with you?”

“Why are you leaving us?”

They were crying, desperate for something to hold on to on a day when their whole world was turned upside down. In the maelstrom of demands and pleas, Liara's voice caught in her throat and there was no unjamming it. She was adrift again and alone in a crowded room. She might have cried were it not for Talia sidling up next to her and laying a gentle hand on her arm. Yet there was no gentleness in her voice when she pointed at one of the girls crying the loudest and called her out by name.

“Stephanie, what’s your mana specialization?”

The girl stopped her sobbing when she heard her name and looked at Talia, confused, “Stone.”

“What is the mana art you’ve been practicing?”

“Stone Wall.” Girls were still crying, but some were listening to Talia interrogate Stephanie, wondering where this line of conversation was going.

Talia pointed at another girl, “And you, Jasmine, air, Lung Burst right?”

Before Jasmine could answer, Talia did it to another girl and another and another until she had called out half a dozen of them by name and mana specialization art. The crying had subsided to whimpering now, each woman pondering what Talia was trying to get from all of this.

“You all seem to think that you need Liara or Dr. Holzer to protect yourselves, but you’ve forgotten that you have each other. Each of you are mana-specialized fighters who have been training for years to become Magical Girls and fight Yabanchi," Talia threw up her arms, exasperated, "Well, today’s the day ladies! Liara already killed one and was chosen, who says you are not being watched right now? Sheesh, don’t tell me Belle Noblesse is the only one among you worth a point. I didn’t even know she could look away from a mirror for more than a minute, but there she is standing at the barricade alone."

Belle's face pinched for a moment, confused until realization glittered in her azure eyes. Only Talia and Liara were looking in her direction, but they saw her nod and grin back at them.

“Oh, Talia, you’re welcome to join me up here. I’m sure the girls can help make a ramp for you. You and I should be more than enough. Gives us more chances to become Magical Girls like Liara here.”

Jasmine took the bait, whether she was aware of what they were doing or not, it had the intended effect, “No, I can help too!” The senior girl walked to the barricade and hopped up next to Belle. Another girl jumped on after her and then another. So many of the girls were trying to stand next to the barricade that Belle had to start pushing people off and stomping to make them calm down.

Liara laughed, yet the relief from the built-up tension broke a dam in her that was holding back tears. Talia’s hand found hers again and they walked back into Dr. Holzer’s office. Liara did not know how much of what Talia said was true, but for the first time since this whole invasion started, she was feeling hopeful. Now, there was a mission to plan.