Chapter 11: Aftermath

Chapter 11: Aftermath

It doesnt feel too bad, I said, gently touching the wound on my calf. One of the wasps had scored a lucky hit while I was fighting, but thankfully it was only a glancing one. The edge of its stinger must have just caught my leg, leaving a long, diagonal cut along my calf through my tights. It didnt feel especially deep, and careful prodding didnt cause much more than just a slight discomfort. The worrying part was how much blood had soaked into my tights around the gash and had spread almost to my foot.

Glancing at my HUD, my health was hovering around 70%. The accompanying body outline, or health map as Selene called it, showed a yellow-orange line along my right ankle, a black spot on my stomach from my first fight, and some faint yellow blotches along the left side of my body where Id fallen. Strangely, pressing on my left side didnt yield any pain either.Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience

Selene hopped next to where I was sitting on the ground. Seeing my confused expression while I pressed against my sides, she cocked her head at me.

[The pain-relief inhaler you took is still in effect for another few hours. Unfortunately, the greater regenerative gum is no longer in effect, so you wont be healing anymore. The laceration on your ankle will continue to bleed and is serious enough to require stitches.]

Oh I should hmm I mumbled to myself.

My thoughts were coming to me in a jumble now that the battle was over. I figured I had at least a little bit before the adrenaline fully drained from my system, owing to the fact that I didnt feel that much safer. Sure I had just killed fourteen Anathema, but I was still in the middle of an Usurpation. There were plenty more around, and more could drop in at virtually any time.

[With nothing left between you and the shelter, I would recommend not purchasing anything to heal it.]

Blinking, I turned to look at Selene questioningly.

[When you enter, the people within will undoubtedly be concerned about your appearance and blood. If you had no visible wounds, it would be highly suspicious, and some might catch onto your status as a Magical Girl.]

With a grimace, I nodded. I was spattered in black droplets of Anathema ichor from the first hound I killed, and everything around my stomach was soaked in my own blood as well. It wasnt incredibly noticeable due to the dark colors of my blazer, but my blouse beneath was dyed deep scarlet. Looking through the small hole through my clothes, I frowned.

Sometime since Id used the emergency clot spray, the weird foam had disappeared, revealing a patch of pink looking skin. Gently, I took my hand and pressed against it. Other than a slight tenderness, there was no pain.

Which made sense.

Because of the pain-relief inhaler.

Right.

I shook my head, trying to clear my head as I forced myself to stand up. I was starting to lose steam, but I still had plenty to do before I was well and truly safe. My legs wobbled slightly, and I forced myself to ignore them as I tried to focus myself.

Okay, I said aloud. First, get back to Brian.

[May I suggest retrieving the ammunition you dropped?] Selene asked. [It would be best to consolidate what few resources we have available.]

Oh. Yeah. Um I trailed off, taking a second to reorient myself. As I tried to get my bearings, glowing arrows made of viridian particles formed along the ground, and I blinked.

[Ive taken the liberty of making waypoints on your HUD. Ive also placed markers on your minimap showing all your empty magazine locations. I would recommend picking them up for now.]

Why? To hide any evidence I might be a Magical Girl? I asked as I started following the arrows.

[Partially. You can also reuse the discarded magazines. Refilling them with ammunition is cheaper than buying individual magazines.]

I nodded as I reached the first spot. There was an X icon on the small, circular map in the top right of my vision, and when I reached it, I found the empty magazine a few moments later. Shrugging off my backpack, I started to place the magazine inside only to stop as I saw the symbol on the metallic black rectangle. Set within a silver circle was a crescent moon, two bunny ears poking off the circle.

Are you trying to work on branding even for my magazines? I asked, vaguely recalling Selene mentioning something about it before.

[Indeed! If you have a different symbol you would prefer, please let me know. Developing your personal brand as a Magical Girl is an important step, and it would be good to start early.]

I shook my head a little as I moved on. It still didnt seem real to me, being a Magical Girl. Sure, I had just fought and defeated a ton of Anathema, but all the realities of what it actually meant, of how my life would be changing it just felt surreal to be thinking about.

But that was something to worry about later. For now, I had to finish my mission.

Collecting the remaining magazines didnt take long, though it was long enough to make me aware of how sweaty I was as the air turned chilly. I took a moment to do some management of my ammunition, consolidating the rounds from my half-empty magazines. In all, I ended up with three full mags, and one with seven bullets left. By the time Id finished, my head was starting to feel clear again. The razor-wire pressure of the situation had fully settled back around my lungs, and I was moving quickly.

Thankfully, getting back to Brian was uneventful, and the door appeared untouched. I knocked on the door firmly, making a little pattern out of it, and waited. After a few movements, the handle clicked, and the door slowly opened. Brian peered through the open crack, a terrified expression on his face that turned to joy and excitement. I gave him a gentle smile, pushing the door open, entering, and closing it behind me after Selene darted inside.

Youre back! Brian exclaimed, almost hopping up and down. Did you fight more of them? How many? Are we leaving soon?

Okay, I said, giving a quick glance back to make sure she was turned around before I started changing. It its probably a little weird to want this when youre kind of stuck in my head, huh?

[Not at all. It is fairly normal for new Guardians to wish for clear and strong boundaries. Though, as a magically constructed artificial intelligence, many human concerns simply dont apply to me. It is more a matter of making you feel comfortable than anything else. Many Guardians tend to let the restrictions relax as they become more used to their Familiar. We can have a talk at a later time about appropriate boundaries if you wish.]

Alright, I agreed, finishing getting my blouse situated a moment later. Making sure my blouse sleeve was pulled over the gauze wrapped around my left forearm, I was surprised it had stayed relatively intact since the beginning of all this. Though, I would have to be extra careful to keep it hidden when I got to the shelter. The last thing I needed was them thinking it was a wound I got from the Anathema and asking more questions.

I gave my discarded blazer a look, now realizing just how grimy and frankly disgusting it was to be putting on something covered in my own blood. Still, it was necessary, so I pulled it back on but left it unbuttoned. Glancing at myself in the mirror, the only thing that really looked out of place was how circular the hole in my blazer was.

I went back to my backpack, opening one of the smaller pouches. I pulled out the pocket knife Lily had given me, wincing as I saw my broken phone lying next to it. It had gotten damaged in my first fight against the hound, something Id discovered when I was first making room in my blazer pockets for my ammunition. I tried to ignore the small flutter of fear that came when I saw the state it was in, and instead opened up the knife and went to work.

With a few creative cuts that took a lot more effort than I was expecting, I managed to make the hole in my blazer less circular. Now, it just looked like a ragged tear, as if something particularly vicious had ripped through it. Damaging my blazer made my heart fall further, knowing it was one of only two I had, but it was already damaged beyond repair. At least, thats what I tried to tell myself.

With that done, I stuffed the knife back into my backpack. After a moment of hesitation, I decided to put my bloodstained shirt into another pocket. Leaving it around to be found later felt weird. Something about the idea of somebody finding it when they were cleaning up the mall after the Usurpation didnt feel right. Besides, if Selene was right about them not looking through my backpack when I got to the shelter, I should be fine.

The gun would probably raise more questions anyway.

So, I said, turning to face Selene as I pulled my backpack back on and picked up my gun from the floor. Anything else before we head out?

[Brian will have to be talked to and convinced not to tell about your firearm.]

I thought about it, then nodded.

That actually might not be too hard. I can tell him it has to be our secret, and I could get in trouble if he tells anyone. I think I can get him not to mention it.

[Indeed. He seems quite enraptured with the idea that you are a secret action hero. Reinforcing that idea should do the trick, and I suspect the action figure you already bribed him with will help buy his silence.]

My cheeks flushed, and I shot her a look. Her tails swished behind her innocently.

Right Do you have any tips on what to do when we get there? How to act?

[I believe you acting as you naturally feel would work the best. Guarded, worried, tense, and generally quiet and unwilling to give details should work. Generally speaking, your usual quiet demeanor should prove effective.]

Wouldnt that be really suspicious? I frowned.

Selene tilted her head at me curiously. [May I inquire what sort of reaction you think they will have?]

Um, my brow furrowed as I thought. I guess paranoid and cautious? Once they see me, I think theyll pull me aside and ask me a lot of questions, wanting to know what happened, how bad the Usurpation is, and anything else I can tell them. Im guessing they wont be happy when I dont give them what they want. Theyll get a little angry and try to intimidate me then. It probably wont be too bad, but I guess that depends on how far they think they can push me.

Selene was quiet for a moment, tails curling downwards slightly.

[Try thinking of it from their perspective,] she said in a weirdly gentle voice. [A young girl has just survived out in an Usurpation for over an hour protecting a child. She is covered in blood and wounded, and none of them can even begin to imagine the traumatic experiences she must have gone through to survive. I expect their reaction will be much different from what you are expecting.]

I looked at her for a bit, then gave a shrug. I didnt really understand what she was trying to say, but I trusted her. It seemed to me that what Id been through was just that: what I had been through. Whatever I might be feeling was for me to deal with on my own, not them, and it didnt really change what they would want to know, or even needed to. Why they might care about anything else was beyond me, but Selene seemed to know what she was talking about.

Okay so just act natural? I asked, failing to hide the edge of disbelief in my voice.

[...Yes. Just be yourself and things should be fine.]

There was something in Selenes subdued tone I couldnt quite decipher, but I decided to just ignore it for now and move on.

Anything else? I asked, putting my hand on the doorknob to leave.

[No. You can store your gun and ammunition inside your backpack at the top of the stairs leading down to the shelter. Keeping the ice axe in your hand should be enough to convince them that it was your main weapon. I will also have to dispel my manifestation before you head down the stairs due to the shelter cameras being able to see me.]

I nodded. The ice axe was still covered in Anathema blood and would look the part. I had forgotten about the shelter cameras, but was glad Selene was on top of it.

Alright, I took a deep breath. Then lets get to the shelter.