"Quit the fucking melodrama!" Midori yelled, her voice ringing out through the room. "Out of my way!

My gaze shifted to her, and I realized she had already raised her sword above Spencer's arm.

I felt my stomach turn as Midori brought the blade down on Spencer's arm, slicing through the air with a sharp whistle. There was a sickening crunch of metal against bone as she severed Spencer's right arm cleanly at the elbow in one swift motion.

His face contorted in pain as blood sprayed from his wound, and he fell to the ground. The whole room seemed to fall silent as we all watched in horror as Spencer screamed out in pain and shock before finally lapsing into unconsciousness. His severed arm lay on the floor, still glowing an eerie blue color from where the Facestealer had infected him.

Midori's eyes glowed green as she held a hand over him, and motes of blue light floated from Spencer's entire body into her hand. I watched as the specks of blue light swirled around in her hand, and she closed her eyes in concentration, absorbing it into herself.

"Talia! Mend his arm! Now!" Midori ordered, her voice was a low, desperate snarl.

"Right!" Talia responded without hesitation.

Talia nodded and knelt beside Spencer, her hand hovering over the stump where his arm had been. With a flash of light, the wound completely sealed shut, smooth dark skin where his arm had been severed.

Midori's eyes began to glow once again, and a blue glow emanated from her body, emanating from her eyes and hands. More motes of light swirled around in the air, surrounding her as she drew the energy toward herself.

The door rattled and shook as more monsters crashed against it. I turned my gaze away from Midori to survey the room. The map on the table had been shredded, and papers were strewn everywhere. I heard a screeching metallic wail as more monsters began to bash at the door. The sound of the barricades outside being torn apart echoed down the hallway.

It was going to give way soon.

"Talia... Ikki... keep him safe," Midori muttered sorrowfully as she reached into a fanny pack on her waist.

I could hear the barricades being torn away as the monsters within the base began to congregate outside the door. The room almost felt like it growing colder.

"Mimi, no," Talia murmured back, her eyes widening. "I know you're trying to save us, but-"

"It's the only way," Midori said firmly, her eyes glinting with determination. "I'm the only one who can get us out of this."

My eyes widened as I saw what she pulled out. It was a small, jade magatama. Midori clutched the magatama, and suddenly, it transformed into a music box.

Its sides were inlaid with intricate swirls of gold and silver, and it sparkled like stars in the night sky. When Midori opened its lid, I could hear the gentle tinkling of bells as it played a beautiful lullaby melody.

The music box glowed a soft, soothing light, and the melody of a lullaby began to play as Midori opened it. It was such a beautiful, peaceful song that I felt my heart swell with emotion.

Midori's gaze shifted back up to us, and she took a deep breath before continuing, "It's time."

Before we could respond, Midori raised her hands above her head, and light erupted from within her body as she chanted an incantation.

"Bound by legacy, from Jimmu-sama's hearth and home,

I embrace my heritage, the strength that has grown.

As thy champion, the heavenly forest, my guide,

A burden, with Amaterasu's grace, I uphold! 

I, Princess Uriko, do solemnly swear upon my blade!

I swear to embrace my forsworn duty of the Chrysanthemum throne.

To protect the hopes and dreams of all.

Transform!"

The room felt like it was spinning as her incantation echoed throughout our surroundings, and Midori's body was enveloped in a sparkling green aura. The music box began to play a different tune, and a bright light erupted from it as it disappeared, and ancient-style eastern straight swords appeared out of thin air.

They rotated around Midori on every side, filling the room entirely with an emerald-green light. They were joined by a few dozen silver spears that appeared around Midori, each hovering in the air.

Midori was haloed in a brilliant golden light with a green core that shimmered across the room. Her waist-length hair seemed to glow with an emerald sheen around her, and she radiated warmth from her body.

The blades and spears swirled around her in a graceful dance, surrounding her in a brilliant green light. An elegant kimono materialized around her body, the fabric shimmering as if made of thousands of tiny diamonds.

However, it was functional — she was a warrior at heart, after all. A melon-colored plated hakama encased her legs, and a dark green obi sash was tied around her waist. A pair of golden gloves and boots made from the same material as the blades formed around her hands and feet, and a form-fitting gold and green samurai armor appeared around her chest and shoulders.

She raised her head, and I saw that Midori's eyes and green were a radiant green, glistening like emeralds. Her face glowed with power and radiant beauty.

Midori's transformation was complete, and Princess Uriko had been reborn. As the light faded and the music died away, she stood in the center of the room, a majestic figure with a blazing aura of power emanating from her body.

Her swords materialized into beautiful golden blades, subtly curved and sharpened to a thin edge. A thin stream of emerald light churned around the blade, and I could tell the power behind these swords would be devastating.

The blades and spears began to swirl around her rapidly once more, and she raised her hands above her head.

Suddenly, the door broke off its hinges, and a zombie stumbled into the room. It was a man dressed in tattered clothing, his left arm completely missing. His skin was covered in bloody sores, and his face was twisted into a look of pure fury. He wore a pair of mirrored aviator glasses, and my breath hitched in my throat as I saw the dark blue ring around his left eye.

Princess Uriko barely acknowledged him as she swatted him away like a fly with a backhand, and the zombie was hurled into the wall. He exploded into a mess of guts and gore as he crashed into the wall, letting out a dying groan as the light left his eyes.

Several more zombies barged into the room, and Uriko knocked them all down effortlessly. With a blazing flash of green light from her sword, a blade of wind swept through the air, and the zombies were bisected where they stood.

Uriko suddenly buckled in pain. Her body began to shake, and ripples of green and purple light ran across her form.

"Midori!" Talia cried out in alarm.

"I'm f-fine. It's just been a while since I've transformed..." Uriko gasped, her chest heaving as she forced out the words. 

I followed her as she stood tall and marched out of the control room into the hallway. Dozens of faceless 'humans,' zombies, and... other things were pouring into the hallway, drawn to the light in the control room.

Green and golden light erupted in every direction as her swords and spears carved through the air. Her movements were swift, graceful, and stunning.

I watched as she unleashed a torrent of destruction upon the creatures before me. Facestealers, zombies, and some dog-like Chaos Beasts with lamprey-like heads were cut down like wheat in a field.

She moved with elegant grace as she danced about the room, moving from enemy to enemy as she unleashed her fury. I watched as she cut through a dozen faceless, slicing off their limbs and heads, and impaled a zombie on the end of her spear at the end of the sequence.

I could feel my heart racing faster as I watched her. I could feel the heat burning within my chest intensify as I watched her fight these monsters.

She was beautiful, elegant, and magnificent.

Princess Uriko was spectacular. Her movements were like a dance; I'd never seen anyone move or fight like that. Her swords and spears were blurs as they cut through her enemies effortlessly. 

This was what hope felt like, I realized, in a daze.

Her eyes burned with the desire to protect, and her swords sang with the hope of salvation.

A deafening roar suddenly tore through the room, and my eyes widened as a new figure came into view.

A massive behemoth of a man stood at the entrance hallway door, blue flames radiating from him. His muscles were bulging, and his veins bulged out of his skin. His face was twisted into a sneer, and his teeth were filed into sharp points. His eyes were full of rage, and I could see the maddened fury in them as his eyes burned blue. It was one of the silent soldiers at the entrance who'd mutated into something terrible.

Wordlessly, Princess Uriko materialized a ball of green light in her hands. She folded her swords and spears back into a rotating cylinder in front of her. The swords and spears merged into a beautiful green blade light that shimmered with a soft, golden hue.

She raised her blade over her head and shouted, "Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi! Descend!"

The green light above her hands faded, and a long, beautiful dai-katana materialized in her hands. The blade glowed with a faint shimmer, with thousands upon thousands of kanji inscribed along the edge. It was a masterfully crafted, elegant weapon.

I barely had time to blink as she swung the blade down with a blinding flash of light, and with a thunderous boom, a crack of solid wind cleaved through the air.

The behemoth uttered a strangled cry as the wind cleaved through its chest and exploded into blood and guts.

Uriko's dance of death continued as she slashed through the monsters with her blade, cutting through zombies and facestealers as if they were made of butter. The swords and spears around her constantly shifted into different weapons, and she moved with a grace that I'd never seen in my life.

Every swing, every movement, every step, every motion was efficient and deadly. She moved like water and danced her way through the horde of monsters. I could only watch in shock. What I was witnessing was unbelievable.

Her movements were completely effortless, and her sword seemed to have a mind of its own. In just a minute, the shelter had been completely cleared of monsters.

Princess Uriko stood at the center of the room, panting heavily. Her body suddenly began to glow violently with blue and purple crackling electricity, and she collapsed to her knees.

I swore I could hear her teeth grinding.

"Midori!" Talia cried out, rushing to her side.

"Don't worry. I'm fine." Midori said, her body twitching as the energy ran through her.

"You're not! You just took on a horde of monsters by yourself! Please. Revert right now," Talia pleaded with her.

"Fine, spoilsport," Midori groaned, a weary smile on her face.

Talia, Midori, and I watched as a bright flash of light enveloped Midori. She screamed as the light washed over her, and then it was all over.

Princess Uriko was gone, and Midori was lying on the floor of the large central area of the shelter, breathing heavily.

I looked around to take in the silent carnage around us. The stench of death and decay filled the air, and the main floor was covered in the flesh and guts of the monsters.

"Midori!" Talia shouted as she rushed over to her. She helped Midori to her feet and held her close, looking her over worriedly.

"I'm fine," Midori said, her voice hoarse as she rubbed her temples in pain. "Need rest... now."

"Good," Talia said, kissing her forehead. Midori blushed and smiled as Talia held her tight in a hug.

I stared at the two silently for a moment before I realized that I was still standing in the middle of the room. I suddenly began to feel very uncomfortable, as if I were intruding on something private.

I rushed back into the control center to check in on Spencer, who was still unconscious on the floor. His breathing was shallow.

A sudden headache overtook me, and I could feel a surge of emotion coming out of nowhere. I rapidly felt myself becoming a mess as an overwhelming sense of dread overtook me.

But I took a deep breath as I looked over Spencer's prone form, and I made up my mind. We'd stay here for now. It was the safest place we could be. The air outside stank to high heaven, but I was sure that the streets were absolutely crawling with monsters. It was better to stay inside, where we could be protected and regain our bearings.

Raiju, are you there? I thought out loud. It felt like a shift had just happened, and it was worth a try.

I reached out mentally to the mysterious AI that had remained silent the entire time. I didn't even know if she was still around anymore, but I had to try.

There was no response. I tossed out a few more lines of thought, desperately trying to get Raiju to respond to no avail.

I couldn't help but feel... disappointed.

With a sigh, I threw myself into the chair and started flipping through the screens full of street cameras, trying to take my mind off it.

I needed to focus on the situation at hand. There were a lot of unanswered questions for me, especially, but our survival took first priority. Now that we had a shelter to an extent, I could worry about Dad, Izumi, and... Natasha.

 

Natasha.

 

She was still out there, probably alone. She was most likely still in the volunteers' dorm building, locked up in a room somewhere. I had no idea where she was, and I had no idea what I would do.

My fingers lingered on my phone, and I remembered she'd given me her Earth number. With a deep breath, I picked up my phone and dialed her number. It was only a brief moment of hesitation before I pressed the 'call' button.

The only sound that filled the air was the ringing of the phone.

 

I tried again.

 

Still no answer.

 

I tried again and again, but there was no answer.

 

With a sigh, I set the phone down and held my head in my hands.

 

Calm down, Ikki.

 

Check on Izumi. Check on Dad.

 

Take care of Spencer.

 

Check on everyone else. Keep everyone safe.

 

I'll check on her again when I can.

 

I repeated these words to myself as I flipped through my phone. I repeated these words to myself as I flipped through my phone. My sister Izumi had flooded my phone with texts and calls over the last hour in increasing agitation.

 

"Are you alright?"

 

"Please answer mE!"

 

"I love you!"

 

She must have been freaking out, and I was here thumbing through my phone. I needed to call her back.

 

I dialed her number, only to be greeted with silence.

 

No response.

 

I called Dad.

 

Nothing.

 

My heart sank as I closed the phone and sat it on the table with a heavy sigh. I felt completely helpless and alone, but I knew that things could be worse. We were still alive, and we had each other. I just needed to stay strong for everyone else in this situation.

Spinning around, I checked on the cameras surrounding the shelter. Aside from the main entrance, I could see zombies crawling around the perimeter of the fence.

My eyes continued to scan the screens, watching the zombies outside, wondering what they were thinking in their broken minds. Were they smart enough to realize it was better to stay away from us, or were they mindlessly roaming the streets, searching for prey?

A sharp pain suddenly jolted through my head again, and I clutched my head, groaning as my breathing quickened. 

 

"Ikazuchi," Raiju's voice suddenly said out of nowhere.

 

I flailed in surprise, falling right out of my chair. I stared up at a familiar floating orb.

"Don't scare me like that!" I groaned, rubbing the back of my neck.

 

"Apologies," Raiju said.

 

"What happened to you? Where were you this entire time?" I asked, sighing in relief and comfort.

 

"All systems were immediately occupied diverting the psionic assault upon you. Your stress factors were also being actively spread across distributed cognitive networks."

 

"A heads up would've been nice," I said, crossing my arms.

 

The orb almost seemed to sulk for a second before responding.

 

"Prioritization of operating functions," Raiju said.

 

"Still, I thought you'd abandoned me entirely or that something more sinister was going on."

 

"Rationale: in times of duress, preemptive action is necessary."

 

"So you were too busy to answer me while we were getting attacked by monsters?"

 

The orb paused again.

 

"Affirmative. All functions were diverted to your safety."

 

"You were watching over me the whole time?"

 

"Affirmative."

 

"You know what, forget about it. I'm just glad to have you back," I said.

 

"...Affirmative."

 

"Anyway, can you scan the city and find my sister Izumi and my father? I need to know they're safe," I said. "It's driving me nuts."

 

"Query: Izumi and father are safe?"

 

I sighed. "Yes."

 

"Scanning city CCTV systems," Raiju said, its orb suddenly shifting color as it scanned the city. After a few seconds, it shifted colors again and spoke.

 

"Solution: Izumi is embroiled in the central court of Sector C battling as Magical Girl Underworld Maiden. Father remains in Sector A within the shelter. Your location is currently classified as Sector C. The majority of the city's buildings have been emptied."

 

"The majority? What about the shelters? Are they empty too?"

 

"Negative. Shelter A is currently at full occupancy. Shelter B is currently at half occupancy. Shelter C has four living occupants. Shelter D is at half occupancy. Shelter E is at-"

 

"Nevermind. I don't need to know that much," I said, cutting Raiju off. "You're saying Izumi is nearby?!"

 

"Affirmative. Multiple registered Magical Girls are currently fighting the Aberrations at the center of Sector C. Independent Magical Girl Underworld Maiden has sustained a number of lacerations and hematomas, but her injuries are non-critical."

 

My sister was out there, battling against those monsters.

Was she here because of me?! My heart sank at the thought. I couldn't bear the idea of Izumi getting hurt because of me. 

I sprang out of my seat and rushed outside, only to nearly bump straight into Talia and Midori, who was coming in.

"Woah!" Talia said as I stopped myself short. I immediately began to brush past her when she caught my sleeve. "Where do you think you're going?"

Midori looked sickly pale and looked like she was on the verge of vomiting. She dragged her feet into the room and fell against a wall, breathing heavily.

"My sister...Izumi's. Izumi's out there fighting her way over!" I said, gritting my teeth and pulling my arm away.

"Ikki, hey!" I jolted in surprise as I felt Talia catch my other arm.

She looked me directly in the eyes and gave me a severe look. "If you run out there and do anything rash, you'll only get yourself killed, and there's no way we're letting that happen."

"But," I started, only to be cut off.

"Midori and Spencer are out of commission right now. We can't afford to lose anyone else. Think about that, Ikki. You're not going to do any good by running out there and getting yourself killed. Think about what we need to do here."

I closed my eyes for a few seconds and took a deep breath.

I knew where she was coming from - but the urge to help my sister was too strong. I had no idea what she was up against and if she needed help out there.

But Talia was right. I needed to cool my head and think strategically.

"What do you suggest?" I asked finally, opening my eyes.

Suddenly, I heard a voice in my head. It was soft yet firm as it echoed in my mind.

"Activating strategic oversight protocols."