While Brian and I waited at the bottom of the stairwell, I tried to steady my breathing. Sweating profusely, I held the umbra and peered out through the crack in the slightly open door, waiting for Selina to come back from the first floor.

So far, the program is progressing well. After Serena gave me basic gun safety training, she let me practice loading, aiming, and shooting stance. It miraculously helped my hands stop shaking, but I still felt nervous even when I was holding the gun.

After all, Sele

e helped me make a plan. The only real option we had was to go to another shelter, and the large shelter on the ground floor was the shortest path and the best for our safety. Large shelters are staffed with specialized staff, as they can accommodate not only the inhabitants of the buildings in which they are located, but also people coming in from the street. In other words, the chances of an emergency shield activating are much lower when a professional handler is in charge.

Unless, of course, they have a real reason to activate it.

After Selina and I came up with the plan, it was surprisingly easy to convince Brian. When he saw the gun I "found" in the studio, his eyes widened, excited rather than scared. I guess from his point of view, I've already chopped one down with just one ice axe, and now I have a gun that makes things even less scary. Even as we walked out of the security room, he only became more hesitant.

We made a quick stop in front of the shelter and asked me to mimic our plan to the surveillance cameras. Céline told me that when the emergency shield is activated, the audio is cut off, as some high-level cursers can use sound attacks. I kept the pistol in my backpack and Selina was in charge of surveillance because I didn't want Lily and anyone else who might be watching asking questions.

I also made sure to let Lily know that I didn't blame her. The initial feeling of betrayal quickly turned into guilt and apprehension that weighed heavily on my heart. Lily won't let anyone activate the shield, I know better than that. No, it is likely that someone took things into their own hands and did not give her a choice. I just hope she's okay and hasn't done any stupid retaliation. It's not worth it for her injury...... At least not worth it for me.

[So far, the road is clear.] Serena said as she suddenly appeared in the hallway.

I nodded, looked back at Brian, and let my thoughts take my mind off Lily. He looked a little shaky, so I smiled at him quickly, and he responded to me. My free hand reached into the pocket of my suit jacket and comforted myself that the spare magazines for my gun were securely fastened to the sides. After taking a deep breath to calm myself, I opened the door and motioned for him to follow me into the hallway.

The ground floor building is more like a standard modern shopping mall, with all-glass storefronts and white tiled floors. As for the layout, it is much like the third floor, with a large circular area in the center surrounded by a labyrinth of corridors. There is also a wide path that leads directly from the central area to the main entrance, allowing anyone who might be out of the street to reach directly to the entrance to the shelter in the middle.

I scanned the area and pointed the muzzle of my gun slightly down at the floor, looking for movement. It's hard to see anything between all the signs, the reflections, the ads, and the glass. Dim red emergency lights didn't help either. I followed Selina as she ran across the hall and turned. My movements slowed down, and I checked the windows of each store before passing by to make sure Selina hadn't missed any extra acts of secrecy.

We continued like this, with Brian five paces behind me and Serena looking ahead. Progress is slow and painfully intense. I found myself jumping several times because of the reflection of myself moving in the window. I constantly struggled to free my hands from the rigidity of holding my gun.

The worst part is the noise. There was silence in the mall, save for the sound of our footsteps and breathing. It makes my heartbeat feel extra loud in my ears. The creak of each step on the tiled floor made me frown.

We turned corner after corner until Selina finally stopped in front of me.

[There is a cursed dog in front and another FOMORIA retriever.] Defeating it will be a good opportunity to familiarize yourself with your gun. ]

I hesitated for a moment, fear creeping up my throat. The image of its carapace body and lamprey's mouth biting into my stomach made me shudder and breathe faster.

"Are you sure?" I thought to her. "Noise and ...... I don't like to take risks, especially when Brian is here. ”

[Between the mute runes on your weapons and the buildings in the mall, noise won't be an issue.] If you don't take this opportunity to use your gun for the first time, the risk is even greater. Unfamiliarity in real combat can be fatal. ]

I thought for a moment, then glanced back at Brian. It feels as if there are a lot of things that could go wrong. Someone deep inside me screamed, it was a bad idea, just telling Celine to find another way, but......

I'm a magical girl now, I have a gun, and the voice inside me is fear, and I tell myself to always listen, but never command me.

"Okay," I said, and Selina jumped to the end of our hall now, waiting around the corner.

I turned to Brian.

"Well, I need you to wait here for a while." I whispered. "I'm going to get rid of the monsters. It may be loud, but don't panic. If I say run, you hide, okay? ”

He looked at me with big eyes, and for a moment I thought he was going to argue. Instead, he just hugged his doll tightly to his chest and nodded solemnly to me. I was a little surprised by this, but decided to go with the flow and follow Selina to the next intersection, pinning myself around the corner and looking around. I didn't see anything, but the shadow moved over the glass of one of the storefronts.

[Third shop on the right.] It should appear at any time now. Aim for center mass. ]

My throat was a little dry, but I followed Selene's instructions and aimed my eyes at the entrance of the store. When I took the correct aiming stance, the outer ring of the aiming reticle was noticeably reduced in my field of vision. My heart was ringing in my ears and I tried to slow down my breathing. I double-checked to make sure the safety was off and the hammer was pulled back. My hands were sweaty and I readjusted my grip. Then I carefully put my finger on the trigger and waited.

After a while, there was more movement on the reflection of the glass. My breath became shorter as the creature's head left the store, and I forced myself not to pull the trigger in response. As it continued to walk outward, its eyelidless eyes seemed unfocused, completely unaware of me. Slowly, it puts one foot in front of the other.

When it started to exit, I aimed for the center of its body. The creature was almost perpendicular to me and gave me the maximum goal I could ask for. When the reticle passes over the Cursed, it turns from black to red. On my HUD, the outer ring of the reticle that predicts where the bullet is likely to hit is small enough to be fully located in A

Athema's body, theoretically guaranteed hits. I breathed a sigh of relief and focused on my goal and nothing else.

For a moment, fear flashed through me. What if I miss it? What if it moves at the last second? What if I make a mistake as usual? Then it would grab me with its claws and lampred beak, and when it had finished sucking my life......

Then Brian will do.

I pulled the trigger.

The gunfire was as loud as a steel plate cracking, and the recoil hit my grip hard, but nowhere near as loud as I expected. Even though I had expected this, I felt myself jump in surprise, but I forced myself to continue. My aiming reticle expanded briefly, then I adjusted it back to my body, pulling the trigger again and again.

Nothing happened except the vibration and bright flash of the gun in my hand, which briefly interrupted my vision as I fired, and constantly realigned my aim in the brief moments between shots. I shot as fast as I could, and didn't stop until I fired eight rounds at the thing, a "ding" echoing in my head.

[Defeat (Troll Hound - Level 3)]

[Reward: 10 points]

I stared at the motionless corpse of the Cursed, wisps of smoke dragging out of the muzzle of the Shadows. It spread out in front of the store, not even a step from where I initially started firing at it. The black liquid began to slowly spread underneath it.

[Well, it's going well,] Selena's cheerful voice reached my ears. [I'll scout around us to make sure nothing is heard.] Then we can check your performance. ]

Selene vanished from me in a blur. I kept staring at the body of the cursed, looking at it, I didn't dare to breathe. My hands trembled slightly, and I carefully removed my fingers from the trigger, trying to digest what had just happened.

This...... It's a curse. A nightmarish monster feared by humans, it tore my guts the first time I fought it, it killed me, and ......

And I killed so fast that it didn't even have time to react.

A dizzying, slightly hysterical sensation welled up inside me, and I forced myself to laugh as I looked at it with incredulous eyes. I felt my whole body start to tremble, so I put down my gun and retreated behind the corner, leaning against the wall for support. When I started hyperventilating, my breathing started to get too fast, and my heart raced after that. I felt all the fear, anxiety, and helplessness shatter all at once, trembling all over my body.

It's been less than an hour since the first alarm sounded, but it feels like a century. All the hiding, the worries, the planning...... Knowing that if I make a mistake, a child can die because of it.

My life and death struggle with curses, overwhelming primal violence and pain......

Make a plan just to see safe away from me......

Fear, constant fear......

Pure helplessness......

And now, with just a few pulls of the trigger, you can kill a cursed person in seconds.

I exhaled with a shudder and wiped my suddenly moist eyes. It felt like the dam had burst and all the worries and tensions were released. Even though I still feel it inside me, it's no longer like a tightrope wrapped around my heart.

It felt like I could breathe again.

[Are you alright?] Selina asked as she appeared next to me.

"Hmm." I took a breath and choked up. "I'm sorry, I just ...... It's so simple. I almost died the first time, and now ...... I guess that's really just starting to hit me. I'm a magical girl. I can fight them. I can do that. It's just a little ...... Overwhelming. ”

As I regained control of my breathing, Selina tilted her head to look at me for a moment.

[I see," she concluded. [The only advice I can give you is to remember this feeling.] In the face of evil, you are no longer helpless, no longer destined to watch. You've got the power now, Mai Kuroki. The power to fight and protect, the power to change this world and make it safer. It's not always easy and painless, but try to embrace a new appreciation of your abilities. You're a magical girl now, and you're no longer powerless. ]

I took a breath and nodded, letting the emotions subside. As I did so, I made sure to press the magazine release button on the Umbra trigger guard and pulled a full magazine out of my pocket. The action is a bit jerky.

I forced myself off the wall and looked back to see Brian still waiting in the depths of the hallway, hiding behind potted plants. He looked at me with wide eyes and crouched down slightly, looking ready to escape. I gave him a thumbs up and motioned for him to come closer, which he quickly did.

"Have you defeated?" He hurriedly asked in a low voice.

I gave him a gentle smile and nodded, his jaw dropping. I could see the excitement inside him, so I quickly covered my mouth with one finger and made a shush gesture.

"Be quiet and keep going, just like before." I replied in a low voice, still trying to calm myself down. "So they won't notice us, right?"

He nodded hurriedly, but there was still a twinkle in his eyes as he looked at me. I turned around and found Selina waiting for me, and we started moving forward again. We walked through the cursed hallway, and I glanced as we passed. There was a pool of black blood under the alien beagle, but it didn't move.

[Now, talk about your combat performance.] I would say you're doing a pretty good job, especially considering your lack of experience. Your second blow may cause the creature to die from blood loss and catastrophic damage, but the third time it will end its life. When the ball lands, you miss the fourth and seventh shots. It seems to me that your field of vision for reticles and shooting is too narrow. You need to keep your eyes open and look at the big picture, observing the target's movements and the surrounding area. ]

I frowned. With a 75% accuracy rate on immobile targets that are only a few storefronts away, I feel like all the advantages are ...... Very bad. Of course, it was the first time I actually shot a shot, but I still felt like I should have done better. Not to mention, Selina was right, I was completely distracted by the time I pulled the trigger. If I had been a little more careful, I wouldn't have wasted the next five bullets fired at its fallen corpse.

[As for your shooting posture and grip...... I'm not an expert and don't dare to comment too deeply. You seem to jerk the gun slightly every time you pull the trigger, but I think it's because of the unfamiliarity and a bit of apprehension when you first shoot. All in all, it's an excellent performance for your first shot. Congratulations. ]

Hearing such praise made me a little nervous, unsure if I fully agreed.

"Thank you...... But this is already the ideal situation. And...... How did you kill one of them with only three bullets? I killed it, it didn't even notice me, and it didn't have a chance to fight back. The gun really ...... Is it too powerful? ”

[Nope.] It is still a small-scale combat type "curse", designed to reconnoiter and strike light targets. Those who focus on the fight will have a tougher time. Second, while guns allow you to perform powerful attacks within a certain range, you'll also spend points on ammo, which is something that melee or magic users don't have to do. Third, you have to manage your ammo and reload during the battle. Fourth, ranged weapons are more difficult to aim and hit than melee weapons. Finally, ranged weapons will be more difficult to use in close combat. ]

I nodded. I guess that makes sense

Walk through the mall, but something doesn't feel right. We didn't go straight to the center, but kept turning back, bypassing our destination. Of course, this shopping mall is ridiculously large, almost a miniature city.