In the command and control room of Arcadia's Guardian Command Spire, the Guardian Queen's gaze quickly swept over the five monitors on her desk, immersed in the information displayed in front of her.

The command room was large, like a theater, with dozens of rows, gently leading to a huge screen that spanned the entire length of the opposite wall. Each row has sleek metal tables with sharp corners of computers, monitors, and other magical technology devices. The lights are dim, replaced by the brightness of the monitors of hundreds of operators who are working to save Arcadia from an unprecedented curse.

For Magical Guardian Operators, there's just more responsibility and work to do.

He sighed when an alert popped up on the screen and quickly clicked the button to activate the privacy area around the workstation. He's the lead operator of a team of 10 other people, and he places his desk in a row above them and makes room for him and the rest of the team leaders, but he still enjoys using the noise-canceling energy shield to help him focus while working. Had to answer the phone. The field itself looked like nothing more than a vague sphere around him, cutting off the sounds and sights around him, and once it was fully activated, he answered the call.

"Operator." As soon as the line was connected, he replied.

"Yo man, it's breakdancing," a man's voice said. "I'm tired of that apartment building."

"Great, how about the next apartment on the block?"

"Oh man, come on, don't do that to me," Breakdance said teasingly. "There must be something higher there?"

"Breakdancing, that's not how it happened,"

We have reported the presence of 50 people in some of the 40 regions. ”

"Dude, the whole city is on fire!" Breakdance shouted. "Now is not the time to follow some stupid rules! We all need to do the best we can, man. ”

"Oh my God, man," Breakdance finally replied, no longer whimsical in his tone. "Don't be rude. You know I'm just playing. ”

"Now is not the time to mess around, breakdancing." He retorted. "We already have a death wish, but we're still far from solving this mess!"

Before he mistakenly heard Breakdance clear his throat, there was a shocking silence on the other end of the line.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I don't know," Breakdance grunted. "I haven't been notified yet, so ...... Is there anything that can be done? ”

"No," unless you can fight a tribe up to level 150. ”

There was silence again,

"Yes, yes. I would go to those apartments. Blocks will be purged in the next time...? ”

"Don't push yourself," "It took the five of you just to clean up that building. ”

"Yes," breakdanced. "But that was before I knew we were losing someone...... Is it someone I know? ”

"No," E

o

Whispered. "Totally newbie. She just signed today. ”

". Do it for ten minutes. Break dancing. ”

His gaze returned to the main display, which was the large screen on the wall at the other end of the room. Currently, it presents a complete map of the city of Arcadia. Symbols mark magical soldiers, police, first responders, and guardians as they make their way through the city. Most of the symbols are clustered around the red circle that marks the usurped zone, and only the Guardian dares to enter. Well, they also have a few Guardians, the elite of the Demon Soldiers.

Among the many red circles, only one is more striking to him than the others...... UZ 15-01。 This is the first area on the island to officially appear, as the shield generator in this area has failed, and it is currently the largest. The collapse of the shield has allowed the Cursed to turn the perimeter of the area into a virtual fortress, scattered with various high-level, dangerous Cursers to prevent the Guardians from entering.

And it was in that extremely fortified area that his newest descendant was now dying.

A flickering motion caught his attention, it was a green sea turtle whose shell looked like it was made of a hexagonal LED screen. The demon wore a top hat and monocles, and the beard on his face was impeccably curled, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

[Sir, you seem to have distracted yourself," said the pet's English voice. [You have two e-support requests that were made 16 seconds ago.] ]

The leader summoned magic. With a shake of his will, a holographic keyboard appeared in front of him. The mouse on the computer screen responds to his thoughts, allowing him to type freely and open various requests.

The first request is to get a camera view inside the store, and the other is to get supplies. He first chose the camera request, made a mental note of the address, then invoked the mana and began to shape it.

"Find, connect", the image of six cameras suddenly appeared on the monitor, and he found himself looking at them with a frown. The footage shows the inside of the gas station, but the lights go out and he can't see anything.

"Observe," E

o

It was added that one of the cameras suddenly moved, and a bright spot appeared on a dark object. After a while, the second camera did the same. E

o

Noticing their location, the owner of the request was quickly contacted.

"Fate Fool." A girl replied in a calm and smooth voice.

"Luckily, I confirmed two targets on camera. The first seems to be the Winter Calamity demon hiding behind the counter, and the second is Floran's crook near the fountain drink. The room in the back is not visible, and the cool camera is blurry. Estimated levels range in the sixties. ”

"Roger, operator. We'll clean up the store. No further help is needed. Luck comes out. ”

The line was broken, and he frowned, then called the magic again to silence more notifications, and pressed the button to call Captain Magic Cake.

"Cute pie." After a while, a panting girl replied.

"Cutie, I just turned on all the vending machines in your food court. You should also take a break, though, as you've been doing this for seven hours straight. Coffee and junk food won't keep you fighting forever. ”

"Thanks," Kuti took a deep breath.

Honestly, Guardian Command isn't entirely wrong. E

o

Witness first-hand the overall reaction of the Guardians in Breakdancing. So far, they've managed to avoid any deaths for the Guardians, but it's a very close thing. If word of the Death Wish and its circumstances spread, the Guardians across Arcadia will begin to push their limits.

After all, the loss of a Guardian is scary enough, but I heard that this is a newbie's death wish? A girl with no combat experience, no training, no reason to give her life other than to save others?

But not for this girl. This is not the case for a girl who has been empowered only to be told on the same day that she is going to die with it all.

She was not saved.

She has already been condemned.

"Head? Cutie interrupted his musings, her voice calm. "It's not up to me to decide what we do...... But I don't think that's the power of Guardian Command either. To be a magical girl, a guardian, is to do what we think is right. That's why we were chosen, isn't it? Because there is something special in each of us inside, which is to be smart or strong.

"Thank you, Cutie Pie," he sighed. "I need that. You're really pink, aren't you? ”

There was a pure laugh on the other end of the line, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Yes, I think so," she chuckled. "But someone has to do it. We all know what happens to you Greens if you are left alone to ponder for too long. ”

I want you and your team to take a break soon, okay? Nothing funny. ”

E

o

His magic was summoned, creating his holographic keyboard in front of him, while he used his mind to flip through several different windows displayed on the monitor. He checked the display, and it felt like it was the hundredth time, and when he got the same answer, he let out a growl of frustration.

[Sir,] said his family. [You've set up alerts to contact you as soon as things change.] You allow yourself to become too distracted.

"We have hundreds of Guardians fighting on the island, but no one can save her.

[I understand the situation, sir.] 】 Ciphe

Respond politely. [And I also understand that you think that in reality only one commando is up to the task.] ]

His demon pet was silent for a moment before exhaling a cloudy breath.

[That's it.] If you can't get her out of your mind, then maybe you can at least do your best to help her at the same time. ]

[Of course, sir.] We can corrupt the computer file in no time because it does not belong to any ongoing usurpation. And yet the phone is in it, and ......]

Seifer's voice faded. "What is it?"

His messenger sighed, [the owner of the phone and the main antagonist in the video is currently in the shelter, for which our young guardian is giving his life. ]

[Of course, sir.] ]

The two fell silent, E

o

Find yourself thinking back to the girl and how she accepted the wish of death so easily. In the ...... he just saw After her last request...... This tugged at his heart, and he couldn't help but think of his sister. Just imagine that she was put in the same position as this girl......

“Ciphe

, remind me to give my little sister a big hug when it's all over. ”E

o

said, bowing his head tiredly.

"How do the defenses around her look? It's been a while since I've re-summoned any spells. ”

"What!?" "Why didn't you tell me? Where is she now? ”

【Mr. ......】 Ciphe

Said cautiously, in a calm tone. [I didn't tell you because I knew you would react like this, and she's very safe at the moment.] You have multiple minions to protect her in case of another sudden usurpation, although the chances of this happening and her not being able to reach another shelter in time are extremely low. Not only that, but she also volunteered at the field hospital set up by the demon soldiers. In terms of safe places, there are few better places in the city at the moment. ]

"Okay," E

o

He sighed and sat back in his chair. "I see what you mean. Stop hiding this from me, though, Ciphe

！ And let me know when I need to refresh the spell. I'll be on extra alert, just in case. ”

[Of course, sir.] Looks like you've got enough plates. Another distraction seems unwise. ]

E

o

There was a grunt, and he let go of his hand vaguely. Ciphe

And not entirely wrong, E

o

He is also very aware that he needs to give his sister space and let her grow into her own person. He couldn't have been by her side to protect her all the time......

However, these days, he can't seem to protect a lot of people.

——————

Night has fallen in Arcadia, and in the darker and darker night, a magical girl stands at the city's traffic lights. She looked to be in her early twenties, wearing tight brown leather armor and dark green clothes on the outside. An emerald cloak was wrapped around her, and the hood was pulled over her head. Her attire is reminiscent of a fantasy ranger, except for the broadsword she carries over her shoulder. The bars of the war knives are made of perfectly smooth dark wood, leading to the evil single-edged blade at its far end. The silver metal of the blade sparkles like a liquid, and its flawless surface is delicately etched with carvings of flowers.

The magical girl Ai sighed as she watched the battle take place below, her teammates and friends dodging their opponents while preparing for the next magic. The Cursed Ones she faced were easily ten feet tall and mostly looked humanoid. It has a muscular body and oily black skin, with four tentacles writhing behind it. The monster's face is smooth and featureless, with no eyes or nose, only a grinning mouth filled with fangs that match the claws on its oversized hands.

The Cursed let out a deep roar that the Swamp felt it sink deep into the marrow, and then it charged again, chasing its nimble prey. Even though Hengjian had been keeping an eye on her teammates, she was fairly sure that the fight was over. The originally flawless skin was covered with dozens of wounds oozing black blood, and with nearly thirty minutes of fighting, its movements also slowed down significantly. Three of its four tentacles have been severed.

On another street, a scarlet lightning bolt erupted, followed by a thunderclap that echoed through the night. Inadvertently noticing the location of the lightning, Heng Jian guessed that her other teammate had finally finished her own prey,

As she continued to stare at the Berserk Curser, the sound of life suddenly rang in her headphones, and when one of her teammates contacted her, radio communication was activated.

"Once, I had the last one above you. Looks like it's going to drop a bomb right at you. A man's deep voice rumbled in her ears.

"That would explain why my sense of danger has been stinging for the past five minutes." Ivor replied in a low voice, not looking up.

"It seems that he is a true admirer. Do you want this?

"No," Ai said. "You can do that."

"You know, if you continue to let us gain all the experience, the rest of us will soon catch up with you."

"No," Ivor replied, looking up, her augmentation starting to scream in her head. "You won't."

In the dark skies of Arcadia, Ivor could barely make out a figure, and its speed made the object more like a blur than a shape. If it was anything like the other flying creatures they had dealt with in their area, it was another Tide-Calling Siren, a half-human, half-fish man with long wings on his back. The figure approached her at an alarming speed, and she sighed when she saw the golden glow flickering from the nearby rooftop.

A moment later, a golden light pierced the sky, accurately intercepting the monster and completely halting its momentum. The Kraken gasped in shock a hundred feet above the Swamp, briefly levitating in the air, looking down at the golden energy arrow that pierced its chest. Before the Kraken could react, the arrow exploded, emitting a dazzling yellow light and a crisp bell.

The energy explosion disintegrated the Kraken's entire abdomen, instantly killing the Cursed One and causing its wreckage to free fall. The halves fell to either side of the traffic pole where Ivor stood, without touching her, and then fell to the ground with a wet, creaking thud.

She doesn't have to worry, though. The Cursed is currently in the middle of its jump, with four suspended water balls engulfing its hands and feet, keeping it floating above the ground. As the monster struggled to move, the severed back tentacle stump waved in vain, but it turned out to be futile.

On the way, Ever's teammates strode over to the creature. She looks only a teenager, with a slim and delicate figure. Her skin is pale blue, with intricate aqua embroidery on a white cloth, and she wears a toga-style short dress. Her long, watery hair was unrestrained, fluttering gently like a gentle wave of water as she moved, and she held a blue crystal trident in her hand. With every step she took, the short skirt of the skirt fluttered over her long legs, with a gentle elegance, and the leather sandals that were tied up to her thighs accentuated her delicateness.

Ivor's teammates gasped as they approached less than ten feet from the Cursed and raised their slender hands to point at the monster. A cyan magic array shone beneath her, and the design of the magic array was made up of curly lines, giving the impression of a dozen intersecting vortices. Heng Jian felt the accumulation of mana from where she saw, and when she judged that the spell level was enough to kill the creature, she nodded silently.

Three seconds later. From the center of the circle, a jet of water gushed out, forming a pressurized beam the size of a telephone pole that instantly tore the curser from the groin to the head. The geyser lasted only a few seconds before dissipating, and the monster fell to the ground with the water ball that had been holding it in place, splitting in half. She had adjusted the hood of her cloak when it was raining, and she was very careful not to suspect whether it was water or cursed blood that had fallen on her.

A moment later, a crunch echoed in reality. The air around her suddenly became clearer, and as the usurping zone vanished, the slight, tingling tension in her muscles vanished.

[Mission accomplished!] - Arcadia Defense: U19-01]

[Description: Dozens of usurped districts have sprung up throughout the city of Arcadia. Work with Guardian Command to clear the worst areas, starting with U19-01. This is part of a multi-stage collaborative mission. Each cleared target will contribute to Arcadia's main defense questline, with additional rewards once the situation clears. ]

[Difficulty: Medium]

【Reward: 5000 points】

[Total number of new points: 11,670]

The quest prompt popped into her field of vision, but was quickly ignored. That's a good score for them to complete the area with relative ease. Of course, it took them more than seven hours, but that's because they were methodical and careful in carrying out their tasks. Although some of her teammates prefer to be in a hurry, Ivor has found that slower, safer routes tend to pay off in the long run.

She reached for the headset and sent a little spark of mana to the device, reconnecting it to the main communications network. Hopefully Guardian Command will give them a break—

"Swamp Guardian!" A woman's voice immediately said in her headset, and the phone was immediately forcibly connected. "Please listen carefully, don't-"

A static disturbance cut off the call, and only another call was answered.

"Forever, it's a mistake," a familiar voice said harshly. "I need your help."

"I see," Naganuma whispered. "How bad?"

"It's a death wish."

"Wait a minute." Ivor commanded, and using his magic, switched the communication channel.

"Squad, get ready for me, priority orders are here." She commanded calmly, then switched channels again.

"Whip up, speed down on a building near where I am, ready to receive priority orders."

"Roger, Swamp, tell us in three minutes," the helicopter pilot of her commando immediately replied, and then she switched the channel back to the error.

"Okay, E

o

," Ivor said, his voice smooth and cold. "You have three minutes. What is our situation? ”

"The repossession is going well, there are no casualties, but do you remember the usurped area that appeared before the others because of the failure of the shield?"

"Definitely."

"Well, to make a long story short, the shield failed because someone had sucked energy from the mana generator. When the shelter went live, the shielding station detected tampering, which is what caused the shelter to close. ”

Evergrave frowned, absentmindedly noticing that two figures were blurring into her position as her team reorganized. Her third teammate was already waiting under the traffic light where Eversey was standing, leaning against the light as she regained her breath.

"I see. How do we know this information? ”

There was silence on the other end of the phone, and finally a sigh was heard.

"In that area, a girl was trapped outside the shelter trying to save a child, but the shield collapsed. It turned out that she was a candidate, and she fought off the curse. ”

There was a feeling of eyebrows raised. As a civilian, repelling a cursed is not a trivial matter, but it makes sense that someone who has the ability to do so is already a magical girl candidate. She was badly injured, but it wasn't surprising.

"Once, she was on the third floor, but ended up having to go to the first floor shelter because the person on her activated the emergency shield. She also had to escort the child who went out to save it. ”

Does this sound like a nightmare, shrinking and being forced to fight immediately for its own survival, but also for the survival of a child who has not received any training? Ever wasn't sure how-

"Wait," Ever's said, her eyes twitching, the realization sending chills down her spine. "If the Vault activates their emergency shields—"

"After the shield station was shut down, they couldn't get electricity." His voice grew faster and faster, turning into crazy gibberish. "The girl's entire class was trapped in that shelter. When all this happened, they were on their way to the mall for a field trip, or something was going on. Regardless, the new girl and I didn't realize that tampering with the power supply was what caused the shield to fail. So, she walked over to the mana generator and restarted it. It was only later that we realized what the real problem was, that if she wanted to save everyone in that vault, she would have to go straight to the shield station. But restarting the station requires manual activation to start the sequence and again at the end. But the space station consumes so much mana—"

"She'll light a lighthouse," Naganuma whispered, fear swirling in her mind. "All the curses in the area will be drawn to her."

"Yes...... It's a death-wish-level quest, and ever, I have no one else to turn to. The command did not want to risk any strength for the sake of a girl, especially when the city was already under siege. They wouldn't even let me be notified of my death wishes! I beg you, always, to help her. Only you and your team are strong enough and ......"

The leader cleared his throat, and the next words came out with a dry, harsh voice.

"She's a dark person, forever. She did it all without the astral transformation. She defeated a fucking spider twenty-one guarding the mana generator. She lost her arm, she was on her way to death, and worst of all, the command didn't even let anyone know what was going on. Once, if you heard what her last wish was......"

So.

This is the new Dark Magical Girl.

Her first day.

She's already fighting the stuff that's supposed to kill her.

She lost her arm.

Now she is going to sacrifice herself, and there is no hope of survival.

Then a hummingbird appeared and everything changed. When her first day as a magical girl ends, after explanations and first steps, she feels like the world has opened up. It no longer oppresses her and plunges her into the essence of perfection. The constant tension wrapped around her muscles was gone, and she could relax and breathe.

The first day changed everything for her, and she often felt that it was the day her life really began.

Maybe it will be the end of her life.

"I see.

"I just sent the coordinates to your helicopter," E

o

replied. "If you go straight there, you'll be able to get there before she is scheduled to activate the shield generator, but-"

"We will be intercepted as soon as we enter the area." Ever nodded. "The curse of flight will swarm. We had to fly over the area and then land. ”

"But then you'll be too late. You have to fly to an altitude of more than 10,000 feet, and the descent takes a long time. ”

"Agreed." Ivor nodded, and with a "click", the line was silent.

[New subquests!] - Arcadia Defense: Death Rescue]

[Description: A new Guardian has been given the mission of Death Wish.] When she restarts the shielding station, with E

o

Machi

a Cooperate with any other force to rescue her. The thickness and potency of the usurpation zone miasma suggests that there are many cursers, but none of them are above level 150. Protect her from oncoming hordes and take her out of the area. ]

[Difficulty: Very Difficult]

【Reward: 20,000 points】

She had changed her balance and was about to jump off the top of the traffic light when she felt a surge of mana rush over her. It was a tingling sensation, like static electricity forming, and after a while, emergency speakers all over the city screamed.

"Attention all the guardians of Arcadia," her friend's voice echoed through the city. "This is an official notice, a death wish has been issued."

The whole city fell silent. The sound of spell explosions in the distance, and even the gunfire of magical soldiers, fell silent, and the city held its breath. Death notifications are usually sent through a magical tech communicator, but by invading the city's emergency speakers directly, he ensures that every Guardian, Magical Soldier Police, and any citizen outside the Vault knows what's going on.

The death of a Guardian is always a big deal, perhaps more so now than ever. Since the beginning of the War of the Damned, humanity has lost fewer magical guardians every year, while becoming more powerful and skilled at fending off monsters. Last year, only 173 Guardians lost their lives. There are about fourteen times a month around the world.

"The commandos were trying to rescue her, but by the time they got there, it might have been too late."

Ever's hand gripped her sword tightly, and the pole creaked. Whether she can arrive in time or not is the only thing she can't control. But if the girl can hold on......

Her name...... Unknown. She never had a chance to pick one because today was her first day. ”

There was silence in the city, and Eve closed her eyes. In a moment of shock, nothing happened.

Then, beneath her, three different mana erupted. The first mana signature feels like a whirlpool opening out in an endless, alluring maw that stretches all the way to the bottom of the ocean. The second sound felt like the low roar of an ancient, gigantic creature as it woke up, opening its predatory eyes in search of something that disturbed its slumber. The third and final burst of mana felt like a storm breaking through the sky, and the sky itself was torn apart in an endless, crackling web of lightning.

At the same time as the mana explodes, they disappear, disappearing without a trace as the possessor of the mana controls his emotions and magic. The air itself seemed to fluctuate for a moment before calming down.

The megaphone was gone, and before Evergrave could consciously understand what she was doing, she had raised her hand upward. As the pressure in her chest built up around her heart, she gathered her mana and cast a spell.

A green light shot out of her hand, shooting straight into the Acadian sky. It is only when it reaches a great distance above the Acadia skyline that this simple spell explodes, turning into a star of emerald green light.

A second later, three more flares were fired from underneath her. Flashes of red, yellow, and blue joined her own flash. Then a purple flare rises from the other side of the city. Then there are pink and white. And then more. And then dozens of them. As the Guardians signaled themselves in seemingly endless ways, flares rose from all over Arcadia, and soon the darkness was gone.

1,075 stars hung defiantly over Arcadia, and the Sword of Eternity swallowed the pride and pain that swept through her as it saluted. The helicopter will soon pick her up, and she also needs to brief her team, and Ivor forces herself to clench her hands and cast a spell. Her emerald star vanished in the blink of an eye, and almost at the same time, all other star flares followed suit.

The light of a thousand stars faded, and Arcadia's defenses ended at that moment.

The war to reclaim it has begun!