laulau20
patreon
Chapter 21: Evacuation
🕑 Added 2024-03-20 18:21:44 +0000 UTC"Magical Soldiers, could you communicate with the shelter residents? Although sound can't penetrate the barrier, light signals can. Inform them to deactivate their barrier," Serene instructed the Military Support to initiate the evacuation of Shelter 1's inhabitants.
Hearing the term "evacuation" stirred uncomfortable memories of my personal shelter and the moment when Nana left me without even a backward glance, igniting a sense of betrayal within me. I chided myself for harboring such resentful thoughts.
"Serene Night, could we allocate two jeeps for a trip to the Shirayuki Mansion?" I inquired, carefully framing my request to avoid revealing my identity.
"Why do we need to go there?" Serene asked, puzzled.
"It houses a personal shelter that might currently be harboring individuals."
"How are you aware of this situation?" She asked, seemingly curious.
At that moment, in an unguarded blurt, Shining Arrow mentioned, "Oh right! Yuri's friends are there!" which earned her a discreet nudge from Sapphire.
Clearing her throat, Sapphire offered a more polished explanation, "Two days ago, Osamu Shirayuki, from the Shirayuki Group in New Mesa, requested an evacuation for Yuri and others from their private bunker. Initially, we focused on prioritizing Public Shelter Number 1 and overlooked their request since Shelter Number one is in dire need of assistance. However, we should be able to save them now."
"But wasn't Yuri supposed to be in that bunker?"
"We only learned yesterday that Yuri Shirayuki has been at the Guardian Command. However, she confirmed the presence of others in the bunker."
"Alright, let's head there immediately."
"Should I share the surveillance data? It might assist other MGs in their operations, but it could also risk exposing your identity," Felicia consulted.
"Go ahead and share it," I consented.
"Understood. Sending data to Serene's familiar."
Receiving the new intel, Serene mused, "A Spider Mother, huh? They're more of a nuisance rather than dangerous with their drones. Let's handle this."
The mansion, now ensnared in the clutches of a spider queen, bore the eerie silence of a mausoleum, its opulent corridors and rooms veiled in grim, webbed shrouds. Hundreds of minuscule, skittering creatures, emerging from the nooks and crannies of the luxurious estate, lent the air a palpable sense of dread. Yet, amidst this scene of creeping horror, Serene Night stepped through, unfazed, her every stride squashing the tiny arachnids underfoot, her lighting magic crackling through the air, incinerating them in small bursts of electrical fury.
"As expected of Serene! You handle these creepy crawlies with such ease!" Alice exclaimed, her voice a mix of admiration and revulsion at the myriad of spiders now being reduced to crispy critters under Serene's relentless assault.
"You know, investing in a few more skills or grimoires would make these situations a breeze for you. A simple fire spell could turn this spider infestation into a barbecue," Serene commented, nonchalantly making her way through the mansion, her gaze focused and unbothered by the swarm.
Guided by my familiarity with the mansion, I led the group towards the bunker, hidden behind the semblance of normalcy, now marred by the invasion. Upon reaching the bunker, encased in its yellow barrier, Serene swiftly utilized her command over light to communicate with those trapped within, crafting messages in the air with the finesse of a painter. After some time, the barrier dissipated, revealing the bunker's entrance.
As we entered, the atmosphere was thick with an unspoken tension. Nana, Miss Agathe, Camille, and the others, faces etched with worry and guilt, greeted us with silence. Their eyes, darting away, unable to hold their gaze, told stories of fear, choices made under duress, and the heavy burden of those decisions.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two days ago, Nana's POV
The terror of being chased by those monstrous entities, their bodies grotesquely morphing, flesh dropping in decay, instilled a primal fear in me. We ran. Desperation clawed at our hearts; I was the slowest, and thoughts started to permeate my mind. It was an easy judgment to leave me to buy time for Miss Agathe, Liwei, and Camille. The idea of being left behind, a bait for those horrors, chilled me to the bone. I would rather die by a knife or by a gun from police than to them.
This fear wasn't unfounded; the harsh realities of survival during an usurpation were well-documented. The law of the jungle prevailed, where the sacrifice of the few for the many was a grim necessity, sanctioned by even the government under the guise of the usurpation law. I couldn't help but recall the infamous Valhalla office shelter incident, where the manual activation of the barrier resulted in a tragic loss of life. Those who couldn't make it were picked off by the anathema, while others, in a desperate bid for survival, pushed their fellow man into the jaws of death to secure their own escape. Such was the cruel calculus of survival in the face of anathema's onslaught.
Reading those reports filled me with revulsion. The people who manually activated the barriers were punished, but the people who pushed others into the jaws of anathema were spared. The individuals who survived the onslaught of anathema were exonerated under the Anathema Usurpation Act. The judiciary and legal experts unanimously agreed that their actions, however drastic, were necessary for survival. Furthermore, they concluded that the victims met their demise not at the hands of these individuals but by anathema.
In the frontier cities, the situation was dire. Anathema could spontaneously appear without prior notice. The mayor reassured us that our Magical Soldiers were well-equipped to fend off these sporadic threats. His advisors believed that only stray anathema from Eden or other sanctuary cities would pose a threat, and our Magical Soldiers would be more than capable of protecting us. Their assessments were accurate; for over five years, we managed to thrive, building our community from the ground up. Despite monthly attacks, fewer than 30 individuals had fallen to anathema.
This desensitized us to the danger. We failed to appreciate our relative safety until it was too late. The reason behind the anathema's restraint remained a mystery, but their onslaught eventually came. Our district, possibly even the entire town, was overwhelmed. That nightmare became my reality. We found ourselves forsaken as Shelter 1 sealed itself away. Despair clung to me as we sought refuge in Yuri's mansion. I feared abandonment once more, but Yuri stayed by my side, slowing down as necessary despite being at the top of the martial arts club, a reassuring presence.
Then, unexpectedly, Yuri shoved me to the side. Initially, I believed she intended to sacrifice me to ensure her survival. My relief was palpable when I realized the push was to save me from an incoming stinger, although it left Yuri injured and unable to stand. Shamefully, part of me felt relief at her predicament, believing her sacrifice would guarantee my safety. As Yuri urged us to proceed without her, saying she would catch up later, I fled without a backward glance, buoyed by the selfish thought that I wouldn't have to face death that day. In my heart, I understood that Yuri's actions were driven by a selfless desire to save as many as she could, even at her own expense.
When I reunited with the others in the bunker, there were two maids, a gardener, and a driver, alongside Miss Agathe, Camille, and Liwei. Upon their inquiry about Miss Yuri's whereabouts, a wave of guilt, shame, and despair overwhelmed me. The gardeners and maids knew that the bunker's door couldn't be sealed without Yuri's ID or fingerprint, rendering them incapable of activating the barrier or accessing supplies. However, by a stroke of luck, Miss Agathe had Yuri's ID.
"What?! You left Miss Yuri alone? You should have been the one to die, not her! Now we're all screwed! We can't activate the barrier or even secure the door without her," the maids lashed out at me, but Miss Agathe intervened to calm them.
"I have her ID card. We can secure the door. However, let's not activate the barrier just yet; there might still be survivors out there," Miss Agathe proposed, drawing on her training from Eden. Deep inside, though, I harbored no hope for Yuri's survival against the pursuing anathema, given her injuries.
Overcome by guilt, I broke down in tears, my actions—or lack thereof—haunting me. Frozen by fear, I remained curled up in the bunker, unable to face the horrors outside. The anathema terrified me, with images of gigantic bees and wolves with blade-like tails and wormy tongues vivid in my memory, devouring the innards of their victims while our Magical Soldiers stood powerless on the way to the bunker.
"Just activate the barriers! Miss Yuri couldn't possibly survive such conditions!"
"We should only activate the barrier if the doors come under attack. Premature activation would breach the shelter activation protocol," Miss Agathe countered.
"Isn't there an anathema usurpation act that could justify our actions?" one of the maids screamed in panic.
"The Anathema Usurpation Act doesn't encompass the shelter activation protocol, miss. Violating the protocol could lead to legal consequences," Miss Agathe explained, firmly holding Yuri's ID card, as the maid continued to press for barrier activation. The butler and gardener supported Miss Agathe's stance, understanding the gravity of their situation and the legal implications of their decisions.
"Yes, we can't just abandon Miss Yuri outside! This shelter was designed specifically for her and her father!"
"Look! The anathemas are attacking! Those spiders are coming!" The maid screamed as the sound of skittering began to emanate from the door.
"The door hasn't been breached yet!" Miss Agathe said.
Their argument persisted until, driven by fear, Miss Agathe ultimately decided to activate the barrier. The spiders had begun to gnaw at the door, threatening to break through the handles. With each screech from the door, my heart leaped, and though I yearned for Miss Agathe to activate the barrier swiftly, my overwhelming guilt towards Yuri silenced me. When the barrier's light illuminated, cutting off all external sounds, a profound silence engulfed the room. Just like when I had abandoned Yuri to fate, a sensation of liberation washed over me, guiding me from darkness to light. However, this fleeting sense of security soon gave way to waves of guilt and self-loathing.
As a day passed, Miss Agathe, utilizing Yuri's ID once again, accessed the supplies from a locked box, offering me biscuits and water. I rejected the food, unable to bear consuming what was meant for Yuri alone. It felt as though we were intruding on her sanctuary, exploiting it for our survival.
"I understand this is difficult for you, but I believe Yuri wouldn't want you to suffer like this, even in her absence," Miss Agathe consoled me. "Remember, the anathemas are the ones responsible for Yuri's fate, not you. They were the aggressors."
"But the attack was aimed at me. Yuri should not have been the one to suffer," I protested, my skin crawling at the memory of her selfless act.
"The attacks were meant for me, not her. I was the one who should have died," I said, shivers running down my spine as I remembered her push.
"Then she gave her life to save you. You wouldn't want her sacrifice to be in vain, would you? Eat. We have enough supplies for a few days," Miss Agathe insisted, her own face betraying her guilt. The weight of abandoning Yuri wasn't mine alone to bear; it was a burden shared by all of us. Reluctantly, I accepted the biscuits and water, eating them in a corner as tears streamed down my face. The biscuits tasted bland, and each bite made me feel nauseous—not from the food, but from the overwhelming guilt.
Soon, exhaustion overcame me, and I drifted into a fitful sleep. In my dream, I saw Yuri smiling at me, her presence offering a sense of liberation. I hugged her tightly, apologizing through my tears. She comforted me, patting my head with reassurance like usual. Suddenly, a monstrous spider appeared, crawling onto her and biting her hand. I screamed in horror, yet Yuri remained calm, continuing to smile and even inquiring about my well-being. Then a bee shot her in the head, but still, she kept smiling, asking if I was alright, even as her voice grew hoarse and blood spilled from her wounds.
Next, a hound stabbed her in the chest. With her final breath, she whispered, "Are you okay? Don't be sad. It's going to be alright," before being dragged away by the creature, leaving me alone. Shadows began to rise from the ground, taking the form of me, then the maid, Camille, Liwei, and all my friends, each staring at me with accusatory glares.
"Why are you alive? Why does such an angel have to die for you? You should trade your life for her. We would prefer her to you."
"I should have died instead of her. I am just a nobody. She is a shirayuki." I muttered and my shadow nodded. "I killed such a good girl and saved myself. Yuri-sama should have lived instead of me."
I woke up with a start from the haunting dream. A blanket had been placed over me while I slept, and in the dim light, I could see Miss Agathe and the others scattered around the small bunker, trying to find some rest amidst the chaos. My phone displayed the date, indicating it was already the next day, but time seemed to stand still here.
Silence enveloped us, broken occasionally by the sound of someone shifting or checking the camera feed, which showed the relentless horror unfolding outside our refuge. Despite the anathemas' attempts, the barrier held strong against their gnawing.
Miss Agathe, overwhelmed by emotion, finally spoke, her voice cracking with grief. "I was her teacher... I am supposed to be her guide and protector. She was the brightest of all, always eager to help. And yet, in her time of need, I left her out there... alone, to face those monstrosities." Her tears smeared her makeup, revealing the depth of her despair.
The driver, too, was consumed by regret. "I was charged with her safety, to drive her from school to safety. Yet, at the sight of danger, I fled, forgetting my duty. Her limousine was built to protect her, and I... I failed to use it to save her."
As despair hung heavy in the air, one of the maids murmured, "We might as well accept our fate here. It's been a day; perhaps they've moved on and forgotten us. Maybe it's for the best... to die quietly, forgotten, rather than drag this guilt any longer."
"Elise..." another maid chided her.
"Shiori, if someone comes looking for this bunker, they'll expect to find Miss Yuri, won't they? What will the Shirayukis do when they find out their bunker wasn't used for her? At best, we might lose our jobs. Plus, wasn't Miss Yuri engaged to the son of another wealthy family? With that kind of stain on our records, finding work even in Eden could be impossible. Remember the scandal with Valhalla?"
"What are we supposed to do, then? My dad's been with Shirayuki for a decade. If he gets fired, it'll cut off my sister's medical treatments in Eden," Camille lamented, her expression hollow. "I should've been the one to die instead of her. Now my sister's life is at risk, my dad could be deported, and my mom might end up homeless in Eden."
Her confession hit harder than I'd expected. Life in New Mesa came with privileges, like cheaper living compared to the sanctuary islands, free schools, and nearly free housing, as part of the Earth's recolonization effort.
My dad and Liwei's parents had a business primarily serving the Shirayukis. The thought that our actions could lead to the company's downfall was daunting.
"Liwei, I'm so sorry," I managed to say, but she just turned away in anger.
"It's not just on you. We all ran. Deep down, I was hoping Yuri would outrun you, but she didn't. It's true what they say: the good die young, and the nice finish last," Liwei bitterly acknowledged, voicing a cruel truth that we were all selfish at heart. "I was sometimes annoyed by her niceness. Now, if we survive this, her kindness might have doomed us all. She shouldn't have been so selfless."
In the grip of a somber atmosphere, we all succumbed to despondency, having nothing else to do while our provisions gradually depleted. Then, suddenly, a beam of light pierced through the gloom, captured by the camera. A figure clad in a costume appeared, clearing the mansion of the monstrous infestation before making her way toward our bunker, her gaze fixed on the camera.
"A Magical Girl has come for us!"
"Is it the Shining Arrow trio? If they're associated with Shirayuki, we're doomed," the maid lamented, echoing my own reluctance. After all, sacrificing Yuri to save myself had left me feeling undeserving of rescue.
"Unlikely, this one's attire is yellow. Plus, all Magical Girls are first and foremost committed to humanity, not just the Shirayukis."
"What does it matter if they're not with Shirayuki? With Yuri absent, we're doomed once we return to the sanctuary cities or the city hall."
"The girl outside urged us to manually cut the power from the battery to disable the barrier. That should open the door," Miss Agathe interjected, interpreting the Magical Girl's air-written message, knowing sound couldn't penetrate the barrier.
"Miss Agathe, will you open the door for them?" Liwei inquired, the room falling silent as all eyes turned to her.
"...Yes," Miss Agathe confirmed with a smile after a pause, though her trembling betrayed her fear. "If the Shirayukis want me dead for this, so be it. I deserve no less. But I wish to make amends for Yuri. She saved us all. Dying here would only dishonor her sacrifice."
"...You're right... Let me help," Liwei declared, rising to assist Miss Agathe at the terminal. Together, they located and disconnected the indicated cable. The bunker's light flickered red, a sizzling sound filling the air as the power cut out and the barrier collapsed, leaving us exposed but hopeful for the first time since our ordeal began.
"…Um, you came here to rescue us, didn't you?" Miss Agathe finally broke the tense silence that enveloped us.
"Yes, we're here to ensure your safety. Let's head to Guardian Command," the girl clad in yellow assured, her comforting smile dissolving our fears.
Feeling akin to a convict seeking absolution, we stood before these paragons of hope, the Magical Girls, ready to submit ourselves to the custodians of humanity's future. My gaze lingered on the Magical Girls, stirring a maelstrom of guilt within me—a stark reminder of the person they were likely searching for. Tears I believed had long since dried began to well up once more.
"Um... I'm so sorry... please, forgive me... Yuri-sama..." Overwhelmed by remorse, I crumbled to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
"There's no need to worry now. You're safe. Let's make our way to Guardian Command," said another girl, her features a harmonious blend of black attire and white hair, evoking memories of Yuri-sama's grace.
"Fret not, Yuri is unharmed. She's the reason we're here to escort you," the Shining Arrow trio added, quickly following the others. The revelation that Yuri was alive astounded us, sparking a burst of hope.
"Truly? Miss Yuri is safe?" Our disbelief was instantly replaced with joy. We all gawked at her.
"God exists! Our guardian angel has been saved, and now she's saved us in turn!" The maids, the driver, the gardener, and the students rejoiced, their spirits lifted by the miraculous news.
Our hearts swelled with gratitude. We were all saved. Thank you, Yuri.
