The city ruins stretched ahead, moonlight reflecting off broken glass and twisted metal. We were wandering through the rubble, scanning for monsters, keeping our eyes peeled for the last one needed to complete our quest.
It's night time, we wandered too far.
"Xander don't make certain remarks right now, it's night time, maybe something as worst as the NightOwl will get us.. just—"
Before I finished my instructions I heard a thud behind me.
Xander.
He was suddenly slammed sideways with a thunderous crash, sent flying across the street like a ragdoll. The sound of bones clashing with stone echoed through the empty alley.
"Xander!!"
I sprinted toward him, wand drawn, heart racing. He was on his back, struggling to rise. His vision was flickering, his breaths shallow. He wasn't dead I think, but fuck he was in bad shape.
My eyes darted to the source.
A Speedstinger Wolf stood before us. Its long, segmented tail whipped violently, tipped with a needle-like stinger that glowed faintly purple in the moonlight. Muscles rippled beneath black fur, claws clicking against the rubble. Its glowing eyes fixated on me, teeth bared in a snarl.
He couldn't sense that? Just how fast is this thing!!
Xander tried to get up, but his legs buckled. Blood trickled from a small cut on his forehead. He groaned.
"Mio… it's… too fast…"
"I know. Stay down! Don't move until I say so."
He tried to nod, already starting to black out. I could see his eyes glazing over.
"No, you're not going to die on me like this. Not now."
My heart pounded. My wand felt heavy in my hand, but instinct screamed at me that this was the moment.
Fuck my life.
"Mio… Shine… with… Courage!"
The words left my lips almost like a shout. I whispered hoping it was enough to transform.
I need power more than ever. I need it now.
I want to save my friend. We can't die here.
I want to see my sister. Please.
Light exploded around me, soft pinks and purples swirling with a brilliance that made the rubble seem unreal. Ribbons of energy spiraled from my wand, the transformation sequence kicking in with every flamboyant flourish. Hair lengthened to silvery-white, features softened and more feminine, the frills and skirts of the Magical Girl outfit materializing.
I felt the System overlay spike with new stats: Attack, Defense, Agility—all dramatically increased. My wand's energy began shifting, lengthening and curving naturally into the scythe I had used in base form, but now far more powerful, infused with the Magical Girl's enhanced mana output.
[Skill Acquired — Magic Barrier]
Instinctively, my hands glowed faintly as I cast the barrier. A shimmering dome of magical energy formed around Xander, lifting him gently from the ground and shielding him completely from harm. He let out a small whimper as he blacked out entirely, cradled safely inside the barrier.
"Stay safe…" I muttered, voice low, almost reverent.
The Wolf growled, tail whipping dangerously, eyes glowing red in the moonlight. It lunged.
I shifted into combat stance, scythe in hand. Transformation stats—boosted attack speed, strength, and reflexes—kicked in. My heart beat fast, my mind focused. Base form was one thing. This? This was full output.
Everything felt natural, I think it's what I've earned since I've been killing small monsters over the past few years, and with boosted stats? I felt the power surged.
I didn't even glance at Xander, though a tiny part of me hoped he hadn't seen the full transformation animation. My focus was entirely on survival and the last kill needed for the quest.
The Wolf lunged again, faster this time. I dodged, spinning the scythe in a wide arc, cutting cleanly through the air. Sparks flew from its claws as it struck the scythe's edge, but I didn't falter.
[Stats — Attack: +50, Defense: +30, Agility: +46, Mana: +500]
I leapt back, twisting mid-air to avoid the tail's sting, then slammed the scythe into the Wolf's flank, sending it skidding across the rubble. I could feel the feedback from the System—damage registered, experience accumulated, quest progress waiting to tick.
The Wolf snarled, snapping at me with blinding speed. I spun the scythe into a crescent arc, striking it across the chest. Its tail lashed violently, but I jumped over the sweep, landing nimbly behind it.
[Skill Ready — Magic Barrier Recharge: 20s cooldown]
The Wolf hesitated, growling, clearly confused by my speed and unpredictability. I pressed my advantage, attacking in rapid bursts.
But this wolf is more sturdier than I thought
"Activate Talent skill Sparkle Shield!" I yelled
[Skill Activated: Sparkle Shield]
[Invincible Effect Applied - Duration: 3 seconds.]
I tanked a claw slash from the wolf just as he lunged, gripped the scythe and swung with all I had.
The scythe moved fluidly in my hands, slicing multiple times in quick succession. Every strike was clean, precise, powered by the full Magical Girl stats the System had provided.
[Quest Progress: Kill Any Monsters 10/10]
A final, sweeping strike cut the Wolf across its neck. It staggered, howled in pain, and collapsed, twitching, dead. The System chimed, confirming completion.
I exhaled heavily, the adrenaline still coursing through me. The scythe hummed faintly in my hands, magical energy still sparking along the edge. My transformation had given me power beyond what base form could ever manage.
Xander remained unconscious, cradled in the Magic Barrier I had cast. I crouched beside him, gently shaking him. "Wake up… Xander… it's over."
He stirred, eyes fluttering open. "Mio…?"
I gave a faint smirk, still in full Magical Girl form. "Yeah… me. Mage… still alive."
His eyes widened slightly, but he didn't comment on the ribbons, frills, or the scythe glowing with magical energy. I suspected he might not have fully processed it yet, and I wasn't about to explain.
"You… you handled it," he whispered.
I nodded, eyes scanning the surrounding streets. "Yeah. One kill. Quest complete. Now we get out of here before anything else shows up."
I sheathed the scythe It slowly reverted into the wand the purplish moon crescent wand, feeling the energy from the transformation still pulsing through me. Base stats had never felt so weak in comparison, but this form… full power, full control, and full efficiency. All I needed was one kill, and now I had it.
"Let's move," I muttered. "And pray nothing else is stupid enough to show up tonight."
The rubble-strewn streets were silent again. The moonlight reflected off the broken glass and twisted metal. But somewhere far away, monsters waited. And I had just shown what a "Mage" could really do when pushed to the edge.
The streets were quiet now, the Speedstinger Wolf far behind us. Moonlight painted everything silver and eerie, the aftermath of our week-long hunt still lingering in the dust and debris.
We left it there on purpose pray that the blood from it attracts the predators and not us.
Xander trudged beside me, barely keeping his balance. He didn't say anything about my transformed appearance—the silvery hair that had lengthened, the frills and skirts that had materialized, or the fact that my chest had… slightly changed. He didn't comment at all, though I could feel his gaze flicking in subtle ways.
Good. I didn't need his commentary.
We were nearing the refuge city. The barrier shimmered faintly in the distance. Monsters weren't prowling nearby, thanks to the buffer zone around the dome, and Xander was already activating his Stealth skill. I could sense his aura bending light, distorting movement—he was ready to move undetected.
I paused for a moment.
"Mio Dim The Lights," I muttered softly.
In a blink, the transformation reversed. The ribbons, skirts, frills, and other… embellishments vanished. My hair shortened back to its normal length, and the wand that had a crescent moon reverted to it's base form same as what it looked like previously but less larger and like a it's power was halved. Base form. Invisible to prying eyes, mundane.
I exhaled, exhausted. Xander glanced at me, nodding. Neither of us spoke. Words weren't necessary. We were spent. One week. One fucking quest. One week outside the barrier just to kill ten monsters. I'd never been so glad to see a city in my life.
Xander muttered, rubbing his shoulder. "Let's… rent an inn together. We… might as well. We're companions now."
I smirked faintly, shrugging. "Yeah… makes sense. I actually have one as of the moment.. you can stay there too."
The inn smelled faintly of roasted meat and soot. The soft glow of lanterns illuminated the worn wooden tables and beds, a stark contrast to the gray ruins we'd crawled through for the past week. My legs ached, my arms were sore, and my wand—well, my wand had never felt heavier.
Xander dragged himself behind me, hood up, hands dragging against the wall for balance. I didn't comment on the fact that he didn't say a word about my hair, the frills, the skirts, or… the chest. That was a win for me.
We collapsed onto separate beds in a small room the innkeeper had arranged for me previously just added one more bed. I leaned back, eyes closed, exhaling.
"We survived," I muttered, voice hoarse.
"Barely," Xander replied from the other bed, face buried in a pillow.
Silence fell for a few seconds, punctuated only by the distant murmur of other patrons. Then, almost instinctively, we both tapped the "Confirm Quest Finished" button on our System panels.
A soft chime rang in our ears, signaling completion.
[Quest Completed — Kill Any Monsters: 10/10]
[Rewards Granted]
I opened the panel first. My stats glimmered with the System's official update:
Attack +15
Defense +10
Agility +12
Mana +20
And then… the skill notification popped up:
Skill Acquired: Quick Strike
I smirked faintly. "Finally… a reward that actually makes sense. Quick Strike. Speed and combo damage… exactly what I needed."
Xander, groaning from his bed, shot me a bright smile. "Oh… man. I got a huge boost too! Vitality +25, Agility +20, Attack +18… and check this out—I got a new skill." He held up one of his daggers. "Paralyzing Dagger. Hit an enemy… and they're frozen for a few seconds. Perfect for crowd control."
I raised an eyebrow, trying not to look impressed. "Yeah… sounds useful."
He leaned back, grinning. "And… you know, it makes me even more of a badass. Seriously, we're unstoppable together."
I snorted, lying down again. "You realize we're both still new at this, right? One week outside the barrier, one quest… and somehow we survived. Don't get cocky."
Xander shrugged, still beaming. "I know, I know… but hey, stats and skills are stats and skills. Doesn't matter how new we are if we actually survive, right?"
I couldn't help but smirk faintly. "Right. Survive. That's the plan. Keep your Paralyzing Dagger ready, and I'll keep… whatever this wand/scythe is ready." I didn't mention Quick Strike—he didn't need to know about how fast I could actually move in base form, or that the scythe could now turn into crescent strikes if I transformed. That was a secret for another day.
We leaned back in silence, exhaustion weighing on both of us. The week outside the barrier had been brutal, hunting monsters, dodging hazards, and barely keeping each other alive. But for the first time, I felt… not completely alone.