My Magical Girl System-Chapter 15: Large-scale Expedition

The morning sun had barely crept over the Elysium skyline when Andrey’s alarm blared through the apartment. He was already dressed—black tactical pants, reinforced jacket, collapsible baton secured to his belt when he burst into the bedroom where Sarah and Lisa were still tangled in the comforter.

"Up. Now. We have a mission," he announced, flicking the lights on.

Sarah groaned, burying her face deeper into the pillow. "Five more minutes... it’s too early..."

Lisa sat up groggily, rubbing her eyes. "What’s going on?"

"No time. Van’s waiting downstairs. Get dressed—I’ll explain on the way."

Twenty minutes later, still pulling on jackets and yawning, they climbed into the Association transport van. The vehicle hummed through the city streets, passing early-morning traffic and the occasional hero billboard flashing recruitment ads.

Sarah slumped against the window, her brown hair messy and eyes half-closed. "Why so sudden? I’m still sleepy..." she mumbled, pulling her jacket tighter.

Andrey sat across from her, tablet in hand, reviewing mission data with his usual focus. "Because we have a C-rank quest. But this is a gate opened by the Vixion Guild."

Lisa perked up immediately, her drowsiness fading. "Ohh, isn’t that the top-tier guild? The one with all the famous S-rank heroes?"

Andrey nodded. "Exactly. And with the number of heroes attending, it’ll give us an advantage. We can observe higher-ranked fighters, learn from their tactics, and maybe even network with them."

Lisa’s eyes sparkled, fully awake now. "This is going to be huge! Sarah, don’t be lazy—wake up properly!"

Sarah groaned again, sitting up straighter but still looking grumpy. "This is too sudden. And how did you even know about this info?"

Andrey glanced up from his tablet, a small smirk playing at his lips. "Hope told me. You remember her—the S-rank Hero we met after the office incident. She messaged me late last night. Said Vixion Guild was putting out an open call for backup on this gate, and she thought we could use the experience."

Sarah’s eyes widened slightly, her sleepiness momentarily forgotten. "Hope? The blonde hero with the giant sword? She remembered us?"

Lisa leaned forward excitedly. "An S-rank hero personally invited us? That’s amazing!"

Andrey shrugged, returning to his tablet. "She said we showed potential. And with the anomaly spike yesterday, the Association is encouraging inter-guild cooperation. This gate is deeper than usual—C-rank minimum, but with multiple waves expected. Perfect for leveling if we play it smart."

The van rumbled on, passing through a security checkpoint into a cordoned-off district. Through the windows, they could see other hero vehicles—some sleek and branded with guild logos, others battered and practical like theirs. In the distance, a swirling purple vortex crackled against the sky, larger than any they’d faced before.

Sarah finally stretched properly, her grumpiness fading as adrenaline began to kick in. "Fine, fine."

The van’s doors slid open, and the trio stepped out into the organized chaos of the forward staging area. Andrey turned back briefly, giving the driver a polite nod. "Thank you for the ride. Appreciate it."

The driver waved casually. "Good luck in there, guys. Stay alive."

Andrey led Sarah and Lisa toward the security checkpoint, where a long line of heroes funneled through a mana-scanner gate. When they reached the front, a stern-faced official in Association uniform held out a hand. "IDs."

They presented their provisional hero cards. The official scanned them, then raised an eyebrow. "Thompson, Andrey. Rank D. Accompanied by Sarah Chen and Lisa Sadine, also D-rank." He glanced up. "You’re on the list—Hope’s recommendation?"

Andrey nodded calmly. "That’s correct."

The official’s expression softened slightly, a hint of approval in his eyes. "You’re lucky, you know. This expedition has multiple S-rank heroes participating. The inner gate is unstable, but with them handling the core, the outer zones should be relatively safe. Stick to your assigned perimeter and don’t get overconfident."

Andrey inclined his head. "Understood. Thank you for the information."

They passed through the scanner, emerging into a sprawling assembly area. Heroes of every rank milled about—some in gleaming custom armor, others in practical gear like theirs. The atmosphere buzzed with tense anticipation. In the distance, the massive purple gate crackled and spat arcs of dark lightning into the sky, its sheer size dwarfing anything they’d seen before.

Lisa’s eyes went wide, taking in the crowd. "Whoa... there are so many heroes here. I even see some B-rank and A-rank insignias."

Sarah scanned the crowd, spotting a few familiar faces from hero news broadcasts. "This really is a large-scale expedition. Look—is that the A-rank swordmaster from the Crimson Blades guild?"

Andrey followed her gaze, nodding. "Probably. And there are more. This gate must be significant if they’re pulling this many resources."

Lisa turned to him, curiosity clear on her face. "But why do they need so many heroes? Wouldn’t a few high-rankers be enough?"

Andrey adjusted his glasses, slipping into explanation mode. "In theory, yes. But gates this deep don’t just have one or two strong monsters—they have waves. The high-rankers need to push deep to seal the core, but they can’t waste time and energy on the smaller fries swarming the outer layers. That’s where we come in. We clear the perimeter, handle the ’small fries,’ and let the elites do their job without distraction."

Sarah smirked, cracking her knuckles. "So we’re the cleanup crew. Got it."

Lisa nodded seriously. "Makes sense. Efficient use of manpower."

Andrey allowed a small smile. "Exactly."

Sarah stretched lazily, then flashed a confident grin. "Well then, this is going to be easy."

A familiar voice cut through the noise behind them. "Well, well—look who made it!"

They turned to see Hope striding toward them, her golden hair gleaming in the morning light, crystal sword slung across her back as casually as a backpack. Her armor today was slightly more practical than before—still decorative, but with reinforced plates that suggested serious combat readiness.

She beamed at them. "Glad you three could make it! Andrey, you got my message?"

Andrey nodded. "We appreciate the opportunity. This will be good experience."

Hope clapped him on the shoulder, nearly sending him stumbling. "Experience? You’ll get plenty. Stick close to the perimeter team, follow the senior coordinators, and you’ll do fine." She glanced at Sarah and Lisa. "And you two—ready to show those monsters what Magical Girls can do?"

Sarah groaned. "Please don’t call us that in front of everyone."

Lisa giggled nervously. "We’ll try our best, Miss Hope."

Hope laughed brightly. "Just Hope is fine. And hey, if things get hairy, find me—I’ll be somewhere in the inner ring cracking skulls." She winked, then glanced toward the gate as a deep rumble echoed from within. "Sounds like it’s waking up. Better get to your positions. Briefing’s in five."

She gave them a thumbs-up and jogged off toward the elite staging area, leaving the trio standing at the edge of the crowd.

Andrey straightened his jacket. "You heard her. Let’s find our assigned squad and get briefed. Stay close, stay sharp, and remember—we’re not here to be heroes today. We’re here to learn and survive."

Sarah nudged him with an elbow. "When did you get so good at pep talks, manager?"

Andrey’s ear reddened slightly. "Shut up and move."

Lisa giggled, following as they wove through the crowd toward the perimeter assembly point.