My Magical Girl System-Chapter 17: Small Fry

The inner staging area was a world apart from the chaotic perimeter. Here, near the base of the massive gate, the atmosphere was calm. High-rank heroes lounged on supply crates, sharpened weapons, or simply stared at the churning vortex with expressions of bored professionalism.

Hope stood with her arms crossed, crystal sword propped against a nearby crate, her golden hair catching the purple glow from the gate. Around her, three figures formed a loose circle—each one a high rank in Elysium’s hero community.

The first to speak was a lean man with sharp features and striking crimson hair that fell across one eye, the other visible eye a piercing amber that seemed to glow faintly in the dim light. His name was Levin Snide, A-rank swordmaster of the Crimson Blades guild. He wore fitted dark armor with red accents, and his hand rested casually on the hilt of a katana at his hip. He glanced at the gathering of S-ranks with a raised eyebrow.

"A C-rank gate, and three S-rank heroes show up," Levin said, his voice smooth but edged with curiosity. "That’s rare. Almost suspicious."

The second figure chuckled softly—a tall man with stark white hair and black glasses that hid his eyes completely. Two swords hung at his waist, their sheaths worn and battle-scarred. Simmon Flanks, S-rank of the Black Coffin guild, known as much for his dry wit as his lethal dual-blade style. He leaned against a crate, arms folded.

"This is something Vixion proposed," Simmon said casually. "They want to recruit some quality candidates. The plan is to make this gate... how should I put it? Rupture it. Create controlled waves that force the lower-rank heroes to develop their potential. A live-fire training exercise, essentially."

The third figure—a woman with bright orange hair tied in a high ponytail that swung with her movements—let out an exaggerated sigh. Sein Alpis, S-rank of Vixion Guild herself, rolled her sharp emerald eyes. Her build was athletic, her gear minimal but clearly enchanted—light armor that prioritized speed over protection, and a pair of gleaming gauntlets that hummed with mana.

"So we’re doing things the fast way," Sein said flatly. "What else is new? We’re short on manpower—that’s why we asked for your help in the first place, isn’t it?"

Hope, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke up. Her voice was warm but carried a hint of concern. "I don’t really mind helping out. But are we absolutely sure this is safe? Gates are chaotic by nature—they don’t exactly follow plans."

Sein’s eye twitched slightly. "One hundred percent safe. So stop asking that already, because I’m tired of answering it. We already agreed to this, didn’t we?"

Hope held up her hands placatingly. "Okay, okay. But there’s nothing wrong with being worried, right? I just want to make sure the lower ranks aren’t getting thrown into something they can’t handle."

Simmon pushed his black glasses up his nose, a faint smirk on his lips. "Relax. With me here, it’ll be fine."

Levin snorted, running a hand through his crimson hair. "Well, I hope you find someone talented in this batch. Would be a waste otherwise."

A nearby operator in Vixion colors raised a hand. "We’re ready to initiate the wave sequence. Expanding gate now—controlled release pattern."

The gate rumbled, its surface rippling as the operator’s team channeled mana into stabilizing arrays. The purple vortex widened slightly, and deep within, shadows began to move.

Simmon stretched lazily, drawing both swords with fluid ease. He glanced at Levin with a slight smirk. "Hey, A-rank. Try not to be a burden on me, alright?"

Levin’s amber eye gleamed with amusement. He drew his katana, the blade singing as it left the sheath. "Relax. I’m the one who’ll be doing the slaughtering."

Sein crossed her arms, her orange ponytail swaying as she shot a sharp look at both Simmon and Levin. "Hey. Don’t forget—we’re not here to kill everything in sight. Our job is to eliminate any monsters that could disrupt this operation. We go inside, find the gate core, and retrieve it once the waves are done. Leave the small fry for the others outside."

Simmon said nothing, his white hair barely moving as he rolled his shoulders, twin swords glinting in the purple light.

Levin just smiled, that lazy, confident expression never leaving his sharp features. His amber eye gleamed with amusement.

Hope watched them both, her brow furrowing slightly. In her mind, a quiet prayer echoed, ’I really hope this goes smoothly...’

The operator’s voice crackled through their earpieces. "Monsters incoming. Please prepare—engagement starting now."

Before anyone could respond, Simmon was already moving. "I’ll go first," he said flatly, and without waiting for acknowledgment, he strode into the gate’s swirling surface and vanished.

Levin shrugged and followed. Sein sighed heavily, then gestured for Hope to move. "Let’s go."

They stepped through together, the world twisting for a brief, disorienting moment before solidifying into the interior of the gate. The landscape was surreal—floating islands of rock suspended in purple-tinged void, connected by crumbling bridges of crystallized mana. In the distance, massive shadows moved, and closer, dozens of monsters were already forming up, preparing to charge toward the exit.

Simmon stood at the front, examining the approaching horde with visible disinterest. "Small fry," he muttered.

Sein rolled her eyes. "What did you expect? This is a C-rank gate."

Levin glanced around, katana still sheathed. "Then what’s the point of having S-ranks here? You two could handle this on your own easily."

Sein’s expression hardened slightly. "It’s to prevent anything... unexpected."

Hope caught the hesitation in her voice. "You sound kind of unsure. Is this really safe?"

Sein’s jaw tightened. "I told you it’s safe, so drop it. Our job now is to herd these monsters toward the exit and find the gate core." She pointed toward the deeper reaches of the gate, where the largest shadows moved. "It’s in there somewhere."

Levin surveyed the horde with a critical eye. "With this many monsters, finding the core is going to be annoying."

Simmon finally spoke, his voice carrying that dry, indifferent tone. "Stop complaining, A-rank. If we just slaughter them all, we’ll eventually find the core." He drew both swords, the blades humming with dark energy.

Sein’s head whipped toward him. "Don’t slaughter them all! Remember your objective!"

Simmon paused, glancing back at her with an expression hidden behind his black glasses. For a moment, he said nothing—then he shrugged and resheathed one sword.

"Fine. I’ll leave some alive."

Hope exhaled quietly, gripping her crystal sword. ’This is going to be a long mission...’