My Magical Girl System-Chapter 41: The Youngest

Sein stretched her arms above her head, the oversized hoodie riding up slightly to reveal a strip of pale stomach. She didn’t seem to notice or care. Her eyes were fixed on Andrey with a sharp, calculating gleam.

"Hey, Glasses. If I level up, I can get stronger, right?"

Andrey nodded, adjusting his glasses. "Yes. As your level increases, so does your power. That’s how the system works."

Sein’s lips curled into a grin—the first genuine expression she’d shown since arriving. "Then let’s go. Find a gate. I want to test out this new body."

Andrey shook his head firmly. "Not yet. You need to rest. Your body just went through a major change—the corruption, the contract, the purification. Pushing yourself now could destabilize you again."

Sein’s grin faded, replaced by a scowl. "I know what you’re thinking. But I don’t care about the cost. I’ve lost my rank, my guild, my reputation. If this—" she gestured vaguely at herself, at the hoodie, at the lingering crimson glow that occasionally flickered around her fingers, "—is what it takes to get my power back, then I’ll pay the price. Whatever it is."

Her cheeks flushed slightly at the memory of what that "price" had already entailed. But she didn’t look away.

Andrey held her gaze. "I understand your urgency. But there’s no such thing as instant strength. The power of a Magical Girl comes with consequences. You’ve already experienced one of them."

Sein’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t argue.

Lisa, who had been listening quietly, leaned forward with genuine curiosity. "Sein... before all this, you were really strong, weren’t you? Strong enough to reach S-rank."

Sein glanced at her, surprised by the sincere question. For a moment, the prickly exterior softened.

"Yeah. I was." Her voice was quieter now. "My ability was energy stacking. Every hit I landed, every blow I took—I could store the force and release it all at once. The more I built up, the stronger the release. At max stack, I could punch through a gate core like it was paper."

She looked down at her hands, flexing her fingers. "But that gate... the one that was supposed to be C-rank... something inside it disrupted my energy. I couldn’t stack properly. Every time I tried, the dark mana interfered. And then..." She trailed off, her expression darkening.

Lisa’s eyes were wide. "That sounds incredible. You must have worked really hard to get that strong."

Sein shrugged, but there was a flicker of something vulnerable beneath the casual gesture. "Hard work? Sure. But also talent. Some people are just born stronger. That’s how the world works."

Sarah, who had returned from the kitchen with a tray of tea cups, set the tray down on the coffee table with a pointed clink. She didn’t say anything, but her expression was thoughtful.

Andrey spoke up. "Talent is one thing. But talent without discipline burns out. You’re still here, Sein. That means you have more than just talent."

Sein looked at him, her expression guarded. Then she let out a short laugh.

"Listen to you. A C-rank lecturing an S-rank about discipline."

Andrey didn’t rise to the bait. "Rank doesn’t measure everything."

Sein’s smirk faded. She picked up a cup of tea, blowing on the steam to avoid meeting anyone’s eyes.

Lisa, still curious, tilted her head. "Sein... can I ask how old you are? I used to see you on the news all the time. You always looked so... untouchable."

Sein raised an eyebrow. "Twenty-one. Why?"

The room went quiet.

Sarah blinked. "Wait. Twenty-one?"

Lisa’s mouth fell open. "That’s... younger than me. I’m twenty-two."

Sarah set down her tea cup with a sharp clatter. "I’m twenty-four. Andrey’s twenty-eight. You’re the youngest out of all of us?"

Sein’s face flushed—whether from embarrassment or annoyance, it was hard to tell. "What’s your point? Age doesn’t matter. I earned my rank through strength, not birthdays."

Sarah leaned back, crossing her arms with a new expression—something between surprise and grudging respect. "Huh. The baby of the group is an ex-S-rank. That’s... weird."

"Don’t call me baby," Sein snapped.

Lisa giggled—the first light sound in the room all evening. "Sorry, sorry. It’s just... surprising. You carry yourself like you’re older."

Sein scowled into her tea. "I’ve been through a lot. Age is just a number."

Andrey watched the exchange, a small smile tugging at his lips. The tension wasn’t gone, but it had shifted.

"Alright," he said, standing up. "We’ll start training tomorrow."

Sein opened her mouth to protest, but Andrey held up a hand. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"That’s final. You need to learn how to work with us, and we need to learn how to work with you."

Sein’s protest died in her throat. She looked away, her jaw tight, but she didn’t argue.

Lisa nodded enthusiastically. "I think that’s a good idea."

Sarah shrugged. "Fine by me. Just don’t expect me to go easy on the new girl."

Sein’s head snapped toward her, eyes narrowing. "I don’t need anyone to go easy on me."

Sarah smirked. "Good. Then we understand each other."

Andrey watched the exchange between Sarah and Sein—the measuring glares, the barely concealed sparks—and let out a quiet breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.

’The first impression wasn’t so bad,’ he thought, his gaze drifting to Lisa, who was still sitting on the couch with her hands wrapped around her tea cup. ’All thanks to Lisa. If she hadn’t kept trying to mediate, this would have turned into a shouting match much sooner.’

As if sensing his eyes on her, Lisa looked up. Their gazes met, and a small, warm smile spread across her face. She gave a tiny nod, then looked back down at her tea, her cheeks faintly pink.

Andrey’s chest tightened slightly. He looked away.

Sein, who had been watching the silent exchange with narrowed eyes, decided she’d had enough of the soft moment. She planted her hands on her hips, the oversized hoodie shifting around her frame.

"Just so you know," she announced, her voice cutting through the lingering warmth, "I’m DPS. Pure offense. That’s my style. I’m not going to stand in front and take hits—that’s not how I fight."

Andrey turned to her, his expression settling back into its usual calm professionalism. "Understood. Don’t worry about that. I’ll be the tank."

Sein’s eyebrows shot up. She looked him over—the lean build, the formal shirt that was slightly rumpled from the day’s events, the glasses perched on his nose. He didn’t look like a frontline fighter. He looked like an office worker who’d wandered into the wrong meeting.

"You?" She stepped closer, circling him like a cat inspecting a suspicious piece of furniture. "You’re going to be the tank? With this body?"

Before Andrey could respond, Sein reached out and grabbed his arm. Her fingers pressed into his bicep, feeling the muscle beneath the fabric. She squeezed, then poked his shoulder, then his chest.

Andrey stood rigid, his face slowly turning red. "What are you doing?"

"Checking if you’re serious," Sein said, unbothered. She poked his stomach, then grabbed the hem of his shirt and lifted it, exposing his abdomen.

Lisa squeaked and immediately turned her head away, her face burning. Sarah did the same, but not before shooting a glare at Sein over her shoulder.

"Hey! Don’t just lift his shirt like that!" Sarah snapped. "What’s wrong with you?!"

Sein ignored her, studying Andrey’s exposed torso with clinical detachment. His stomach was lean, with a hint of muscle definition—nothing dramatic, but more than his office attire suggested. There were faint scars from the hound attacks, still healing.

"Hmm," Sein muttered, finally letting the shirt drop. "Not terrible. But still... you’re really planning to stand in front of monsters and take hits? Without armor?"

Andrey adjusted his shirt, his ears burning. "I have skills that allow me to absorb damage. And I’m not completely helpless—I’ve learned to use Ki as well."

Sein tilted her head. "Ki? That’s different from mana?"

"Completely different. It’s internal energy. I’m still learning to control it, but it’s helped me hold my own."

Sein was quiet for a moment. Then she shrugged. "Fine. Don’t expect me to babysit you if you go down."

Andrey met her gaze steadily. "I wouldn’t ask you to."