Sein lowered the water bottle from her lips, exhaling quietly as cold water slid down her throat. The apartment was unusually calm now, filled only with the hum of the refrigerator and the distant sound of traffic outside the windows.

Then Sarah spoke again.

"So basically," she said flatly, still half-dead on the couch, "our entire reproductive system is controlled by Manager over there."

Andrey adjusted his glasses on reflex. "That’s an oversimplification."

"It’s literally the exact situation."

Lisa buried her face in her hands with a tiny squeak. "When you say it like that, it sounds really embarrassing..."

"It is embarrassing," Sarah groaned. "You know what would’ve been nice? A warning. Maybe a pamphlet. ’Congratulations on becoming a Magical Girl. Side effects include trauma and your manager secretly controlling the laws of reproduction.’"

Sein snorted quietly.

All three of them looked at her.

"...What?" she muttered, immediately defensive.

Sarah pointed accusingly. "You laughed."

"I exhaled."

"You laughed."

Sein clicked her tongue and took another drink. "You’re all being dramatic."

Lisa blinked. "You weren’t worried at all?"

The crimson flame paused.

A faint pink crept onto her ears.

"...I assumed the system prevented it," Sein admitted reluctantly. "A combat-oriented magical support system allowing accidental pregnancy during active operations would be irrational."

The entire room went silent.

Then Sarah slowly turned toward Andrey.

"Oh my god."

Lisa stared too, eyes wide with realization.

Andrey frowned slightly. "What?"

"You found another one," Sarah said weakly. "Another person who talks like you."

"I do not sound like her."

"You absolutely do," Sarah and Lisa said together.

Sein’s face twisted immediately. "Don’t lump me together with Glassses."

Andrey adjusted his glasses again. "Your phrasing was nearly identical to my own conclusion."

"Shut up."

Sarah suddenly started laughing.

It began as a tired wheeze, then quickly escalated into full laughter as she clutched her stomach. "I can’t do this anymore... one of them was already hard enough, but now there are two emotionally constipated efficiency robots in this apartment..."

Lisa tried to suppress her own laughter and failed, shoulders shaking softly.

Sein looked horrified. "Why are you both laughing?!"

"Because," Sarah gasped between breaths, "you literally called pregnancy during sex a ’combat inefficiency!’"

"It IS!"

That only made Sarah laugh harder.

Even Lisa couldn’t hold back anymore, leaning against the armrest as soft giggles escaped her lips.

Sein stared at them like they had collectively lost their minds. Then her eyes shifted toward Andrey.

"...Why are you quiet?"

Andrey sat calmly in his chair, fingers loosely folded together. "I’m analyzing whether defending you would improve or worsen the situation."

Sein looked personally betrayed.

"Unbelievable."

Sarah pointed at Andrey while still laughing. "See?! SEE?! That’s exactly the kind of thing you say!"

A tiny crack appeared in Sein’s composure.

Her lips twitched.

She realized it a second too late and immediately turned away. "Tch."

But the damage was done.

Sarah froze mid-laugh, eyes widening dramatically. "Wait."

Lisa blinked too.

"...Did Sein almost smile?"

"I did not."

"You almost smiled!"

"I said I didn’t."

Andrey quietly observed the exchange.

Then, without warning—

System: Ehehe~ Look at you all, finally bonding properly! No fighting, no sarcasm, just pure, genuine teasing~

A familiar pink holographic screen flickered to life, hearts dancing around the edges.

Sarah groaned. "Not you too."

System: Me too~! Watching my precious Magical Girls act like real friends makes my heart flutter! And Sein-chan almost smiled! That’s a rare event! Like a legendary gacha pull!

Sein’s face darkened. "I didn’t smile."

System: Your lips twitched upward 0.3 millimeters! That counts in my book~ ❤️

Lisa giggled despite herself. "You measured it?"

System: I measure everything! Including how much affection you three just earned~

A burst of pink light pulsed around them, warm and soft.

System: +25 Affection Points for everyone! Team bonding is the best kind of farming~ Keep it up and maybe Sein-chan will smile for real next time!

Sarah snorted. "She’d rather die."

Sein groaned and dragged the towel off her shoulders, throwing it onto Sarah’s face.

"Shut up already."

Sarah immediately shrieked as the damp towel smacked directly into her face.

"EW—SEIN! IT’S WET!"

"Obviously," Sein replied flatly, already turning back toward the fridge. "I just took a shower."

Sarah ripped the towel off her head with visible disgust. "That’s not the point! Now my hair smells like your shampoo!"

Sein twisted the cap back onto her water bottle. "Then consider it an improvement."

Lisa covered her mouth, trying not to laugh again.

Sarah pointed the damp towel at Sein like a weapon. "One day, your attitude is going to get you punched."

"You’d throw your back out before you landed the hit."

"I hate you."

"No you don’t."

Sarah opened her mouth to argue and immediately closed it.

Sein smirked faintly in victory.

"...Tch."

Andrey quietly watched the exchange for several seconds before speaking.

"We should focus on the next gate rotation."

The mood shifted almost instantly.

Sarah groaned dramatically again, tossing the towel onto the sofa armrest. "Can we not talk about work for at least five minutes?"

"We don’t have the luxury."

Andrey leaned back slightly in his chair, expression calm but serious now.

"The number of B-rank gates has increased again this week."

Lisa straightened a little at that. "Again...?"

Andrey nodded once. "Mana density across the region keeps rising. The Association is struggling to stabilize the appearance rate."

Sein crossed her arms. "Then why haven’t we taken any? We’re already strong enough."

"We could," Andrey admitted. "The problem is access."

Sarah clicked her tongue. "Guild monopolies."

"Correct."

Andrey adjusted his glasses, eyes narrowing slightly behind the lenses.

"The larger guilds are buying influence with regional administrators and locking down most profitable B-rank gates before independent teams can apply."

Lisa frowned softly. "That’s... allowed?"

"Officially? No," Andrey replied. "Unofficially, nobody stops them because the top guilds provide the majority of national gate-clearing power."

Sein leaned against the counter, expression darkening. "Typical."

"The Horizon Guild, Lumina Guild, Crimson Edge, and several others are competing aggressively right now," Andrey continued. "Especially after the Vixion incident exposed how unstable the current gate management system is."

Sarah folded her arms. "So we’re stuck farming C-ranks forever while the big shots hoard everything?"

"Not necessarily."

That got everyone’s attention.

Andrey reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his phone, opening a file he’d received earlier that evening.

"A temporary B-rank gate appeared two hours ago near the eastern industrial district."

Lisa blinked. "Temporary?"

"Unregistered. It manifested outside normal prediction models." His voice grew quieter. "Which means the guilds haven’t claimed it yet."

Sein immediately pushed herself off the counter. "Then we go now."

Sarah stared at her in disbelief. "You were just dying on the couch five minutes ago."

"I’m still tired," Sein said bluntly. "But if we miss this chance, another guild will take it by morning."

Lisa hesitated. "But we’re exhausted..."

Andrey looked at each of them carefully.

Normally, he would’ve rejected the idea immediately. Their mana reserves weren’t fully recovered, and prolonged combat after intensive synchronization sessions carried risks.

But B-rank gates meant stronger enemies.

More experience.

Better drops.

Higher chances of contaminated artifacts.

And potentially more traces connected to Laplace.

"...We have six hours before dawn," Andrey said finally. "Rest for ninety minutes. Eat something. Recover as much mana as possible."

Sarah stared at him.

Then groaned loud enough to shake the apartment.

"THIS is why normal people quit office jobs instead of becoming magical girls..."