My Magical Girl System-Chapter 30: Third Magical Girl Candidate

The Association official, a stern-faced woman with a clipboard and a freshly pressed uniform, blinked at Andrey and Lisa’s expressions. She glanced between them and Sein, who stood a few paces away with her arms crossed, her ruined gauntlets hanging at her sides like dead weights.

"I see," the official said slowly, her voice carefully neutral. "Well, regardless of the... challenges, the civilians are safe, and the immediate breach has been contained. We’ll take it from here."

Lisa leaned heavily against Andrey, her face still pale, her transformation completely faded. She looked up at the official with tired eyes. "But the gate is sealed, right? We saw it close."

The official shook her head. "Temporarily. Small rifts like this often stabilize and reopen unless the core is destroyed from within. Our teams will establish a perimeter and monitor the area. If it resurges, we’ll handle it." She paused, then added with a hint of respect, "You two did well to hold the line until we arrived. That took courage."

Andrey adjusted his grip on Lisa, his arm around her waist to keep her steady. His own injuries were still bleeding—the gashes on his back, the split knuckles, the deep bruise blooming across his ribs—but he forced his voice to stay even.

"So attacking from the outside is just containment," he said, his analytical mind already turning. "The real solution is destroying the core from within."

The official nodded. "Exactly. That’s why higher-ranked heroes are essential for gate clearance. They go in, eliminate the core, and seal the breach permanently." She glanced at Sein, who was now inspecting her cracked gauntlets with a scowl. "And it seems Miss Alpis was on her way to assist with that before the situation escalated."

Andrey and Lisa exchanged a look. Lisa’s face was carefully blank, but her lips pressed together in a thin line.

The official caught the exchange and raised an eyebrow. "I take it her assistance wasn’t... optimal?"

Lisa opened her mouth, then closed it. She looked like she was trying very hard to be polite. "She... helped," she said finally, her voice strained.

"She punched things," Andrey added flatly. "Without coordination."

Sein’s head snapped up, her orange hair wild around her face. "What did you say, D-rank?" She stalked toward them, her boots crunching on the debris scattered across the plaza. "You think you could have handled those hounds without me? I took out at least three of them!"

"You took out one," Lisa corrected, her exhaustion making her voice sharper than usual. "Andrey took out two. I took out the rest. You spent most of the fight getting thrown into things and yelling about your power not working."

Sein’s face flushed a deep red. "My power is—I’m an S-rank hero! I’ve cleared gates you couldn’t even imagine! If my gauntlets hadn’t been damaged from the last mission, I would have—"

"You would have gotten us all killed," Andrey interrupted. His voice was calm, almost clinical, but there was steel underneath. "You rushed in without looking, ignored our coordination, and left openings that the hounds exploited. If Lisa hadn’t healed you, you’d still be on the ground."

The official took a step back, her clipboard forgotten. The few Association personnel who had gathered around the perimeter were now very interested in their equipment, pretending not to listen.

Sein’s face contorted with fury. Her cracked gauntlets sparked weakly as she jabbed a finger toward Andrey’s chest. "You think you’re so high and mighty, lecturing me? I’ve been fighting monsters since before you even knew what a gate was! Don’t you dare—"

The Association official stepped between them, her clipboard raised like a shield. "Alright, that’s enough. The situation is under control. We’ll process the incident report and see that you all receive proper compensation for your efforts." She glanced at Andrey and Lisa, noting their torn clothes and visible injuries. "Medical teams are on standby. Please allow them to treat your wounds."

Sein’s scowl deepened. She looked down at her sparking gauntlets, then at the healing cuts on her arms where Lisa’s magic had mended her. Her jaw tightened.

"I don’t need anyone’s help." She turned on her heel, her ruined ponytail whipping behind her. "I’m leaving."

She strode toward the edge of the plaza, her boots crunching on broken stone, her shoulders rigid. No one called after her. The Association personnel parted silently to let her pass, their eyes carefully averted.

When she was gone, the official let out a long breath. She turned back to Andrey and Lisa, her expression softening with something like embarrassment.

"I apologize for that. We requested backup from nearby heroes, but she was the closest." She hesitated. "Miss Alpis has been... struggling since the gate incident. Her power hasn’t fully recovered. I don’t think she’s coping well with the loss."

Andrey shook his head slowly, the anger draining from his chest. "No, I’m sorry too. I let my emotions get the better of me." He looked down at Lisa, who was still leaning against him, her exhaustion plain. "We should accept that medical attention now."

Lisa nodded weakly. "Yeah... that sounds good."

The official waved over a pair of medics who had been waiting at the edge of the plaza. As they approached with glowing diagnostic wands and fresh bandages, Andrey felt the familiar chime of the system in his head.

System: Candidate alert! Third Magical Girl candidate detected in vicinity.

Candidate: Sein Alpis

Rank: Former S-rank (currently power-restricted)

Compatibility: High

Mana signature: Unstable but potent. Affinity: Fire/Impact.

Current status: Emotionally vulnerable. Power reduced to approximately C-rank levels post-gate incident.

Andrey stared at the floating text, his mind racing despite the exhaustion pulling at his limbs.

’Sein? The one who just stormed off? She’s supposed to be our third Magical Girl?’

He glanced at Lisa, who was watching the medics approach with tired eyes. She couldn’t see the system screen—only he could. But she noticed his expression shift.

"What?" she asked quietly. "What’s wrong?"

Andrey’s jaw worked for a moment. Then he shook his head slightly.

"Later. Let’s get patched up first."

Lisa frowned, but she was too drained to press further. She let the medics guide her to a portable seat, her mint-green outfit now just a memory, her borrowed blouse torn at the sleeve.

Andrey looked toward the empty street where Sein had disappeared, the system’s words still glowing in his peripheral vision.

’She’s not going to accept help easily,’ he thought. ’But if we don’t do something... what happens to her? Does she just fade away?’

The medics worked efficiently, sealing his wounds with cool mana-infused salves. Lisa was already half-dozing in her chair, her head lolling.

Andrey closed his eyes, letting the medic finish bandaging his knuckles.

System: Andrey, you have to recruit her, you know. If you don’t, her soul will continue to corrode.

Andrey’s hand stilled. His voice was barely a whisper.

"Corrosion? What do you mean?"

System: It’s a kind of virus carried through the gate. Sein Alpis likely picked it up from that distorted gate—the one that was supposed to be C-rank but turned S-rank. It’s what’s been draining her power, making her unstable. I sensed it the moment she got close.

Andrey’s jaw tightened. In his mind, pieces were already clicking into place—the way Sein had struggled, the erratic power output, the fury and shame written across her face. Not just pride wounded.

"Is it the same as the contaminated artifacts you mentioned? The ones we need to collect?"

System: Bingo~ Same principle. The dark mana from the primordial demons seeps into living beings just like it seeps into objects. But with me, you can purify Sein’s soul with the power of love~.

Andrey stared at the floating text, his expression guarded. "...Is that actually true?"

System: It’s true! You have to trust your partners, Andrey. Trust the system that chose you!

He let out a slow breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "If I just leave her alone... what happens?"

The system’s tone shifted, losing its playful edge.

System: Her soul will continue to corrode. The dark mana will spread. Eventually, she’ll lose all her power completely. And after that... she’ll die.

Andrey’s hand dropped to his side. "Is there really a virus like that? I’ve never heard of anything like this before. The Association never mentioned—"

System: You’re too suspicious of me, Andrey. It makes me sad~

Despite everything, a tired smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Forgive me for being cautious after a portal almost killed us."

He looked toward the empty street where Sein had disappeared. The sun was starting to set, casting long shadows across the plaza. Somewhere in the city, a former S-rank hero was walking alone, her power fading, her soul slowly being consumed by something she didn’t even know was there.

Andrey made a decision.

"I’ll discuss it when I get home," he said quietly. "After I talk with Sarah and Lisa. Then we’ll decide what to do."