My Magical Girl System-Chapter 38: Crimson Flame - Sein Alpis

Lisa’s voice was quiet, her eyes fixed on the chaotic scene unfolding before them. "What is she doing here...?"

Sein was already being escorted toward the exit by two security officers. They had her arms, not roughly but firmly, guiding her away from the evaluation area. Sein struggled against their grip, her boots scraping against the polished floor.

"Let go of me!" she snarled, yanking her arm. The officers didn’t release her.

A third Association staff member, a middle-aged woman with a strained expression, stepped forward, trying to calm the situation. "Miss Alpis, please, you need to calm down. This isn’t helping your case—"

Sein’s head snapped toward her, eyes blazing. "My case? My case?! You’re all treating me like a criminal! Like I’m dangerous!" Her voice echoed down the corridor. Other heroes had stopped to watch, their faces a mix of pity, curiosity, and unease.

Sein saw them looking. Saw the way they whispered behind their hands. Saw the way their eyes slid away when she met their gaze.

Her voice dropped, low and venomous. "You’re all bastards. Every single one of you."

The young man who had overseen Andrey’s team evaluation stepped forward, clipboard still in hand. He glanced at the commotion, then back at Andrey, Sarah, and Lisa. His expression was professionally detached.

"Looks like there’s some trouble. Best leave it to security. Nothing we can do here."

He turned and walked away, already focused on his next task.

Andrey was about to agree—to turn and head toward the reception desk like the man suggested—when the system’s voice rang in his head, sharp and urgent.

System: Host! The third Magical Girl candidate, Sein Alpis, is showing significant corrosion. 68% toward total corruption. If this continues, she’ll become more volatile—completely uncontrollable. You need to act.

Andrey’s blood ran cold. 68%. The system had mentioned corrosion before—the dark mana eating away at her soul, the virus from the distorted gate. If it reached 100%...

He made a decision.

"Sarah. Lisa." His voice was low but firm. "You two go to the reception desk first. Get our new IDs. I need to do something."

Lisa’s eyes widened. "Andrey? What are you going to do?"

Sarah grabbed his sleeve. "Hey, Andrey—"

But he was already moving.

He ran toward the security officers, toward Sein, who was still struggling, still shouting, her orange hair flying wild around her face. The officers had almost reached the end of the corridor, close to the main lobby.

Sarah watched him go, her hand dropping to her side. She let out a long, exasperated sigh.

"Hahh... you owe us an explanation later, Andrey."

Lisa bit her lip, worried, but nodded. "Come on, Sarah. Let’s do what he said."

They turned and walked toward the reception desk, glancing back over their shoulders until Andrey disappeared around the corner.

The security officers had Sein’s arms pinned now, half-dragging her toward the exit. She twisted, trying to break free, her voice cracking with fury.

"I said—let—GO!"

One of the officers tightened his grip. "Miss Alpis, if you don’t calm down, we’ll have to—"

Another hand touched her wrist.

Sein’s head whipped around. "I told you to let—"

She stopped.

It wasn’t a security officer.

A young man stood there, glasses perched on his nose, brown hair neatly combed. His expression was calm, almost annoyingly so, but his grip on her wrist was gentle.

Sein blinked. Her mind, fogged with exhaustion and rage, struggled to place his face.

"...Glasses...?" she muttered, her voice suddenly less certain.

Andrey held her gaze. His voice was quiet, steady, cutting through the chaos around them.

"Come with me."

Sein stared at him. The security officers paused, looking between them, uncertain.

"Sir, do you know this woman?" one of them asked.

Andrey didn’t look away from Sein. "She’s with me."

Sein’s mouth opened. Closed. Her brow furrowed.

"Why...?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. "Why would you help me?"

Andrey’s grip on her wrist didn’t loosen. His thumb brushed against her pulse point, feeling the rapid, erratic beat beneath her skin.

"Because you’re going to destroy yourself if someone doesn’t stop you."

Sein’s breath caught. For a moment, the fire in her eyes flickered—dimmed—and something else peered through.

The security officers exchanged glances. The one on Sein’s left slowly released her arm.

"We’ll... leave her in your care, sir. But if she causes any more trouble—"

"She won’t," Andrey said.

The officers stepped back. The crowd of onlookers, sensing the drama was over for now, began to disperse.

Sein stood in the middle of the corridor, her arms hanging at her sides, her orange hair a tangled mess. She looked smaller than she had before.

Andrey released her wrist.

"Follow me," he said again, and started walking.

Sein stared at his back for a long moment. Then, without a word, she followed.

Andrey’s mind raced as he walked, Sein stumbling behind him. The system’s words echoed in his head—84% corrosion. Only 16% left.

’What happens at 100%?’ he asked silently.

System: She’ll become something else entirely, Host. A corrupted entity. Because she was once S-rank, the corrosion doesn’t just weaken her—it converts her remaining mana into dark energy. We have to purify that energy with the power of love.

Andrey’s jaw tightened. ’And if we don’t?’

System: She’ll be lost. Permanently.

He opened his mouth to ask another question—but a sharp cry from behind cut him off.

"Anghh..."

Andrey spun around.

Sein had stopped walking. She was bent over, one hand pressed against her chest, the other braced against the wall. Her face was pale, slick with sweat, her teeth gritted against obvious pain. Her orange hair hung in damp strands across her forehead.

"Hey—are you okay?!" Andrey hurried back to her side, his hand hovering near her shoulder.

Sein’s eyes were squeezed shut. Her breathing was ragged, shallow. "I’m... fine..." she gasped, though clearly she wasn’t.

System: Critical, Host! Her corrosion spiked to 87% just now. The dark mana is spreading faster. You need to perform the ritual immediately—find a private space!

Andrey didn’t hesitate. He crouched, hooked one arm under Sein’s knees and the other around her back, and lifted her into a bridal carry. She was lighter than he expected—her body trembling, feverishly warm against his chest.

"Wha—put me down!" she protested weakly, but her arms looped around his neck almost instinctively, her head lolling against his shoulder.

"No time," Andrey said, already running.

He sprinted down the corridor, past startled heroes and Association staff, looking for any sign of an empty room.

A staff member in a blue uniform stepped out of a side door, clipboard in hand. Andrey skidded to a halt in front of him.

"I need an empty room. Do you know where it is?"

The staff member blinked, looking from Andrey’s urgent face to the woman in his arms—pale, sweating, clearly in distress. "Sir, is she injured? I can call a medic—"

"No time for that. Just tell me where there’s an empty room!"

The staff member hesitated, then pointed down the hall. "Third door on the left. It’s an unused consultation room. The lock works."

Andrey didn’t wait for more. He ran.

The door was marked "Consultation Room 3 — Unavailable." He tried the handle—locked. He stepped back, channeled a thin thread of Ki into his palm, and struck the door near the lock. The mechanism cracked. The door swung open.

He carried Sein inside, kicking the door shut behind him. The room was small—a desk, two chairs, a filing cabinet, and a narrow couch against the far wall. No windows.

Andrey laid Sein on the couch. She curled onto her side, her body shaking, her breathing coming in short, pained gasps. Her skin was pale, almost gray, and faint dark veins were visible at her temples—threads of corruption spreading.

System: 91% corrosion. Host, you have minutes. Initiate the contract. Now.

Andrey knelt beside the couch, his hands hovering over Sein’s shoulders. His mind was a storm—he barely knew this woman. She was arrogant, reckless, and had treated him and his team like dirt. But she was also dying. Corroding from the inside by something she didn’t even understand.

"Sein." He spoke her name firmly, trying to reach her through the pain. "Sein, listen to me. I can help you. But you have to trust me. Can you do that?"

Sein’s eyes fluttered open. They were unfocused, the pupils dilated, but she was still in there—still fighting.

"Trust... you?" Her voice was a rasp. "I don’t... even know your name..."

"Andrey Thompson." He placed one hand on her cheek, turning her face toward him. Her skin was hot, feverish. "I’m going to form a contract with you. It will stop the corrosion. It will save your life. But you have to agree. Say yes, Sein."

She stared at him, her brow furrowed in confusion and pain. "Contract...? What are you...?"

System: 94% corrosion. Host, you’re running out of time. If she doesn’t accept willingly, the purification won’t work. You need her consent.

Andrey’s grip on her cheek tightened slightly—not painfully, but urgently.

"Sein. You’re dying. The dark mana from the Vixion gate is eating your soul. I can stop it, but only if you become a Magical Girl. Under my management. Say yes. Please."

Sein’s eyes widened.

"Magical... Girl?" She almost laughed, but it came out as a wheeze. "That’s... ridiculous..."

"Sein."

She looked at him—really looked. At his steady gaze, his clenched jaw, the way his hand cradled her face like she was something worth saving.

"...Fine." Her voice was barely a whisper. "Do it. Before I change my... mind."

System: Consent received! Initiating contract with Candidate #3 — Sein Alpis. Theme: Crimson Flame. Transformation sequence starting...

Pink light erupted around them—but this time, it was shot through with streaks of deep crimson and orange. The room blazed with warmth, as ribbons of red-gold energy wrapped around Sein’s trembling body.

Her tattered clothes dissolved into particles of light. The dark veins at her temples pulsed, then began to recede—pushed back by the purifying energy of the contract. Sein gasped, her back arching off the couch, her mouth opening in a silent scream.

Andrey held her shoulders, keeping her steady.

"It’s working," he said, more to himself than to her. "Just hold on."

The light intensified. Sein’s orange hair brightened, the dull strands becoming vibrant, almost incandescent. Her rumpled clothes reformed into something new—a sleek crimson battle dress, shorter than she’d probably like, with flame-shaped accents along the hem and sleeves. Fingerless gloves materialized on her hands, and at her hips, a pair of gleaming gauntlets forged from the contract’s energy.

When the light faded, Sein lay on the couch, transformed. Her breathing was still heavy, but the pain was gone from her face. The dark veins had vanished. Her skin had color again.

She looked up at Andrey with wide, confused eyes.

"What... what did you do to me...?"

System: Contract complete! Sein Alpis is now Magical Girl #3. Corrosion halted at 97% — purification ongoing. Current status: Stabilizing. Affection: Base level established. Welcome to the team, Sein-chan~ ❤️

Andrey slumped back on his heels, exhaustion hitting him like a wave.

"I saved your life," he said simply. "You’re welcome."

Sein stared at him for a long moment. Then she looked down at herself—at the crimson dress, the gauntlets, the way her body no longer ached.

"...This is insane," she whispered.

Andrey managed a tired smile.

"Yeah. It is."