My Magical Girl System

Chapter 144: Burn to Ashes

The battlefield was becoming increasingly chaotic. Thick blackened roots and vines kept surging from the ground, trying to entangle the team while the remaining Vine Stalkers attacked relentlessly.

Sarah, breathing heavily while floating in the air, shouted in frustration.

"This is getting too annoying! Andrey, we should just use Synchronized Heart Mode! With this much pollen and dark mana, it’s too risky to keep fighting normally!"

Andrey slashed apart several roots with his Ki Blade before replying firmly.

"No. Don’t use it yet."

He dodged a whipping vine and continued speaking while counterattacking.

"Using Synchronization now would be a waste. We still don’t know how deep this gate goes or what kind of boss is waiting at the end. We need to save our Affection Points for when we really need them. I believe we can handle this without it."

Sein, who had just burned through another group of roots, grinned fiercely despite the sweat on her face.

"Hah! I agree with Andrey," she said, flames roaring around her body once more. "I’m not about to rely on that mode just because of some overgrown weeds!"

She dashed forward with renewed vigor.

"Crimson Charge!"

Sein shot forward like a flaming arrow, smashing straight into a cluster of Vine Stalkers. Her blazing fists tore through their bodies as she roared.

"I’ll burn every last one of you!"

Sarah clicked her tongue but didn’t argue further. She resumed firing Pink Rain to support Sein, though her attacks were clearly more restrained than before due to the weakening pollen.

Lisa kept her focus on maintaining the Aegis of Dawn and healing the team, though the strain was visible on her face.

Andrey stood at the front, acting as the main tank. He absorbed incoming attacks with Damage Absorb while shouting orders.

"Keep pushing! Destroy the flowers first! As long as we control the pollen source, we can win this!"

Even though they were clearly struggling, the team’s determination remained strong. Sein’s aggressive charge, combined with Andrey’s solid defense and Sarah’s ranged support, slowly began turning the tide once again.

However, the gate continued responding more flowers bloomed, and the roots grew thicker and faster.

The Sap-ling Matriarch even though it had been destroyed earlier seemed to have left behind a lingering core. One of the largest crimson flowers suddenly pulsed violently and released a massive cloud of thick, concentrated purple pollen mixed with dark mana spores. The cloud expanded rapidly, threatening to engulf the entire area.

"I see it!" Lisa shouted, her eyes sharp despite the exhaustion. She had been waiting for this.

"Aegis of Dawn — Full Deployment!"

She thrust both hands forward. A bright mint-green barrier instantly formed, quickly expanding and wrapping around the dangerous pollen cloud before it could spread further. The barrier trapped the toxic spores inside, preventing them from reaching the team.

"Nice one, Lisa!" Andrey praised. "Hold it as long as you can!"

Sein didn’t waste the opportunity. She roared and charged forward with full power, flames blazing wildly around her.

"Crimson Cataclysm!"

A massive explosion of flames erupted in the center of the monster horde, burning through dozens of Vine Stalkers and several blooming flowers at once.

Sarah floated higher, gathering pink energy while carefully watching the battlefield.

Andrey, still tanking hits at the front, shouted toward her without turning his head.

"Sarah! Save your ultimate! Use Heartstorm Apocalypse when the timing is right, when most of the flowers are clustered together!"

"Got it!" Sarah replied, her eyes locked on the biggest group of blooming flowers. "Just tell me when!"

The team pushed forward with renewed coordination. Lisa’s quick thinking with the barrier had bought them precious time. Sein continued her aggressive frontal assault, while Andrey absorbed damage and created openings. Sarah hovered above, waiting for the perfect moment to unleash her strongest skill.

The roots and vines kept attacking fiercely, but the Magical Girl Squad refused to back down. Slowly but surely, they were regaining control of the battlefield.

Andrey’s eyes narrowed as he saw a large cluster of crimson flowers blooming at the same time.

"Now, Sarah!" he shouted. "Hit them all at once!"

Sarah’s eyes flashed with determination. She rose higher into the air, pink mana swirling violently around her body as she gathered an enormous amount of energy.

"Heartstorm Apocalypse!"

A massive column of radiant pink energy erupted from the sky like a divine spear. The ultimate skill slammed down into the center of the battlefield with devastating force. The impact created a huge explosion of pink light that engulfed the majority of the blooming crimson flowers and the surrounding Vine Stalkers.

The monsters shrieked in agony as the powerful AoE attack tore through them. The dark mana corrupting the flowers was violently suppressed, and many of the blooming flowers wilted and crumbled instantly. The remaining Vine Stalkers staggered, their movements becoming sluggish and uncoordinated as the strengthening pollen source was heavily damaged.

"Now’s our chance!" Sein roared, her eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

She activated Inferno Armor at full power and charged straight into the heart of the devastated monster group. Her entire body was engulfed in roaring crimson flames as she unleashed her most destructive attack.

"Crimson Cataclysm!!"

A massive wave of flames exploded outward from Sein, swallowing the weakened monsters whole. The fire burned so intensely that the Vine Stalkers and remaining flowers were reduced to charred black husks in seconds. The air filled with the smell of burning wood and scorched dark mana.

Sein didn’t stop there. She moved like a blazing whirlwind, punching and kicking through every last monster that was still moving, burning them until nothing but ash remained.

"Burn... to ashes!!" she yelled.

One final, powerful explosion erupted from her as she destroyed the last major cluster of corrupted flowers. The battlefield fell silent.

Andrey lowered his guard slightly and scanned the area. The purple pollen in the air had thinned significantly, and the writhing roots had stopped moving.

"...It’s over," he said, breathing heavily. "Good work, everyone."

Sarah slowly descended to the ground, looking exhausted but satisfied. "Hah... that took more effort than I expected for a B-rank gate."

Lisa lowered her hands, the mint-green barrier fading as she let out a relieved sigh. "Everyone’s injuries aren’t too serious. I’ll heal the rest now."

Sein stood among the piles of charred remains, flames slowly dying down around her body. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and grinned.

"Not bad. At least it gave me a proper workout."

Andrey looked around at the devastated square. Although they had won the battle, the gate still felt unstable. The remaining dark mana in the air suggested that the core of the gate hadn’t been fully destroyed yet.

"Stay alert," he said. "This gate might not be finished."