Chapter 59: Synchronized Heart Mode!
Andrey’s katana flashed in the dim light, cutting down another hound that had lunged at them from the shadows. The blade moved with chanical precision—Weapon Mastery guiding his strikes even as exhaustion pulled at his limbs. Behind him, Sein’s gauntlets blazed, each punch sending shockwaves through the clustered monsters.
"Crimson Nova!" she shouted, and a wave of crimson fla erupted from her body, sweeping across the chamber. The monsters caught in the blast screeched, their bodies dissolving into ash. But more were already erging from the darkness—hounds, imps, twisted creatures with too many limbs.
Sein’s chest heaved. "This is cheating! We should have finished this gate already!"
Andrey parried a claw swipe, drove his katana into the creature’s chest, and spun to face the next threat. "Maybe it’s the mana chaos I caused earlier. Or the artifact’s lingering power. Whatever it is, we just need to hold on!"
He ducked under a flying imp, his muscles screaming. His Ki reserves were nearly dry. The blue potion Sein had pressed into his hand earlier was already half-empty, the bitter liquid burning its way down his throat.
Sein grabbed the unconscious hero’s collar and shook him violently. "Damn it! This guy’s sleeping like a log! Hey! Wake up, you bastard!" She slapped his face—once, twice, three tis. His head lolled with each impact.
Andrey, still fighting, glanced over his shoulder. "Hey! You’re going to kill him!"
Sein ignored him and slapped the hero again. "Wake up, you useless piece of—"
The hero’s eyes snapped open.
He blinked, disoriented, staring up at Sein’s furious face. His mouth opened, then closed. "E-Eh... Sein Alpis? The real Sein Alpis? Am I... dreaming?"
Sein released his collar, letting him drop back to the stone floor with a thud. "Finally. Shut up and help, you burden."
The hero scrambled to his feet, his eyes wide with recognition and disbelief. "I’m your biggest fan! I’ve watched all your old fights—when you took down that A-rank gate solo, and when you—"
"Shut up!" Sein shoved a spare dagger into his hands. "Less talking, more stabbing! There are monsters everywhere, you idiot!"
The hero blinked, finally noticing the chaos around them. His face paled. "R-Right! Sorry!"
Andrey stepped closer. "Can you fight?"
The hero straightened, gripping the dagger with both hands despite its awkwardness. "Yes, I can. Thank you for saving —"
"I don’t care," Sein cut him off flatly, already turning back to the oncoming horde. "Just attack the monsters."
"Right!" The hero lunged at the nearest imp, his movents surprisingly competent. His skill wasn’t top-tier, but he held his own—basic sword techniques adapted to the dagger, clean footwork, decent instincts. Not a burden after all.
Andrey slashed through another hound and called out, "We just need to get out of here! The exit should be that way!" He nodded toward the far end of the chamber, where a faint light flickered—the gate’s boundary.
Sein punched a goblin into dust. "Easier said than done, Glasses! They keep coming!"
The hero, now fighting beside them, managed a breathless grin despite his fear. "This is such an honor, fighting alongside Sein Alpis! And that outfit—it really suits you! Very heroic!"
Sein’s eye twitched. Her fist connected with a monster’s skull, shattering it. "You talk way too much."
She drove her shoulder into another creature, flas erupting from her gauntlet. The hero, undeterred, kept stabbing and chatting.
"I an it! I’ve followed your career for years! When you cleared that S-rank gate with Vixion—"
"SHUT UP AND FIGHT!"
Andrey threw himself sideways, dodging the claw of a lizard-like creature that leaped from the wall. His katana spun, slicing through the monster’s neck in one fluid motion. "How many more are there?!"
"It feels endless!" Sein punched two monsters at once, their bodies exploding in crimson fire. "But the light ahead is getting closer!"
She was right. The gate’s exit was only a few dozen ters away. But between them and freedom, more monsters kept appearing. Not just hounds and goblins, but strange shadows ford from the darkness itself.
Unnad hero stabbed an imp with his dagger, gasping for breath. "They don’t want us to leave!"
Sein swung her fists again, a wave of flas clearing a path ahead. "I’ll lead! You two follow!"
She charged forward, her gauntlets blazing bright, breaking through the monster lines like a blade through fabric. Andrey and Reno followed, covering each other’s flanks.
Ten ters. Five ters.
Just as they reached the exit, a massive shadow descended from the ceiling—a giant serpentine monster with countless eyes, its body made of thick mist. Its maw opened wide, ready to swallow them all.
"No way!" Sein shoved unnad hero aside, then lunged at Andrey. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hurled them both toward the exit.
They tumbled through—landing on the other side of the gate, back in the real world. The afternoon sun ward their faces.
Unnamd hero erged a second later, staggering, then fell to his knees on the grass.
"We... we made it..." he whispered, breathless.
Sein transformation flickered, the crimson dress fading as she crossed into normal space. She stumbled, caught herself on Andrey’s shoulder, and leaned against him for just a mont.
"Made it," she breathed.
The gate behind them shuddered, its edges collapsing inward with a sound like tearing fabric. The purple vortex shrank, twisted, and vanished with a final crack of displaced air. Where the rift had been, only empty space remained.
A crowd had gathered at the periter—Association personnel in their crisp uniforms, dics with glowing diagnostic wands, and a handful of other heroes who had responded to the ergency call. Their faces shifted from tense alertness to relief as they saw the three erge.
"Clear the way!" a dic shouted. "We’ve got wounded!"
Hands reached for the unnad hero, lifting him onto a stretcher. Soone pressed a water bottle into Andrey’s hand. A blanket was draped over Sein’s shoulders.
Andrey leaned against the side of an Association van, his chest heaving. His cracked glasses sat askew on his nose, one lens spiderwebbed with fractures. He didn’t bother fixing them.
Sein stood beside him, the chalice still in her grip. Her orange hair was matted with sweat and dark ichor, her borrowed clothes torn and scorched. But her eyes were clear—sharper than they’d been in weeks.
"You did good, Glasses," she said quietly.
Andrey let out a tired breath. "We both did."
The system chid in his head, its voice bright and cheerful despite the chaos.
System: Gate cleared! Contaminated artifact #2 secured. Ergency response successful!
Rewards calculating...
Host :
240 MP | Affection
145 (bond strengthened through shared combat and vulnerability)
System: Congratulations! Because the affection target has been achieved, you have unlocked Synchronized Heart Mode!
This mode allows Magical Girls to temporarily amplify their power by consuming accumulated Affection Points. The greater the affection, the stronger the boost. Current Affection Points: 2310.
Effects of Synchronized Heart Mode:
· All stats
30% for the duration
· Skills cost 20% less mana
· Unlocks a special combination attack when two or more Magical Girls are synchronized
· Duration scales with Affection Points spent (minimum 30 seconds, maximum 5 minutes)
Note: Affection Points are shared across the team. Use them wisely~
Andrey stared at the floating screen, his tired mind processing the information. "Synchronized Heart Mode... so the more we care about each other, the stronger we beco?"
System: Exactly~ That’s the power of love, Host! The bonds you’ve built aren’t just emotional—they’re a source of real, tangible strength. Keep nurturing them, and you’ll unlock even greater abilities~
Sein, who couldn’t see the screen but could hear the system’s voice, frowned. "What’s it saying now?"
Andrey summarized briefly. "We unlocked a new mode. It uses our affection points to boost our power in battle."
Sein’s cheeks flushed slightly. "Affection points? That’s... embarrassing."
System: Ehehe~ Don’t be shy, Sein-chan! Your affection for Andrey has grown a lot today~
"I don’t—that’s not—" Sein sputtered, then turned away sharply. "Shut up."
Andrey allowed himself a small smile. Then he pushed off from the van, his body protesting every movent.
"We need to debrief with the Association," he said. "And I need to call Sarah and Lisa. They’re probably worried."
Sein nodded, falling into step beside him. The golden chalice dangled from her fingers, its warm light a quiet reassurance.
Behind them, the dics loaded the unconscious hero into an ambulance. One of the Association officials approached Andrey with a clipboard, but he held up a hand.
"Give us five minutes," he said. "We’ll file the report."
The official hesitated, then nodded. "Take your ti. And... good work in there."
As they walked toward a quiet corner of the periter, Sein glanced at Andrey. Her voice was low, almost private.
"Today’s a chaotic day, huh?"
Andrey adjusted his broken glasses. "Yeah, it was a chaotic day."
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