My Magical Girl System

Chapter 53: Obsidian Golem

They advanced deeper into the gate, the twisted landscape growing more oppressive with every step. The sky above was a perpetual twilight, shot through with veins of purple lightning that never touched the ground. The air smelled of ozone and decay.

Sein led the way, her crimson gauntlets casting flickering light across the jagged terrain. Andrey followed close behind, the katana held low and ready, his Ki senses stretched to their limit.

They encountered scattered packs of goblins and imps—nothing they couldn’t handle. Sein’s punches obliterated the smaller creatures, while Andrey’s katana carved through anything that came too close. Their movements were becoming synchronized, almost without thought.

"Hn," Sein grunted, shaking goblin ichor from her gauntlet. "This is too quiet. Where’s the resistance?"

Andrey scanned the area ahead. "Maybe the artifact is deeper. The system said—"

A scream cut through the air.

Sein was already moving. "This way!"

They sprinted toward the sound, rounding a cluster of twisted rock formations. Ahead, a small clearing opened up and in the center, a group of four heroes was surrounded by a ring of snarling hounds.

The heroes were battered—their clothes torn, weapons damaged, faces pale with exhaustion and fear. One woman was on her knees, clutching a bleeding arm. A man with a shattered shield stood protectively in front of her, his other hand gripping a broken sword. Two others—a young man with a staff and a woman with daggers—formed a shaky rear guard.

The hounds circled, their burning eyes fixed on the trapped group.

Sein didn’t hesitate. She launched herself into the nearest hound, her gauntlet connecting with its skull in a spray of dark ichor. "Crimson Impact!"

Andrey followed, katana flashing. Two hounds turned to face him—he ducked under a claw swipe, drove the blade into the first one’s chest, then kicked off its dissolving body to slash at the second’s throat.

Within seconds, the remaining hounds scattered, retreating into the shadows.

Sein stood in the center of the clearing, breathing hard, her crimson dress singed but intact. "You lot okay?"

The man with the broken sword lowered his weapon, his knees nearly buckling. "Th-thank you... we thought we were dead..."

The woman on the ground looked up, her eyes wide with recognition. "Sein... Alpis? The former S-rank?"

Sein’s expression hardened. "Former is right. Now get up. We need to move."

The young man with the staff helped the injured woman to her feet. "We’re from the Azure Drake guild. D-ranks, all of us. We were patrolling nearby when the gate opened... we got separated from our team leader."

The woman with daggers, her face streaked with dirt and tears, added, "We’ve been running for what feels like hours. There’s something deeper in this gate. The monsters here aren’t normal."

Andrey stepped forward, sheathing his katana. "You need to evacuate. Head back toward the entrance—the Association is sending reinforcements. They should arrive soon."

The man with the broken sword shook his head. "We can’t. Our team leader is still in there somewhere. We can’t just leave him."

Sein’s eyes narrowed. "You’re D-ranks. You’re barely alive now. If you go back in, you’ll die. Your leader is probably already dead. Don’t throw your lives away for nothing."

The dagger-wielding woman’s face contorted with anger. "How dare you! Just because you’re an ex-S-rank doesn’t mean you can talk to us like that! You don’t know anything about us!"

Sein took a step forward, her gauntlets flaring. "I know that you’re out of your depth. I know that if you keep going, you’ll be monster food. I’ve seen it happen a hundred times. Heroes with more guts than brains, charging into gates they can’t handle, leaving behind families who’ll never see them again."

"Sein." Andrey’s voice was quiet but firm. He placed a hand on her arm. "Enough."

Sein’s jaw tightened, but she stepped back.

Andrey turned to the group, his expression calm. "She’s not wrong about the danger. But she’s also not wrong about your leader. If he’s still alive, he needs help. But sending more wounded into the depths won’t save him." He glanced at the injured woman’s arm, still bleeding through her makeshift bandage. "Treat your wounds first. Regroup. Wait for reinforcements. That’s the smart play."

The young man with the staff nodded slowly. "He’s right. We’re in no shape to fight anymore."

The dagger-wielding woman still looked angry, but she didn’t argue.

The man with the broken sword let out a shaky breath. "Who are you, anyway? You’re not Association—at least, not the ones we know."

Andrey adjusted his glasses. "Andrey Thompson. C-rank. We’re Magical Girl Squad."

The woman on the ground, now being helped to sit on a rock, spoke up weakly. "There’s something you should know... about this gate. It’s not like the others. The deeper you go, the more... wrong it feels. The monsters don’t just attack—they guard something."

Andrey and Sein exchanged a glance.

"The artifact," Andrey murmured.

Sein nodded. "We need to move. Now."

She turned to the group of heroes, her voice sharp but not cruel. "You heard him. Treat your wounds, stay put, and wait for the cavalry. Don’t follow us."

The dagger-wielding woman opened her mouth to protest, but the man with the broken sword put a hand on her shoulder. "She’s right. We’d just slow them down."

The group began tending to their injuries, their movements slow but purposeful.

Andrey started to walk toward the far end of the clearing, where the path led deeper into the gate. Sein fell into step beside him.

"You actually care about them," Andrey said quietly, not looking at her.

Sein’s stride didn’t falter. "Don’t be stupid. I just don’t want to see idiots throw their lives away for nothing. It’s a waste."

Andrey’s lips twitched. "If you say so."

"Shut up, Glasses."

The path ahead narrowed into a canyon of jagged rock, the walls slick with condensation that glowed faintly purple. Andrey’s Ki senses prickled—something was waiting for them.

They rounded a corner, and the canyon opened into a wide cavern. In the center, blocking the way forward, stood a cluster of creatures unlike any they had faced before. They were humanoid in shape, but their bodies were composed of dark, reflective stone. Crystalline edges jutted from their shoulders and arms like blades. Their eyes were empty sockets, glowing with pale blue light.

Sein stopped short, her gauntlets flaring. "Tch. Obsidian Golems. Physical type—sharp weapons won’t do jack against them."

Andrey’s hand rested on the hilt of the katana. "So magic is the only option?"

Sein’s lips curled into an even wilder grin. "Magic? Who needs magic?" She cracked her knuckles, crimson energy sparking around her fists. "These things are hard, sure. But hard things break when you hit them hard enough."

Before Andrey could respond, Sein launched herself forward.

"Sein—!"

She was already in the air, her body a blur of crimson and orange. Her fist connected with the first golem’s chest, and the impact sent shockwaves rippling through the cavern. The golem staggered back, a web of cracks spreading across its stone torso.

Andrey watched her land a second punch, then a third. The golems were slow but powerful—their crystalline arms swung in wide arcs, shattering the rock walls where they missed.

Andrey’s internal thought surfaced: ’She just charged in without a plan...’

He shook his head and sprinted after her. The katana was useless here—he knew that now. He sheathed it and drew back his own fist, channeling Ki into his knuckles.

A golem turned toward him, its empty blue eyes fixing on his approach. It swung a crystalline arm at his head. Andrey ducked, sliding under the blow, and drove his Ki-enhanced fist into its midsection.

The impact jarred up his arm, but he felt the stone crack beneath his knuckles. ’Not as strong as Sein’s punches,’ he thought, ’but enough.’

He fell into a rhythm—dodge, strike, absorb the occasional glancing blow with Damage Absorb, redirect, strike again. The stored energy built in his chest, warm and waiting.

"Glasses! Watch your left!" Sein shouted.

Andrey pivoted, raising his arm to block a descending crystal fist. The impact slammed into his forearm—Damage Absorb flared, storing the energy. He gritted his teeth and shoved back, using the stored force to amplify his next punch. The golem’s arm shattered.

"Nice!" Sein laughed, her voice echoing off the cavern walls. She was fighting two golems at once, her fists a blur of crimson fire. Every punch sent chunks of stone flying. "You’re not completely useless!"

Andrey didn’t have the breath to respond. Another golem lunged at him—he caught its crystalline claw with both hands, Damage Absorb drinking the force of its attack. His chest burned with stored energy, nearing its limit.

He released it all at once, a shockwave of Ki and stored damage erupting from his palms. The golem’s torso caved inward, and it collapsed into a pile of rubble.

Andrey stood over the broken remains, chest heaving, his knuckles bloody and bruised.

Sein finished her last golem with a two-fisted overhead slam, the creature shattering into dust at her feet.

She turned to him, breathing hard, her crimson dress torn at the shoulder. A thin line of blood trickled from a cut on her cheek, but her eyes were bright.

"Not bad for a C-rank," she said.

Andrey straightened, wincing at the ache in his arms. "Not bad for an ex-S-rank."

Sein snorted. "Shut up."

The path ahead was clear. Beyond the golems’ remains, a narrow passage led deeper into the gate. Andrey could feel it now—the artifact’s presence. A pulsing, dark energy that made his Ki recoil.

"We’re close," he said.