Chapter 34: Combination.

The village lent us the entire community center, and the locals showered us with snacks.

That’s rural hospitality for you.
A bit dull, but if you think of it as a retreat, it’s not half bad.

Reaper Mors, stuck here for the weekend, looked full of complaints.

“If nothing happens by noon tomorrow, I’m out,” she said, munching on pizza for dinner.

It’s Saturday.

Classes start Monday, but she needs to be home Sunday night to rest.
Staying longer would be tough.

“You flying back too?” Metaphorte asked.

“No way. Can’t drag Lily along, so it’s bus or KTX for me.”

She could fly to the nearest KTX station.

Or maybe the villagers or analysts would drive her.

“Gotta go to school,” Metaphorte said, accepting it.

“I’ll stick around a few more days,” I said.

I couldn’t hold Reaper Mors back, so I’d stay alone.

A shame I couldn’t put her through Spartan training on the return, but school comes first.

“Don’t overdo it, Lily. Metaphorte and I can take shifts,” Cherry Fiore said kindly.

I’m the Bill Gates of time, though.

I told the support team to call me if needed, so bailing early feels wrong.

“A week’s fine. The analysts are on three shifts, but two of you alone would be rough.”

“Reliable as ever. Thanks,” Cherry Fiore said.

“I volunteered, after all.”

We polished off the pizza.

No delivery places nearby, so I picked it up myself.
One perk of mastering levitation magic.

Bzzt.

My phone vibrated in my pocket.

“Analysts calling?”

Then sirens blared across the village.

We exchanged glances.
No need to pick up to know why.

Rushing to the site, we ran into two analysts sprinting toward us.

“What’s happening?” I asked.

“Magic levels spiked, and the gate activated. We didn’t see it, but we heard monster roars. And that’s not all.”

The analyst glanced back.

A massive gate loomed.

“What the—why’s it so huge?” Reaper Mors gasped.

Not as big as the mega-gate from before, but large enough to be visible from afar.

“There was a delay in Seoul too. Must’ve opened late,” I said.

Mirage Illusion used Dark Magical Gems to speed up the process.
That’s our best guess.

This time, the glitch probably slowed it down.

We took over from the analysts.
By the time we arrived, monsters were already swarming.

“Grrr…”
“Skree, skree!”

Mostly F- and E-grade, some D-grade.

Low-tier but overwhelming in number.

“Split up! We’ll take the left, you handle the right!” Cherry Fiore ordered.

The gate towered over 10 meters, spewing out monstrous, mutated animals nonstop.

Like a clogged pipe suddenly cleared, they poured out with ferocious momentum.

“Angel Slash!”

Reaper Mors swung a radiant white sword, unleashing a blade of light.

Angelic weapon and technique.
Her character’s changed, but her fighting style was pure Angelic Luna.

“It’s dark—be careful!” Metaphorte shouted from the other side.

If the sun were up, I could’ve handled it alone.
But the mountains sped up sunset, making visibility tough.

If only I knew a flashlight spell…

Wait, hold on.

“Can’t you use that blinding magic to light things up?” I asked Reaper Mors.

Back when we first met, she’d used a spell to blind me during a chase.
Maybe we could tweak it.

“Like a spotlight? Never tried,” she said.

“Think of it as training.”

“Training, training, always training. Gimme a sec!”

Reaper Mors stepped back, reverting her sword to a wand.

Floating into the air, she shouted, “Let there be light!”

Mimicking a Bible verse, no less.

“Wow, what’s that? It’s crazy bright!” Metaphorte exclaimed.

A blinding glow, like a thousand LEDs, banished the darkness.

“Mors, stay there and keep lighting. I’ll handle the monsters.”

“Using your senior like a lamp?”

“You’ll pay for it later.”

“…Kidding.”

She’s getting cocky ‘cause I’m going easy on her.
Just wait.

With human-lamp Reaper Mors behind me, I fired Scarlet Beams.

As long as I could see, I wouldn’t miss.

Clearing my share took less than a minute.

“Binding Waltz!”
“Crescendo Shot!”

Cherry Fiore’s ribbons restrained monsters, and Metaphorte’s gunfire finished the last one.

Their teamwork was seamless without even coordinating.

“You two sync well,” I said.

“We’ve been fighting together forever,” Metaphorte said, proud.

Thought she was all stoic, but she’s got a cute side.

“You were amazing, Lily. That strong with just basic magic?” Cherry Fiore said.

“Mostly E- and F-grades.”

“Lucky no giants showed. Good work, every—” Cherry Fiore stopped.

“Skreee!”

An ominous sound.

“More coming…?” Metaphorte whispered.

The gate rippled violently, as if monsters were lining up on the other side, eager for Earth’s air.

“The number of monsters usually scales with gate size. Wouldn’t be surprised if it’s several times what we just fought,” Cherry Fiore explained.

“No way… we can’t keep up!” Metaphorte panicked.

I’d be fine, but the others worried me.

“Feels like we’re screwed,” Reaper Mors muttered.

Everyone went quiet.

If all the monsters came at once, I could blast them with a beam.
But trickling out like this? Even I’m stumped.

The question was whether the light would give out first or the gate would close.

I could refuel their magic, but that’s too cumbersome in a pinch.

Then an idea hit me.

“Metaphorte, go to the analysts and grab something that can make wind. Anything strong.”

She blinked, staring blankly.

“Wind-making tools? For what?”

“To keep monsters from coming out.”

The silver lining: the gate’s trembling is a sign it’s about to close.

We just need to hold out.

“Metaphorte, do what Lily says,” Cherry Fiore urged.

“But I should fight…”

“No, Reaper Mors and Scarlet Lily need to stay. You’re the only one who can go.”

Reaper Mors is the light.
I’m the hunter.

Cherry Fiore’s ribbons block the gate, so she can’t leave either.

Metaphorte hesitated, then nodded.
“Okay.”

Metaphorte was inwardly annoyed.

Not because she was left out of the essentials.
It was Scarlet Lily—someone close to her peer—taking charge that bugged her.

“Cherry-senpai should be leading,” she muttered, flying through the night sky.

Judgment, skill, sense—Cherry Fiore lacks nothing as a magical girl.

Charismatic yet kind.

For such a senior to follow Scarlet Lily’s orders?

“I know I shouldn’t grumble.”

She understood.
Scarlet Lily’s help was a godsend.

It just felt like her revered senior was being relegated to a side role, and that stung.

“There it is.”

Guided by instinct, she found the analysts’ spot.

A specialized vehicle packed with gear.
They seemed to be communicating with HQ.

“Is the gate situation handled?” an analyst asked, spotting her.

“Not yet. Do you have anything that can make wind?”

“Like a fan? Nothing like that… What’s it for?”

“I don’t know the details. Scarlet Lily asked for it.”

She was mildly irritated.
Making vague requests without context felt absurd.

“Scarlet Lily asking for something? That’s rare,” one analyst said.

“Thought she never relied on anyone. Guess she’s got a human side,” another added.

“Must be urgent if she’s asking.”

Rumor was she didn’t even use the app or talk to supporters.

The analysts whispered, intrigued.

“Sorry, this vehicle only has sensors,” one said.

“No helping it. I’ll head back.”

Guess she’d have to fight after all.

As she turned, Metaphorte paused.

“…Can you contact the Forestry Service?”

“Forestry Service?”

She knew the area well from regular patrols.

“There’s a facility nearby. A helicopter could make wind, right?”

“Well…”

Helicopters have propellers.

Not a fan, but it could generate stronger winds.

“It’s doable,” the senior analyst said.

“Really?”

“Government policy spares no support for monster issues. Public agencies are easier than private firms.”

At the team leader’s order, a subordinate called the Forestry Service.

After a brief exchange, they turned.

“It’s a go.”

Ribbons to bind, Scarlet Beam to blast.
Cherry Fiore was getting the hang of their combo, whittling down enemies.

A soft, warm white light poured down.

Thanks to Reaper Mors’s magic, they weren’t fumbling in the dark like last night.

“It’s too dim! Shine brighter!” I called.

“This is max output!” Reaper Mors snapped.

Cherry Fiore smirked at their bickering.

The support team said Reaper Mors was a last-minute addition.

By raw power, I’d be enough alone.
She’d have little to do, they thought—but not at all.

Her light let my strength shine.

Whether planned or not, we meshed well.

“Hey, something’s coming!” Reaper Mors said.

A helicopter approached, marked with “Forestry Service” in bold letters.

“I said bring something to make wind…” I muttered.

Metaphorte hopped out, holding her fluttering hair.
“I said anything, so I got a chopper. This work?”

“Perfect! Great job!”

The noise drowned out our voices, so I gave a thumbs-up.

No clue what she was planning.

I just stood in front of the gate.

Behind me, the helicopter’s propellers spun, blasting air toward it.

“…The monsters aren’t coming out?”

The change was immediate.

As Reaper Mors noted, the flood of monsters dropped to a trickle—two or three, then nothing.

“What kind of magic is this?” Cherry Fiore asked, unable to resist.

I grinned.
“Pheromones.”