My Magical Girl System

Chapter 128: Venom Edge

Sein clicked her tongue in disgust. "Fucking demons..."

Lisa kept her hands raised for a few more seconds just to be sure, then slowly lowered them. "The barrier held, but this whole room is beyond saving. We should get out before any residual poison affects us."

Andrey nodded. "Agreed. Let’s move."

The three of them quickly exited Miguel’s house, pulling the front door shut behind them. Once they were standing safely beside the black van in the morning sunlight, the heavy, sickly-sweet stench finally faded from their noses. Andrey leaned against the hood, arms crossed, while Sein rested her back against the side door, one hand unconsciously rubbing her still-sore ass through her crimson dress.

Sein let out a long sigh. "This is bad. Not only did they kill a Rank A hero, they turned his corpse into a goddamn poison bomb and already took the artifact. They’re clearly several steps ahead of us."

Lisa stood between them, her expression thoughtful. She clasped her hands together and spoke gently but clearly.

"Um... rather than searching this house any further since it’s been completely compromised, how about we ask Miguel’s party instead?" she suggested. "He must have been in a fixed team. His teammates might know important details, when was the last time they saw him, if he was acting strange before he disappeared, where exactly he obtained the artifact, or if he mentioned anything suspicious. They could have private information that even the demons don’t know about."

Andrey turned to Lisa, his eyes brightening slightly behind his glasses. "That’s actually a very good idea, Lisa."

Sein crossed her arms and nodded slowly, though she shifted her weight with a small wince. "Not bad at all. Party members usually know way more than official records. If we can track down who was in his team, we might get a solid lead without walking into another trap."

Andrey pulled out his phone and started typing a quick message. "I’ll ask Hope to pull the Hero Association records on Miguel’s party members right now. We can head back to the apartement and plan the next move from there while Sarah rests."

He glanced at both girls, his expression serious but determined. "Good thinking, Lisa. This might be the break we need."

Lisa smiled softly, a faint blush coloring her cheeks at the praise. Sein just smirked and gave her a light nudge on the shoulder.

"See? Our little healer’s not just good at barriers."

---------×---------

The van pulled into the underground parking of their apartment complex. The moment the engine died, Andrey glanced in the rearview mirror at Sein, who was still shifting uncomfortably in the back seat.

"Home sweet home," he said dryly. "Sarah should still be resting upstairs."

Sein grumbled as she climbed out. "Finally... sitting that long made it worse. I swear, if my body doesn’t recover by tomorrow I’m making you carry me everywhere, Andrey."

Lisa giggled softly while helping unload their small gear bags. "You’ve been saying that since we left Miguel’s place."

They took the private elevator up to the top-floor apartment. The moment the door opened, they were greeted by the sight of Sarah sprawled face-down on the large living-room couch, still in nothing but an oversized t-shirt, legs slightly spread because even lying down hurt.

Sarah lifted her head weakly, hair messy. "You’re back... please tell me you found the artifact and killed a demon or something. My pussy and thighs still feel like they’re full of concrete."

Andrey closed the door behind them and locked it. "No artifact. We found Miguel’s corpse instead, turned into a poison bomb. Demons got there first."

Sein dropped onto the armchair with a wince, immediately reaching back to massage her ass again. "It was a trap. Lisa saved our skins with her barrier at the last second."

Lisa sat beside Sarah and gently placed a hand on her back, sending a small wave of healing mana to ease the soreness. "We’re okay, but the house is completely contaminated now. While we were there, I suggested we contact Miguel’s party members instead of searching the house further. They might know details the demons don’t."

Sarah groaned into the pillow. "Smart. My brain is still half-melted, so I’ll leave the thinking to you three."

Andrey’s phone suddenly vibrated. He picked it up, saw the encrypted caller ID, and immediately switched it to speaker mode so everyone could hear.

"Hope. You’re fast. We just got back," Andrey said.

Hope’s clear, slightly urgent voice came through the secure line, crisp and professional.

"Hey, Andrey. I dug up everything I could on short notice. Miguel Pestrine was part of a fixed party called ’Venom Edge’. Three members total.

First, Carla Flint, Rank B sniper, specializes in wind-element arrows. She was the last person to speak with him four days ago. She said Miguel sounded really excited about a ’big score’ but refused to give any details.

Second, Ronan Hale, their tank, Rank B+. He’s currently hospitalized after a separate gate mission, so he might be difficult to reach right now.

The most promising one is Helena Flint, Carla’s younger sister. She’s Rank C+ and has strong poison-resistance skills. She’s currently resting at the Horizon Guild medical wing. I think she’ll be the easiest to talk to and the most willing to cooperate.

Also, about the artifact, it was confirmed as the Obsidian Fang Pendant. Miguel found it in a hidden sub-gate near the old industrial ruins about two weeks ago.

I’m warning you guys, the demons are moving very aggressively. If they’re already assassinating and rigging artifact holders like this, your team could be next on their list. Do you need me to come over as backup? I can be there in thirty minutes."

Andrey looked at the girls while replying, "Not yet, but we’ll probably head to Horizon Guild soon to meet Helena. Anything else we should know?"

Hope sighed on the other end. "Just be extremely careful with anything related to poison. Miguel’s death was clearly meant to take out whoever came looking. I’ll keep digging on my end. Contact me immediately if you find anything strange."

"Got it. Thanks, Hope. We owe you one."

"Anytime. Stay safe, all of you."

The call ended with a soft beep.

Andrey lowered his phone and looked at the team, his expression serious but focused. "So... Venom Edge party. We should go meet Helena Flint as soon as possible."

Sein smirked, still gently massaging her sore ass on the couch. "Finally, a solid lead. Let’s not waste time."

Sarah groaned from her position, face still buried in the pillow. "You guys go... I’ll guard the couch with my life..."

Lisa smiled softly. "I’ll prepare some extra purification potions just in case."