Andrey stared at the swirling portal, his heart pounding not from fear, but from sheer annoyance. The office was already a wreck—overturned desks, scattered papers, and goblin guts everywhere.
And now this? A hulking shadow beast with glowing red eyes and tentacles writhing like angry noodles emerged, roaring loud enough to rattle the windows. Sarah, still half-transformed in her sparkly pink glow, clutched her wand like it was a stapler.
System: Host, initiate the full contract! Sarah must verbally accept to become your first Magical Girl. Convince her, or no powers!
Andrey groaned, wiping blood from his lip. "Great, now I have to do HR paperwork in the middle of an apocalypse." He turned to Sarah, who was crouched behind a flipped-over filing cabinet, her eyes wide. "Sarah! Listen, this crazy system thing says you have to agree to be a... Magical Girl. Whatever that means. It'll give you powers to fight this thing."
Sarah peeked out, her accounting blouse now shimmering unnaturally. "What? Andrey, are you nuts? I'm not some anime character! I balance budgets, not battle monsters. And why me? Pick Lisa—she's younger and probably watches that stuff!"
The shadow beast slammed a tentacle down, cracking the floor tiles. Andrey ducked a flying chunk of concrete. "Look, I don't have time for debates! The system picked you because you're... reliable? Efficient? I don't know! But if you say yes, we get superpowers. Shared mana or something. It's like a team-building exercise, but with explosions."
Sarah frowned, adjusting her glasses. "Team-building? This isn't a corporate retreat, Andrey! Last week you yelled at me for using the wrong font in the expense report. Now you want me to wear... whatever this glowy thing is turning into? And fight that?" She pointed at the beast, which was now flinging office chairs like frisbees.
Andrey sighed, his perfectionist side kicking in. "Sarah, think logically. The heroes are probably stuck in traffic or posing for selfies. We're on our own. If you accept, we can end this quickly and get back to work. I have projections due by five!"
She crossed her arms, dodging a tentacle swipe. "Oh, sure, because nothing says 'productivity' like turning into a sparkly warrior princess. What's in it for me? A raise? Better coffee in the break room?"
System: Hint, Host! Mention the perks: Unlimited energy, cute outfits, and bonus affection points for loyalty!
Andrey rolled his eyes at the floating screen only he could see. "Apparently, you'll get unlimited stamina—no more all-nighters crashing. And... cute outfits? Look, I didn't design this. Just say yes so we can optimize this situation!"
Sarah laughed despite herself, a nervous giggle. "Cute outfits? Andrey, you're the last person I'd expect to pitch fashion. Fine, but if this makes me look ridiculous, I'm blaming you. And no more micromanaging my spreadsheets!"
The beast roared again, charging toward them. Andrey nodded urgently. "Deal! Say 'I accept' or whatever!"
Sarah took a deep breath. "Okay, okay! I accept being your Magical Girl!"
System: Contract sealed! Transformation complete!
A whirlwind of pink sparkles engulfed Sarah. Her sensible office skirt and blouse melted away, reforming into a frilly pink dress with puffed sleeves, a short hemline, and—oh boy—a plunging neckline that showed way more cleavage than her usual button-up. Her mousy brown hair exploded into vibrant pink curls, tied with ribbons, and her glasses vanished, replaced by perfect vision. She stumbled out of the light, looking down at herself in horror.
"What the—? Andrey! Look at this!" Sarah tugged at the dress, her face turning as pink as her hair. "This thing is basically lingerie with bows! I can see my... everything! Why is there a heart-shaped cutout? I feel like a rejected pop star!"
Andrey averted his eyes, focusing on the beast instead. "It's... efficient? Aerodynamic? Just focus, Sarah! The monster's coming! Use your powers!"
Sarah huffed, cheeks burning. "Easy for you to say—you're still in your suit! This is embarrassing! How do I even—oh, wait, I feel something." She raised her wand instinctively. "Um, Sparkle Blast?"
A feeble pink puff shot out, barely singeing the beast's tentacle. It laughed—a deep, gurgling chuckle—and swiped back, sending Sarah tumbling into a pile of printer paper.
"Ow! That was lame!" Sarah scrambled up, adjusting her dress again. "System or whatever, give me a tutorial!"
System: Newbie tip! Channel your emotions! Think love and justice!
Andrey, now feeling a trickle of shared energy healing his ribs, shouted instructions like a bossy manager. "Sarah, structure it! Aim, charge, release! Like filing a report—precise!"
The beast lunged. Sarah dodged awkwardly, her heels (now sparkly boots) clicking. "Love? Justice? I'm thinking about my dry cleaning bill!" She swung the wand wildly. "Take this, you oversized squid! Heartbreaker Beam!"
This time, a massive pink laser erupted, slicing through a tentacle. The beast howled, but countered with a shadow wave that knocked Andrey back. Sarah yelped, firing again—missed, hit a water cooler instead, exploding it in a fizzy mess.
"This is so awkward!" Sarah complained, tripping over her own frills. "I can't fight in this! It's riding up!"
"Focus on the target, not the wardrobe!" Andrey yelled, grabbing a broken chair leg as a makeshift weapon. "Efficiency, Sarah! One more hit!"
The beast charged. Sarah planted her feet, face set in determination. "Fine! For the quarterly reports! Eternal Pink Fury!"
A gigantic heart-shaped explosion of light blasted the creature, engulfing it in sparkles. It shrieked, dissolving into mana dust that shimmered away. The portal snapped shut.
Sarah panted, collapsing to her knees as the office fell silent. "Did... did we win?"
System: Victory! Magical Girl Sarah levels up to 2! Host Andrey gains shared EXP—Level 1 unlocked! +10 Mana Points. Spend them on skills: Strength Boost, Shield Aura, or Manager's Command?
Andrey sat up, feeling a surge of power in his veins—like he'd chugged ten espressos. "Finally. Good job, Sarah. That was... adequately handled." But as he looked at the points screen, a grin cracked his serious face. "Now, about those skills..."