The morning sun streamed through the apartment windows, casting warm stripes across the living room floor. Andrey was already awake, sitting at the dining table with a cup of coffee and his tablet, reviewing the Association’s latest gate reports.

Sarah shuffled out of the bedroom, her brown hair a tangled mess, still in her pajamas. She yawned widely, not bothering to cover her mouth. "You’re up early."

"Always," Andrey replied without looking up.

Lisa emerged from the kitchen, already dressed in a soft lavender sweater and comfortable pants, a tray of tea in her hands. "I made tea. And there’s rice and miso soup if anyone’s hungry."

Sein appeared from the hallway, her orange hair damp from a shower, wearing a plain black hoodie and sweatpants. She walked past everyone, grabbed a mug, and poured herself coffee without a word.

They gathered around the table, the morning routine falling into place like well-worn grooves.

Andrey set down his tablet. "I’ve been thinking about our rank."

Sarah paused mid-bite of rice. "What about it?"

"We’re Level 49 now. That’s well above the threshold for B-rank. But the Association hasn’t contacted us about a promotion review."

Sein shrugged. "The Association is slow. Bureaucracy. We don’t need their permission to be strong."

Lisa tilted her head. "But wouldn’t a higher rank give us access to better resources? More information about the artifacts?"

Andrey nodded. "Exactly. That’s why I want to request an evaluation. Not because we need the rank, but because we need what comes with it."

Sarah set down her chopsticks. "So what’s the plan? March into the Association headquarters and demand a promotion?"

Andrey adjusted his glasses. "Something like that. But first, I want to test ourselves. Officially. On a B-rank gate."

Sarah’s eyes widened. "A B-rank? Those are serious. Even at Level 49, we’ve never faced a pure B-rank gate. The ones we’ve cleared were either C-ranks that escalated or anomalies."

Sein leaned back in her chair, a slow grin spreading across her face. "That would be more challenging."

Lisa clasped her hands together, nervous but determined. "If we’re going to do this, we need to be prepared. Potions, barriers, escape routes—"

"I’ve already made a list," Andrey interrupted, sliding a piece of paper across the table. "Supplies, contingencies, and a detailed analysis of the gate’s reported monster types."

Sarah stared at the paper, then at Andrey. "You really don’t waste time, do you?"

"Efficiency."

An hour later, they stood before the shimmering purple vortex of a B-rank gate on the outskirts of the city. The air was thick with ambient mana, making their skin prickle. The gate was larger than the ones they were used to, its edges crackling with unstable energy.

Sarah transformed first, pink light enveloping her. Her dress materialized, more ornate than before, with subtle gold threading along the hem. Her wand elongated into a staff topped with a crystal heart. "Well, here we go."

Lisa followed, mint-green light swirling around her. Her twintails lifted slightly, ribbons glowing. "I’ll keep barriers up. Everyone stay close."

Sein’s crimson flames erupted, her battle dress forming around her athletic frame. Her gauntlets gleamed, spikes of crimson crystal jutting from the knuckles. "Let’s make this quick."

Andrey drew his new katana, a replacement from the Association armory, simpler than the old one but sharp. He tested its weight, nodded, and stepped toward the gate. "Formation. Sein on point. Sarah mid. Lisa rear. I’ll float."

They stepped through.

The interior was a twisted forest, trees black as charcoal with leaves that shimmered silver. The sky was a perpetual twilight, lit by a moon that hung too large and too close. Strange calls echoed through the trees.

Andrey’s Ki senses stretched outward. "Multiple signatures. Spreading out. They know we’re here."

A shape lunged from the undergrowth.

Sein met it with a fist. "Crimson Impact!"

The creature, a twisted wolf-thing with too many eyes exploded into mana particles. But three more emerged from the shadows, circling. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Sarah raised her staff. "Heartstorm Apocalypse!" Pink energy rained down, striking the wolves, marking them for bonus damage.

Lisa’s barrier snapped into place around Sarah as a wolf lunged at her flank. The creature rebounded, snarling.

Andrey moved, katana flashing. "Ki Blade!" The blue-white glow along the steel carved through a wolf’s hide. It dissolved.

Sein punched another, then another. "These are just scouts. The real fight’s deeper."

They pushed forward, the forest thinning into a clearing. At its center stood a massive creature, a boar-like beast with fur that crackled with dark energy, its eyes burning red. Around it, a dozen smaller wolves paced, waiting.

"Boss," Andrey said quietly.

Sein cracked her neck. "Finally."

Sarah raised her staff. "I’ll soften it up. Love’s Apocalypse—"

"Wait." Andrey held up a hand. "Save your ultimate. We don’t know what else is in this gate. Use your regular skills first. Wear it down."

Sarah hesitated, then nodded. "Pink Rain!"

A localized storm of pink energy erupted over the boss, raining down continuous damage. The beast roared, shaking the ground, but its movements slowed.

"Now, Sein!"

Sein launched herself at the boss, her gauntlets blazing. "Crimson Charge!" She shot forward, leaving a trail of fire, and slammed into the creature’s chest. The impact staggered it, and she followed with a flurry of punches, each strike leaving burning marks on its hide.

Lisa reinforced Sein’s position, a barrier snapping into place around her to deflect the wolves’ attacks. "I’ve got your back!"

Andrey circled the battlefield, picking off wolves that tried to flank them. His katana was a blur, Ki Blade flashing. Each strike was precise, economical. He didn’t waste movement.

The boss roared again, its dark energy flaring. It swiped at Sein—she dodged, but the shockwave sent her stumbling. Andrey was there, his hand on her shoulder, steadying her.

"Keep pressure. It’s weakening."

Sein nodded, her eyes blazing. "Crimson Cataclysm!" A wave of crimson fire erupted from her body, engulfing the boss. The beast screamed, its fur burning, its dark energy dissolving.

It collapsed.

The wolves, leaderless, scattered. Sarah picked off the stragglers with Pink Rain, their bodies dissolving mid-stride.

Silence fell over the clearing.

Andrey lowered his katana, breathing hard. His internal thoughts surfaced: ’That was smoother than expected. We’re ready.’

System: B-rank gate cleared. Performance rating: S. All party members have demonstrated combat effectiveness consistent with B-rank standards. Promotion recommended.

Sarah deactivated her transformation, her normal clothes reappearing. She slumped against a tree. "We did it."

Lisa smiled, her barrier fading. "We really did."

Sein stood over the boss’s dissolving remains, her gauntlets dimming. "Tch. That was barely a workout."

Andrey allowed himself a small smile. "Let’s report to the Association. We have a promotion to request."

------×------

The Association’s lobby was busier than usual. Heroes in various states of dress hurried past, some fresh from gates, others heading out. The receptionist, the same woman who had processed their initial registration weeks ago, looked up as Andrey’s team approached.

Her eyebrows rose. "Back again? You’re becoming regulars."

Andrey placed his hero ID on the counter. "We’ve cleared a B-rank gate. We’re requesting a rank promotion review."

The receptionist’s fingers paused over her keyboard. "A B-rank? Already?" She glanced at the screen, then at Andrey, then at Sarah, Lisa, and Sein behind him. "You four have been busy."

"We’ve been efficient."

The receptionist snorted softly but began typing. "I’ll pull up your records. Gate clearances, monster kill counts, performance evaluations from the Horizon Guild incident..." She trailed off, her eyes scanning the data. Her expression shifted from professional to surprised. "You cleared that B-rank gate without any casualties? And the clear time was..." She paused, blinking. "That’s faster than some established B-rank teams."

Sarah leaned on the counter, a smug smile playing on her lips. "Told you we’ve been busy."

The receptionist shook her head slowly, a hint of respect in her eyes. "Multiple C-rank clears, a double gate anomaly, and now a B-rank gate... all in just a few weeks. That’s... unprecedented." She turned to her terminal, fingers flying across the keyboard. "Normally, a promotion review would require a written test and a supervised practical demonstration. But given your recent performance and the Association’s current need for higher-ranked heroes..." She paused, reading something on her screen. "The Guild Council has authorized expedited promotions for heroes who contributed significantly to the Horizon Guild defense."

Sein crossed her arms. "So we don’t have to take a stupid test?"

The receptionist shot her a look but didn’t comment. "Your records show you were on-site during the incursion. You engaged S-rank enemies and survived. That’s more than enough proof." She stamped something on a digital form and slid three new ID cards across the counter. "Congratulations. You’re now officially B-rank heroes."

Sarah snatched her card, staring at it. "B-rank. Finally."

Lisa held hers with both hands, a soft smile on her face. "It feels... earned."

Sein took hers without looking, tucking it into her pocket. "Whatever. The real work starts now."

Andrey picked up his card, studying the new rank printed beneath his name. "Thank you," he said to the receptionist. "We’ll continue to do our best."

The receptionist nodded, a small smile on her lips. "I’m sure you will. Try not to clear too many high-rank gates too fast—you’re making the other new heroes look bad."

Sarah laughed, pocketing her card. "No promises."

They walked out of the Association headquarters, the afternoon sun warm on their faces. The city hummed around them, oblivious to the battles fought in its shadows.

Sarah stretched her arms above her head. "B-rank. Not bad for a bunch of former office workers."

Lisa clasped her hands behind her back. "We’ve come a long way."

Sein started walking toward the train station. "A long way? We’re just getting started."

Andrey followed, falling into step beside her. "She’s right. We haven’t even begun to scratch the surface."

System: Ehehe~ Congratulations on the promotion, everyone! You’re all officially B-rank heroes now~ But don’t think you can forget the most important part of the day!

A shocked Sarah said, "You have got to be kidding me."

System: Nope~ Reward time! You’ve all worked so hard clearing that B-rank gate. Affection Points need replenishing, and you know the drill~

Lisa’s cheeks flushed. "Can’t we at least eat first?"

System: The power of love doesn’t rest, Lisa-chan~ Besides, the rewards help with recovery too! Faster healing, more stamina for tomorrow’s gates. It’s efficient!