Gripping her heart, Savana curled herself into a ball on her bed.
[I wonder.]
The madness in her eyes remained prevalent.
[Not enough.]
The smile on her face was skewed.
[I need more.]
Relaxing her body, the sight etched into her eyes from the rooftop burned itself into her memory as she drifted to sleep.
-----
Chained gauntlets crashed through the Barrier, skimming his green hair by millimetres as he tilted his head to the side.
Following her fist, he didn't catch the-
Pah-!
-the knee that slammed into his abdomen, sucking all the air out of his lungs; his organs and bones would have been smashed if not for her holding back.
Stepping away from Charles, her short, black ponytail dripped the ground with sweat.
"Your distracted, dumbass." Wiping her face with her gauntlets, Aria Le Rissen spat her phlegm on the ground uncouthly.
Stumbling back, he gripped his abdomen; Charles clicked his teeth, "I know."
Clang.
Throwing her gauntlets on the ground, Aria took a seat on the dirty ground.
"What's keepin' ya so distracted?"
"Aranea." Moglit's deep voice ruptured the air beside Aria's head.
Stuffing her pinky into her ear, Aria had to double-check that her hearing wasn't damaged, "Fuckin hell, keep it down, you oaf."
Moglit the Barbarian dragged his greatsword across the ground, the weapon was almost double his size.
Moglit had a cute face, the type which would seduce novel-addicted maidens from the Capital. His body was small, his height short and even his black hair was smooth and soft.
Yet this was their rough Barbarian.
"You're the oaf." His voice was quite gruff and husky; unlike his face.
Ignoring the oafs' words, Aria asked Charles again, "So, tell us ya dumbass. What's got ya so distracted?"
"Aranea."
A vein popped on Aria's forehead.
"I know ya oaf!"
"Aranea."
"I kno-" It was Charles who said it this time so Aria stopped herself.
Seeing that he finally wanted to speak up, Aria leaned back on her arms and patted the spot next to her for Moglit to sit.
This was about to be juicy.
You couldn't get top-tier drama like this anywhere else across Empire.
Thud-
Taking his seat, Moglit rested his greatsword across his lap.
Glancing at his audience, Charles sighed at himself; this was seriously unbefitting of Imperial Royalty.
But whatever, they didn't give a fuck anyway...
"I dislike that girl, as you can tell."
"We can tell, ya dumbass."
"Yes."
Thud.
Charles plopped down on the floor in front of them, "There's not much to say, we aren't on good terms."
"Then why are ya so distracted?"
Scratching his head, "She's not accepting my invitations to a duel."
"So she's a coward?" Scoffing, Aria felt like she figured out the essence of the issue.
But.
"No, it's the opposite."
"?"
Sighing, Charles looked down at the ground in frustration, "She doesn't consider me an opponent worth duelling against."
Aria chuckled, "Sounds like an excuse ta me."
"She is a cowardly warrior." Moglit threw his perception of the situation in.
Charles hung his head even lower.
These people simply didn't understand what Aranea was.
And they wouldn't know until they witnessed it firsthand.
Perhaps...
Perhaps by that point, it would be too late for any of them.
...That woman.
That creature.
She had to be killed.
---
Today was the 5th of September, the tests for the other Squadrons will be taking place on the 7th, and they will be dispatched on the 9th.
Indoor training field, behind closed doors.
Clang-!
Flashing lights sparked with embers as four daggers clashed blows.
Wrapping around Savana, his daggers sunk through the air, plunging at her spine.
Swish!
Swinging at the air, her crimson hair fluttered down as she ducked away from the attack; her elbow smashing back into his abdomen.
Lowering his arms.
"Ugh-"
Her elbow collided with them, the pain was intense but not enough to hinder him. Being pushed back slightly, he attempted to thrust his daggers-
Sizzle-!
Flames ruptured in front of his eyes, the burning flames followed her daggers religiously.
Bang!
A ring of fire exploded around his face, the dagger stopping millimetres from his eye.
The heat almost burnt his skin off; the searing fire was hot enough to melt bronze, but Savana's control was exquisite enough to prevent that from happening.
"You lost again, Yun."
Throwing a towel at him, Savana picked up a water bottle and chugged it down.
Yun was the thief/rogue specialist belonging to the 2nd Squadron, Charles' Squadron.
He was a tall, slim man with dark hair which covered most of his face, "Thanks." Grabbing the towel, he wiped his sweat away.
"No need for any gratitude between us, this is just a give-and-take relationship."
That was his offer, after all, she was just upholding her end of their deal.
It was a good deal, she'd get a training partner who she'd have to hold back against thus improving her control, and he'd get a training partner stronger than him with which he could sharpen his blade.
No complaints on either end.
"Wanna have a go at it with me?"
Their spectator pointed at herself with fidgeting feet, she'd been wanting to get involved for the past hour.
"...You'd kill us, Silvia."
"Tch-", Clicking her tongue, Silvia pouted as she swung her body side to side.
It was quite a boring few days for her.
No one wanted to spar; she had no one to have a good fight with. Aranea was a Mage so that wouldn't be a fair fight either.
She countered her too much, especially because of her special ability.
Bzzz~
A vibration came from Silvia's pocket, curiously pulling the item out, she looked at the words on the crystal ball.
[Bestie]
"Be right back, got a call."
The crystal ball was an item etched with communication Magic; it let you talk with people across the world as long as you link your ball with theirs in person.
It wasn't like the phones in Aranea's past life which allowed you to add anyone.
Shutting the door to the training hall behind her, she rushed over to their dorms.
After a short sprint:
Thud.
She closed the door of their room and found Aranea lying on her bed as always, this girl barely left that thing other than when she left to eat food or go toilet.
It made her wonder how she became this powerful from doing nothing all day.
Anyway.
Enough of that.
Click-
Locking the washroom's door, she placed the crystal ball on the counter and injected her Mana Signature in.
While yes, she used Aura, every existence had some sort of Mana in them that acted as their Signature of sorts. It was like a unique ID belonging only to you.
Zing~
The insides of the crystal ball were covered with swaying waves of mist for a moment.
Then.
[Ah- Can you hear me?]
That voice was oddly familiar.
"Yeah, it's nice having you call me for once-" Teasing the girl on the other end with a cheeky grin, she watched as the mist began clearing away, revealing the figure of the woman.
[...Sigh. You know my circumstances, Silvia.] She had an eloquent, proper voice; it was clear and simultaneously mesmerising, almost motherly.
"I know- It's just a joke."
The person on the other end smiled, she already knew that it was a joke.
[I'll be seeing you soon.]
"Yep."
[What's your Squadron like?]
Silvia furrowed her brow at the question.
Sensing the silence, [...Is it bad?] The girl on the other end curiously probed Silvia.
"...It's not that, there's just this one girl."
The girl on the other end remained silent.
"I've given her the benefit of the doubt for now but I don't know how long I can keep it up for. No, more precisely, I don't know how long she can keep it up for."
[...What's she like?]
The voice on the other end murmured those words out.
"The rumours are bad, that's for sure."
[...]
Silvia looked into the lady's face, something was off with her today; she didn't know what, but she had never seen that look on her before.
"Are you worried? Don't worry, I'll protect you from her."
The girl on the other end mutely nodded.
---
Aranea couldn't hear what they spoke about, Silvia's special ability, or, more specifically, unique Attribute, prevented her from doing so.
'...'
"Fuck it, no point thinking about it."
She shut her eyes again, Aranea had nothing to do until they were dispatched.
-----
September 7th.
Squadrons 2 through 10 lined up in the main, open field.
Mentor stood at the forefront with a cap on his head, pulling it down with both hands to secure it, "Good afternoon."
"Yes, Mentor!"
"You must be wondering..."
Walking down the Squadrons, Mentor searched for any cracks.
"How will we be tested?"
Clack!
Making a full stop, his boots clacked together.
"Well, my dearest students, just like last time-"
FLASH!
"-in combat, of course."
The Squadrons disappeared all at once; the Transportation Array moved each Squadron to a lonesome battlefield with a hundred Corrupteds on all sides.
Of course, it wasn't as simple as last time.
Gazing up at the sky, 9 screens made of Mana floated in the sky.
There you could see the 2nd Squadron; their battlefield was a rainy, muddy, valley with blindspots on all sides.
The 3rd Squadron wasn't in a better position either, they were on an icy mountain cliff; one misstep and death awaited you.
Here's what is important...
There was no individual Transportation Array placed on every participant like last time. Either the whole Squadron passed after enough enemies were killed, or, if 3 of the participants died then the other 2 would be returned.
This was a true death match.
"Silvia, what do you think, can the 2nd Squadron do it?"
"Yeah, Charles isn't too bad, and with that environment, Aria can do well; the only ones I'd worry for are Lucas and Moglit. Moglit's weapon is too big for such a small environment, and Lucas can be ambushed before he can use his Divine Power."
Savana agreed with those words, she just wanted to double-check her opinion, "What about Yun?"
Silvia pointed to the top of the tallest cliff, "That guy is in his natural environment."
"...good point."
That psycho was smiling as he killed Corrupteds left and right from behind the pack.
Every time they turned around to catch him he'd disappear, lose aggro, then return when they tried attacking the main party.
He was doing fine.
"And Aranea...?" Savana wanted to ask their prude Mage...
'...when did she fall asleep?'
That girl was lying on the ground with her eyes closed, she had no cares to give.
[Real...?]
"Let's let her sleep." Savana targeted those words at Silvia, she didn't want any more shenanigans.
[No.]
"Fine with me."
---
The tests were ongoing for a while.
Mentor's eyes never left the screens and Silvia recently went to grab something to snack on.
Staring down at Aranea...
Flicker-
Dark flames ebbed from her feet.
Slowly kneeling beside her, Savana's wine-red eyes blindly stared into Aranea's hair.
At her hair; at her scalp.
Reaching out at Aranea's hair-
Those infinitely spinning pitch-black eyes gazed up at her.
"What are you doing?"
"Oh-! You just looked uncomfortable."
Shyly scurrying back, Savana's dark flames disappeared from beneath her feet.
"No need to worry."
"Haha- Sorry."
Sitting up, Aranea stared at Savana, "No need for an apology."
Scurrying away, Savana moved over closer to Mentor; returning her attention to the ongoing tests.
Aranea kept her eyes on the girl.
'It's changed.'
Her plans had to be moved around.
'She's acting differently from the game.'
Something was dangerously off.
Correct.
Dangerously.
She couldn't let her uniqueness awaken just yet.
Otherwise...
Aranea inwardly took a deep breath.
'...No, it's not that bad yet.'
'...right?'
Smiling to herself.
'Alright, thank you, I knew it...'
Squelch~
Those abyssal eyes silently pulsated.