Fresia had been too absorbed in restoring the barrier to notice the surroundings, but the moment her work was done, she too could sense the thick, menacing aura lingering in the air.
It was only natural to turn around. However, what she saw was anything but natural.
Despite the deafening roar of rage from Valikan that should have drawn everyone's attention, Fresia's gaze was drawn to a quiet corner. There, a girl lay, smiling foolishly as if satisfied, her eyes slowly closing.
Elysia Frentz.
At first, she was just a brazen academy student. She had found Fresia while she was napping, chatting away without expecting an answer, and without permission, had brazenly stroked her body.
Wanting to toy with her a little, Fresia had drawn the girl, who seemed financially troubled, into her magical experiments.
That brazen student had become her magic assistant.
Fresia never knew why Elysia accepted her nastiness.
No matter how often she called for her, Elysia would always appear with a smile, accepting Fresia's whimsical demands, even volunteering for difficult and troublesome magical experiments.
Fresia assumed it was all for money.
Yet, despite their relationship being based on money, every time Elysia took her hand, stroked her hair, or spoke to her in that warm voice, Fresia found herself craving a little more affection, just a little more.
Of course, when Elysia had slapped her butt, Fresia had retaliated.
In her heart, that magic assistant had become Elysia Frentz.
The first person to make her feel what affection was.
And now, Elysia Frentz lay before her, bleeding, unconscious, and smiling despite it all. That smile irritated Fresia.
Slowly, Fresia walked toward her.
Thankfully, Valikan focus seems to be somewhere else for the time being.
Standing before Elysia, Fresia drew a magic circle, just as she always did for her. As the circle emitted a faint light, the bleeding from Elysia's side began to slow. But her complexion remained pale, having lost too much blood. Simple healing magic couldn't do much more.
"Keh... keh... How kind of you to heal the wench. She won't be able to die now and will live her whole life in agony."
Fresia stood and turned to Valikan. She couldn't understand the full situation, but it was obvious enough that the ant before her was responsible for Elysia's condition.
"Are you a demon?"
"Keh... A magician without a warrior to protect her? Kneel, magician. If you do, I will ensure that the Demon Lord grants you mercy."
There was only one possible response for Fresia.
With a few murmured words and a wave of her hand, she drew a simple magic circle in the air.
Countless arrows appeared around her—flames, ice, water, lightning, rocks...
The basic arrow spell was far from simple in either number or variety.
Dozens of arrows flew at Valikan. Yet, he easily deflected most of them with his remaining hand.
Even when a few arrows managed to strike him, the resistance of his skin, as a mid-level demon, was far too strong for such a basic spell to penetrate.
Seeing Fresia's display, Valikan charged at her.
It was nearly impossible for Fresia, untrained in physical combat, to evade his attacks, but with the help of spells she had cast on herself, she barely managed to dodge.
Spells that accelerated her movements, doubled her strength, or heightened her senses—spells she had once tested on Elysia.
Half out of curiosity, half as study, those spells now helped her survive this deadly situation.
Still, it was inevitable that she would eventually be hit.
Thud!
Valikan's sharp claws struck her delicate abdomen, but instead of the expected tearing sound, a dull thud rang out, and Valikan was the one flung back.
"Hmm. A barrier artifact, is it? Let's see how long that will hold."
The necklace around Fresia's neck, imbued with a barrier spell, had cracked from just one attack. At most, it could withstand two or three more hits.
But Fresia's strategy didn't change. She summoned another round of arrows, dodging Valikan's attacks with awkward movements.
Thud!
Another strike.
Thud!
And another.
Crack...
The necklace was now hanging on by a thread, the cracks so deep that it seemed like a slight touch would shatter it.
Smash!
The barrier finally broke, and the shock sent Fresia flying backward.
She hit the ground, bounced against a rock, and lay bloodied and motionless.
The result of the battle was clear.
Despite the ease of his victory, Valikan acknowledged Fresia's efforts. Had a lesser demon been in his place, they would have been overwhelmed. The sheer number and power of her arrows were not to be underestimated, and her enhancement spells had turned an untrained magician into something close to a warrior.
"I am Valikan of Pride. Magician, tell me your name. I shall remember it as you die."
This was the highest praise he could offer to a talented foe.
What if she had been a little more mature? The thought excited him.
But no answer came from Fresia.
"Still resisting? The sun has set. As a creature of the night, your last chance of victory is gone."
Indeed, as Valikan said, the sun had already sunk below the horizon, and stars now dotted the dark sky.
Even from her prone position, Fresia could see the darkening night sky.
She shakily raised a trembling hand toward the sky.
Stars shone brightly.
Fresia clenched her fist in the empty air.
Of course, nothing came into her grasp.
Yet still, she clenched.
She grasped the stars in the night sky.
* * * *
The girl's first memory was of a back alley behind a restaurant where food scraps were thrown away. In that memory, the girl scavenged through the garbage for scraps to feed her hungry belly.
She didn't know if she was born in that alley, abandoned by her parents, or had simply wandered there by accident.
But none of that mattered. All that mattered was surviving each day.
One day, a kind woman took pity on her and gave her a coin. The girl didn't know its exact value, but she knew it could be exchanged for bread.
As the girl ran with the coin, a man blocked her way. He was likely one of the thugs who extorted protection money from the orphans in the alleys.
The man, of course, tried to take the coin. The girl resisted with all her might.
The price of angering him was severe.
The man showed no mercy, kicking her repeatedly. He trampled her as if she were nothing, hoping to set an example for the other children.
As she began to lose consciousness, a shooting star crossed the night sky.
She made a wish on that star.
That was her first magic.
* * * *
Boom!
Valikan couldn't comprehend what had just happened. The only thing he knew was that he had been knocked to the ground.
It was as if there had been no cause, only the result.
"...Kaaaagh!"
Then the pain hit.
It was as if his entire body had been smashed by a massive hammer.
The pain was far worse than when Elysia had severed his wrist.
Step.
The one approaching him was Fresia, who had been lying on the ground just moments before.
"A creature of the night, you say? How fitting. I love the night too."
She glanced at Elysia before turning her gaze back to Valikan.
"I wouldn't normally share my name with the likes of you... but I'll make an exception. So you'll remember it while you die."
With an arrogant face.
"My name is Fresia. Fresia of the Night Sky."