Prota sat up, expecting to see a dark, black room, but instead found herself on a mountaintop. She squinted, blinded by the sun. Looking down, she found herself standing on snow, fresh and undisturbed. The air around her was chilly, but her cloak's abilities seemed to still be in effect, keeping her comfortably warm.

She looked at her minimap. Interestingly, it was working even in this fabricated world. Still, it wasn't helping much at the moment. She was too far from her original location.

Prota sat down and sighed. The potions she'd been guarding were gone now, and it didn't seem like there were any she could get to. The loss of the potions was unfortunate, but her mana core seemed full upon reviving, so it wasn't the end of the world.

Looking around, she couldn't find any way to get down from her current location. There was no path. No stairs. No rope. It was just a mountain. Technically, it was possible to try to use earth or crystal magic in an attempt to slide down, but that was too risky. She could just kill herself, but that would just waste a life she could use to her advantage. No, the play was definitely to stay up here.

But what could she possibly accomplish?

"Nn…"

The crunching of snow snapped her out of her thoughts. Someone was here. Prota fell to her stomach, trying her best to blend in with the surroundings. She'd learned from her mistakes. Not everyone was a random, stray individual. There were teams. And a team wasn't something she could take on right now.

"Here. This is a good place," a boy's voice said, out of breath.

"Are you sure it's safe?" a girl's voice replied.

"Please. No one would be sane enough to get up here alone."

"Really?"

The boy snorted in amusement. "Unless they can also fly using wind magic, no. C'mon, trust me a little bit more, won't you?"

"It's just… dying isn't super fun…"

There was a pause.

"...I suppose that's what death is really like. Well, at least we're not actually dead, right?"

Prota froze. Flying using wind magic? Something like that was possible? She'd never heard of it before. It was a shame she couldn't use Soul Steal, because she wanted to try something like that. Despite all the talking, she still couldn't see the identity of the voices.

"Phew… we can just wait up here for a bit. As more and more people get out, the more our advantage will grow."

"I can't believe we got ambushed twice. Twice! Why do people like hiding in bushes so much?"

"It's just how things work, sis. If you're weaker, you can't win in a battle of pure strength, so you have to do what you can. In these cases, getting the jump on someone is enough, right? It worked on us."

"That's true…"

Prota froze. What should she do here? On one hand, it sounded like her opponents were strong. On the other hand, it seemed they were exhausted. Should she take the fight? She didn't know. All she knew was that hiding for the rest of the exam wouldn't do anything. She needed to show talent, right?

She clenched her fists, slowly pulling her staff off her back. She had another life. She could afford risks. It was like having [Resets] all over again.

And that was something she was used to, right?

She crawled through the snow, the cold biting at her fingers. Despite that, her natural resistance to pain was more than enough to allow her to stealthily crawl toward the enemy. She was painfully aware of the sound of the snow shifting around her, making a sort of shuffling and sifting sound, but it seemed that her targets couldn't hear it.

"How are we getting back down?" the girl said.

"Same way we came up. Easy, right?" the boy answered.

Prota paused, taking a few deep breaths. She could feel her heart beating in her chest, her body hot as the blood rushed through her veins, her body preparing itself for a fight. Her opponent was someone who could fly. She had no idea as to what circle required that level of magic, but it must've been at least fourth, maybe fifth circle. If only she had some more mana potions…

It didn't matter anymore. She clenched her fists, chanting silently, summoning a set of icicles.

"...did you hear that?" the girl said nervously.

Prota froze. Her magic hovered around her, getting ready to strike.

"Hear what? C'mon, I'm telling you, there's no one up here."

She slowly let out a breath. For a second, she thought she'd been caught. She continued to crawl, making her way toward the source of the sound. After a while, she determined that she was close enough. Her head came up, only to be confused.

There was no one there.

"Now!"

Prota whirled around as she felt killing intent flare up behind her, rolling out of the way of a giant spear of flame. Spinning to face the enemy, she saw a red-haired boy and a blue-haired girl running at her, fire and water swirling around their heads.

"Did you really think we didn't notice you? Your footsteps were all over the place!" the girl yelled, a bright smile on her face.

"...!" Prota flinched.

Her footsteps. She hadn't even thought of that.

The boy raised his hand, sending a fireball toward her location. "Just because we're a little tired doesn't mean we can't fight. You made a mistake messing with us!"

Prota ignored their words and fired, sending a barrage of icicles their way. Unfortunately, a barrier of wind easily deflected her attack, causing the ice to fall to the ground uselessly.

"First-circle magic? As if that'd be enough to take us on."

Suddenly, a torrent of fire started spewing her way, and Prota was able to guess what was coming next. Throwing herself to the ground, she raised a barrier of earth to shield herself from the incoming blast. It seemed these siblings also understood the synergy between flame and wind, because the explosion nearly took her out.

Knocked back by the sheer force of the attack, she started rolling down the slopes, struggling to get back on her feet. Gritting her teeth, she plunged her staff into the ground, holding on for dear life as she pulled herself back up.

"You survived that? Impressive!" the girl laughed. "But I bet you can't do that again!"

In that moment, Prota knew. There was no way to get out of this easily. She would either put her all into this fight or die trying.

Her change in attitude seemed to have been noticed.

"H-hey, sis, she's-"

The boy's sister was too late. Prota launched herself up, chanting quickly before unleashing a blue fireball. The boy nervously created a barrier of wind, which snuffed the flames out.

That was fine. The pair must've been used to more traditional casting combat, because they seemed to relax after Prota's spell disappeared. Unfortunately for them, Prota was anything but traditional. Before they could even recover, Prota had already summoned a barrage of icicles, sharp and ready to strike.

"Go," she muttered, the sun glinting off the ice as it streaked through the air.

"What the-" the boy yelped, but to his credit, he raised a barrier of flame in time.

It was impressive. It also didn't matter.

It was barrage after barrage of simple, first-circle spells that forced her opponents to stay on their feet. Prota knew they wouldn't land. The pair was likely stronger than she was in both spell strength and mana pools.

But she'd just spent a whole year learning what it meant to be strong. The higher circle mage didn't always win.

And Prota had one more trump card up her sleeve.

The entire time she'd been firing off her basic spells, she'd been slowly preparing a Blossom in secret. The explosions from the flame and splinters of ice, combined with the constant slow being kicked up, were more than enough to distract her enemies from seeing through her plan.

"H-hey! How is she doing that?" the boy yelled, frustrated after missing yet another spell.

"I don't know! I've never seen a caster move like that!" the girl cried, panicked. She was firing spells off, but they were going wild as she failed to control herself. "Are you sure this isn't the fighter exam?"

It seemed neither sibling had ever experienced true combat. There was a visible pause between their chants and their cast time, and reading their moves was painfully easy. They always stared right at where they wanted to shoot, waiting at least half a second before truly firing the spell off.

Stolen novel; please report.

Prota couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. Was this what she had looked like a year ago? Was this why John had been so insistent on training her?

"Sis! We- we've gotta do it!"

"Now?!" the girl yelled, clearly very concerned.

"I think we might die otherwise!"

Prota's eyes widened. They still had something else?

Suddenly, she felt a surge of mana in front of her. They were doing something. Something powerful. The constant sheet of snow was making it hard to see, but… blue flames. She could see that much.

Well, that was fine. Prota was prepared to die here. Her Blossom was ready, and that had already nearly exhausted her mana reserves.

"Now!" she heard.

The boy had a vortex of flame in his hands, fire violently swirling in an orb. The girl had a spear of ice, densely packed, the sunlight glinting off its sharp tip.

"Go!"

The girl threw the spear. It was fast. Dangerously fast. Prota's eyes widened as she used a gust of wind to dodge midair.

She didn't quite get out of the way in time.

However, instead of piercing her heart, where the spell had initially been aimed, it pierced her shoulder. Good enough. She winced as the ice spread across her arm, creating an effect similar to her Blossom, but it was slow enough that it wouldn't kill immediately.

"Do it!" she heard.

Her eyes widened. Right. There was one more spell. That flame orb.

The boy flung his orb, which grew in size as it flew out. Suddenly, hundreds of flames began to strike at Prota, cutting her from every direction. Blood began to pour down in streams as her body was continually struck, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air, but she didn't care. It didn't hurt nearly enough for her to pay attention to it.

She continued to run toward her targets, the Blossom in bloom.

"Go," she whispered, throwing it with all her might.

She closed her eyes in resignation. That was all she could do. A blade of fire struck the spear of ice in her body, and it shattered, tearing her body apart as her mana reinforcement deactivated. Her body vanished in a flash of light, and she moved on to her next life.

It was just a shame that she didn't get to see the end of her fight.

The Blossom exploded, the shards striking the siblings over and over. With no experience in hand, they panicked, preventing them from doing anything about the spell. Had they been a bit calmer, it definitely would've been possible to defend. After all, Prota hadn't had time to prepare a Blossom at full strength, even with her improved magic.

Unfortunately for them, they had no such thoughts, and so they froze, leaving two statues of ice on the mountaintop.

~~~

The balcony was silent. There were a few other fights going on, but no one was watching anything. All eyes were on Prota.

"That was… incredible."

"Indeed."

There were murmurs all about. First, everyone commented on the siblings. Fifth-circle magic, especially at this age, was impressive. Both of them harboured incredible potential to grow even further. Their synergy was remarkable, and their understanding of their individual elements was quite strong. They simply lacked the refinement to put their talent to use.

That, of course, paled in comparison to the skill of the opposing party.

"First-circle magic is nothing impressive. It's all we've seen her use," Orson said hesitantly.

"Well, except…"

"Has anyone seen that spell before?"

Not a single head nodded.

"That is certainly not ninth-circle magic. Its usage of mana and potential is nowhere near that. However… unique magic. Perhaps around the fourth circle, although the amount of mana used puts its power around the third circle. Its mana usage is somewhat inefficient, and its preparation is slow. But still."

Everyone was silent. A new form of magic.

"I've seen something similar," Leora said. "The Ninetails clan uses a similar spell involving flames, creating a rose that explodes into petals. Each petal of flame explodes with destructive power, which is far beyond what this girl accomplished. However, the concept is similar."

"Forget that," Lupin growled. "Did anyone pay attention to how she fought? The way she recovered. Her grit. Her determination. Her movements, her reactions. They were those of a seasoned warrior and not just those of a caster."

"What? Do you mean to imply this child has been in numerous battles? That she's fought in wars, struck down villains, faced off against death?" Rayne scoffed. "No matter how talented these children may be, the level of expertise this girl showed was beyond that. Something is strange."

"Indeed," Lupin nodded, stroking his chin. "But, more than that. She was fully planning to lose, intending to take her opponents down with her. She doesn't fear death. All she knows is her objective. Is that not enough to convince you?"

Everyone nodded silently. The look in her eyes was something they couldn't forget. Despite the spear of flame in her shoulder, the cuts tormenting her body, she continued to focus on her enemy, her goal and desire clear.

"I believe the girl and boy are worthy to enter," Leora said. "Does anyone oppose?"

No one raised their voice. Someone stirred, but there were otherwise no complaints.

"And… the girl. I believe that much is obvious."

There was not a single person who spoke.

~~~

"...she's doing it wrong," John muttered, frowning as he watched the end of the fight.

"Wrong?! What do you mean, wrong?" Danjo exclaimed. "Did you see that? That was insane!"

"Danjo, you've seen her fight before. What are you talking about?" John said, turning to the dwarf.

"Yeah, but- but still, that was-"

"No, no, I'm not talking about the fight," John grumbled. "I'm talking about the general approach."

He got up and turned to leave.

"...where are you going?" Destiny said, frowning.

"Uh… different viewing angle. Don't worry, I'll still be in the arena, if that's what you're worried about."

"Oh." Destiny shrugged. "Just don't get into trouble, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry about me," John said, leaving without another word.

They watched as he left, and he really was just going somewhere else in the arena. Destiny breathed a sigh of relief as he watched John sit down, opening the viewing magic once more.

"...is he going to be ok like that?" Celeste asked quietly.

"I'd be more concerned about everyone else," Destiny said quietly. "It's just good that he isn't up to anything."

Danjo, who was somewhat familiar with John's antics, nodded. They watched him sitting all alone, but somehow, no one felt bad for him. It wasn't that they thought he deserved it or anything. It was just that he looked quite comfortable doing whatever he was doing.

"...hey," Celeste said suddenly. "What did he mean by different viewing angles? We're watching through these screens. Won't it look the same no matter where we sit?"

~~~

Prota found herself in some kind of village. Once again, she was nowhere near her previous locations, meaning she would once again have to scout out new territory. At least she wasn't stuck the way she'd been stuck on the mountain.

There were little wooden huts spread across a flat prairie, most of them broken or burnt, probably the result of several fights. She prepared herself to head out, making sure there wasn't anyone nearby, when something caught her attention.

[Prota, do you want to win? You've displayed enough talent to get in now, I think. So why not try going for first place?]

A message. Here? How? Now that she thought about it, it wasn't that strange. Her map worked. Why not this? She frowned, typing back.

[...?]

[Go find some health potions and mana potions. You need a way to recover after fights.]

[...]

[Then find a place to hide. And then stay there. And run away if things become risky.]

[...run?]

[It's called camping, Prota. You have a health bar in your system, don't you?]

Prota looked around and found that there was indeed some kind of health bar. It was small, and it wasn't the best since injuries couldn't be represented numerically, but it was there. She vaguely remembered its existence, but it was never really useful.

[It sucks ass, but it's a good indicator of when to run. Think of this like a video game. Wait, you don't- ah, fuck it. Alright, here's what we're gonna do. Sit in a bush or tree. Wait for other people to fight nearby, and then swoop in after they're done and pick off the winner.]

Prota just stared at her system. Was John really suggesting something like this? Well, she couldn't deny that the strategy seemed decent. With a sigh, she looked around and headed toward a large bush.

[Alright. Remember what I told you. It's time to pitch a tent.]

~~~

"Her strategy's changed. She's hiding much more now."

"But she's still moving. How curious."

"That's a guerilla warfare strategy," Lupin said with a frown. "Which is fair on its own, but considering her previous movements…"

There were quiet murmurs. It was true. Something didn't make sense. During her first life, she'd been quiet and lying low, sitting near a set of mana potions and eliminating anyone who came by. Her death had been a result of numbers rather than skill, something she probably couldn't avoid.

Her second death had come as unfortunately as the first. An unlucky placement and an unlucky fight that she somehow managed to salvage.

Both strategies were something someone could come up with on the spot. They were crude and basic, things the teachers had been expecting of young children.

On the other hand, what she was doing now was far more intentional and planned out.

Obviously, the professors weren't watching her every fight, but her movements on the map were sporadic. She'd sit in some kind of tree or bush, anything to hide her presence. Then, she'd wait for a fight to break out and pick off the survivor like a scavanger preying on the weak and sick.

Fights never lasted more than half a minute. If she won, she'd take whatever potions her opponent had and run off, making sure to cover her tracks. If the opponent was strong, she'd run away and hide once more. Her movements suggested she'd somehow memorized her surroundings, but that shouldn't be possible.

The strategy wasn't strange in itself. Obviously, it was a little cheap and dirty, but it was a valid strategy nonetheless. No, it was the fact that she'd been such a strong fighter in her past two lives that this strategy felt strange. Someone as competent as Prota should be more confident in taking fights, no?

The professors had agreed that the girl was already talented enough to enter Scholaris, but something about this felt off.

"It's dishonourable," Rion grunted. "Are our students to be mere cleaners?"

"No, Rion," Hikari purred, a small grin on their face. "On the contrary. I think it's quite interesting. The girl is using the terrain to her advantage. She's moving stealthily, taking fights she knows she'll win, and running the moment she's at a disadvantage. It's optimal."

Leora nodded slowly, rubbing her chin. "And yet it is quite unconventional. A caster traditionally fights from afar. Obviously, we are taught to prioritize mobility, but the girl fights with the mindset of a fighter."

"And yet she isn't one, nya. Isn't it interesting? She's almost like an assassin."

They watched as the island closed in, the survivors numbering to less than a dozen. Soon, skirmishes turned into a giant fight, with each contestant wrapped up in a battle with every other fighter on the field. Some were eliminated immediately, having hidden the whole way through, while others dominated the field, casting large-range spells that dominated the terrain.

"Draco Wynton," Orson mused. "His fire technique is quite interesting."

"It is unpolished. But yes, there is potential for more. That fire vortex, in particular, requires a large amount of mana to maintain. How curious," Leora mused.

Prota, with little mana left, was quickly caught up in the spell and died, leaving the other participants to duke it out.

Soon, the exam came to a close, and the students came to their senses one by one, sitting up on the field as their consciousness came back to them. Assisted by aides, they were led back to the school hospital, where they'd be treated and checked for potential injuries. The Mystics soon left the balcony, leaving only Hikari behind to cast one last glance.

"What an interesting group of students."

~~~

"See? It worked, right?" John grinned.

Prota nodded. She wasn't overly excited, since she hadn't won, but she'd made it far considering she lacked Soul Steal in her arsenal.

"Ah, camping," John said wistfully. "Not the most honorable thing to do, but it works. Probably didn't look all that good, though."

Prota's head snapped as she turned to look at him. It didn't look good? Then why the hell had he told her to do that?

"Oh, come on, Prota. I already told you,

"Nn…" Prota was thinking about that, but then she realized something. "Then… since John knows the best strategy, John will win, right?"

Winning something like this. Sure, it was technically possible. But in the end, could he survive even a single honest fight? Probably not.

John kneeled down, put his hand on Prota's shoulder, and looked her in the eyes.

"Don't get it twisted," he said quietly. "You could employ the strategy because you have magic. I do not have-"

As he was speaking, something from the rules suddenly popped up in his mind.

Examinees will be required to bring their own weapons.

Their own weapons. There were no rules against any weapons, right?

"John?" Prota said nervously.

A small grin formed on John's lips.

"Oh, um… never mind. Don't worry about it," he said offhandedly, but he couldn't hide his smile.

Something devious was forming in his mind.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.