"Listen…" Yanura said in a hushed tone as they were walking forward, following the road ahead. "We need to make the first move, and you don't have to be afraid!" She instructed them while drinking potions, trying to recover as fast as possible. "Keep her under pressure and attack in rotation! Don't let her get close; her physical strength will overpower you! She has a beast folk for a dad, and it shows!"
"Are you sure, Yanura? We ought to… ambush her?"
"Yes! Don't worry, if anyone, she would understand it! Trust me with this, okay?"
As the only one from the group who ever faced her, they nodded, relying on her experience, no matter how long ago it was and how short it was in reality. Arriving at the last Trial, it was a clearing where the trees were gone, and the earth was laid out with white tiles, creating a 100 square meter arena where Lia stood in the middle, smiling, watching the girls arrive.
"Do you need resting?" She asked, but Yanura shook her head.
"I'm fine, and they spent virtually none of their mana while coming here." Yanura smiled, which was a signal for the rest.
Lia was about to say something, only halting her mouth at the last moment, dodging to the left with a wide grin, avoiding a quick stab as a rapier, glowing in blue light, whizzed by her face, missing her nose by a hair's width. She was about to grab at her own sword's hilt to counterattack, yet just as her fingers coiled around its hilt, she had to roll away as two water whips slammed into the ground, blowing up the tiles and throwing them toward the sky.
"Ahahaha! Yes! There are no fruitless talks in a battle!" Lia grinned, finally drawing her blade just in time to slash diagonally and send forth orange flames to meet the incoming magical wave of water, creating a thick cloud of steam as the two opposing forces clashed.
Lia's figure burst forward from the white smoke, spinning in mid-air, avoiding two jets of water with such extreme pressure that they went through multiple tree trunks before dispersing behind her. When landing, her outstretched hand touched the slippery surface of the white tiles, and if not for the flames surrounding her hand, she would have been already caught in Yanura's trap. Seeing that it did not work, she hurriedly moved her fingers, utilizing her artifact as small magic circles whirled around the wrist she held firmly onto. The spell covering the ground where Lia landed changed form, going from slippery to sticky, acting as tar, trying to glue Lia's body into one place.
"Nice!" Lia thought, feeling the water's composition change, resisting the heat exuding from her body, latching onto her limbs through the fire to make her adhere there, even if for a brief second. "They are a good group!" She glanced to the side, channeling her mana through her artifact that turned almost as red as fire in a blacksmith's furnace, erecting a fiery shield around her body, blocking two water arrows coming from nowhere.
With a loud shout, she burst out with power, releasing her full strength at the 4th Tier, engulfing herself in orange fire, and rising to the sky. It looked like a miniature sun was rising right in front of their eyes, blinding and pushing them back while their spells were destabilized by the heat radiating from its surface.
"Strong…" Yanura murmured, trying to replicate the same feat she did against the invisible fire, but this time, there was no time to do so. She heard a soft pop coming from the 'sun' they were surrounding, looking for a chance to attack or guard themselves if it exploded. It took a millisecond to realize what it was, but by then, it was already too late to warn her friends.
Lia appeared behind one of the girls, hitting the back of her head with the hilt of her sword, knocking her out immediately. The next moment, with another pop, she disappeared, going for the second 'kill.'
"Watch out, she can tele-" Yanura shouted, watching Lia come out of a violet puff of smoke, kicking against the hollow of the knee of Yanura's friend, making her body buckle and then knocking her out just the same. "-port!"
It was utter chaos. Most of them were still focused on the artificial sun, expecting it to burst and shower them with flames, readying their defenses, oblivious towards the real danger.
"Too late!" Yanura heard Lia's voice as her sword turned into a whip, and it was about to coil around Yanura's body.
"You got faster!" She replied, remembering how she shot herself into her protective bubble years ago.
"Hm?!" Lia flinched, realizing that her artifact, although wrapping itself around Yanura, it did not hurt or lock her in place for real. She was surrounded by a thin layer of water, acting as a buffer zone between her flesh and the air. Her weapon was now getting stuck in the same sticky spell she had just dodged, feeling it was submerged in wet concrete.
"You held back!" Yanura smiled, grabbing directly onto Lia's artifact, yanking on it, ignoring the pain and the fact it shredded her palms wide open. "You did not use your fire!"
"True…" Lia whispered, her eyes glowing, admiring Yanura for what she had done just now. She did not use her fire, afraid she wouldn't be able to control it, and seriously injure her… which made her attack fail and placed her in a pinch.
She could already feel her feet leaving the ground, being pulled closer toward Yanura, all of this happening in a fraction of a second. From the right side of her, a prickling sensation was already cutting against the skin of her back as Yanura's friend with the rapier arrived just in time, aiming to skewer Lia and win them their clash.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
"The Silly Fox was right…." Lia thought, closing her eyes, "I'll need to train under Solren… I have too little experience in fighting…."
With that, she let go of the hilt of her sword, summoning her second one as she entered No-Space, dodging the rapier and reappearing a few meters away, crashing into the ground before flipping back to her feet. Everyone expected to continue the battle, but Lia flicked the sword in her hand, extinguishing the burning 'sun' in the air and lowering her weapon.
"You won!" She laughed, stunning the others as she skipped forward, running up to Yanura, redrawing her elastic sword, and personally treating her injured palms. "Geez, you grabbing onto it was not in my calculations! You are braver than I remember!"
"Eh… thanks?" She laughed, surprised, just like the rest of her group.
"You're welcome!" Lia stuck her tongue out, watching the ones she knocked out regain their bearings and their frustration changing into elevation, learning they did win in the end.
"But why did we win?" Yanura asked after Lia finished pouring a healing potion onto the wounds, letting it close up very quickly.
"Because I was restricting myself! I need to learn to control my spells, my mana! If I only know how to go all out all the time… the Undead will pick up on it and counter me easily!" Lia sighed, returning her twin sword to the hidden holding space.
"So you were not even going all out…" Yanura bit her lips; for a moment, she was disappointed but then shook her head. "Such is an Amarin!" She chortled, already forgetting to be angry. "Are you at the 5th Tier too?"
"No." Lia shook her head but started thinking, scratching her chin, "But I should be close! I can feel it!"
"Yeah, we felt it too!" Yanura and the rest joked, laughing, making Lia grin happily as she presented a golden egg to them.
"Congrats! You earned it!" She pressed it into Yanura's healed hands. "I hope when we meet outside, we can do it as friends!"
"Um." She accepted, smiling at her, looking into Lia's mismatched eyes. "Me too!"
…
….
……
When the yearly Egg Hunt ended, many were stunned at the results as there were even first-year students amongst those who managed to obtain a Golden Egg, which did not happen since the Misfits' first appearance. Of course, this spurred many student organizations to try and recruit them while those who also managed to obtain a reward were now holding their heads high, able to tell everyone they passed the test of the Misfits.
"What?! Are they graduating?! Ahead of time?!" Melior shouted loudly after hearing the news from Timothy. "No way!" She fell back into her chair, looking like she was on the verge of crying.
"Yeah…" Ashur nodded, just as amazed by the news, "The first ones to ever do so… but… now that we know…." He pointed at the announcement, which had Lia's name in full, revealing for so many students that she was an Amarin… and not just any Amarin but the daughter of Reyra Amarin, who just became the first Ascendri since the Dark Ages. "This explains A LOT!"
"It does." The others in the little group nodded heavily.
"Haaah… If we just were a few years… older!" Melior moaned, "We could have been in the same year as them!"
"It is pointless to harp on what could have been and what not!" Ashur shrugged, "We have three years!"
"For what?" They looked at him.
"To get strong enough so we can join up with them when we graduate! Do you think someone like Lia Amarin would not want to have more subordinates? And even if not, she still needs helpers! The continent is big; she can't be everywhere at once!"
"Yeah!" Timothy agreed, feeling fired up, "Ashur is right! Let's work hard so we become useful in the future!"
"Um!" Melior nodded so vigorously her head almost fell off, "Let us become the next leaders of the Misfits too!"
"Eh…!" The rest froze in place, watching her somber expression.
"That is the minimum, I think! Let's go! Let's apply to join now! While they are still here!" She sprang to her feet and rushed off without waiting for an answer… not that she had to. Just as she took a few steps, the others were scrambling to their feet, leaving everything behind to follow her and sign up to be a Misfit.
…
….
……
Lia was standing in the dockyard of the floating island. The Pearl was already there; everyone boarded it an hour ago except her. Lia simply stood still, watching the buildings, the people, and when a new figure arrived, she was merely looking up at the Headmaster stopping right before her. It was already two weeks after school ended, and only those students who would also spend the summer here remained behind.
"What is it?" Lucian asked, chuckling, reaching out and rubbing Lia's head while the sun was shining down on them from high above. "Wanting me to wave a tissue while leaving?"
"I'm just memorizing the place… and I made a decision!"
"Oh? You did? Care to share it with me?"
"I am going to be the next Headmaster!" She replied firmly, making Lucian stiffen up before laughing so loudly it echoed all around them. "Are you now? What if you are named to become the head of your House?"
"No!" She replied firmly, "My brothers can do that! Razael can do that if Mom ever gets bored of it! When the Undead is no more, I will come back, be a teacher, and after that, when you want to rest, I will be the next Headmaster!"
"..."
"..."
They only looked into each other's eyes, and Lucian could tell she wasn't joking. She indeed decided that one day, she would be the next leader of the Institute of Eight Elements.
"Then…" He spoke, his voice extremely gentle as he let her go, "Make sure that whatever happens, you stay safe… got it?"
"Heh!" She winked, showing a V-sign, "Don't worry, you, Silly Fox! I will be safe because I will be with my friends!" And with that, without saying anything more, she simply teleported, leaving behind a puff of smoke, appearing right on the Pearl as Lucian watched the ship slowly pull out and disappear in the distance.
Lia was the first student who he not just taught but also the only one who mastered all the theories he presented her with. No matter what it was, she slurped it up like a sponge, working it out, and he only had to show her the way. Whatever the future would bring to them, Lucian was sure that the little girl who left the Institute on this day would grow up to be someone who even outshone her own Mother one day.
"She will do fine." A gentle voice told him as Cici appeared next to him, sitting down, licking her paw.
"I agree." Opparu joined in, also coming forward, wiping his eyes. "Damn, it... I said my goodbyes yesterday, but I will miss those little rascals!"
"I thought you would go with them," Lucian answered, smiling at him.
"I promised them I'll look over their Misfits. Keep them on the right track!"
"Me too." Cici answered, shaking her body as she stood up, "But I won't lower the monthly cost of their tower! Hmph! They must find a new headquarters if they can't keep forking it out!"
"I am not worried about that!" Opparu snorted, wearing a wide grin, also turning around, leaving behind only Lucian, who stood there, watching the empty sky for a long time before simply disappearing, teleporting away, just like his only true disciple did previously.