'First off, I should seize the initiative.'
It was my first real fight, counting both my past life on Earth and this one.
Back on Earth, I'd never had a reason to throw down. And during my bullied days in the village, I'd only ever taken beatings—no proper scraps to speak of.
Still, I knew striking first gave you the edge.
So here, I had to take the lead.
Seize control of the momentum.
"Charge him together!"
"Raaagh!"
"The witch! Kill the witch first!"
I glanced at the intruders pouring in through the back door.
Their eyes were locked on Rozanna.
Having operated in the area under the moniker of Forest Witch, she was their top priority.
Which was fine by me.
They weren't paying my magic the slightest mind.
'Take out the one in the lead first.'
The guy at the front looked like a mercenary.
Best gear of the bunch, and the most vicious aura.
He'd no doubt spilled plenty of blood.
Knocking out a heavy hitter right off the bat would tilt the fight in my favor.
[Skill Activated: Lightning Bolt - High-voltage discharge / Instant cast]
The moment I decided to unleash the spell.
Zzzt!
A bolt of lightning shot forward.
Not quite as fast as real thunder, but quick enough no human could react.
"Huh?"
The mercenary gawked at the incoming bolt.
Then it struck home.
[Critical Hit! Instant Death - Electrocution / No resistance]
Boom!
His grimy padded armor burst open, stuffing flying everywhere as he flipped backward, eyes rolled back.
Smoke poured from his gaping mouth instead of a scream.
The stench of burning flesh filled the air.
Instant death.
My handiwork with magic.
And with it came an inexplicable rush of exhilaration.
"Wh-what?"
"Did something just flash?"
"Magic! It's magic!"
As I reeled from the unfamiliar thrill, the intruders buzzed in confusion.
The leader dropping suddenly slowed the pack behind him.
But one who'd dodged the chaos kept his pace and reached me first.
"Die!"
Murder in his eyes, he raised his club high.
'Close enough for Ignition.'
Lightning Bolt guzzled too much mana for spam.
Time for a different attack spell.
[Skill Activated: Ignition - Targeted flame burst / Ocular precision]
Mana flowed from my body.
Straight to his left eye.
It ignited.
One odd thing, though.
The flame was bigger than before.
No illusion.
'Did my power level up?'
That rush from earlier.
Now I got it.
No time to marvel, though.
Fight wasn't over.
"Aaaagh!"
He dropped the club, clutching his blazing left eye as he crumpled.
Frantic to pat it out.
But magic flames didn't snuff easy—just more charred stink.
"Crazy bastard!"
"Ugh... his eye's on fire."
"This ain't what we signed up for! Just kill the witch!"
His screams shook the others.
They hesitated.
Buying me time to snag his dropped club and bash his downed skull.
Thwack!
He stilled.
Screams cut off.
Dead or not, didn't matter.
Combat ineffective. That's what counted.
'Two down already. I can win this.'
Confidence surging, I glared at the intruders.
Bit of bluff, but needed now.
It worked.
Fear flickered on their faces—new to the mix.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
When the intruders burst through the back door, Rozanna stepped forward to shield the rest.
Her apprentice Melissa knew no attack spells, and Heros was a novice mage of barely a month.
As master and senior mage, she'd die before letting harm come to them.
But someone beat her grim resolve to the punch: Heros.
'Good lord!'
Heros fought like a demon.
Agile moves, swift and precise spells.
Hell, he even snatched a weapon and swung it himself.
Impossible to believe it was his first tussle.
'Wait... does that mean...'
Rozanna recalled her chat with Digori.
He'd gushed about his apprentice all dinner.
Some tales sounded tall: hearing grimoires crystal clear, sniffing out spell types from mana aftertaste.
Stoic, picky Digori praising anyone that hard? Alien to her.
'Everything he said was true?'
At the time, she'd chalked it up to infatuation, overhyping his late bloomer.
Wrong.
Objective assessment.
As shock hit her,
"You little shit!"
Another charged Heros, spewing curses and swinging a torch.
'Too close to dodge?'
Heros raised his right arm.
Instant read: block.
She sensed mana surging to his arm—two distinct flows.
One familiar: her specialty.
'Plant Magic? And the other... Water Magic?'
Observing him chilled her to the bone.
His casting speed was absurd.
Plant, Plant, Water.
Three spells in a blink.
Trickier than dual-cast, pulled off by a greenhorn.
Who wouldn't gape?
Thud!
Torch smacked his arm amid her awe.
He shrugged it off.
Thick winter layers, plus Tree Bark on his forearm.
Moisture spell soaked his coat—no flames spreading.
Clean defense.
"Gaaah!"
Bold attack blocked, the man clawed his left eye like the last guy, rolling on the floor.
Heros didn't miss a beat—club to the head, down he went.
Melted pupil and lid mingled in gruesome pulp.
"What do we do?"
"How should I know!"
"Should we just bail...?"
Three down in under a minute.
The rest quailed.
Rozanna felt hope stir.
'Yes! Run away!'
Heros was a prodigy, sure—but still low on mana, beginner limits.
Prolonging was risky.
That's when...
"Mages can't spam forever! Rush him all at once!"
First guy zapped by Lightning Bolt—a similar merc bellowed.
'Damn.'
Just a hunch.
But enough to rally them.
Resolve hardened on their faces.
Rozanna despaired—
[Skill Activated: Lightning Bolt - Leadership target / Ranged precision]
Zzt!
The self-appointed leader took a bolt.
Same result.
Thud!
He crashed down, black smoke billowing from his slack jaw.
'Spotted morale spike, sniped the commander. Seasoned. Instinct or cold calc? Wait—how's he so unflappable? First fight confirmed?'
Per Rozanna's intel, this was Heros's debut.
Digori handled the black mage in Withill.
Yet no hesitation.
No fear of foes, no guilt over kills.
Incomprehensible.
'Digori, where'd you dig up this disciple?!'
Unknown entity in a black soul.
Vast vessel beyond measure.
Plus near-perfect mana control.
Heros grew more enigmatic by the second.
"Raaaaagh!"
One intruder roared.
Rozanna glanced, expecting another charge.
Nope—bolting for the back door.
'Good, better that way.'
Letting him go felt iffy—reinforcements?
But best to let him spark a rout.
She thought so...
Heros disagreed.
[Skill Activated: Lightning Bolt - Fleeing target / Pursuit strike]
Zzzzt!
The bolt lanced out, nailing his waist.
No scream—he dropped dead.
'Sees it through to the end? Thorough. But confidence for the rest? Mana's gotta be low now.'
Rozanna figured Heros was tapped out.
Then a presence beside her: Digori.
Arms crossed, watching.
"Fights well."
Moments later, he said it, smug satisfaction plain.
She checked the rear.
No intruders left. Floor buried in dark brown earth.
Easy guess how he'd mulched dozens.
'Like master, like disciple.'
Digori left no loose ends.
Neither did Heros.
Different in many ways, alike in key ones.
"H-ha! I surrender."
Soon after Digori spectated.
One tossed his pitchfork, spirit broken from witnessing the massacre.
"Me too!"
"Spare us, please!"
"I just tagged along!"
Domino effect—four more surrendered.
Five prisoners secured.
"Hoo..."
Battle over.
Heros finally relaxed his eyes.
No blinks till now—who knew when or whence the next attack?
"Well done."
Familiar praise.
Heros turned.
Digori greeted him solemn as ever—no trace of his earlier grin.
'Smiling a second ago!'
Rozanna shot him a look, exasperated.
He ignored it.
Clapped Heros's shoulder, then headed to interrogate captives.
She seized the gap.
"Heros, impressive. Any other mage seeing that would peg you for a battle-hardened vet, not a chick fresh from the nest—minimum one year in the trenches."
"Thank you."
Stone-faced in combat, now he grinned bashfully.
Adorably sheepish.
She smiled unwittingly.
Curiosity bloomed.
"Heros."
"Yes, Lady Rozanna?"
"If Digori hadn't stepped in, could you have handled the last five?"
Bold claim or cautious no?
She watched, expectant.
He spoke.
"I'm confident on four for sure. The fifth... fifty-fifty. After four, mana's dry, so fisticuffs on the last. But I'm not fully grown—doubt I'd overpower an adult in a brawl."
Chills raced from her nape, thrilling her whole body.
Shiver of awe.
'Calculated from the jump!'
Spells available.
Mana reserves.
He'd weighed it all from go.
'Foolish of me to call him green.'
Realization dawned.
She could admit it now.
Heros was a full-fledged mage.
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