I inhaled sharply, forcing my breathing to steady. The sword and this world's techniques wasn't enough.
If I kept fighting like this—by the book, polished, predictable—I would never land a hit.
Calamitas had already sized me up. She wasn't reacting to what I did—she was predicting it.
Fine. If she was predicting my movements… I'd give her something she couldn't expect.
I didn't reach for the sword immediately.
Instead—
Great Sage, analyze enemy movement patterns. Feed me unorthodox counterplay.
[Processing…]
Cross-reference all accessible combat data. Prioritize unpredictable attack vectors.
[Analyzing… Optimizing response… Complete.]
A list of movements, footwork adjustments, and attack options flooded my mind.
Movements that shouldn't exist.
Movements that I had never been taught.
But I knew them. My body knew them.
My hands clenched. I had used these before.
Not in this life. But in my other life.
Regulus Nai.
I bent my knees slightly shifting my center of gravity.
Calamitas raised a brow at the stance shift, amusement flickering in her golden eyes. "Oh? What's this?"
I didn't answer.
Instead—I moved.
A sharp, impossible pivot.
My body twisted in a way that shouldn't have been natural with a blade, shifting my momentum from a linear attack to an oblique strike mid-motion.
Calamitas blinked.
She still dodged, but—her balance shifted slightly.
She wasn't expecting that.
I pressed forward, chaining the next attack before she fully recovered her stance.
A follow-up strike—but instead of slashing, I feinted—reversing my blade's momentum mid-swing and cutting upward instead.
A reverse counter-flow technique.
Calamitas moved to dodge—but her shift was just a fraction slower this time.
Her smirk widened.
"Where did you learn that?"
I didn't answer.
Instead, I kept attacking—and my hands moved before my mind could catch up.
A high feint. Into a sweeping reverse low-guard strike. A deceptive downward feint turned into a rising cut. A rapid stance change that placed me inside her guard for just a split second—
Her eyes flickered.
She sidestepped—this time, a hair's breadth away from getting tagged.
She laughed.
"Now this is getting interesting."
I didn't respond. I couldn't.
My body was moving on its own.
Not in a loss of control—but in pure instinct.
Like I had done this a thousand times before.
[Notice: Opponent adjusting. Probability of successful strike: 9.6%.]
Damn it.
Even with all of this—I still wasn't good enough.
Calamitas was still just playing with me.
I shifted my stance, trying to readjust—
Then—
A sudden pressure flooded the training grounds.
A heartbeat later, I heard a sharp intake of breath from the sidelines.
Lelyah.
I barely caught her expression in my periphery—wide eyes, lips parted slightly.
Shock.
Not just at the speed. Not at my form.
But at the techniques.
"…Where did you learn to fight like that?"
Her voice wasn't accusing.
It was awestruck.
I almost faltered.
I knew what she saw.
She had never seen those techniques before.
Because they didn't exist in this world.
I swallowed, gripping the hilt tighter.
I had to focus.
Calamitas flicked her wrist, loosening her posture again, golden eyes gleaming with raw amusement.
"Now, now, Lelyah. That's an interesting question, isn't it?"
She tilted her head at me.
"Tell me, little anomaly… where did you learn to fight like that?"
I inhaled sharply.
I couldn't answer that.
And she knew it.
My grip tightened on the sword, but I forced myself to keep my breathing steady.
Then—
[Warning: Hostile intent detected.]
[Probability of immediate escalation: 83.2%]
My pulse spiked.
Before I could react—
Calamitas moved.
She had been toying with me before, but this time, she was testing me.
Her entire posture shifted.
She stepped forward, her speed almost casual—and then she was gone.
No, not gone—too fast for my eyes to follow.
[Impact Imminent.]
My body tensed before my mind could keep up.
I spun instinctively, blade raised—but she wasn't where I expected.
Then—
A sudden heat.
Raw. Overpowering. Choking.
I barely had time to register the movement before a sudden surge of brimstone fire erupted behind me.
My stomach twisted.
There was no dodging it.
No blocking it.
Not with a training sword.
Not like this.
The realization struck too late.
[Critical Danger. Lethal probability: 64.7%]
Too late—
Too slow—
The fire roared, blazing toward me like a devouring beast.
Then—
A force yanked me forward.
Not hands.
Not feet.
Something else.
I barely registered the whiplash of movement before I flipped and landed in a low crouch, my breath coming out in ragged gasps.
The ground in front of me was scorched black.
If I had stayed there—
I swallowed.
Then, slowly, I turned my gaze behind me.
And saw them.
My tails.
Two of them, shimmering faintly, their edges flickering with distorted space.
I stared, unblinking.
I hadn't summoned them.
I hadn't even thought about them.
They had moved on their own.
My breath hitched.
Something prickled at the back of my mind.
Something I didn't understand.
Then—
"Well, well, well."
Calamitas' voice cut through the moment, lazy and amused.
"You really are something else."
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to meet her gaze.
She was watching me with a knowing glint in her amber eyes, as if she had been waiting for this to happen.
Calamitas wasn't just testing my ability to react.
She was testing whether I understood.
The difference between training and a real fight.
The difference between responding and surviving.
I clenched my jaw, shifting my grip on the sword.
Calamitas' smirk deepened.
"Oh?" she murmured, tilting her head slightly. "Are we finally done playing defense?"
Another step.
She wasn't attacking yet.
She was waiting.
Mom was still on the sidelines. Watching.
I could feel her presence—ready to intervene.
But she didn't.
She was holding back.
Because she knew.
If I didn't feel real killing intent, I wouldn't fight back properly.
I exhaled sharply, adjusting my stance.
Father's orders had been clear.
No magic.
But my tails had already manifested.
If I dismissed them now, I'd lose the moment.
And I could feel it—deep in my bones.
If I backed down now, I wouldn't get another chance to fight seriously.
Calamitas' golden eyes flickered. Watching. Waiting. Calculating.
Her smirk stretched wider.
"Well?" she drawled. "Are you going to start fighting back? Or do I have to keep holding your hand?"
I moved.
This time, I didn't just attack.
I used my tails.
The moment my feet pushed off the ground, I felt it—the pull of Gravity.
Not a full force. Not enough to strain me.
Just enough to make my movements faster.
I closed the distance in an instant, swinging my blade.
Calamitas leaned away, dodging effortlessly.
But this time—I adjusted mid-motion.
My tails shifted—grabbing the ground, reversing my momentum.
Gravity tilted.
My sword lashed from an impossible angle.
Calamitas grinned.
And then—she caught my blade.
With one hand.
The force rattled through my bones, but she didn't flinch.
Her fingers gripped the dull edge of my training sword, heat licking at the surface of her palm.
Her gaze flickered—not amused this time.
Interested.
Then—she twisted.
I felt the shift too late.
A sudden force—Brimstone.
The heat ignited in an instant.
I barely yanked my weapon back before flames curled toward my wrist.
But I wasn't done yet.
The moment my feet hit the ground, I pushed again—this time, manipulating my own weight.
Lighter. Faster.
I darted sideways, my tails slamming into the floor to keep balance.
Another strike. A faint. A pivot.
The movements weren't just instinct anymore.
I was calculating.
Adjusting.
Calamitas tilted her head slightly, dodging every swing with minimal effort.
Her body never lost its balance. Never faltered.
But I could see it.
She was studying me.
I pushed harder.
Gravity rippled beneath my feet—lightening my step, then shifting it mid-motion.
I could feel it now. The difference.
I wasn't just swinging wildly anymore.
I was moving with intent.
Calamitas dodged another strike, then sighed.
"Better," she admitted. "But not nearly enough."
Then—she retaliated.
Fast.
I had barely registered the movement before her palm lashed out.
I tried to move, but the heat—the sheer force of it—crashed against me.
Not a direct hit.
But enough.
Enough to throw my stance off.
Enough to burn the air between us.
I caught myself just before I hit the ground, my tails anchoring me mid-fall.
My breathing was ragged.
Calamitas watched.
Waiting.
She wasn't attacking outright.
She was still testing me.
She wanted to see how I reacted.
I gritted my teeth.
Fine.
I pushed.
Two more tails erupted behind me—
I adjusted instantly.
This time, I didn't just fight her.
I adapted.
My stance shifted—my sword lowered.
Not just Control. Offense.
My tails lunged first, slashing toward her midsection.
Calamitas leaned away just slightly, the attack missing by a hair.
[Analysis: Opponent reaction speed exceeds current attack velocity.]
[Suggestion: Increase unpredictability.]
I already knew she'd dodge.
I followed up—tail two, side strike.
Tail three, low sweep.
Tail four, piercing strike from above.
My body twisted between them—blades and limbs moving together, a seamless assault.
Gravity tilted, then snapped back—I altered my speed mid-movement, forcing her to react.
Still—
She dodged.
Effortlessly.
[Opponent demonstrates sub-millisecond reaction time. Calculated probability of landing a direct hit: 3.2%.]
I clicked my tongue.
Change.
I feinted left. She shifted.
I reversed it instantly.
My weight dropped, tail anchoring—momentum twisting—
I lashed upward.
The attack was precise. A direct path to her throat.
[Warning: Opponent shifting counter-position. Probability of successful strike: 0.4%.]
Calamitas… smiled.
Then, at the very last second—she stepped forward.
[Critical Error: Miscalculated approach.]
My blade barely grazed her cheek.
The sudden movement ruined my angle.
And before I could react—
She was already behind me.
[Alert: Danger.]
A sharp jolt—a light tap against the back of my neck.
No force.
Just a single, precise touch.
And yet—
The world tilted.
[Forced shutdown triggered. Notice: Body entering sleep mode]
I gasped—my body locking up.
I barely had time to register it before my legs gave out.
Everything spun.
Then—
Darkness.
Somewhere distant, I heard a voice.
Soft. Amused.
"Not bad, little anomaly."
I tried to move.
Nothing.
[Notice: Physical paralysis estimated duration: 14 seconds.]
"Tsk. You're still too predictable, though."
I felt heat near me. Calamitas?
"You can throw all the tricks you want," her voice was smooth, slow. "But if you think style is going to close the gap…"
She chuckled.
"You're sorely mistaken."
[Notice: Opponent remains at estimated 5% effort level. Calculated combat gap: Unfathomable.]
A pause.
Then—a sharp exhale.
"That's enough for today."
The world shifted again.
Then—
A voice.
Not a whisper.
Not a memory.
A command.
"Get up."
The ground beneath me shifted—hard, cold, wrong.
This wasn't the training grounds.
This wasn't real.
[WARNING: Internal Interference Detected.]
I blinked.
I was standing.
No—not here. Somewhere else.
The sky was black. Red fire burned in the distance. The ground beneath my feet was wet.
I looked down.
Blood.
Soaking through the cracks of the earth.
A battlefield.
Screams filled the air.
The clash of steel and gunfire. The scent of ash and death.
And in front of me—
A figure.
Tall. Familiar.
Their back was turned, but I knew that stance.
A rifle raised high. A stance made for execution.
My breath caught.
The figure turned—slowly.
The face was hazy, but the eyes—
I knew those eyes.
Because they were mine.
A sharp pain exploded in my skull.
The world cracked.
GET UP.
the air twisted in response.
Not just around her.
Because of her.
The ground beneath her boots fractured—thin lines webbing outward, as if the earth itself was breaking under an unseen force. The training grounds shuddered, the pressure spiking.
Something was forming.
Lelyah's eyes narrowed. "That's—"
A deep hum rumbled through the space.
It wasn't a sound. It was a presence.
A flicker of energy coiled around Chiori's form—black and violet, shifting like liquid shadows.
Then—it moved.
Not as an aura.
Not as mere magic.
It took shape.
A form—limbs, a spine, a tail curling around her protectively.
Not human.
Not a spell.
A beast.
A dragon.
Calamitas' smirk vanished.
Her eyes reflected the shape in front of her.
A small four-legged creature, encased Chiori. Pulsing with uncontained gravity magic. Its form was unfinished, flickering like it wasn't meant to exist.
And yet—it did.
Its eyes opened.
Deep, endless violet.
It didn't roar. It didn't snarl.
It stared.
Right at Calamitas.
The pressure in the air spiked.
Calamitas clicked her tongue. "Well, well. I was hoping for something fun, but this? This is beyond expectations."
Lelyah's hands pulsed with golden light, her stance shifting. "Calamitas. Back away."
Calamitas didn't move. Didn't even acknowledge the warning.
Her eyes remained locked on the creature.
A weight settled in the air, pressing down like the entire world had tilted toward this moment. The air itself dragged, time slowing.
Then—
The dragon moved.
Not fast.
Not slow.
But deliberate.
It took a single step forward.
The earth cracked beneath its foot—not from force, but from the sheer distortion of space around it.
Lelyah reacted instantly—her light magic flaring as she moved between them.
A barrier formed around the entire battlefield. A dome of pure, radiant energy, meant to contain whatever this thing had become.
But the dragon didn't acknowledge it.
Calamitas grinned, slowly. "You're looking at me like you know me."
The creature lowered its head.
The ground beneath them sank, stone and debris pulling upward, caught in an invisible field of gravity.
Then—
It struck.
A blast of raw, unfiltered force erupted outward.
The barrier shattered.
Lelyah's eyes widened. "Impossible—"
Calamitas laughed.
Then vanished.
A blur. A flash of motion.
The dragon's attack gouged a crater into the battlefield, but Calamitas was already behind it.
Before it could react—
Her fingers curled.
A single pulse of Brimstone magic coiled in her palm, condensed to an unnatural degree.
Then she slammed her hand against its spine.
The explosion that followed swallowed the battlefield in golden fire.
The shockwave rippled outward, shaking the Tomaszewski estate.
The fire didn't spread.
Because it wasn't real flame.
It was Calamitas' authority.
The dragon howled—not in pain, but in sheer reaction. Its form flickered, breaking apart like shattering glass—but not fully vanishing.
It resisted.
It refused.
Lelyah lunged forward, light flaring around her, ready to intercept—
Then—
The beast froze.
A voice—weak, distant.
But there.
"…Stop."
The pressure dropped instantly.
The dragon's form wavered.
Then—
It collapsed.
Gravity itself inverted, the force twisting in on itself until the beast was sucked back into Chiori's body.
Silence.
Dust and embers floated through the air.
Chiori's body lay still.
Calamitas slowly exhaled. "Hah. That was exhilarating."
Lelyah was already moving, kneeling beside Chiori, checking her pulse. A sharp inhale. Relief.
"She's alive," Lelyah muttered.
Reilan—who had been watching from the sidelines, expression dark and unreadable— finally let out a breath.
Calamitas rolled her shoulders. "Good. I'd hate for my newest student to break so soon."
Lelyah's gaze snapped up. "You pushed her too far."
Calamitas grinned. "I woke her up."
Lelyah's light flared dangerously—but she didn't attack.
Not yet.
Not when there were far bigger questions to answer.
Calamitas tilted her head toward Chiori's unconscious form. "Now, that? That wasn't ordinary magic." Her voice dropped, amusement curling at the edges. "That was something else entirely."
Her eyes glowed with interest.
"And I want to know exactly what."