“…”
While Presia had been unaware of her surroundings during the restoration of the barrier, the moment it was completed, she too could feel the sticky malice scattered around her.
Naturally, she turned around. However, what caught her eyes was far from ordinary.
Despite Balikan’s roar of anger naturally drawing attention, Presia’s gaze was directed toward a quiet corner. The place her eyes lingered upon was where a girl, too quiet, smiling as if satisfied, slowly closed her eyes.
Elysia Frentz.
At first, she was no more than a bold Student A from the Academy. The one who found Presia napping, engaged in random conversations without hearing replies, and boldly touched her despite not being given permission.
So, as a bit of playful retaliation, Presia had dragged the seemingly financially troubled girl into her experiments.
Within her, Student A became Magic Assistant A.
Presia didn’t know why Elysia had agreed to bear her unpleasant tasks.
Calling at all hours, still always smiling as she arrived, enduring Presia’s whims and even agreeing to be a willing subject in her perplexing experiments—Presia guessed all of it was likely due to money.
But even though their relationship began with money, each time Elysia held her hand, gently stroked her hair, and spoke in a warm voice, Presia found herself craving more affection each time.
Of course, when she slapped her bottom, Payback was given just as promptly.
Within her, Magic Assistant A had become Elysia Frentz.
The first person who made Presia feel affection, Elysia Frentz, was lying there, collapsed.
Even as she bled and her consciousness faded, Elysia’s smiling visage deeply unsettled Presia.
Presia slowly walked toward Elysia.
Fortunately, Balikan did not appear to have any intention of harming her at that moment.
Standing in front of Elysia, Presia drew a magic circle, as she had always done for her. As the small light emitted from the magic circle gradually stopped Elysia’s blood flow, it was clear she had already lost too much. Her complexion was still deathly pale. Basic healing magic would not do much more to help.
“Hah… cough… Healing that woman? You should thank me. I’ll ensure that she cannot die and will suffer for the rest of her life.”
Presia, after giving quick emergency care, stood and glanced at Balikan. Although it was hard to fully grasp what had transpired, it was clear that this man had done this to Elysia.
“Demon?”
“Heh… a mage without decorum. Get on your knees, mage. If you do, I might see to it that you receive the Demon King’s favor.”
The only possible reaction Presia had to Balikan’s arrogance was one course of action.
A slight murmuring and hand gesture created a simple magic circle in the air.
Around her, numerous arrows levitated – arrows of fire, ice, water, lightning, and rock…
Though basic, the Arrow magic’s numbers and varieties were anything but simple.
Dozens of arrows were launched toward Balikan. However, he easily swatted them aside with his remaining hand.
Even when one managed to strike him, the resistance of a mid-tier Demon’s skin made it impossible for the basic magic to penetrate.
Having witnessed Presia’s display, Balikan charged toward her.
Though her body was not trained in physical combat and avoiding Balikan’s attack seemed nearly impossible, Presia managed narrowly thanks to her protective magic.
Accelerating her body, boosting her strength, sharpening her senses – the various magics Presia had experimented on Elysia with were now aiding her in this predicament.
But she was, after all, a mage unfamiliar with hand-to-hand fighting, and allowing Balikan’s strike was an inevitable progression.
Clang!
Even as Balikan’s sharp nails pierced her delicate abdomen, the dull sound that followed sent him flying back.
“Hmm. A barrier artifact, I see. But how long can it hold?”
The barrier spell inscribed in the necklace around Presia’s neck was cracked after just one strike. At best, it could withstand 2-3 more hits.
But Presia’s response remained unchanged—summoning dozens of arrows and awkwardly dodging Balikan’s attacks just in time.
Clang!
Another hit.
Clang!
Another one.
Crack…
The necklace was now so brittle, it might crumble at a mere touch.
Dong!
And finally, the barrier shattered, sending Presia flying from the impact.
As she rolled on the ground, colliding with rocks and becoming a bloody mess, she appeared unable to rise.
The outcome of the fight was unmistakably obvious.
The arrogant Balikan acknowledged her despite the rather one-sided fight. Had it been a lower Demon in his place, he would have been in trouble. Her numerous Arrow spells were anything but simple in numbers and power, and the Enhancement magic she utilized was enough to elevate an untrained mage to the level of a well-trained warrior.
“I am Balikan of Arrogance. Mage, tell me your name. I shall personally remember the name of one who will soon perish.”
Hence, Balikan gave the girl’s talent the highest praise he could muster, tinged with excitement at what might have been if she had been slightly more mature.
But there was no reply from Presia.
“Mage, do you still wish to resist? The sun has set. This body is of the nocturnal race. Whatever tiny chances of victory you had have vanished.”
Indeed, as Balikan spoke, the sun had sunk beneath the horizon, and small stars had begun to twinkle in the darkening sky.
Even the bloody and beaten Presia, lying on the ground, could see the darkening sky above.
Struggling, Presia lifted a trembling hand toward the heavens.
The small stars peeked through the gaps in her outstretched fingers.
Though she clenched her fist toward the empty sky, as expected, there was nothing within her grasp.
And yet, she gripped –
The stars of the night sky.
The girl’s first memory was of an alley behind a restaurant where food scraps were thrown. The child scoured the remnants of trash for something to fill her hungry belly.
She didn’t know if she had been born in that alley, abandoned by her parents, or simply wandered there after getting lost.
But none of those details mattered. To the girl, what was important was merely surviving each day.
One day, a kind woman pitied the girl and handed her a coin. Though the girl didn’t know its exact worth, she knew it could be exchanged for bread.
Holding the coin dear, she sprinted toward the bakery but was stopped by a man. Likely one of the alley’s bullies extorting money from orphans.
The man naturally tried to snatch the coin, and the girl, naturally, resisted fiercely.
However, the price for a small girl defying a robust man’s temper was steep.
The man spared her no mercy. Indiscriminately kicking her as if she were nothing but an insignificant obstacle to be crushed, he even seemed to relish the opportunity to make an example out of her for other brats.
As she gradually lost consciousness under his relentless kicks, the girl’s fading vision caught a shooting star streaking across the night sky.
Thinking of old superstitions, she wished upon the falling star.
That was her first magic.
*
Bang!
Balikan could not comprehend what had happened. All he knew was that he was sprawled on the ground.
A situation where the effect existed without discernible cause.
“…Ughhh!”
And then, the pain struck.
It was like being struck by a giant hammer.
The pain coursing through Balikan’s body far exceeded the agony of the wrist he had lost, sending him rolling on the ground.
Treading toward him, it was Presia, who had just a moment ago been lying there defeated.
“Do you call yourself ‘the nocturnal race’? That’s quite a coincidence. I rather like the night too.”
She glanced briefly at Elysia, then looked down at Balikan again.
“I am far too valuable to reveal my name to the likes of you… but I’ll make an exception. Remember it until you die.”
Arrogantly,
“My name is Presia. Presia of the Night Sky.”
