The Character That Was Never Written

The stench of iron assaulted her nostrils as she ran ahead.

Saelyz extended her mana outwards, carefully looking for someone.

’His presence isn’t weak’ she thought to herself. Ever since reaching the rank of Eclipse, she could easily detect or gauge the level of the people around her. But it wasn’t the case with Zeres. He couldn’t sense any essence from him—yet he still gives off the aura of at least at Revenant-rank.

’He might even be stronger than me if I couldn’t gauge his strength.’

"Stop right there Zenith! "

Amidst her running, multiple students began to hinder her path towards the center. They couldn’t care less if her magic power is stronger than them, the only purpose of their actions is to stall her.

Saelyz extended her hand, her long raven-black hair fluttered behind her. Then blue mana particles started hovering around her.

"Move" she said flatly.

Massive blue magic circle formed before her gloved hands. Then she flicked her fingers.

The air shifted, then mist erupted beneath her boots, ice covering the entire ground.

"Wha—"

Saelyz sighed softly, the scene before her went completely still. Trees, cadets and even monsters frozen completely.

The soft sound of her boots stepping under the frozen ground echoed, then she stopped before a woman. Her hand sprang straight at the flag behind her, then the points within it completely vanished—completely being transfered into her flag which had already turned violet since yesterday.

Passing the frozen cadets, she turned one last time.

’Feilres, what are you planning? ’ her brows furrowed. "You’re playing a dangerous game here."

It looks like Feilres was getting impatient being stuck within the academy while his brother continued to strengthen his forces.

_____________

"You’re early" Saelyz muttered, her gaze drifting at the flag hanging beside him; it was already violet like hers.

"Are you sure about this? There’s no wager on this duel between us." Saelyz tilted her head to the side, her golden eyes fixed on Zeres’ figure.

He stood there casually, long white hair slipping through his shoulder messily. He was lazily fixing his unbuttoned sleeves. Then his crimson eyes met hers.

"Don’t worry about that, I simply want to test my limits." A smile tugged at his lips, not the arrogant one—but a genuine smile.

"Okay."

"Wait, fighting here will bring a lot of noise—let me help you so you don’t disturb my sleep." A purple head popped out from the tall tree, she looked like she had just woken up, leaves still dangling above her head.

"That will be appreciated." Zeres turned his head towards Helize.

"Okay~" yawning, Helize extended her hands, the air shifted, white magic circle formed before her palms.

Then a massive white barrier enveloped the entire place.

’That woman is also an odd one’ Saelyz narrowed her eyes. That woman or Helize, she wasn’t always active on their classroom, always sleeping or either absent. Yet something about her tells Saelyz she’s not ordinary.

"Shall we start then?" She asked, her posture shifting, though her gaze remained fixed in Zeres.

A nod came as a reply from Zeres, then he unleashed his mana.

Saelyz eyes widened at the sight she was witnessing. Behind Zeres, there was a massive one vertical crimson eyes, it stared down at her as of she’s a mere insect.

"Blood bullets" Zeres chanted, the air around him trembled violently, red, blood-red aura flaring behind him.

Multiple crimson magic circle formed behind him, then blood on the shape of bullets started to emerged from the magic circle.

The air around her felt heavy, where a simple mistake will be the cost of one’s loss.

’So my hunch was right. He’s on Eclipse-rank, the same as me’ an amused smile tugged at her lips.

The bullet made from blood trembled faintly, then they all violently crashed straight towards her.

Saelyz extended her hands in response, there was a comforting hum of energy hovering before her. Then golden energy light burst out and began to form around her, before it surrounded her entire figure.

The bullet of blood met against the golden light shielding her, then it dissipated like smoke.

"You have a light affinity? That’s not fair against me then." A laugh came from Zeres, but something about the way he acts made Saelyz more certain that he knows she have a light affinity.

"It seems like you knew it" Saelyz said flatly, her gaze sharpening. "Since when? "

"When? Well, your control of your affinities was indeed good, but not yet refined—whenever you cast a spell or use your mana, mana particles the same as your affinity tend to hover around you." Zeres explained, then he looked at Saelyz.

"And we’re not here to chat either right? " his voice tinged with a supressed laugh echoed between them.

"Blood spike" Zeres snapped his fingers.

Saelyz instincts flared, then forced herself to jump on a nearby tree.

The ground, it was filled with spikes emerging from the soil!

"I’m not yet done~"

Saelyz’s head snapped down at the tree she stood at. It was trembling!

’I have to evade this!’ She tried jumping down on the ground without the spikes.

Just then, a massive spike pierced through her shoulder. The tree was already filled with bloody spikes!

’He’s smart’ she thought, her hands touching her grazed shoulder.

’He tried pinning down my attention on the ground while aiming for my side all along.’

Her lips tugged upwards, her gaze drifting back to Zeres’ figure.

"Interesting" she muttered out loud, then she raised her hands.

The air around them went still, then strong gust of wind started circling, they were forming a vortex before Saelyz’s index finger.

On her other hand, a spear made of ice started to form. Mist forming around it.

’This is really crazy. Multi-casting with two different spell? ’ Zeres’ hands trembled from the sheer amount of mana spreading throughout the air.

Two primal forces of element violently swirled between her hands, yet she shows no signs of fatigue.

It was beyond anything he’d face so far. He was frightened at the thought of taking the attack from someone the world had considered as a prodigy. Yet he was also glad.

Glad that the protagonist of this world was a monster.