What Seemed Like a Victory

Mizuki, the side of Mitsuna that was forced out, activated a skill as she focused her aura.

It condensed and turned into a blade that formed around her arm.

"Hmm."

The colour switched rapidly.

Blue fire, sunny snow, cosmic lightning, rotting water and a pure light.

"I need to test these out more. A great source of information would be a library.

Their true potential is out of reach."

Mizuki thought out loud as she swung her hand.

The ground froze over as snow started to fall.

Percy, who couldn't even react, was stuck in place as his feet had been frozen to the ground.

"Aura. Fascinating."

Mizuki walked forwards, toward Percy.

Percy felt a tinge of fear.

His smirk had disappeared when Mitsuna started to act strange.

He broke out of the ice and threw sharp fists of aura at Mizuki.

The moment the attacks came close, they dissipated.

"Hmm. It is similar to mana, I see."

Mitsuna swung again.

Another layer of ice spread out as Percy was locked in place again.

Percy started panicking and launching attacks as fast as he could.

"S-Stop!"

Mizuki kept walking.

She was only a few meters away.

None of Percy's attacks reached her.

As Mizuki walked within a two-meter range of Percy, her aura blade turned into a fire of light as she swung at him, yet didn't make contact.

"Ugh!"

Percy felt something. Something much more intense than regular pain. Something was ripped away from him.

Percy felt fear and attacked the ground.

A shockwave blew out as glass and ice blocked Mizuki's vision.

When she could see again, Percy was gone.

If she had more mana, she could have traced him.

"Hmm. Disappointing."

She looked at her aura blade as it dissipated.

"I should learn more about my Skills."

She said to herself as the glitch in her eyes disappeared and she fell to the ground.

*Thud*

...

Mitsuna woke up.

An unfamiliar ceiling.

'I didn't die again... yeah. I'm fine.'

She sat up as she looked around.

Her body seemed to be healing and she felt fine as she moved her hands and closed her fist.

Checking her body, she found quite a few bandages covering her.

'I guess I'm at a hospital.'

She stood up and made some simple clothes.

Underwear, white shirt with no sleeves, black jeans, a pair of sports shoes and a grey flat cap hat.

Bandages still covered her arms that had yet to fully heal.

Stretching her body, Mitsuna thought to herself.

'That was dangerous. I should have gone all out from the start and there I was, enjoying the situation. Pretty naive.'

Looking out of a window, she saw a giant crowd outside.

'Sheesh. Don't want to deal with that.'

Turning away from the window, she pushed her senses out.

'5 people outside the door, two with sticks and three with swords. 18 people on the lower floor, six with sticks and twelve with swords and spears. They have this place locked up like a prison.'

Sitting on the bed, she laid down as she sighed with closed eyes and wondered.

'If my Mizuki side had not been forced out I'd probably be dead. Maybe.'

'I guess I do need to study up a bit. The world has changed by a bit.'

She glanced out the window as she twirled her hat in her hand.

'First I should Level Up, then study up on aura and Techniques and maybe a bit of relearning mana?'

Mitsuna stood up as she put her flat cap on, slightly covering her eyes.

'That... did not feel like I won. Though I guess it seemed like it to the people who dragged me here.'

Taking a step towards the window, she continued.

'It feels bad. Being only able to barely scrape by. I should fix that. What better way, than jumping into a dungeon?'

As she took another step, space twisted as her surroundings changed into that of an empty ally way.

Walking for a bit, she entered a blacksmith shop.

The one she had gotten her weapon from.

The door opened and she stepped inside.

"Whadya want!?"

The owner yelled.

"Sup."

"Ah. Young lady. I didn't know it was you. Are you already fine enough to walk? I hear all the survivors from that incident are still in comas and being healed."

"I'm fine."

Mitsuna placed all the money she had on the table.

"What is this?"

"I broke your sword. You can take this as an apology for ruining your work."

"Oh, it's fine, it's fine. Really. You don't need to."

"That's what half of the money is for, the other half is for information."

"*Sigh* Fine. I'll take it but I ain't happy. What do you want to know?"

"Give me the location of a difficult dungeon. Level 100 or more."

"Hmm. That's free at the guild you know."

"Then I'd have to show up at the guild. And they wouldn't give me the location of a dungeon 30 or so levels above mine."

"Fine. I was paid after all... Hmm. There should be one to the North of here. A good 130 kilometres or so. I recommend taking a carriage, at most, it'll take a month."

"Name? Level?"

"Right. That too. Ughh... It should be The Cave Below Olympus about Level 110 or so."

"Got it. North, right?"

"That's where it should be."

"Hm. Alright, thanks. I'll be back with some good metal so you better make me a good sword then."

"Sure. If you pay. Oh, and do you need a ride? I know a few merchants that often ride North."

"Nah. I'll walk."

Mitsuna left the shop while waving, not reacting to how the shop owner yelled after her.

"I can get you on there for free you know?!"