-Clarisse POV-

Time flies by in the blink of a eye. I who was once a naïve innocent child have grown up to understand the cruel reality of the world. My very best friends who I thought I would spent the rest of my life with died as I was safe in the dorm sleeping due to exhaustion. My vow to keep them in my memories forever deeply rooted in my mind I endured the hellish training awaiting me as I slowly but surely advanced through the ranks.

I was called a prodigy as I exceeded my instructors expectation. Eyes looked at me with envy, jealousy and respect. I who kept to myself ever since my friends death ended up being considered a lone wolf. I don’t know when but as comrades fall in combat in missions assigned to us. As soon as I finally reached A rank I could finally go on missions all alone.

Being alone is much better than relying on people who will eventually die. There were even some who tried to backstab me due to jealousy. I retaliated in self defence killing of the traitor. I wasn’t punished but I was known as ruthless among my peers ever since. It doesn’t matter I didn’t need friends all I need is strength. I had never truly understood Sera obsession with strength when she was alive, but now I myself sought after power. I craved for the absolute strength needed to live.

I detested the world. My own parents abandon me leaving me all alone in the world. When I was offered to join the military academy as a child I had no idea what it meant. I was told I didn’t need to be alone living in the slums. My very first friends left me all by myself. I will always be abandoned only my strength will never leave me. The fond memories I held of my friends seemed so distant.

Once I reached A rank they asked me to form a contract with a daema. I immediately refuse. No matter how they tried to persuade me I would refuse. All I needed was my weapon Astra. Astra dormant form as the higher up called it was in the form of two gauntlets. To revert to its real form I needed to create a chant. All A ranks would invent one apparently. It didn’t take me long to decide my own chant.

Due to my apparently brutal nature, I would always be assigned a elimination mission. The goal was simply to eliminate any high ranking daema nearby. It was perfect for me since I wasn’t particularly good in any mission that needed to do anything but destroying my target.

It was on a day like any other. I was assigned a mission to eliminate a daema. I left the academy only to run into Mjolnir a man I had no particular interest in. Ignoring him I walked passed him to fulfill my mission. I left town and went looking for the daema in which was spotted nearby. It was supposed to be a Wild boar type daema that was estimated to be at least a B rank daema.

As soon as I spotted my target I didn’t even hesitate and rush straight towards it.

“Rend my foes and dissolve my enemies Astra.”

The gauntlets I wore with elaborate patterns started to break apart. The various pieces formed a gauntlet with a claw like appearance. Whereas some pieces floated above me forming two extra gauntlets hovering above me. My mana connected the gauntlets above me to claw like gauntlet. From the elbow area of the claw gauntlet a blade made of my mana extended out. As soon as Astra finished forming I proceeded to grab on the skin of the daema. The claws teared into the flesh and the two blades from my elbow extended digging into the daema flesh. The daema attempted to throw me off my starting a mad charge through the forest. Not letting it go any further both the gauntlets hovering above me increased in size. Both gauntlets came smashing down onto the daema planting its body into the ground.

Dark magic was one of the most complicated type among the elemental magic. Dark magic is the only one that could manifest in various forms. Mine was a kind of acidic substance I could coat every bit of my weapon in. It was formed from my mana so I could create it as I please. The daema started struggling as I proceeded to use the clawed gauntlet to pierce through its heart. The rest of the daema was dissolved by the acid that it was currently covered in. The acidic substance by itself wouldn’t do much against enemy with magic resistance but if its dead, the acid could easily tear through its corpse. It also doubled as a poisonous substance. It was the only thing I was capable of creating with my mana when I tried during my days as a B rank. Astra reverted back into its dormant form as I went back to town having completed my mission.

As I was about to return to the academy I noticed a demibeast girl in the adventurer guild. She looked familiar almost as if I had seen her before. I wanted to find out more so I went to the entrance of the guild and peered in. It seems she was about to take a promotion test. I saw her leave into the testing room found inside the guild. She looked just like the sera I knew from my memories. It was definitely a different person since sera wasn’t that young if she was still alive. She had a cloak on so I assume she had been hiding her appearance, but the guild attendant most likely wanted to know her appearance. It was my theory of what happened I could be overthinking things and she didn’t even hide herself.

Sera was always the quiet type. I wonder what she would be like now if she was alive. I stayed around the area between the inn and the adventurer guild. As I had expected she did head towards the inn when she left. I casually passed by her feigning ignorance as she passed by. She was humming a cheerful tune as she passed by me. My earlier prediction came true as she had covered her head with the hood. She was definitely not sera who would usually nod in reply to things. She barely spoke let alone start humming. I knew deep down that having false hope such as this would lead to nothing but pain. I was still somewhat in disbelief that they resembled each other so much from a mere glimpse of her. Sera is dead its impossible.

At least I was able to see her face one more time. She truly did look like a mirror image of her. I couldn’t get a clear look but her hair colour was different anyways. After having a short trip down memory lane I went back to the academy to report the successful elimination of my target. On the way in I ran into mjolnir again. He seemed worried not that it mattered to me.

-Mjolnir POV-

After working up the courage I finally went to report to the principal of my findings. As expected he didn’t take the news that well. Apparently the armor and sword didn’t reap much information as well. The best we could do right now was wait until we find more reliable information.

“Sir the adventurer association is holding a Tournament in a few weeks perhaps you should attend to relax a little.”

The principal seemed stressed out so I suggested to relax a little. He did get invited as a vip after all. The tournament itself was being sponsored by the adventurer association. It was a annual event in which adventurers were allowed participation. The tournament was held for iron to gold rank adventurers.

“Very well. I had intended to attend either ways,”

-Ria POV-

-Rolling around on the bed continuation form last chapter-

To get my mind off the girl I had met I started to think about the tournament. It was a large scale event the adventurer guild was holding in a few weeks from now. It seemed like a good way to test my normal form strength. It seems like a good idea. After some time I decided I would go register for the tournament tomorrow.

(Author Note) : I wrote this chapter feeling sleepy. Might be some glaring errors due to that fact. Leave a comment if there is anything like that i will change it when i wake up. Also yes the chant is a thing i made up a day ago i think

here is mjolnir one which i ninjaed in chapter 18 yesterday

“ Smite the souls of the wicked with the wrath of heavens thunder. Mjolnir !!”

If you guys don' like this chant thing feel free to tell me i still don't mind removing it since only 2 of em right now.

Okie bye bye :sleeping: