Zara is used to Mizuki's teleportation at this point, so she is unfazed as the scenery around her suddenly changes. Arriving at Nina's nest, Zara hears confused cries break out from some in Levi's party, and Mizuki is peppered with questions.
"Mizuki, what the hell! Was this your doing!?" (Sylvia)
"Uhm…can someone tell me where we are?" (Rikard)
"Interesting…so, I was right about how your party appeared in the council room suddenly. This is some sort of teleportation, right?" (Leo)
However, Zara ignores the sounds of their voices and walks into the forest clearing. Rather than be amused by their frantic states, she feels this time is better used to prepare. She's no fool…Zara knows how difficult this fight is about to be for her.
She'll need to hold nothing in reserve, use deception and surprise attacks, target specific party members, and even then, it may not be enough to secure victory. Still, she's eager to see how far her combat potential has come. Despite her best efforts, her wolf-kin blood forces a giddy smile onto her face.
She's also looking forward to the opportunity to earn another of the things Mizuki calls a spell ring…Zara absolutely adores her current one. Mizuki isn't aware, but Zara knows he's a huge softie. She believes that he'd have probably given her a second spell ring if she'd just asked. However, Zara has another reason for trying to earn it this way.
As much as it frustrates Zara, her wolf-kin pride won't allow her to just accept power that she hasn't earned. More importantly, she feels that accepting spell rings too quickly would limit her potential. She wants to be forced to hone her existing capabilities to overcome challenges. If she simply gains a new ability to overcome adversity, she feels she'll never truly master any of her skills.
That is why Zara pushed for this combat opportunity. Truthfully, she couldn't care less whether the one called Sylvia gets to fight Mizuki…that had been a pretense. All along, she'd desired this outcome. While fighting the others in Mizuki's party is instructive, she is so sorely outmatched in ability that Nina and Mizuki don't need to be particularly creative with their combat. Zara feels that limits her training.
Sparring with Alto was better, and Zara is grateful for the lessons she learned about fighting talented mage-style combatants. However, that gap in ability is quickly increasing as well…Zara hasn't won a single match against Alto since she also learned how to turn invisible. If Alto learns how to silence herself and magically track presences like Mizuki…it won't even be a fight anymore.
By contrast, Levi's party is the perfect opponent to help Zara grow as a warrior. Individually, they're capable enough to resist Zara for a while, but they must fight tactically and with everything they have. Working together against her, Zara is riddled with anticipation over the group tactics and skills they'll utilize, and how much she'll need to rise to meet the challenge.
As Zara progresses into the clearing, she returns her attention to Levi's party of four A-rank adventurers. They are still distracted by Mizuki's teleportation and aren't focused on her. That gives her time to consider a plan of action.
Zara already knows that Levi is an assassin type with an invisibility spell. Assessing their personalities and equipment, she is convinced that Sylvia is a physical enhancer and Leo is a mage. Rikard is hard to categorize – his large, muscular frame and candor suggest he's a more direct fighter, but he's also too polite and only carries daggers. She shouldn't rule out the possibility that he's a mage.
Zara is sure they'll all assume that she can only do physical enhancement, like other wolf-kin. That gives her a huge advantage. If she maximizes her body enhancement and turns invisible immediately, she can probably take out any one person except Sylvia with an initial surprise attack. She wonders who the best candidate to dispose of quickly would be.
Levi is an obvious choice. His invisibility spell is troublesome, and he's the only human Zara has ever met with sharp enough instincts to know how dangerous Mizuki is. He's also the leader of the party, and her getting rid of him immediately might disrupt their coordination in a way that works to Zara's advantage.
On the other hand, Zara is troubled by Leo. He seems perceptive, and she'd guess he's talented as a tactician. More importantly, fighting Alto has given Zara an appreciation for just how troublesome an A-rank mage can be. If they're clever, their ranged and area-of-effect attacks can mitigate her invisibility advantage by probing the environment. If Rikard is also a mage…two of them would be disastrous.
Zara nods to herself…Leo needs to be taken out as quickly as possible. She'll direct her opening assault at him. If possible, she'll prioritize taking out Levi after that, but it will all depend on how they regroup.
At this time, Levi's party seems to come to terms with Mizuki's teleportation antics, and they begin walking towards Zara. They stop about twenty meters away and brandish their weapons in defensive stances. She draws her sword as well, then quickly mutters an incantation for body enhancement under her breath.
Wolf-kin have hearing and smell that is far superior to humans, so much that Zara can hear everything Levi's party whispers across the clearing. She hears Sylvia mutter a similar incantation, and she hears Leo address the group.
"Most likely, she'll try using her wolf-kin speed and strength to reduce our numbers with an opening assault. At this distance, an alteration class can probably reach us in a couple of seconds. I'd guess she'll target Levi first since she knows about his special ability. Levi, if you stay visible for a few moments to lure her in, we can use the knowledge of where she'll be to converge on her." (Leo)
Zara feels a surge of confidence that targeting Leo first is the right choice. The only reason Leo guessed wrong is because he doesn't know about her extra invisibility skill. If he did…she'd be in trouble.
Her thoughts are interrupted by Mizuki's voice in her head.
[Okay, it looks like you're all in position. As a final reminder…no lethal attacks or maiming that can't be healed. Now, does anyone need a moment to prepare? If not, I'll signal the start of the match soon.] (Mizuki)
Zara is silent…she's ready. Nobody from Levi's party speaks out or signals to Mizuki either…they're ready. Eventually, Mizuki's voice echoes again.
[In that case...on your marks...get set...BEGIN!] (Mizuki)
Zara looks at Levi's party for a couple of seconds, and they stare back at her expectantly. Nobody moves, and she sees Leo's face contort in confusion…that's her opportunity.
Zara flashes a wicked smile towards their party, then activates her invisibility.
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
[...BEGIN!] (Mizuki)
Levi hears Mizuki's words echo in his head, and he tenses with anticipation. He agrees with Leo's assessment of the situation…the wolf-kin girl, Zara, is likely to start with an all-out attack to make use of her alteration class.
Levi has fought several wolf-kin on missions for the Empire, and he's familiar with their culture and fighting style. They're direct and like to rely on their own strength. Levi feels that Zara's earlier comments about Sylvia not being worthy to fight Mizuki were quite typical for an adolescent wolf-kin.
Despite that, there's something about the wolf-kin girl that Levi finds unsettling. Part of it is the sword she carries…it's unheard of for wolf-kin to use weapons. As the match's start is signaled by Mizuki, Zara doesn't move, and Levi's unease increases at the distinctly un-wolf-kin behavior.
After a moment, however, she flashes a smile full of bravado, and Levi feels relief briefly. That is…until she disappears entirely. Levi feels himself stiffen from the shock, and he doesn't seem to be the only one that's surprised.
"Invisibility, are you kidding me!? She's wolf-kin, and she carries a sword!" (Sylvia)
"Tch…dark class was unexpected, but that just means we have a bit more time before she can reach us. Let's close ranks so that we can counterattack when she makes a move on one of us!" (Leo)
Levi feels his gut churn at Leo's words. Unlike the rest of them, Levi was there when Zara took her magic assessment...he knows that she can use physical enhancement.
"Leo, no! She-" (Levi)
Levi doesn't get a chance to warn Leo about his miscalculation. Zara materializes in front of Leo, moving at blistering speed, and her knee is driven deep into Leo's gut. In the span of a second, Leo goes flying backwards from the blow and ragdolls across the ground before coming to a stop...unconscious.
As Zara lands nimbly on the ground, she immediately pivots towards Levi and turns invisible again. Before she disappears, however, Levi catches her gaze. Zara isn't wearing the frenzied smile he's used to from battle-crazed wolf-kin…her face is serene, and her eyes are cold and calculating.
In that moment, Levi's instincts kick in, and he fully appreciates his opponent for the first time. As Zara exits his field of view, Levi sharpens his resolve and activates his own invisibility spell. Then, he jumps to the side…he intends to evade the attack that it looked like Zara was directing at him.
"GAHH!"
Levi quickly looks towards the source of the pained cry, and notices Sylvia doubled over, as though something was swung into her gut. Levi realizes that Zara must have made herself briefly visible to feign an attack towards him. That way, he wouldn't be able to easily counter her attack on Sylvia. He feels begrudging admiration for Zara.
Fortunately, Sylvia is still conscious and standing after the apparent blow, and she quickly pulls her sword up in front of her. As she does, the clang of metal-on-metal rings out over the battlefield – Sylvia must have blocked a follow-up sword strike from Zara.
Right after Sylvia blocks the invisible sword, a fearsome gale-force wind rips through the area right in front of her. A startled grunt can be heard shortly after, and dust is kicked up as though something is being forcefully dragged through the dirt in the direction away from Sylvia. When the dust clears, a battered Zara can be seen climbing shakily to her feet in the distance.
Chapter 45.2 – Menace of the Wolf-Kin
Levi looks back towards the source of the wind to see Rikard with his hands raised towards Zara's position – he must have cast one of his wind spells. Rikard is an elemental class with wind and fire attributes, and while he's not as talented a mage as Leo, he's worked quite hard to close that skill gap through training.
Sylvia nods towards Rikard gratefully.
"Thanks, Rikard…you really saved me there. Her strength and speed…the invisibility…I had no idea that tiny wolf-kin girl was such a monster. I'd hate to admit it, but…Mizuki was right. I'd have stood zero chance against her alone. If it weren't for my years of sword experience telling me to prepare for that second blow just now, I'd already be knocked out." (Sylvia)
Rikard smiles back, then looks towards Zara seriously.
"No problem, Sylvia. I just did like Leo suggested before…when she exposed her location by attacking you, I took the opportunity to counter. Also, you shouldn't feel bad about not being able to beat her alone. In all honesty, I don't think anyone in our party could." (Rikard)
Unfortunately, Levi agrees with Rikard's assessment. More importantly, if a wolf-kin like Zara was so comfortable announcing herself as the weakest in Mizuki's party, that elf must be horrendously capable. Paired with Nina, an Elder Dragon, and Mizuki, whose power Levi doesn't even want to contemplate…it's no wonder they're not concerned about the Empire.
Levi notices that Zara is rising from the ground after Rikard's vicious blow, so he drops his invisibility spell and rejoins his party – they need a plan to deal with Zara. Seeing him approach, relief is evident on Rikard's and Sylvia's faces. There's no time to waste on pleasantries, though.
"Alright you two, we don't have much time. Here's what we need to do…" (Levi)
Levi briefly outlines his plan to Sylvia and Rikard, and they both nod their agreement without hesitation. As Levi finishes, Sylvia looks off towards Zara and makes an exasperated whining noise.
Following Sylvia's gaze, he sees that the wounds on Zara's skin are healing.
"That's just ridiculous! She can use physical enhancement, invisibility, and now healing!?" (Sylvia)
Levi watches as Zara's healing finishes, and he notices that a deeper gash on her leg doesn't close all the way.
"Actually, I think the healing must be an enchantment on her armor. She didn't use an incantation, and she only performed minor healing." (Levi)
Levi just assumed that Zara had plain armor, or enchanted armor that channels magic into strengthening itself. For alteration class warriors with enough magic power, that virtually ensures that only other alteration class warriors can deal sufficiently damaging blows to them. If she has healing armor…that might be something he can exploit later.
"Tch…how annoying. So, you're another mage after all." (Zara)
Levi's thoughts are interrupted by the sound of Zara muttering bitterly. She seems to have recovered and is advancing towards them.
"Okay! Rikard, Sylvia, time to move!" (Levi)
Levi quickly signals his party to enact the plan they discussed, and they nod their acknowledgement. Rikard takes up position and begins muttering an incantation.
After a moment, wind begins to swirl around Levi's party, becoming more ferocious until they are standing in the center of a practical tornado. The tornado picks up dirt from its surroundings and creates the appearance of them being enclosed by swirling brown walls.
"Nice job, Rikard! Sylvia, get ready to meet her head on as soon as you see an opening in the spell's boundaries! I'll be in position nearby to assist you." (Levi)
Sylvia nods, and Levi quickly activates his invisibility spell.
He hopes this will limit Zara's perception of them until the moment she attacks. Similarly, a parting in the tornado's boundary should give them just enough notice to intercept her. If Sylvia can block and pin her for even a second or two, Levi can ambush Zara with his daggers.
Feeling confident in their plan, they all watch and wait. After a few moments, a break appears in the tornado wall. Unfortunately…
"What the hell!?" (Sylvia)
…the break appears at least five meters up the side of the tornado, but Zara is nowhere to be seen. Then, another break appears almost as high on the other side of the tornado shortly after. Levi feels his gut wrench…there's no time for doubt.
"That was just her checking our locations from above…she must be targeting Rikard! Sylvia, quick!" (Levi)
Without hesitation, Sylvia moves towards the area between Rikard and the tornado's nearest boundary, right as a break appears from that direction. This time, Zara can be clearly seen rocketing towards Rikard with her sword raised over her head for a downward slash.
Zara notices Sylvia moving towards her and grimaces in annoyance. Seeing his opportunity approaching, Levi rushes towards Zara to ambush her.
"Hah! Not on my watch, little wolf!" (Sylvia)
Sylvia makes it just in the nick of time to intercept Zara's attack, and their swords clash with tremendous force right next to Rikard. Levi is already closing in for the finishing strike.
Levi notices Zara smile as her sword begins glowing a deep blue, however, and his instincts scream that he's in danger. At the last moment, Levi abandons the strike and throws himself away from Zara as hard as he can, just as lightning pours out from the sword.
An arc of the lightning burns Levi's arm as he dives away, and he watches in horror as it completely envelops Sylvia and Rikard.
"Ahhhhh!"
"GAHHH!"
Levi hits the ground as their screams ring out. Then, they both fall silent and crumple to the ground, unconscious and covered in burns.
As the tornado spell around them dissipates, Zara turns to face the still invisible Levi with a determined expression on her face.
"I may not be able to track you like Mizuki, but you also can't completely hide your presence from a wolf-kin's senses." (Zara)
Levi rises to his feet as he drops his invisibility spell, then he directs an amused look at Zara.
"I've fought wolf-kin before, so I'm pretty confident that your senses are sharper than most. Still, I'm not about to roll over and lose." (Levi)
A rare smile appears on Zara's face briefly, then she points her sword towards him.
"I'm glad to hear it…let's finish this then." (Zara)
Without another word, they both reactivate their invisibility spells, and Levi resolves himself. He knows what he has to do, and it's risky, but it's the only chance he stands of beating Zara one-on-one.
They can both turn invisible, but she has the advantage in terms of physical prowess, weapon reach, and perception of her opponent's movements. Levi knows that either a fair or prolonged fight is hopeless for him. However, he's a former assassin…he has no intention of facing her head on.
For this one moment, this first assault, he knows where she's starting and where she's going. If he can get her to reveal her exact location for just a second, he can close in for a finishing strike. This all runs through Levi's mind as Zara disappears from his sight.
Without another thought, Levi takes off sprinting towards Zara's last location. At the same time, he moves one of his magic daggers into a throwing position while infusing it with as much magic for self-enhancement as he can. Visualizing the path that she's most likely to have taken to reach him, he throws the dagger as forcefully as he can towards her center of mass.
As the dagger speeds forward, losing the effect of Levi's invisibility spell, it materializes a couple meters in front of him. Shortly after, a pained groan erupts from in front of Levi, and Zara reappears in front of him with a dagger sticking out of her shoulder.
There! Levi notes an exposed critical point, which should incapacitate her without being immediately lethal.
He lunges towards her with his remaining dagger outstretched, infusing it with magic for reinforcement along the way, then thrusts his dagger towards her exposed side.
As Levi feels the blade sinking into Zara's flesh, he sees her face contort in pain and her knees buckle slightly...but her expression is devoid of surprise, there's only resolve.
"Gotcha." (Zara)
As Zara's words squeak out through gritted teeth, Levi feels an iron grip on his wrist that stops the dagger's progress in its tracks. His instincts scream at him of the danger he's in, but it's too late…he can't escape Zara's strength.
Without delay, Levi is violently whipped through the air over Zara's head and slammed into the nearby ground. He feels the air forced from his lungs as he's crushed against the earth, then his vision fades to black.