The early morning mist still clung to the stone paths of Hoshikami Academy as Airi stepped through the ancient gate. The massive wrought iron entrance creaked behind her as it closed, sealing her within the realm of the elite. She looked up—towering spires scraped the sky, banners of deep violet and gold fluttering in the breeze. It was a place where future kings, generals, and magical legends were made.
And yet, no one knew that the strongest of them had just walked in.
Airi Hoshizora, born again into this world, carried centuries of magical knowledge within her veins. But today, she was nothing more than a quiet, seemingly unremarkable first-year student.
Airi's uniform was crisp, her black and silver cloak brushing lightly against her boots. The academy crest—a star entwined with a serpent—was embroidered over her chest, but she kept her head down, blending in with the crowd of curious, loud, and arrogant nobles chattering around her.
"They say only ten percent of applicants pass the Entrance Trials," one boy with silver hair boasted nearby. "But I've already mastered third-tier wind magic. This will be easy."
"I heard the final test is deadly," a girl whispered to another. "One mistake and you're disqualified… or worse."
Airi pretended to flinch at the word deadly. In reality, she had faced creatures that turned minds to ash and realms that devoured time. But none of that mattered now. Her new life demanded secrecy.
At the far end of the courtyard, a woman in an elegant black cloak raised a jeweled staff, and silence fell.
"Welcome, initiates," she said, voice resonating with mana. "I am Head Instructor Reiha Azuma. You stand on sacred ground—Hoshikami, the last of the Nine Academies. To earn your place, you must pass three trials. Fail even once, and you will be sent home."
Her eyes scanned the crowd, sharp and assessing.
Airi felt them pause on her—just for a moment—then continue.
"Your first test begins now. Follow."
They were led to a massive stone arena—circular, worn by time, surrounded by floating stands. Stone glyphs glowed faintly beneath their feet. Magical energy buzzed in the air like a storm waiting to be unleashed.
"The Trial of Shadows," Reiha announced. "You will each face a magical construct tailored to your own fears and weaknesses. The illusion will feel real. Pain is real. But death is… temporary." A faint smirk tugged at her lips.
A boy near Airi swallowed loudly.
She felt no fear. Only curiosity.
One by one, students stepped onto the glowing platform in the center. Some returned triumphant, others limped back in silence. One girl didn't return at all, and the crowd grew quieter after that.
When Airi's name was called, a hush fell over the arena.
She stepped forward calmly. Whispers followed.
"Who is she?"
"She looks weak."
"She hasn't even summoned a basic barrier!"
She ignored them and climbed the steps.
The moment her foot touched the glowing rune, the world shifted.
She stood in a ruined field beneath a blood-red sky. The air was thick with ash, and black flames crackled in the distance. Around her, corpses of students and teachers littered the battlefield—people she hadn't met yet, but felt familiar somehow.
Then she saw her.
A younger version of herself—helpless, kneeling, begging.
"You were never meant to return," the illusion said. "You should have stayed dead."
Illusion-Airi raised her hand, forming a massive black spear of cursed energy, and hurled it at her.
The attack was beautiful.
Airi didn't move.
The spear struck her—then dissipated in a burst of violet light.
Her true mana had awakened for a moment.
The illusion flickered.
"Illusions that try to manipulate emotion are weak," Airi said quietly. "Let me show you what fear really is."
She raised her hand—just slightly.
A pulse of ancient magic radiated from her fingertips. The illusion shattered with a scream.
When she returned to the real world, there was silence.
Airi stepped down, her face calm, her steps light.
She didn't gloat. She didn't explain.
But one of the instructors watching from the upper balcony leaned toward Reiha and whispered, "That wasn't a first-tier reaction. What just happened?"
Reiha narrowed her eyes. "I'm not sure… But I want her watched."
Back in the holding chambers, Airi sat alone on the marble bench, away from the others.
Whispers floated toward her again.
"I thought she'd scream in there."
"She came out like nothing happened…"
"Maybe she got an easy illusion."
Airi said nothing. Silence was her armor.
Moments later, a voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Mind if I sit here?"
Airi glanced up.
A tall girl with long auburn hair and sharp amber eyes stood before her, carrying a confident smile and an aura of power. She was different from the other nobles—calm, unpretentious.
"Go ahead," Airi replied.
"I'm Takara Minami. You're Airi, right?"
Airi gave a small nod.
"I saw your trial. You're strong," Takara said without hesitation. "You're hiding it, though. I respect that."
That caught Airi off guard.
"Why?"
"Because only idiots show their cards on day one," Takara smirked.
For the first time in this life, Airi smiled faintly.
Perhaps she had found an ally.
The second trial took place that evening. It was simple in design but brutal in nature.
The Labyrinth of Wards.
An enchanted maze, filled with traps, illusions, and roaming guardians. Each initiate had to retrieve a crystal shard from the center and return within one hour. No teleportation. No flight.
Dozens entered.
Half returned.
Airi made it back in fifteen minutes.
She carried two shards instead of one.
"In case someone needed help," she said, handing the extra to a bleeding student who collapsed near the exit.
Whispers grew louder that night.
"She's hiding something…"
"She's dangerous."
But the instructors were more focused than ever now.
And Headmistress Reiha?
She summoned a messenger hawk before midnight.
"To the Headmaster," she wrote. "We may have found her."
Later that night, Airi sat beneath a cherry blossom tree in the academy's Moon Garden, the stars reflected in the pond nearby. Her fingers traced an old rune into the grass.
Memories of her past life drifted like mist.
The betrayal.
The death.
The rebirth.
She clenched her fist.
This time, no one will control me.
From the shadows, someone watched.
A tall figure, cloaked in dark robes. A scar across his left eye. His presence was veiled, his mana faint but ancient.
"She's here," he whispered. "The Reborn One has entered the game."
And with that, the real danger began.