Chapter 4: A Different Kind Of Fall

[Stigmata ‘Winter’s Boundary’ has inflicted the status effect: ‘Frostbite’ on the player.

Over time, the player’s movements will slow down, and the damage received will increase.]

[The player’s ‘Cold Resistance’ effect resists ‘Winter’s Boundary’.

The debuff increase from ‘Frostbite’ is reduced.]

“Urgh…”

A harsh chill assailed Sian, who was dressed lightly as usual.

Sian slowly circulated mana from her stinging fingertips and fixed her gaze on Yelena.

The deadly snowstorm of the northern continent narrowed her vision.

A pure white hell unfolded on the training ground.

[Stigmata ‘Winter’s Boundary’ has inflicted the status effect: ‘Reduced Field of Vision’ on the player.

Over time, the player’s field of vision will decrease.]

Yelena looked at Sian, who had become noticeably sluggish.

Although they had only clashed a few times, in Yelena’s mind, Sian was no longer an ordinary student.

If she didn’t finish this decisively, she would be the one to suffer.

What was the last time a peer had made her feel this way?

A long greatsword pierced the snow-covered ground along with the anxiety that bloomed in a corner of her heart.

With a thud, a pile of snow exploded.

Yelena’s figure disappeared into it.

Sian’s purple eyes narrowed.

“Sigh…”

A sigh escaped Sian’s lips and scattered into a faint breath.

Slowly closing her eyes, the girl entrusted her body to her five senses, abandoning her sight, and readjusted her grip on her sword.

Her heightened senses swept through the artificial snowstorm.

The wind’s flow was sharp but regular.

Amidst it, she felt a strange airflow.

At the same time, a flash of light shot through the snowstorm.

Sian raised her sword almost simultaneously.

Clang!

Although it was clearly the sound of swords clashing, what she heard was a heavy metallic sound.

Sian deflected Yelena’s sharp thrust and took a step forward.

At the same time, the Stigmata revealed through the torn glove shone.

The star’s blessing bestowed upon humans glowed in a dark light.

Within the distance where their breaths could touch, Sian smiled faintly and activated her Stigmata.

[Stigmata ‘Blink’ is activated]

“A Stigmata…

u…ser…?!”

Yelena’s astonished cry stretched out like taffy, and a strange floating sensation enveloped Sian’s body.

In a split second that divided one second into dozens, black particles scattered where Sian had been.

Yelena’s silver eyes trembled finely.

“This…!”

It was pure luck that Yelena, who had been blankly staring at the spot where Sian had disappeared, evaded the sword strike from behind.

Sian had definitely been in front of her.

Yet another Sian was swinging her sword from behind.

Without even the time to question this, Sian’s figure disappeared again before Yelena’s eyes.

“Huh?”

Yelena, who had only ever faced monsters, had no experience dealing with Stigmata users.

Yelena’s steps began to falter after being caught off guard.

If this continued, she would definitely lose.

Her mind clearly knew this fact, but she couldn’t think of a way to overcome the situation.

The greatsword slashed through Sian’s illusion, scattering dark particles.

Clang!

At the same time, with a cheerful metallic sound, Yelena’s greatsword flew into the air.

“…Huh?”

Amidst the chilling silence, only Yelena’s bewildered voice could be heard.

I watched the barrier disappear and put my sword back into its sheath.

A beat later, the referee’s stunned voice echoed.

“…Winner, temporary Class A, No. 13, student Sian!”

[Main Quest – Chapter. 1]

[Accept the duel with the top student of the academy, ‘Yelena Frost’.][Complete]

[Calculating rewards…]

[Reward calculation complete]

[From now on, you can check the player’s stats in the status window.]

[Player ID: Sian]

[Lv: 45]

[Strength: D+]

[Agility: C+]

[Stamina: C-]

[Mentality: B]

[Mana: D-]

[Owned Stigmata: Blink]

‘My stats were higher than I thought.’

That was the first thought that came to mind as I looked at the status window.

The typical academy graduate was level 40.

An elite knight of the Imperial Knights was usually level 55.

And Yelena Frost, at this point, was level 50.

I loosened my tense body and looked at the status window.

Fortunately, it seemed that the big hurdle had been overcome.

With that thought, I lightly descended from the dueling platform.

“I, I lost?”

Leaving Yelena Frost, who was muttering powerlessly in a small voice, on the ring.

Hoping for a more normal academy life now.

Even after winning the duel, I went to the training hall early in the morning as usual.

Even though I had won against Yelena Frost, my skills were far from sufficient to be complacent.

The last victory was only because I knew Yelena Frost’s movements.

If we had met for the first time, I would have been definitely pushed back.

“This isn’t enough.”

So, I had no intention of settling for this.

[Arcana Academy] was never a hopeful world.

There was no such convenient function as revival in reality.

Fortunately, thanks to yesterday’s duel with Yelena Frost, I was able to add Yelena to the mindscape of my sword.

I was getting tired of dealing with that baron, so this was good timing.

“I wonder if Elin-sensei hasn’t arrived yet.”

Organizing the random thoughts that came to mind, I leaned against the large door of the training hall.

Then, the door moved with a creak-.

“…Huh?”

No student other than me would come to the training hall at five in the morning.

So, it should have been locked at this time, and I naturally assumed it would be.

My body fell backward with the door that opened too easily.

Just before I fell, the Stigmata engraved on my left hand shone, and my body turned into dark particles.

I barely regained my balance with [Blink] and looked inside the training hall through the slightly open door.

“It seems you missed being first today, Sian?”

“Ah, Elin-sensei?”

Elin muttered as she opened the door to the training hall.

“But that girl is really something.

Or should I say, she’s stubborn?”

Elin’s gaze pointed to a training room in the corner of the training hall.

In the dimly lit early morning training room, a girl with silver hair tied in a ponytail was swinging her sword.

As if reviewing yesterday’s duel, she kept making similar movements while slightly changing her posture.

Only a day had passed, but Yelena’s swordsmanship had definitely improved compared to yesterday.

Was this the protagonist of the original third-year story?

However, to me, such Yelena seemed somehow precarious.

A girl swinging her sword excessively, as if blaming herself.

“She said she wanted to get rid of her stubbornness and random thoughts and asked to use the training hall a little longer.”

“Ah, really.

Has she been like that since, yesterday?”

At Elin’s words, I couldn’t help but flinch.

In the third-year duel event, Yelena Frost would show a little more interest in the protagonist after being defeated in the duel.

She wouldn’t go this far.

Was this also because I got involved with Yelena from the first year?

As someone who had only played the first part of [Arcana Academy] before being possessed, I couldn’t know.

I didn’t even know Yelena’s past.

“Yes.

It seems that yesterday’s defeat had quite an impact on her.

But I’m a little worried.

If she keeps going like that without eating, her body will break down.

But I can’t just interrupt her training because she seems to be in the middle of gaining enlightenment.”

Elin said in a complicated voice and placed her hand on my head.

“Huh?”

“And I’m sorry.

A few days ago, I think I underestimated you too much.

You, you’re a much better fighter than I thought.”

“Y-you don’t have to say that.

It was originally a losing fight.”

If Yelena had known about my Stigmata, I wouldn’t have been able to gain the upper hand against her so easily.

Besides, as I said before, if I hadn’t met Yelena in the game, I would have lost before I could even use my Stigmata.

“Sian, you’re a humble one, aren’t you?”

“Ahaha…”

I let out an awkward laugh and turned my gaze back to Yelena.

Somehow, the figure of the girl swinging her sword looked so precarious.

With a mixture of wanting to know why Yelena was like this and concern for Yelena, who hadn’t slept and was swinging her sword, I carefully approached her.

“Sigh, haa…haa…!”

Unlike the perfect trajectory of the vertical slash that adorned the air, Yelena looked considerably exhausted.

As if she would collapse at any moment.

“Haa, argh…?!”

As expected, Yelena’s balance, which was already at its limit, faltered.

Yelena’s body staggered as she missed her step.

“Yelena?”

Yelena’s stunned moan and Elin’s voice overlapped.

The moment Yelena lost her grip on her sword and fell, the Stigmata on the back of my hand glowed black, and my body dispersed into particles.

The distance between Yelena and me was compressed.

Yelena’s silver eyes widened in surprise at my sudden appearance before her.

“Be careful!”

Fortunately, I was able to catch Yelena’s hand that was flailing in the air before she fell.

My strength stat, which exceeded that of an ordinary girl, helped me support Yelena’s body, which was 10cm taller than me.

I pulled Yelena close with my right hand, supporting her waist with my left, so close that our skin touched through only thin layers of clothing.

A sweet scent of a girl wafted strongly.

“…Huh?”

Yelena’s face turned as red as a ripe persimmon.

Her usually calm silver eyes trembled.

Was she embarrassed to show this side of herself?

Was it unnecessary meddling on my part?

However, unfortunately, I didn’t have much time to worry about such things.

Yelena, having lost all her strength, lost consciousness in my arms.