Second Bout Ends

As Mitsuna waited, above the hole she had just made, a sudden arrow almost struck her from above.

Catching it with her hand, she was pleasantly surprised.

'Oh, so the archer isn't an 8th grader. She shot an arrow straight up towards me before heading below ground.'

"The arrow didn't work."

She yelled down the hole as she stepped back and sat next to the priest.

"So how's your day going?"

"..."

As her right hand had fully healed, she took her sword from her left hand.

'Really should use gloves on both hands.'

As she stretched her hands, Mitsuna asked.

"So, priest. It wasn't in your plans to leave you out here, was it?"

"..."

"Sorry, I would have just punched you but I didn't want to be rude. Besides, I needed to get you out of the fight anyway, basic strategy you know. All I could think of was 'Guess I'll just take her with.' you know?"

"..."

"Yeah, you know."

Yawning deeply, Mitsuna silently stared at the hole in front of her.

'Guess they're not coming out of there.'

Feeling the mana flow change, Mitsuna turned to her right.

The priest was completing a spell.

"Oh, what are you doing there? I'm not really well versed in healing magic."

Mitsuna asked as she slightly stuck her tongue out.

Not really wanting to cancel it out since she found it interesting, Mitsuna just sat and watched.

'I wonder what language they use in their magic circles?'

Not recognizing the language in the spell, Mitsuna saw how the spell turned into light and dissipated a moment later.

"Fancy."

Spreading her senses back out just in case, she noticed that the group was gone.

Not underground or anywhere nearby.

Suddenly, before she could react, a knife was pressed against her neck.

A cut then appeared on that very same spot and quite a deep one.

Coughing blood on the cold ice shard covered ground in front of her, Mitsuna held her neck.

'Owch.'

Finding a similar energy greatsword threateningly sitting on her shoulder, Mitsuna realized what happened.

'Oh.'

Forcing herself to speak, she got out the words.

"Weren't... you supposed... to capt... ure me.. alive? Heh..."

Cleaning her clothes from the blood with water magic, Mitsuna waited for a response.

"... You won't die from this..."

"I... know. But it... is annoying."

Coughing out a bit more blood, she sounded out.

"Ughh..."

As her neck had healed.

"You're a rather bad assassin. *Cough*"

Washing down the remaining blood with a bit of water, Mitsuna waited for the group behind her to lower their weapons so they can talk a bit.

"...Come on, put your weapons away already. We can call it a draw. If you went all out on me a moment ago I would have probably died. Same for you, of course."

Seeing the familiar light of the magic that the priest had cast, Mitsuna could finally sense her real surroundings.

'That spell is actually really good. I wonder what element it was?'

"Let us converse."

Hearing the voice of the gas mask, Mitsuna agreed as she had fulfilled her objective of getting a workout.

'I guess this is good enough. I can ask the paladin for a spar sometime when I'm bored.'

"Sure. Whatcha want?"

"I will proceed to ask 3 questions."

"Shoot."

"Number 1. What is your identity."

'I'll go with it, for now, sounds interesting. They might have a few good sources of information themselves.'

"Call me Mitsuna, nice to meet you."

"...Acknowledged. Number 2. What race do you belong to?"

'Hmm... I guess...'

"None, anymore..."

"..."

"I'm a baller."

"...Number 3. Are you related to the illegal Laboratories?"

"Yep."

The entire group frowned as most of them gripped their weapons.

"Not a scientist, guys. Calm down."

"What is your relation?"

The goth asked as she opened her book.

"I said I'd answer the questions of gas there, not you, goth."

Suddenly the chain tying the book to the goth girl's belt shattered and Mitsuna grabbed it.

"Che. Boring spells."

Throwing it behind her only for it to be caught by the paladin, she ignored the rage of the goth and turned her gaze to the gas mask.

"That was 3. My turn. I'll do 2."

"...Understood."

"Why are you guys destroying the labs?"

"Their illegal activities have breached too far. We have been sent to eradicate them."

"Huh. Okay. Who do you work for?"

"The Academy of the East."

'Never heard of it.'

"Okay. Well, you got your answers, I got mine. Happy? Happy. Great. I'll be on my way. Paladin boy if you want, give me a call. I could use a bit more sparring when I get bored. Cya."

"I would like to ask a question."

An unfamiliar voice spoke as Mitsuna stood up from her spot.

Turning to the voice, she saw the priest speaking.

"Hm. Go ahead."

"Would you like to attend the Academy?"

The rest of the group wore shock on their faces.

"Q-Quatz!"

"How much information does your place hold?"

"What type of information?"

"Great, so you have quite a large amount. Sure, I'm in. But I have a few things to take care of first."

"We will hold on to an empty seat for you."

"K. Bye."

And as Mitsuna said her goodbyes, mostly directed towards the gas mask and the priest, she teleported towards the location of the last Lab.

'If they have a good amount of knowledge, I should find something about the [Death] element. If I find that I'll get a step closer to finding out her weakness.'

As Mitsuna teleported from location to location, an extremely fast beam of prismatic light was following closely behind.