Omen of a Bluebell

“You did well,” the bearkin proctor says, his deep voice breaking through my staring contest with Seraphine.

When I look at him and the other proctor now at my side, I find him holding out his tablet so I can read what it displays.

—————————

Entrance Exam Assessment Results — Duel 2

Student: Emilia Ken

Tier: One

Level: 63

Evaluation Scale:

Liability - Lacking - Adequate - Exceptional - Overwhelming.

Results:

Damage Output: Exceptional

Speed: Exceptional (previously Adequate).

Durability: Overwhelming.

Tactical Awareness: Adequate.

Efficiency: Overwhelming.

Control: Liability.

Overall Combat Ability: Exceptional (previously Adequate to Exceptional).

Notes:

Duel 1:

Demonstrates disproportionate survivability relative to Tier norms.

Exhibits inadequate threat assessment and insufficient restraint when engaging peers of comparable Tier/level.

Relies excessively on self-recovery in lieu of defensive mitigation or disengagement.

Lacks formal combat training.

Presents elevated risk to opponents under standard examination conditions.

Close supervision recommended in all future evaluations.

Duel 2:

Demonstrates impressive mana manipulation techniques on a macro scale, but lacks control on a micro scale. Locked entire platform air supply down, rather than isolating the air immediately surrounding her opponent.

Speed rating increased after student demonstrated sustained mobility approaching that of speed-focused builds.

Control left as liability, but worth noting the student successfully held back their berserk Skill without loss of capability once activated.

Results of final duel are adequate to place student in appropriate classes.

Dueling exams complete.

—————————

I stare at it for a bit, and after staying silent for nearly a full minute, he speaks again.

“Do you disagree with any of the results?”

I open my mouth to protest right away, not wanting to be done with these matches, then pause.

I showed most of what I'm capable of, given my restrictions on mana and Active Skills.

Even if I used Mana Surge, I'm not sure that would have changed the results any... and even if it could have, mentioning another active Skill would throw my entire skillset into question.

Which I can't risk.

I shake my head. “No, I don’t disagree. If anything, it’s more than fair. But what’s the note about my mana manipulation lacking on a—”

“Excuse me,” a feminine voice jumps in.

From where I’m sprawled on the sand, I prop myself up just enough to see none other than Seraphine standing a few steps away. The moment we lock eyes, she lowers her head and speaks.

“Thank you for the match,” she says, then lifts her gaze to mine. “While you seem to lack proper training, you are an impressive fighter. You nearly had me at the end.”

I smirk. “If you gave me a couple more seconds, I think I would’ve.”

To my surprise, she nods, agreeing immediately. “Yes, I dare say you are correct.”

I gape at her for a second, then she speaks once more, filling the silence before it can become awkward.

“I’ll take my leave and allow you to recover. It seems our proctors are getting impatient. Once more, thank you for the match. I look forward to facing you again, someday,” she says, offering a shallow bow.

“Uh… yeah, me too,” I flounder as she walks away.

Given her fighting style, I expected arrogance, but if anything she’s the exact opposite.

And absurdly pretty, too.

Agh! Focus, Emi. You've already got enough girl problems.

I drag my gaze away from her as she departs, hoping nobody caught my ogling.

When my attention returns to my proctors, I immediately realize that I have no such luck. With the very obvious raised brow the bearkin is giving me, I feel heat spreading in my cheeks.

Of course they noticed. It's almost as if they're supposed to watch us like hawks.

Gods damn it all.

“R-right, where were we?” I ask, hoping to push past the moment as quickly as possible.

“Now that your duels are concluded, we’ll have you head over to the waiting area,” he says, pointing towards the still growing swarm of students that had lost their duels.

I frown at that, still unhappy about losing.

“Ah, don’t give me that look,” he says, tone brooking no argument. “This isn’t about winning or losing, it’s about showing what you can do. You did that. And if it makes you feel better, your results are well above most other students.”

My ears perk up at that.

I mean, I expected as much given that I have three Classes instead of two, but still. It’s nice to actually hear it from someone else. If I’m the only one who thinks it, it’s just my ego stroking my pride.

But if someone else says the same, it’s praise.

And I'm not ashamed to admit I'm weak to praise.

So I grin at him, allowing myself to enjoy it for just a second.

His gaze hardens a fraction.

“Don’t let good results fool you,” he says. “Power without control stops being impressive very quickly.”

My tail twitches with agitation at the sudden dressing down. But… I know he’s right. I let my grin drop and nod along seriously.

Even if it hurts my pride, I can handle honest advice when it’s freely given.

Besides, this is exactly where I need to be to get stronger.

The bearkin watches my face for a moment, probably just checking to see if I’m actually listening to what his partner said, then gives a quick nod.

“What was it you were about to ask?”

I give him a curious head tilt, then it hits me.

“Oh! Right. I wanted to know what the note about my mana manipulation was. Something about macro? Micro? What’s that even mean?”

“Ah...” he says, nodding. “It means that you’re good at controlling mana in large scale applications. Like you did when you locked down the air in this space. But your minute control…”

He trails off purposefully, giving me a moment to mull it over. He doesn’t need to. I already understand the implications after just that.

As a test, I try to just stop the air in a small pocket of space just over my palm.

Instead, all the air within ten paces of me freezes. I quickly let it go.

“Oh,” I say, disappointed.

While I knew I had good enough control to deafen a space and control the air and ambient mana in general, I didn't know I had this particular weakness.

And gods, does it rankle.

I mentally berate myself for not even trying to improve my mana manipulation skills over the past three months, but the human proctor just smiles.

“Don’t worry. We’ll be setting you up with classes to teach you mana control thanks to your results today. With how easily you control mana in general, I have no doubts you’ll manage to figure it out rather quickly.”

I offer him a small smile, thankful for the words of encouragement.

Then the bearkin interjects, eyes tracking another pair of students already approaching the platform we're on.

He gestures toward the stands. “Off you go, now. Behind that group over there.”

This time he raises his hand a bit further, as if to point over the heads of the students, and I see where he’s indicating.

There’s a section of the stands that remains almost entirely empty, with only a few other students sparsely decorating the stands. None have the viewing panels the actual spectators have, so I can already tell they’re in the same situation as me.

After getting up and dusting myself off, I quickly make my way over, skirting around the still growing students in the losers bracket. For a moment, I feel like I’m supposed to be jealous that I don’t get another shot to prove myself—then I realize how silly I’m being.

I went above and beyond, got great scores, and now I get to relax. Hells, I might even be able to get a nap in if there’s enough time between Cari and Bella’s matches.

It takes an effort of will to prevent my tail from expressing my smugness as I pass by the unlucky students with yet more work to do, but I manage it. Mostly.

I at least manage to avoid whacking anyone with my tail as I pass.

Then I’m in the stands, taking a seat as close to the top as I can get. There was already a student up there, looking all moody and unapproachable, so I stopped a few levels lower.

Then I finally look for Cari and Bella.

The first place I look is towards group four’s waiting area, though I don’t see either there yet. Then I look towards platform…

What was it again?

Seventy… something.

It only takes a moment to find the giant purple tentacles lashing about the arena, and a grin splits my face.

“Cari, you showoff,” I chuckle.

Her opponent is a conjurer of some kind, summoning up dark blue shields and weapons that they use to block and attack Cari with. Cari, for her part, is right up in their business, exactly as she taught me to be.

One might think that Cari, being a Mage, would stay back and let her magic do all the work.

Nope. Not my Cari.

Her dream, for as long as I’ve known her, has been to combine her magic Class with her physical prowess. She’s even complained to me multiple times for acquiring not just one, but two Classes that do exactly what she’s been wanting for years.

But the System doesn’t just give things to people… usually. So to achieve her goals, she taught herself martial arts, then started to combine it with her Skills.

It was funny when she first tried it, using both the somatic gestures required for controlling her summons while also trying to punch. She ended up swatting herself across the room with her own tentacle.

Of course, I got what was coming after laughing, but it was so worth it.

Now, though… she’s no master, but she’s damned good at what she does.

A dozen ethereal tentacles blink in and out of existence all around her as she moves, swatting aside her opponents conjured weapons and shields, keeping them occupied. She even deftly redirects a sword and a dagger with her bare hands, forcing them just off their trajectories.

Of course, I know it’s not really her hands—she’s reinforcing her limbs with her magic as well. I still shiver at what she said when explaining it to me.

“I just summon them inside me and use them to manipulate my limbs. They make me stronger and faster, even if it’s a little uncomfortable.”

She then proceeded to gush about how she hopes the System will recognize her efforts and give her a Skill that works the same to properly empower her body, but by that point I was too shocked and horrified to listen.

Regardless, her opponent’s frustration is clear as she handily disrupts his combat. It’s clear the match has been going on for quite some time, as well, as both her and her opponent are all but glistening with sweat.

Him more than her.

As she moves, she all but dances through half a dozen weapons before one of her largest ethereal tentacles slams the shield he’s hiding behind to the side. She lunges, one fist connecting with his gut and throwing him off balance.

My stomach lurches as I see the mistake she’s made before she does.

Behind her, a conjured spear jerks forward just as the man stumbles back, one hand outstretched as if to pull it along with him.

I can see, but not hear, her scream as it slams straight through her lower spine and out her belly, instantly paralyzing her from the legs down.

As the barriers flare to life between them, the man slumps to the ground with relief.

For a moment, I can’t breathe. I stare in shock, as the Healers appear no more than two seconds later.

I only realize I’m halfway down the stands once more when Cari herself sits up after being healed. I stop to watch as she slowly stands with the assistance of the two healers at her sides, and I almost fall down the narrow stairway leading up the seating with relief.

I manage to catch myself on the railing, but I find myself clenching onto it so hard that the metal groans in protest. Still, I lean on it, taking deep, deep breaths to calm down.

After speaking with her proctors and giving her opponent a shallow bow—which he returns—she leaves the barrier. Shaken, but alive and well.

The entire time, I just focus on trying not to lose my mind.

I can feel Fae Ferocity wanting to come to life once more, to demand he be punished for hurting my sister, but I push it back. I know that she’s fine, and I know that she wouldn’t want me to try to avenge her.

But if an opportunity to duel him just so happens to come up…

My sinister thoughts are wiped from my mind as Cari navigates around the crowd of students slowly being trickled in for additional evaluation matches between the ongoing official matches and begins walking right up the stairs towards me.

She moves slowly, as if still wanting to make sure everything is in working order, but quick enough to show her excitement.

Well, that, and there's a gigantic smile on her face that puts the sun to shame.

I shake off my sour mood and meet her halfway, pulling her into a tight hug. Then I lean down and pick her up in a princess carry before marching back up to the seat I’d picked out earlier.

“Emi! Let me down, I’m fine!”

I ignore her complaints.

When she starts twisting my ear, I use Total Suppression to completely erase any sense of pain.

It works, but I almost swear I can still feel the echoes of pain from her actions despite the Skill.

“Emi, calm down,” she hisses.

By the time I make it to the seating, she’d advanced to pinching my cheeks and stretching them violently enough to jerk my head about. Then I finally set her down in a seat, refusing to let her move.

She folds her arms and glares at me, her gaze unblinking even as I settle in next to her. When she refuses to humor my shenanigans, I slowly start to tilt my head, threatening to bat at her with my ears, the tinkling of my earrings warning of what’s to come.

“I’m summoning a five tentacles to invade your bath tub when you least expect it.”

I freeze.

Wait, she wouldn’t—

She totally would.

“But Cari, I—”

“Six.”

“Wait, I was just worried—”

“Seven.”

I clamp my mouth shut and pout at her, leaning on my Charisma to give her the best puppy eyes I can manage.

She just smirks.