Long ago, I’d convinced myself that I could save the world alone, that possessing incredible skills set me apart. Plus, my naturally high mana capacity led me to believe I’d become an unstoppable force if I practiced sword magic, a style only a few in the world could employ effectively.
I was special.
Then a man, supposedly charged with my care, appeared from nowhere. He shattered my confidence, and asked if that was all I was capable of.
I was supposed to be special, yet he’d spoken of me like some ordinary village child.
“I’ll make you into someone who can save the world.”
I’d thought I could do it alone, but looking back, I likely would have failed.
“He called my three skills the Trinity. They’re not meant for me to handle everything alone. Don’t make my existence sound so lonely.”
If she knew how Returner worked, then I’d try my defensive skill next.
“Magic Barrier.” This would take the remaining mana proportional to…
“Huh…?”
It wasn’t working.
“Oh, now that one’s useful. Oh, but it’s proportional to your mana.”
A rainbow-colored, glowing barrier appeared before the woman.
How was she using my ability?
“You need to be adaptable. Cool and collected. You can’t let yourself get shaken up, great hero.”
I glared at the woman as she adopted an annoying tone that mimicked Roland’s.
She hurled a knife at me, so I turned my head to dodge.
Without any weapons, this assassin couldn’t strike me down in a single attack or knock me unconscious.
Then I heard the icy sound of steel and hurriedly turned to one side. At some point, the assassin had closed in and drawn the sword at my hip.
When?
I hadn’t seen her move.
She pointed the tip at me and charged, ready to run me through.
“Ah!”
I couldn’t use Returner yet. If this attack connected, I would likely die.
With no other option, I activated my third skill, the one that made me the hero.
Indignation.
Missing with this skill meant death, but some chance of survival was better than none. I gritted my teeth and prayed I wouldn’t faint.
An erratic surge of lightning sped for my foe.
“Guh… Ahhhhhh?!”
A terrific electrical discharge filled the air around us, illuminating everything in flickering blue.
“Tsk.”
The woman was forced back. My whole body spasmed from using skill, but I’d made it. I was still conscious.
Returner.
“I won’t let you do that again.”
She pushed in again, trying to approach me.
I had her.
This was it!
“Indignation.”
I let off another thunderbolt. There came a roar, and azure light filled my vision. Then I restored myself with Returner again.
“…You ran out of luck as soon as your attacks got hasty,” I stated.
“You’re so quick to strike. It makes you seem immature.”
The voice came from behind, where I was defenseless. Before me, there was only empty space.
She was faster to attack than I was to dodge or parry.
When she kicked me, when she took my sword, and now, too.
I trained so hard, but I still lost sight of her even as she stood directly in front of me.
Just as it seemed hopeless, a figure silently appeared behind the assassin.
So this is why he didn’t train me to run, I realized.
Three minutes. That was how long it took for him to get here and find an opening. My foe had found a moment when I was defenseless, and that was precisely what we were aiming for. The only time she faltered was when she thought the kill was guaranteed.
That’s right.
He never attacked people head-on.