Doll Fury and the Vampire Boss
Before the principal even finished speaking, I'd already sensed something ominous and grabbed Adria's hand, bolting away.
"Run for it first!"
"Huh? Where to?!"
"Somewhere narrow! Easier to sweep 'em all at once!"
But running didn't make a difference.
The scenery around us had changed in an instant.
Dense green woods, damp soil, a deer bounding out in a panic.
"...A forest?"
Ashy answered my question beside me with a calm voice.
"Sky Island has spatial magic woven into it. Think of the whole island as one big magic formation—makes it easier."
The entire Sky Island was a magic formation?
"So if war breaks out later, they just rain meteors from here or something?"
"Huh? How'd you know?"
"..."
Never mind.
Plip. Plop.
Something fell on my head. I looked up, and the pitch-black sky started shedding tears.
Shhhhoooo...
A forest was tricky enough, and now rain too.
"Uh, uh... we're kinda screwed, huh."
"Yeah."
I let go of Adria's hand, shrugged off my priest robes, and draped them over her.
"Let's find shelter from the rain first. Ashy, you know anything?"
Ashy pondered my question for a moment.
"Hmm, the group assignment exam lasts about four days?"
"Way to end it early?"
"Kill all the bats, or hunt the 'vampire' leading them. Not really student-level, though."
She shook out her soaked hair and asked me.
"No clothes for me?"
"This is all I've got on me right now."
"Even better!"
I ignored the nonsense and pulled spare clothes from inside my priest robes, plopping them on her head.
"Cover up with that for now. Eodukshini, let's go. Lead the way."
> Navigation started.
The slime Eodukshini moved freely even in the pouring rain.
It quickly scouted the nearby terrain and shaped itself into an arrow.
> Cave over there!
"Then that's our spot."
"Huh? Won't there be more bats that way?"
I shot back with a what kind of question is that look.
"Easier to wipe 'em out in one go. And Adria."
"Yeah?"
"You're a mage, right?"
"Yup."
"Gonna need a bit of your power. Ashy, you back me up too."
"On it!"
The moment I clocked this as 'combat,' the War God's Blessing kicked in.
Combat intuition surges. New ideas flood the mind. Body adapts to optimal movement.
Ideas I'd never have normally, and my body picking up fresh moves on instinct.
We crept forward following Eodukshini.
My blood-red eyes caught bats flapping through the rain.
I drew my sword silently.
Shunk!
The bat split clean in half without a sound. Just in case, I grabbed the corpse and smeared its blood on the forest floor.
"That should do it. To the cave. Watch your step, don't trip."
The rain washed away the blood scent on me. The fresh blood would mess with the bats' noses.
Visibility sucked, but the hypersensitive senses from the blessing compensated.
> Here!
"Good job."
Eodukshini hopped back onto my shoulder after guiding us.
The cave was deep, pitch-black inside, but no issue.
Roughly... about a hundred in there.
A solid number. Chopping them one by one would take all day, but I wasn't that dumb.
"Adria."
"Got it. My turn?"
Adria strode forward with confident clicks of her heels.
She raised both hands, prepping her spell.
"Come to think of it, I've only seen your physical stuff. What attribute you got?"
"Mine's kinda unique."
Mana gathered in her hands, then seeped into the ground.
"Rise."
⟨ Doll Creation ⟩
Rumble rumble craaack.
The earth flipped, tree-root-like things bursting upward.
They twisted and wove, reshaping into something new.
A humanoid doll.
"...Not summoning, dolls?"
"Yup. My magic's Doll Creation. I use nearby terrain to make 'em."
Adria's unique magic.
Transparent threads extended from her fingertips, linking to the doll.
"In you go."
Like a conductor leading an orchestra, Adria's hands traced elegant lines.
The doll lumbered forward at her gesture.
I focused my eyes. The War God's Blessing pierced the dark, showing me the doll's actions.
"I'll watch. You focus on controlling."
Saving even the breath to reply, Adria just nodded slightly.
The doll slithered inside, arms spread wide.
Natural scents and mana drew the bats, stimulating them to swarm.
Crunch munch!
Black bats swarmed the doll, gnawing its wooden body.
"All gathered."
At my words, Adria closed her eyes and clenched her fist.
"Explode."
The controlling mana slipped free, colliding with the doll's structure mana.
Light burst from the doll's eyes.
And then—
KABOOOM!
A massive blast swept the cave clean in one go.
Naturally, the bats nearby got obliterated. Shredded corpses filled the entrance.
"Huuu..."
She'd burned through her mana in a flash, so I steadied the wobbling Adria.
She shot me a grateful look and straightened up quick.
I scanned for stragglers and asked.
"What was that spell?"
"Self-destruct. Can't do fireballs like other mages. Make up for it with stuff like that."
Having a unique ability meant only she could use it—but it also meant that was all she could use.
A side effect: couldn't use others' spells.
"Nothing else at all?"
"Nope. Gotta find workarounds. That's why I'm at the academy—easier to experiment."
"Fair. Even rotten, it's still top-tier—Sky Academy's the continent's best. What other school runs a test like this on day one?"
Ashy chimed in lightly from the side.
Adria nodded first, then gave me a who the hell is she look. I shrugged back with beats me.
I don't know her either.
"Ashy, you know a ton, right? What about puppeteers or whatever?"
"Only yours. Nothing else."
"How do you know about the academy then?"
"Basic knowledge."
So we're below basic?
"Shall we head inside first?"
Ashy quickly changed the subject.
"We'll catch colds out here. You're tough, Eugene, but us delicate flowers..."
"...You?"
Seemed the toughest to me.
But she'd probably swing a real sword if I said it, so I let it slide.
Inside, we gathered dry branches and tinder, lit a fire.
"...You're way too good at this."
"Habit."
Back when I had no bed, camping was daily life.
Lucky as a priest—no bugs swarming.
Whoosh.
"Here, sit and drink this."
"...What's this?"
"Holy... pure as can be water."
"Cheers."
Ashy snatched the holy water from my hand like it'd vanish, sipping carefully.
I passed a spare bottle to Adria and fed Eodukshini.
> Ugh. Glug glug. Glug. F-fuckin'.
"Don't like it?"
> F-fresh. Sluuuurp. Sluuuurp.
We warmed up and rested; Adria's color returned.
"So, let's sketch a quick plan?"
True to her word about helping, Ashy pulled out a big sheet of paper and pen.
She spread it on the ground, scribbling away.
"This exam tests leadership, survival skills, ability utilization, and will. Professors probably have 'eyes' on us—invisible ones. For emergencies, spatial transfer magic via the Sky Island formation."
"There's one."
I pointed to the transparent crystal orb tucked in the cave corner.
Ashy turned, tilted her head like she saw nothing.
"...Where?"
"There. Can't you see it?"
"How can you see that?"
"Why can't you?"
Ashy gave up quick and pressed on.
"Anyway... key is scoring high."
"Just kill the most?"
"Sure, but inefficient. Bats swarm everywhere. Caves are limited. And these aren't normal bats."
True.
"You said leadership, survival, utilization, will, right?"
"Yes."
"Team up decently, survive, use our skills... show clear intent. Halfway there already?"
"Kinda, but we're not alone. Smart kids are probably adapting by now."
Fair. Saw a few talents earlier.
Talent and personality don't always match.
"To outshine them and impress the profs... we need a big win."
"Like what?"
"In four days, the boss weakens. We take it down."
"?"
Weakens? Not just appears?
She caught my doubt and added.
"Too strong before. Drops to mid knight level on day four. Before that, mid knight plus free magic use and field buffs—way trickier."
Mid knight level?
Stronger than that black mage?
"How strong exactly? Comparisons?"
"A bit tougher than the black mage you took out before coming here...?"
"Then we can handle it. No restrictions on us, right?"
"Yeah, weapons are fine... but really? What if we get hurt?"
"I'm a priest."
"It's not meant to be caught. Warning for sharp kids to prep."
"Catching the 'don't catch' is peak mischief."
I grinned, tapping the 'boss' spot.
"That's the fun—grabbing the forbidden fruit."
"It'll fight dirty."
"Means we can legally beat it senseless."
"They'll dock points for that."
"Doubt many have the guts. Worst case, meat shields."
My mind was set.
We're hunting the boss.
Not baseless bravado. Instinct and logic both said we could take a mid-knight-plus pain-in-the-ass.
"...Love it."
Meat shield idea? Or the boss hunt? Didn't matter.
"Right? Rest today. Smart ones are hiding fine. Adria, you're in?"
"Obviously. You'll protect me proper?"
"Obviously."
We nodded at each other.
...But I didn't know. This was a flag.
Flutter flap!
A massive bat swarm flew past the cave mouth.
Followed by screams.
"Gaaah! Help!"
"...Flag recovery's lightning fast."
Not even seconds passed.