I will strive beyond this cursed bloodline!

'Crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap crap '

 

Everything was going so well at the start of her latest strategy.

 

The idiot attacked her as expected, she left control of the shadows so Rena would be left in the air so that he could catch her after attacking her by mistake.

 

All so that he would get disqualified or flustered at that and in turn, he would be open for an attack.

 

What happened instead?

 

The idiot did attack Rena as she wanted. That worked just fine.

 

The only problem is that...Well...He shoved his whole fist into the red-haired girl impaling her with his fist...

 

"....Crap." Thought the girl.

 

She had a few seconds to think about what to do, she had already started laughing and it would be weird to make that quick of a change in persona.

 

So she had to suck it up...

 

She...She might end up closer to a villain persona on this one...

 

Perhaps she could still go for the Anti-Hero approach?

 

...Nah. She would go with the flow.

 

"STOP THE MATCH!" Came the thunderous voice of the crazy old man.

 

At least her scheme had found its intended result. Not that it stopped Akira.

 

He didn't even look at Rena and just threw her body to the side and started dashing toward her again.

 

"[STOP!]" And there it was.

 

Something was weird with that word once again. It felt...More.

 

And if she could feel the atmosphere right it was indeed more.

 

The air felt heavier and Akira got stopped in his tracks.

 

She still had her [Identify] on his status...Now that screen only showed the number of his attributes, at some point, it had discarded everything else.

 

And so, she could see how he was moving all his status to Constitution and Strenght, in one attempt to keep moving.

 

When that didn't work, he then moved all his normal 120 status points for his level plus all those extra stats his skills were giving him shoved into Strenght.

 

She got first view of what happens when you don't have the constitution to make the body sturdy enough.

 

He turned into a fountain of blood...And he didn't manage to move a single step.

 

Something sketchy was going on with this.

 

Not with how the skills of Akira were moving status all around.

 

But a strength of almost 160 got stopped by the skill of the old man?

 

Yeah...She was starting to think her skill might be either not getting all the right info, or that bullshit about allocation was once again at work.

 

"Miss [Shadow Empress] release all control of your skills." Said the crazy old man while ignoring Akira.

 

His HP was almost around the 10% mark, and when it hit that value his armor broke into shards of light and his body plummeted to the ground.

 

For her part, she dispersed his shadows.

 

Most of them, she left the ones in her face covering...And some of those still work, as bandages.

 

"That good enough?" Asked the armored girl, and after a few seconds, she pointed at her face while flexing her control of shadows to make a point.

 

"You can keep any active skill that you need to safeguard your identity, but if we detect foul play..." Said the crazy old man...What?

 

She was the victim here!

 

"Would never dream of it." Said the armored girl "I would never do something like bend the rules or harass someone by getting them in a stacked match against them"

 

The trainer didn't answer the girl and just walked over to Akira who was regaining consciousness.

 

The little brat didn't look that faced about his situation, so he was aware of what that stupid helmet would do?

 

Yeah, not feeling bad for what was coming his way.

 

It did surprise her when the crazy old man got some kind of barrier that cleansed the area of the shadow remnants she had left in the black-haired kid.

 

She wished he hadn't done that, she wanted to use them to annoy him later on.

 

So when he looked at her, she just smirked at him.

 

He was probably complaining about the decision that would make him lose the match.

 

In the end, the talk with Akira didn't last long. By that point they were already giving Rena first aid, she of course stood stoic by the side of the arena.

 

She also got some healing done by some powered healers, they were closer to biomancers than regular healers on the magic side.

 

But they still did a good job, she finally could release almost all the shadows in her body (Except the one in her face).

 

It was a moot point? Perhaps, since it wasn't her real face and some had seen it anyway.

 

But it was more to do with the idea of secrecy, so she would keep it up.

 

Besides, if they thought she didn't need to hide it, they might search for whoever this face was.

 

And if for some reason there was a student with a face like her shift...

 

Well...She would feel sorry for the poor girl.

 

"As stated, [Warden of Justice] was deemed disqualified for attacking his partner and for not showing care for his companions. We don't approve of heroes' lack of interest in life. " Said the crazy old man.

 

Then he pointed at Rena "[Demon Slaying Sword] was out of combat so she is awarded a loss." And then he pointed at her.

 

"And finally..." He breathed in. "[Shadow Empress]... While her methods are...Sketchy at best, she showed cunning and will to adapt, since she released her hold over [Demon Slaying Sword] and she had no means of knowing that [Warden of Justice] would hurt his partner... She is awarded a win for the combat." And so he started walking towards the podium.

 

Oh no, you little bastard you won't get away with only that.

 

"Double win you mean of course." Said the armored girl while raising a hand and raising a couple of spears of shadows in the path of the instructor.

 

She had prepared with time standing in front of one of the lights, projecting her shadow in the path towards the podium.

 

"I did fight twice in a row...One individual and a fight against two enemies...So maybe three wins are in order?" And the crazy old man just sighed, he didn't even answer the girl and just carried on.

 

The shadowy spears disintegrated before they made contact with him.

 

Yeah, something was definitely going on with that man's skill.

 

"[Shadow Empress]. Why do you think we made this event?" Asked the instructor once again at the podium.

 

"Even a monkey." Said the girl while pointing to Akira who was mumbling something while looking at his bloodied hand." Would know, you wanted us to try and get a feel to awaken Subset Skills" She didn't though.

 

Even if those two awakened a few.

 

"Exactly." He said while not adding anything extra to that.

 

" I didn't awaken subset skills and I think I was quite ingenious with my usage as you can attest." She said while dramatically raising swords, spears, and a shield from the floor.

 

One couldn't get more creative than this.

 

"And that's the thing, subset skills either further specialize our skills, or grant us things we need." He said while pointing first to Rena.

 

"She needed a way to damage you over your armor and weapons, so she awoke an armor-penetrating skill." He said while pointing to the billboard where they showed the scene where her armor got all those cracks she was covered with shadows.

 

Then he pointed to Akira who was now being dragged in a stretcher towards Rena, they were being sent towards the infirmary?

 

"And [Warden of Justice]...Probably thought he needed more power or better gear, so he awoke those types of skills." He shrugged away all the other questions everyone else was thinking.

 

"And why did those two awake skills so easily?" Asked Elizabeth for everyone else.

 

"Talent." That was all they got for an answer.

 

"...I think..." Said the armored girl between gritted teeth "That I showcased more intelligence and mastery of skill..." Ended the girl.

 

"Yeah, you did. You will probably win all the matches where that brat doesn't use that type of skills that put him under self-mind control" Said the trainer.

 

"But that isn't what we are speaking of. The moment that kid is even a centimeter more powerful than you..." He said with a smile on his face. "He will pound you into the dirt. You made sure of that in this match." Ended up saying the crazy old man.

 

"Was I supposed to roll over and admit defeat?" Asked the armored girl.

 

"That is up to you and your pride. Maybe awake a few counter-subset skills? Or ask for a transfer to another school?" Said the crazy old man" That is if you don't want to deal with the choices you did."

 

He....was ditching the result of this into her?

 

Yeah...She was snitching up to Father and Mother.

 

This was a done conclusion, this fricking school was full of crazy people!

 

So she was supposed to roll over and get pounded into the dirt by Akira and Rena?

 

She knew what they would do. Mother had told her what the [Heroes] did to those they wanted to use as a grindstone...

 

And it wasn't pretty.

 

Besides, that crazy old man was ignoring the fact that Akira was using deadly force.

 

But then again...

 

Was she in danger?

 

"I will take that advice and ask my trainers." Said the armored girl.

 

The crazy old man just shrugged it away and kept talking about tips to awaken subset skills and to no use Akira and Rena as examples.

 

If she had been hit with that...Her shift might have either canceled outright or perhaps her mana would had take a hit.

 

She...Wasn't keen on discovering what would happen.

 

Even so, she got surprised by a hand landing on her shoulder.

 

It was the hand of a blonde girl, the one that Akira had called 'Elizabeth'

 

She...Kinda looked like her in her non-shift form?

 

Obviously, her face was different, but the makeup and hair did make her look like maybe a cousin?

 

"Good fight." Said the blonde girl before walking away to a seat.

 

" ...Thank you..?" That was all the armored girl could say.

 

That...Was weird.

 

What was that electric-wielding girl about?

 

Did she know her?

 

Perhaps she was one of the girls she used to talk to in class or something?

 

But then again...She was on her [Shadow Empress] persona... So she shouldn't have recognized her.

 

She didn't have much time to think about this either since after she left, soon enough she was surrounded by...

 

Well... It could be rude to say [Villains] since they were all students. But most of the dangerous-looking kids came to congratulate her on the victory.

 

"That was awesome!" Said one of the kids with a lizard body, his whole body was that of a lizardman dressed like a biker.

 

They all found it hilarious how she got Akira disqualified. Even if the end result was somewhat more...Gruesome than intended.

 

"Maybe next time forget a few pointy weapons behind the victim?" Added a girl with a punk hairdo and a dominatrix leather body suit. She wasn't quite sure where to look...And she was a woman too.

 

Some gave a few ideas about how to make the scene more gruesome, and so she saved the faces of those under the 'Do not engage social activities with them'. And maybe a few on the 'Snitch their identities if needed'.

 

But she would give them a chance to prove her wrong.

 

After all...Anonymity had a way to make one say stuff they didn't intend just to keep the persona in place.

 

Just like how she acted more like a [Villain] at the end, even if she wasn't planning on living the life of a villain.

 

That wouldn't work well with her Father & Mother being one of the premier heroes in the world.

 

Or would it...

 

She would ask later.

 

"Now that we got that out of the way." Said the crazy old man bringing order to the whole place.

 

"You all will start messing with your skills to find what you want." He said while pointing to the billboard.

 

"If anyone wants a fight to try and awaken their skills, introduce your name into that machine." He said while pointing to the other end of the arena where a screen with a holo keyboard was now.

 

"And just in case...Introduce your powered name, not your real one..." He said while massaging his temples.

 

There was a funny story in that.

 

But for now, she would stay away from that machine...

 

Not that anyone would want to fight her after that showcase...

 

Well, probably at least a few on the other half of the arena would...

 

Especially after they saw her spend that much stamina on the fight.

 

No...

 

She would deal first with the blue windows that were on the side of her view, she was expecting at least one extra level from all this arena fight shenanigans.

 

And then...

 

Then she would go into her [Soulscape] to get answers from a blonde asshole.