An Unborn Hero

Mystery thought very hard about a series of purple lines criss-crossed with streaks of blue, white dots dripping from them like rain.

Her mana responded, a bolt of white lightning leaping from where she was hovering to the target they'd set up in their garden, her mystical vision flashing in the angry yellow of thunder.

ding
By putting in your own effort and learning from a talented teacher, you have unlocked the [Lightning Bolt] skill.

"What?" asked the aforementioned teacher, who had first demonstrated the spell a mere couple of minutes earlier. "How did you... What did you... Just... Huh?"

"Just roll with it. She's pretty quick when it comes to magic," said Kellela. "Not so hot at physical combat, of course."

Mystery wished her legs had grown out a bit so that she could kick her mum from the inside, but alas, legs were still a feature of her distant future.

She cast [Lightning Bolt] a couple more times instead, before mana exhaustion put a pause to her practice. Not a long one, given that she could simply pop over to Kellela and sponge off her, but it was still an annoying limitation. A [Hero] might have high mana capacity, with [Spell Forger] and [Mana Storage] improving things further, but they were all simple multipliers, boosting the capacity she already had. As small as she was, that was very little.

ding
For taking aim at the world record for emptying and refilling your tank, [Mana Absorption] advances to level 4.

Being able to tap the mana supply of an adult [Court Mage] was almost as big a cheat for learning magic as her [Hero] status. At the low level of four, employing [Drain Mana] on a stranger would be a slow process, but Kellela was no stranger. Mystery was literally plumbed in to her, and her mana had near perfect compatibility. She could refill from empty in under a minute.

"Well, you... seem to have mastered that. Shall we move on?" suggested the tutor, who was feeling that his presence was somewhat superfluous to requirements. If Mystery could learn a spell from a two-minute description of the required image and a single demonstration, she may as well read a book.

"... Time... stop..." whispered Mystery to Kellela, leaving it to her to translate.

She didn't bother, already knowing the answer herself. "There was a research group at Rumah Magika that theorised stopping time was possible, but that the mana requirements would be somewhere between a hundred thousand and a million times my capacity per second."

Mystery pondered, having wanted a time stop spell for a very specific reason. Rose was very good at twirling when transforming, but it was hardly a proper transformation sequence, and the others didn't put any effort in at all. It was an oversight that needed to be fixed. Being able to throw lightning around was cool, but it wasn't going to help this particular problem.

Thankfully, Mystery wasn't completely engrossed with ensuring proper magical girl behaviour to the expense of all else. Her thoughts were actually steeped in logic, albeit the sort of logic that certainly wouldn't have occurred to a less single-track-minded individual.

"This group is, in a couple of weeks, going to charge into the demonic forest with levels that, according to Rrillandral, are nowhere near what's required to survive in there. Yes, Rrillandral is an exception, having accompanied other heroes. Kellela and Hayedalf are fairly high-levelled too, but not in combat or survival skills. Rose has only just graduated from [Apprentice Swordsman] and Grace is a healer. Talented for her age, sure, but still young, and whose only experience in real combat has been since she became Jasper White. If we head into the forest like this, we're all going to die."

That much was a given, and everyone agreed with it. It was why they'd all taken the time to learn [Magical Girl Transformation], a spell which could give them the power they needed not only to survive, but to win. But it could be even better.

"The spell description says that the boost is bigger when acting to defend and protect, and indeed, they've measured it. Transforming for no reason results in the spell being greatly weakened. They get stronger when acting like proper magical girls, and weaker when they don't. But I don't think it ends there. Rose learnt the [Dancing] skill while she was still on her way to an occupation change, which means [Dancing] is considered a proper part of her new class. A class which is based around being a magical girl. There's nothing in the spell description about dancing, but neither is there about required ages or gender. There's more to being a magical girl than the obligation to defend and protect, so if I taught them to act properly, they could get even stronger!"

ding
For analysing available information and reaching a conclusion, [Investigation] advances to level 3.

Mystery beamed at the notification, her mind automatically inserting the word 'correct' between 'a' and 'conclusion'. "... Sparkles...?" she asked Kellela hopefully.

Back indoors, Grace was teaching a new dance to Rose. It wasn't the most productive use of their time, but Grace had no intention of doing schoolwork that early in the morning. Both were low on mana, and any sort of physical training was better than simply sitting around waiting for it to recover. Besides, they both enjoyed it.

At least until Grace shuddered, the distraction causing her to trip over her own feet, sending the pair sprawling to the floor.

"Are you okay?" asked Rose.

"I'm... not sure. I just had the strangest sense that something terrible has happened."

"[Danger Sense]? But mine didn't fire."

"No; I don't have that skill. And... it didn't feel dangerous. Just... some sort of terrible disturbance."

The pair fell silent for a moment.

"Uh... Would you mind getting off me?" asked Rose.

"Okay, I have to ask. Why?" asked the [Combat Mage Instructor] as Mystery employed a series of miniaturised [Light], [Lightning Bolt] and [Fireball] spells to put on a small pyrotechnics display.

"It's certainly pretty, but I doubt you'll be impressing any demons with it," agreed Rose, who'd wandered outside to watch once Grace had left for the academy.

"... Transformation..." whispered Mystery.

"Sorry?" asked Kellela. "I think I missed part of that."

"... Dance... Proper... Sequence..."

"I'm afraid your level of [Telepathy] isn't enough to get across something so complicated. Can you break it down?"

A frustrated Mystery pondered how best to relay her message when half her words got lost in transit. "... Transformation... dance..." she managed.

"Transformation dance?" translated Kellela, and Mystery flashed with green.

ding
For successfully sharing an unconventional message, [Telepathy] advances to level 6.

"Huh? There's a dance we're supposed to do to transform? Or after transforming? Or while transforming?"

"... While... Stronger..."

Kellela translated again, causing Rose to go wide eyed. "Are you saying that if we dance while transforming, we'll be stronger?"

Mystery flashed again with green.

Being the eager girl that she was, Rose immediately gave it a go, chanting her catchphrase. For the first time in the history of the multiverse, a magical girl transformed while performing the local equivalent of a solo waltz.

She also fell over a few seconds before it finished.

"Oof. Don't think I had all my mana back," she groaned from floor level, before throwing up over the grass.

"I'm... fairly sure that wasn't the sort of dance Mystery meant," hedged Kellela, to which Mystery flashed green agreement.

"... Interesting... though..."

"Give me a second to take Rose to bed and fetch some weights, and we'll do some research," said Kellela. Even if she wasn't a combat mage, she was more than capable of making some flashy lighting effects.

"I'll... just leave then, shall I?" asked the [Combat Mage Instructor], who everyone seemed to have forgotten about.

"While I'm grabbing equipment, teach Mystery some defensive magic, please."

"... Is it good or bad that I'm not sure I know enough defensive magic to occupy that amount of time?" grumbled the instructor, but got on with his task anyway. His pessimism was misplaced, however; Mystery had only learnt two more spells by the time Kellela returned a few minutes later.

ding
By putting in your own effort and learning from a talented teacher, you have unlocked the [Wall of Light] skill.
By putting in your own effort and learning from a talented teacher, you have unlocked the [Energy Resistance] skill.

"This is confusing," grumbled Mystery to herself. "Why aren't spells listed separately from skills? [Energy Resistance] sounds like it should be a passive buff, not a spell. Or perhaps there's a sub-skill for it that makes it passive?"

She waited hopefully for a second, but [Investigation] failed to level.

"... Or not. But another thing; how come all these spells are uncommon? Given what everyone is saying, it looks like [Magical Girl Transformation] is actually really powerful, but even that is only rare. What the heck would an epic or legendary spell do? Can I upgrade [Magical Girl Transformation]? Give them all evolved forms? And my level is higher, especially with the boost from [Spell Forger], which means they're stronger if I cast it, but what if I cast it after they've already transformed themselves? Do they stack? I need to find out. Argg... I blame Mum! I've inherited her research fixation."

"Okay, I think we're ready," said Kellela, interrupting Mystery's musings by summoning a set of weights out of a storage ring. "I'll cast on myself, so you continue practising your new spells."

"No chance..." thought Mystery, immediately devoting her full attention to Kellela. She tested herself against the weights, transformed herself, tried again, then waited the handful of minutes it took for her transformation to expire.

"Uh... Can you look away?" she asked the instructor.

And then she danced. There were indeed flashy lighting effects. Of course, she was still merging her local idea of what dancing entailed together with the lighting show Mystery had put on, which made for an unusual combination by Mystery's standards, but somehow, it still worked.

A furiously blushing fourteen-year-old Kellela didn't even bother making her way to the weights.

"Well... Damn..." she said, staring at the new occupation on her status.

A [Travelling Merchant] hid trembling under his wagon, eyes screwed shut. The sounds of battle had quietened, but he was under no delusions as to the winner; his guards hadn't stood a chance. Their attacker hadn't made any demands or given them the chance to surrender. She'd simply started killing, and he saw no reason why he would be spared. She obviously wasn't a conventional bandit.

She obviously wasn't human. The merchant had heard some interesting rumours over the preceding week, and he could put two and two together. Demons had invaded the kingdom, and he'd had the misfortune of meeting one.

Now he was going to die, and there was nothing whatsoever he could do about it. The best he could hope for was that it wouldn't be painful.

"Boo!" said the demon, right in front of his face.

A quiet squelch suggested the uncontrolled expulsion of colonic waste.

"Don't cry, little baby," continued the demon with sadistic glee, while her tail sniggered independently. "I'm here for the [Hero], not for you, so be a good dear and fetch him for me, would you?"

Things fell silent, but it was some minutes before the merchant risked opening his eyes. There was no-one there. Half a dozen guards lay in various states of dismemberment, his horses beheaded with them. The wagon still seemed intact, but his goods had been trashed, except for a barrel of brandy which had gone missing in its entirety, no doubt being enjoyed by the murderous demon.

Dearly wishing the demon hadn't taken the only strong alcohol he had, the merchant made do with a change of clothes, then continued his trek towards the capital on foot.

Spoiler

Mystery (Human)
Age: -9 months
Occupation: Hero (L)
Skills:
- Soul's Eye (U) (35/100)
>> Sense Vitality (U)
>> Sense Soul (R)
>> Sense Mana (U)
>> Sense Light (C)
>> Sense Sound (C)
>> Pierce Illusions (U)
>> Sense Miasma (R)
>> Multi-focal (R)
>> Sense Spirit (R)
- Astral Projection (U) (22/60)
>> Sure Navigation (U)
>> Uncontainable (U)
>> Tether of Will (L)
- Robust (C) (20/40)
>> Hardened Soul (R)
>> Secured Mana (U)
>> Pain Tolerance (C)
- Stealth (C) (3/20)
>> Camouflage Vitality (R)
- Magical Girl Transformation (R) (20/30)
>> Age Correction (R)
>> Gender Bending (R)
- Light (C) (12/20)
>> Heterochrome (U)
- Increased Attributes (C) (10/20)
>> Mana Storage (U)
- Investigation (C) (3/10)
- Cosplay (U) (2/10)
- Mana Absorption (U) (4/20)
>> Drain Mana (U)
- Translate (U) (4/10)
- Telepathy (U) (6/20)
>> Reciprocity (U)
- Lightning Bolt (U) (2/10)
- Fireball (U) (2/10)
- Wall of Light (U) (1/10)
- Energy Resistance (U) (1/10)
Achievements:
- Early Bloomer II (R)
- First Skill (C)
- Journeyman (U)
- Survivor of Zarklaxxos, the Arcane Infernal (R)
- I Broke The System, And All I Got Was This Lousy Achievement (E)
- Astral Explorer I (R)
- First Spell (C)
- I Broke The System Again, And Now The Administrators Hate Me (E)
- Spell Forger (R)
- Demon Slayer II (E)
- Monster Slayer V (E)
- Curiosity (U)
- War Veteran (U)
- Royal Audience (C)
- Diligent Hero (L)
- Studious (C)
- Pioneering Guider (E)
- Royal Pervert (R)

[collapse]