Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

Within the underground battle arena, the black-haired girl wielded a Silver Blade Sword, moving swiftly. The sword edge was almost impossible to clearly discern, its presence only indicated by the continuous clashing sounds in the air and the fleeting silver arc of the blade.

After a few moments, the ten crystal simulacra she was fighting against fell, shattering into a variety of crystal fragments and powder, which then slowly evaporated and disappeared into the air.

"Even so, these Sequence 4 crystal people are not agile and responsive enough. Yet, their body strength is somewhat stronger than that of an ordinary Sequence 4 Transcendent, and they are also controlled by AI to work together... However, they were still defeated in a short time," two seasoned teachers commented briefly from behind the screen on the other side of the battleground as they watched the girl stop her movements.

In everyday life, Tilan seemed fragile and delicate, but in battle, she was utterly decisive, her moves free of superfluous flourishes, very quick and clean.

"Actually, it wasn't like this at the beginning. Her swordsmanship at the start of the term still had a bit of an ancient style, leaning towards the beautiful and extravagant. But she learns quickly, and through continuous practice, she gradually optimized and adjusted on her own, discarding many unnecessary movements to finally form her current style."

"Swordsmanship moves often relate to the user's temperament and character. It seems that during this period, she's also grown significantly."

"Regarding swordsmanship, there's already no teacher in the Academy who can teach her anything new, at most they can serve as sparring partners and exchange ideas. What she lacks now is some real combat experience and the skills and knowledge to deal with various tactics."

"Real combat is complex and ever-changing; the opponent will not fight you honestly. Firearms, bombs, psychological interference, being surrounded by multiple attackers, ray weapons, etc., many tactics can cause significant trouble for those without experience the first time they encounter them."

"The same happened to Valke in his first year, such a pity, a genius whose future knew no bounds."

"Alright, she has finished her training now, let's go down and talk to her, and discuss the next steps in her training plan."

Soon after, the two high-ranked teachers left the observation room and went down to the practice field to talk to the black-haired girl.

"Good evening, Tilan." Both were Sequence 6, teachers within the Academy with extensive mission experience from before their tenure.

"Good evening, Teacher Bog, Teacher N." The girl sheathed her sword behind her back and bowed respectfully.

The two teachers, one slightly plump with a balding head, the other more toned, with well-defined muscles visible even through his coat.

"Today's training was very impressive, and we all admire it. Tilan, your talent and the speed of your improvement are astonishing. I often lament how fortunate the Academy is to have a child like you," Bog nodded slightly, his expression kind.

"However, the battlefield is much more complex than training. We will teach you how to handle all sorts of emergencies. Running away when necessary is also a strategy, and there's no shame in that," N continued his explanation behind his black glasses.

"Okay," the girl nodded.

"Originally, we weren't planning to expose you to this so soon, but considering recent events, it's better to explain some things earlier."

"Is it about Valke's incident?" Tilan had heard from her classmates recently.

"Correct, he was too reckless that day. Although he has been treated, the doctors say the aftereffects may be hard to completely eliminate, sigh," the teachers expressed their regret. Find your next read on empire

Afterward, having communicated Tilan's subsequent course schedule, they offered a few words of encouragement and then departed.

Days passed by day by day, and in the afternoon of yet another, having finished her studies, Tilan sat in a white tower within Edith Academy to rest. The tower was not too tall, and through the lattice-like windows inside, one could look down upon the lake and grass below.

Light and shadow alternated upon Tilan, illuminating her delicate neck with bright light, reflecting a soft halo that blurred the edges, while the girl's face lay in the shadows of the lattice, within the light grey shadows, her blue eyes appeared especially serene and captivating as she gazed out at the world.

As the girl was taking a break from her walk here, the ringing of a bell echoed through the quiet, spacious white tower.

"Teacher Fernandi, what's the matter?" The girl's soft voice filled the tower.

...

"I understand, it's about trying healing tonight, right? I'll prepare for it this evening."

...

"It's no trouble, I'm honored to help other students. The Academy has also helped me solve many problems in the past."

...

"Alright, see you tonight," she hung up the call.

After putting away her personal terminal, the girl took one last look at the view outside the window and then turned back, descending the spiraling staircase lightly to leave.

That night, stepping out from the underground elevator she'd taken, Tilan looked around. She was in a special ward area of the Academy's hospital, where the floors and walls were spotlessly clean, like mirrors made of glass.

Dressed differently than usual, she wore a mask today, with just her eyes showing through orange protective goggles, and her hands covered in long, black gloves. Her body was draped in a white coat that marked medical personnel, though she sported no badge on her chest.

After exiting the elevator, she was accompanied by two security guards, one in front and one behind, as they led her to one of the special wards.

There were no other doctors present tonight, only the attending physician, Patrick from the Academy, who stood by the bed looking at data, turning his head only when Tilan entered the room.

Without speaking, they nodded to each other, as they had already discussed everything beforehand; now they just needed to execute the plan.

Approaching the bed, Valke lay in a state of sleep, wearing a breathing mask.

"We've already put him under anesthesia in advance; you can begin now," came the doctor's voice through her earpiece, and Tilan nodded in response.

She stood beside the patient and then closed her eyes to sense carefully, searching for the spot on the spine that was marked on a nearby screen.

Once confirmed, she opened her eyes and looked at the doctor at her side, seemingly asking if she could start now.

The other party nodded, and shortly after, the sickroom was completely sealed off. Then the lights went off and all monitoring devices temporarily ceased operation.

Before long, specks of crystal dust emerged above the sickbed, and Tilan's eyes began to swirl with azure hues.

Gradually, the crystal dust settled down and vanished, while Tilan's forehead began to bead with sweat.

Healing wasn't difficult, but the standard of this request was different; it was almost a demand for perfect repair, and more complicated because it involved a living person, not an inanimate cold object.

Others were not like herself; she was extremely familiar with her own body and could easily trace back along the marks of time to find her past form, merging and mending it. However, dealing with others was a different story—beginning with the stranger's body, then finding the "correct" form amidst the remnants of past time.

As time ticked by, Patrick tried his best to remain silent while watching the girl work quietly, his gaze fixed intently on the screen displaying critical nodes.

Incredulous eyes bore witness as the originally damaged and incomplete nerves began to heal. It wasn't a matter of regrowth, but a reconstruction starting at the molecular level, restoring their previous structure.

Unwittingly, the pen in Patrick's hand had come to a halt, as he watched the scene that seemed like a reversal of time.

Finally, the repair was completed, and the light in the room slowly faded away, returning to a dim state.

After the treatment ended, the monitoring devices in the sickroom were reactivated, the lights turned back on, and everything returned to its usual state.

The girl nodded to Patrick and left the sickroom. She was escorted by two security personnel as she left the facility via underground elevator.

Very few within the academy were aware of this treatment, and even fewer knew the true identity of this mysterious individual. Even Patrick didn't know who she was, only aware that she was a professional summoned specifically by the academy's board of directors.

"She's probably a master from some independent faction, like 'Life Transposition' Gorsmi or 'Blood Worm' Aivas," he could only shake his head, comforting himself with that thought.

But regarding the spectacle he had just witnessed, he couldn't help but marvel; it was not simply healing but involved the use of transcendent powers on a higher level, something that only a handful of masters could master. And although he had reached Sequence 6 at the age of thirty, he was still far behind in terms of such transcendent skills.

Luckily for Valke, the academy had managed to bring in such a person; otherwise, the young man would likely have lived with regrets for the rest of his life.

Dispelling thoughts of those unattainable figures, Patrick turned around, began to reverse Valke's anesthetized state, and inquired about his current feelings.

A few minutes later, Valke came to and looked at the ceiling, bright as daylight, then Patrick's head appeared in his view.

"Teacher," he called out with a hint of melancholy, becoming increasingly aware of his physical condition over the past two days, not as carefree as in the beginning.

"Don't rush. Lie back, slowly feel your body, perceive everything carefully, then try to exert force slowly. Be cautious during the process and don't apply too much strength."

"Okay." Although he didn't understand why, Valke did as instructed.

Soon after, a look of joy appeared on his face.

"I feel better than I have ever before, as if I don't have any sequelae left. Does this mean I'm completely healed?"

"Teacher, did you heal me?" He couldn't hide the hope in his voice.

"It should be healed, but the credit doesn't go to me. It was an unknown master who did it."

"About their identity... I don't know either. Maybe if you achieve greatness in the future, you might learn it from the academy's board of directors," Patrick shook his head.

"Be grateful, Valke; you've been given another chance to start over. You can't be reckless like this again. Such fortune won't come a second time."

"I understand, thank you, Teacher Patrick." Though usually composed, Valke was, after all, young, and his eyes couldn't hide the joy within.

"Alright, there's no need to hold it in. I understand how you feel," Patrick said as he carefully helped Valke sit up against the half-raised hospital bed.

"What would you like for a celebratory late-night snack tonight, to celebrate your new beginning?"

As the two's mood improved and they talked about the evening's delights and the future, Tilan had also changed out of the clothes that concealed her identity and stepped out of the underground into the night. She traversed the academy grounds, heading towards the path back to her vine-covered house.

Her personal terminal rang again, and the girl picked it up to answer.

"I just heard that Valke's second checkup is complete, and he's fully recovered now."

"I know."

"Er... I'm not sure how to say this, but I really am thankful, Tilan. The board of directors asked me to extend their goodwill to you, too."

"There's no need for thanks, really, because I already got my salvation, like that night in the ruins of the Underground City."

"Let's talk some other time, Professor Fernandi; I'm a bit tired tonight."

"Sure, get some rest. The academy will take care of the rest for you," he said.

After hanging up, Fernandi also had many thoughts running through his head, marveling at the girl who had been timid and shy during registration, and how much she had grown now.

Perhaps this was a stroke of luck for Edith Academy; they finally had an ace up their sleeve to trump the one at Saint Ingo Academy.

Jade Skirt, or rather Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain, was about to experience some change too.