In the pit where mud and rainwater had gathered into a dark, murky soup, Bella stood ankle-deep in the filth. Lightning cracked across the sky, briefly illuminating the scene in a flash of electric silver.
The momentary brilliance lit up the silhouette of Bella, one foot firmly pressing down on the chest of the hockey-masked monster below her. The creature thrashed wildly, but Bella held firm, unflinching.
She looked down, her expression hidden behind her V-shaped mask, her voice low and almost disappointed.
"Just as I thought… pure physical force still can't kill this thing."
The monster beneath her snarled, seemingly feeling real fear for the first time.
And so, Bella decided it was time to stop holding back.
In a flash, her entire aura shifted.
A golden radiance burst out around her—pale, noble, and divine. Magic energy surged from her core, flowing like a tidal wave through her limbs and into the air itself. The rain around her seemed to evaporate on contact.
Streams of golden energy coiled around her body, dancing like ribbons in a divine wind. Her long hair lifted on the current, glowing with a subtle halo. Her eyes shone like twin suns.
Ancient.
Holy.
Unyielding.
She looked like a goddess descended from Olympus—elegant, powerful, and terrifying.
The masked monster roared again, the sound reverberating across the mountains, filled with primal rage and the fear of annihilation. It thrashed, trying to throw her off.
But Bella didn't budge.
She raised her right foot slightly—and then drove it down with all the force she had.
BOOM—!
The mountain trembled.
From the deep crater where Bella stood, a column of brilliant golden light shot upward, piercing the heavens like a sword of judgment.
The clouds above churned into a vortex, twisting and spiraling toward the sky like a celestial drain. Thunder exploded with deafening force, and lightning zigzagged across the sky in a dance of divine wrath.
Even ten kilometers away, people could see the golden beam of light shooting into the storm clouds above Forks.
It was no longer just a fight.
It was a spectacle of divine punishment.
The Karen family and the Quileute werewolves could only watch from a distance, utterly silent. For a moment, all of nature seemed to bow to the raw force Bella had unleashed.
And within the beam of light, they saw it—clearly.
The figure of the black-skeletal monster writhing in agony.
Its essence—bones, blood, soul—was being burned away.
Scrubbed.
Erased.
Purified.
And finally… extinguished.
Edward inhaled slowly, breaking the silence. "It's gone."
Carlisle nodded, though the awe hadn't left his eyes. "Truly gone."
They had all battled that creature. They knew how horrifying it was—how invincible. Conventional weapons meant nothing. Even the supernatural strength of vampires and werewolves barely scratched it.
And yet, this woman had destroyed it.
Completely.
In under three minutes.
Three minutes.
The shock ran deep. It wasn't just fear. It was something else—something more primal. Reverence, perhaps.
They stood there, soaked by the storm, eyes locked on the fading golden light.
And then she emerged.
From the pit she had carved into the mountain, Bella stepped out, her black suit seemingly untouched by rain or battle. Her posture was relaxed, graceful, as though she had simply finished a casual workout.
She approached the stunned group without a word.
The Quileute wolves, now returned to their human forms, were a line of half-naked men, their muscular forms trembling slightly—not from cold, but from awe.
Bella's eyes swept over them with casual appreciation. She tilted her head slightly.
So that's what a proper male physique looks like, she mused. Shame I'm not one anymore…
She let out a tiny sigh. The last flicker of her former masculinity, buried deep within, stirred briefly—before she brushed it away.
She looked to Edward and the Cullen family. They said nothing. Neither did she.
Then she turned.
And without another word, she walked away, vanishing into the jungle.
The leader of the werewolf pack opened his mouth as if to stop her—but the memory of the crater and the divine light silenced him. He closed it again, defeated.
"I'll be leaving soon," came Bella's voice, calm and clear, as if whispered by the wind.
"Don't worry."
And then she was gone.
Leaving behind two of the most powerful supernatural clans in stunned silence.
Later that night.
Back home, the storm still poured outside, but Bella's home remained untouched. The magical field that surrounded it had repelled the worst of the weather, leaving her windows spotless and dry.
She stepped inside, pulled off her jacket, and sighed.
Still barely 8 PM.
She glanced at the untouched coffee cup she'd poured before her "little outing." It was still warm. She dumped it out, made a fresh cup, and sank into her sofa, the TV muttering nonsense in the background.
She picked up a book from the coffee table: an old hardcover about swordsmanship.
Her eyes narrowed in thought.
Then, with a flick of her wrist, she opened her system panel.
Catherine Isa Bella
Strength: D-
Stamina: C+
Agility: D+
Magic: D-
Mental Power: E+
Luck: C
Noble Phantasm: None
Riding: D
Intuition: D+
Temperament: A
She sipped her coffee and analyzed the numbers.
Strength, agility, and magic power had all increased—each by one level. It might seem like a minor gain to an outsider, but Bella knew how hard that kind of leap actually was.
Especially since nothing she killed before had given her anything.
Only something like the masked undead monster had offered that kind of growth.
Her magic had increased too—but not by much. She felt the cost. The golden beam of divine light? That had nearly drained her completely.
She could only use it once in a fight.
Maybe twice, if she risked unconsciousness afterward.
Her mastery over magic was still rough, lacking precision. It was power without finesse. She had no training, no innate "Magic Usage" attribute in her system.
Not yet.
Same for swordsmanship.
She had none of it listed yet.
Because she hadn't earned it.
I probably need to train it actively to get it to register, she reasoned.
Which was why, recently, she'd been diving into all sorts of sword manuals—western fencing, kendo, historical knight techniques. She even started watching videos of martial arts masters on YouTube, learning different styles.
Bella's brain—empowered by magic and her enhanced comprehension—absorbed theory like a sponge.
Her memory was perfect.
Her interpretation flawless.
What she lacked was combat experience with a sword. Real mastery.
The kind that only came with practice.
"King Arthur…" she muttered to herself.
"He was famous for swordsmanship, wasn't he? Wielded Excalibur and Avalon."
She tilted her head.
"Ex… curry stick, right?"
She grinned.
"I think I could probably recreate something like that. The theory behind Excalibur's beam attack is just compressed magical energy. That's physics. I can work with that. Once I refine my control…"
Her thoughts were racing now.
Excitement buzzing behind her golden eyes.
"I've got the idea for the finishing move. I just need the weapon to carry it."
She paused.
"…What do I do about Avalon?"
She sat back in the chair, steam rising from her cup.
The storm outside rolled on.
But inside, Bella was already planning her next leap.
A warrior.
A magician.
And maybe… something more.
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