Safira, with impressive dexterity, conjured two spheres of fire and, with a quick and precise movement, launched them, striking two opponents dead on who disappeared, engulfed by the flames.
Without hesitating, she joined her hands in a peculiar gesture, as if diving, projecting an incandescent spear toward the third adversary, who vanished in a bright light.
Then, with an agile movement, she spun and dealt a precise blow to the nape of the fourth enemy, making him disappear in the same way.
While Safira faced the opponents with bravery, Brighid, sitting on a nearby rock, watched the fight with contagious enthusiasm.
Safira had asked Brighid to face the enemies alone, even if that meant being knocked out.
"Colin trained you well!" quipped Brighid, finishing her braid falling over her shoulder. "I didn't know you had gotten so strong."
Safira brushed the dust off her clothes and brushed a lock of hair from her eyes, tucking it behind her pointed ear.
"Do you think he is okay?" asked Safira, approaching Brighid.
"Colin? Don't worry, he'll be fine... I hope..."
Safira remembered how Brighid was behaving unusually regarding Colin.
Brighid always had a peculiar way about her, but her attitude seemed to have intensified since she assumed that form, becoming more… intense.
"What is there between you and Mr. Colin?"
That question caught Brighid by surprise. She widened her eyes and looked around, fiddling with her braid nonstop while swinging her feet.
"No-Nothing! Why did you ask that?"
"Whenever I see you together, I remember my parents." Safira gave a silly smile. "I believe you remind me of home… and that is good, right?" She put her hands behind her back and kicked a stone, blushing. "It seems silly, but it's as if I had a father and a mother again…"
Brighid would forget that Safira was a traumatized girl, but she wasn't wrong. Both Colin and she were raising Safira as if they were her parents, and she obeyed them as if she were a daughter.
Having lost her father early, she saw Colin as a father figure to be followed, no matter how distorted it was.
"Come here!" Brighid called her, waving her hands, and Safira went to her with her hands behind her back, all embarrassed.
Brighid gently stroked Safira's hair, letting a discreet smile escape.
Sometimes, Brighid imagined the three as a real family, although she felt a certain embarrassment admitting it. After all, it wasn't common for fairies to get so close to other non-mystical species.
However, despite her reservations, Brighid couldn't deny the joy and intense feelings she experienced when she was near Safira and, especially, in Colin's company.
Her heart beat faster in his presence, and she felt a strange and electric sensation run through her whole body.
For Brighid, who had lived 1374 years, it was a completely new experience.
She tried to find an explanation for these feelings, initially associating them with the fact of having grown recently.
However, she quickly discarded that idea, as she had already gone through that transformation previously without experiencing anything like it.
It all started with a simple meeting of eyes, when Brighid was still a small fairy. In that moment, something awakened inside her, an inexplicable and powerful connection.
As time passed and they spent more time together, the sensations Brighid experienced being near him intensified in an overwhelming way.
However, this whirlwind of emotions and conflicting feelings left Brighid unsettled. She wanted to be normal, act as if everything was fine, but the truth was that his presence affected her deeply, making it almost impossible to hide.
As much as she tried to seem natural and not draw attention, her efforts only made her more noticeable and peculiar.
The fear of seeming strange and the insecurity that came with it made her even more anxious, creating a cycle in which her attempt to be normal made her seem even more peculiar.
"Let's move on!" said Brighid, rising from the rock. "We can find one or two other teams if we go this wa—"
Brighid suddenly became serious. She stared deep into the forest and frowned.
"There is someone coming, someone strong."
It wasn't common for Brighid to be impressed by someone's strength.
From the brush, a duo of men dressed as nobles emerged. One of them was blond with long hair; the other, a Black Elf with short hair who exuded a sinister energy.
Brighid normally identified enemies from kilometers away, even if they used skills to hide themselves, but she hadn't managed to sense them approaching.
Safira stood on guard and Brighid did the same.
"Finally, we found you!" said the blond man. "My name is Anton, my friend here is Crizyus." He bowed. "Crizyus was afraid to fight you, but I told him: It's just a woman and a girl, there is nothing threatening about that. I've crushed other women and girls before."
"Don't count on that too much!" said Safira, conjuring a longsword of fire without reciting an enchantment.
Anton shook his hands.
"Look, girl, if I were you, I would get out of here as fast as possible. Although I want to crush you, my business here is with the cutie with green hair."
Safira knew very well that Brighid was vulnerable against humans, and if she faced Anton, it could be a very big problem, since that blond boy emanated one of the most horrifying manas she had ever felt.
Tsk… that redhead Elf seems to have sucked part of Miss Brighid's mana too… no matter, I can protect her!
"I'm not going anywhere!" Safira assumed her fighting stance, holding the sword by her chest and raising it to head height.
"Crizyus!" called Anton. "Don't interfere! If the girl wants to be beaten, then she will be."
Anton grinned and curled his fingers while flexing his knees.
Brighid stared at the Elf, but he showed no signs that he would interfere in the combat. What caught her attention the most was the fact that someone like Anton was taking a test exclusive for freshmen.
"Safira!" called Brighid, taking a step back. "You know about my condition, so I will do my best to give you maximum support! Use what you learned with Colin, observe the enemy and try to intercept him. Don't be reckless, and most important of all, stay calm!"
"Leave it to me!"