The goblins, emboldened by the death of the soldiers and the maid, surged forward, eager to tear Aeris apart next. But she was ready. Her heart pounded in her chest, not from fear, but from the exhilaration of what was to come.

She extended her hand, feeling the familiar surge of magic course through her veins. The System’s upgrades had enhanced her abilities tenfold, and she was about to unleash them for the first time.

“Let’s see how well this works,” she muttered under her breath, her eyes narrowing on the approaching goblins.

Her fingertips glowed with a faint blue light as she summoned her first spell: Ice Spears. Shards of crystalline ice materialized in the air around her, sharp and deadly, before launching themselves at the goblins. The first row of creatures was impaled instantly, their bodies skewered by the ice as they screeched in agony.

The remaining goblins hesitated, but Aeris wasn’t done. She raised both hands this time, her lips curling into a cruel smile.

With a whisper, she summoned her next spell: Glacial Blast.

A wave of freezing wind erupted from her hands, engulfing the entire group of goblins in an instant. The temperature plummeted, frost forming on the ground as the goblins’ limbs froze solid, their grotesque bodies encased in ice.

 Their panicked screams were cut short as the cold consumed them, turning them into grotesque statues of frozen death.

In a matter of seconds, the ambush was over.

Aeris surveyed the scene with cold detachment. The road was littered with frozen corpses—both human and goblin. 

Blood stained the ground, mixing with the shards of ice that glistened in the fading light.

 Her heart barely fluttered as she took it all in. This was just the beginning.

Without sparing another glance at Esther’s lifeless form, Aeris turned and made her way back to the carriage. 

Her pristine gown, once stained with blood, was now spotless—thanks to a quick spell to clean away the evidence of the massacre.

She climbed inside, shutting the door behind her.

 There was no need to wait for anyone else. She would complete this journey alone.

As the carriage resumed its path toward Priscilla Academy, Aeris leaned back in her seat, her mind already on the next challenge.

 The Academy would be full of potential threats, rivals, and enemies. 

But now, she had the power to deal with all of them.

And she wouldn’t hesitate to use it.

Thevcarriage rocked gently as it continued its journey through the darkening forest. The quiet creak of the wooden wheels and the rhythmic clopping of the horses should have lulled Aeris into a state of calm, but sleep eluded her. Instead, her mind wandered, replaying the events of the ambush.

Esther’s blood still stained the hem of her white leggings, a glaring reminder of the maid’s final moments.

 Aeris hadn’t flinched, hadn’t hesitated to crush her throat. She had been ruthlessly efficient, something the Aeris of this world was known for. But deep down, there was a lingering question. 

Was this truly her, or had the System altered her in some way?

In her old life, Nagisa Minazuki had been meek, passive, a pacifist. She had avoided conflict, always trying to stay out of harm’s way. But now, here she was—bold, confident, and willing to get her hands dirty. 

There was no hesitation in her actions, no guilt gnawing at her conscience.

She stared at her bloodied leggings, her mind spiraling. The sight of Esther’s blood clinging to the fabric was what snapped her back to reality. Her brow furrowed in vexation.

“How revolting”

Her gaze shifted out of the carriage window, spotting a river up ahead, glistening in the moonlight. 

She needed to clean herself, to rid her body of the remnants of the day’s violence.

“Stop the carriage,” she commanded, her voice stern yet calm.

The driver obeyed without question, bringing the horses to a halt near the riverbank.

 Aeris stepped out into the cool night air, the scent of damp earth and babbling water filling her lungs as she skipped toward the river's edge.