Reborn To Master Time

Strategy is a vital component in battle.

When facing someone with either superior Authority or higher stats, the only way to win is through strategy. I’ve never been a fan of fancy swordplay and the like, so my fighting style is based on efficiency rather than mastery of any particular skill. As such, even when faced with someone possessing superior sword skills, I would use any underhanded tactics to throw them off and force them into a game they’re not used to.

This is why the Giant Killers, in particular, are a bad match for me. In a battle between those with equal stats or equally powerful Authorities, the deciding factor always comes down to experience. And for the Giant Killers, experience was their greatest strength. It wasn't a superior Authority that gave them their titles. Instead, It was the use of a far inferior one to take down someone above them—a mix of strategy and experience.

Without experience, could I win?

“Come at me all at once!” The Giant Killer’s voice reverberated throughout the cave, causing unease among everyone present. But as his statement suggested, he didn’t rush forward; he simply waited for us to act. Leven was the first to move, pacing forward with calculated steps, and his teammates gradually followed. They had already split back into their original 4-man teams and tried to rush the intruders from all angles.

Excellent.

Leven wasn’t unafraid, nor was he overconfident in his abilities; he was simply fulfilling his duty as a leader. If he showed any hesitation, the rest of his team would have frozen in place. The teachings among the noble families really were effective. After all, they were creating future leaders.

Roran also joined them from behind, tailing one of the teams. There were three teams in total: one flanked from the right, another from the left, while Leven’s team went straight ahead with Roran following behind. Despite my suggestion to target the Giant Killer, it seemed they were prepared to fight the woman too. That’s good.

I reached into my pockets, taking out two pieces of paper and channeling mana into them. The guns I’d received from Lily’s classmate were excellent, but they didn’t last very long, so I had to create many of them and store them in these paper scrolls. So far, I’d used one of the guns, and it disappeared immediately after an hour of use. I had created four in total just in case, and at the moment, I summoned two of them, holding one in each hand. I wasn’t very advanced in this fighting style, but I trusted my Authority would assist me in many ways.

“The three of us will go after the woman,” I said to the two standing in front of me. After the teleportation incident with the masked woman, we decided it would be best not to stand in each other’s blind spots while remaining within striking distance of each other. Though it would make it a lot harder to strategize, it was necessary to limit that woman’s movement.

Bang~! A dust cloud erupted from the entrance of the cave as a sword crashed into the ground with a loud impact.

“Ahhh!” Screams echoed throughout the cave as the students hyped themselves up, attacking the two intruders with all their might.

“Are you sure we can win?” Rin asked as she watched the fight ahead.

It was a brutal battle. One moment, a student suddenly switched places with the woman, and she immediately swung at another student’s back, causing their whole formation to break apart as they dodged and scattered. Her presence introduced a chaotic element into the battle, but luckily, the students quickly adapted and gradually closed off their blind spots.

“Sharon is down!” a student screamed, and at the same time, another student fell to the ground after getting punched in the stomach by the Giant Killer.

He’s still holding back.

“I’m assuming you’re aware of the situation,” I said out loud, but Rin seemed confused as she looked at me, so I pointed at my ear.

“I am. We’ve already pulled out most of the students, but it seems all the floors with class leaders have been tampered with,” Professor Pierce explained as I listened through the earpiece. So Liam and Precious were also targeted? Of course, this wasn’t the only factor. For example, Precious should be with Lily wherever she is. Liam was with Thorian and other reputable students. I was here with Roran and Lithe even. This wasn’t a casual attack.

“Can you still use the bird?” I asked as I continued to watch the battle. Two students had fallen so far. Are they trying to kidnap us? Maybe assassinate specific students? My mind raced through multiple possibilities.

“Sorry, but I can’t prioritize one student over the—”

“That’s not why I asked.” I cut him off as he was explaining. As he had explained, he could indirectly teleport one student using the bird summonings he’d given the class leaders. Since it was made as an emergency option, the tampering of the floor wouldn’t affect it that much.

“I can. But why does that matter? I’m sure you’re already aware of what you should be doing from here on out,” he continued to speak in a calm tone. If it were any other student, I doubted he would have told them such a cruel thing.

“How much time do we need?” I asked.

“One hour. That’s how long it will take for everyone to be forced back here,” he explained, and I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. I looked up, and in the high-ceilinged cave, a dark raven was flying around in circles.

“I might need you to cast a few spells for me. Our opponent is a spatial magic user, so I’ll need your help,” I said.

“That won’t be a problem, but there are some restrictions to what I can do.”

“It’s fine. I’ll plan around them. Just tell me what you can do,” I prompted him, and he immediately started to explain, keeping everything as simple as possible. That’s really limited. Compared to his usual capabilities, the ones listed might as well have been party tricks, but then again, the fact that he could cast his Authority across a closed space was already a huge feat.

“I’ll need a simple portal connecting two points. Keep the bird floating behind my head when I give the signal.” I gave a vague instruction while explaining my plan, making sure Ruby and Rin were completely unaware of it. Sloppy execution might cost them their lives this time.

The bird came toward us, landing on my shoulder, and I quickly plucked one of its feathers. Because the professor couldn’t get a signal from our smartwatches, we had to use the bird to relay coordinates in real-time. This way, he would be able to create a small portal between the location of the bird and one of its feathers—two coordinates. This might work.

“Now then, let’s try a more chaotic approach first,” I said as I stepped forward, holding a gun in each hand. The preparations are complete. The fact that the woman hadn’t targeted us yet confirmed a few theories I had in mind about her Authority.

“We’re going to target the woman. Ignore the Giant Killer,” I said to the two, and they nodded in understanding. By this point, I counted three students who had already fallen at the hands of the intruders. Lithe and Roran seemed to be using a more laid-back approach without going all out.

They’re trying to tire him out.

As the two strongest fighters on our side, it would be bad if they were the first to get worn out. My small team ran toward the chaotic battlefield while keeping some space between us as we rushed into the fray. The students had also adopted a similar approach, leaving as much space as possible between each other to counter the masked woman.

The Giant Killer was the first to notice us, and he instantly laughed, shouting,

"Oh, you’ve finally chosen to fight!?" Even as he said this, he weaved his body to the side, dodging a student’s sword from behind him. He then casually kicked the tip of the sword, pushing it up and throwing the student off balance. In a fluid motion, he punched the student in the stomach, knocking them toward the wall. Bang~! The student crashed, coughing up a mouthful of blood before falling to her knees, and clutching her stomach.

His blows are heavier than the E+ Golems.

I aimed one of my guns at him, casting [Future Sight] and [Time Perception] simultaneously. Rin and Ruby looked at me with confusion, likely wondering why I was suddenly targeting him instead of the woman. I used an ample amount of mana to set the speed just above E-rank and aimed straight at his stomach. It wasn’t a speed someone at E-rank could easily react to. I then put my finger on the trigger, and as I did, the possible future played out before me.

This won’t do.

After concluding as much, I turned off [Time Perception] and turned my gun to the side, switching targets. However, I wasn’t aiming at the masked woman.

“Huh?” Rin’s eyes widened as she faced the barrel of my gun, aimed at her stomach, and as if realizing my intention, she frowned and said,

“You’re a monster.”

“W-why?” Ruby asked, her meek voice barely audible as she stared at me. Why are they making this look overly dramatic? I could feel the masked woman and the Giant Killer watching me curiously while still fighting the students around them. Talk about field of vision. Did they have eyes at the back of their heads or something?

“Sorry, but choose. Left or right?” I asked Rin and she stared at me for a bit before clicking her tongue and responding.

“Right.” She replied. I aimed at her left leg and pulled the trigger, still using [Object Perception] with the above E-rank speed.

Bang!

“Fuck!” Rin shouted as she looked at her thigh, but instead of complaining to me, she quickly reached into her pocket, pulling out a white patch and trying to close the wound. Blood dripped from her thigh, staining her skirt as it flowed down into her socks. That looks painful.

“What an interesting ability,” the Giant Killer said, glancing at his thigh, where a visible patch of blood had suddenly wet his trousers, almost as if he had been the one I shot at.

“I’m somewhat disappointed. I thought you would counter that one,” I casually said to him, but he continued to smile as he assaulted the students around him. The precision and speed of his attacks hadn’t changed one bit, but then again, he was still running on adrenaline, so I wasn’t expecting to see an immediate change.

“Hahaha. What a cheeky brat. I don't have any skill that can dodge spatial attachment,” he said while continuing to brawl. Spatial attachment? I wasn’t sure if I would call it that, but Rin’s attack was, in a way, moving across space. Does it fall within spatial magic? Well, that’s an interesting outlook.

“Well, maybe someone like you can withstand it. But how well can you move with holes all over your body?” I turned to look at the masked woman, who had taken a step back after seeing Rin’s attack, trying to observe its mechanics. It was time for some mind games.

“That depends. Who do you think will bleed out first, me or that little friend of yours?” she declared proudly, placing a hand on her chest. I smiled, and in the next second, I burst out laughing. It was so loud that everyone in the room anxiously looked back at me while trying to concentrate on their battle. I found her statement funny, but because of the mask, I couldn't tell what kind of expression she had at the moment.

“Bleed out first? Friend? No, I think you’re mistaken.” I pointed my gun at Rin, this time at a much higher angle than before - her head. My other gun was still aimed at the ground.

“Both of you will die right here.” I placed my hand on both triggers, casting [Future Sight] and [Time Perception] simultaneously. Rin’s eyes widened, and a moment later, a much warmer expression appeared on her face. It was the first time I’d seen her show such emotion.

It was already obvious to me that she hid her emotions behind a thick mask of indifference, but at that moment, the mask was completely broken. There was, however, a very eerie feeling behind it.

Meanwhile, at my side, Ruby ran toward me, her face showing another new emotion. I’d never seen her like this before. Fear? No, it was anger, or more accurately, bloodlust. Does she intend to kill me? I wanted to smile, but alas, I didn’t have time. Coldly and calculatingly, I pulled the triggers.

Die.

Bang!

The sound of the gunshot reverberated across the cave. It happened exactly as I expected. I looked at the scene before me.

Students rushed and fought against the Giant Killer, while just ahead of the crowd, a girl with short blue hair stood frozen. A few steps in front of her lay a lifeless body sprawled on the ground. Another girl with the same colored hair rushed over, hugging the other as tears streamed down her face. Both of them were shocked, and as they turned their heads, they saw me standing in the distance.

Rin, in particular, was staring at me as if she had seen a ghost. How? – that was likely what she was thinking. I was currently standing where the masked woman had been just a few seconds ago. But instead of standing in my position, she lay lifelessly on the floor, blood pooling around her head.

“Miss Reen?” The Giant Killer called out to his fallen comrade, and after hearing no response, he turned to look at me.

“You don’t seem shaken. Is this not your first time killing?” he asked with a smile, despite the implications of what he’d just witnessed. He probably didn't even know her for that long, so he really didn’t care.

That’s fine, now we can deal with the real problem.

“It’s not the first. And it certainly won’t be the last,” I said, meeting his gaze, causing him to chuckle as he reached into his pockets. Seeing this, the remaining students took a step back, cautiously watching him from afar. Two paper scrolls appeared in his hand, and after channeling some mana, two black daggers suddenly materialized.

“I’ve changed my mind. I think I will take this more seriously,” he said, bending his legs and assuming a fighting stance, holding a dagger in each hand.

The situation hasn’t really changed, has it?