Starting with Frieren

As the dust settled, only Serie remained standing in the massive crater, gazing upward.

"For someone who has only recently started learning magic, there's no way you could beat me…"

"Sore wa dou kana(We'll see about that)."

A familiar voice shattered Serie's MVP victory screen. Ivan, who was supposedly obliterated in the ground, appeared once again at the edge of the crater, his clothes completely intact.

"Isn't it a bit too soon to declare this over?"

"Hmm?" Serie raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I distinctly remember binding you with my magic and hitting you squarely."

"Villains always die from talking too much. If you want to know how I did it, maybe later." Ivan smirked. From the moment he summoned Winged Dragon, he'd been preparing this life-saving magic, and after stalling long enough, he finally managed to activate it.

Now that he was certain of his safety, it was time to unleash some more potent moves. Although his college days had dulled his understanding of concepts like 2D foils, neutron cannons, antimatter, and quantum superposition—making it impossible to replicate them magically—he would never forget the principle of nuclear fission, a "gift" forever etched into memory thanks to its historical appearance.

"Let us split, Uranium-235."

Under the influence of his magic, a neutron collided with a Uranium-235 nucleus, initiating nuclear fission. In that instant, the nucleus seemed to be torn apart by an invisible force, splitting into two smaller nuclei and releasing several neutrons alongside a massive burst of energy.

The newly released neutrons flew at incredible speeds, striking surrounding Uranium-235 nuclei, triggering a chain reaction. This reaction snowballed rapidly, each fission releasing more neutrons and energy, making the process extraordinarily fierce and violent.

Energy release came in the form of gamma rays and intense heat. Gamma rays, the highest-frequency, most energetic part of the electromagnetic spectrum, spread at the speed of light, carrying the immense energy produced by fission. The heat, meanwhile, caused the surrounding materials to reach temperatures of thousands of degrees Celsius.

In the middle of the ancient battlefield, a mushroom cloud—a symbol of humanity's ultimate weapon—bloomed. For Serie, who stood at the epicenter of the explosion, it was a sensation that went beyond human comprehension.

Yet, she felt no fear. Instead, she burst into ecstatic laughter. "This is it! This is the attack magic I've been dreaming of—"

Her words, however, failed to reach Ivan, and her figure was engulfed by an endless wave of light and heat.

◇

"Did I win?"

As the dust settled, Ivan descended into the massive crater left behind. The ground here had turned to glass from the extreme heat, and the air was thick with radiation, stinging his skin painfully. He couldn't imagine anyone surviving at the center of the blast. Yet, the fact that the battle hadn't ended meant that Serie was still capable of fighting.

"I thought this was going to be a boring fight, but you've managed to surprise me quite a lot, Ivan. You've successfully caught my attention."

A hand landed on Ivan's shoulder. He turned his head, only to find Serie standing there, perfectly unscathed, her face alight with a bright smile.

"If I hadn't prepared an alternate dimensional space beforehand, I might have lost. But you, on the other hand, don't seem to have moved to an alternate dimension. You're more like…a projection? I didn't expect you to be able to use magic normally reserved for gods."

"You figured that out?"

Ivan was utterly shocked by Serie's insight. His true body indeed resided in a higher-dimensional space, with what stood before her being nothing more than a projection—a two-dimensional shadow of a three-dimensional object, akin to the silhouette of a sphere on paper. No matter what happened to the shadow, the original would remain untouched.

In essence, Ivan hadn't fully transformed into a higher-dimensional being but was merely situated in higher-dimensional space. Even so, this was enough to earn Serie's respect.

Ivan proposed, "A nuclear explosion is the most powerful attack I can muster. Anything beyond, like a Big Bang, is clearly beyond me. And you can't harm me either. How about we call this fight a draw?"

Serie smiled gracefully.

"You think I can't hurt you? That might not be entirely true. Did you forget something? When I placed my hand on your shoulder earlier, it wasn't just a friendly gesture. You've underestimated me, Ivan. I've survived since the mythical era—how could I not have countermeasures against such tricks? It may not work against a god, but for you? It's more than enough."

 [Illusion Magic: Ephemeral Dreams]

A field of vibrant blue flowers blossomed amidst the ruins, their pollen shimmering under the glow of nuclear radiation, creating an ethereal, dreamlike scene.

◇

"Ivan! Wake up! You're about to take your college entrance exams, and you're sleeping in class?! Get to the back of the room and stand there!"

A chalk piece struck Ivan's head with precision, jolting him awake. His bleary eyes adjusted to the sight of his homeroom teacher scowling at him in exasperation.

Reflexively grabbing his textbook amidst the snickers of his classmates, Ivan shuffled to the back of the classroom, where he stared blankly at the chalkboard ahead.

It was the rainy season, and the crowded classroom felt stuffy and humid. Standing near the window in the corner, however, provided a slight breeze, making it almost comfortable enough for Ivan to drift off again.

The transition between spring and summer often brought with it a string of vivid dreams, and Ivan sometimes found himself revisiting fragments of the past in his sleep.

In some dreams, it was a quiet afternoon on campus, the cicadas' relentless chirping forming a backdrop. Around him were figures in blue-and-white school uniforms, scattered petals, and dappled sunlight on the road after school.

In others, it was a narrow alley bathed in the orange glow of dusk, with telephone poles stretching out long shadows. He'd fantasize about finishing homework quickly to play near the dolphin-shaped fountain, while the scent of cooking from neighbors' kitchens lingered in the air.

But dreams inevitably ended. The lunch bell blared like a rallying bugle, and the clatter of footsteps filled the hallways, snapping Ivan back to reality.

In his groggy state, Ivan felt as though he had forgotten something important. Shaking it off, he muttered to himself, "Right, time to grab lunch. Hope the cafeteria ladies are in a good mood today and keep their hands steady while serving."

Suppressing a vague sense of unease, he prepared to leave the classroom. Just as he reached the door, he noticed a girl sitting quietly in the corner, engrossed in a book.

Her slender fingers flipped the pages with a delicate touch, the soft rustle audible even amidst the noise outside. The most striking thing about her, though, was her silky golden hair—a rare sight in their small-town high school.

Since when did we have a foreign exchange student in our class?

Shrugging it off, Ivan decided food was the priority and left without a second thought, not bothering to invite her to join him.

Navigating the chaotic rush to the cafeteria, Ivan expertly claimed a seat, picked the shortest line for food, and piled his tray high with fried pork cutlets and crispy fish fillets. Savoring his indulgent meal, he later made a detour to the snack shop to buy mineral water and gum to cut through the heavy, oily aftertaste.

For some inexplicable reason, the image of the golden-haired girl reading in the corner lingered in his mind. Acting on impulse, he grabbed an extra bottle of water and a piece of bread.

If she doesn't take it, I'll just save it for a midnight snack, Ivan rationalized, convincing himself it wasn't a big deal.

◇

"Is this for me?"

When Ivan handed the water and bread to her, the girl finally looked up from her book. Her golden eyes met his brown ones, sparkling with mischief.

"Thank you. I can really feel your filial piety, Ivan~ I'll make sure to enjoy this thoroughly."