Umikaze Minamino – illustratör

A great hero lies undefeated on her deathbed, regretting that she never found a foe who could take her down. She never intended to meet her fate anywhere other than on the battlefield, and her peaceful demise has her wishing desperately that things could have been different...

But when she suddenly comes to in the body of the young, frail Nia Liston, she’s got an all-new fight ahead of her. Nia is a sickly child, meaning she has a long way to go before she’s in fighting form. Now that she’s been given a second shot at life, however, she’s determined to get what she wants. She’s going to live—and die—for battle this time! Make way for the Merciless Maiden!

A year after an old hero’s soul was implanted in her dying body, Nia Liston turns six years old—an age that signals the beginning of her student life at Altoire Academy. Little does she know that what awaits her is a fateful encounter with fellow magivision stars Hildetaura Altoire and Reliared Silver—a meeting that leads to the girls holding their own school martial arts tournament?! If Nia’s hectic life as both student and magivision star wasn’t enough, she begins to hear rumors of an underground arena that she simply can’t ignore, especially not while her spirit still yearns for battle. Nothing will keep this Merciless Maiden down—not gangsters, not infamous adventurers, and certainly not her own attendant!

Summer vacation has arrived! But so has Bendelio’s distinctive face and a ruthless string of recordings. After surviving a magivision schedule from hell—bonds with her crew having deepened along the way—Nia gets the opportunity to spend the last days of her vacation on the Altoire royal family’s private floating island with Relia and Hilde. Swimsuits, barbecues, training, and at long last, a dungeon waiting to be conquered. A vacation it may be, but that doesn’t mean the Merciless Maiden will pass up the chance to go wild!

One billion krams in two years—that is the price for the national martial arts tournament of Nia’s dreams! With this new goal in mind, Nia brings new students under her wing, and Lynokis makes her adventuring debut. Nia’s usual persona is too famous to assist with fundraising directly. So instead, she takes on the guise of Lily—student of the up-and-coming adventurer Leeno—and the two set out for their monster hunting vacation to Vanderouge, the Empire of Flight. With Nia’s long-awaited days of blood-boiling violence here at last, country borders won’t stop this Merciless Maiden from wielding her iron fists against dangerous beasts!

The quest for one billion krams may be important, but the promotion of magivision is not to be neglected! Not long after Nia returns from her successful expedition to Vanderouge, she receives a letter from Prince Hiero inviting her to Zackford and Phyledia’s wedding. But this is no ordinary invitation—this is a job worth twenty million krams! With a prince’s dream of recording in a foreign country finally within reach, Nia is back in the Empire of Flight to assist with the momentous occasion. With a new school year now upon them, the academy finds its own junior broadcasting station approved by the school board, and Nia ends up running into some trouble while out on an expedition with her protégés!

She may be angelic for the wedding, but this Merciless Maiden won’t let anything interfere with the rise of magivision!

The billion kram mission is finally complete. Altoire will officially be hosting a martial arts tournament! The news ripples through the land. From the main house of the Qilong to the Heroic Star Assembly, powerful fighters from far and wide cannot resist the opportunity to determine who is the strongest among them. With even Leeno the adventurer participating, the excitement surrounding the tournament soon surpasses even Nia’s expectations.But even though her students take center stage, there is no shortage of mayhem for this Merciless Maiden to rampage through!

A tournament that started as a young girl’s desire has transformed into an event attracting over ten thousand participants from across the world! Nia’s sharp eye for contestants’ power levels is put to good use as marketing for the event goes into full swing after the king himself announces the commencement of the tournament.With Nia’s students pitted against strong fighters from near and far, stunning upsets exhilarate the audience right from the preliminaries—but only the strong have the right to complain.Two years of preparation have brought Nia’s dream to life, but being too young won’t stop this Merciless Maiden from having her own fun!