Hitomi took a step back, eyes locked on the monstrous armored bear that towered over her. Its crimson eyes gleamed with hunger as it let out a deep, guttural growl.

  "Alright, big guy, let's get one thing straight—I'm not some helpless isekai protagonist," she said, cracking her knuckles. "I was the cause of their suffering!"

  The bear lunged.

  Instinct took over. Hitomi twisted her body, dodging with inhuman speed. Her vision sharpened, movements became effortless, and before she even processed it, her fist had already collided with the bear's snout.

  BOOM!

  The armored beast was sent flying through the trees, crashing into the forest with an earth-shaking impact. Hitomi blinked. "Huh? Did I just one-punch a boss monster?"

  A translucent screen popped up before her.

  [System Notice] You have defeated Armored Direbear!

  EXP gained... Error! Stats already maxed!

  "Wait, what do you mean error?" she muttered before shaking her head. "Whatever, not important."

  She lifted her hands, expecting to summon some kind of fiery explosion, maybe a legendary lightning strike—something flashy. "Alright, let's test out my magic—!"

  Nothing happened.

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  "...Huh?"

  She focused harder, trying to conjure a simple fireball. Still nothing.

  Another system notification popped up.

  [Warning] You lack the required knowledge to use magic. Mana remains inactive.

  Her eye twitched. "You're telling me I have an infinite mana pool and can't use magic?! What kind of isekai scam is this?!"

  As frustration settled in, she noticed something unusual. A strange energy pulsed through her body—not mana, but something else. It felt deep, powerful, and strangely familiar.

  "Wait a minute... this energy... it feels like... guilt? No, wait. The regret of my victims?" A chilling realization hit her. "Is this because of all the people I sent to another world?!"

  The moment she acknowledged it, blue-black energy crackled around her fists. The system responded.

  [New Ability Unlocked: Kagetsu]

  A unique energy born from karmic retribution. Wielders of Kagetsu can convert their past misdeeds into raw power. Warning: Excessive use may attract spiritual backlash.

  "Heh... So I've got my own overpowered system after all," she smirked, punching her palm as Kagetsu flared around her. "I can work with this."

  With her new energy source, she continued trekking through the forest, knocking out any monster in her way. Wolves? Sent flying into the horizon. Even a massive wyvern that swooped down from the sky got slammed into the dirt with a single elbow drop.

  "This is almost too easy," she yawned, dusting herself off after wiping out an entire goblin horde. "No wonder all those isekai protagonists get bored after a while."

  Hours passed, and just as she was about to lose hope of finding civilization, she spotted smoke rising in the distance.

  "A village! Finally! I was getting tired of punching wildlife!"

  Excited, she sprinted towards the settlement, leaving a trail of dust in her wake. As she neared the wooden gates, she realized one important detail.

  "Wait... how do I explain any of this to normal people?"

  She groaned. "Well, whatever. I'll just wing it. Worked for all those other isekai protagonists, right?"

  With a confident stride, she pushed open the village gates, unknowingly stepping into her next big challenge—social interaction.