Smoke swirled thickly, and the glow of magic essence scattered in all directions.
"Firebolt!"
The moment Bell detected the phantom magic, he didn't hesitate. He shot the firebolt toward the opposite side of the slash. As the flames surged, a startled cry echoed from Chloe within the smoke.
"Nyaow?"
Her sweet voice resonated through the mist. Bell recognized it as Chloe's diversion tactic and immediately heightened his vigilance. Sure enough, a high-speed slash, gleaming coldly, came from the right. Bell swiftly swung the Hestia Knife, drawing a crimson arc in defense through offense.
The blades clashed, and sharp sparks flew with the collision.
"Didn't expect both decoys to be seen through, nya... But once I break through your Quick-Cast Magic, you'll be helpless, nya."
The blades danced. A faint smile lingered on Chloe's delicate features. Her lips parted slightly, weaving a deep, unshakable conviction of victory.
Though the youth possessed remarkable latent ability, allowing him to parry Chloe's attacks with his skill, she had a unique trump card. The dagger in Chloe's hand glowed faintly with a purple light. It was the poison she'd meticulously prepared as an assassin. A single scratch would be enough to secure her victory effortlessly.
Of course, Chloe carried a powerful antidote, ensuring no harm would come to her opponent.
"Play around."
Chloe once again chanted her magic.
"Feles Cruz!"
A silent vortex of light coalesced, instantly manifesting two identical phantoms.
"..."
Bell frowned. He harbored doubts about the combat effectiveness of phantom magic. Were all these entities completely insubstantial, just like their first encounter? Or did they possess some degree of offensive power? Or perhaps, was Chloe's true objective to lure him into agonizing over these possibilities, causing him to expose a weakness? Lack of intelligence—this was the most dangerous thing in battle.
The phantoms disappeared into the smoke. As he parried the twin daggers before him, Bell spoke.
"Chloe-san, you must have endured unimaginable hardships in the past. Yet now, you smile so cheerfully. I'm really glad to have met someone like you."
"Waa-nya? We're in the middle of a fight! What are you talking about, nya?"
A blush spread across Chloe's face, and her offensive posture faltered, even if just a bit.
"Is this the handsome guy tactic, nya? I almost let my guard down, nya!"
Hearing Chloe's mumble, Bell smiled softly. In truth, the Black Cat had just shown an opening, but he chose not to take advantage of it for an instant victory. Bell had fully adapted to the enhanced weapon. What truly intrigued him now was something else entirely.
"Awaken."
The chant barely left his lips when Bell's speed surged. Parrying Chloe's poisoned blade, he fought while retreating, deftly evading the phantom's strikes.
"Nice work, nya?! But you won't get to test the phantom's strength, nya!"
Chloe flashed a bewitching smile. Lure, feint, ambush—this was the Black Cat's assassin tactics.
"Just stay put and keep me company for a day... Nya?!"
Chloe's face was filled with confusion. She had thought the youth's magic was merely a simple acceleration spell, but the gathering magic power shattered that notion completely.
"What kind of magic is this, nya?"
The youth answered Chloe's question with an incantation.
"Hear now, the love song played upon the tower of purity."
A flash of white light erupted, channeling the Cat girl's magic power into the speeding vessel. Bell had already verified that, unlike Airmid's Dia Fratel, this special magic only required a single incantation when cast with a partner.
The only problem was…
Chloe and Bell were currently locked in combat. If this was [malice], the boy's magic would fail to activate. What Bell truly cared about was Chloe's feelings toward him. From their very first meeting, this beautiful girl had often teased him. Yet Chloe seemed deliberately evasive on the subject, carefully concealing her true thoughts. Bell resolved to use this opportunity to uncover the truth.
"Divine Light: Voyage (Argo's Ship)."
The spell's name echoed through the air. Several vortexes of light materialized around them.
"Woo-nya? Woo-nya-nya?! What kind of magic is this, nya!!!!"
Chloe's cry pierced the smoke, reaching the heavens. In her eyes, the number of youths had swelled to over ten. White hair, crimson eyes, and bodies and voices perfectly matching Chloe's preferences.
"No more fighting, nya! This... this is paradise, nya!!"
Chloe sheathed her dagger without hesitation, gazing around with a dazed smile.
"...."
Bell hadn't anticipated this outcome either. Multiple factors had led to this situation. By design, the magic [Feles Cruz] could only mimic the caster, creating no more than two illusions. They lacked physical substance but could move freely according to Chloe's will. The Argo's Ship had shattered that limit.
Precisely because of this magic's peculiarity, the boy had expended vast amounts of magic power at once, conjuring more illusions. Much like Laurier's invisibility Magic. Effective, yet impractical.
On the other hand, the most crucial reason lay in Chloe's feelings toward the boy.
What Bell didn't know was that the Black Cat had been involved with assassination since childhood. Having experienced countless dark deeds, but she had fallen in love at first sight when she first met the boy. That emotion was even more intense than love itself—a profoundly twisted desire.
"I just want to keep him at home, never let him go out, and have him spend every day doing all sorts of things with me, nya!"
That was Chloe's first thought. If they switched genders, Bell would be the dream lover Chloe had longed for, the one who had existed only in her imagination, suddenly appearing right in front of her.
It wasn't just affection—physical desire had already shattered the boundaries of mere liking. Even without any prior romantic experience, she yearned to taste the forbidden fruit with the boy. Chloe had reached such a wretched state.
Naturally, she wouldn't voice these twisted feelings openly—after all, they might repel him. So, Chloe hid her true thoughts, standing in the grass and grinning foolishly. Bell, watching the cat-girl's smile, pondered the details of Argo's Ship.
"Huh, nya? What the heck is this, nya?!!"
Anya's startled cry rang out from nearby. Startled by the boy's phantom, she immediately began chanting magic.
"Gray sky, vanished home, the fall is black, rain of ruins.—"
Her once cheerful voice now carried a hint of sorrow. The magic slowly began to weave itself.
But what answered her was Chloe's shout.
"You dumb cat, what do you think you're doing, nya?! Are you trying to ruin my paradise, nya?! Casting that huge spell here will hurt everyone around us, nya!"
"Huh?"
Anya scratched her head and stopped her spell. After a moment, the smoke cleared, and the illusion vanished.
"What a splendid battle," Hermes chuckled, waving his hand.
"Everyone, I have matters to attend to. I shall take my leave."
"Wait a sec! The contest isn't over yet!"
Anya protested, unwilling to concede.
"Sorry, it was just for fun anyway. Let's call it a draw."
Hermes turned and walked away, his figure vanishing completely in moments.
"....."
The three on the grass blinked, each thinking the same thing: Maybe we shouldn't trust Hermes anymore...