A cold glint flashed in Sefina’s eyes, and without the slightest hesitation, the fiery magic condensed at the tip of her staff erupted violently!
“Boom——!!!”
The Fourth Tier Magic 【Stormfire Blaze】 roared out in an instant, the raging flames swirling with a furious whirlwind like a dam breaking, instantly engulfing the entire room.
Furniture, books, and curtains blackened and burned instantly under the intense heat, the scorching air distorting the atmosphere itself.
Yet, facing this flame storm fierce enough to melt steel, Ophidoro neither fled nor dodged; not even the smile on her face wavered.
She simply stood silently in place, surrounded by an elliptical barrier of deep dark purple that had appeared around her without anyone noticing.
It was Fifth Tier Magic, 【Shadow Barrier】.
The scorching flames struck the barrier with a sizzling roar, but it did not budge an inch; the fire could only scatter and dissipate in vain, turning everything around into ash.
Inside the barrier, Ophidoro even leisurely smoothed a stray lock of hair disheveled by the storm, her dark purple eyes full of mockery and disdain.
“Starting a fight right upon meeting? Honestly, as an old friend, I’d be quite hurt~~”
Her sweet, syrupy voice came clearly through the flames and barrier, dripping with blatant provocation.
As the flames died down, the room was left in utter chaos, thick with smoke and charred remnants.
Sefina’s figure emerged from the haze, her brows tightly furrowed, her face flushed deeper from the interference of magical runes and the strain of mana consumption, yet the staff in her hand remained steady.
More complex magical formulas rapidly took shape before her eyes.
She never expected a Fourth Tier Magic alone to solve this—this was merely to buy time and sow confusion.
However, Ophidoro clearly had no intention of letting her cast spells at ease any longer.
“Playing with fire isn’t good for little children~” she said with a light laugh, snapping her fingers.
The next moment, the floor beneath Sefina suddenly cracked.
Several thick, verdant magical vines covered in sharp thorns burst through the ground like awakened vipers, wrapping around Sefina’s wrists and ankles at an astonishing speed.
The binding force was painfully strong, instantly robbing her of the ability to resist.
It was Fourth Tier Wood Magic, 【Wooden Vines】.
“Ugh—!”
Sefina groaned muffledly as the vines forcibly lifted her off the ground, suspending her in midair; her staff slipped from her grasp.
She struggled fiercely, but the vines tightened further, the thorns cutting through her thin nightgown and leaving red marks on her fair skin.
Humiliation and rage nearly drowned her rationality.
A faint yet maddening smile curved Ophidoro’s lips as she took elegant, unhurried steps across the scorched floor, coming to stand before the tightly bound Sefina.
She extended a slender, icy finger, teasingly hooking Sefina’s chin, forcing her to raise her furious wine-red eyes to meet her own.
“Got you~ my cute, naughty little kitten.”
Ophidoro’s voice was low and laced with malicious delight, a victor’s declaration.
Yet, just as her words fell……
The “Sefina” she held by the chin suddenly began to blur and become transparent, rippling like a reflection on water.
Then, before Ophidoro’s slightly stunned eyes, it completely vanished!
Only a few empty vines remained, still suspended in the air as if still holding something.
It was 【Doppelganger】 Magic.
Ophidoro immediately realized what had happened; a flash of genuine surprise and anger crossed her deep purple eyes for the first time.
This was an ancient, non-elemental magic with an unfathomable casting principle, one even Sefina had yet to fully master.
The 【Doppelganger】 Magic was a technique taught to Sefina by her mysterious teacher—one that even Ophidoro could neither wield nor comprehend.
“Bang bang bang bang—!”
Almost at the exact moment the doppelganger disappeared, a rapid series of sharp cracks echoed from behind Ophidoro’s side.
Several metal bullets tore through the air at a speed impossible to follow with the naked eye, shooting straight at her as she had just turned her head.
A gun!
In this magic-dominated world, Sefina had used her scientific knowledge and understanding of alchemy to recreate a handgun she had seen in her past life.
While the absolute destructive power of bullets might not match high-level magic, they had no mana fluctuations, required no chanting or preparation, fired instantly, and consumed no personal mana!
At such close range and with such a surprise attack, Ophidoro—whose attention had just been drawn to the doppelganger—had no chance to cast the elemental defensive magic that required instant formula construction!
The cold metal bullet screamed forward, about to pierce through the tall demon’s body…….
At this critical moment!
Ophidoro’s figure vanished into thin air in an instant, as if she had never been there at all.
The bullet whistled past empty air, embedding deep into the scorched wall behind.
In the blink of an eye, Ophidoro reappeared like a phantom on the other side of the room, standing right in front of Sefina.
【Teleportation】, an ancient and rare magic akin to 【Doppelganger】.
“Heh, just a little mouse who only knows how to hide and sneak attack.”
Ophidoro sneered contemptuously, a cold anger flashing in her eyes as if feeling toyed with.
She struck with lightning speed, grabbing Sefina’s slender wrist in a crushing grip.
“Crack—!”
With a crisp snap, Sefina cried out in pain, her wrist aching fiercely, and the gun fell uselessly to the ground.
Ophidoro’s other hand clamped down like an iron pincer around Sefina’s neck, fingers tightening as she slowly lifted her off the floor.
Sefina’s feet left the ground, her breathing becoming labored, her face turning from red to purple.
Her hands struggled in vain against the cold, powerful grip, her eyes filled with pain and suffocation, her consciousness beginning to blur.
Watching her prey struggle in her grasp, Ophidoro’s face finally broke into that cruel, satisfied smile once again.
Little rabbit, you can never escape the hunter’s chase.
Now, how shall I toy with you next? Heh heh~~
Just as Ophidoro thought she had completely subdued her opponent, the “Sefina” struggling painfully in her grasp began to ripple and fade again.
Still the 【Doppelganger】!
Damn it!
Having been tricked twice by low-level doppelganger magic, Ophidoro’s patience snapped, her overwhelming rage and murderous intent instantly replacing her previous amusement!
She violently threw off the vanishing illusion and spun around, her powerful senses sweeping across the wrecked room like radar.
Almost simultaneously, from the shadows beyond the door, a piercing chill suddenly burst forth!
Sefina’s true body had been lurking there all along, waiting for the perfect moment to strike a fatal blow!
The cold gleam illuminated her pale but intensely focused face.
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