Blake paid little mind to the whole incident. He knew full well the Mobius family couldn't stir up any real trouble within the fortress. Moreover, the quarters where Blake and his companions resided were deep inside the fortress—strictly a military restricted area. The nobles who had arrived later, on the other hand, were all assigned lodgings in the outer city. To put it plainly, if Blake had no desire to meet them, not a single soul could breach this place.
Still, he ultimately agreed to the invitations of Viscount Byrd and Della, becoming the supreme commander of the troops they had brought along. After all, mutual assistance would be essential in the upcoming tournament. From Blake's perspective, he also needed forces he could trust implicitly *and* discard without hesitation at any moment. This arrangement was the perfect fit. So, after instructing everyone to ignore the Mobius family, Blake completely put the matter out of his mind, never to give it another thought.
**Crack!**
A jet-black whip sliced through the air with a shrill whistling sound. In the blink of an eye, a petite figure darted aside, evading the fatal strike.
"Trembling earth…"
"Howling gales…"
"Hear my command…"
"By your power…"
"Punish the fool's arrogance!"
"Drive away the obstacles ahead!"
The black and white parasols clashed the instant the incantation ended. Magical radiance flared from the tips of both umbrellas, instantly forming an intricate runic pattern that perfectly completed the complex spell matrix. With the dual conclusion of the incantation and the runic inscription, the magic—long primed and ready—burst forth without delay. The smooth ground began to tremble violently, then several stone pillars erupted abruptly from the earth. At the same time, the howling wind transformed into razor-sharp blades, swirling wildly amidst the dense forest of jagged stone spikes.
"Ah!"
With a soft cry, Ophelia's figure flashed out of the chaos in a hurry. Gone was her usual poise and composure; she was now covered in dust and dirt, coughing repeatedly as she waved her right hand to clear the swirling grit from her face. Though she seemed to have escaped any physical injury this time, her disheveled state made victory the furthest thing from anyone's mind.
"Sister is too slow."
"Sister lacks experience."
Messiah and Semia emerged behind Ophelia, clasping hands with grins, and fixed their gaze on the girl before them.
"Even though magic has no effect on sister…"
"That doesn't mean other things won't work either."
"Mages are never good at head-on combat."
"So trading blows directly is not the right choice."
"Thank you both for your guidance."
Ophelia brushed the dust off her face with some embarrassment, then bowed deeply to the two girls.
Ever since their return, perhaps due to the trauma of her past defeat, Ophelia had suddenly developed an interest in fighting against mages. It was hardly surprising. Though she had often heard the twin sisters and Blake say that the Phantom attribute was invincible, Ophelia herself had never cared for combat. Besides, her previous experiences of being thoroughly trounced in close-quarters fights had left her with no real understanding of her own ability. But things were different now. After the battle in the river valley, she had truly realized the immense advantage of her attribute—mages' spells were completely ineffective against her!
The thought filled Ophelia with exhilaration. There was no denying that power held an irresistible allure, one that even Ophelia could not resist. To be able to strike others at will while remaining immune to all harm—what an intoxicating feeling that was!
Thus, upon their return, Ophelia had approached the twin sisters with a request for new training, citing her desire to gain experience fighting against mages. Admittedly, when she made the request, a small part of her had been harboring ulterior motives. Having fully grasped the power of her attribute, she had reasoned that if the training was limited to "magical combat," the two girls would at least not be as terrifying as they usually were in free-for-all fights.
The outcome, however, was exactly as it had played out.
It was true that Ophelia's Phantom attribute could nullify any magic—but it was not true nullification; it was *decomposition*. And the twin sisters were no fools. They had undoubtedly seen through the former princess's true intentions the moment she made her request. So they had taught Ophelia a lesson in their own unique way.
Magic might be ineffective against *her*, but it was by no means ineffective against the *environment* around her. Furthermore, while the Phantom attribute could decompose magical energy, Ophelia's control over her own magic was abysmally poor. Against someone with superior control, magic would not necessarily be decomposed—it could still take effect as intended.
In the end, Ophelia's original plan had been ruthlessly shattered by the two girls. She had once again relived her miserable ordeal in the Twilight Forest—and this time, it was even worse.
"Ophelia sister is working very hard."
Messiah squeezed her sister's right hand, fixing Ophelia with an innocent smile.
"But you're still thinking too simply."
Semia clasped her sister's left hand in return, leaning affectionately against her as a bright, mischievous grin spread across her face.
"Magic is an extensive and profound art."
"The Phantom attribute is indeed its natural nemesis."
"But this is not fatal to magic itself."
"So sister must be more careful next time."
Ophelia could only respond with a helpless smile. She had, of course, realized that the two girls had seen through her little scheme. She just hadn't expected the outcome to be so far beyond her expectations. But just then, the next words from the two girls nearly made Ophelia spit blood.
"It seems this has to do with sister still being a virgin."
"Yes, that's right—it definitely has a lot to do with that!"
"Wait a minute… you two, I really don't think that's relevant at all."
The utterly unexpected remark sent Ophelia's face turning bright red. She stumbled over her words in a flustered attempt to explain, completely at a loss for what to say. She couldn't understand why the sisters had suddenly brought up such an irrelevant topic.
"But sister is brother's fiancée, isn't she?"
"Then why won't sister let father embrace you?"
"I'm only his fiancée in name…"
The sisters' blunt question left Ophelia stammering even more. She couldn't fathom why the two girls were being so persistent—and so direct—about this matter. Good gracious, they were still so young! Yet Ophelia also knew that these two girls were by no means naive about matters of the heart like Irene was. But this level of enthusiasm was simply too much!
"This is just… a joke by Lord Blake. Frankly speaking, I don't think he likes me that much."
As she spoke, a tinge of dejection crept into Ophelia's voice. After all, she was still a young girl, with all the tender yearnings of youth. But Ophelia also knew full well that regardless of Blake's true feelings for her, she was, in the eyes of the world, already a dead woman. How could anyone fall in love with a ghost? Moreover, she had been by Blake's side for quite some time now. Though the lord did occasionally take liberties with her, he had never displayed the lecherous behavior common to many men. And that fact had left Ophelia feeling inexplicably disappointed. Women were such complicated creatures—they felt repulsed when they sensed a man's desire for them, yet equally disheartened when they realized they were not the object of his attention.
Human nature was complex. Women were even more so.
"But sister must try harder to make brother embrace you!"
"Sister still has a long way to go in this regard!"
With that, the two sisters stepped forward, coming to stand in front of Ophelia, and looked at her earnestly. Caught in the glow of their beautiful eyes, Ophelia felt an inexplicable flutter of nervousness in her heart.
"I think… that's really not necessary. After all, it's not that big of a deal."
"On the contrary!"
To Ophelia's surprise, the two girls shook their heads in unison, contradicting her in perfect harmony.
"This is a very important matter for sister!"
"Extremely important—sister must not take it lightly!"
"Important?"
If this had been the idle chatter of ordinary children, Ophelia would have simply brushed it off. But the twins were far from ordinary, and the solemn, serious expressions on their faces as they spoke made her feel a twinge of doubt. She studied the sisters closely, utterly perplexed by their words.
"Why would it be so…"
Ophelia never got to finish her question. At that very moment, the twin sisters turned their heads—and Ophelia followed suit. All three of them had sensed a surge of magical energy approaching from the horizon.
Sure enough, when they turned to look, they spotted four pitch-black figures hovering in the sky not far away. They were completely shrouded in dark robes, their faces hidden from view, but the overwhelming magical aura emanating from their bodies was impossible to miss.
"High-tier power level."
"Eighth-circle mages."
"Four of them."
"How annoying."
The twin sisters clearly looked displeased. They stepped forward in unison, positioning themselves protectively in front of Ophelia, their parasols hanging down by their sides, the tips brushing the ground.
The four figures in the sky, however, paid no heed to their little maneuver. They stared coldly at the traces of the earlier magical battle left on the ground, then spoke in unison.
"Criminals below! You have violated the prohibition against unauthorized use of magic! We order you to surrender your casting implements, disarm yourselves, and submit to arrest immediately!"
As they spoke, their gazes were clearly fixed on Ophelia. After all, she was still wearing her Illusionary Armament—and that bizarre piece of equipment was hard to miss. In comparison, Messiah and Semia's attire made them look like ordinary young ladies from noble families, nothing out of the ordinary. But they had not expected that before the girl could respond, the two children standing in front of her would speak up instead.
"The Mage Association has no such regulation."
"The Mage Association has no such penalty either."
"Unauthorized spellcasting is a restriction imposed only on apprentices."
"It does not carry mandatory binding force on fully-fledged mages."
"Furthermore, you bear no association insignia."
"Therefore, you have no authority to mete out punishment."
With that, the two girls took another half-step forward, then raised their parasols in unison.
"Who are you?"
"Why are you interfering?"
"Insolence!"
The two girls' unrelenting retort infuriated the four mages hovering in the sky. They were all high-tier mages, accustomed to being treated with deference—when had they ever been spoken to in such a manner? In truth, their arrival was merely a coincidence. As mages, they possessed an acute sensitivity to magical energy. And it was a well-known rule that the arbitrary use of magic was prohibited within military camps. Moments earlier, the four mages had simultaneously detected a surge of magical activity, prompting them to come and investigate.
"We are mages of the Mobius family! As subjects of the Kingdom of Wester, you are obligated to obey the kingdom's laws!"
"I don't recall the royal family ever enacting such a law."
This time, it was Ophelia who spoke up.
"If my memory serves me correctly, according to the *Royal Mage Restrictive Treaty*, mages are not prohibited from casting spells unless they intend to threaten or damage innocent civilians or state property. Is that not the case?"
Silence fell over the four mages. They, of course, were well aware of that regulation. But how did this damned woman know about it? The thought made them take a closer look at Ophelia—and they were faintly shocked by what they saw.
Royal blood?
But circumstances did not allow them to dwell on the matter. For at that very moment, the twin sisters made their move.
"Get down here!"
The two girls shouted in unison. The four mages floating in the sky suddenly felt an overwhelming pressure bearing down on them, filling them with shock and alarm—they could sense their magical barriers beginning to crumble under the assault of some immense external force!
What terrifying power!
The realization struck the four mages like a bolt of lightning. They had no time left to ponder Ophelia's lineage; their instincts kicked in, and they immediately began preparing counterspells. The fact that the enemy had launched a magical attack meant one thing—a declaration of war between mages!
"Burning flames!"
"Flying snow and ice!"
Even as the four mages began their incantations, the two girls moved. They darted apart like startled hares, transforming into two streaks of light—one black, one white—that danced across the ground at incredible speed. Observing their movements, the four mages were struck by another wave of astonishment. Mages rarely moved while reciting incantations; that was why they preferred to hover in the air or cast protective spells to buy themselves time. They had never imagined that these two girls would dare to do such a thing—that they could perform such high-speed maneuvers *while chanting their spells*!
Good heavens, weren't they afraid of making a mistake?
Astonishment aside, the four mages did not halt their actions. From their first exchange, they had already realized that the two girls were far more formidable than their youthful appearances suggested. They could actually attack their magical barriers using pure, unrefined magical energy—a highly advanced technique that bordered on the realm of Archmages!
For this reason, the four mages poured every ounce of their power into their spells. They chanted their incantations at the fastest possible speed, their hands tracing complex, intricate patterns through the air with swift yet steady movements. Then, they thrust their hands forward.
The combined might of four high-tier mages was not to be underestimated. Furthermore, the four were well-practiced in coordinating their attacks, completing their spells almost simultaneously. But they had not anticipated that at that exact moment, the parasols in the two girls' hands would complete their final aerial maneuver, clashing together once more.
**Boom!**
Black and white radiance converged in an instant, forming a massive beam of light that shot skyward. At the same time, the four high-tier mages unleashed their offensive spells. The colossal waves of magical energy collided mid-air, producing a deafening explosion. Scattered magical light spread outward in all directions, looking to the untrained eye like a spectacular display of magical fireworks.
Ophelia stared wide-eyed in astonishment, unable to believe what she was seeing. For the first time, she truly felt the awesome power of magic. Unlike the "lessons" the twin sisters had given her before, this was magic in its purest, most terrifying form—powerful enough to move mountains and drain seas, capable of altering the very face of the world. In truth, after witnessing the devastating magical power unleashed by the four mages, even though she knew she was immune to its effects, the sheer *aura* of destruction left an indelible impression on her mind. If the battle in the river valley had only scared her, then this confrontation had truly let her comprehend the full might of magic to her very core.
"Watch out!"
Witnessing the outcome of the clash, the four mages hovering in the sky were also shocked. After all, they were four against two—and yet, the two sides were evenly matched?
Just what was the origin of these two girls?
"Be careful! We're going to use *that*!"
One of the mages spoke up quickly. They had realized that the situation was rapidly spiraling out of their control.
"*That*?"
Upon hearing this, another mage looked distinctly uneasy.
"But that is the clan leader's…"
"There's no time to hesitate!"
The mage who had spoken first cut off his colleague's objection.
"These two girls are far too dangerous! We must capture them and bring them back to the clan! I'm sure the clan leader will forgive us as long as we succeed!"
At these words, the remaining three mages fell silent. Instead, they responded with action. Once again, the four mages ascended higher into the sky. They spread their hands, forming a perfect circle.
Violent magical energy began to coalesce between them. Then, high above the ground, a bizarre, sinister pattern started to take shape in the space between the four mages.
The moment they saw the pattern, the twin sisters' grins vanished without a trace. Their faces turned deadly serious.
"Soul Devourer Curse!"
"Necromantic magic!"
The two girls exclaimed in unison, then exchanged a glance of pure disbelief.
"Stop them!"
In that instant, they made the exact same decision as their opponents.