Ronald frowned slightly as he looked at the ’girl’ he had just pulled up with a spell.
Although her appearance was completely identical to the one he had seen before, there was an indescribable sense of disharmony about this Lumiere, like the uncanny valley effect brought about by robots.
Considering the fact that she had given her True Name to Mosang Paper Industry...
It was likely that this was not Lumiere’s real body.
While Ronald was sizing her up, Lumiere, controlled in the air, continued to speak:
"Mr. Ronald, it seems you have also noticed that this body of mine is indeed not that of a normal human being."
As Lumiere’s words ended, Ronald immediately retorted with a grave tone laced with mockery,
"Perhaps not only this body is inhuman, but you yourself may not even be human, right?"
Lumiere’s expression paused, and the slight timidity she had feigned completely vanished:
"Is that something to be concerned about?"
"People may not understand what happened at the White Shore Castle that night, but I am well aware of the Magic Fluctuation in you. Ronald Adler, do not think I am still the same weakling you once tormented. I returned to Springs for one reason only, to take revenge on you, on that woman, and on the ’Nine Commandments’!"
That said, it sounded as though he was the villain of the piece.
Observing Lumiere’s somewhat agitated expression, Ronald internally critiqued her statement while also preparing his own probing reply:
"Of course I understand that."
"Moreover, I know you dare to spread the news in the city just to lure me here. Now that I am standing right here, today, under this guise, isn’t it time for you to make your move?"
Hearing this, Lumiere’s expression changed.
Ronald’s heart affirmed his own guess.
This matter was actually not difficult to understand.
If Lumiere had returned to Springs, the prudent choice would have been to stay incognito to safeguard her security, a choice that would be advantageous and not harmful.
Yet in reality, she chose to expose her True Name.
Although it still presented considerable difficulty to trace her whereabouts, in the end, it was Lumiere who exposed herself.
The true reason for such a choice.
Could only be that this person aimed to achieve a certain goal!
Knowing the name ’Lumiere’, persisting relentlessly to the extent of expending considerable effort, and even considering the external influence of the "Twelve Witches" sending people...
The purpose of Lumiere’s risky behavior.
Could probably be nothing else but to lure Ronald over.
After analyzing the behavior Lumiere had displayed, Ronald continued to provoke:
"What’s wrong, not making your move?"
"After taking such extensive safety measures, do you still plan to continue idle chat with me?"
"Ronald! Don’t think you can walk away unscathed today!"
Provoked repeatedly by Ronald, and even having her true intentions exposed, Lumiere’s expression darkened with nothing but hatred, and then she abruptly raised her right hand and swung it down.
With Lumiel’s motion, a wave of magic fluctuation spread out from the ground.
Without any prelude or any signs that a spell was being initiated.
Ronald quickly thought through in his mind and realized this was an ambush that had been prepared by the opponent beforehand. The Bureau’s records mentioned that casters from certain schools were extremely adept and able to prepare spells in advance, seamlessly hiding them from sight.
When they really needed these spells,
they could activate them through certain specific actions or triggers.
Through this kind of special arrangement, they often achieved an element of surprise in their attacks, thereby striking the enemy quickly and effectively.
As he looked slightly downward, Ronald naturally also observed the real effect of Lumiel’s spell.
Ronald hadn’t forgotten that Lumiel, who had a mastery over spells far surpassing that of this world’s natives, had lost the "Divine Comedy - Purgatory" and was imprisoned by Halois for quite some time...
So, in the few remaining months,
what kind of abilities had Lumiel, this "monster" who could also learn original spells at an inconceivable pace, acquired now?
Soon, Ronald’s question was answered.
At the spot where magical power surfaced on the ground, regardless of whether it was the ground, walls, the interior of the manor, or the desolate outskirts, even the sporadic trees and the ponds, wooden dolls whose bodies were entirely constructed of wood crawled out from nowhere, filling the entire area in an instant.
At the sight of these dolls, Ronald’s pupils narrowed.
Their bright red primary colors and wooden bodies, especially with uniformly held flintlock muskets in hand, were clearly the puppet guards straight out of fairy tales!
These puppet guards created by Lumiel moved with a swiftness entirely unfit for wooden structures. Barely two seconds after appearing on the ground, they uniformly raised their guns, aiming straight at Ronald in the sky!
Faced with this scene,
Ronald, too, made a choice in the ever-changing reality.
First, he controlled the spell to throw Heidi, who had been caught up in the incident, far away, then he immediately dragged the immobile Lumiel close and pulled her right below his body.
Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang—
The next second, a string of dense flintlock gunfire rang out.
Heidi, who had been thrown far away by Ronald, was perfectly situated mid-air to witness the entire scene.
The puppet guards, as spell constructs, couldn’t possibly miss their targets. Countless bullets, fired by a countless number of puppet guards present, converged on Ronald at the same time.
As a result, Lumiel became the unfortunate one.
Having been grabbed directly under Ronald as a shield, she was the first to be hit by the dolls’ bullets. This was crude reality; the bullets shot out did not change their power due to the identities of those involved.
Lumiel, who had just been able to confront Ronald, was suddenly riddled with bullets like a hornet’s nest. With so many bullets and such great power, they even reached Ronald after piercing through Lumiel’s body.
Had it not been for the protection of a protective spell,
even with Lumiel as a buffer, Ronald’s own condition wouldn’t have been much better.
Is this... is this what a battle with an original spell owner looks like?
Heidi unconsciously looked at the ground where the puppet guards were as numerous as the sea, a self-deprecating smile forming on her lips.
Even if there were only a few of these puppet guards,
it would take quite an effort for her to deal with them on her own.
Suddenly, a dazzling light and the sound of an explosion attracted the downcast Heidi to look up.
Right at the distant location where Ronald was flying, a sudden change occurred once again, interrupting Heidi’s self-mockery right in her tracks.