“These little tricks... I told you, they're useless!”

Like a torrential downpour, a sharp ice cone, piercing through the air with force, shot out from the twisted wand in the blue clone's hand.

It was a relentless assault, more continuous than a Gatling gun's fire, relentlessly targeting Mira.

However, Mira seemed to anticipate the landing point of the ice cone, effortlessly dodging by swaying her body left and right, sidestepping past the dangerous projectile.

The blue clone seemed unsatisfied with the ineffective damage it caused, as it threw the twisted wand back to Merka. Clenching its fist with all its dissipating form, it launched a full-force punch towards Mira.

This fist, crackling with azure electric arcs, was no ordinary attack. Enhanced by Bastet, this lightning-fast strike could pierce boulders and shatter steel plates.

Yet, as it neared Mira, with a gentle wave of her hand, the attack dissipated into thin air.

"Your magic... fundamentally, it's a variant of a mage's hand, isn't it?"

"The prophecy window informed me that with this low-level magic, a slight disruption of magical flow can easily disturb it."

"You are truly a cunning genius, relying on such a simple magic to excel in such a grand battle."

"What should I say about you... hmm?"

Before their eyes, the blue clone, shattered by Mira's magically charged palm, did not vanish immediately.

The blue clone, now covered in cat scratches, ballooned like a burst balloon, quickly expanding and then shrinking back down, releasing a dense smoke even thicker than mist.

Mira, taken aback, instinctively tried to block it. But the smoke did no harm; it enveloped Mira's face, blocking her vision.

Stepping back to escape the smoke, Mira realized it was Kyopa's special evasive technique, with no real threat.

In fact, Merka had used the Shepherd's relic. Mira had no way of predicting this, that Merka had such a powerful tool up his sleeve.

Mira dispersed the smoke with her hand, only to find Merka had vanished from her sight.

"Playing tricks on me again..."

"However, through this, I understand you better. Subsequent prophecies regarding your movements will be more powerful."

"...I retract my previous statement, Merka, you are formidable."

"So formidable, that I will give it my all."

Mira lightly licked her lips, the cracks in her skin seeming to breathe, emitting fine dust particles as they subtly writhed and twisted.

"I yearn for a balanced battle, a bloody massacre that hasn't happened in many years."

"Will you fulfill that for me, Merka?"

"You've monopolized so much of King Oedipus' daughter's favor, why can't you share a bit with me?"

Merka, on the other hand, hadn't gone far. He crouched at the base of a ruined wall, planning the next stage of the battle.

*Cough, cough...*

"I just need to hold out for another five minutes."

"As long as I keep releasing smoke... it should be enough to stall for five minutes, right?"

The white flames on Merka began to gradually extinguish. The aftereffects of overusing magic started to show, and he wearily lowered himself.

However, with a casual glance, Merka's peripheral vision caught a swath of blood-red swirling towards him, like a cloud. He held his breath, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible.

"Oh no, can the angel sniff out my location by smell?"

Watching the blood cherry dragon flying low overhead, Merka couldn't help but feel a shiver down his spine.