"Now...right now?" Merka was somewhat intimidated by Bordeaux's audacity, and hesitantly asked.
"Of course." Bordeaux finished speaking and took out two modern gas masks that clashed with the medieval setting of Acadia from his pocket, tossing them to Merka and Scarlett.
"Here, these are for you."
"My magic is indiscriminately lethal. Once the battle begins, I won't be able to protect you, so you need to be careful on your own," Bordeaux said.
As soon as Bordeaux finished his words, a series of sickly purple toxic mist, like bursting grapes, emanated from the seams of Bordeaux's clothing.
The overwhelming toxic mist, mixed within the clouds, was tinted with hints of white, purple, and hidden red. The eerie colors, as if spilled from a palette, made one feel uncomfortable just by looking at them.
Merka and Scarlett, seeing the formidable display, did not dare to be careless. They immediately put on the gas masks, preparing for the impending battle.
"Venomous snakes, rise against the current," Bordeaux softly chanted a spell, and the toxic mist around him spread out like a tidal wave.
A denser toxic mist enveloped the entire battlefield than the fog itself.
The heathen warriors, still not fully recovered from the storm's effects, lost their lives once exposed to the poisonous gas, falling into unconsciousness.
Bordeaux took a few slow steps, and soon, the hundreds of meters around her turned into a toxic field as dangerous as Chernobyl.
The toxic mist, seemingly conscious, sprouted several magical eyes out of nowhere. They traversed the debris of various sizes, seeking Mira's figure.
Merka and Scarlett followed Bordeaux calmly, waiting for the imminent battle.
"It must hurt, let me take it off for you." Walking along, Merka took off the iron necklace from Scarlett's neck, offering her some healing.
"This pain... pales in comparison to matricide," Scarlett remarked.
"Let's hurry," Scarlett quickened her pace, following Bordeaux closely.
Merka sighed helplessly, shaking her head, and followed suit.
Passing through the broken ruins and debris, Merka noticed that wherever they went, the heathens had lost their ability to fight.
Some were bloated like balloons, some had peculiar crystalline growths on their bodies, while others morphed into grotesque evil beings resembling zombies, immediately starting to feast on their comrades.
Their gruesome deaths were beyond tragic.
Merka always found it difficult to connect such malignant killing methods with the cheerful and radiant girl, Bordeaux.
"Found her. I knew that elusive one wouldn't be so easily hit," controlling the floating magical eyes, Bordeaux soon located a well-hidden corner constructed of rubble.
Pointing at the ruins, Bordeaux halted and gestured for Merka and Scarlett to stay behind, warning them.
"Be especially cautious in dealing with her."
"As far as I know, she seems to possess a short-range teleportation magic. Merka, wait here with Scarlett while I cover this area with my poison magic, then we strike together."
"Even if she tries to teleport away, she will surely be caught by my poison."
Bordeaux started chanting a spell to expand the toxic cloud and encompass the vicinity.
"No! Bordeaux, we should strike now!"
"Teleportation has no range limit; it just takes time to imagine the specific scene!"
"We go straight at her; she won't escape. Trust me. I have a way to prevent her instant movement!"
With these words, Merka rushed towards the corner as if his life depended on it, fearing that the cunning Mira would vanish into the earth like an eel if given another moment. However, just when Merka expected Bordeaux to follow immediately, something inexplicable occurred.
Instead of appearing behind him, Bordeaux appeared in front of Merka.
Emerging from the corner of the ruins, she shouted urgently at Merka.
"Watch out behind you! Merka! The one behind you is a fake!"
What? A fake? Why?
Merka's brain went into overdrive as thousands of potential scenarios raced through his mind, but he couldn't arrive at a definite conclusion.
Watch out behind me? Am I under attack?
Is it an angel? Disguised as Bordeaux just to catch me off guard and...?
Merka's mind spun, trying to make sense of it all, a mix of fear and uncertainty gripping him as he redirected his magical sight to the rear.
What he saw wasn't a fatal attack but rather the astonished faces of Bordeaux and Scarlett.
"It's over..." Merka finally understood everything.
Regaining his senses, he tried to shift his attention to the front, to go on the defensive.
But it was already too late.
The Bordeaux who emerged from the corner revealed a cruel smile, launching herself into a kick towards the unsuspecting Merka.
The sound of a spine snapping resonated through the air as Merka, unable to control it, was sent flying backward.
