"Lingsaki, did you hear dear big brother?"

"Mm. If we keep trading blows, we'll lose for sure. Our stamina's a guttered candle, while she still moves like wind with fuel to spare."

Even so, the sisters frowned, a mist of doubt in their eyes. Use "the strongest move"—but what counts as "strongest"? Highest tier? Hardest hit? Widest sweep? In the Dual Daynight Tomes, the sharpest blade isn't always the highest rung. And the highest rung doesn't always cut the deepest.

Moreover, their last flurry of forbidden spells had washed over Lorin like rain over stone; she stayed unscathed. Pure offense wouldn't land. Not unless they could punch through that earth-shield like a mountain split by thunder. With their strength now, that was a dream.

"Should we switch back to binding spells?"

Lingxiao searched and searched, thoughts like birds hitting glass, and finally latched onto what they'd used at the start—binding magic.

"Binding magic... if we could freeze her for even a heartbeat, it would work. But with her strength, it's a steep climb."

Lingsaki thought it through, then shook her head, a willow in wind. Nothing in their grimoire felt like real trouble for Lorin.

"True, but—wait! There's one."

Mid-sentence, the memory struck Lingxiao like a spark. "Mortal Dreamscape. If we cast that, it might work!"

"Mortal Dreamscape? I remember it's a rare illusion-type binding spell. And its tier... unlucky. It's Divine Novice. On top of that, the casting threshold is stingy."

Lingsaki's face tightened, a small knot. She knew the spell too, and hadn't brought it up because she wasn't sure she could pull it off.

"But if we land it, we can buy dear big brother at least one second. With that, we win! Alone, each of us might fail. Together, our threads might weave it!"

Unlike Lingsaki, Lingxiao burned bright, a flame in the wind. Besides this spell, she saw no path. Win or lose, you test the blade to know, right?

"Alright. We don't have a better choice anyway."

Seeing Lingxiao so firm, and with no other road, Lingsaki couldn't refuse.

"Then no delays—move!"

"Mm."

Once aligned, the sisters flipped to the page that held "Mortal Dreamscape." They closed their eyes together, pooling focus, and whispered the spell like a river under moon.

Slowly, dreamlike layers of strange light unfurled overhead, warping the whole sky like silk twisted by invisible hands. Stare too long, and your mind might get swept away.

...

Lingxiao and Lingsaki are already setting up—I can't fall behind! Heat pricked in my chest.

I swept one stroke to parry Lorin's attack, thoughts slamming like drums. Yet every time I tried to prep, she cut me off. She did say she'd take all our moves, sure. But she won't just stand there like a scarecrow while we wind up.

Her strikes still come heavy, like waves hitting cliffs—no mercy at all. Hm. Come to think of it, Lorin's never gone all-out. She's been pacing herself at a half-step into the Divine Realm, trading blows with us.

That half-step is absurdly strong, like a tiger let loose on open sky. Does that count as holding back? Or does she think a one-sided fight is boring?