Ur immediately used Maker Magic to defend. Crystal-clear ice walls condensed in the air one after another, forming layers of crystalline curtains.
However, when the domineering slash arrived, these thick ice walls were instantly sliced through like thin paper.
Ur clenched her teeth, her anxious gray eyes staring straight ahead, beads of sweat already forming on her forehead. Ice-blue magic power surged from her body continuously, finally managing to freeze the invisible slash just as it was on the verge of breaking through.
Seeing her attack frozen, the silver-haired woman wasn't annoyed. Instead, she raised an eyebrow, a glint of appreciation flashing through her cold, moon-like eyes.
"You actually blocked it. You're quite capable for a human."
Unlike the silver-haired woman who was praising her opponent, flames of anger burned in Ur's eyes. Her beautiful face was slightly contorted with rage. "Were you trying to kill them?"
With such a fierce attack, if she hadn't managed to block it, the children behind her would likely be dead or gravely injured.
The silver-haired woman gracefully twirled the long blade in her hand, wearing an indifferent expression. "That kind of attack wouldn't kill him. As for the life and death of you humans, what does that have to do with me?"
"You...!"
Ur grew even more furious and began gathering magic power to counterattack.
"Ice-Make: Infinite Blades!"
A multitude of ice blades shot through the air, fanning out as they sped toward the silver-haired woman with sharp whistling sounds, turning the space around her into a deadly domain of ice and snow.
Facing this dense storm of ice blades, the silver-haired woman didn't panic in the slightest. Instead, a playful smile curved her lips. She deftly spun her long blade, creating a dazzling dance of silver light. Wherever the silver light passed, the ice blades shattered completely, turning into specks of crystalline ice dust that drifted in the air like falling stars.
"Not bad, not bad. Among the humans I've met, you actually have some skill." The silver-haired woman's voice grew more excited, and a nearly crazed light flickered in her beautiful eyes. "Excite me more! Human!"
Ur stared solemnly at this dangerous silver-haired woman, her eyes filled with gravity.
(As expected, she's not an opponent that can be easily dealt with. If we fight here...)
She quickly scanned the surroundings. Aside from her and the children, the irrelevant bystanders had already disappeared at the end of the street.
Relieved that she didn't have to worry about collateral damage, Ur turned back to keep a vigilant eye on the dangerous silver-haired woman and instructed the children behind her, "Tear, you guys go find a place to hide."
Ultear wasn't happy about this, her small face filled with reluctance. "Mom, I want to fight with you!"
Lyon wasn't about to be outdone either, puffing out his small chest. "Master, I want to help too!"
Although Gray didn't speak, he had already taken the stance for Maker Magic. His eyes were firm and unquestionable, clearly showing he wouldn't retreat easily either.
The young yet stubborn appearance of the three children, along with the courage and unity they displayed, gave a touching sense of solidarity.
"We can't beat her."
Then, this stirring atmosphere was shattered by Tike's blunt words.
Lyon glared at Tike in dissatisfaction. "How can you bring down our morale like that! Who do you think we're doing this for?"
Tike didn't look at him but continued, "She's strong. Stronger than all of us put together."
Lyon was still unconvinced. "How do you know if you don't try!"
"You can know just by smelling!" Tike shouted loudly. "Do you want to go up there and get hacked to death by her?!"
Although he understood that life would end one day, he didn't want to watch the people around him die in vain.
Tike looked at the others beside him with some reluctance, finally fixing his gaze on the silver-haired woman.
"I'll go with you."
"No!" Ultear immediately shouted emotionally. She grabbed Tike's wrist tightly, her eyes full of worry. "Didn't you say she isn't your sister? Maybe she's an accomplice of those people!"
Ultear was referring to the Magic Development Bureau, which had previously subjected her and Tike to all sorts of inhumane experiments in the name of treatment.
Although Tike had eliminated them all, there was no guarantee that a few stray fish weren't still lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity.
"That's unlikely," Tike scratched the tip of his nose gently. "Just like before, there's no scent of lies on her. Besides, for some reason, I can now smell a blood relation between her and me."
The moment the silver-haired woman first attacked, Tike noticed a subtle change in her aura. She began to emit a scent similar to his own.
It was just that in some aspects, there was an indescribable strangeness, a feeling of it being similar yet not quite right.
What exactly was going on with this person?
"So small, yet your senses are so sharp."
The silver-haired woman was a bit surprised, but she didn't lower the katana gleaming with cold light. Instead, her smile grew even more maniacal.
"But I can't just leave like this! The Demon Sword Star-Shatterer won't go back into its sheath obediently without seeing blood!"
"Seeing blood? I..."
"I wasn't planning on agreeing anyway!"
Ur decisively took a step forward, blocking Tike's path.
"Come on! Entertain me!"
Pitch-black magic power erupted from the silver-haired woman, clashing violently in mid-air with Ur's ice-blue magic.
Just as they were about to strike again, Tike suddenly broke free from Ultear's small hand. Completely ignoring the surging magic power between the two women, he darted in front of the silver-haired woman.
He opened his small mouth and bit down on his own arm without hesitation!
Warm blood instantly sprayed from the wound like a fountain. Tike swung his arm vigorously, splashing the blood onto the katana.
"It's seen blood. Is that okay now?"
Tike looked up with his tender face. Even as blood continued to gush out, his expression remained calm.
The silver-haired woman froze for a moment, then slowly spat out a few words.
"Is that how you understood it?"
Did this little brother she had never met really only understand things in such a literal sense?
When she said "seeing blood," she meant a battle to the death with Ur, until one of them fell and blood stained the ground.
Not just casually splashing some blood on it to deal with the issue like this.
But with his interruption, the boiling fighting spirit within the silver-haired woman subsided significantly, and she remembered her true purpose for coming here—to take Tike back.
"...Fine."
The silver-haired woman prepared to sheathe her katana, intending to take Tike away, when suddenly—
"Wait!"
Ice-blue magic instantly condensed into a crystal-clear wall of ice between the silver-haired woman and Tike, forcibly separating the two who were standing so close.
Seizing this fleeting gap, Ur pulled Tike back to her side.
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