''What should I do now?'' Ciara found her thoughts wavering as she stared down Legris Damien.


    He approached with a menacing aura, and she realized that it wouldn''t take very long before he made short work of her and Jerry.


    ''Even if I use Bond Magic now…'' She thought to herself.


    Combining Fusion Mode and Mage Mode had to be her greatest form, but she doubted that was going to make much of a difference.


    ''Still… I have to try!''


    >VWUUUUSSSHHH<


    Ciara''s body was instantly enveloped in dense Magic, and several stars appeared around her. Her body shone like an oily surface, and numerous star particles danced around her.


    ''If I knew how to use the Arcana more, it would have been better, but…''


    The Mind''s World was the only ability she had ess to, and that was only possible because she had experienced it herself.


    It was certain that there were more features of the [Judgement] Arcana, but she was currently too unskilled to handle it.


    The only thing she could currently do was to give it her all.


    "Interesting. You have a Constetion as a Familiar. I''ve never seen anyone chosen by them before… well, except one person." Legris Damien grinned as heid eyes on her magnificent form.


    Ciara was gleaming in her bright blue Mage''s attire, surrounded by numerous clusters of stars.


    Her brown hair had now transformed into white, and her blue eyes had bright sparks within.


    Fusing with her Familiar made her transcend to her current state—Grand Fusion Mage Mode.


    Ciara retreated to the air, holding Jerry in her grasp. In her current state, she could do many things, but her priority was protecting her partner.


    ''I''llunch long-distance attacks and keep my distance.''


    Mind attacks didn''t work, and she doubted the Mind''s World would be very effective the second time.


    "Let''s do this!"


    >WHOOOOOSSSSHHHH<


    Ciara darted to the sky, hoping to create as big a distance from Legris as possible. Even if it was to abandon the building they were currently in, she was determined to do everything to escape.


    "Not impressive enough." Legris instantlyunched himself into the air.


    ''Tch!'' She thought to herself.


    She was moving faster than even Jerry had been, yet it didn''t seem to faze her opponent in the slightest.


    >VWOOOOOMMMM!!!<


    Ciara sent dozens of her stars flying in Legris Damien''s direction. Each of them possessed massive destructive abilities.


    ''They can slow him down, at the very least…'' The desperate maiden had thought.


    Unfortunately, Legris had even better skills than she anticipated


    He bypassed all the stars she sent in his direction, swiftly dodging her projectiles while blocking her meaningless magical strikes.


    "Damnit!" She cursed, watching as he caught up with her.


    The heavy and musty night breeze whipped her in the face, but she ignored everything and solely tried to escape.


    "Just leave us alone!"


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!<


    A brilliantbination of mes and wind, in addition to the eruption of several stars wereunched in Legris''s ascending direction.


    However—


    >FWISH<


    Legris increased his speed, overwhelmingly breaking through the devastation. His mysterious dark energy easily passed through the deadly strike, and he emerged unscathed.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "W-wha—?!"


    It only took a few moments for him to catch up to Ciara and Jerry, causing the flying girl to shriek in shock.


    Once he got ahead of them, Legris sent his power in Ciara''s direction.


    "G-garh!!!" The poor girl felt her body shiver, and her entire form Instantly copsed.


    ''W-what? I can''t use… Mana?!''


    Mage Mode dissipated, and her Familiar''s manifestation becamepromised. All the stars around her darkened, and she lost control over the energy that usually made everything much easier.


    "D-damnit!"


    Ciara felt herself descend from her height, unable to even control her position in the air.


    "Perhaps I should help."


    Legris stood above her, pointing a finger that reeked of negative energy. Sparks of darkness emerged from his fingertips, and it was certain that her time of execution had arrived.


    In an instant, he was going to blow her away with his power, and there was nothing Ciara could do about it.


    >BZZZZTTTTTTZZZZZ<


    Ciara''s powerlessness made her want to cry out, but the shock prevented her quivering lips from moving.


    Ultimately, she could do nothing but feel the wave of evil power wash over her.


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!<


    The dark lightning consumed everything around Ciara, including her and the boy she tightly hugged.


    Drops of tears fell from her eyes as she gritted her teeth in frustration.


    And thus, even the ground that received a portion of Legris Damien''s assault instantly ruptured.


    The earth parted, and debris flew in multiple directions.


    The old house which had stood erect before was instantly torn down, and everything became a pile of broken-down rocks and decaying wood.


    "Haa… why am I not surprised?" Legris Damien softly spoke as his smile increased.


    He was suspended in the air, but his gaze was focused on a view behind him.


    Even though he had just incinerated the girl and her friend, he wasn''t the slightest bit interested in the devastation he''d caused.


    That was because—


    "So, you finally show your face after all this time, eh?" Legris turned behind him to look at the small group that had appeared.


    His darkened gaze picked up a certain blond boy and hisrades.


    With them were the two he had almost killed. Apparently, they had been rescued before being consumed by his attack.


    "Not going to say anything?" Legris raised his voice, the wicked smile on his face getting bigger.


    The one he spoke to was none other than a young man. His hair swayed with the wind, and his focused stare was enough to strike fear into the hearts of many—not Legris, though.


    They both stared at each other, the tension rising on both ends.


    "It''s been a while, Legris." The boy finally spoke.


    The people he was with also seemed to share the same sentiment. They all donned serious expressions on their faces—equally cautious, but also determined.


    "You came for the Arcana, didn''t you? It''s too bad though…" The blonde smiled.


    The helpless two were now under his care, and he didn''t seem to have any intention of letting Legris have his way.


    "… They''re mine now."