Magna rested his baseball bat on his shoulder, his hand shading his eyes as he looked up at the Clown and Bai En floating high above the circular platform. His spiky-haired head, adorned with sunglasses, furrowed in confusion: "What are they doing? Why do they hit and then stop?"
"So slow! A true man should be straightforward and advance without hesitation!"
Luck's actions caught his attention. A long blue electric current darted across the walls inside the Magic Palace, rapidly approaching the Clown at an astonishing speed.
"At this distance, there's a chance!"
Magna swung his baseball bat, unleashing flames. "Flame Magic: Hellfire Scatter Shot!"
The swift thunder of overflowing blue arcs and the bright, vivid pillar of fire descended towards the Clown in the air at an offset angle. Bai En naturally couldn't help but feel the two wild and brilliant magical powers. Magic Conversion pulsed excitedly in his hand.
"As for who is stronger, let the winner decide after everything is over."
A black iron sword hummed as it flew out, a roaring sonic boom echoing in the air. Its tail, fanning out like a waterfall, vanished in a flash. This was Bai En's magic output at maximum efficiency, unleashed through his Mana Zone.
Having experienced the initial dice-snatching incident, Luck had a certain understanding of Bai En's sword. The moment he detected the iron sword's disappearance, the blue electric current, which had been misaligned with the bright pillar of fire, bounced off the wall, redirecting itself.
It was like a ray of light reflecting off a mirror at a sharp angle.
Magic Conversion glowed with an unusual color, its characteristic of transforming magic expanding. The range was a five-meter radius centered on the sword.
A sharp electric hum sounded as Luck's Bursting Orb of Swift Thunder changed its angle in mid-air once more. He slowed down, waiting for that fleeting opportunity.
The pillar of fire, lightning, and sword shadow intertwined, forming a perfect offensive tableau.
The Clown showed no panic at the magic appearing around him. The dice floating at his fingertips spun again. This time, the face-up number was "one." When Magic Conversion was only 5.01 meters away from him, he vanished.
A new figure appeared in his original position.
The sensation of losing balance, the whistling of a long sword, and the extremely hot flames rushing towards him made the spiky-haired delinquent, Magna, cry out in surprise: "Eh?! What's going on?!"
With the change in personnel, Bai En instinctively looked at where Magna had originally stood. There, rotating the dice with a relaxed expression, was the Clown.
"Amenotejikara?"
Fireballs exploded, lightning surged. Bai En, relying on his Mana Zone and high-speed movement techniques, held up the falling Magna with one hand. Luck's attack missed, and he slid controllably along the wall.
Fragil leaped back, creating distance from the Clown, and watched the person who had swapped places with Magna warily.
'Spatial Magic? ...I must make the first move!'
The blue grimoire floating beside her began to flip pages. "Snow Creation Magic: Snow Maiden's Sigh!"
A pure white snowman appeared on the flat ground. She blew a heavy breath towards the Clown, and frost and ice sprayed at him like a swirling tornado.
"Why so cautious?"
"Isn't it just a game of snatching dice?"
The Clown said, nonchalantly raising his hand, his palm facing the frost and ice. The floating dice spun to "six," and flames erupted from the Clown's fingertips.
The flames within the frost and snow were exceptionally bright. The burning fire, like a gluttonous beast, easily devoured and melted the ice.
"This... a second type of magic?" Fragil was somewhat confused. Don't Mages only have one magic attribute? What's going on now? She didn't know that, during the Clown and Bai En's exchange in the air earlier, he had also used Time Magic.
Counting the current Flame Magic, this was already the third type of magic he had used.
The Clown lowered his hand, not releasing any offensive magic. Instead, he raised the dice and smiled, inviting Fragil to come and snatch it.
If she simply ran to snatch it, she would surely be easily dodged, just like the member of the Black Bulls Squad.
Thinking this, Fragil cast magic again, but not offensive magic. Instead, it was a weakening magic within a certain range. "Snow Magic: Illusionary Snow Garden."
Blue light surged, covering the ground beneath Fragil and the Clown. A faint chill filled the air, and crystalline snowflakes fell without clouds. The Clown reached out to touch a snowflake, and a strange sensation enveloped his five senses.
"Weakening magic, huh..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Fragil's next magic followed immediately. "Snow Creation Magic: Dancer on the Ice Field."
The ground within the blue area condensed into layers of ice crystals.
Fragil dashed out on the ice crystals like a sharp arrow. The smooth, mirror-like ice layer beneath her feet acted like a booster for an arrow, and her speed increased with every movement.
She reached out her fingers, wanting to touch the dice, but the Clown merely raised his hand slightly, and they passed each other.
Scratch marks appeared on the ice layer, outlining a complex pattern like a flower. Fragil moved back and forth, snatching repeatedly, but each time she came up empty-handed. The Clown, holding the dice, never left his original spot.
The weakening magic was also like river water pouring into the sea, showing no effect.
Fragil stood half-bent, panting heavily, as if resigned, no longer trying to snatch the dice.
The Clown cheered Fragil on: "Come on, come on! Maybe next time you'll succeed. Don't give up so easily, put some effort into it."
Although his words contained no disgusting terms, somehow, Fragil found the red and white face of the Clown utterly repulsive, looking utterly despicable.
If she couldn't reach him, she would definitely slap him to the ground.
She felt like this guy was doing everything according to his own whims, without any purpose, simply because he found it fun.
Actually... she wasn't really that interested in the treasures within this Magic Palace. Fragil dispelled her magic, found a place to lean and rest. The Clown was being unreasonable, so she could only give up.
Such things that she couldn't accomplish even with her full effort, she'd rather leave to others.
Constantly tormenting herself was not a good thing.
Seeing Fragil finding a place to rest, the Clown became a little anxious. "Hey, why are you resting? The dice are still in my hand."
"Come on! Don't you want the Magic Palace's treasure anymore?"
"I've hidden a lot of good things, for example..."
Fragil looked at the figure flashing behind the Clown and said calmly, "My abilities are limited, so I'll pass. I don't feel like I particularly want the treasure or anything."
That single sentence, completely devoid of greed, silenced the Clown.
"Checkmate!"
A small sword, wrapped in a dark, eerie light, fell from the sky. A fifty-meter radius gravity field instantly descended, the ground caving in and cracking into long, thin fissures.
The Clown stood at the very center of the depression, not dodging this sudden attack.
But he didn't appear to be unaware of Bai En's attack; rather, it seemed intentional.
Because... the Clown's figure in the gravity field stood perfectly straight...