The attack that had been looming in the air finally desded, igniting a series of massive explosions across various attributes.

  If oo distinguish the real Misako from her simution, the difference y not just in power but also in battle awareness.

  As an a bck demon, even a fox who once feared the sight of blood and trembled in bat had evolved into a seasoned warrior. Misako did not let her guard down; she tinuously held talismans in hand, ready to unleash her demonic magic at a moment’s notice.

  "…Over there!"

  The talisman in her left hand was ied, and an explosioed behind her left side. Through the smoke and debris of the bst, a young girl emerged.

  Although the explosion's range and poeared limited, magic often defies ventional logic, especially when it involves specialized bck demon arts. The girl was severely burned, her new white dress bed by fmes. Curiously, her regeion was hampered; wounds that should have healed ihan a sed now took several seds with little improvement.

  'This won't do.'

  With her healing abilities suppressed, the girl knew she couldn’t engage in a protracted battle. She had to end it swiftly. Battles between powerful beings differ from those involving lower-tier entities; uhere is an enormous disparity in strength, they often drag on for aended period.

  Did she and Misako have a signifit strength difference? Just barely—Misako was strohe girl assessed that her current level of strength was just suffit to potentially defeat Misako.

  In other words, she was trying to turide against the odds.

  She had a vague sehat perhaps she had always been this way before.

  Following her instincts, she eled a vast amount of magic to enhance her body, making the immense energy flow through her veins like blood. Instantly, her physical capabilities soared to new heights.

  However, such extreme enha came with drawbacks. The high-density magic damaged her body like a tainer with rising internal pressure. Her veins ruptured, blood spurted from her skin.

  Surprisingly, she felt little pain, as if aced to such suffering, which did not affect her bat performance.

  "Even though I've seen this before, seeing it in a is still mind-boggling. This fighting style is absolutely insane."

  Most people would be incapacitated or even faint from such pain, but this girl not only e but also tinued fighting uurbed.

  'But if you want to defeat me, this is the simplest method.'

  Misako had inteo have the girl fight her while she was weaker. This was a trial. If she couldn’t defeat someorohen leaving the Abyss would be impossible. Powerful beings throughout history often possessed such abilities.

  Misako burhrough several more talismans, unleashing a torrent of emerald green wind bdes towards the bloodied girl.

  This time, however, the girl evaded them with a speed that even Misako couldn't perceive.

  Dust and debris flew as her movements geed explosive sounds and shockwaves. The wind pressure from her speed scattered the wind bdes, and the ground along her path heaved.

  There was no doubt that her speed had far exceeded the speed of sound.

  While Misako could see and even achieve sound-speed movement with her magical expertise, the girl’s speed was beyond her visual capacity.

  'Symbol Array: Infinite Phenomena'

  Misaked a stack of talismans in a specific pattern around her. Uhe previous single-use burn, these emitted light, rapidly transf into points of light and merging with Misako's body.

  Instantly, her sensory perceptioly improved, allowio detect every speck of dust floating in the air.

  This enha allowed her to vaguely sehe girl's movements.

  'Symbol Array: Water Mirror Ptform'

  Another array appeared—a clear, transparent mirror made of water materialized before Misako. Almost simultaneously, the girl attacked the water mirror.

  Uhe water shield from their first enter, the girl’s powerful attaly caused ripples on the mirror.

  Then, a shockwave from the mirror propelled the girl backward, crashing into the ground and stirring up another cloud of dust.

  This defensive spell reflected attacks ba their inal form, and the girl’s strength alone was insuffit to break it.

  Amid the smoke, the girl stood up. Her enhanced physical capabilities not only improved her attack power but also her defense, rendering the reflected damage insuffit to affect her.

  After adjusting, she crouched low and unched another assault on Misako.

  "Not learning your lesson, are you?"

  Misako used the water mirrain to block the girl’s jab, rebounding the attack. Due to the a even drove the girl into the ground, once again kig up dust.

  "You ’t just charge in recklessly; you should learn from your older sister!"

  "If I could dodge, I’d learn."

  "What…!?"

  Suddenly, from behind the swirling dust, an overwhelming barrage of magic spells surged toward them.

  Boom! Boom!!!

  The explosions tinued for a full ten miransf the already desote nd into a pit-riddled wastend. In some ways, it was less monotonous now.

  "Cough! Cough!!"

  A small figure covered in dirt from the explosions sat on the ground, coughing.

  ‘Didn’t expect her to even blow herself up… No, if she's willing to inflict self-damage to enhance her power, a little madness isn’t much…’

  Despite her efforts to evade and hide, as a mere 'mage,' her physical strength was insuffit. Even though she had forcibly increased this oint due to her power, she was still overwhelmed by the relentless bombardment. Her shrine maiden attire was now in tatters; if the people at the shrine saw her, it would be a 'river of blood.'

  "…How are things?"

  Behind Misako, a battered girl, covered in injuries, stood and asked.

  Giveent of her injuries, the girl was clearly in worse shape. Misako's damages were limited to torn clothes and a few wounds, while the girl was covered in blood.

  However, in another world, there's a saying: 'The higher the elevation of the head in a duel, the greater the likelihood of victory.' By this logic, Misako had lost. Moreover, the girl could have taken advantage of Misako’s momentary pse but chose not to.

  "Alright, you win."

  As these words were spoken, the sery ged. The barren wastend transformed bato a serene, beautiful grove. They had returo the shrine.

  ShoujoDirector