Ur didn't think she stood a chance against Nate.
In the core of the Deep Web, Nate had access to hundreds of stars' worth of magic power. Who could possibly defeat that? Here, Nate was almost omnipotent—transcending the concept of a re mage. It wouldn't be a stretch to call him a "god."
"I won't cheat, just a regular sparring session to test whether using magic here feels the sa as in the real world," Nate said, playfully shrugging as if to say, "Trust ."
If he cheated, there wouldn't be any point to the test. With a snap of his fingers, he could take Ur out in an instant.
"Oh? Well, if I win, do I get a reward?" Ur asked with a sly smile.
"What kind of reward are you thinking of?"
"Hmm... haven't decided yet."
"..."
Nate sighed inwardly. 'Why are you and Lucy both handing blank checks to fill in later?'
"Alright, but think carefully. This kind of opportunity doesn't co around often."
As the two chatted, the battlefield began to generate.
Nate didn't make the map too large. For one, there was no need, and secondly, if it were too big, would the players end up just playing hide-and-seek? The battlefield was a 500-ter cube, with an invisible boundary marking the edges.
Ur tested the shallow waters beneath her feet, which, though artificial, simulated the sensation of real water perfectly.
"Giving the advantage by choosing a water environnt, are we?" Ur smiled as she lifted her head, then added, "I've decided! If I win, you'll have to let teach you Ice-Make magic—and you can't refuse."
"You're still stuck on that?" Nate wiped away imaginary sweat.
The thought of himself suddenly stripping off clothes, like Ur did when using her Ice-Make magic, was rather embarrassing.
"So no backing out!" Ur laughed, striking a combat stance.
She extended both arms forward, her left palm facing up, her right fist placed atop her left hand. A surge of magic surrounded her, making her resemble a Super Saiyan powering up. Her magic was an intense blue-white, and the surrounding seawater began to freeze in response to the overflow of energy.
"Wait a second," Nate interrupted.
"Hmm?" Ur paused, her magic half-cast.
Nate reached out and pulled a glowing ball of golden magic from the seawater, which flew directly into his hand. "This is a special kind of magic from the Celestial Spirit World—I've decided to call it 'Celestial Magic.' With this, I can create a vessel similar to a Thought Projection..."
"A 'Celestial Body'," he said, his eyes narrowing in concentration. The Celestial Magic in his hand split in two, with one portion flying toward Ur.
Curious, Ur watched as the glowing energy expanded before her, stretching like dough until it took on a human form. It quickly morphed to resemble her, down to the finest detail.
"A Celestial Body?"
Ur examined her double. To her trained eye, this was a clever application of Thought Projection magic.
"Just think of it as a second layer of skin," Nate explained as a second version of himself materialized beside him. He demonstrated how to integrate with the Celestial Body simply by touching it. The glowing form rged with his physical body, leaving a faint golden aura around him.
"What's this for?" Ur mimicked his actions, marveling at the sensation as the Celestial Body blended into her.
It didn't enhance her magic power, but it gave her a subtle feeling of protection. Even more interestingly, it conjured a full set of clothes over her, replacing the undergarnts she had been wearing earlier.
"It's for protection," Nate explained.
Ur flexed her hand experintally. Though the Celestial Body didn't make her stronger, it provided a sense of security.
"Alright then," she said, raising her head to et Nate's gaze. "Can we start now?"
"Sure. I'll give you three free moves," Nate replied with a smile, motioning for her to begin.
"Really?" Ur raised an eyebrow, smirking.
With a swift movent, she shifted her right leg to the side and crossed her arms in front of her.
Boom!
A blue-white aura erupted around her, creating a magic circle at her feet. Simultaneously, six more magic circles appeared around Nate—above, below, and on all sides.
Nate blinked, slightly stunned. "Wait a minute... Isn't this the forbidden magic 'Iced Shell'?!"
The sa magic Ur had used to seal the demon Deliora.
"Are you crazy?" Nate shouted, wide-eyed.
Ur chuckled. "I'm basically a ghost now. There's no harm in using it here."
Without a physical body, Ur was free to unleash the forbidden magic without consequence.
"Unfortunately, it won't be as powerful, but still—'I win, Nate!'" Ur yelled triumphantly, her voice echoing as her magic intensified.
"Iced Seal!"
In an instant, Ur's magic condensed, transforming her into a stream of blue light that shot toward Nate. The six magic circles around him lit up simultaneously, releasing a blinding glow. When the light finally subsided, the entire ocean had frozen solid. And within the ice stood Nate, trapped inside a massive block of ice.
'Crazy woman... no wonder her daughter's nickna is 'The Witch.' They're cut from the sa cloth,' Nate thought, ntally sighing.
Fortunately, they were in the Deep Web, where everything was a simulation. Otherwise, breaking free from 'Iced Shell' would require the "Moon Drip" magic.
"How about that? Doesn't this an I won?" Ur's jubilant voice echoed in Nate's mind.
Nate replied telepathically, "You're still conscious?"
"Of course! You're just frozen; it's not like I'm dead."
Nate was speechless. Did she really want to win that badly?
"Hurry up and admit it—I've won," Ur said smugly. "No cheating! You said you'd give three free moves!"
Nate was at a loss for words. 'Iced Shell' wasn't strong enough to hold him—without her physical body as a sacrifice, it was nowhere near as potent as when she used it to seal Deliora. Breaking free wouldn't be difficult, especially since this was all just a simulation.
Still, if he broke out, it would feel like cheating.
"Well? Have you surrendered yet?" Ur's voice grew more delighted by the second. "Go on, call 'Sensei'!"
"Not happening."
Nate suddenly understood—Ur just wanted to hear him call her "Sensei." No wonder she was so determined to win.
'She's exactly like Ultear,' Nate thought with a sigh. 'One likes being called 'Sister,' and the other wants to be called 'Sensei.''
"This half-baked forbidden magic can't trap ," Nate said, his magic surging. Tremors ran through the ice as cracks spread across the surface, growing wider with each second.
With a loud 'crack', the ice shattered.
Ur's voice echoed from all directions, "You cheated! You promised three moves!"
"Yeah, I cheated. What are you going to do about it?" Nate shot back.
With a snap of his fingers, Ur reappeared before him, grinning mischievously.
"Co on, just say it... 'Sensei'~" she teased.
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