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「I’m not done yet!」

Mira shouted as she hurled another handful of stones. This time, they were not Magic Bomb Sealing Stones, but rather magic lighters sold by the Dinowal Store. Given that the spiderwebs Fuzzy Dice was using were highly flammable, these were more than sufficient to ignite them upon contact. Moreover, there was little indication that she had switched to a different type of item this time.

Right after throwing them, Mira also secretly placed another stone in her hand, one far bigger than the previous ones. But Fuzzy Dice’s eyes had noticed all of her movements.

「Oh, that would be a bad idea.」

He noticed what Mira was planning the instant the lighters entered the range of his barrier, so rather than catching them, he jumped to the side, all the while keeping watch over Mira’s hands.

Behind him, the lighters fell into the river, letting out a sizzling sound before sinking.

「I see, you were trying to burn the webs again.」

Hearing that sound, he figured out what Mira had been trying to do, so he watched her hands even more attentively.

「Hmph, so annoying!」

With her plan ruined, Mira seemed to throw the large stone out of frustration, sending it high into the air toward Fuzzy Dice.

「Are you stupid..?!」

No matter what type of Magic Bomb Sealing Stone that was, something of that size would have devastating power. That forced Fuzzy Dice to look up in shock, but that let him realize what Mira had been wanting to do.

She had not thrown that stone out of desperation, but for a very specific reason. To distract him. He instantly looked at Mira again, who was about to try the actual stone she meant to throw. It was a simple plan, but really effective.

Then he realized that her plan was not over yet, as he heard a soft whistle from his side, which was followed by an arrow striking the ground at his feet.

That was an arrow shot by the second of the Valkyrie Sisters, Eletina, who was on the city wall far away out of Fuzzy Dice’s detection range. That arrow was also carrying a small stone that was about to burst.

However, it was seemingly impossible to estimate Fuzzy Dice’s power. In an instant, he had shot another spiderweb to encapsulate the stone, perfectly blocking the explosion and sound. That speed made it seem like he had done that by reflex, without having to think about it.

But there was something else he could not forget about. While he was busy with the arrow, the large stone Mira had thrown finally entered the range of his barrier and was caught by those different spiderwebs.

「You caught it.」

Mira grinned seeing the large Magic Bomb Sealing Stone within the spiderwebs, like that had been her goal the entire time.

Soon, the stone released its power, not as light or sound, but as a powerful gust of wind.

「Is this..!」

The spiderweb could not contain that wind, bursting apart and letting it strike Fuzzy Dice too, sending his body flying back.

「It’s meow!」

As if waiting for that moment, the First Lieutenant dashed from the riverside. He had been hiding there after regrouping with Anlutine, waiting for the right moment.

Fuzzy Dice was still flying in the air from the blow, so he had no way to stop the First Lieutenant’s charge as he jumped and clung tightly onto the thief’s body, not letting go even after they fell and tumbled on the ground.

「Huh..? Wait, aren’t you-?!」

The moment Fuzzy Dice saw the First Lieutenant, he frowned in confusion. But then he noticed the Magic Bomb Sealing Stone hanging like a pendant on the First Lieutenant’s neck.

He tried to peel off the First Lieutenant to no avail, who just kept clinging with an immutable smirk.

「See you in hell, baby.」

As the First Lieutenant spoke with determination, the sign on his back read ‘Tell my family I love them,’ though he was unmarried.

The Magic Bomb Sealing Stone activated, and it was a matter of seconds before it exploded. But then, Fuzzy Dice reached for the First Lieutenant’s side and the base of his tail, tickling him.

That instantly disarmed all of the determination the First Lieutenant had built up.

「Meowhewhehe! That tickles meow!」

The First Lieutenant had an almost extreme reaction. He had been attacked in his most sensitive spots.

「I knew it..!」 Fuzzy Dice would not miss that opening, so he threw the First Lieutenant with all his might, and without hesitation.

「Oh no, meoowww!」

The First Lieutenant’s voice echoed loudly before he was enveloped in a blinding flash and vanished in the night sky.

「Spirit Queen…are you actually-」 Fuzzy Dice seemed to have noticed something, as he turned to look at Mira seemingly forgetting about the First Lieutenant he had thrown away.

But before he could take a step forward, a small stone fell in front of him. That one had been dropped by Worthramble and Hippogriff high above the sky, who had been waiting for that moment while concealed in the air.

Fuzzy Dice tried to protect himself, but it had been so sudden and with such perfect timing that he could not do anything before the flash and bang went out.

「That’s my actual goal!」

Mira had noticed that the thief wanted to say something, but that chance was too valuable to ruin, so she dashed ahead with the Arresting Cloth ready.

「Ugh…」

This attempt proved most effective; after staggering slightly, Fuzzy Dice fell to one knee. Soon after, a spider nest with Fuzzy Dice in the center spread out around him.

(Now this looks like a rather powerful Id’s Phantom…)

Seeing that, Mira became far more alert than before.

Id’s Phantom was one of the highest level Forbidden Arts. It was an ability that activated automatically if the caster fell unconscious, producing a shadow of themselves that would fight to defend the caster.

It acted purely by reflex, so Fuzzy Dice’s usual careful nature was gone. In other words, Fuzzy Dice would likely use any form of attack in that state.

「There’s no reward without a little bit of risk!」

But that did not deter Mira. She did not know how Fuzzy Dice would fight back in that unconscious state, but that also gave her more vectors of attack.

The moment she stepped within the spider nest, countless spiderwebs shot at her, but all of them burned away on contact with Vermilion Frame. A second volley of spiderwebs shot her way, but this time their tips were sharpened like blades.

(I guess this makes me the first person who was attacked by Fuzzy Dice.)

She used partial summons to block those blades and continued marching on, while partially summoning a Dark Knight to strike a black shadow in the center of the nest, the actual source of Id’s Phantom.

A moment later, the entire spider nest vanished, leaving behind only the incapacitated Fuzzy Dice.

「I’ve got you now!」 Mira spread the Arresting Cloth and dashed at him, until she was just mere centimeters away. 「What?!」

Fuzzy Dice, who was supposed to still be stunned, was holding his hand out.

Due to their large difference in stature, he could hold Mira at bay while her arms did not reach him. His hand then took a firm grip on her soft chest, after which his other arm reached for her groin.

A moment later, he utilized her running momentum to swing her around and launch her high into the air with a perfect posture, without ever letting her touch him.

「Whyyy?!」