Jehfrit stood up and said, "You continue ahead. I'll catch up soon."
"If there are enemies, we should face them together!" Gray quickly responded.
"Meh, it won't take much time." Jehfrit replied, "Gray, help me create a block of ice."
"Alright."
Gray casually froze part of the sea surface and seriously said, "Be careful."
Gray and the others left.
Jehfrit spoke, "No point hiding anymore. My magic locks onto individuals."
"Sob sob... Truly, terrifying magic," a figure slowly emerged.
The mage who always cried and preached about "peace" – Pudden.
Jehfrit looked at his left hand, previously severed but now replaced with a mechanical one.
"Jehfrit de la Vallière," Pudden sobbed, "You're a complete destroyer of peace. I am—"
"A follower of Ansa—"
"One of the eight knights commanded by Ansa to maintain world peace."
"The Knight of Mercy – Pudden."
Pudden flipped through the brown leather book he'd been holding and showed a page to Jehfrit.
"Look, your name is in the Book of Judgement. Etched by your sins."
"Jehfrit, you will be judged. By my hand. By His will."
"Mercy?"
"Repent—if you dare. though even so..."
"Heaven's gate? Sealed. Locked—by your heresy."
*BOOM*
The moment Pudden finished speaking, the attack launched.
Sea water transformed into spikes, piercing through Jehfrit's body which broke like a mirror.
"Illusion?" Pudden sobbed, "Sorry, my magic happens to counter yours perfectly."
*BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM*
Rows of sea water turned into spikes, spreading out like a beast's mouth full of sharp teeth swallowing its prey.
However, Jehfrit appeared before Pudden, raising his blade to strike.
"What happened to your gun?" Pudden asked, not slow in his movements as sea water in front of him condensed into spikes, attacking Jehfrit's back but suddenly stopping at the last moment.
"I almost fell for it."
Pudden shook his head; the scene changed. Jehfrit wasn't in front of him, and his position was actually a step further than he "thought." If the sea spikes had struck as planned, he would have killed himself!
From the distant floating ice block, Jehfrit chuckled softly –
Is Pudden's will this weak?
"As expected," Pudden proudly stated, "Deception magic can be broken once the brain recognizes it as deception, after all, it's just..."
Jehfrit instantly appeared before Pudden again, slashing his sword.
"Deception."
Pudden's vision broke like a mirror.
The illusion shattered once more.
Jehfrit remained standing in place.
Pudden laughed, "But even if one layer of deception is broken, another immediately follows. As long as you're within a certain range, you'll keep being affected by the magic."
*Swish* Jehfrit appeared before him a third time, swinging his sword.
"Reality." Pudden decisively retreated, using sea spikes to stab at Jehfrit.
Jehfrit twisted his body, dropping a card beneath his feet and stepping on it like dragonfly to return to the ice block.
"Real and illusion intertwining, completely judging it clearly isn't easy," Pudden smiled, "To break the Deception magic, you need to be absolutely sure it's an illusion and that you're being deceived, the courage to gamble with your own life to confront and break the deception!"
"But if you have that kind of confidence, you might end up killed by reality itself mixed with those illusions!"
"You can get close to reality and fear no illusion, but the moment you do, reality itself will deceive you!"
"It's truly terrifying. Even after knowing the principle of your magic, it's still hard to beat."
"But—"
Pudden raised his left hand and proudly declared, "With this, it's different."
"You can deceive people, but you can't deceive magic."
"The Honor Knight among the eight knights, who excels at creating magical tools, made this prosthetic hand for me."
"It has only one simple but 100% accurate ability."
"That is to sense your distance—"
"The closer you are, the more it vibrates, allowing me to receive magical feedback."
"So—"
"Your deception is now useless, Jehfrit! Let's fight face-to-face!"
"Hahahaha—"
Pudden laughed maniacally.
*CRASH*
The coffin he'd been carrying on his back opened, releasing a double-tipped spear – a weapon resembling a cheese fork.
Its spiral design might be uncomfortable for ordinary people to hold.
Yet Pudden wielded it masterfully.
*BOOM*
Pudden leaped up, hundreds of meters of sea behind him boiling, then transforming into countless spikes rushing towards Jehfrit.
"..."
Just a little more... Hold on a bit longer.
Jehfrit adjusted his glasses; physical endurance was his weakest point.
But fortunately – Pudden wasn't Jose.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be standing here listening to his boasting but would've turned and run, and shouted "NIGERUNDAYO!" hearing only "Stop, don't run" kind of words behind him.
Closer!
Jehfrit waved his hand, also "creating" countless sea spikes to counterattack.
"Illusion!"
Pudden confidently declared and charged towards the sea spikes, but the next second, his heart suddenly jolted, and he quickly dodged sideways.
*Pierce*
He didn't completely dodge.
A long sword pierced through his shoulder – completely penetrating!
Jehfrit slowly retracted his throwing stance.
"..." Pudden looked at him, silent for a few seconds before laughing even more arrogantly.
"Hahaha—"
"Jehfrit!"
"You even threw your last weapon!"
"That was your desperate final strike, wasn't it?!"
"Unfortunately, though faintly, I still sensed the magical fluctuations on it!"
"You lost!"
"Now, accept my judgement!"
"Don't worry, as the Knight of Mercy, I won't intentionally torture you!"
"Just an instant, it will end in a moment!"
"The Elegant... No ... The Deceiver Mage—"
"Let me bestow upon you the highest judgment!"
"Spike Hell!"
*CRASH*
The entire sea boiled.
Sea water rose, forming hundreds of meter-long thin spikes, roughly estimated to be over a thousand!
"Hahaha—"
"Judgment begins!"
*CRASH CRASH*
Thousands of sea spikes simultaneously pierced towards Jehfrit!
Jehfrit stood still without moving, leisurely taking out an umbrella and opening it with a *fwoosh* sound.
Pudden was somewhat stunned.
'Even at death's door, remain so calm?
Indeed worthy of the name Elegant—
Jehfrit!
Can I really kill you?
A man as excellent as you.
If you die, what a loss this world will suffer.
I...
Should I not kill this man?'
*SWISH SWISH*
But then...
Thousands of sea spikes suddenly shattered,
Turning into torrential rain pouring down.
Pudden was drenched like a drowned rat, utterly disheveled.
But Jehfrit under the umbrella remained untouched by a single drop.
Pudden couldn't believe it—
Why? How? When ? What ?
Did the magic suddenly dispel?
Or did he dispel it himself?!
Jehfrit took out a card, sticking it on the ice surface. The card blew wind towards the sea, pushing the ice block towards Pudden's position.
"Jehfrit, you dare come closer!"
"Seeking death?!"
"Hahaha—"
Pudden suppressed his confusion and panic, forcibly maintaining his arrogant posture.
"Haven't noticed anything wrong yet?"
Jehfrit smiled then tilted his head, "Pudden, since when did you forget how to cry?"