One of the defense personnel wizards hovering on the broomstick was surprised.

“Why is there a wizard using a Phoenix automaton and Existence sword with the targets?”

One of the defense personnel observing from outside the library building was surprised.

“Is that wizard one of us?”

One of the defense personnel in the library looked doubtful.

“I cannot confirm it because he wore a hooded cloak and mask.”

The defense personnel’s expressions turned serious.

“He might be a Black Sword member or something; there’s no need to hesitate.”

The defense personnel’s expressions in the library turned serious.

“Understood, sir.”

The four defense personnel swung their swords at the Phoenix automaton beside them.

“Catch them, phoenix automaton.”

The other three defense personnel wizards also cast a similar Magic Spell. The four phoenixes flew towards them quickly. Daganzo pointed his sword at his phoenix automaton, perched on the railing nearby as he said.

“Protect the three of us.”

The phoenix immediately reacted; its attention was drawn to the four phoenixes flying toward them.

Daganzo’s phoenix flew and then pounced on one of the other phoenixes; the two then fell to the first floor and destroyed the long table and floor, causing the other phoenixes to hover in confusion momentarily because fellow automatons attacked them. Alton turned to Furano; he then smiled cheerfully.

“Let’s do our best.”

Furano was surprised; she then smiled and nodded. They ran away in different directions in the library; each of the three remaining phoenixes chased Alton, Daganzo, and Furano.

Daganzo ran up the stairs to the third floor. Behind his mask, Daganzo’s expression turned serious as he thought.

“I’ll use a stronger magic spell and modify it so it does not cause serious injury.”

Daganzo concentrated.

“Ice Slash.”

Ice began to freeze on Daganzo's sword blade and spread quickly until it completely covered it; he then slashed his sword towards the phoenix. Huge crescent-shaped ice shot towards the phoenix; the distance was close enough, so it didn't have time to dodge, and the ice hit it straight. The ice spread quickly and thickly, freezing the phoenix's chest and wings, causing it to be unable to flap its wings. The Phoenix crashed to the stairs railing, then fell to the first floor, destroying the floor and some of the spreading ice on its body.

Defense personnel riding their broomsticks close to the library ceiling were shocked; the expression of one of them turned serious.

“Fire Blast.”

A fire wisp formed on the tip of his sword and turned into a fireball; he swung it toward Daganzo. The fireball shot quickly toward Daganzo, but he immediately evaded it by climbing the stairs to the third floor, and the fireball hit and destroyed the floor. Daganzo swung his sword towards the defense personnel as he said.

“Stun.”

A light resembling a flare shot towards the defense personnel and hit one of them, causing him to fall unconscious and fall from his broomsticks. One of his comrades immediately flew down, pointing his sword at his fallen comrade.

“Levitate.”

His comrade’s body stopped a few inches from the floor momentarily and then fell safely on the floor. Seeing an opportunity, Daganzo repeated the same magic spell. The wizard helping his comrade caught him off guard, and Daganzo’s magic spell hit him; he fell unconscious and fell to the floor, but he did not suffer fatal injuries because he was not too high from the floor. The remaining defense personnel’s expression turned serious.

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“Fire Blast.”

A fireball formed at the tip of their sword; they then immediately swung their sword at Daganzo. The fireball hit the stairs’ railing; his comrade continued the attack with the same magic spell, and the fireball shot toward Daganzo. Daganzo pointed his sword.

“Water Blast.”

Water formed on the Daganzo’s sword tip, and its shape changed to resemble a stake. Daganzo swung his sword, and the water stake shot toward one fireball, exploding it. Arriving on the third floor, Daganzo took cover in one of the pillars of the third-floor open hallway railing.

Daganzo watched his phoenix automaton on the first floor; the two phoenix automatons shot a fireball at each other, colliding and exploding, then ran towards each other using their metal wings and legs. The two phoenixes pounced on each other and collided strongly, causing a wind blast; then flew away backward and landed on the floor. Daganzo concentrated.

“Wind Slash.”

A blackish-white tornado enveloped Daganzo’s sword blade; Daganzo came out from hiding behind a pillar and slashed his sword, creating a crescent-shaped blackish tornado that shot toward the two defense personnel. They evaded to the right and left; the wind slash hit the wall behind them, creating a powerful wind blast and a huge sword slash mark. One of the defense personnel’s expressions turned serious.

“Let’s chase him.”

His comrades beside him nodded. Daganzo watched them while taking cover behind a pillar; he then ran between the expansive rows of tall bookshelves on the third floor. The two remaining defense personnel rode their flying broomsticks toward the third floor’s open hallway and landed. They got off their broomsticks, floating after them in a standing position.

The two defense personnel looked at the surroundings but did not find Daganzo’s whereabouts. They cautiously walked between the bookshelves, carrying their swords in hand. Without them realizing it, Daganzo stood on top of one of the bookshelves and watched them vigilantly; they didn’t notice his presence. Daganzo pointed his sword.

“Stun.”

Daganzo slashed his sword toward one of the defense personnel. A light resembling a flare shot toward one of the defense personnel, hitting him and causing him to faint instantly. His comrade was surprised and immediately cast the same magic spell toward Daganzo. Daganzo ran on the top of the bookshelves and managed to evade; he then jumped onto the other bookshelf and out of this defense personnel's sight.

The defense personnel got on his broomsticks and flew to the top of one of the bookshelves, then got off the broomstick and stood on the bookshelf. Not too far away, he saw Daganzo standing on another bookshelf. The defense personnel was surprised.

“Who are you really? Are you a Black Sword member?”

Daganzo, wearing a mask and hooded cloak, remained silent and did not answer. The defense personnel's expressions turned serious.

"Okay, if you don't want to answer...."

The defense personnel swung his sword at Daganzo while casting the Stun Magic Spell; Daganzo ran to the side while swinging his sword and attacked with the same magic spell. They carefully attacked each other using the same magic spell and evaded while running on the top of the bookshelves. The defense personnel were surprised.

“That balance, sword technique, and magic spells…. where did you learn it from?”

The defense personnel looked at Daganzo suspiciously, but he still didn’t answer. They continued attacking each other with stun magic spells while running until finally, Daganzo’s magic spell hit this defense personnel, making him unconscious, and he fell to the floor. Daganzo walked over to the bookshelves and looked at the defense personnel he had just defeated as he thought.

“I’m sorry... I just thought that First Earth wizards alone wouldn’t be enough to overcome the appearance of the Dimensional Gates.”

Daganzo stood where he was as he saw that the surroundings were safe. Daganzo ran on the bookshelves towards the building’s center. At the end of the rows of bookshelves, Daganzo jumped to the floor and arrived at the open hallway. Daganzo ran towards the railing and found that his Phoenix automaton was fighting two other Phoenix automatons while flying on the open section of the second and third floors.

Back to some time ago. Somewhere on the second floor, Furano took cover behind one of the bookshelves, observing the Phoenix automaton, who chassed her, walking warily using its metal wings and legs between the other bookshelves while looking at the surroundings in confusion, at a considerable distance from her. Furano appeared to realize something as she thought.

“As I expected, that automaton couldn’t detect my presence because I was wearing this cloak. But the problem is, how am I going to defeat it….”

Furano appeared to remember something; she then cautiously ran behind the row of bookshelves beside the phoenix toward behind it as she said.

“Blizzard Blast.”

Dendrite ice crystals, the size six times of an adult man’s palm, formed at Furano’s handgun muzzle, and freezing ice spread on the barrel. Furano fired her handgun, ice shaped like an arrow shot toward the phoenix. The phoenix appeared to realize something; it then immediately turned back. Almost at the same time, the arrow Furano shot hit the side of the phoenix’s body. Ice quickly spread throughout the phoenix’s body, stopping its movements. Furano immediately ran towards the phoenix as she thought.

“Daganzo once explained how this phoenix automaton works. If my guess is correct, I should just have to remove the pocket watch merged on its chest….”

Arriving near the phoenix, Furano tried to remove the pocket watch merged to its chest but couldn’t, no matter how hard she tried. Fire began to form in the phoenix’s beak, and the ice that confined it began to melt quickly, and the phoenix could move its body. Furano immediately moved away from the phoenix. Furano’s expression turned serious as she thought.

“The pocket watch is merged perfectly, and there doesn’t seem to be any way to remove it?”