Paula braided my hair early in the morning. She looked revitalized while Paul seemed like he could use more sleep.

“I see you two had fun tonight, it does seem you drained him of his soul.” Paul walked around with low energy.

“I feel refreshed! Let’s go lay a trap on the next mountain. Let's have you practice with flashy magic for some days. That should attract her attention!”

“Why would she be so stupid to fall for something that simple?”

“That bitch is super greedy, she must have heard by now that you had sent a god packing, she must be extremely excited to make your skillset hers!”

“I suppose…”

“Your braid is done now let's go!”

We went to a mountain nearby. It had nice greenery, and a gentle slope, it also had a small plateau. We picked up this spot to pretend to ‘carelessly practice’. Paul and Paula would hide nearby while I would use flashy skills. It was a perfect plan! I threw [Explosion] around and other loud and flashy magic for 3 hours.

I heard an explosion not too far from me. Did I miss? Something flew at me at high speed. I used a [Water Wall]. It had caught Paula who was slightly bloodied.

“Aya, she was on to us! She has ambushed Paul and me!”

Something else flew at me and I also caught it with a [Water Wall].

“Ewww!” I had caught Verruka and I used [Acid].

Verruka writhed and expelled a mana burst to break free. Her hand turned black and she reached out to me but her arm flew off. Blood sprayed around. Paul had arrived from nowhere and had cut Verruka's arm off.

“Wow! Humans are so surprising!” I did not expect Paul to be this fast.

“Ugh, to think that a human would best me!” A tendril of shadow reached from her dismembered arm to what was left of her arm. After the tendril connected it became thinner and pulled the dismembered arm back to her body. I interrupted the magic she was casting. [Lasers] slipped through and Paula blocked them with [Shadow Wall]. A dark arm made out of magic flew out after Paul and he dashed away.

“Aya, can you dispel that? If that hits Paul his heart will get crushed!” I nodded and dispelled the [Shadow Grasp] and used [Azure Flower].

“Haha, finally a worthy adversary! How about you become the target dummies for my recently acquired skill!! Enjoy the [Golden Rain]!” Light beams rained down and Paula gave us [Shadow cloaks] and made [Shadow Domes] to block them.

I created countless [Ice Mirrors].

“Hey, you are no match for me. I will have you know that I am a master in using mirrors!”

“How vain can you be Aya…”

I redirected every light beam and sent them at Verruka. She tried to block it but noticed that Pau had closed in. She focused on Paul. Paul slashed at her but she evaded a fatal hit. This caused her to get bombarded by the light beams.

“This stupid human!” A large [Fireball] flew at Paul. Paula send a [Shadow Tendril] at his shadow and pulled at his shadow causing Paul to fly toward Paula. Paula caught him.

“Thanks honey.”

“Be careful, this bitch was a council member.” I released the mana from my hat. “And because of that, I am going to get serious.”

My hair started to act like it was made out of water. Verruka also released the mana from her hat. Her hair started to look like it was made out of fire. I opened with a real [Azure Flower]. Verruka used [Melt]. The [Azure flower] became smaller but didn’t disappear. It exploded and sharp ice and water petals dug into Verruka’s flesh. She tried to melt the remaining petals flying around but I made them fly around her and assault her from all directions. She used [Heat wave] but this didn’t get rid of them completely.

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“So, this is the result of your research… I will say, those other council members are surely making a grand mistake for letting you run free like this.”

I made 2 [Azure Spears] I threw one at her and ran at her with another.

“Ugh, I forgot that you had that strange habit of moving around!” Verruka made shadow clones. I looked carefully. Only one Verruka wasn’t made out of magic runes. I threw the other [Azure Spear] and it took her right arm.

“Aaagh!!” She used [Explode] to prevent me from coming close. She tried to get up but Paula had used [Shadow Bind].

“Hah! I can easily dispel…” Paul cut off her other hand so that she was unable to hold her catalyst. He aimed the tip of his sword at her neck.

“She will die if I cut off her head, right?” Paula and I nodded.

“Hehe, you think you got me. Do you think I have only killed the Misha that you know of?” Her mana signature started to change.

“Paul! Get out of there! Paula pull him back!”

Paula pulled Paul back with her shadow tendril. Verruka’s body made strange unnatural movements. The first thing that happened was that some dark green liquid poured out of where her arms were once attached to the rest of her body. And it took on a disgusting disformed shape before it took the shape of her arms. It didn’t stop there and created another set of arms. A single eyeball popped out of her skull on her forehead. I don’t know where she got this but it seemed she had found some more forbidden spells.

“Hahaha! This power! Nobody can match me! And after I kill you, I will truly be the strongest!”

I rubbed my temple. “So, this is just a boring power trip? No complicated or good reason for all this?”

“I don’t care about progressing my race! I do care about progressing myself! But I have noticed something. Maybe being strong is not everything.” She looked at me and licked her black lips. “Being strong and beautiful will be my new goal!” I covered my chest.

“You are not getting these!”

“That’s not what I mean! But I wonder if I can crawl into your body and use it as mine!” A feeling of ick and disgust took over my body. I wasn’t afraid of her but all I wanted to do was run.

“Aya! Pay attention!” Something pulled on my shadow and I got pulled toward Paula.

“Thanks Paula.” Verruka had gotten a serious boost in speed and she had missed her punch thanks to Paula. She rushed at us and I met her punch with mine.

“Ouch! That hurts!” I rubbed my fist and blew at it. My punch had pushed Verruka back though.

“What are you? No Misha is this tough!”

I took a sexy pose. “I am not only beautiful and strong, I’m also super tough!”

“Aya is that really necessary?”

“Yup! This bitch creeps me out so it’s time to kill her! I hope you remember how to run Paula!” I used [Tsunami] at the rushing Verruka. She got washed away and I impaled her to a rock with an [Azure Spear]. She tried to pull the spear out of her shoulder but was unsuccessful. I followed up with [Meteor].

“Aya! Are you insane?! Paul! Please carry me!” Paul picked Paula up, princess-style, and dashed off.

Verruka was still stuck. “Ugh, you won’t get rid of me this easily!” She turned into a puddle of shadow and disappeared into the shadow of the large rock I had pinned her to. The [Meteor] fell but it missed as its target had already escaped.

“I need to do something about that [Shadow meld] … Oh shit Paul and Paula!” I ran over and saw a multi-layered [Shadow dome] which was about to break.

“Sorry, Paula!”

“Ugh, we’re still alive, is that bitch dead?”

I shook my head. “She escaped with [Shadow Meld]. How do I counter that?”

Paula dusted herself off and helped Paul stand up. ” You have to get her far from shadows. But [Shadow melding] isn’t very fast so if you make sure I can actually be safe when she does that, I can kick her out of the shadows.”

“Sorry…”

“What was that thing she turned into? Another Misha form?” Paul asked as he dusted himself off.

“Eww, no! I don’t know what it is but we don’t turn into that!” I was just disgusted by thinking of becoming anything like that.

“Do you think she will attack you again?”

“I don’t know, she does seem to also want my body now… Paula! Promise me that if I ever become ugly like that you will kill me!”

“Don’t be ridiculous Aya!”

“Promise me!”

“Ugh, fine…”

“You’re the best!” I gave Paula a hug. “You deserve a hug too!” I hugged Paul.

“Hey! Get your succubus body away from him!”

“So, mean!” Paula was being as defensive over Paul as always.

“Mind if I join the fun?” The happy atmosphere we had just created disappeared. I recognized that voice. I turned around and saw the asshole that I had chased away not too long ago.

“You look stunning today, will you be my concubine?”

“Aya… is that?” I placed myself between Paula and Zarrazax.

“Go away! I don’t want to be your fuckbuddy!”

“I was impressed by how our fight concluded; it made me think of you the whole time.”

“Concluded? You ran away because you were getting your ass kicked! Now go harass other women before my mood gets worse!”

“I am presenting to you the honor of sleeping with a god, be more respectful!”

“How about you take that respect and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine!” I flipped him off.

The temperature started to rise.

“Wrong answer.”