“Calling them ‘Miracles’ and such is a bit of an exaggeration.” Li Yue picked up the exquisite magical artifacts. The twin guns spun nimbly around her fingertips for several rotations. She gripped one gun properly in one hand and hooked her finger through the trigger guard of the other, letting it hang upside down in an elegant posture that perfectly concealed the killing intent within.
The rings of blood red, rhombus shaped crystals encircling the barrels emitted a faint, rose red glow.
“Let’s call them ‘Death and Rebirth.’” Li Yue flourished the revolvers in her hands. The exquisite, translucent bodies of the guns seemed to exude an air of high elegance, a stark contrast to the grim aura of her blood sword.
“These are their matching bullets; we only have a few here. The craftsmanship and shape are far too complex,” the attendant said slowly. “Although they are driven by magic and don’t require gunpowder, the exterior must strictly conform to this design.”
He produced a bullet. Intricate patterns were engraved upon the silver casing, appearing to depict a beautiful flower.
“These magic arrays must be inscribed for the bullets to be driven by the mana within the guns,” the attendant explained. Li Yue took a bullet to examine it before stowing it back into her ring. The twin guns spun between her fingertips and, with a flash, they too returned to her ring.
“I understand. Thank you.”
“Um, please come this way to sign...”
...
Outside the dim residence, Li Yue sat on the edge of the small fountain. She cupped a bit of the spring water in her hand; the faint, icy sensation refreshed her spirit and washed away much of her lingering lethargy.
It was another silent night. Clo was once again returning late due to some meeting. Although Li Yue wasn't clear on the current situation, she felt as if something was approaching.
She yawned and stood up.
She wore a shirt adorned with white lace, the design of the collar giving off an air of refined elegance. Over it, she wore a black pinafore dress. The early spring weather was slightly chilly, so she had layered a wine red wool coat over everything. Its double breasted design looked elegant and sophisticated.
In Clo's words, it gave off quite a solitary vibe...
She walked slowly back into the residence, casually hanging her wool coat on the coat rack. She wandered aimlessly through the massive house, her high heels clicking rhythmically against the floor.
Tap, tap.
“Hmm?” Li Yue lifted her foot and stepped down with a bit of force. “It’s hollow. There’s something underneath.” She made a small cut on her finger, and under her control, a droplet of blood seeped into the floor, following the mechanisms to find the hidden door.
“Found it.” She walked over to a nearby bookshelf. After pulling out a specific book, the entrance to the basement slowly opened. She glanced at the cover; the title was quite interesting: 《The Sky Connected to the Ground》.
She descended slowly, taking a glowing stone from her ring. Using its light, she illuminated the dim basement.
To Li Yue’s surprise, it turned out to be a wine cellar. On second thought, it made sense for a grand residence like this to have one.
“Why do I have the impression that she has a very poor tolerance for alcohol?” Li Yue tilted her head and thought for a moment. She casually pulled a bottle from the rack. It was printed with the winery's location, the vintage year, and a somewhat blurred painting that seemed to be outlined with a golden brush.
The place didn't seem to have been maintained for a while, as there was a layer of dust. The current Li Yue no longer possessed her so called purity, so she had to do her best to avoid getting dust on her black dress. She brushed off the hem of her skirt; it didn't seem to have picked up any grime.
“Wine... a small drink can be quite elegant.” Holding a corkscrew, she walked slowly back upstairs. To save the trouble of waiting for the wine to breathe, she had chosen a relatively recent vintage. She poured the blood red liquid into a wine glass, swirling it as she walked slowly out into the courtyard.
As for the God's Cup, she didn't feel like using it right now.
The courtyard was filled with flowers and plants Clo kept, many of which seemed to have been gifts. It was clear that the people who sent them had raised them well; by the time they reached Clo, they didn't require much care beyond periodic maintenance magic.
Several scarecrows had been set up here. Judging by the material, they were likely made of ordinary straw. Clo had prepared them before leaving this morning to serve as targets for Li Yue’s practice. As for their true composition, Li Yue didn't know; she only knew they felt very resilient to the touch.
She took a small sip. A rich fruit aroma spread through her mouth—not just grapes, but also notes of cherry and strawberry. The vanilla, smoke, and toasted bread scents from the oak barrel diffused slightly through her nasal passage.
The silver revolver spun once around her fingertip. With a bang, a blue bullet streaked out, striking a nearby scarecrow and exploding into a pile of silver fragments.
The power seemed decent. The defense of this scarecrow felt as strong as the mana that constantly covers the body of a Magician, perhaps even higher.
She picked up a water cup and lightly touched the surface of the water with her fingertip, drawing out half a cup of clear water. The water swirled at her fingertip, gradually taking the shape of a bullet. Slowly, it condensed into ice, and minute magic runes were etched onto the crystalline surface.
Even though Li Yue wasn't using Calamity level magic, her control over mana was certainly at the upper tier of that rank. Carving a few arrays with mana wasn't too difficult.
She flipped out the cylinder, inserted the crystalline bullet, and once again tested the amount of mana she injected. She tried to further reduce the output, bringing the power down to the level expected of a trainee.
This magical artifact didn't feel simple. It seemed designed for a Great Mage. If she hadn't awakened it herself back then, she wondered if the attendant would have even sold it to her. Or perhaps they simply couldn't trigger its power and thought it was just a beautiful, low grade artisanal piece?
Regardless, it didn't matter. Death and Rebirth belonged to her now.
She performed a gun flourish and set down her glass. Death appeared in her hand. As one of the twin guns, the barrel of this silver handgun seemed a bit more crimson. This was likely because during her first attempt, Li Yue had used her own blood as a bullet, and she had used this specific gun for that first shot.
She made a light cut with her thumb, and a drop of deep red appeared at the tip of her index finger. The droplets of blood gathered into the form of a bullet and automatically drifted into the cylinder. She raised her hand, injected even less mana this time, and pulled the trigger.
Bang! The distant scarecrow vanished instantly, exploding into a cloud of scattered straw.
“Can my blood really produce such power just by being triggered by my mana...?” She sighed softly, but then felt a pair of hands wrap around her waist. A warm body slowly pressed against her from behind.
“Bonsoir~” A soft, alluring voice whispered in her ear, its gentle breath tickling her earlobe.
The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and her voice unconsciously turned tender.
“Welcome home~”
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