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Chapter 295 - Chapter 295: Dangerous Women Are More Alluring

Will we win?

I don't know. We'll probably lose.

But Lyney simply wanted Luna to witness their current strength. If they managed to take a round, all the better; if not, he could accept it.

"The final stage requires your cooperation, Luna."

Luna replied with interest, "A mechanism? Excellent! I'm eager to see what kind of novel magic trick you've prepared for me."

"Then please take ten steps forward."

One, two, three... After Luna took her tenth step, the floor suddenly opened beneath her.

Most magic tricks, no matter how varied, ultimately revolve around the same principles. In tricks involving space, there's either a hole in the ceiling or a hole in the floor.

So Luna wasn't surprised or resistant. She simply descended gracefully.

First came deeper darkness.

Pitch black, but Luna could sense she had entered a narrow space.

Click—a closing sound echoed.

"Next up is this!"

Rumble... The floor began to rise. Luna casually touched the surfaces around her, realizing she was in a sphere, or perhaps a spherical structure.

There was a hole. The structure had two layers.

She understood.

"So that's how it is," Luna's voice echoed from within the spherical structure.

Freminet whispered, "She... she's already seen through our plan?"

"...No. My magic isn't so easily deciphered. Activate the 'Hamster Cage'!"

With a click, the mechanism whirred to life.

The inner layer of the sphere began to rotate!

Simultaneously, Lyney snapped his fingers, and blindingly bright rays of light shot through the holes in the inner and outer layers of the sphere, refracting off the mirrors lining the inner layer.

In an instant, the sphere's interior was flooded with light, so intense it was nearly impossible to keep one's eyes open.

But they weren't finished yet.

Lyney drew back his bow, and the other children raised their crossbows once more.

Well-trained, they anticipated the moment the holes in the inner and outer layers aligned, firing their arrows through the gaps to strike Luna.

"'Father' always said, 'To capture your prey, the most crucial steps are restricting their movement and blinding their vision.'"

"In this dazzling, ever-shifting environment, with your footing constantly changing, can you still anticipate our attacks?"

"This is my new magic—the Light-Shadow Hamster Cage. Though it's capturing a cat, it's still a cage, right?"

Lyney's face lit up with confidence. "This is my masterpiece, Lynette and Freminet helped me a lot with it. Do you think you can escape it?"

Luna had many ways to escape—both fair and unfair.

For instance, she could teleport a short distance, bypassing the trap entirely. Or she could simply use brute force to smash her way out.

Those methods would certainly be efficient, but Luna couldn't accept them.

How could she simply brush aside such an elaborately crafted trap prepared with such care by her family?

It sounded strange to call it familial affection, but that's exactly what it was.

The House of the Hearth needed no pretense of love or pity.

Luna closed her eyes and smiled. "Then bear witness to Phantom Thief White Cat's escape method. But before that..."

I sense it.

Luna's danger sense was sharp. Even as the inner layers of the Hamster Cage shifted and rotated endlessly, she could still pinpoint the direction of the arrows.

More impressively, she maintained her balance while keeping her upper body steady.

Up remained up, and down remained down.

She wouldn't lose her sense of direction, because she could sense Arlecchino at the far end.

That was the goal, the place she needed to reach.

"I'll use this sword."

With a twist of her wrist, she revealed the blade.

Ding-ding-ding—The cloak danced with the sword's shadow, its inner layers of countless mirrors faintly reflecting Luna's graceful, lithe figure as she twirled her blade. Wherever the sword's shadow reached, arrows wreathed in light were struck down without fail.

"Shoot them all down!" she whispered.

Luna gripped the arrow shaft and squeezed with all her might.

Crack. The arrow snapped in half in her hand. Following the trajectory of the original shot, she hurled the two halves like darts.

One clanged, the other didn't.

This meant one had struck an inner or outer layer, while the other had flown wide.

"So that's how it works... heh..."

Luna opened her crimson eyes. She no longer feared the blinding light filling her vision, for she had deciphered the mechanism's operational pattern.

Its movements weren't random at all! By mastering the patterns of its inner and outer layers, she could predict its timing with second-by-second accuracy.

If that were the case, then... she pulled out her pocket watch.

Tick-tock... The second hand ticked seven times—now!

Ice Threads intertwined.

"What—?!"

Lyney and the others saw a flash of cold light streak from above the Hamster Cage.

As they focused their gaze, they realized it was a steel needle!

Trailing a shimmering ice-blue thread, the needle soared up, then arced down with pinpoint precision, embedding itself into another empty hole and tying itself into a knot.

The Hamster Cage's mechanism froze for a split second.

In that instant, countless Ice Threads erupted from the hollows, plunging in and out, weaving themselves into intricate knots under Luna's skillful hands.

The Hamster Cage was completely jammed!

"She's getting out!" Lyney cried, channeling Pyro energy and firing a volley of flaming arrows.

The other children snapped out of their daze as well.

Luna is even more outrageous than we thought!

Is this even humanly possible?!

No wonder she survived "Father's" execution...

Terrifying...

Amid their shock and suspicion, they immediately unleashed a barrage of arrows, aiming to sever the Ice Threads binding the Hamster Cage.

But Luna moved faster.

"Looks like the cage's exit is right here."

With a precise strike, Luna plunged her Luna Sword into the Hamster Cage's apex, dismantling its dual-layered locking mechanism. She leaped upward.

The incoming flaming arrows detonated in a barrage!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Yet through the blaze and smoke, a white-clad figure soared forth.

Every child gaped in astonishment.

Not a scratch on her—just a bit of dust on Luna's clothes.

"Freminet!"

"Right!"

Freminet charged toward Luna with his claymore, while Lyney drew his bow again.

Lynette sensed something was wrong and cried out, "Wait! That's—!"

It was a phantom!

The arrow missed its mark, and the Claymore slashed through empty air.

Their eyes widened in shock. By the time they regained their senses, Luna had already flashed past them and landed at the entrance to Arlecchino's office.

It was over.

Their ambush had failed.

Lyney took a few deep breaths and said helplessly, "Luna, you're as formidable as ever. You dismantled our meticulously prepared contraption so easily."

Luna simply smiled faintly.

"That's because you were facing me. Besides, you hadn't fully developed this contraption yet, had you?"

She tugged at her glove. "Now it's my turn. I can design a hundred contraptions to make enemies suffer unimaginable agony... Lyney, you're far too merciful."

Lynette, having freed herself from her restraints, retorted, "You're the one who's too dangerous!"

Luna curtsied gracefully.

"Dangerous women are always more captivating, aren't they?"

"And thank you all for attending this welcome ceremony. I'll be sure to reward you all handsomely later—with a feast fit for kings, of course."

She turned and pushed open the door to Arlecchino's office.

As expected, Arlecchino was waiting for her.

"You've arrived, Luna."

"Mm-hmm."

Luna closed the door behind her.

"A brilliant response, Luna. And the children performed admirably as well. This challenge will undoubtedly give them a deeper understanding of high-level combat."

Even if they can't become as strong as Luna, this experience will help them find their footing, recognize their limits, and ultimately survive.

After all, the most important thing for survival isn't becoming stronger, but knowing your own capabilities, when to flee, and when to fight to the death.

Luna approached Arlecchino and took a small box from her satchel.

It was a music box.

"As promised, I'm returning it to you now."

Luna chuckled softly.

Arlecchino accepted the music box, a flicker of nostalgia crossing her eyes.

This was a gift Luna had given her as a child.

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