After the magical detonation fizzled out, Luca Slint lay flat on the ground in Yamcha's classic death pose, her dusty little face full of grievance.
'Damn it, I got beaten up this bad, and you still didn't co out to help ? What kind of guardian spirit are you supposed to be!'
The soul in the Millennium Ring had said after the duel with Aisha earlier that day that it needed to rest for a while to recover its magic.
To her surprise, the spirit of the Millennium Ring had truly stuck to its word, not showing itself even while its host was being thoroughly beaten—a comndably consistent fellow.
Instead, it was Luca who, disobeying the Ring's advice to "wait patiently for the right mont," went and challenged Irena head-on.
"So, Luca, want to keep fighting?"
Fingers hooked through the ring, the victorious Irena spun the Millennium Ring in her hand with ease.
The implication was clear: even if Luca got back up and tried again, the result wouldn't change.
"No more."
Getting up with a pout, Luca forcefully slapped the dust off her black-and-white stockings.
"Oh? You're much more honest now. Then maybe it's ti you ca clean about what this thing is, hmm? Don't try to play dumb. That ominous aura radiating from it isn't sothing you can just brush off."
"Don't know."
Luca answered perfunctorily.
If she couldn't win the duel, she'd just play dumb. What could Irena do—torture her?
"Isn't it yours?"
"Nope."
"Hahahaha, you really think lying will get you anywhere with ? Sorry to say, but that won't work."
A surge of magic gathered in Irena's palm as she pressed her finger directly to Luca's chest.
If an ordinary person saw this, they might think Irena was getting handsy with a cute little girl.
However, to anyone in the know, the purple magic leaking through Irena's pale fingers gave it away instantly.
It was a spell more advanced than the True Sight Eye, a sinister and fearso magic only those called witches could wield.
"Mark of Veritas!"
Though her finger was on Luca's chest, the purple magical sigil appeared just below Luca's navel.
"Y-You... what did you do?!"
Completely powerless to resist, Luca could only squirm under Irena's touch, increasingly certain this woman was seriously bad news.
She seed more like a villain than Luca herself—terrifying.
"Just a little spell to make lying kids behave. For the next three days, you'll only be able to tell the truth."
"No way. There's no such spell!"
"If you don't believe , go ahead and try."
Irena bead radiantly at her.
"Say sothing like, 'Senpai, you're really ugly~'."
"That's easy. Senpai... senpai?"
As the words reached her lips, Luca suddenly found her tongue and mouth refusing to cooperate.
"Senpai, you look beautiful. Wha!?"
Luca hadn't expected the Mark of Veritas to actually work—it could even override her will.
"Alright, now tell , what exactly is this thing?"
"Don't... kno—Millennium Ring."
"Millennium... Ring? What's it used for?"
"To house another soul."
"Another soul?"
The more Irena listened, the more confused she beca. Even as soone from a family of mages, she'd never heard of such a thing.
After all, magical tools that could interact with souls were almost universally recognized as forbidden items.
And Irena herself had no specialized knowledge in that area.
"So tell directly, is this thing dangerous?"
"Not dangerous."
To her surprise, the Mark of Veritas even responded to Luca's most current thoughts, which slightly reassured Irena.
Since the guardian spirit inside the Millennium Ring was currently dormant, it truly posed no threat—a fact beyond doubt.
"Not dangerous, huh? Then maybe I misjudged you, Luca."
Guilt creeping in, Irena averted her gaze.
With the Mark of Veritas active, there was no way Luca could lie.
"One last question: you wouldn't be planning anything shady toward Aisha Carlos, would you?"
"No. I'm straight."
"Ahem, your orientation wasn't necessary."
So it really was her own overthinking. Though Luca had so strange quirks, there was no way she'd harm Aisha.
Maybe she was being too protective. Aisha wasn't so clueless little kid.
With that thought, Irena chuckled self-deprecatingly.
She really was acting like a mother goose.
"Alright, you can go. But I'm not giving this back."
"Why not?!"
"I picked it up, fair and square. Bla your weakness, Luca Slint. When you've grown strong enough, co win it back from in a duel~"
The wicked witch had shown her true colors.
Even if Luca insisted it wasn't dangerous, a soul-bound magic item like the Millennium Ring was still considered forbidden in any country.
Better for Irena to keep it safe for now.
"Fine, keep it."
Luca agreed surprisingly quickly. After all, it's not like Irena would carry it on her 24/7. Sooner or later, she'd get the chance to reclaim it.
Knowing she couldn't get the Ring back anyway, Luca now regretted provoking Irena and ending up the worse for it.
"Then undo the Mark of Veritas."
She pointed to the spot three inches below her belly button.
"Sorry, I don't actually know how to remove it. Still, don't worry, it only lasts three days. Just be a good girl until then. Being honest isn't such a bad thing."
"Y-You! You're the real villain here!"
An honest assessnt from Luca under the spell of Veritas.
"Hahaha, I never said I was a good guy."
Smirking as she turned, Irena walked back toward the dorms, twirling the Millennium Ring between her fingers under Luca's bitter glare.
Annoyed at how thoroughly she'd been played, Luca sent a string of ntal curses that, surprisingly, had a tiny effect.
As Irena toyed with the Millennium Ring, the circular ring with sharp pendants swung around and scratched a faint line of blood across her pale hand.
"Hiss—ouch. Who said this thing wasn't dangerous? Serves right for ssing with it."
Quickly casting a healing spell on the wound, Irena finally learned her lesson. She stopped spinning the Ring and held it firmly in her grasp.
By the ti the dorm curfew approached, the dusty and bedraggled Luca finally returned to her room.
"What happened to you, Luca?"
Seeing her in such a state, Aisha couldn't help but ask with concern.
Exhausted and wanting to brush it off with a "Nothing happened," Luca opened her mouth—only for the Mark of Veritas to flare once more.
"I got beaten up by a senpai."
"Y-You got beaten up? What kind of senpai would do that?!"
"So girl I don't know. Silver-gray long hair, miko hat."
That description couldn't be anyone but Irena.
"You got beat up by Irena-senpai? You're joking, right?"
"I wish I was."
Feeling the burning mark below her stomach, Luca was on the verge of tears as she fled to the bathroom, not wanting to talk anymore.
...
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