''Just kill me, please!'' Alex shouted; Silveria almost felt pity for her master; she wished to comfort him somehow, but she couldn't find the right word.
''Master, what's the problem?" Unsure of what was happening, asked Alex; she had forgotten to change how she called Alex. The reason why she called him master was because of the contract she sighed with him after losing that match. In a certain sense, Alex was like her boss, her temporary master, and because master fit more than boss as boss sound like it was some mafia organization, Eri chose to say master instead of the boss.
Maria's eyes turned colder; it was an unconscious action; not many had perfect control over their body and subconscious actions. She didn't wish to react like this, but unconsciously she couldn't control herself.
''Please don't complicate things any more than this, Eri, I beg you,'' Alex asked with a weak voice; if not because of his dignity as a man, he would have begged on his knees to stop her from adding any more words less to make the situation more complicated.
Eri, utterly clueless about what was going on as she had never been in a relationship before, cocked her head to the side.
''Master, what's going on? Please tell me I would do anything to help you.'' Eri declared with an innocent face. Even Gracier and Noire, who were late to understand what was going on, couldn't help but sigh, wondering if this girl was not doing this intentionally; however, when they saw how serious her expression was, they discarded this thought, if she was playing the idiot then she should switch job, quitting adventuring and turn into a comedy instead thought the girls.
Alex felt his EQ would decrease if he responded to Eri again; therefore, he lifted his arm and declared.
''Begin the fight!"
Eri smiled while Maria said nothing. She summoned her daggers and readied them; Eri also did the same.
Swoosh!
Maria immediately threw one of the crystal daggers toward Eri; the dagger cut through the air like a missile, but Eri reacted faster by tilting her head to the side. She was able to dodge the dagger, but a few strands of her hair got cut in the process.
''You missed!" Eri declared with a smile as she could feel Maria attacking too hastily than usual as if something was annoying her; however, the following words said by Maria sent a chill down Eri's spine.
''Don't celebrate too fast.'' Maria's voice came from behind where the dagger she threw should have been she was there, somehow she switched place with her dagger.
Maria, who appeared behind Eri after deconstructing her body and reconstructing it where there was more ice, i.e., the dagger she threw earlier, slammed her knee into Eri's back; she had no time to dodge she could do a last minute plan, hastily covering her body in thin flame armor.
Unfortunately, it was easily broken, and she was sent flying, her body bent in a v shape.
Maria stared at the flying Eri, and from her eyes, ice beam was fired like a laser.
''Did she become a fucking version of Superman?" Alex blurted out.
Meanwhile, Eri sensed the incoming danger and twisted her body and slashed out with her sword; flame burst out from the sword, clashing against the ice ray.
Boom!
There was an explosion which Eri borrowed to twist her body and disappeared; it was her turn she moved at extreme speed.
Clangs! Clangs!
When she appeared behind Maria and slashed at her back, she responded by blocking every strike calmly, and soon the two moved at breakneck speed, exchanging dozens of swords moves. In contrast, Eri's sword tended to the brute side. Maria's sword art was more refined, using softness to deal with Eri's brute strength.
''Glaciate!" When the two locked swords, Maria glared at Eri and immediately used her eyes ability.
Ice ray was short at Eri from a close range while everyone believed she would suffer from the sudden attack; Eri did something that surprised them then. Her ruby-like eyes shone, and a fire beam was fired, clashing directly into the ice ray.
''Fire Ray!"
BOOM!
The explosion threw the two flying a couple of meters in the air.
''Now we got two female versions of Superman,'' Alex commented.
Maria was shocked she looked at Eri, wondering how did she had come up with such an idea as she believed that she didn't have that kind of ability when they fought a few days ago, while she could have developed this ability recently, Maria had the feeling that it was not the case, she felt like she just did it in the spur of the moment.
Seeing the confusion written all over Maria's face, somehow, Eri felt proud, and she chuckled.
''What? Are you surprised that I was able to copy your ability?''
Maria said nothing but waited for Eri to continue and finish her explanation.
''Tch! Whatever, I just observed your skill and noticed that every time before you use your eye power, mana would gather under your eyes to form the beam; knowing this I simply tried, and it worked. It's not difficult!"
'Not difficult?' Everyone present had the same thought; they looked at Eri, wondering if she was not making fun of them. When she was explaining, most of the girls tried to follow what she said, and the result was a failure for everyone who tried, even Gracier, who had perfect control over her mana and the Fire element couldn't copy Eri's gesture.
Maria's lips twitched, and she calmed down her emotions; she couldn't get more angry than necessary.
''Use your strongest ability; if not, you will lose miserably.''
Although she didn't like the meaning behind Maria's words, Eri said nothing she decided to show instead of responding.
''Phoenix Mode !"
Immediately mana burst out from Eri's body, and she transformed, crimson dress, elongated red hair, phoenix tattoo between her eyebrows, phoenix wings on her back.
Alex and the others marveled at the incredible sight before them. Noire was shocked because she had just discovered the presence of another mystical beast near her master.
'Who is he?' She wondered.