The towering golden flames rapidly expanded, impacting the surrounding indigo mist and scorching everything in their path.
Beneath this golden blaze, the ambient temperature skyrocketed, causing the very air to distort visibly.
Using this fiery beacon, Ravel finally pierced through the visual obstruction of the indigo mist, bringing the surrounding scenery into view.
When she saw the numerous parked vehicles and the passenger plane slowly ascending in the distance, realisation dawned.
"So, from the moment we entered the airport car park and boarded that vehicle, everything I've seen has been false?"
As Ravel spoke these words, Mammon landed beside her after her earlier leap. Her cold gaze fell on the young man leaning against a white car, then shifted to the unconscious chauffeur, Linda, inside the vehicle. Understanding flashed across her features:
"Miss Ravel, it appears we've been under illusion techniques since entering the car park."
"Though I've never heard of any illusion specialist in Japan with this level of precision..."
Ravel glanced at Mammon, subtly increasing the distance between them as she cautioned:
"Mammon, stay alert. That's not our enemy's true body. From now on, consider everyone - including me - as potential threats."
She paused before adding:
"His illusion technique is peculiar. Even my flames can only temporarily disperse it, not burn it away completely."
Though phoenixes were renowned for their vitality and immortality, their flames were nothing to scoff at.
Backed by a formidable life force, phoenix fire could achieve astonishing feats like burning an opponent's very vitality.
This was precisely why Ravel had immediately unleashed her flames upon detecting the enemy. Firstly, to attack their surroundings and disperse the obviously illusion-based indigo mist. Secondly, to use the phoenix fire's life-burning properties to scan for life signatures.
According to her scan's feedback, the man leaning against the car showed no vital signs - merely an illusory construct.
The real enemy remained hidden.
Maintaining her composure, Ravel analysed:
"Illusion deception requires foundations. An illusionist can't fabricate sounds they've never heard or sights they've never seen."
"So when our enemy exposed himself during Linda's interrogation, it's likely because he'd already incapacitated or killed her without hearing her voice, making imitation impossible."
Mammon turned to her: "Your suggestion being?"
"From now on, maintain constant emission of Asmodeus family technique fluctuations. For every attack I launch, you employ a different one. Given your family's requirement to master hundreds of techniques, this shouldn't pose a difficulty?"
Ravel spoke while raising her hands, golden flame's light transforming into a vividly lifelike phoenix that soared within her palms:
"Facing an illusionist, I cannot distinguish your authenticity!"
"In that case, I might as well treat you as an enemy and burn you all together!"
"If you're not an enemy, then release a technique I recognise but the enemy wouldn't know!!"
"I see, I understand your meaning now."
Upon hearing this, Mammon nodded in sudden comprehension, having grasped Ravel's intention.
An illusionist cannot create things they've never seen with illusion techniques, and the Asmodeus family techniques she had mastered originated from Ravel and her homeland - clearly something the opposing illusionist wouldn't have encountered.
Therefore, to verify identity, one needed to display a specific technique as a friendly signal.
When Ravel used flame attacks, she could manipulate the flames to avoid harming those releasing the signal.
For Ravel, transforming the life-burning phoenix flames into harmless light wasn't particularly difficult.
"Then, I'll launch my first attack in three seconds."
As Ravel spoke, the phoenix flames in her palms slowly spread their wings, as if preparing to strike.
It seemed the next moment would see everything around them explode.
And at that very instant.
The person presumed to be an illusion suddenly spoke:
"Finished discussing your strategy?"
"3!"
Ravel shouted, abruptly clapping her hands together.
At the crisp sound, the phoenix flames suddenly beat their wings, tremendous firelight erupting instantly. A ring-shaped flame shockwave radiated outward from Ravel, engulfing everything around her.
Meanwhile, Mammon became enveloped in layers of silver script. The flames that should have consumed her automatically diminished upon contact with these symbols, merely surrounding her without causing harm.
In contrast, facing this omnidirectional assault of flames, the handsome black-haired, black-eyed youth beside the telephone pole merely smiled:
"So 'attacking in three seconds' actually means just shouting '3'? Quite the slippery one, aren't you?"
Ravel turned, raising her right hand where another phoenix gradually took form:
"Found the real one."
As she spoke, Ravel's expression turned cold:
"Will you surrender or flee, illusionist?"
Simultaneously, Mammon suddenly leapt up, hovering mid-air as concentric circular magic arrays began forming behind her, poised to unleash overwhelming technique strikes at the slightest provocation.
Confronted with this situation, Luo Shu withdrew his right hand from his pocket, flexed his fingers slightly, then smiled at Ravel:
"...Quite the sharp tongue."
"But if I let you keep making such a commotion, it'll be troublesome for me to handle."
"So just go quietly to sleep."
As these words fell, Luo Shu focused his brow, locked eyes with Ravel, and clenched his right fist abruptly.
In the next instant, something like black lightning exploded from nowhere. An unimaginable pressure instantly shattered Ravel's body and mind.
"How...could..."
The previously confident Ravel widened her eyes as she stared at the figure that had appeared before her unnoticed, gazing down at her with indifferent eyes.
Instinctively, she looked towards where Luo Shu had been standing, only to see his form dissipating like mist.
'An... illusion...'
Ravel's pupils contracted. Before she could process the thought, she collapsed to the ground with a thud, unconscious.
Having knocked out Ravel with a single strike using Concept Entanglement, Luo Shu turned sideways to address Mammon hovering mid-air:
"Still planning to resist?"
At this moment, Mammon—who had already deployed over a hundred offensive techniques—was sweating profusely, staring in terror at the smiling figure bathed in silent black lightning.
In her dazed state, she seemed to see a cold-faced Valkyrie clad in pristine white armour, wielding a longsword—the very Sword Saint who had once swept across Europe single-handedly.
"That power... it's like Twin Wings..."
"...A Demigod."
Then, Mammon's hoarse, strained voice emerged:
"I surrender!"
Hearing this, Luo Shu gave Mammon a meaningful look before replying:
"A wise choice."
With that, Luo Shu bent down, scooping up Ravel in a princess carry, then turned his back on Mammon:
"Bring the unconscious ones from the car and follow me."
After a brief silence, Mammon obediently complied, lifting the unconscious maid Linda before following Luo Shu into the surrounding mist.