Alongside the clash between Renya and Zolgia, Mio and Isha were facing off against the female Devil called Fantasma.
"Why do you listen to a piece of trash like Zolgia? From what I've heard, he's done some pretty horrible things to you, hasn't he?"
"The one who freed me when I was sealed away was that man. So I owe him a debt of gratitude for giving me this new body."
Fantasma replied to Mio's question in a gentle, airy manner.
"So that means... you've taken over that girl's body!?"
"You could say that. Anna has been in a deep sleep ever since I entered this body."
"I see. That's all I needed to know. That means I don't need to hold back against you either!"
Mio glared at Fantasma, who showed no sign of remorse, and activated her magic.
"That's dangerous, you know? I may have taken over this body, but Anna is still alive, after all?"
A powerful bolt of lightning was unleashed, but Fantasma blocked it with a magical barrier.
"You coward!"
"Rather, why are you going this far for a complete stranger?"
"It's nothing special! I just don't want any more victims of Zolgia!"
"How noble of you."
Mio and Fantasma exchanged magical attacks and barriers.
When Mio unleashed lightning, Fantasma defended with purified water; when Fantasma unleashed wind, Mio burned it away with flames.
Their handling of magic and magical power was nearly equal.
The fact that Mio, still inexperienced, could hold her own in a magical battle against Fantasma, a powerful succubus, was a testament to Mio's exceptional talent.
"Such a troublesome girl. If I hurt you carelessly, I'd probably get scolded. That man over there looks strong too, so let's finish this quickly!"
Saying this, Fantasma stuck out her tongue.
A magic circle floated upon it, glowing eerily.
This was Fantasma's unique ability, "Demonic Tongue."
With "Demon Tongue," Fantasma could forcibly cast her opponent into a waking dream.
"O-oh, this is bad..."
Mio felt dizzy and began to lose consciousness.
"You have quite the resistance, but just sleep quietly. If you don't resist, you'll see happy dreams, and when you wake up, everything will be over."
Ironically, Fantasma's words were similar to what Sylpha had said to Suguha after settling things outside.
'Ren...ya...'
Fighting against the drowsiness, Mio kept her consciousness tethered by keeping Renya's figure in her sight.
"Persistent, aren't you? But it's useless."
With a smile, Fantasma poured more power into her Demonic Tongue, trying to pull Mio's consciousness down.
"~ ~ ~ ~ ♪"
But faster than that, a beautiful singing voice rang out.
It was Isha's song.
A song meant to support Mio.
"Wh-what...?!"
As Fantasma looked bewildered, Mio, receiving Isha's song on her back, found her drowsiness gone.
Isha's song was not just any song.
It was special, providing various buff effects.
It neutralized the effect of Demon Tongue, eventually nullifying it entirely.
Fantasma, unaware of this, didn't realize that Mio's consciousness had already recovered.
"Stop that singing!"
Fantasma tried to use her Demon Tongue on Isha, but Isha's voice purified Fantasma's magical power.
Distracted by Isha, Fantasma made an even more fatal mistake.
She failed to notice that Mio, now free from mental fog, was charging magical power to unleash a powerful spell.
"Da—"
By the time she noticed, it was already too late.
"Too late! Take this!"
"Kyaaah!?"
The powerful bolt of lightning unleashed by Mio pierced through Fantasma's magical barrier.
Fantasma, struck directly, convulsed from the electric shock, was sent flying by the impact, slammed into the wall, and collapsed to the floor.
Her body wouldn't move, and her consciousness was already gone.
It was Mio and Isha's victory.
"Haa, haa... we did it... Isha, we won!"
"Yes, Mio-san!"
Mio and Isha exchanged a high-five.
Neutralizing Fantasma's magical power had been part of their pre-arranged plan.
Facing Fantasma, who possessed powerful magical energy, Mio, still lacking in experience and skill, had considered the possibility of a tough fight—or even defeat. She didn't want to cause trouble for Isha or Renya, so she devised a strategy and successfully defeated Fantasma.
"Was she also a victim?"
Mio murmured as she looked down at Fantasma.
Awakened from her seal, forced into another's body, and made to obey commands.
Thinking that way, Fantasma also seemed like a victim.
Of course, Anna—the Devil whose body had been taken over—was the greatest victim of all.
"If you think that... I wish you'd held back a little more."
The voice came from Fantasma, who was lying collapsed on the floor.
"You're already awake!?"
"Yes. Ah, but my body is numb, and I can't move. So please, no more magic. You two have won."
Mio, startled, was about to deploy a magic circle, but Fantasma smiled weakly at her.
From her appearance, it was clear she truly had no strength left to resist.
"...What are you planning to do now?"
"Who knows? I've lost, so it depends on the outcome of the battle over there."
In response to Mio's calm question, the succubus answered with an enigmatic smile.
"Then think about what you'll do with yourself. Renya is going to win."
"Is that so~? Well then, I'll follow that man when that time comes."
Hearing Mio's unwavering words, Fantasma's eyes widened slightly, but in the end, she smiled and murmured softly.
The outcome of the battle now rested with Renya and Zolgia.
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