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C1839

"You're all a bunch of cowards! Show your face and reveal your true identity!" Klea shouted, growing increasingly frustrated. Her eyes darted from one masked magus to another, her agitation evident.

Hearing her fiery outburst, one of the magus in the group suggested, "Auntie, why don't we just kill her?"

The elderly woman with a wrinkled countenance, maintained her calm demeanor and responded, "We can, but not here and not until she provides answers to some of my questions." Her voice carried a sense of authority that silenced the group momentarily.

Hearing this Klea added "Auntie...? I guess you're actually quite old, aren't you? I bet you are real ugly behind that mask."

The female magus curled into a faint smile "Your attempts at mockery won't work on me, dear," she replied with a measured tone.

The situation became tense as the group closed in on Klea. She was determined not to go down without a fight and decided to cast her most potent spell. The air around her grew heavy, and the sky darkened as dark storm clouds gathered above. Bright sparks of lightning crackled around her body, heralding a powerful spell. However, the debilitating effects of the poison rapidly overwhelmed her, and she was forced to cease her incantation. Her body, now laden with the paralyzing toxin, grew limp as she lost control of her magic.

Klea, overwhelmed by desperation and fear, quickly surrendered. Her voice trembled as she pleaded, "Wait... I give up. Please, tell me what you want. You mentioned a question. Ask me anything."

The old female magus, wasted no time. "I want to know the true source of your boyfriend's power," she demanded, her voice unwavering.

Klea's expression took a sudden and unexpected turn. Her once-fearful look transformed into a knowing and determined one. She cast her gaze toward the six magus who had surrounded her, a sudden realization dawning on her.

"Boyfriend...?huh... You're all Kronos magus, aren't you?" she said confidently, her eyes filled with a new sense of purpose.

They were caught off guard, their initial surprise evident. "How... How did you..."

Klea grinned, her earlier fear replaced by a newfound self-assuredness. "I wasn't certain before, but now I am," she declared with a smile.

Frustrated by Klea's cunning response, the female magus bellowed, "You tricked us! Kill her!" The other five magus prepared to act on command.

Four magus charged at Klea simultaneously, expecting to overpower their paralyzed opponent, but to their shock, they were met with fierce resistance. Klea managed to cast a tier 7 spell [Thunder Web]

A series of complex runic symbols and patterns appeared in the air around her, resonating with electric energy. A shimmering barrier formed, enveloping her like a protective cocoon. Simultaneously, tendrils of crackling lightning extended outwards, forming a web-like structure surrounding her. When the four magus entered the perimeter, bolts of electricity arced toward them, causing intense pain upon contact.

"How did you!? You are poisoned!" the old female magus exclaimed, her voice filled with disbelief.

Klea maintained her composure and replied, "Well, if you must know… one of my boyfriend's powers is poison"

The female magus, growing increasingly irritated by Klea's resilience, decided to call upon the two magus she believed to be more reliable: the burly one, characterized by his impressive physique, and the scaly-skinned magus. Before they could launch another attack, Klea once again halted their advance.

"Wait... Aren't you curious as to how I guessed that you are Kronos magus?" Klea taunted, her voice laced with amusement.

She pointed toward the scaly magus and confidently declared, "I guess you are Triton." Then, turning her attention to the muscular magus she continued, "As for you, you're a bit trickier to decipher, but I'm fairly certain you're Hercules."

Lastly, she gazed at the female magus with a smile she said "And you, the cunning magus employing poison and witchcraft, are none other than Hecate... am I right?"

Klea's precise guesses left Hecate both stunned and frustrated. She had assumed that someone within the Kronos family might have leaked information about their identities, but Klea swiftly debunked that notion.

"Not really," Klea explained nonchalantly. "As soon as I realized you were Kronos magus, it wasn't too challenging. There are only a few candidates under the age of 30, so it's a process of elimination, really." Her smile conveyed both her clever deduction and her confidence in the accuracy of her guesses.

Klea decided to elaborate on how she had detected the surveillance from the beginning. Her keen sense of spirit energy allowed her to discern that something was off. With a wry smile, she added, "Now, can you guess why I waited so long to reveal it, to the point of talking too much?"

Hecate's realization dawned upon her. It became apparent that Klea had previously visited the military outpost, leading to the most probable conclusion that reinforcements were on their way. To confirm her suspicion, Hecate swiftly employed her skill and confirmed that multiple magus was rapidly approaching. She defiantly retorted,

"You called an enforcer!! Huh! They can't help you; I won't admit to anything!!"

Maintaining her composure, Klea calmly responded, "No, no, you've got it all wrong... I'd rather we handle this internally."

Seconds later, three magus arrived at the scene: Chumo, Thrax, and the Abott Akahsa. The truth was that Klea had been messaging the others and had orchestrated this moment, patiently waiting until the Nephilim group had found a resting spot at the crossover. Apparently, Julian and Fjolnir were preoccupied with other matters.

Klea calmly commented, "It's okay, I suppose four against seven is a fair match."

Hecate's response was laughter, a sinister amusement that sent shivers down the spines of all present. She spoke with a mocking tone,

"You are a very interesting girl. But now, you'll regret this" With those words, Hecate's true form was revealed—a stunning woman with flowing, obsidian hair that cascaded down her back. She bore a crescent-shaped symbol on her forehead, and as it began to glow, it marked the ascension of her power to that of a full moon magus.

To be continued