Inside the Grand Library.
Bloodlight flickered across the upper floor. Fringilla, bat wings spread from her back, launched attack after attack like Red Lightning. With every sweep of her bone-forged sword, countless low-level Blood Magic spells rained down, pinning the thief so thoroughly that it could not lift its head.
Eve was anxious. She wanted to remind Fringilla not to damage the books, but felt that would be asking too much of her, leaving her caught in a painful inner conflict.
After all, they were fighting on the library's upper floors, where precious tomes of sorcery were stored. Even if apprentices had copied them, the copies lacked the essence of the originals.
Only after waiting for quite some time did she realize that she ought to help. But Fringilla's strength had clearly exceeded her expectations. Before she could act, blood had already split into countless threads, wrapped around the "thief," and bound it into a dumpling.
Flapping her wings, Fringilla descended while holding the "dumpling" aloft with one hand.
"Come look, I caught this ugly thing."
Eve was utterly amazed and praised her sincerely. "You're incredible!"
"Oh, not really. I'm just average."
Fringilla waved her hand with a touch of pride and crouched beside the monster still struggling in the net. It roughly retained a humanoid shape, but its skin was exceptionally smooth. Once it landed, its skin automatically changed to the same color as the floor.
Its face was similarly bare, without a trace of hair. There were only two black holes where its nostrils should have been—no eyes, ears, or mouth.
"This thing is hideous. Have you ever seen a monster like this?"
Eve shook her head. "I've never heard of this kind of magical creature."
She casually cast a Feather Float spell and retrieved the book from