"What did you say?"
Shade was startled by the meaning behind the girl's words. Just as he was about to say something, he saw her deliberately close her eyes:
"So this is what has always confused me. The power of wisdom is our greatest strength."
Wind coiled around her, fire danced at her feet, water concealed her figure, and earth supplied her with strength.
Light seeped from beneath her skin, and then her entire body was enveloped in radiance. That gentle glow carried a faint chill. Within the halo of light, the girl floated into the air; her blurred figure grew taller, and her short hair rapidly lengthened.
Whispers overlapped, murmuring endlessly by his ears. Every voice was female, interwoven as though offering blessings, yet also as though delivering curses.
The two boys hid among the toy shelves, trembling. Shade and the Saint both watched the scene. The same image was reflected in their eyes: at the peak of the light's intensity, Shade saw a blurred female figure embracing the girl within the light from behind.
The light gradually faded, and calm returned to the surroundings. A girl who seemed several years older stepped out of the light. Her eyes appeared to hold light within them; her features were coldly beautiful, and her bearing extraordinary. Aside from the shape of her face, there was no sign that she had been merely a little girl just now.
"Witch Awakening is equivalent to her growing up in an instant. As her way of thinking leaps forward, she transforms from an ordinary person into an individual who commands supernatural power. This is the mortal supernatural system of this era."
The Saint explained to Shade.
"God~"
The girl bowed to the Saint behind the counter, then looked towards Shade and made an unexpected move.