Heading to Florence (Seeking Investment!)

Bayonetta moved with extraordinary agility. Those sharp blades often grazed past her, yet failed to harm her in the slightest. And with every attack she dodged, Bayonetta became even faster.

There was a pistol on each of her hands and feet. She could even fire faster than Salomon could see. The deafening gunshot often rang out only once, yet struck multiple enemies.

With a teammate ahead to hold off the enemies, Salomon could cast his spells without worry. This was his first time experiencing the joy of being a mage.

He pointed at an enemy and recited an incantation. An incredibly simple cantrip was cast.

Preemptive Strike was the best spell for probing enemies he did not understand. It allowed Salomon to briefly learn an enemy's defensive weaknesses. If Salomon did not know which magical effects these Angels were immune to or resistant against, he would have no idea how to cast his spells.

Then, an illusory great bell appeared above the head of an Angel carrying an oversized wind instrument. A mournful toll rang out, and Negative Energy pressed down on it like sound waves.

The Angel blew another note. The Positive Energy that shot forth collided with the Negative Energy, canceling each other out and leaving behind only an energy aftershock. But immediately afterward, a ball of flame slammed solidly into its face, scorching one piece of its faceplate yellow-black.

Salomon's attacks drew the Angels' attention. Though they could not hit Bayonetta, Salomon in the distance looked much easier to bully. Switching targets was not a bad idea.

But before they could fly toward Salomon, a sickening-looking green energy shot from the Arcanist's hand toward a birdman holding a golden lance.

This Affinity Angel's movements became incredibly sluggish. Bayonetta raised her long leg and pressed the tip of her high heel against its head. Then several bullets pierced straight through the Affinity Angel's skull.

"Thank you, Boya~ Give me more magic like that." Bayonetta winked at Salomon. She could feel that the Angel struck by Salomon's spell had become far more fragile, both its skin and the armor fused to its flesh.

Salomon had cast Blight Ray to test whether these Angels could resist poisoning effects. After all, even Preemptive Strike could not give him a complete understanding of an enemy. Through spells such as Death Knell, Flame Arrow, and Blight Ray, he had roughly determined the Angels' weaknesses.

Salomon's figure seemed to stand amid hazy mist, swaying endlessly under the sparse, dim light. A ray of Positive Energy fired from a horn flew past him like a cannonball, but Salomon did not stop casting.

A giant hand made of soil reached out beside Bayonetta. It was as tall as a person. Before Bayonetta could react, the hand tightly clenched an Angel beside her. Black cracks continuously spread across the Angel's body, and blood was squeezed from its body before turning into golden motes that drifted into the sky.

"Oh my~" Bayonetta casually pressed her pistol against the Angel's head and fired several shots. Immediately afterward, the large hand of soil seized another Angel. Now the Witch was certain that this was Salomon's spell. It had indeed helped her greatly, dragging Angels out of her blind spots so she could attack them.

Seeing the Angels gradually surround Bayonetta, with several horn-bearing Angels even above the Witch, Salomon immediately dispelled Maximilian's Earth Grab and switched spells.

"Come to my side, Bayonetta." Salomon did not stop casting. The moment he finished speaking, the Witch appeared beside him. Suddenly, a huge mass of thick, sticky spiderwebs fell from above, covering every Angel. All of them were firmly glued to the ground.

Now was the time for targeted spells.

The Arcanist tore open a scroll, and a fireball only slightly shorter than Salomon appeared before him. It rolled toward the Angels in a straight line. The flammable webs ignited, and flames instantly spread across the entire web, subjecting every Angel to blistering heat. Under Salomon's control, the fireball made a turn and rolled over every Angel in its path.

"Not bad, little one. Your performance was quite spectacular." Bayonetta narrowed one eye and fired precise shots at the few Angels still barely clinging to life. "But this was still only a small scene."

"I came to find something, Bayonetta, not to fight. Still, since these Angels entered Earth, Kamar-Taj has a responsibility to clear them out." Salomon sighed helplessly. He could only pay for necromantic spells with his own magic. He was not yet qualified to draw magic from the Dark Dimension, so he had better use fewer necromantic spells. Otherwise, after sacrificing his life force, he might not grow any taller.

Having to keep looking up at Bayonetta made him rather uncomfortable.

After all the Angels turned into golden motes and vanished amid the flames, Bayonetta summoned her motorcycle again. "Get on, Boya," Bayonetta said. "Or do you want me to carry you? I wouldn't mind~"

"Pah!" Salomon clicked his tongue, but obediently climbed onto the back seat himself. He did not want this woman holding him when his hormones were surging. Any physical reaction would be extremely embarrassing. Salomon did not want to die socially, especially in front of this woman.

"Hold on tight, okay? Or are you feeling shy..." Bayonetta's voice came again.

"Shut up! Witch!" Although Salomon blushed, he obediently wrapped his arms around Bayonetta's slender waist. "Drive! Drive! I'll get mad if you say another word!"

The place Bayonetta had chosen for the battle was near a castle called Finchiliata Castle. It was in the southern part of Fiesole, as well as south of Mount Ceceri in the outskirts of Florence. It was said that Da Vinci had once conducted flight experiments atop Mount Ceceri.

A highway lay south of here. Following it west would lead them to Florence. However, because it was already so late, Salomon's destination, Holy Cross Church near Leonardo da Vinci's former residence, was closed to visitors.

So Bayonetta drove west, intending to spend the night at a resort called Country Puppet. There was also a restaurant near the inn called Ristorante Il Salviatino. It was said that its Italian cuisine had received countless rave reviews, and she wanted to try it.

Standing at the door to the guest room, Salomon said, "I understand the reasoning, and I want to try the Italian food there too."

His tone gradually rose and became extremely serious. "But the problem is... why did you book only one room, Bayonetta?! Do you have any self-awareness at all?!"

"I was thinking about safety, Boya~" Bayonetta put her hands on her hips. Her flawless figure attracted countless gazes. She took a lollipop from the cleavage between her breasts and popped it into her mouth. Salomon even heard someone fall to the floor. The Witch spoke nonchalantly. "Angels can suddenly appear, you know~"

"I'll set up magical alarms."

"Angels might launch a nighttime raid, you know~"

"I'll set up magical alarms."

"Angels are like men. They show up when you least expect them, you know~"

"I'll—"

"Open the door quickly, or I'll dispel my magic. Big sister's clothes are made of magic, you know. Could it be~ you want everyone to see big sister's na—"

"Get inside, get inside! We'll go buy clothes later!"

As expected, I still can't write cute things. I give up.