The spell Tasha's Hideous Laughter came from the infamous Igweirf of Greyhawk—the Witch of Perilam, an avid enthusiast of extreme confinement play, creator of the Demonic Chronicle, lover and enemy of Graz'zt, one of the Abyss's three great lords, the Dark Prince, the Double-Ended Plug, the Six-Fingered Lord, and Master of the Triple Realm, and mother of the demigod Iuz.
Balder and Bayonetta were born spellcasters. The powers of angels and demons flowed through their veins, and the more attuned they were to that power, the greater the strength they could wield. Charisma was the attribute associated with magical affinity—something obvious from Bayonetta's unparalleled allure. Even with half his face covered, Balder's voice remained captivating. That was why Salomon had chosen this mind-coercing spell to exploit the weakness of natural spellcasters.
Bullets were always faster than incantations. While Salomon was still chanting, tossing out a small cake, and waving a feather, Bayonetta's bullets were already speeding toward Balder's head. Then, an invisible force spread outward from Balder, and everything froze. Within that domain, everyone except Balder stood still. He casually raised a hand, caught the four suspended bullets, and turned them around.
Balder's fingers lightly swept through the air, and everything returned to normal. No one realized what had happened, but thanks to her exceptional reflexes, Bayonetta still twisted aside to evade the bullets that should have struck Balder. Yet that very movement exposed an opening. The Sage's free left hand shot out, tightly gripping Bayonetta's throat and lifting her into the air.
"That's it, Cereza! Do not fear your destiny!" Balder's fingers sank into Bayonetta's slender neck like iron hooks. He paid no heed to her cries. "Hold your head high, my child, and seize your true potential! Hahahahahaha!"
Balder erupted into manic laughter. His tense muscles forced him