At the sight of the strange "ghost" that had appeared out of nowhere, Aileen, who had been on guard all along, reacted at once. Deep, silent Black Flames sprang into being and landed on its black armor.
A Demoness's Black Flames fed on Spirituality. In an instant, they turned the ghost into a torch. However strange it was, a ghost was still a spirit!
Crackle, crackle... After a burst of sounds like firewood burning, the ghost's body could hold together no longer and broke into countless fragments.
But everything Aileen saw shattered with it. She was still standing near the altar, yet the Instigator Mr. A had ordered her to guard had somehow been moved to the foot of the stairs.
The strange ghost floated above the Instigator. It pointed a finger at Aileen and murmured a word in Ancient Hermes: "Holy."
Then the dark-gold Sunbird Brooch on its chest flashed, and it fired an Air Bullet with a bang.
The moment the bullet formed, it took on a sacred radiance and shot straight toward her face.
Aileen had no time to wonder how a ghost could deal holy damage. She hastily raised layer after layer of ice before her, hoping to stop it.
But at that moment, the strange ghost raised its right hand, clad in an iron-black glove, and declared in Ancient Hermes:
"Ice spells are forbidden here!"
The ice walls Aileen had created vanished. An instant later, the Air Bullet, imbued with holy power, struck her squarely in the forehead.
She froze where she stood, then shattered like an illusion. A small mirror in a corner of the basement cracked and broke apart, scattering across the floor.
The Mirror Substitution Method!
Aileen reappeared beside the mirror in her purple dress and fur coat.
Before she could catch