Chapter 300: Improvisation

"Sneaky little cur, are we?" Despite being wounded by the monster, Griffos still retained his poised smile, setting up another seal almost immediately, following it up with another ritual, one of which took the form of a small prism. Such a prism would have a card inserted, allowing the light to spread outward. Harvard, not wasting any time, would attempt to charge through, allowing the Fusion between Inti and Walpurgis to attack the crystal before it can cast whatever spell it was preparing. Another beam of black light came down, as Harvard would try to lunge forward with a straight hook. Griffos elegantly dodged such a strike, swerving his body so he can aim for a gut punch into the Card Magician, followed by a knee and a left smack. In retaliation to this, Harvard would cast a spell to create an appendage and grab the Mirror by the throat, pulling him close so he can hit him with a headbutt directly on his nose. Griffos would simply throw his arm up to block the headbutt and cast a spell onto the child, an illusion that began to shatter his vision in a Kaleidoscope fashion, an unbearable sight to see. He would try to attempt in following such an illusion by casting another spell alongside palming his face, attempting to implant the eye insignia once more and attack his mind again, using the toy itself as a catalyst, yet Harvard would have his body react almost instantly to the illusion.

SHIKK!!

His ribcage splays itself, trying to catch the Mirror as if it was a personal Venus Flytrap, forcing the Doppelganger to back away and allow Harvard to de-spell the trick, regaining his sight. "Okay, Okay, you can throw down a bit!" The Card Magician praised, attempting to lunge forward and have another appendage made so he can be met with a barrage, yet as he did, he would be met with another attack, one of a massive fly-like beast attempting to race up and swallow the child in such a mass of insects. Harvard tried to cast a mine spell, hoping to explode it before it even got the chance, yet his focus shifting left a wide opening for Griffos to exploit with more chains and thorns, wrapping around the child, taking his energy in order to summon a new beast. Harvard would be quick on trying to guide the Fusion towards his opponent, letting it weaponize such arms to come down with a barrage, while preparing his own card through his body and out of his mouth, allowing him to cast his spell to nullify the chains and thorns. Anticipating this, Griffos would be quick on casting a Sigil, both as a means to stop the incoming attack, but also nudging it slightly forward so as to trap it, letting it carry such a burden in being the cost necessary to summon his own monsters. Harvard would try to close in, but the massive swarm would coordinate in order to push the child back, watching as the swarm circled around the group, acting as a shield in their favor.

The boy would try to think to himself as to how can he solve this issue. If he tries to reach through, he would be playing the waiting game, forced to have his monster be absorbed by the sigil and dramatically shift the tide to his Mirror's favor, let alone having to face it through insects that can most likely damage the connection once they reach it. As he'd try to recall what to do, he'd remember his Mirror's words. "Walpurgis is a monster based entirely on Rituals. Once a Ritual spell has entered in its system, it can cast it as though it was its own innate magic..." Such words gave the boy an idea, having him cast three spells to provide the plan. The first was the chain, hurling it through the swarm and trying to have one of the limbs catch on. The second was Fusion, and the third was Flames. As he tossed the chain through the swarm of flies, however, he'd notice that such flies would be phased through, rippling like water. It was an illusion, an attempt to trick the boy into keeping himself away or making use of more resources. The Doppelganger, at first, was confused as to why he was willing to cast Fusion on his monster, considering it was already a combination of two beasts. Once he saw what the chain was doing, he immediately knew what was up, retaliating by pushing the seal further, yet Harvard merely dragged the chain to push it further down, letting it take in both the illusion and the arena itself, the fingertips twitching as such lines finally came down. "So it WAS a ritual! I knew something was off regarding what you were saying! Furthermore, you were lying to me with that top card, huh? The thingy you implanted on Walpurgis' chest! It was acting as a Seal to summon more monsters through Walpurgis, acting as more arms to use! I thought nobles were supposed to be righteous, what kind of sneaky trick was this, eh?" Harvard would ask, bearing a devilish grin before the Doppelganger.

What he expected to be sneers or pure distraught, or even an ounce of contempt, he'd be shocked to see that Griffos would brim with a smile, then a laugh, loud enough to echo across the hole. This was definitely a first for him. Not many enemies he's seen would laugh up being fooled by a child. "Yes, YES!! Like a flower blossoming after giving it enough water and sunlight, my fruits of labor are finally being born! I truly am superior to all, guiding the inferior to achieve something grander! He even caught such knowledge on what I said before! He's a quick one.." Griffos thought to himself, taking back the Monster within the Ritual, letting the energy used for both be funneled as a cost to summon his beasts, re-creating the arena back in gold with another Ritual, watching the fingers twiddle away with such thread.

He was teaching Harvard, a shift in perspective, a chance to see through the Mirror's eyes.