Chapter Sixty: Oh~ I get it now, you're saying I'm not strong enough

“Fortunately, you met me a bit earlier.”
Louis glanced at the ever-smiling Miss Lilith, nodded, and decided not to waste any more words with them. He rose and began clearing everything off his desk, stowing it all away in the drawers to make space for the dance performance later.

“That’s more like it, Mr. Louis. Just cooperate nicely, and it’ll be over before you know it.” Miss Lilith tipped her high heels with a grin and signaled to her younger companions. Two of the little foxes brandished their wands, recited an incantation at the main door, and in an instant, the door vanished, merging seamlessly with the wall.

Immediately, a group of little foxes surrounded them, waving their wands menacingly and chanting spells so arcane that not even they fully understood them—spells like “Torment of Malice,” “Fire Within,” “Bone and Heart Extraction,” and “Skinning and Dismemberment”—all to frighten the young wizard.

It was obvious that these dark curses were just for show. They might know the incantations by rumor, but not one of them could cast the spell for real; even uttered boldly, nothing happened. It was all just for intimidation. Of course, most people, unable to comprehend the words, would assume the caster had deliberately cut the spell short.

Louis finished gathering the last stack of financial documents.

He was now certain that these foxes were the ones who usually came to the office to collect debts. Dealing with them was tedious, but if he didn’t, this office would become nothing more than a retirement home, and he could forget about ever truly entering the Ministry of Magic.

He decided that today, he would make sure every fox in the academy knew exactly who had come to this office.

Louis didn’t spare the group a glance, but Helen was already trembling all over, thoroughly regretting her choices. She stared, wide-eyed, at the little thugs chanting spells in the hall. She wanted to draw her wand but could only cower and shake.

Miss Lilith felt her trip had been entirely worthwhile. She was already laughing so hard tears came to her eyes. The foxes, still holding their sides with laughter, raised their wands again, this time ready to get serious.

But at that very moment...

The timid little kitten suddenly threw off her cloak, leapt onto the table, and transformed into a half-cat, half-girl creature. With eyes brimming with tears and blazing with fury, she shouted, “You’re not allowed to bully Louis!”

At once, all eyes were drawn to her. Louis took a sip of his tea and nodded in approval.

“Good girl, you turned back in time. Otherwise, all seven of you would be dancing MEMEME for me today!”

Lilith, the queen bee, let out a furious laugh.

“Helen, you’d better think carefully today.” Lilith inspected her nails, crossed her legs, and her tone grew sharp, “Today you—”

She didn’t finish her sentence before an astonishing scene left everyone stunned.

At that moment, Helen—half cat, half girl—standing atop the coffee table, summoned all her magical strength. Her body suddenly radiated seven shimmering colors, and three bands of rainbow light began to form.

“Yuumi Beam!” Helen shouted. Then, with a comical pfft, two small bursts of rainbow air puffed out from behind her, and the rainbow colors on her body flickered and faded.

Seeing the last rainbow about to dissipate, Helen’s face filled with despair. But just then, a wave of mental energy stabilized the magic field around her, condensing the final rainbow.

The rainbow shot forth in a brilliant flash, and in an instant, every fox in the hall was enveloped in its light, frozen like a flock of dazed geese.

Cold sweat poured from the foreheads of the foxes. In the slowed flow of time, they turned their heads, wide-eyed and horrified, staring at Helen.

“Louis! Quick, beat them up!” Helen collapsed onto the sofa, shouting fiercely. But what she saw was Louis, smiling gently, sipping his tea, and watching Lilith.

“That’s enough,” Lilith said, her face ashen. She pulled a censer from her bosom, chanted a spell, and smoke billowed out, swirling around five of the foxes and dispelling the faint glow that bound them.

The five foxes were freed, but when they looked at Helen again, their eyes were full of fear. None dared to point a wand at her.

But there was someone here who terrified them even more.

Lilith, impatient, waved her hand. “Tie that brat up and let her see clearly what kind of person she’s trying to save... You’ve really grown bold, daring to confront me over a pretty boy.”

“Stop crying, and go film over there.” Louis set down his teacup and pulled off his belt. “Now, where’s my fly swatter?”

“Boo hoo! Louis, how could you just give up?” Helen, seeing Louis smiling as he unbuckled his belt, was nearly faint with rage. “Just because she’s pretty, you surrender without a fight? Boo hoo, I’ll never speak to you again—hic—ever again...”

Two of the little delinquents quickly bound the magically exhausted Helen hand and foot with a spell, gagged her, and, bracing themselves, carried her over to a good spot. Amid Helen’s muffled wails, they carefully positioned her so she would be forced to watch everything unfold. “Miss Lilith told us to, it’s not our fault, Helen. Don’t make a fuss, the boss is mad...”

Perhaps fearing trouble from Helen later, one little fox whispered this explanation.

On the other side, three foxes noticed the young wizard was digging for something, and immediately three spells shot his way.

But then, one fox found herself inexplicably tied up in bright red ropes—her own spell turned against her, leaving her mortified.

The other two, shrieking, were hoisted upside down by their witch skirts as if someone had grabbed them by the ankles. In their flailing, their high heels went flying—another case of their own spells backfiring on themselves.

At that very moment, a leather belt flew through the air, snapping twice, and landed squarely on the three foxes, smacking their behinds. One let out a wail, tears of pain streaming down her face. After three strikes, the trio broke out in a chorus of plaintive song.

Witnessing this, Lilith and the others whirled around in shock to stare at Louis. He was smiling as he produced six porcelain voodoo dolls from his pocket, and proceeded to line them up neatly on the table.

Helen’s eyes grew round as saucers; gagged, she whimpered desperately.

A thunderbolt crashed through Lilith’s mind—“Ossiclysis Mirror Magic!”

Was this the spell the young wizard had just “accidentally” cast on her?

He actually knew such advanced magic!

Any wizard versed in this spell could be called a Mirror Master. If he also had several voodoo dolls, then any spell cast against him would be nullified and instead rebound upon the caster... Lilith stared at the porcelain dolls on the table.

She darted forward, intent on smashing the dolls, but Louis caught her by the collar mid-charge, lifting her off the ground like a kitten.

Amid her screams, Lilith was dumped onto the sofa, her arms hoisted in the air by a large hand and pinned against the backrest. Then she received two resounding smacks, making her howl and struggle, “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!”

“Oh, I get it—that’s the code. You’re saying I’m not hitting hard enough,” Louis replied, striking even more forcefully.

One fox, unwilling to give up, tried to save her boss by casting a “Tap Dance” spell at Louis, who was reaching for his fly swatter. But the spell rebounded instantly, and she began shaking her hips uncontrollably, forced into a crying, dancing jig.

“No need to worry, you two are next,” Louis said with a cheerful glance at the last pair, picking up the fly swatter.