Defense specialization, identical twin.

Kanade arrives at the destination, unfolding shelves as she searches for the slime, ready for combat at any moment. According to the hint, it should be here.

……there it is.

The crystal, mirroring form, drips and shifts, reshaping itself. Color seeps into its transparent shape, details forming down to the finest parts.

So, it seems it will take longer than expected.

Kanade murmurs softly. Before her stands a figure identical to herself—so perfect it seems a reflection in a mirror.

Around the figure’s body float shelves, just like Kanade’s, packed tightly with books.

Let’s settle this, then.

As Kanade draws a book from her shelf, the slime does the same.

Same range of skills available. The difference lies in how they are used.

Kanade knows the contents of the bookshelf precisely. She can tell, just by seeing the spines, what magic each book holds, and when and where it will be cast.

She can therefore instantly determine countermeasures and avoid them.

A similar ability is Kasumi’s 【Mind’s Eye】—it allows perfect awareness of danger.

“【Flame Bolt】—【Wail of the Dead】”

The slime form of Kanade draws two books. It activates a homing flame projectile and a wide-area instant-death magic.

“Wait—【Anti-Magic Barrier】! 【Blessed Cloak】!”

Knowing the skill was coming, Kanade raises a luminous membrane—strong, effective only against magic, and granting sustained healing, as well as resistance to instant death.

The infernal flames strike the barrier and detonate. A terrible cry is swallowed by light and fades away.

"Can't just use rare ones recklessly... conserving magic is tough..."

Kanade holds a vast number of mages, all disposable.

Unlike the slime side, Kanade must reserve power for future events.

She evades what she can. For what she cannot avoid, she counters with defensive magic.

"Just better than using it poorly? Still, I hate it."

Magic clashes from afar yield no result. Kanade closes the distance. A great wave, fissures in the earth, and lightning descend upon her.

"【Magic Flight】【Power Decay】【Anti-Magic】!"

Using 【Magic Flight】, she floats lightly. She avoids the fissures, accelerates. The lightning and great wave are unavoidable. She endures them through dual damage reduction.

If she endures long enough, the Blessed Cloak will restore itself. It is a rare skill, and the amount of restoration is substantial.

The magic effect ends abruptly as she forces her way through the great wave. Kanade descends toward the ground.

In response, the slime further tears open its magical tome.

In response, a field of flowers spreads across the ground. Chains extend from the air. A blizzard strikes from ahead.

"I’d like to use it with such cheerful vigor. All Resist. Firestorm. Summon: Decoy."

She closes the distance swiftly, nullifying the status-inflicting pollen from the toxic flowers on the ground, striking the blizzard with a heatwave, redirecting the chains.

A response to each attack, finally, she reaches the slime.

"Uh… no, not quite that perfect a motion, after all."

Kanade draws forth several grimoires and launches her attack in one motion. Each is a top-tier spell with no mitigation whatsoever. The range is narrow, but that matters not from her current position.

“[Breath of Ruin] [Divine Punishment] [Axe of Gravity]!”

Black flames and lightning-like radiance strike the slime, invisible force driving it into the ground, burning it away.

The defensive spells activated in response are all meaningless. The slime fades gently. Only a transparent mass, as if in stasis, remains on the earth.

“Phew… if I could mimic this level, I might’ve managed without hiding… well then.”

Kanade lifts the core and checks the instructions.

It reads: revive and join as an ally upon activating fifty different skills or spells.

"Fifty. Well, the book did say to seek knowledge and transform into other beings, so that’s plausible."

A feasible number, given that even lesser skills were acquired. Yet Kanade would not need to relearn skills anew.

"More like subjugate than ally. Still, Mai and Yui seemed to be in the same position…"

Kanade activates fifty spells instantly, as if it were simple. A grimoire is required—necessary cost.

The mass then melts slowly, reshaping into the form of a slime.

"Name… hmm. Then, let’s call it So. There—‘Mimicry’."

As Kanade speaks, placing the ring on So, So takes on Kanade’s exact form. The grimoires floating in the shelves behind them are identical as well.

Mai and Yui, indistinguishable—no, identical. Both smile, as if they had succeeded perfectly.

Yes, good!... The skill’s power halves. Still, sufficient. That’s not the point anyway.

They could not remain as enemies, not quite. But the fact remained—magic tomes could now be used twice as effectively.

How well it can be controlled—well. That will only become clear with time.

Kanade chuckles, already imagining more potent attacks. Sou mirrors her, a playful, mischievous smile tugging at his lips.