As if it was assuring Lyla that it was the person she was thinking of, the clump of water nodded slightly and searched her entire body. 

Slide. 

The clump of water moved its arm. Since it was made up of a liquid, it looked like it would probably be impossible for it to grab something like a real human’s hand. Yet, the clump of water stretched out its fingers and— clutch—and gripped Lyla’s neck.

“Wa…ump!”

Lyla opened her eyes wide at the wet sensation squeezing her neck. She tried to scream instinctually, but the clump of water blocked her mouth with its other hand. She couldn’t see her opponent clearly in the darkness. Yet, she could tell that it wasn’t a normal human by the sensation she felt on her skin. She began to run out of air and her mind seemed to fade. Since her lips and nose were blocked, she couldn’t even let out a proper sound. It was an urgent situation for a normal person and the worst possible situation for a mage. She couldn’t cast her spells or focus her mind to do so. 

However, Lyla wasn’t a normal mage. She pointed her arms towards her opponent and activated a magic spell.

‘Kuh!’ she had barely recollected...