Fjord flashed a rare smile, appreciating Yuki and Kaori's determination. "If either of you can actually lay a finger on me, I'd be impressed," he admitted, his tone now laced with a hint of respect.

  Kaori, unfazed by his words, smiled back. "Oh, we'll do more than just impress," she retorted, her confidence unwavering. "We'll make you realize just how outmatched you are."

  Yuki, standing beside Kaori, nodded in agreement. "We're not just all talk; we're action. We'll back up every claim we make."

  Yuki punctuated her words with a flurry of ice spears coming Fjord's way.

  As the icy projectiles approached Fjord, he swiftly dodged to the side, his movements fluid and swift. "Nice try," he remarked, his voice a mix of amusement and respect. "But I'm more than just a target for your ice."

  Kaori, watching Fjord's skilled dodge, decided to test his abilities further. "You may be agile, but are you faster than the speed of light?" she said, conjuring a massive pillar of light below Fjord.

  Fjord, caught off guard by the sudden pillar of light, grunted as he narrowly evaded the sudden attack. "That was unexpected," he admitted, a hint of surprise in his voice.

  Kaori, encouraged by Fjord's surprise, continued her assault. "You're not as invincible as you think," she retorted, her determination unwavering. "We'll keep throwing these attacks and see how long you can keep up."

  Kaori then dashed in on Fjord at light-speed, landing a kick on his face.

  Fjord stumbled backward from the force of Kaori's kick, his face slightly bruised. "You've got some power, that's for sure," he admitted, his voice slightly strained. "But I'm not easily beaten."

  Yuki, seizing the opportunity, fired a blast of frozen water at Fjord, trying to encircle and immobilize him.

  Fjord, realizing the danger of being entrapped, quickly leaped out of the way, evading Yuki's frozen water attack with graceful agility. "You're both persistent, I'll give you that," he remarked, his tone laced with respect.

  Kaori, capitalizing on the opportunity, began launching a barrage of light-imbued attacks at Fjord, trying to overwhelm him further. "This is just the beginning," she retorted, her strikes fast and fierce.

  Fjord, dodging the flurry of Kaori's attacks, found himself on the defensive. "You both are more skilled than I expected," he admitted, his tone now filled with grudging admiration. "But I still have a few tricks up my sleeve."

  Kaori, undeterred by Fjord's remark, redoubled her efforts, continuing her relentless assault. "We're just warming up," she retorted, her strikes becoming fiercer and more precise.

  Fjord, dodging and blocking the onslaught of attacks, couldn't help but admit that the women were formidable opponents. "You're definitely skilled," he remarked, his voice filled with begrudging respect. "But I'm not one to give up so easily."

  Yuki, observing Fjord's defenses, decided to switch tactics. She created a field of ice beneath Fjord, attempting to disrupt his footing.

  Fjord, taken off guard by the sudden slippery terrain, stumbled and fumbled, struggling to maintain his balance. "A clever tactic," he grunted, his voice betraying surprise. This advantage wouldn't last long, however. His eyes changed color to green, and in that moment, his feet ceased their uncontrollable sliding against the icy terrain.

  Yuki, observing Fjord's sudden recovery, gritted her teeth in frustration. "He adapted quickly," she remarked, her resolve unfazed. "But we need to find a way to keep him off balance."

  Kaori analyzed him further while Yuki took a crack at trying to get a hit on Fjord. "His eyes changing color signifies that other souls than his own are in his body. He must have stolen or adopted the abilities of those individuals. The red eyes from before allowed him to mirror Yuki's ice attack back on her. The green eyes gave him the ability to stand on ice no problem. Emulation and Interaction skills respectively. But what is his aura type? He must be an Extractor, as they are the Void Mages who can steal the abilities of others for their own. But then why isn't he trying to absorb our auras, the powerful opponents that we are...?”

  Fjord, overhearing Kaori's musings in her head mid-battle with Yuki, smiled knowingly. "You're observant, aren't you," he remarked. "But I assure you, I have my reasons for not attempting to absorb your aura..."

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Kaori, intrigued by Fjord's reply, pressed on. "Wait, you're a mind-reader? Never mind that — enlighten us, please. Why not attempt to absorb our powerful aura?" She inquired, her curiosity piqued.

  Fjord, realizing Kaori's keen interest in his decision, obliged her query. "Well, aren't we intrigued?" he said, his voice carrying a tone of amusement. "Yes, I do have the ability to read minds via another Void Mage, and you posed quite the insightful question."

  Kaori, her curiosity undiminished, continued to press further. "But could you kindly enlighten us on why you choose not to absorb our powerful aura? I am genuinely interested to know the reason.”

  Fjord's smile widened a fraction at Kaori's insistence, his tone still laced with a hint of amusement. "Alright, since your curiosity knows no bounds, I'll disclose the rationale behind my decision."

  Kaori, her attention fully focused on Fjord, hung on his every word. "Please, do tell," she urged, awaiting his explanation.

  Fjord, seeing the keen interest on Kaori's face, couldn't help but enjoy the moment. "Well, it is true that as an Extractor, I have the ability to absorb the aura of others," he began, his voice tinged with confidence as he kept dodging and parrying Yuki's attacks all the while, "but there are certain conditions that must be met before I can successfully absorb an aura."

  Kaori, her ears perked up at this revelation, pressed on. "Please, elaborate on these conditions. What are they?”

  Fjord, sensing Kaori's interest, decided to play coy, "And do tell, dear assassin, what do I gain from telling you the secret to my ability?”

  Kaori, realizing Fjord's attempt to play cat-and-mouse, played along with a hint of sarcasm. "Why, you'd have my undying gratitude, of course," she replied, a hint of amusement in her voice, "and perhaps my undying respect too.”

  Fjord chuckled at Kaori's response, enjoying the banter despite Yuki still being on his heels during the exchange. "Your gratitude and respect, you say? Well, that does sound tempting..."

  Kaori, sensing an opening, wanted to push further. “Yuki, stop,” she ordered, Yuki stopping her barrage as she walked over to Kaori.

  Kaori continued, "I could offer you something truly valuable if you share this crucial information with me.”

  Fjord raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Kaori's words. "Oh, something truly valuable?" he inquired, his interest piqued. "And what exactly might that be?”

  Kaori, sensing Fjord's curiosity growing, seized the opportunity to bargain. "Let's make a deal," she said, her tone filled with both determination and playfulness. "If you disclose whatever conditions govern your aura absorption ability, I'll provide you with something special in return."

  Fjord nodded. "Very well then," he agreed, deciding to play along. "Go on, tell me what you're offering.”

  Kaori, sensing Fjord's curiosity growing, seized the opportunity to bargain. "Let's make a deal," she said, her tone filled with both determination and playfulness. "If you disclose whatever conditions govern your aura absorption ability, I'll provide you with something special in return."

  Fjord's smile widened, his curiosity piqued further. "Very well then," he agreed, deciding to play along. However… "But I have to put up my own proposal first. How about you two about this mission of yours to kill me?”

  Kaori's smirk turned into a grin, intrigued by Fjord's counter offer. "I see, so a counteroffer. You're quite the bold one, aren't you?" she replied, her tone laced with a mix of challenge and amusement. "You propose that if we agree to abandon this mission aimed at your demise, you'll disclose the conditions for your aura absorption ability?”

  Fjord affirmed Kaori's understanding of his proposal. "That's precisely right," he confirmed, his voice filled with a sense of confidence. "If you both agree to call off this mission and get off my trail, I will happily reveal the conditions governing my aura absorption power. But what will your superiors think of you two forfeiting your mission? Don't either of you care about that 100% success rate?”

  Kaori, her expression becoming more serious, replied, "Our superiors are not particularly fond of failure. However, we have already gained valuable information from you so far, and we can always improvise. We can consider this a tactical decision and spin it in our favor."

  Fjord gave a nod, a brow raised. "Oh, you've got quite the strategic mind. How delightfully devilish. I must confess, you two have piqued my interest further. Alright then, let's seal this little deal.”

  Kaori, her smile widening, extended her hand as a gesture of agreement. "We have an agreement."

  Fjord, extending his own hand, grasped Kaori's hand firmly, accepting the deal. "A deal sealed," he confirmed, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "Now, just to be sure, you abort your mission, correct?”

  Kaori, her grip tightening in a firm handshake, affirmed, "We will abort the mission to kill you."

  Fjord, his own grip firm and steadfast, nodded in acknowledgment. "Excellent," he replied, a touch of relief in his tone. "Now you have my word on keeping my side of the bargain. As promised, I will reveal the conditions for my aura absorption ability. Let's move somewhere less...hostile than this building, however. My associates are still causing mayhem in the auction room, after all.”

  Kaori, her expression growing more satisfied, acquiesced. "Very well, let's retreat to a safer location where we can discuss these conditions in greater detail."

  Fjord, releasing Kaori's hand, gestured with a sweep of his arm in a formal manner. "Then let's make our departure to the rooftop, shall we?”

  Kaori nodded in agreement. "Lead the way," she replied coolly. "We will follow your lead.”

  Fjord, maintaining the formal facade, bowed slightly. "As you wish," he acquiesced. "Follow me, and I'll guide you to a more suitable setting for our discussion.”

  “We're right behind you." she assured, indicating her readiness to follow his lead with a subtle gesture.

  Kaori, falling in sync with Fjord's stride, followed closely behind him, her eyes fixed on his figure. Yuki, silently observing the situation, fell in step beside Kaori, her mind still trying to understand the intricate dynamics unfolding before her eyes.