At the moment when both his present and past selves were about to strike Ansel with finger blades and twin daggers, the legendary adventurer, who seemed completely frozen in this time-space, moved his lips under Knell's horrified gaze.
"Boring."
The indifferent voice reached Knell's ears just before his fingers and daggers could pierce Faust's head and heart.
—No, it was even earlier, before he had even spoken!
As Knell realized this, the phantom emerging from him had its hands suddenly twisted into a cloud of blood mist.
Immediately after, his present hands also transformed silently into a red gaseous-solid mix, dissipating into the air.
When the frozen time resumed its flow… nothing had happened.
Except Knell no longer maintained his aggressive stance. He silently leaned back into the sofa, staring intensely into Ansel's eyes.
"You are… the real deal."