"Yeah, and the city had like a ton of books in it even if I guess it took a while for people to figure out how to read them, and there's some stuff with the magic. Magic's from the city."

"I should very much like to see this city."

"Its leader's on my hit list."

"And why would that be?"

She crosses her arms again. "We're both Intoners. If I kill her, then I take her power."

"Intoners?"

She frowns (as far as Eliese can tell, mostly at the topic of discussion). "Six magic assholes right now - one magic asshole when I'm done." Her frown deepens and twists into an intense scowl. "We're the most dangerous things in our world."

That is no longer true, Eliese suspects. She hums.

"I see. Have you a more concrete plan for facing your enemies? I ask because, as it happens, my primary occupation before this unexpected translocation was training magic users to kill others of their kind more effectively. As I find myself presently in need of a native guide, it seems to me we might come to a mutually beneficial agreement."

"There's an order I need to kill them in," she admits, grudgingly. "And I'll pick up their disciples after I kill them to help me with the next.

"Each of them's set up ruling a different country. I'm going to walk in and fight them until they're permanently dead."

"You certainly don't lack for audacity."

"Pussyfooting around's never helped."

"Indeed not."

"How strong are you?"

"I once glassed half a planet."

"Strong, then," she acknowledges. "Definitely enough for all the trash around them, and any demons they summon. Intoners can only be permanently injured or killed by other Intoners though - or by dragons. Strong alone won't cut it there."

"I do have some more subtle tricks."

She thinks then shrugs. "Let's see if you can hurt me."

"Do you have any preferences as to the location?"

"How hard's your minimum?"

"It is an entirely variable scale. Anything from, say, a sunburn to vaporization." Headtilt. "Were you an ordinary person, of course. I myself have ways of mitigating damage and I cannot yet say how you might interact with my magic."

Shrug. "I've already got a source for prosthetic arms, if you might blow a limb off. But if all I'm risking is a scar, I'd rather that be hidden under my clothes."

"The major regen'll only kick in for massive damage, and even if you don't block that it's still an inconvenient pain in the ass, but it'd cover vaporization and shit. I'll still heal quickly and without a mark from minor shit, though. And it should be all or nothing - either you can scratch me, or you can't kill me."

"Shall we try a scratch, then?"

"Sure." She pulls her top down (with the first smile Eliese has seen on her face) and gestures to the left side of her chest. "Under where the clothes go."

Smirk. "As you say."

She crooks her right hand into a claw and incants, "Five-fold Storm Talons!" Sharp blades of lightning fizzle into existence on each of her fingers, and she shallowly slashes up along the outer side of Zero's breast.

Her expressions stays perfectly even throughout - she doesn't flinch or make a sound when Eliese cuts her. "An interesting trick," she says - and the wound closes, leaving behind only the blood that Eliese drew.