Lucy swiftly prevented the water from flooding the village. With her inner power, she redirected the surging waters back to the lake, calming the chaotic flood that had inundated the forest and nearly swept through the settlement. Thanks to Lucy's speed and strength, the disaster was averted.
Merlin let out a sigh of relief as the forest returned to a semblance of normalcy, though it resembled the aftermath of a storm. The trees and ground were soaked, all due to Merlin's earlier mishap.
After resolving the situation, Lucy returned to Merlin by the lake. Merlin, still stunned by the sheer force of her own power, found it hard to believe what she had just witnessed. Lucy, too, was amazed by the raw strength Merlin possessed but was frustrated at her lack of control, which had nearly caused a disaster.
"What were you thinking? Were you trying to destroy the forest?" Lucy asked, annoyed.
"Sorry! I didn't know it would be that powerful. I wasn't even using all of your inner power—just half of it!" Merlin admitted, still shocked by her unintended strength.
Animals had scattered in panic after the flood. Small creatures were swept away, leaving the forest in disarray.
"Now you're going to practice controlling that power. Start by releasing a small amount—just the size of a fingertip. Remember, don't overdo it," Lucy instructed, hoping Merlin could learn restraint.
Merlin obediently followed Lucy's instructions, focusing her inner power on the lake. But instead of a controlled stream, a massive splash erupted, drenching Lucy in the process.
Merlin burst into laughter, thrilled she had managed to channel her energy, albeit clumsily.
Lucy, on the other hand, was fuming. As a cat, water was her nemesis. No cat liked being soaked, and Lucy was no exception.
Enraged, Lucy retaliated by drenching Merlin, leaving her clothes completely soaked.
"What's your problem? Now my clothes are all wet!" Merlin snapped.
"I should be the one complaining! Look at me—I'm drenched because of you!" Lucy retorted before transforming into her small feline form. She shook the water from her fur and sprawled lazily on a sunlit rock to dry off.
Merlin sighed and headed into the cave to change into dry clothes. Fortunately, Lucy had prepared spare outfits, but Merlin was still displeased with the boyish style of the garments.
After changing, Merlin approached Lucy, who was still lounging in her cat form. Lucy seemed lazier in this form, which irked Merlin.
"Let's go. We'll miss the tournament," Merlin urged.
"I'm not moving until my fur is completely dry. I can't travel comfortably like this," Lucy replied, not budging.
"Ugh, you're so annoying," Merlin groaned and decided to gather fruits instead.
With her flying technique, Merlin easily navigated the dense forest, picking a variety of fruits. She had become familiar with the terrain, no longer getting lost as she had during her first visit, when Lucy had found her wandering aimlessly.
The memory made Merlin chuckle, though she felt a little foolish. Even now, Lucy still treated her as a man despite knowing she was a woman.
"Where have you been? You said we'd leave, but instead, you went off playing around," Lucy scolded upon Merlin's return.
"I was gathering fruits for the tournament," Merlin replied, munching on fresh fruit.
"Fine, let's go," Lucy said, transforming back into her human form.
With her flying technique, Merlin headed to the academy.
The second day of the tournament was underway, with several matches before advancing to the next stage. Since Merlin had won her match early, she had plenty of time to observe other competitors and analyze their strengths.
However, as they flew over the nearby village, Merlin noticed something was wrong. The settlement was in chaos—people were running around, houses were damaged, and children were crying. It was as if a disaster had struck.
Merlin descended to investigate, stopping a passerby.
"Excuse me, what happened here?" Merlin asked, concerned.
"There was an earthquake this morning. Many houses collapsed," the villager explained.
Feeling sympathetic, Merlin immediately helped the villagers. She gathered the children to calm them, distributing the fresh fruits she had picked.
Merlin used techniques she had learned in her previous life to handle emergencies, focusing on maintaining order and keeping everyone calm. The children, distracted by the fruits and stories Merlin shared, stopped crying, allowing their parents to rebuild their homes.
As most of the village's wooden houses had been fragile, even minor tremors caused significant damage. Merlin spent the morning entertaining the children, playing games and telling tales, until exhaustion set in.
When she finally remembered the tournament, it was already midday. As Merlin prepared to leave, she noticed Lucy glaring at her.
"Why did you ignore me?" Lucy asked after they returned to the forest, where no one could overhear their conversation.
"I wasn't ignoring you. I was just trying to comfort the children," Merlin defended herself.
"I tried talking to you telepathically, but you didn't respond!" Lucy said, frustrated.
"Why not just speak normally? I was with the kids and couldn't focus," Merlin countered.
"If I spoke aloud, I'd scare everyone away. They'd think a cat talking was some kind of curse," Lucy retorted, shaking her head at Merlin's recklessness.
Merlin shrugged off Lucy's scolding. They both had strong personalities and often clashed, but deep down, they knew they had to protect each other.
"Fine, it's my fault," Merlin finally conceded, knowing she couldn't win against Lucy, an ancient legendary beast.
"Do you realize the chaos in the village was because of you?" Lucy revealed, her voice sharp with accusation.
"What? No way!" Merlin exclaimed, horrified.
"Yes, the earthquake was caused by your uncontrolled power earlier. It wasn't just the forest you disturbed," Lucy explained, leaving Merlin speechless and guilt-stricken.