Magic sigils.
They operated quite differently from how most magic users and supernatural beings in this world believed they did.
Because at the core of it all, they weren't spells.
They were formulas.
While spells followed set instructions and incantations to cast, they also depended entirely on the person casting them and could achieve vastly different results and levels of power depending on the caster's control, experience, magical energy used, and many other factors.
Sigils did not however.
At the end of the day, they were only carefully arranged patterns and symbols designed and executed in specific ways to trigger a certain effect.
Their creation did not rely on a caster's raw power, experience, or even talent.
All that mattered was knowledge, accuracy, and precision.
Understanding how the lines connected and the energy that flowed throughout those lines, knowing where each symbol belonged, and ensuring that every curve and intersection was placed exactly where it needed to be.
If the structure and flow was correct, the sigil would function properly given that the person activating it had enough magical energy to fuel it.
If it wasn't, it would fail.
As such, some of the best sigil creators and disruptors out there were ones that didn't even know how to use magical energy well to begin with, though almost nobody realized it because most people had been looking at it from the wrong angle and didn't try to understand it more.
Those individuals knew how it behaved, how to read the flow of it through a formation, and how to identify the one part holding everything together.
And since Eric had thoroughly read about many of their formations and how Aurora had managed to eventually deactivate them in the novel, Eric knew what to look for and that's why he was able to deactivate the complex sigil by briefly disrupting the energy flow without having to brute force it just like everyone else.
Strangely though, it was surprisingly easier than he thought despite having never done something like this before.
Unfortunately, it still doesn't help him in any way in this damn particular moment though, and he still had to deal with this masked figure somehow.
While Eric was trying to think of a way to escape without fighting however, the kitsune masked figure opened her mouth and said something that was pretty interesting to say the least.
"Eric Porter."
"Hm?" Eric muttered out.
"Let's make a deal." The kitsune masked figure stated softly and quickly put her sword back on her waist as she tentatively took a step towards him.
"I'm listening."
"Let all of my friends and comrades that ran away live, and in exchange, I'll let you take my life without putting up a fight." She proposed her deal.
Upon hearing this, Eric didn't respond right away and instead just stared at her for a little while.
He wasn't expecting to hear such a thing after all.
Even though he knew that she was extremely scared of him for reasons he still didn't really understand, he didn't actually think that she would try and negotiate with him.
In fact, it was supposed to be him that needed to do the negotiating instead.
Because not once in the novel has he read anywhere that this person tried bargaining for her life at all, and would typically rather die first before she even thinks about caving in.
Besides, even if she doesn't put up a fight, he still couldn't scratch her skin even if he wanted to.
Nevertheless, Eric could see a light at the end of the tunnel and instantly took the initiative before she could suddenly change her mind...
Without making it look suspicious of course.
"Celeste, you're over 300 years old now. Aren't you supposed to be wise or something?"
"..." Celeste wasn't surprised that Eric knew her name, even though she probably hadn't uttered it to anyone besides the comrades who had just run away in the past century or so, and she unconsciously bit her lip beneath her mask.
She assumed that Eric wasn't going to take the deal, and to be honest, why would he anyways?
He was probably capable enough of finding and hunting everyone down with ease anyways.
In his eyes, it must have looked like she was spitting on him.
But still... it had been worth a shot.
It was such a shame though.
She knew that eventually, her life would come to an end someday.
That was just the fate of all living things in this world after all.
However, she had always imagined that she would at least go down in the most honorable and grand way possible.
Like fighting till her last breath against something monstrous for everyone around her as the sky burned above her or something cool like that.
A final stand, and something worthy to be echoed for centuries to come essentially.
It was a childish thought for sure, and she could acknowledge that, but still...
She just didn't want to be forgotten throughout the course of time like many of the others before her.
Unfortunately, she encountered someone that went even beyond her imagination.
A being that she didn't even think could even exist, and yet did.
And it would appear that she was going to die pathetically instead.
Still, she had no intentions of putting up a fight, in hopes of at least making him hesitate and less angry.
Because if there was even a small chance of making him reconsider going after her other comrades, then she was willing to go quietly.
As such, she took off her mask, revealing red eyes that were as beautiful as they were dangerous, and stared at Eric's face one last time before thinking about doing the unthinkable.
But just before Celeste was about to grab her sword from her waist again and end it all however...
"I've said it before. I'm not here to fight, and I most certainly don't want to take yours or any of your friends' lives." Unaware of what was going inside of Celete's mind right now, and assuming that she was about to actually fight him, Eric spoke adamantly.
"..." Celeste still wasn't buying it though, but she waited to hear what else he had to say.
"Think about it for a second. If I seriously wanted to fight you guys, I wouldn't have bothered going to the skyscrapers and letting your friend teleport me to some isolated area outside the city just to track down the array you set up to begin with. There were easier options I could've chose to do." Eric pointed out.
"...Then why did you want to come meet us? It can't really just be because of that Aria girl, is it?" Celeste hesitated briefly before asking.
"Unfortunately it is. I won't get into the details of it, but things happened, and eventually she realized that I knew about the incident you accidentally caused almost two decades ago, and she asked me to take her to you so that she could confront you, to which I said yes to." Eric answered straightforwardly.
"But why? What could you possibly gain from saying yes to that? She's just a normal person." Celeste probed further.
"You're right, but do I need to have something to gain out of it?"
"No... but you're the infamous Eric Porter, so..." Celeste muttered in a slightly lower tone and hoped that he didn't get too offended while she obtained more information.
Eric understood where she was coming from, and he pondered for a second on what he should actually say to Celeste.
After all, he could practically feel that he could probably tell her anything at this point and as long as it wasn't something that doesn't make her intentionally become hostile towards him again, then he could easily leave scot free.
Heck, she might even willingly let him use a teleportation array to teleport him out of here without any hesitation if he asks afterward just so that she didn't have to deal with him anymore.
However, as much as he wanted to say something random that he know Celeste will most likely buy and use it to leave immediately, since her comrades still have Aria with them, he couldn't leave her behind.
If his speculation was right, then Aria's trust for him should be at a point now where he could genuinely use her now, and he couldn't just throw her out like that.
She was now his golden goose after all.
Thus, Eric needed to say something that would not only put Celeste at ease, but also convince her to call her companions back with Aria so she could finally finish this confrontation once and for all.
Luckily, it didn't take long for him to come up with something though given what he knew about Celeste, and once he was sure that this would most likely work, he briefly stared off into the distance behind her and slowly opened his mouth.
"Well, I understand what you mean, but it's not about what I gain from all of this... it's more so that some things just shouldn't be left halfway. It doesn't do anyone any good, neither for you nor for her."
"..."
"Do you understand what I'm getting at, Celeste?"
"...Yes, I do."
"Good, then stop hiding like a coward and own up to your mistake..."
"Before that guilt eventually consumes you entirely."