Lesson 1: Do NOT threaten Kate

Lesson 2: Relearn lesson 1 until it is engraved into your bones.

Lesson 3: Lesson 2 *can* be applied literally.

Lesson 4: Lessons 2 through 3 are mandatory for those who try and go against the curriculum of lesson 1.

Lesson 5: There is no lesson 5.

Lesson 6: How to make your own ice cream.

EPIC!

So, Death knew about the hidden orichalcum. Hm, ok.

We FINALLY see what the Null can *really* do with the staff!

Phil is lovable, hopeful, optimistic… but, to paraphrase a quote from an anime: he is gentle, but not a pushover.

Kate told Proxy, and Proxy probably informed Death, though neither of them probably knows or even suspects Kate can use it to perform magic of her own.

And as Kate warned her, “Phil’s not weak, not in body or will”. Death just got a small taste of what that means.

punctuation..

Never piss off the Nice Guy.
Never give the Nice Guy a reason to stop being Nice.
Beware the Cute Ones.
Good is not Soft.
Everyone has a Berserk Button.

Lessons she has this day failed to learn from.

Death really isnt the brightest. Threatening the current null, a pretty peacefull person, she literally cant kill. The same type that apparently killed her, over and over and over and over because she pissed the previous null off.

She might also have no idea how to deal with nice people. Especially without threats.

I’d wonder why trying to not piss him off wasn’t even thought of, but considering just a few pages ago, she might not’ve even known that was an option….

“I don’t Wield Power. I Am Power.”

She thinks of herself as an Absolute that Must be obeyed, much like how we have to obey Gravity. Those who don’t obey are foolish and must be properly educated. She doesn’t have to “play nice”. She doesn’t threaten, she simply states facts. That’s her mindset.

In her mind, her offer was a very generous one. They did a lot of damage but she’s being polite and permitting their attack to be forgotten. But they were foolish and turned down her offer. So she had to remind them she’s an Absolute.

She is however forgetting that in a world of magic, there are multiple Absolutes. For all intents and purposes, Phil is one of those Absolutes.

“People fail to understand just how fragile blackmail is. Blackmail works not because it is used, but because it must never be used. The moment that someone follows through with their threat, it becomes their enemy’s greatest strength.”

“She is not your hostage. She is your *shield*. […] You kill her, I kill you.” – Maytag, Flipside Book 1

-Chapter 9, page 2.
Guess who just started rereading Flipside because of this comment.

Blackmail is a powerful tool, but once you are forced to execute your threat, you have done one thing and one thing only. You have not just made your enemy mad but you may have very well filled them with grief. You have given them an even greater reason to not just defeat you but to break you.

They will go above and beyond their normal limits. If they were wearing the silk gloves, they will exchange them for iron gauntlets. If they refused to use forbidden techniques, they’ll start employing them like they’re going out of style, or even create new forbidden techniques. If they have an army of ninjas at their disposal, they will ensure you never sleep again.

In short, you have made them stop holding back.