Chapter 17- The Conqueror of Flames - The Sekiryuutei in Another World

Clarifications:

-"Person Talking"-

-(Person Thinking)-

[Skills or Magic]

(JC: Author's Notes)

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Let's start

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The sound of trees being felled and hammering echoed through the forest. Little by little, the new town and its houses were beginning to take shape… at least in our minds. We were still busy designing the water and septic systems, so for now it was just a clearing.

The hydraulic system would take flow from the nearby river. We planned to eventually build a water-processing facility—still under construction—where river water would be purified before being distributed to the houses.

As for the septic system, we'd designed a large wooden chamber we planned to bury underground. The interior wood surfaces would be treated to resist rot and reinforced with cement. That was what we were working on now. We got lucky finding something like quicklime on a nearby hill.

Meanwhile, outside the town we would erect a waste-processing plant where we planned to produce the fertilizer we'd use. On top of that, I ordered the team to build a large temporary building; a sort of gym or shelter where people could sleep during construction. It was rough, since we didn't intend it to be permanent, but it would do for now.

The layout of the neighborhood zones was progressing well. Upper-class houses, including mine, would be built near the cave mouth. A row of homes would be reserved for the tribal elders, and the rest of the residences would be arranged around them.

We were doing this before anything else, so it was easy to plan the town without structures piling up and getting confused. Basically it would be cross-shaped, with a wide main street, which would make group work easier if ever needed. We just had to avoid long rows of identical roads so people wouldn't get lost. It wasn't a major concern.

The only real downside to this design was that it could ease an enemy's movement in case of invasion, but if they reached the town center… it would mean many other defenses had already failed.

-(No point insisting on that scenario. If they destroy it, we can always rebuild)-

Anyway, it was an excellent idea to name all the Goblins and elevate them to Hobgoblins. The change worked wonders on their intelligence, and they learned astonishingly fast. Their strength also increased. The Dwarves rated common Goblins as rank F monsters, while Hobgoblins ranged between C and D. They felt more human than before, no doubt. With better weapons, armor, and magical training, their growth potential was enormous.

In that respect, I noticed a great variation in size and strength among the Hobgoblins. The four Goblin Lords I had just named, for example, showed superior innate talent. Rigurd, the Goblin King, in particular…

-"Ah, here I was, Yukimaru-sama! I was looking for you!"-

He was practically a natural phenomenon made of muscle, colossal in build, almost ogre-sized. -"Damn, even bigger!"- Kaijin had exclaimed.

I assumed it was because, besides the name, I had also given him a class.

-(I swear, the biology of these monsters is a complete mystery to me)-

-(Yeah… and you don't even have to live it firsthand like I do)-

Maybe it would be a good idea to experiment with granting a few more titles, just to see what happened.

-"What's going on?"-

-"I've come to report, sir. We've captured some suspicious people"-

-"Suspicious? A group of monsters?"-

-"No, sir. Humans. We haven't harmed them, as you ordered"-

-"Humans…? What are they doing here?"-

-(Humans? I didn't think I'd come into contact with them so soon)- I thought in surprise, then smiled. -(But that's not bad… I can take advantage of this and start building good relations with them)-

If they were those three idiots at the Dwarves' gate, I'd be happy to cut them up and feed them to our laborers, but...

-"It seems they were engaged in a battle with a group of Giant Ants. Rigurd and his security team rescued them and brought them here, but… apparently, they suspect they're conducting an investigation in the local area. I thought I should seek your advice..."-

-(Hmm. Is some country scouting this place?)- I already knew from the Dwarves that the Great Forest of Jura was considered neutral territory, unclaimed by any nation. It seemed plausible that this was an expeditionary force trying to find new territory for themselves. That could be a problem, but there was no point worrying before hearing them out. I could decide what to do afterward.

-"Very well,"- I said, holding Night in my arms. -"Take me to them!"-

Ranga being on patrol made transportation around our new town a bit rough. I could walk easily enough, but it wasn't quite the same as traveling on a giant wolf.

So, following Rigurd, I moved ahead to meet these adventurers. -(Who are they?)- I wondered, before a lively conversation reached my ears.

-"Wh-Whoa! Hey! I wanted that!"-

-"That's just talk, isn't it? I raised this meat myself!"-

-"Sir, I regret to inform you that I will not surrender this meal!"-

-"Munch, munch"-

It certainly sounded lively.

-"...." -

Rigurd answered my silent question. -"M-My apologies, Yukimaru-sama. It seems the ants took most of their luggage… And even before that, they hadn't had a decent meal in quite some time, so I brought them some food."-

-(Hmm. That's just like a Goblin King. The good thing is, he's already made a nice first impression)-

-"Oh, that's no problem,"- I replied. -"In fact, that's good work. Helping someone in need is always the right thing to do, you know?"-

It felt appropriate to praise him. He was gradually becoming more and more of a leader; he no longer asked me about every little issue that arose. A good thing, I thought. I even felt a bit proud...

-"H-Ha! I'll do my utmost to improve my governance and be less of a burden to you, Yukimaru-sama!"-

-(But I wish you wouldn't be so formal with me all the time)- I thought as we approached a simple tent. The Hobgoblins guarding it pulled back the flap for us.

As we stepped inside, I felt every gaze fix on me. Four adventurers were seated on the ground, their mouths full of meats and various vegetables. Their eyes went wide as they stared at me, jaws hanging open. It was a hilarious sight, though they probably didn't realize it.

-(Hmm? Have I seen them somewhere before?... Oh, right)- They were the Adventurers I'd met in the cave, though one of them was new to me. I wondered how any kind of food managed to pass through the mask that figure was wearing.

-"Munch, munch..."-

They sat there for a moment, chewing away. They sure were taking their time.

I took a high seat to the side as Rigurd began to speak. -"My guests,"- he said while sitting next to me, -"I hope you're comfortable here. Allow me to introduce our master, Yukimaru-sama!"-

I could hear them gulping down their food. Then, in unison:

-"""Huh!? A kid!?"""-

-"Munch, munch"-

Everyone reacted in shock. Well, not sure about the last one, honestly. Whatever.

-"Hajimemashite,"- I greeted them with my most charming and elegant smile, introducing myself in Japanese out of habit. -"I'm Yukimaru Tempest, a human just like you."-

I heard a spit-take from under the mask. Considering how much food that girl had been chewing, the result probably wasn't pretty.

-(Well, that was a bit rude...)-

It must have been quite a surprise for them to discover that a Human was the leader of a Goblin Village. The other three looked equally shocked, though at least they didn't have their mouths full at the time.

-(So then… who were these visitors? Hopefully, they're good people…)-

-"Well, sorry about that, I guess. We just didn't expect to be rescued by a tribe of Monsters led by a Human kid."-

-"Oh! We're Human Adventurers, by the way, and this meat is amazing! We've been running for the past three days, so we haven't eaten much… Thank you so much!"-

-"Yeah, thanks. We definitely didn't expect to find Hobgoblins building a village around here."-

-"Urrp… Koff! Glug glug"-

-"Well then,"- I replied. -"Please, feel free to enjoy your meal. We can talk afterward."-

In a way, I wished the Hobgoblins had called for me after they were done eating, but they were still a bit rough around the edges when it came to manners. I was sure they'd done their best, though something told me I'd soon need to organize a workshop on etiquette.

I left the tent, not too interested in watching them eat on the ground, wondering about my luck in having these guests… or prisoners, depending on how things turned out. Once outside, I instructed their guard to escort them to my personal quarters near the cave once they finished their meal.

-"Don't worry about it,"- I reassured the startled Rigurd as we walked. -"We can work on manners later."-

After all, they were improving at an incredible pace. I didn't expect all diplomatic efforts to fall neatly into place with these Hobgoblins.

As I settled into my tent, I began waiting patiently, petting Night, who stayed by my side. Rigurd asked one of his attendants to prepare some tea for us, and this time it actually looked more appealing than the last drink I'd tried from them. Clearly, their evolution had improved even the little things.

Little by little, we were establishing ourselves as a truly civilized society. Something about that tea convinced me of it.

-(Maybe I should organize a cooking workshop too…)-

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After a few moments, the four Adventurers arrived, immediately apologizing in unison with a loud, -"Sorry about that! "- as they entered. The tent felt a bit cramped with all of them inside.

Once their Goblin guide stepped out, another brought in fresh tea for the group.

-(Good, quality service. They must've learned that from the Dwarves)- I thought, realizing they'd probably spent a few nights with them, learning about their society and culture.

-"Ah, it's good to see you again. My name is Yukimaru Tempest, and I'm the leader of this small group. What brings you here?"-

I figured it was a reasonable question. They looked at each other and nodded, as if they'd expected it, before one of them began to speak.

-"I'm Kabal, the leader of this crew… more or less. This here's Elen, and that one over there is Gido. We're all B-Rank Adventurers—you probably know what that means, right?"-

-"Hi! Elen here!"-

-"Gido, sir. A pleasure."-

-(Sir? I'm only seventeen—don't make me feel old…)-

It was a solid team. Being B-Rank put them among the higher tiers, no doubt, though they must've had a rough time back in the cave. Maybe they were good at sneaking around monsters undetected. I wondered about the other one I'd seen there; it seemed someone was missing.

-"And this, meanwhile, is Shizu—a temporary addition to our team for this mission."-

-"Shizu. Nice to meet you."-

Her voice didn't clearly reveal her age or gender, but after honing my ability to distinguish between Goblins, I could tell instantly—she was a woman. And if my instincts were right, possibly Japanese. That was my first impression.

-- murmured Ddraig. --

-(Wait, wait… you can smell pheromones?)-

-- he replied. --

-(Yes, you did!)-

-(Fire Gods?)-

-- he explained. --

-(Really…? Interesting.)-

Changing topics… -(Was it just me, or were these Adventurers way too relaxed right now?)- They seemed to be fully enjoying themselves—eating, drinking, and laughing like they were in a tavern, completely ignoring the fact that they were sitting in a Monster's den.

-(…Oops. I drifted off. Time to get the conversation back on track.)-

-"Anyway, thank you. So then..."-

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They were very straightforward with their story; apparently, they didn't distrust my motives in the slightest. Their Guild Master had sent them to inspect the area around the cave and check if anything suspicious had happened… But their mission was proving difficult.

-"Yeah, that's the thing!"- Kabal continued. -"We're supposed to be looking for something 'suspicious,' but what the hell does that even mean? We've got no clue!"-

-"Totally!"- Elen chimed in. -"I wish they'd told us, like, 'Look for this or that!' instead of leaving it so vague."-

-"We might be good scouts and all,"- added Gido, -"but we can't do everything, you know?"-

And so, they badmouthed their Guild Master without a care in the world. I almost felt sorry for him.

On their way, the group came across a large rock with a suspicious-looking hole. They must've thought it was trivial, because they drew their swords and stabbed it a few times… only to wake up an entire nest of Giant Ants.

I didn't know what to say to that… It was a miracle they were even alive. They'd spent the next three days running nonstop, losing all their belongings before finally making it here. I had to admit—they handled the situation with impressive skill.

-"Well,"- I reflected, -"I wouldn't say there's anything particularly 'suspicious' happening here… mostly in the cave."-

Elen shook her head. -"But we didn't find anything there, right? You know the story about that cave? They say there's a big, dangerous Dragon sealed inside… but we spent two whole weeks running through it and nothing! Two weeks without a bath and basically got nothing for it…"-

-"Whoa, hey!"- shouted Kabal, flustered. -"We can't just spill everything like that!"-

-"What's it matter?"- replied Gido. -"She's the one who did it! I don't care!"-

The men froze completely at Elen's accidental revelation. I already knew, thanks to our last encounter, and it was clear these people appreciated a good bath now and then.

-(Hmm… Maybe I should build a bathhouse around here.)-

Continuing the conversation:

"So, what exactly were you looking for in that cave?"

After all, there had been a Hero's treasure inside. -(Too bad I already took everything.)-

Kabal shook his head grimly. -"Well, since she's already said that much, there's no point in hiding it. Like she mentioned, there's a rumor that the Dragon stopped responding…"-

-(Hmm. They couldn't have known, but Veldora's disappearance must've made the Humans of this world nervous.)- I thought. Even sealed, he was still a powerful and dangerous Dragon… Though to me, he just seemed like a nice guy who liked to chat sometimes.

-- Ddraig commented. --

Still, it had to be a big deal if people were sending search parties. Maybe building the city near the cave's entrance hadn't been the best idea.

-"We brought a Reaction Stone because they said the cave was almost overflowing with Magic Energy,"- Kabal explained. -"But it wasn't even half as bad as we expected. The concentration's a little higher than your average cave, but nothing out of the ordinary. At least that's something to report."-

-"It's still full of strong Monsters, so I'd rather not go back in there if I can help it,"- said Elen. -"No treasure, no magic ore—just endless Monster dodging and zero reward!"--

-"Yeah,"- added Gido. -"You can find some bandit gear if you dig around, but nothing worth the effort."-

-(Eh… No ore, no treasures. What if I told them there used to be plenty, but I 'ate' it all…? And that the magic levels dropped because I 'ate' Veldora, the one generating all that energy? Basically, this is all my fault.)-

-(Oh well. What they don't know won't hurt them.)-

We kept talking for quite a while. They'd already revealed too much, as Kabal said, so they might as well speak freely. These guys turned out to be much kinder than I'd originally given them credit for.

If the cave was no longer a point of interest, maybe we wouldn't draw any unwanted attention after all. I had been considering relocating the city as a last resort, but now I doubted it would be necessary. No nation held any legal claim over this land, so no one could force us out.

As a precaution, I decided to ask if the Guild would have any issues with building a city here.

-"It should… be fine,"- Kabal said. -"Right?"-

-"Yeah,"- agreed Elen. -"It's not really the Guild's business in the first place. But what about the local governments?"-

-"Ooh, not my place to say,"-

Gido added.

Of course, the Guild couldn't predict the actions of its host nations. Besides, if any of them took action, they'd have to justify their claim to the surrounding nations, and it wouldn't be worth the trouble.

As I was pondering this, I noticed something happening to Shizu, who had been sitting quietly, listening the whole time. Suddenly, she collapsed to the ground, unconscious. We all rushed to support her, when…

-"Nhh… Nraaaaahhhhhh!!"-

The situation escalated with astonishing speed after that.

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Once Shizu's prolonged moan ended, an absolute silence fell over the tent.

Cracks began to appear on her mask as a mystical force emanated from within. Everyone could sense that something serious was happening.

-"![Summoning Magic]?!"-

Elen exclaimed, surprised.

-"Whoa, really? Where did that come from? What rank is it?"-

-"... Umm, judging by the size of the Magic Circle, I'd say B- or higher."-

-"We can't just stand here, we have to stop her!"-

-(What have I gotten myself into now…?)-

At least these guys were experienced adventurers and acted immediately. They exchanged a few words and sprang into action:

-"Come on, Earth, bind her!: ![Clay Hand]!"-

-"Urrrrrraaahhh! ![Knockdown]!!"-

First, Elen immobilized her with her clay bindings. Then Kabal struck with a full-body blow. Gido stayed in reserve, ready to intervene if anything went wrong. For B-rank adventurers, their coordination was flawless—no wasted movements.

However, Shizu only had to slightly raise her index finger to trigger a concentrated explosion around her. The shockwave shook the tent; Night and I were unharmed, but the three adventurers took the brunt of it.

Kabal, who had landed his [Knockdown] right on Shizu, absorbed most of the blast and was sent flying. Gido reacted just in time and managed to push Elen to a safe spot.

-"Are you okay?"-

-"Yeah, we're fine!"-

-"Um… a little sore,"- Elen protested. -"We deserve some pay for this!"-

Kabal struggled back to his feet. -"Oww… Guys, could you at least worry about your leader a little?"-

-"I knew Shizu was magical, but… summoning too…?"-

-"What did she even summon?"-

-"No… No,"- Gido interrupted. -"That's not even half of it. As far as I know, you can't cast summoning magic without a prior chant."-

He stopped suddenly, staring at Shizu in disbelief. An idea crossed his mind.

-"Wait… No way… The Flame Conqueror?"-

Shizu continued casting her spell. Her body glowed a deep red, floating slightly above the ground. Her mask remained firmly on her face, while her long black hair fell freely outside her robe.

-(What is she trying to do? She seemed strange before, but this…)-

-"Rigurd, evacuate everyone from the city!"- I shouted. -"Don't leave anyone nearby!"-

-"But-"-

-"It's an order! And Night, once everyone's evacuated, bring Ranga here for me!"-

-"Yes, Yukimaru-sama!"-

The Goblin King ran off. Night growled, but one look from me was enough for him to understand the urgency. Neither he nor his kind could face this directly; it would be a waste of lives. I didn't want to use Ranga in combat unless necessary, but if the adventurers tried to distract or attack, Ranga would be essential.

-"Hey, Gido! What's this about the Flame Conqueror?"-

-"Wasn't she a heroine or something?"- Elen interjected. -"I think she was active about fifty years ago."-

-(Famous, then?)-

Just then, Shizu's mask fell from her face, revealing her expression.

Flames shot into the sky, illuminating the entire tent with an infernal glow.

Above, three Fire Salamanders emerged, each roaring with searing heat that warped the air around them. It was a terrifying sight: Shizu had revealed her face, her black hair spreading outward with the shockwave, glowing intensely against the surrounding inferno. Her beauty was fleeting, almost ethereal, but her eyes shone with a wicked gleam, and the corners of her lips twisted into a smile that celebrated the carnage she had witnessed.

Something about all this felt utterly unnatural, indescribable. Then…

The Voice of the World resonated around us. As it did, the young woman transformed into a giant of pure fire, an imposing and terrifying sight.

-"There's no mistake!"- Gido shouted, eyes wide as saucers. -"That's the Flame Conqueror, master of Ifrit the Titan… the Strongest Elementalist in the World!"-

Ifrit, the Fire Titan. The Lord of Fire, capable of consuming everything in its path—a being above any royalty, mortal or divine.

-- Ddraig asked, curious. --

-(I'd say more dangerous than interesting…)-

-"Gahh! Ifrit?!"- Kabal shouted, trembling. -"Isn't that an A+ rank spirit or higher?!"-

-"Oof… It's the first time I've seen it,"- Elen said, her voice shaking. -"But… how could we possibly defeat something like that?!"-

-"Yeah… we can't,"- Gido replied, resigned. -"We're going to die here… a short life, I guess."-

With her three Fire Salamanders at her side, the Flame Conqueror surveyed her domain. No wonder the adventurers panicked. Even a single salamander was ranked B+, and here there were three.

-(But… what about Shizu?)- I thought. To me, it didn't seem like she was controlling everything; rather, Ifrit was dominating Shizu.

A shockwave spread as Shizu—or Ifrit—unleashed a torrent of magical force.

-(…That was strange)-

It wasn't aimed at anyone, had no intent to kill; it was sheer violence on display. But the magnitude was enormous. This didn't feel like the work of a free will: the attack seemed reprogrammed, uncontrollable. Ifrit should have been controlled by Shizu, but now it was completely out of control.

Whether my theory was right or not didn't matter. The threat was the sheer force behind those attacks: pure lethality. Pale red shockwaves spread across the landscape, hot enough to reduce all the buildings under construction to ashes in an instant.

-(Damn it! We'd just started!)-

The three adventurers tried to erect a [Magic Barrier] to block the attack. For a moment, it seemed like they might hold… but not even a single shockwave lasted. They weren't dead, but they couldn't act effectively, immobilized and overwhelmed by Ifrit's power.

-"Guys, don't move!"- I shouted. -"You'll just become targets!"-

They responded by gathering together, casting [Magic Barrier] and [Aura Shield]. This wasn't for show—they were defending themselves seriously. Too serious for my "let's eliminate all the monsters" theory.

Still, speaking of power… The magical force Ifrit was releasing, with no casting time at all, generated a scorching wind about thirty meters around us. If I didn't fight alongside these guys against Ifrit and her three Fire Salamanders, we would all have been wiped out.

But it was strange. Even in this situation, I wasn't trembling with fear. Maybe it was because I was stronger than before. Veldora and the Black Serpent had intimidated me at first, but both experiences had ended up being useful.

-- Ddraig shouted. --

-(Yeah… you're right! I can handle…! Wait…)-

-"Hey. What are you trying to do?"-

-"...…."-

*Pop!*

An explosion erupted behind me. Trying to talk to Ifrit wasn't going to work. It had just answered my question with a direct attack.

This time, unlike the previous shockwave, it was clearly aiming to kill me. Its pure fire beams vaporized everything they touched. The force behind them far surpassed the first magical release, but I was ready. With my enhanced senses, I saw the attacks coming at the speed of sound and managed to dodge them.

In a way, I was glad the city wasn't complete yet. The tents and temporary structures had vanished, but it wasn't a disaster. We had already felled the surrounding trees, so a forest fire was avoided. There was concern for the wood and supplies, but nothing that could change the outcome now.

This giant had a lot of nerve! By the way he acted, he clearly saw me as an annoying insect in his path. He despised me, and that lit a fire under my determination. Ddraig seemed irritated by the situation as well.

Ifrit was my primary target; I had to strike back. I had doubts about Shizu—the person Ifrit apparently used to feed on this power—but if I didn't attack, it wouldn't end.

Using [Water Manipulation], I fired a [Water Blade] straight at Ifrit's torso. The spiraling column of fire sliced it apart before it could reach him.

-(Hmm. I guess that won't work)-

I didn't have time to think, because the Salamanders reacted instantly.

-"!![Icicle Spear]!!"-

Elen's [Ice Magic] arced toward one of them and struck hard. It was pushed back toward its [Magic Barrier], which held with only moderate concentration. But toppling those Salamanders would take more than a single [Icicle Spear].

One of the monsters lunged directly at the trio of adventurers.

-"You okay?!"

-"I can handle this!"- Elen shouted. -"Risking our lives is nothing new to us!"-

-"Oh, come on!"- growled Kabal. -"I thought I was the leader! Fine—I'll take one down!"-

-"Oh yeah?"- Gido retorted. -"I haven't heard of a bandit taking on an Elemental Spirit before. I guess we're all in this together, huh?"-

It was hard to tell if they really trusted one another. If Kabal was so eager to "take one down," he could go ahead—but if he got injured, that burden would fall on me.

-"Alright,"- I said. -"Take it easy. But don't risk too much! If you get hurt, use these."-

Without further explanation, I pulled out some Recovery Potions and tossed them to them. Gido caught them.

-"Um… Yukimaru? What are these?"-

-"Recovery Potions! Very effective. If you take a hit, use them immediately!"-

No time for more detail. I moved again while the three dealt with the Fire Salamander. Even one of them was a dangerous opponent, so I hoped they could hold.

Meanwhile, the other two Salamanders were turning toward me. Ifrit advanced calmly behind them.

-(Now what?)-

Just as I wondered what to do next, Ranga appeared with Night on his head. His initial task had been to watch the adventurers, but now he would be my mount.

-"You called me, my master!"-

I leapt straight onto his back. At least I had mobility now. The Salamanders were fast, but not as fast as Ranga.

-"I want you to focus on dodging them,"- I ordered. -"You don't need to attack. I'll handle that!"-

-"Understood!"-

Ranga understood my intent without words. We charged off.

The two Salamanders fired jets of [Fire Breath], flamethrowers into the sky. Ranga easily dodged them, turning and keeping out of the heat's reach. The flames were intense; if I'd been an ordinary human, I'd have been incinerated.

-(Better take care of those two before facing Ifrit)-

I deployed several [Water Blades]. Unlike with Ifrit, the Salamanders couldn't repel them and took direct cuts. However, their limbs regenerated instantly. They had to be pure fire. Cutting them wouldn't be enough. The Black Serpent probably exuded more raw power than these creatures, but the Salamanders' regenerative abilities made them harder to neutralize.

-"…Master, physical attacks won't work on spiritual enemies,"- Ranga explained. -"Hitting their elemental weakness or using magic is the only thing that will affect them."-

-(Oh, right. Attacking an Elemental Spirit with a sword won't work, right? So Kuroma is out… What if I unleash a torrent of water? Would that be enough to stop them?)-

-(Huh? Steam explosion?)-

-(Wait! That would destroy everything around us! I just want to take out the Salamander, not obliterate the city…)-

-(And if it doesn't work either?)-

-- he replied, annoyed. --

-(I don't have time for this! I still have to deal with these Salamanders!)-

-"!![Icicle Spear]!!"-

At that moment, I saw the trio of adventurers again, struggling to survive, with Elen casting ice magic with precision in the middle of combat.

-(Wait… My [Water Blades] don't work on Elemental Spirits. So magic is the key)-

-(Alright!)- I recalled some [Ice Magic] spells. This would be the first time using them in real combat. -(But whatever! Now's the moment!)-

-"[Icicle Spear]!"-

By skipping the casting time thanks to [Null Chant] of [Great Sage], I fired a beam of magic at the Salamander. This time I understood the essence of magic: it doesn't just affect the environment—it channels pure energy, visualizes its effect, and manifests it in reality.

My [Water Blades] had never harmed the Salamander, but magic did. The damage didn't come from the ice itself, but from energy absorption: it drained heat from the Salamander, weakening its elemental form.