At the very moment the frost engulfed and froze the Hilichurl camp, the Crimson Echo embedded within the Electro arrow exploded forth!
Crack—Crackle!
Blinding Electro burst from beneath the ice, surging madly across the battlefield.
The Hilichurls—still trapped within their frozen shells—hadn't even begun to break free before the violent thunder tore through their bodies from the inside out!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Bolts of Electro crashed down in rapid succession, striking the frozen figures again and again—
And in the next instant—
Craaaack!!!
Every last frozen Hilichurl shattered beneath the wrath of thunder!
The massive ice blocks splintered apart, scattering shards and torn limbs.
In moments, the entire camp had been reduced to glittering ice fragments and scorched earth.
In less than three seconds, what had once been a bustling Hilichurl outpost was now a silent, lifeless ruin.
"…"
The world fell into deathly stillness.
Even Fischl—usually one for grand and dramatic declarations—stood frozen in place, her expression blank with shock.
She looked from the bow in her hands to the obliterated battlefield before her, her mind going completely blank.
This… was that truly her arrow?
Was that even possible?!
She had only followed Kairo's instructions and fired one shot—
and that one shot had flattened an entire camp!
If her aim had been off by even the slightest fraction…
she suspected she might've erased half the forest instead!
This wasn't an arrow attack anymore—
it had become a natural disaster of pure elemental fury!
"Th–This… this…"
Fischl's lips trembled as she tried to form words. Her delicate features were painted with disbelief, and the golden light in her eyes screamed, "What in the world just happened?!"
She raised a shaking hand, pointing toward the devastated camp in the distance.
"Th–This… My… my thunder… how could it become so strong?!"
Even Oz fell silent for several seconds before murmuring in a low voice,
"My lady means—what the heck just happened?"
As he spoke, Oz's sharp gaze flicked toward the tube still held in Kairo's hand.
That thing… what was it, truly?
How could something so small unleash such overwhelming destruction?
And that strange energy Kairo had infused into the bow earlier—what kind of power could rival, even overpower, pure Electro?
Could Kairo… really be just an ordinary person?
He and Fischl had traveled together before—Kairo strategized, Fischl executed.
Even when rare alchemical items were involved, they were never this overwhelming.
Enhancement Balm: Ice…
This was the first time Oz had ever heard the name.
Could it be an alchemical artifact?
But if it was—then it was unlike any alchemy he'd ever known. The potency was absurd.
Kairo, meanwhile, looked at the results before him with a faintly strange expression.
So the effect… was that good?
He had clearly underestimated the Enhancement Balm: Ice.
Combined with Electro, it had even triggered an explosive ice reaction—
especially when layered atop a bow through elemental enchantment.
But still, most of the credit went to the Balm itself.
Wasn't this thing's power a bit… too overwhelming?
Last night, when he'd used Clara's Path resonance to enchant a sword, the results hadn't been nearly this impressive.
It seemed the key was proper combination—
the right Path resonance, channeled in the right way.
If he applied this same Enhancement Balm to his sword, the result might far surpass any previous experiment.
After all, as the description said—
"When applied to a suitable weapon, it grants a significant enhancement effect."
Just like Kairo's ability—Crimson Echo—
"Imbues any object with the Crimson Echo, amplifying its inherent strength."
Use it on a bomb or a blade—
the difference would be worlds apart.
Lost in thought, Kairo calmly observed the scene before him, his tone utterly casual:
"Mm. Not bad. The effect's a bit better than I expected."
Fischl: "…"
A bit better?!
Fischl turned sharply, staring at Kairo with eyes full of disbelief—no, existential dread.
She had thought he was simply using an alchemical tool to lightly boost her arrows' power.
But now—
it felt as if she were holding a weapon capable of leveling mountains.
One shot—
one single shot had obliterated an entire camp.
Fischl clutched her bow tightly, her body trembling—not from fear, but from the thrill coursing through her veins.
Even her twin-tails quivered with excitement, as if responding to her rising energy.
And then, a wave of sheer, indescribable elation surged through her chest.
"Ahahahaha…!"
Fischl couldn't hold it back anymore—she began laughing, the sound rising higher, freer, wilder.
"My thunder… has reached such heights!"
Her smile widened, almost radiant. Her hands gripped the bow as though she feared the divine weapon might vanish.
Her golden eyes sparkled with feverish excitement.
"Kairo—you are the chosen one! The brightest chapter in the grand epic of my destiny!"
Oz sighed helplessly, translating dryly,
"My lady means—you're amazing, and she's decided she's sticking with you from now on."
"…"
Kairo's mouth twitched.
Why did she sound like a fanatic who had just received divine revelation?
"From this day forth, we must fight side by side!"
Fischl suddenly stepped forward, her expression blazing with passion.
"Together we shall march into battle, purge the world of darkness, and carve our eternal glory into the annals of fate!"
Oz lazily translated,
"She means—wherever you go, she's going too."
"…"
Kairo fell silent for a moment, then slowly reached out and patted her head.
"Good girl. Calm down."
—A gentle ruffle.
"!!!"
Fischl froze completely. Her mind went blank.
Her golden twin-tails trembled; her cheeks flushed pink, the color rapidly deepening until even the tips of her ears glowed scarlet.
"Y–You… thou…"
Her once-fluid, dramatic speech completely fell apart, and she stammered incoherently.
"Thou… thou actually…"
Her face was as red as a ripe apple. She wanted to step back—yet she couldn't bring herself to move away from that soft, reassuring touch.
"I–I, die Prinzessin der Verurteilung…"
Her voice quivered, trembling between pride and embarrassment, as she struggled desperately to salvage the dignity of her royal persona.
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