Ch. 152: The Dragon and the Magician
For Igni, who can see the manipulation of Magic with his naked eye, the manipulation the Dragon initiated was so gigantic and overwhelming that the Dragon’s form was hidden from Igni for a moment.
Igni: “[Equip Flame] {Ignition} : [Molecular] {Minima}”
If she’s manipulating Magic, she’s planning to do something big.
Then Igni would have to answer back with something equally as powerful.
As he sent the molecule-sized {Fireball} behind him, it hit the accelerator and cycled until it reached the speed of light.
A bright, shining halo appeared behind Igni.
＜Kiiiiiiiーーーーーーnnn!> (*sfx squeal)
A high-pitch, ear-piercing squeal rang as the {Fireball} accelerated and groaned behind Igni.
But at the same time, Hayem amassed and concentrated all of her Magic towards her mouth.
Igni: (..........!!)
Igni: “Alicia! It’s a Breath Attack!”
Alicia: “........!”
Alicia, who was containing a wild storm with her Spell up until now, grimaces bitterly.
A Dragon’s Breath Attack is on par with [Pseudo-Magic].
As they consume Magic Power, the amount of power that is born still remains within the realm of Spells.
But it is a realm that no human could ever reach with Spells at the same time.
Hence, it was placed in the same category as [Pseudo-Magic].
Igni: “[Launch] {Fire}!”
Igni releases the {Fireball} inside the accelerator that reaches maximum speed.
Something akin to a small streak of light struck Hayem directly!
It struck her square in the chest, and made her scales sink inwards, and the impact of the blow blew away all the snow and clouds that were still in the area!
But that wasn’t enough to stop a Dragon’s Breath Attack.
Igni: “[Equip Flame] {Ignition} : [Ultimate Light] {Lucas}”
And Igni spun and circulated the manipulated magic within himself.
It was the technique used by those who lived far in the east that Igni dubbed [Rotate Ember] {Ignite}.
But the technique was focused on his head. As he accelerated the part of his brain that processed Spells, he was able to now use Spells that were impossible otherwise. It was a Spell which he named after his own grandfather. Being able to fire his {Fireball} at the same speed as light, it was a Spell that can even take down the fastest creatures known as Wyverns.
But Hayem opened her mouth at the same time.
Igni: “[Strike through] {Fire}”
In that moment, light and light collided and struck against one another.
Igni: “ーーー!”
The flood of light that threatened to erase Igni and Alicia flying in the sky was scattered by Igni’s {Fireball} and did not reach them.
The moment felt as though it lasted for an eternity, but then Hayem and Igni cross glares.
Of course, there was no way they could have seen each other in the blast of bright light.
But they were united by the manipulated Magic.
And the Dragon’s Magic energy was scattered about by Igni’s {Fireball} and burned away the clouds above in the sky.
And Igni’s {Fireball} also fell short and did not reach Hayem.
It had been completely negated by the Dragon’s Breath.
Igni: “.........that Breath just now, it wasn’t your full energy.”
Hayem: [Oh, and it looks like you’re still hiding <some tricks up your sleeves still>, are you not?]
The clouds vanished, and the weather was now a cloudless, sunny day at the top of the mountain as Igni and Hayem faced off.
Hayem: [Are you not going to use what you’re hiding?]
Igni: “..........it’s not like we were done without discussion. I don’t……want to kill you.”
Hayem: [Hehe…]
Hayem quietly chuckled to herself.
Hayem: [How long has it been since a human was concerned for my well-being?]
Her large eyes stared down at Igni and thinned as she smiled.
Hayem: [But you don’t have to be concerned. I am not as weak as you think.]
But that confidence was of course, rooted in her belief that she herself was the strongest.
Igni understood the intention of her words well.
Igni had used both his most powerful <Spells> against Hayem.
And as he glanced briefly at her chest, the large indentation and wound was repairing and closing up quickly.
Igni: (........ahhhh, okay. I see now.)
Seeing that, Igni fully understood.
That against a Dragon, a human’s puny Spell was no match against it.
Igni: “.........okay. Then I’m <going all out>.”
Hayem: [Yes, yes! Otherwise, this would be so boring!]
And her overjoyed shrill was that of a young maiden who was about to have her first dance with her lover.
Igni: “........Alicia, I’ll need your help.” Alicia: “Leave it to me.”
As soon as he used it, he would no longer be able to use any other Spells.
Igni: “[Equip Flame] {Ignition} : [Complete Incineration] {Full Burst}!!”
Deep within Igni’s chest, he was connected with one girl.
By burning everything that he had, he would create one {Fireball}.
And that was a small, small [Mini-Cosmos] {Fireball}.
Hayem: [..........oh? You’re actually Magician, are you?]
It caught her off guard, and as Hayem posed the question, Igni smirked a viscous smile back.
Hayem: [Fall to the earth]
Feeling mocked by his action, Hayem initiated a Command Spell, and tried to drop Igni and Alicia to the floor.
But Igni and Alicia had already disappeared from her sight.
Instinctively, Hayem turned around.
But a stream of energy hit both her wings as she did so.
And as soon as she caught Igni and Alicia by sight, before she could retaliate, Igni disappeared once more.
Igni: "My Magic can stop time.”
Not wanting to hurt Hayem anymore than necessary, Igni began convincing Hayem.
By showing the insurmountable difference in strength between Wizard and Magician, he wanted to curb her thirst for battle.
Igni: “It doesn’t matter how fast or strong you are.”
Hayem lost sight of Igni again, and though she looked around, she couldn’t find him.
But the next moment, a rain of fire poured down on top of the Dragon and melted off her scales.
Igni: “Here, I am <absolute>”
Hayem: [Marvelous. How marvelous!]
But Hayem began concentrating her Magic to her mouth once again for another charge.
She was still trying to compete with Magic with her Pseudo-Magic.
That was because she still believed that it was possible to compete against Magic with it.
Igni: “............hey, Miss Hayem. How much do you think you can endure?” Hayem: [What are you talking about?]
Igni: “Let’s start with 3 days.”
At that moment, Hayem realized that all time had stopped around her.
Though Magic had accumulated inside of her mouth, and she only had to shoot it at Igni in front of her, she realized that she could not do so at all.
Then, she finally understood.
The fate that would await her if she continued.
<<<<>>>>
Hayem: [I see……so that’s how it is……]
Hayem released the concentrated Magic into the atmosphere.
She finally realized that before Magic, there was nothing she could do.
Igni: “Can I hear your story now?” Hayem: [Yes, of course. You are the victors after all. Since you have faced and defeated a Dragon, you can ask whatever you like. Justーー]
And with that, Hayem began enveloping her body with Magic.
Hayem: [It will be difficult speaking like this, so I will change my form to this.]
The next instant, light enveloped Hayem, and her form twisted into the shape of a person.
Hayem: “How is this?”
She gently brushed the snow off of her, and there stood a robed, tall girl with blue-ish hair that was closer to silver.
Igni: (............shー........shーshe’s……..)
And Igni lost all the vocabulary inside his mind.
Igni: (...........cute………)
