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The swirling heat forced Mons and Sophie to keep retreating.
"Da, Davian, he, he's..."
"Why are you stuttering? It doesn't suit you."
"Was he always this strong? Is this the Davian Naone I tried to kill back in the academy's first year?"
"That's why you couldn't kill him, right? Be grateful he's a comrade, not an enemy."
"I can't believe what I'm seeing... he's only seventeen?"
"There are many unbelievable things in the world."
About ten minutes had passed.
The duration of the advanced skill 'Festival of Fire' was 27 minutes.
Davian's flames, alive and seemingly sentient, were devouring Obsess's fire pillars, growing even larger.
However.
'He really is an incredible fire mage, Obsess.'
A bead of sweat trickled down Davian's temple.
The ★★★★ artifact, 'Ferrarius's Gauntlet,' gifted by Glacie.
Fire elemental magic amplified by a whopping 135% through the 'Festival of Fire' skill.
It was not just the beginning of the 8-star level, but approaching the intermediate stage.
Moreover, the living flames that naturally manifested while using the skill.
Davian's flames looked as if they were opening their mouths wide to devour Obsess's fire pillars.
And indeed, they were merging with Obsess's fire magic, growing larger.
But they still couldn't completely swallow or push back Obsess's fire pillars.
Rather, the magic imbued in Obsess's fire pillars was becoming increasingly potent.
Thanks to the Festival of Fire skill, he was absorbing Obsess's fire pillars, but if there was even a slight issue in magic manipulation, it was obvious they would explode.
'He's probably aiming for that.'
An immense amount of magic power, along with outstanding control and unwavering focus.
As expected of a mage who had dedicated his life to fire magic.
A skill that could truly be called the pinnacle of fire magic.
'I need to concentrate. There's no reason I can't win, even if the opponent is a 9-star mage and I'm using a skill.'
If his magic manipulation faltered even for a moment, causing Davian's fire elemental magic to explode, Obsess's fire pillars would engulf him immediately afterward.
At that level, not even ashes would remain.
That's why the penalty for failure was 'death' in this quest.
But it wasn't an event where he could choose whether or not to accept it, it was a quest he had no choice but to proceed with.
There was no way to avoid it in the first place.
He had to win no matter what.
He had only just finished his first semester as a freshman.
An overwhelmingly powerful enemy had appeared at an unexpected time.
But if he could handle this level of named opponent, the Marino Empire's spy organization wouldn't be able to move so easily for a while.
Obsess's level of recognition and the immense traces of today's battle.
If they failed to achieve their objectives after leaving such things behind, the activities of the spy organization would inevitably be curtailed.
First of all, the Alkancia Kingdom would undoubtedly show great interest in today's events.
If Davian could defeat Obsess and succeed in preserving the latter's corpse and the traces of today's battle, the Marino Empire's spy organization would have made a huge mistake.
It was completely different from Obsess quietly burning down Davian's house and leaving the Alkancia Kingdom.
A situation where they could easily be caught.
'I told you, don't use a sword to kill a chicken.'
Even as he thought this, Obsess's fire magic pushed in even more forcefully.
Davian's fire elemental magic, resembling the head of a giant dragon, momentarily faltered and retreated.
'He's still not putting in his maximum magic power.'
Truly amazing.
But.
'I haven't put in everything yet either.'
If he kept dragging things out, the duration of the 'Festival of Fire' skill would simply run out.
Then there would be no way to defeat Obsess.
'I'll end it this time.'
Davian, who had been manifesting fire elemental magic by stretching his arms forward.
Quickly moved his left hand.
As the power of his fire elemental magic decreased, Obsess's fire pillars began to push forward as they were.
They would reach Davian's location within 10 seconds.
Whoosh.
Davian's freed left hand fired off a wind elemental magic.
The sharp wind elemental magic flew quickly towards Obsess's neck.
Slash!
A bodyguard moved quickly to cut down Davian's wind elemental magic.
Unfortunately, the wind elemental magic didn't even get close to Obsess's body.
Obsess watched this situation with darting eyes.
Davian, who had raised the Eye to See Swordsmanship skill to level 37, didn't miss this moment.
A very brief opening.
That slight gap to glance around and check the surroundings.
That was enough.
Now.
Time for the Festival of Fire.
Davian stretched out his left arm again and added magic power.
It was instantaneous.
A quick movement that no other mage could ever imitate.
Davian's fire elemental magic instantly increased in power.
The maximum power Davian could unleash.
The red dragon, which had been opening its mouth wide to devour Obsess's fire pillars, closed its mouth.
Then, it became a giant fire drill and burrowed into the center of Obsess's fire pillars.
It was natural for fire and fire to merge when they touched, but.
The two flames colliding now were not natural fires.
Davian's flames, infused with maximum magic power, burrowed into the center of Obsess's fire pillars and continued to extend.
It was a cone-shaped fire elemental magic, narrow at the front and wider towards the back.
Obsess's fire pillars, with their centers pierced, had no choice but to spread out and weaken.
On the other hand, Davian's sharp, drill-like flames contained maximum magic power at a narrow point, unleashing a completely different power than before.
"Kuuk! You bastard!"
Belatedly, Obsess pushed even more magic power into his flames, trying to regain control of the spreading fire magic.
But the fire pillars that had already begun to falter could only be split more and more easily, like firewood being chopped with a well-honed axe.
Kwaaa!
The cone-shaped fire elemental magic began to dismantle the fire pillars even faster.
Obsess tried his best, sweating profusely, but.
He couldn't reverse the tide that had already turned.
"Block it! Block the front! I'll reorganize my magic power."
Eventually, Obsess withdrew his magic power.
The three bodyguards took out the shields they had been carrying on their backs and stood in front.
They had already taken Davian's attacks several times, but this was the first time they had taken out their shields.
At that moment.
Whoosh.
The flames that had been piercing like a drill spread out widely.
It happened in an instant.
As the panicked bodyguards frantically moved their heads following the living flames.
The widely spread flames enveloped all four of Obsess's group.
The flames that surrounded the enemies in a hemispherical shape slowly reduced in size.
"Mons! What, what is that? Goodness. I've never even heard of fire magic like that."
"I agree this time, Sophie."
"The inside of that must be a complete inferno. Can you feel that energy? Even the temperature we feel here... The surrounding trees are spontaneously catching fire without even being touched by the flames. No one could survive in a place like that."
"Probably not."
"He's really amazing... Davian Naone. I was going to assassinate someone like that?"
"Actually, I almost tried to kill him once too."
Sophie looked at Mons with a surprised expression.
"What?"
"Ah, I thought the Young Master had suddenly changed too much... I thought he was possessed by a demon or something."
Sophie turned her head again and looked at Davian's flames, which were slowly shrinking.
Sophie nodded.
"It's understandable to be confused if you saw someone doing that for the first time at that age."
"He wasn't quite this strong back then... No, it's a long story."
"You've been serving an amazing Young Master, Mons. No wonder your movements are so extraordinary."
That's when it happened.
Kwaaa!
Just when it seemed like the flames were about to incinerate the four people inside and disappear as a handful of embers.
A pillar of fire shot up vertically, piercing through the powerful hemispherical fire elemental magic.
The pillar of fire that shot up vertically was so high that its end couldn't be seen properly.
The pillar of fire that soared into the sky began to increase its thickness.
Boom!
With a tremendous roar, it shattered Davian's fire elemental magic.
The two magics exploded, turning the surroundings into a sea of fire.
Everything around them was burning, as if a huge forest fire had broken out.
The place where Mons and Sophie were standing was no exception.
"We have to get away!"
"You go, Sophie. I have to stay here."
"What are you talking about! You can't last long in this inferno, even if it's just for a moment!"
"The Young Master told me to stay close enough that he could reach me in a flash."
Sophie remembered too.
The last order Davian gave before the two moved to a safe place.
"So, so you're just going to stay in this fire?"
Mons raised his head.
"The Young Master is standing still over there too."
Only then did Sophie turn her head and look at Davian.
Water elemental magic was swirling around and protecting Davian's body.
"We can't do that!"
"That's why I'm telling you to get away, Sophie."
"Then go quickly and save the Young Master!"
"Not yet. He told me to wait here."
"Such a loyalist. A loyalist."
At that moment, a dry, emotionless voice echoed.
"Did you think you could kill me with fire magic?"
Sophie and Mons turned their heads simultaneously towards the source of the sound.
A corpse with all the skin burned off, leaving only bones and muscles, or rather a human, was floating in the air.
It was the fire mage Obsess.
Flames were still burning brightly from his body, as if he had become one with the fire.
It was amazing that he was still alive.
Whenever he opened his mouth to speak, ashes that hadn't been extinguished yet scattered like embers from a bonfire.
"I've spent my entire life researching fire magic. I am fire, and fire is me."
His voice, with even his vocal cords burned, had no moisture at all.
"Ah, you can't be killed by fire elemental magic?"
"Isn't it obvious? Rather, I feel stronger as my body has become one with the fire."
Creak.
With a grotesque sound, Obsess's right arm rose.
Whoosh!
Fire bloomed all over his right arm and began to pour towards Davian.
Kwaaa.
His physical condition seemed terrible, but the power of his fire magic was even greater.
Davian quickly leaped away, avoiding Obsess's magic.
"He really got stronger?"
Obsess, as if surprised by his own transformation, lowered his head and observed his own body floating in the air.
His body was in a hideous state, with all the skin burned off.
But flames were enveloping Obsess's body instead of skin.
His body was floating in the air, not even intentionally lifted.
"...I am fire, and fire is me. Is this the ultimate fire magic I've been dreaming of?"
"Did he really become one with the fire? Is that why he was able to survive without dying?"
"I should thank you. Now die, brat."
Obsess's right arm turned towards Davian again.
A bitter smile appeared on Obsess's burned face.
'This feeling... I've definitely become stronger. I've finally become one with fire.'
A strong flame erupted from his burning right arm.
As if his body and the fire had truly become one, the flame moved according to Obsess's will.
Its power was also incomparably stronger than before.
At that moment.
Whoosh.
Davian's figure disappeared from Obsess's sight.
It was a movement that a mage's dynamic visual acuity couldn't keep up with.
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