The incendiary explosion seemed like it had done it's job, the surge of flames stretched to the skies similar to a pillar. "Is it over?" the one who cast the spell soliloquized.
Even Fushu believed it was over, much to his delight.
"To be honest, that's humiliating..."
They could hear my voice as I emerged from the stream of flames, unfazed and unshaken. Still, give one credit where credit was due.
"You far exceeded my expectations.."
Mind made up, it was time to mortify them.
The shock on their faces was more than enough to get me firing at all cylinders.
As the flames died out, I stood gallantly in front of the two.
The old guy didn't express much surprise but as for Lync who cast the spell, he felt ashamed. But this was purely a speculation.
"Iʼd like to end this quickly so..."
This wasn't me being scornful, rather I was about to get serious. Whereas others with great strength have a pronounced lack of concern for others viewed as unworthy, I did not.
As a show of respect to these mages, using the extent of one's strength was my veneration to them.
A seed of deadly blackish purple magicube bloomed out inside of me, and a black and red smoke aura emitted from my body.
As this happened, the wind howling raised the key as if to emulate my response to their offensive stance.
Surely, one would react with fear having witnessed this. The aura increased as it sucked in the surrounding air, creating strong winds that quaked the earth.
"His aura, it's truly monstrous.." Fushu hadn't sensed energy of this kind before. Astonishing, given that he'd gone up against many other mages you'd expect him to have encountered power of this caliber before.
'What is this magic power, this blistering heat...' Lync contemplated in fear, this boy was far from normal.
For someone who didnʼt give off even an ounce of magical power before, as it was so little was now capable of this? Unpossible.
"It's time, Scentia... release limiters."
[ Unique Skill ---> Oracle Engine ]
Activating...
[>> Generating Thermal Energy <<]
In progress...
[--Additional Skill: Apocalyptic Flame Control--]
Manifesting...
From the palm of my right hand came on orb of dark and hueless fire.
With the hand lifted up the black sphere of fire increased in magnitude. It had become a violent firestorm characterized by a mobile, haphazardly twisting, funnel-shaped phenomenon that blackened the forest.
It covered a thirty meter radius like some sort of canopy that absorbed all the light in the vicinity.
As everyone watched in amazement, the violent black flame twister upsurged and expanded spontaneously. The bigger it became, the more they'd come to understand the power I harnessed.
'How could one child have control over this much power,' they thought.
The ground itself had been turned to fire.
Aside its intimidating size there was something else that made them wary of these flames, two things actually.
The first was, when bringing forth flames with an absolute size this intimidating, mana in the body is turned to magicubes that fuel it.
Naturally, only platinum or gold mages should be able to manifest something this frightening. In other words, the size of the flame was a reflection of my mana reserves.
There was a means through which I bypassed this.
My mana reservoir was nowhere near the amount needed to fuel this apocalyptic flame, as such an alternative was sought after.
I used the already reactive mana in the surrounding area (magicubes) to craft the flame, and then, in tandem with the dark magicubes stored within me gave it it's black hue and destructive power.
Even so, this wasn't all that surprised them.
But what more could? A purely defensive trait of the flame that burned things that couldn't be physically burnt normally.
It could comfortably burn through non-solid, intangible and ethereal targets such as fire, water, smoke and other things a normal fire wouldn't burn.
Something they observed after seeing the residue of Lyncʼs flames get physically destroyed by these lightless flames.
"Flames that burns all other flames... predatorial flames!" Lync exclaimed.
By all means, be afraid. This was not your typical stream of burning vapor that emitted light and heat. This kind was beyond the scope of conventional.
"Woah... I didn't know Nyx had this power." our muscled-fellow, Alaric mentioned.
A number of students were astonished, Dilbert included. Seeing as I'd already vanquished the mage who cast the sleeping spell, it's effects had since long worn off.
"That's impossible... what is this!?" Dilbert asked no one particular.
The only one not surprised to see this was none other than Belitha, she always did believe I was meant for great things. Her witnessing this only proved her point to be unmistakably right.
She held onto Laia with a strong hope that the battle was won.
No one could see a thing, the entire forest felt like it was wrapped in a blanket as black as night.
These hueless flames engulfed the environment in utter darkness, proof of it's ominous origins. Still, I could see all thanks to [--Additional Skill: Mana Sense--] which I'd switched back to moments before activating this spell.
The comprehensible data acquired from the surrounding via mana sense was more than enough to compensate for loss of sight.
Why not attack me as I was? They wouldn't dare. With the amount of magicubes poured into manifesting these flames and the dark magicubes which made it more concentrated than normally possible helped supercharge said apocalyptic flames.
The presence of these thunderous flames would atomize them the moment they were stupid enough to step within range.
[>> Attention! Acquisition of higher level of fire manipulation has given rise to a new magic skill "Pyro immunity" <<]
[ Unique Skill ---> Composite ]
[Via the catalyst; temperature coefficient, attainment of both "Cryo immunity" and "Pyro immunity" has resulted in a new skill, "Thermoadaptation", you are now immune to temperature fluctuations by normal standards. <<]
It was a pleasant experience to have unlocked a new magic skill mid-battle. I could smile knowing fully well they'd still think I was serious, after all they wouldn't be able to witness my mien.
An onlooker from above observed the battle, Vania Croft. A follower of Zaratros and also the one who deployed the Black Pendant guild.
I was unable to sense her but not because my [Mana Sense] wasn't effective enough, far from it.
She cast a magic jamming barrier around her that scrambled the perceptible data returned to me from my surroundings, the fact that she knew to do this showed why she was above the rest.
"I suppose it's time we take our leave.." Vania uttered, and in the snap of a finger a black mist engulfed the defeated Yugta, Beltin and Dvena transporting them like a flying nimbus out of the area.
The same phenomenon occured a further time but for Lync and Fushu.
I sensed the black mist and even their escape. But I didn't plan on making the later that easy however.
Having dispersed the flames into small smoldering particles, light bathed the forest and everyone could see again. But being shrouded in darkness for so long, their photoreceptors had become unbearably sensitive to light. This urged them to close their eyes.
"There's six of them?"
I was unaffected and could clearly see them getting away, I was quite sure that I only encountered five and my [Mana Sense] picked up the same number.
The chances of getting the wrong numerical account of the enemy forces were exhaustively low "I have to do something..." aerial attacks maybe? But one that wouldn't blow them to bits, "Scentia, any suggestions?" I asked her.
I didn't notice the blood trickling down one of my nostrils until my body suddenly lost all it's stamina.
"Hey... what's with the... all of a sudden." it was a very feeble utterance, "Everythingʼs getting dark.." I added just before my body struck the ground.
[>> Warning: External magicube reserves have fallen below minimum limit. Dark magicube reserves, low. Prolonged use of additional skill "Apocalyptic Flame Control" seems to have exhausted external magicube and dark magicube reserves and eaten into life sustenance mana... processing effective possibilities to keep vessel alive <<]
[ Using replicated gallanite ores to reprocess dark magicube ]
In progress...
[ Increasing mana output ]
Failed...
[ Increasing mana output ]
In progress...
[>> Now entering sleep mode, estimated time until full recovery is three days... <<]
Was I dwindling between life and death? My body sure felt like it.
I could see them rushing for me with worry, my friends.
My sight faded slowly until I fell into complete darkness.