"Believe?"
Seemingly unable to fully connect this word with the current situation, for a moment, Shana seemed to have a delayed reaction.
Facing this Shana, Fang Li didn't say anything. He just looked at this young but incredibly heroic girl. After a moment of silence, he forcefully raised one hand.
"Kacha..."
A slight mechanical sound faintly transmitted, and the cold touch met Shana's forehead.
Shana's expression had completely frozen, and even her Burning-Eyed seemed somewhat stiff.
It was only natural.
Because Fang Li was holding a gun, aiming at Shana's forehead.
It was a silver-white revolver, seemingly very old-fashioned.
"This is..."
Alastor's voice, filled with unavoidable astonishment, came from the pendant in front of Shana.
"Trigger Happy?!"
Yes.
Trigger Happy.
This gun was precisely the Treasure Tool that the former "Hunter" Friagne was proud of.
It could forcibly awaken the struck Crimson Lord within the body, causing the container, the contractor, to self-destruct, dying on the spot. It was a Treasure Tool specifically designed to kill Flame Haze.
Now, Fang Li held this Treasure Tool in his hand, pressing it against Shana's forehead.
So, what Fang Li wanted to do next didn't need any explanation.
"Bang... Bang, Bang..."
The Red Lotus' Karmic Fire covering both of them continued to expand, making the air seem to burn, causing small-scale explosions.
In the center of the flames, Fang Li and Shana confronted each other. One held a gun against the latter's forehead, and the other gripped a katana, their faces stiff.
Lifting her eyes, Shana could clearly see Fang Li's gaze and expression, both carrying a chilling calmness.
In this situation, this calmness seemed extremely cold and cruel.
However, Shana was no ordinary person.
Others might be stimulated by Fang Li's calmness in this situation, but Shana, on the contrary, became calm as well. She extended her hand, gripping the barrel of Trigger Happy pressed against her forehead.
However, Shana didn't move the gun away from her forehead.
Holding the cold barrel tightly, Shana stared directly at Fang Li and uttered these words.
"Fire."
Shana didn't answer Fang Li's previous question.
However, the one word succinctly expressed Shana's inner thoughts.
"...Is that so?" Fang Li whispered as if talking to himself.
Shortly afterward, without the slightest hesitation, he pulled the trigger.
"Bang!"
When the gunshot echoed in the center of the Red Lotus flames, Sydonay, who was preparing to continue his fierce attack, suddenly froze. The eyes under his sunglasses widened slightly.
Not only Sydonay, but even Hecate and Bel Peol showed a hint of astonishment on their faces.
In this moment, the Trinity all felt it.
In the flames of the Red Lotus, something awakened.
Something extremely... terrifying.
The peculiar and enormous presence permeated from the Red Lotus flames, instantly stimulating the nerves of the Trinity.
Because Trinity knew.
They knew exactly what this feeling was.
It was trembling.
Therefore, the hearts of the Trinity all suddenly trembled.
"Not good!"
Bel Peol was the first to react and shouted without the slightest hesitation.
"Quick, run!"
This sentence was clearly transmitted and heard by all the Denizens of the gradually surrounding "Bal Masqué."
"Run?"
All the Denizens were completely stunned.
However, Hecate and Sydonay, without the slightest hesitation, followed Bel Peol. They turned around and, at the fastest speed, rushed away.
In that instant, the world changed.
"Hum..."
In a slight ripple, a flame ignited from the explosive Red Lotus.
It was a deeper red than the Red Lotus flames.
And it looked as if it was the core of the sun.
Like the depths of a volcano.
A stimulating red color emerged from the exploding Red Lotus, turning into a wave of flames, rippling like ripples, gradually echoing in the surroundings.
Finally, the flames erupted.
"Boom!"
In the thunderous roar that shook the air, the profound Red Lotus fire burst open like a surging tsunami from midair, violently surging in all directions with astonishing speed.
The sky was instantly filled.
The earth was instantly affected.
The terrifying high temperature spread throughout the entire world.
In this fleeting moment, the flames of the Red Lotus expanded like waves, constantly surging out, rendering the entire space of Seireiden into a red hue, leaving no trace of any other color.
"Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh————!"
Screams blossomed in the space of Seireiden.
Those Denizens who couldn't react at all were directly swallowed by the violently surging Red Lotus Karmic Fire, their voices gradually burned to ashes.
"What... what is that?!"
"No!"
"No!"
Along with the continuous wails, Denizens were successively engulfed by the flames of the Red Lotus one after another, turning into ashes.
At the edge, Denizens who fortunately reacted all showed extremely terrified expressions before crazily escaping even further.
A group of weak Rinne were directly swept away like gravel, disappearing without a trace.
The flames of the Red Lotus continued to expand in all directions, not only filling the sky but also covering the earth, turning the entire Seireiden into a sea of fire, covering every tall building.
Then, it appeared.
Right in the center of this sea of flames of the Red Lotus.
Lava was its muscles.
Flames were its body.
It was a giant.
With devil-like wings, and devil-like two horns, its entire body formed from flames, a towering flame giant taller than any building.
"————Rooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr————"
The terrifying and high-pitched roar turned into a storm-like wave of sound, expanding throughout the space of Seireiden, rushing in all directions.
Hecate, Sydonay, and Bel Peol all struggled to resist the storm-like waves of sound, ignoring the Denizens flying around, staring at the fearsome flame Demon. Their expressions revealed unprecedented hesitation and fear.
Soon after, Hecate whispered in a low voice.
"God of Retribution... Alastor..."
Under the voice calling the true Magic God of the Crimson World, the flame giant raised its massive head, looking at the Seireiden, which had turned into a sea of fire, and emitted a thunderous and resounding voice.
"Since I have revealed myself, there would be no mercy..."
With such a voice, the Karmic Fire of the Red Lotus erupted like a volcanic explosion, with the flame giant at the center, cracking the earth and rushing into the sky.
Seireiden was completely engulfed by the flames of the Red Lotus.
...