Early the next morning, for the continuation of the shoot, Edward and his crew quickly arrived on the grasslands outside the town.
On the open field, the giant slime that was not taken back yesterday during the shoot still lay there quietly. However, from the grassy patch on the ground that had lost quite a bit, it could be seen that it had indeed moved. From Lawrence's slowly approaching carriage, a new giant slime was also brought over.
Upon arrival, Edward didn't give any rest time and immediately said, "Today, we're shooting the scene of the second demon king subjugation mission. The focus of this scene is to showcase the Explosion Magic. Helena, I remember you scored full marks in the Fire Magic proficiency test before. Just bring out that momentum. Of course, when casting, be sure to choose the right angle. Don't blast our precious extras, and I'll use the camera to create the feeling of your hits."
Upon hearing his words, Helena, as today's lead actress, excitedly said, "Explosion Magic? But that's a spell of both wind and fire elements, right? Edward, you know I can only comprehend the elemental heart of the fire attribute. I can't cast dual-element spells."
"Don't worry. I'll use Wind Magic to assist you when the time comes."
"Really?! To be honest, I've been wanting to try Explosion Magic, this top-tier area-of-effect spell. And that incantation, did you come up with it, Edward?! It's just too cool!"
"..."
Without saying much, and after confirming that she could easily get into character, Edward opened the cover of the magical recording device and continued, "Anyway, there shouldn't be any other problems. You all performed well in yesterday's scene, let's aim for a one-take today!"
Once the actors were ready, the shooting started again in a hurry. This time, because Edward had explained the possible dangers during the shoot in advance, besides the three main actors, everyone else unconsciously moved away.
...
After joining Zat and Aqua's team, Megumin decided to showcase her true abilities in their first adventure together. So, they returned to the plains with the giant slime, aiming to complete the failed extermination mission from the last time.
After having a full meal, Megumin indeed displayed her true strength. While Zat and Aqua held off the enemies, she began chanting, "Blacker than black, darker than darkness, pitch-black that entrusts my true red brilliance. Awaken the arrival of the ludicrous chapter of the fallen doctrine of the Absurd Church, become the invisible distortion and manifest!"
Accompanied by the chuunibyou-infused incantation escaping from Megumin's mouth, the elemental of fire began to flow over the grassy field. The true power of actress Helena, an advanced fire mage, was fully demonstrated at this moment. Meanwhile, in the distance, Edward also assisted with a Wind spell. After all, true Explosion Magic was a magic that combined both fire and wind attributes. If only Helena, with her fire attribute talent, cast it herself, the power would merely be an enlarged Fireball spell.
Seemingly sensing Edward's assistance, Megumin, who became even more confident, hastened the chanting speed. As the flames and hurricane erupted together, people unfamiliar with magic around instantly understood how terrifying this magic was, and they retreated far back.
With the amplification of magic gradually increasing with the chanting, beads of sweat formed near Megumin's temples. However, the terrifying magical power bursting out from the overwhelming flow of flames made her reveal an unprecedented excited smile.
As the dazzling red light flashed at the tip of Megumin's wand, the expanding and brightening radiance suddenly condensed into a dazzling sphere.
Almost at the same time, Megumin's pupils opened wide.
"Dance! Dance! Dance! Collapse in accordance with my wishes, the collapse beyond anyone's reach, burn down everything in the world. Descend from the abyss! Let me show you the most powerful attack means that humans can use— This is the ultimate attack magic—Explosion!"
On the plain, a beam of light shot out, like a meteor piercing the sky...
After that, the devastating magic displayed its effect. Accompanied by a thunderous roar that shook the surrounding air, the most vicious and destructive magic flourished on this plain.
Even to avoid being blown away by the intense gust, Edward had to bend down, trying to keep the magical recording device stable.
When the smoke cleared, a crater over 20 meters had formed in front of Megumin, demonstrating the terrifying power of the explosion.
"Cut! Zat and Aya, reset. Lawrence, check if the slime is injured. Helena, how's your magic power situation? If it's not enough, immediately use a magic crystal to recover, and I'll reimburse you later."
After everyone followed Edward's instructions and completed their respective tasks, Helena, who played Megumin, immediately collapsed without any pretense. Obviously, casting the Explosion Magic just now was a challenge even for her as an advanced mage.
...
"Very good. Today's shooting is finished. Once the new actors are in place, I'll remind you for the subsequent shooting. For now, go back and take a good rest. You can even play around in Nosrick if you want. If anyone wants to go home, just let me know in advance. I'll prepare the teleportation spell."
In the afternoon, after completing the combat scenes in just the morning, Edward pondered for a moment and decided to make some adjustments to the plot. Ultimately, the lack of post-production CG effects technology prevented him from implementing many ideas. At the moment, he could only shoot the film with the available resources and figure out the rest later.
While Edward used magic to help Lawrence transport the slime, Aya, who was still eating a boxed lunch, suddenly said, "Speaking of magic, it's quite powerful, huh? Can we learn it too?"
Upon hearing her words, all eyes turned towards her, indicating that Aya was not the only one curious about magic.
In response, Edward thought for a moment before speaking, "Although not everyone can use it, at least everyone has the opportunity to learn. It's like how everyone's minds are different; everyone's sensitivity to elements is also different. The first step to using magic is the ability to sense elements, which we call the comprehension of the elemental heart."
"The elemental heart?"
Surprised by Edward's words, even Lawrence, who was initially uninterested in such topics, looked over with a curious gaze. Edward then straightforwardly continued, "Since you're all so curious, why don't I test it for each of you? Let's see if you have the qualifications to use magic."