Chapter 268 -

There was silence in the audience stand.

Even the two people—their eyes almost hidden behind the cover of their clothes—who had been making educated guesses like "I didn't expect him to form a contract with all the four spirits already..." or "I know... I am astonished, too. ...I guess, expecting unexpected from Allen Rovenne should be a norm now..." were speechless.

Scorching ground, like a sea of flame, and the clouds of smoke everywhere—perhaps, only the word 'hell' could perfectly describe what they're seeing on the display.

When he addressed the spirit, the branches in hand of Allen began to burn. So far, so good. The audience were impressed, and the fire had yet to spread around his feet. However, the next moment, it was as if Allen wielded the fire at his will, and the fire spread to the rows of cedar trees extending north. The wind accelerated the space at which the spark was carried away.

In just a blink of an eye, the forest of cedar trees had begun to burn fiercely. There were some trees that weren't bone dry, and they filled the air with white smog when the fire burnt those half-dried leaves and branches.

Leonera of Fatora Kingdom had been eyeing Allen with extreme variness, plus she also happened to be at the edge of cedar tree belt. The fire had barely spread out when she realised the severity of the situation, and narrowly escaped out of the trap. However, Eclair of the Rosemieur Empire wasn't as lucky, and with fire and fumes surrounding her, she lost her chance to escape.

«Cough. Cough! Rgh... No matter where you go, you have to be downwind...! Show yourself, Allen Rovenne!»

She put up her mana guard and cut the tide through the sea of fire, progressing toward the direction fumes were blowing in, but no matter how far she walked in, Allen was nowhere to be seen.

She had already lost any sense of direction, and with fumes covering the field of view from everywhere, it's just impossible for her to capture Allen's coordinate, who could feel the wind to pinpoint her location at any moment.

A searing sensation and fumes constantly assailed the lungs of Eclair. Soon, it became impossible to even breathe without choking on it, and that gradually, even if at snail pace, had her retreat.

"It's almost a replication of a burning mountain..... What a dreadful move."

Burning the mountain was a situation where a great number of fire mages would surround the mountain from all ends, and burn it to the ground. It was a move often used to exterminate some dangerous monsters in this world.

Mujikka nodded with a grim expression to Katalina's murmur.

"Mhm... within mere moments, the entire forest is on fire. Truly terrifying."

So their exchange followed, but within their mind, they'd already begun to simulate what they would have if they're caught in the same situation. And beyond that, what would be its influence during war in the forest and how to contain it.

"I thought of them as mere hoaxes, but......... the spirits do exist, it appears, huh?"

Katalina murmured as her eyes remained glued to the display, and shook her head. With fumes covering the field, it was rather hard to make details out properly, but she could see Allen standing amidst the burning fire and fumes quietly, arms crossed.

Occasionally, he would calmly match his movement with Eclair. And when he did that, the flames around him would weaken, almost as if they had never existed there, like an illusion. But, when he passed through, the flames would flare up in their intensity again.

—The flames were avoiding Allen. This was the impression she gets.

However, not even the fire mages were capable of controlling the strength of naturally burning flames.

Mujikka gestured in negative when Katalina posed her doubt.

"......I am unsure myself. I had said it a while ago—no one has managed to have a read on Allen Rovenne's thoughts. Though I do recall him quoting «The spirits reside in every aspect of the world. The spirits are true... they are even in your heart» once."

An explanation that appeared to be sensible at a glance, but the more you delve in, the more it started to make less sense. Needless to say, it was one of the phrases Allen had said in the moment of heat, but for Katalina, maybe those words couldn't be dismissed so easily when she had an apparent example played out live.

Well, then again, there was no hidden trick why the flames were avoiding Allen. It was simply an application of wind magic—he had been controlling the air, a.k.a oxygen concentration, around him whenever he moves.

For a modern person from Earth, it was a commonplace knowledge that required no explanation.

The flame's intensity would weaken whenever Allen thin out the air, stopping the fire from gaining additional supply of oxygen, thus weakening their intensity. And by re-supplying the oxygen, the flames would rekindle again, like a stove with a vent.

However, this wasn't a one-solution-to-all-problem thing. Maybe it was possible to effect the emission magic through same trick, but to instantly disperse the spell that had been careful kneaded required mastery beyond the opponent's caliber.

For instance, Arichi or Purim's magic can effortlessly tear through the hollow space around Allen.

Meanwhile, an expression of despair covered Eclair as she finally noticed Allen had been deliberately guiding her toward her doom.

"......So that's it. It had been the plan all along..."

Katalina whispered with a nonchalant tone as she comprehended the meaning behind Allen's action. But in contrast to her feign composure, her back was perspiring in cold sweat.

Confounded within the barrier of flames, Eclair had been approaching near the No.4 exit in her discreet retreat. Now, she had the option to escape from suffocation and take exit via the No.4 exit, but that would mean forfeit.

Conversely, Rosemieur would drop out of the race, and their ranking would be determined regardless of the time left.

«Cough! Cought! I...! I am not going to let myself be the cause that... stained the triple victory of Arichi-sama, and the future of the Empire!»

But, conversely speaking, if she could hold it out until the time up, Yuglia and Rosemieur would just share the crown in the worst case scenario.

The flames might be damaging, but they weren't a result of emission magic, and that meant no point for Yuglia. As long as she sacrificed herself, the victory would be theirs. That is, if she had the resolve to forfeit not the match, but her life over a simple match.

As if to mock her, Allen stared at Eclair's spirit with an indifferent expression. Unsparingly, he guided the burning wind in her direction.

Unable to hold on, Eclair was at the ground, kneeling.

Arichi witnessed that from the monitor, her expression bitter as she bit on her lips, and dashed off for the No.4 exit. The freshmen Kybaria chased after her.

".........Coach, really isn't showing mercy on her. I wouldn't have expected from him, with how easygoing he usually is......"

Dol couldn't make out a reply for Purim's impression, and silently stared at the display.

Suddenly, Allen pressed on the mask, and faced upward. "Kukuku... Hyahahahaha!" He started laughing like a madman from within the flames.

The audiences gulped in unison as they witnessed the scene play out.

Dol shook his head in exasperation.

"......That is... He's playing «A human with tragic fate who has given into despair, used by a devil until he's of no use, and then trashed away like a tattered cloth.» ......What in the world are you thinking, Allen......"

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"Kukuku... Hyahahahaha!"

It's really not a situation for me to laugh, goddamn!

......It's hot. Too hot. I feel like I might truly die from the heat!