-BOOM-
With the sound of rocks shattering as they hit the ground, Tallman's figure vanished into a plume of dust beneath the sunken earth.
"Huumgh!"
The attack continued toward Gravel, who had retreated to avoid the strike.
It was hard to believe that someone of Tallman's enormous stature—more than twice Gravel's height—could charge at his enemy with such unbelievable speed. His assault carried the fighting spirit directed at a formidable opponent he'd never encountered before, the pride of a king reigning over trolls, and the dignity of the continent's greatest assassin.
'Oh? It felt like a few strikes just now touched my Mana Convolve?'
It wasn't his Mana Bulwark, which released far more mana than usual and compressed it into high density, but when Tallman's sword grazed the basic mana shield that always enveloped Gravel's entire body like armor, Gravel briefly wore a surprised expression. He dodged the rock fragments flying from the ground scarred by the dust cloud and Tallman's missed attack.
'First, let's create some distance... and slow down Tallman's attacks.'
"Ugrrhhh!"
As Tallman approached with a roar, Gravel ducked low and lunged forward. A powerful shockwave erupted from his palm with a thunderous boom, striking Tallman squarely.
It was merely amplified mana rotated through his mana veins, condensed in his palm, and released—but its power was enough to surprise even Gravel, who alternated glances between the flung-back Tallman and his own hand.
"Hasta Frigoris! (Lance of Frost)"
A sharp spear of cold, wreathed in white icy breath, hurtled toward Tallman.
-CRACKLE-
The icy spear reached the ground beneath Tallman as he rose to charge at Gravel again, freezing his legs and scattering small ice shards around.
"(Now's the time to cast a extended incantation spell.) Burn all things to ashes!"
Seeing the icy crystals solidly binding Tallman's legs, Gravel extended both hands toward the ground, forming a massive magic circle.
Extended incantation. Unlike chanting activation words for spells, incantation involved voicing mana into the process of constructing the magic circle and filling it with power.
Spells were classified into short and extended incantation based on the required mana and the length of the verses chanted, further subdivided by the spell's activation method, the response to the chanted verses, and the arrangement of the magic circle.
Unlike ordinary magic, even for spells requiring the same amount of mana, incantation spells channeled more mana through the caster's voice than through equipment or tools injecting into the magic circle. Thus, incantation spells had faster casting times and allowed for larger maximum magic circle sizes.
The enormous crimson magic circle Gravel manifested on the ground began to glow.
"Turn everything to gray ash..."
-CRACK-
Tallman moved to stop Gravel. He swung his weapons downward, shattering the ice encasing his legs, then took his first labored steps toward Gravel.
"I'll... stop the magic. Gravel!"
Just as Tallman stepped forward with his chilled, stiff legs, accelerating.
"Fangs of the Flamebearer(背火)"
A voice laden with immense mana, vibrating the surrounding air, burst from Gravel's lips. In response, four pillars of fire erupted far ahead of Gravel, illuminating the night sky. Then, at the tip of Gravel's finger pointing to the heavens, additional pillars of flame materialized in the air above.
The intense heat—enough to make Tallman, charging toward Gravel, hesitate and halt—radiated from the fire pillars stretching skyward and the descending ones resembling the blazing fangs of a beast.
"Molars of the Soaring Flame Dragon(飛火龍) that Incinerates the Springtide(新綠)!"
Gravel's continuing incantation. What stopped Tallman, who was dimly visible through the fiery barrier and attempting to circle around, was the wall of flames rising to encircle Gravel.
"Devouring Tusks of the Flame Emperor(炎帝)!"
Two sharp, beast-like fiery teeth formed in the void above, and two more from the ground, emitting a fierce glow and heat intense enough to evaporate the sweat on Tallman's arms and forehead.
"Unleash your ferocious flames, O Lord of Conflagration(炎火). Sovereign over all kings who wield fire!"
Gravel's eyes, reciting the incantation, reflected the surrounding flames, glowing red.
In that moment, what appeared in Tallman's eyes—forced to retreat from the blood-boiling heat—was the colossal form of an Inferno Sovereign Dragon composed entirely of flames.
The majestic Inferno Sovereign Dragon, so grand that Gravel standing at its center appeared as a blurry speck, shimmered red as it surveyed its surroundings. Its tightly clenched maw was ready to open at any time, unleashing a devastating breath of flames upon its foe.
"Turn all that dwells in earth and sky to cinders!"
Gravel's voice ceased reciting the spell, and the Inferno Sovereign Dragon's maw opened toward the distant Tallman.
The final verse of the spell Gravel chanted. Flames embodying the Inferno Sovereign Dragon's breath—which incinerated all between earth and sky—spread toward Tallman, devouring and burning everything in its path. The flames scorched and spread to all they touched.
The first to be engulfed were the island's trees. Green leaves and sturdy trunks were instantly consumed by the flames. The bark split, the sap within boiled with audible hisses, and every tree touched by the red inferno turned to ash in moments, scattering in the wind.
The flames then swept over the island's grasslands. The lush grass offered no resistance before the Inferno Sovereign Dragon's breath, charring black upon contact. With each small breeze, it turned to ash and flew away. The scent of burning grass assaulted the nostrils, leaving only mounds of cinders in its wake.
When the Inferno Sovereign Dragon's breath touched the rocks, even the solid stones began to melt. At first, the surfaces cracked, then molten lava flowed from within as the rocks dissolved. Before the scorching heat and flames, the rocks ultimately liquefied into glowing red lava masses. The melted rocks slowly flowed, beginning to reshape the small island's terrain.
Flames of unbearable heat rushed past Tallman, annihilating everything in their path toward the enemy."
"Hoooo..."
Gravel exhaled a long breath, gazing at Tallman, who had vanished without a cry, reduced to ashes without a single scrap of flesh remaining.
"I'll have to ask Eld to restore this island someday..."
Muttering softly to himself, Gravel recalled the image of his companion NPC: the druid with orange hair, her entire body inscribed with magic circles, residing in the small forest within the estate.
A short while later, the form of the Inferno Sovereign Dragon Gravel had conjured faded away. He surveyed the traces left by the spell's immense power: everything before him reduced to charred ashes. The Inferno Sovereign Dragon's flames had passed, leaving only black cinders and burned remnants.
The spell's formidable might had turned all grass and trees to ash, even melting rocks and altering the island's very shape.
The spectacle unfolding before him—created by the Inferno Sovereign Dragon's flames—exceeded Gravel's expectations, affirming the fruits of his long training.
"Seeing as nothing happened to the Umbra Beast I summoned back at the estate... I suppose the mission is accomplished."
With a brief smile on his lips, Gravel once more confirmed the island's transformed appearance, proof of his spell's power, then manifested another magic circle toward the ground.
"First, let's return to the estate."
The morning after Tallman was reduced to ashes by Gravel on a small island in the northern seas.
From early dawn, unlike the previous day, the estate where Sallin stayed was filled with knights in heavy armor and mages in blue robes, positioned at the main gate, the estate's entrance, and even the surrounding streets.
Upon hearing from Gravel that the assassin Tallman had been dealt with, Ratak had mobilized all available knights and mages to protect the prince Dirita Drasllat from any potential remaining threats. It also served as a belated welcome visit, acting as the grand duke's proxy to the prince who had come to his domain.
Their conversation began with Dirita's apology for concealing his identity while visiting Ves-Dinas. He also didn't forget to express gratitude to Ratak for providing the escort.
The ensuing discussion revolved around Dirita's determination—as Viscount Sallin Orid from a remote corner of the kingdom—to conclude the final joust of the day and return home, clashing with Ratak's persistent attempts to dissuade him. Neither budged an cubit for quite some time.
But Ratak's persuasion failed. Dirita insisted he had no intention of altering his planned day, wishing to participate in the joust not as prince but as a knight, and see it through to the end.
As a member of the nobility upholding the royal family, the conversation concluded without withdrawing the deployed escorts. Ratak wished Viscount Orid victory and presented Dirita with a lance ornament carved in the shape of a lion, made from Reich metal, before departing the estate.
*****
The scorching sun rose high, heralding midday.
Around the largest and most ornate of Ves-Dinas's three jousting arenas—dedicated to the Goddess of Prosperity, Awen—the area buzzed with lively crowds.
Countless people had gathered to witness the final joust of the Grand Tournament, featuring the Knight of the Purple Iris and the Knight of the Hawk. Merchants flocked as well, selling drinks to quench thirst before the match and skewered meats easy to eat with one hand.
Inside the arena, adorned with white marble, the afternoon sun blazed overhead, yet a cool breeze flowed through the passages, providing comfort to the spectators who had entered to escape the midday heat.
The stands were packed with people. Some hearty spectators sat with armfuls of food to munch during the match, while others, claiming to have seen all the notable contenders' jousts in this Grand Tournament, boasted to their companions that the Hawk Knight would win today's finale.
The north and south sections of the arena, offering prime views of the dividing wall, featured seats for high-status individuals, adorned with statues modeled after the Goddess Awen and deep green decorative banners. Nearby, in the spacious marble rows—compared to the distant seats with poor visibility—spectators could be seen holding plush cushions in one hand and small wooden tickets in the other, confirming their spots.
In the luxurious northern seats reserved for nobles sat Ratak Vanas. Despite the large parasol held by his attendant to block the sun, he gazed at the central arena with furrowed brows.
Seated beside him, Baron Lizton turned to Ratak and, in a joking tone meant to keep his own unease from showing, said,
"What would you say to a parasol made of griffon feathers? Of course, it might leave the servant holding it with arms even thinner than they are now."
As time passed, the clarion sounded to signal the match's start, accompanied by the performance of a large lute built into the arena wall, followed by a concerto of horns and ocarinas.
After a brief moment of the audience tilting ears to the instruments, a flamboyantly dressed announcer entered the arena's center, holding a magical device to amplify his voice.
The names of Leben and Sallin echoed loudly throughout the arena.
At both ends of the arena hung wooden shields and banners emblazoned with Leben's purple iris crest and Sallin's hawk emblem.
Following the master of the lists' formal proclamation, Sallin rode forth atop a white steed. Then Leben, alongside Leska, entered the arena, raising a hand in greeting to the stands.
Cheers erupted. The thunderous hoofbeats of galloping horses, like pounding drums, resounded as the two knights' lances aimed for each other's shields.