The red-haired kid paused mid-speech when the golden explosion rose in the distance.
For a brief second, even the flames around his hand flickered uncertainly. The mushroom cloud spread slowly into the sky, glowing in a way that didn't resemble fire, lightning, wind, or any elemental mana they were familiar with. It wasn't violent in the usual sense. It simply expanded outward with steady pressure, as if the atmosphere itself was forced to acknowledge its presence.
The lightning mage frowned. "That's not normal."
The wind mage narrowed his eyes. "Is that a beast?"
The red-haired kid loosened his grip slightly on Lance's neck and stared at the horizon. Lance dropped to his knees, coughing heavily as air rushed painfully back into his lungs. Even in his weakened state, he recognized that color.
It emitted a golden essence, and there was only one person he knew that possessed that kind of energy.
The red-haired kid looked down at him. "You look relieved."
Lance didn't answer.
