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Flame.

Cleanliness, passion, immortality.

Earth.

Calmness, life, roots.

Two powers with opposing natures collide. As sorcery shakes the land and seizes space, magic scorches the sky and heats the air.

Camila, who ignited the flames, set fire to the air. As Fatima, with a fierce spirit, stirred the twisted ground and sand, the momentum of the raging flames diminished greatly.

Fire and sand, sorcery and magic.

The magician and shaman faced each other on the battlefield, exchanging strikes while searching for each other’s flaws. What they aimed for was each other’s lives.

“Not bad, huh?”

Fatima, bound with a beastman, pulled her right foot back. When her sorcery-laden hand struck the mixed ground of concrete fragments and sand, serpentine sand shot out at a terrifying speed.

The wreckage stirred and the earth writhed. As Camila soared, stepping on an abandoned car, flames poured from the air.

The shaman evaded the magic nonchalantly.

The earth is the domain and kin of the Earth Element Shaman. The sand did not quietly watch its master’s crisis.

“You’ve got skill. You’ve got guts. But is that all?”

Taunts that provoked pride continued. Like a surfer riding a wave, Fatima’s lips started to trace arcs as she glided over the sand.

Camila said nothing.

“……”

Curving fingers. Four fingers from the index to the pinky were gently covered by the thumb.

Moistening the fingertips, she flicked them, shooting droplets of water. It was a hand gesture reminiscent of the childish antics of little kids.

Yet, not a hint of playfulness could be found on Camila’s face.

As her fingers bent, she extended her arm, targeting her goal.

Though her action seemed playful, her demeanor was serious, and to prove that seriousness, the magic power contained in her fingertips was astonishing.

Inhaling, she drew in magic power; exhaling, she expelled air. The magic flowed like a river.

The flicked flames shot out in a fan shape.

Episode 16 – The Six Million Dollar Man

The bright red light illuminated the world. It was a flame filled with searing heat.

Fire alone invokes awe, instilling fear in those who gaze upon it.

However, what is truly fearful is not the fire.

-KUUNG!

Shattered concrete flew through the flame, crushing a car. The ground huddled beneath the twisted blue sedan surged upwards, and several tons of metal floated in the air.

Sand slipped through the cracks of the split steel plate, tickling the nose. As she covered her mouth and nose with cloth, a chuckle echoed. Camila sidestepped to the left and hurled a fireball into the thick dust.

Her hair, cascading to her shoulders, fluttered. The chill of the desert air wiped away the sweat, and tiny particles covered her skin.

Though her movements weren’t extravagant, the magic was powerful. The flames blooming from her fingertips brightened the darkness and swiftly chased after its target.

But it didn’t hit.

“Ha!”

The shaman slid across the ground. The sand enveloped her feet, moving her away from the flames. The wreckage that arose blocked the incoming fire.

The shaman evaded the attack leisurely, smiling as if she found amusement in the situation itself.

It was a bad match-up. Of all things, it had to be sand. Even Camila’s fierce flames faltered upon reaching the shaman’s sand. Unlike a water-manipulating shaman from the river element, the Earth Element Shaman had reached a significantly higher level of mastery.

As the shaman waved her hands, enormous amounts of earth and sand soared up. The soil scattered around held ample underground water.

Camila’s gaze clouded as she stared at it.

Noticing that gaze, Fatima smirked.

“Why? Is the situation not going your way? You seem all out of focus.”

It was the truth.

Camila knew better than anyone that she wasn’t concentrating.

To gather her dissipating focus, she pushed herself harder. Yet, she still couldn’t reach her target.

“Huff-”

She inhaled and collected magic. The natural magic, once absorbed in the atmosphere, flowed into her body with the wind.

Oxygen transported through her bloodstream. Like that movement, her internal magic seeped along an intangible path.

She steadied her mind.

Like dew at dawn, the magic crystallized on her fingertips.

With her thumb holding down her fingers, she flicked—

“…Bang.”

An explosion bursting out in a fan shape.

Light filled the space once shadowed by darkness. A dazzling flash and a ferocious momentum.

The shaman, precariously wavering amidst the shadows.

Fatima grit her teeth and clashed her hands together.

‘Damn it!’

The flames that shredded the air and devastated the front rushed toward her.

Thickening darkness and shimmering dazzling light. The fire advanced, creating light and shadow. The sorcery born from her grasp splashed dense colors into a shadow-filled world.

The earth began to tremble as if an earthquake had struck.

Debris fell, and the ground heaved. Just before the blazing fire struck, Fatima, having barely completed her sorcery, caught sight of a towering pillar of fire soaring high into the sky.

*

There are various methods to amplify the power of magic.

A prime example of this is the amount of magic power and its purity.

‘The power of magic varies greatly depending on the quantity and purity of the input magic. Let’s look at an example.’

With a flick of her wrist, a small flame blossomed. The red fire conjured by the magician. The woman watching the sight cast her own magic.

The flame birthed from the woman’s hand was not much different from the one ignited by the magician. At least from the perspective of size, both flames were similar.

However, one flickered a deep crimson, while the other blazed in blue. With scientific knowledge that the outer flame, flickering more faintly than the brightest inner flame, could still be hotter, Camila slapped her knee in understanding.

‘It’s the difference between premium oil and regular oil, right?’

‘……’

‘…Is it not?’

Caught off guard by her disciple’s words, the master was momentarily stunned.

It was quite disheartening to equate the principles of the greatest academic truths that can reach the essence of the world to mere gasoline sold at a gas station, but it wasn’t entirely incorrect either, so she let it pass.

‘Correct. Even if it’s the same kind of magic, the power varies depending on the amount and purity of the magic power put in, just like premium gasoline enhances fuel efficiency.’

Duchess Alexandra Petrovna took Camila, who knew nothing of the background of magic, as her disciple.

Even a competent teacher tends to struggle when it comes to teaching someone with absolutely no background knowledge, but the Duchess willingly shared everything from one to ten with her.

Though the Duchess primarily devoted her time to teaching the basics of academia, the most valuable lessons took place outside the lecture hall.

Resolving curiosities is what the Duchess valued most.

A lesson that lacks questions cannot be called true learning, and blind spots are barriers that obstruct eyes and ears.

Thus, whenever Camila rushed in with a book, eager to ask when she didn’t understand something, the Duchess would always smile and welcome her questions—regardless of time or place.

In fact, on days when Camila had no inquiries, the Duchess would come by before bed to inquire if there was anything she was curious about, making her undeniably passionate about teaching. Or perhaps it was just an old woman’s folly for a girl who was almost her great-granddaughter.

Either way, the time spent teaching and learning magic gifted satisfaction to both. To Camila, who was studying, and to Alexandra Petrovna, the Duchess teaching her.

One day, however, the Duchess received a peculiar question from her visiting disciple.

“Professor.”

“What is it?”

“Is there another way to enhance the power of magic? Excluding the amount and purity of magic?”

The Duchess pondered for a moment at the question.

It wasn’t that Camila had asked something too obvious. She already knew that what was obvious for her might not be so for a child.

It was just that she couldn’t figure out the intention behind the question.

“The power of magic. I’m not exactly sure what kind of magic we’re talking about, but if it’s magic designed for battle rather than daily life…”

The Archmage, with his eyelids closed, nodded in agreement as he continued his train of thought.

“Ah, it must be emotions.”

The era of knights and heroes was coming to a close. The age of magic and science was beginning, as mystery began to lift its veil.

Divine, magic, mystery. Things that were once deemed incomprehensible by human knowledge were beginning to be understood under the feet of intellect.

Magic, once the exclusive domain of magicians, was now weaving itself into the fabric of society. A world had arrived where even those who weren’t magicians could harness magic through machines.

People referred to it as a Magical Tool.

“The way to enhance the power of the magic infused into a Magical Tool is to increase both the quantity and quality of magic. Hence, we develop more efficient batteries that can hold greater and purer amounts of magic using superior magic stones. On the other hand, the best way for non-magicians to boost their magical power is through emotions.”

“Emotions?”

“Yes, emotions.”

Joy, anger, sadness, joy, love, hatred, desire. The seven emotions possessed by humanity.

The Duke explained that these emotions were the driving force for magicians to wield more powerful magic.

“Learning and experience are indeed crucial to improve one’s magical achievements. A building without a strong foundation will easily collapse under a small breeze. But listen, child. Simply having a lot of knowledge doesn’t make one an outstanding magician. No matter how hopeless or painful it may be, you must have the will to take one more step forward.”

Camila asked, “Um… do I have that kind of will?”

“Of course. Everyone has the will. You surely have it too.”

“I’m not so sure. It’s like… I don’t quite feel it.”

Child.

A gentle voice tickled her ear, and a warm hand rested on her head.

The Archmage, with his hand on the magician’s head, smiled gently.

“Are you troubled about something?”

*

Two thumbs crossed and palms collided.

A rumbling sound echoed, and a wall charged forward from both directions.

-Kwarrung!

Camila barely leaped out of the range of the sorcery. The wall, intent on crushing her, collided with another wall.

Bricks and dust scattered in every direction. She rotated her wrist and hurled flames high into the sky.

Whoosh! A long trail of red followed the arc of fire.

“…!”

Patima, noticing the magic flying towards her, quickly bent down.

With a soft crunch, sand crumbled away as half her body sunk into it. In a split second, the ground caved in, creating a pit.

The sand displaced in the process took on a dome shape, covering the pit. Soon, the flames pouring from above collided with the sandy roof.

“Phew!”

The sorceress erupted from the pit, spitting out the sand that had entered her mouth.

Despite sustaining a gunshot wound to her abdomen, she maintained her composure. This calmness stemmed not from her skill but from her understanding of her opponent’s limits.

“Feeling a bit overwhelmed yet?”

It was a question thrown at the magician. The sorceress added tauntingly.

“You were casting spells left and right from the start, but suddenly your speed has dropped, hasn’t it? The power too.”

Her slender fingers trembled slightly.

A sly grin crept onto the sorceress’s lips. “Is your magic running low?”

Her fingers, no, her whole hand trembled. Her arms slightly twitched, and her legs wobbled just a bit.

Signs of magic depletion.

As Patima deduced Camila’s state, she infused magic into her palms, rotating her wrists in the opposite direction.

“You’re good, but it seems you lack experience. You sprayed magic like confetti without even knowing your own condition.”

“….”

“Guess you should’ve considered the aftermath before using your spells.”

Whether it was a deliberate psychological battle or just a desire to mock, Patima kept provoking her.

Camila gazed at her with blurred eyes. More accurately, she was looking beyond the sorceress, to someone across the sea.

She asked, “Are you troubled about something?”

“Troubled? Me?”

The noble Duke, with his mysterious silver hair and sapphire-like blue eyes, smiled gently, slightly bending forward.

“Yes. I’m talking about you.”

-Whoosh!

Flames flickered, and sand danced. The sand, under the sorceress’s control, approached from underground. The ground trembled, and flames danced like a whip, striking the quaking surface.

Patima clicked her tongue and pressed her thumbs together once more.

“Um… well… not much to be troubled about, really?”

“Do you genuinely believe that?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

-Thwunk!

A fist imbued with sorcery slammed against the wall. A grim-colored fist struck the outer wall, causing it to crack ominously. As cracks spread through the wall, ominous magic seeped through the fissures.

“Child. From what I see, you carry a burden in your heart. A significant one.”

“…….”

“Do you truly not know, or are you pretending not to?”

Magic burst forth from the cracks, and the building bore cracks as numerous as spider webs, enough power to shatter concrete.

Concrete shattered and fell away. The structure, now in pieces, resembled a Jenga tower.

The difference between a Jenga tower and a building? Size.

The shared trait of both? It wouldn’t be strange for either to collapse at any moment.

The beastman, entangling the spell and whispering incantations, swung her arm wide, striking the fragmented building. In that moment, sharp pieces of concrete splintering in multiple directions began to tumble down upon Camila.

-Kuuuuuu…!!

Camila rolled on the floor, barely escaping death. However, the sorceress wasn’t aiming for her death.

As the building collapsed and dust billowed in every direction, visibility was obscured. Camila, emerging from the wreckage, hurriedly scanned her surroundings, but her opponent was already close at hand.

“I’ve found you.”

With her legs buried in the sand, the sorceress, gliding over the debris using magic, looked like a person riding atop a snake’s head.

Having climbed over the building, the sorceress focused her gaze on the magician. Unlike before when she had been agile, this time, that girl stood still.

This time, she was sure she could capture her.

With a wicked smile, the sorceress dismantled the sorcery contained in the sand wrapping around her feet. Then, joining her hands together, she began to chant new spells.

“…….”

Her body didn’t move.

To be precise, it was moving very slowly. As if she were trapped in the flow of time.

Dust and particles poured down; sand cascaded from the pile like a river, and sparks fluttered while fingers traced a slow arc.

In the slowly passing time, Camila gently closed her eyes. And she recalled.

A long time ago, when the Duke had asked her a question.

“Child. What are you afraid of?”

The blue eyes faded from view.

Camila’s lips parted.

 

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