It’s photosynthesis. The tree is photosynthesizing. We just don’t have enough firepower. I’m sure of it. We can do this if we really try!
I silently cheered them on from the shadows.
“Calm down, Kris!” the Abyssal Inferno boomed. “Maybe we just don’t have enough firepower. We’ll use a ritual spell!”
After shooting flames to your heart’s content, you’re still not satisfied? Maybe fire isn’t its weakness! Listen to Kris!
The members of Hidden Curse quickly spread out. To put it simply, a ritual spell was a powerful spell cast by multiple casters working in tandem. The Abyssal Inferno could already command the might of an entire army; I struggled to imagine what would happen if she worked with a group. If they weren’t careful, they could blow the entire school away.
“The blood’s gone to her head,” Sitri remarked. “Entirely to her head. If I recall correctly, she once said she can’t bear the thought of there being something she can’t burn down.”
“I see. Now I know why she has it out for me.”
I was genuinely terrified that she might one day burn through all my Safety Rings. Weren’t you supposed to mellow out with age?!
I could hear the old lady laughing. Lucia’s spells put out any wandering flames. Lightning flashed across the dark sky. The tree grew bigger. Large cracks formed in the tower. I had no clue how that building was still upright.
The Magi of Hidden Curse stood around a large magic circle that had formed in the ground. Perhaps sensing danger, the tree’s vines all twisted and turned as they let go of the tower, then simultaneously struck at the Magi.
Just as the old lady was about to raise her staff, the tree suddenly stopped expanding. It began to shake slightly, then purple flowers bloomed from the tips of its vines. The vines directed at the magic circle remained in place, showing no signs that they might move another inch.
Huh. So the tree produces flowers. The book didn’t mention that.
“Is that it?! Is that what you’re giving me?!” Sitri gleefully caught me in a flying embrace. “I don’t know what it is, but I’m sure I can make an incredible potion with it!”
“BEGONE! INCANDESCENT PURGATION!”
“Ah.”
The Abyssal Inferno swung her stuff down without pause. Countless blades of flame flew from the magic circle and impaled the Black World Tree, setting it ablaze. The violet flames enveloped the tree. Then what had previously been unharmed by the attacking spells was nothing more than ash.
“I’m not going. I absolutely refuse!”
“Now, now, don’t say that. We need to hurry and gather what we can!”
I don’t understand what you’re saying. This has no more to do with you than it does with me, right?
With Sitri prodding my back, we headed to the school building, where the central tower was still intact. The burnt remains of the Black World Tree blanketed the campus like snow. The Magi had all collapsed from exhaustion. Perhaps because of the spell cast by the Abyssal Inferno, the air was fairly warm, enough that a little walking made me sweat.
This counts as environmental destruction, doesn’t it?
Sure, I had just been cheering at our victory, but I was really terrified to think that that old lady had burned down that tree in one blow. Not even the combined attacks of dozens of other Magi had managed that.
If not for Sitri being with me, I would’ve played dumb and returned to the clan house. Why was it that whenever the other Grievers were around, I found myself (as a direct result of them being around) acting properly?
With absolutely no motivation, I let Sitri push me along when my Sounding Stone suddenly started vibrating.
Oh, Franz, you’re so much trouble.
But at least this incident should’ve made it clear to him that the pyromaniac old lady was much more powerful and useful than I was.
“Heya, Franz. The Black World Tree has been successfully taken care of.”
“I-It has?!” he said between heavy breaths. “G-Good!”
I thought it was pretty swell news, but he was as gruff as ever.
“I don’t really get it, but I guess we’re going to the scorched tower to collect something.”
“Huh?! Collect?! What are you going to collect?!”
I didn’t know. I said “something,” didn’t I?!
I casually glanced up at the partially destroyed tower, then turned around when I heard a delayed victory cheer. The old lady was ordering her underlings of Hidden Curse to gather up the ashes.
“Don’t relax yet! The tree might have been burned down, but the mana it absorbed is still here! That thing, that was no mere monster. Now, collect the ashes!”
With the zealous glint in her eyes, she had the fearsome demeanor of a witch from days long past. Her words were oddly forceful, hard to disobey. I guess she wouldn’t have gotten to Level 8 if all she could do was set stuff on fire.
For the time being, I thought I’d report my new info to Franz.
“It appears that that was no mere monster,” I told him.
“I could tell that much! ‘Mere monsters’ don’t suddenly appear and break through multiple barriers to get to a magic academy!”
Franz sure was a tense guy. His order was the best of the best, idolized by civilians, but Franz made me think maybe they didn’t quite deserve all the reverence.
“It can’t be easy being a knight. You have to respond to stuff that isn’t your fault, you have so many people you need to protect, it’s a lot.”
“You. Rat. Bastard. Damn it. Th-The prophecy. It hasn’t gone away!”
He didn’t sound like he was doing too well. And why was that prophecy still there? Was there a time lag or something? It was hard to imagine something more major than the partial demolition of the imperial capital’s top magic academy.
My thoughts were cut off by a mountain of ash being blown away, followed by Lucia popping up. When had she gotten buried like that? Blackened with ash, she instantly turned my way, almost like magic, then angrily walked up to me.