Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 138
Chapter Title: Spring, Come Forth (3)
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"Deal with the corpses yourselves."
"P-Pardon? L-Lord Itargand... The goal is to end the winter, so if possible, we should try to keep her alive..."
The interrogator's face stiffened. Rashly killing the witch only for winter to persist would spell disaster. But Itargand didn't even pretend to listen.
"Shut up."
Itargand raised his arm, aiming at the Winter Witch. The surrounding mana began swirling toward him. People scrambled to their feet, fleeing toward the corridor in panic.
"H-Hurry, go!"
"Sh-She'll burn us alive! Get away!"
There was no lengthy incantation. A massive magic circle formed in front of Itargand's palm.
The last challenger dove into the corridor just as it erupted. Kuuaaa!! Crimson flames gushed from the magic circle like a torrent.
The power far exceeded expectations. Screams and gasps erupted sporadically.
"Gasp!"
It was like a dam bursting, unleashing a flood. A sight befitting the moniker "Flowing Fire." Hell's rivers overflowing—that was the scene unfolding.
"My... eyes...!"
"Damn it!"
A blinding flash engulfed Jutecca in an instant. People hurriedly shielded their eyes, but the light pierced through their hands. The flames, slamming into the dead-end wall, began backflowing toward the corridor.
"Heavens, raise a barrier!"
Erzsebet shouted urgently. A translucent curtain rose between the corridor and the open space. At the same instant, the reversing flames crashed into it.
"Hng...!"
Erzsebet gritted her teeth. The three-layered barrier began melting away in seconds. Late to react, the mages chanted spells one by one.
"S-Stone Wall!"
"Mana Barrier!"
A variety of defensive spells layered onto Erzsebet's curtain. Yet they fell short of fully blocking the flames. Biting her lip, Erzsebet squeezed her eyes shut.
"Ugh... I really didn't want to use this if possible..."
Her voice dripped with reluctance. A purple aura rippled from her hand—an unnatural mana unseen in nature.
'Aura.'
Ronan quirked an eyebrow. Come to think of it, this was his first time seeing Erzsebet's aura. The flowing purple mana coated the barrier seamlessly.
"W-What is...?"
"Heavens, the barrier's getting reinforced."
People's eyes widened. The crumbling spells began repairing. New stone filled the melted rock walls. Cracks in the mana barrier sealed perfectly. No more flames leaked through. Ronan looked down at the focused Erzsebet and remarked.
"So that's your ability. Pretty good."
"Don't tease me. Ugh... Supporting the sheep herd is my power, they say."
It looked like an impressive aura at a glance, but she clearly wasn't thrilled. Well, she was always the type who wanted to be the star. About a minute passed like that. Feeling the heat subside, people tilted their heads.
"I-Is it... over?"
"Seems like it."
With so many overlapping barriers, gauging the situation was impossible. The mages exchanged glances and dispelled their spells one by one.
The flames had died down. At that moment, the thick rock wall collapsed. Whoosh! A fierce blast swept the corridor.
"Kyaa...!"
"Damn, what a racket."
Ronan clicked his tongue. Fortunately, it wasn't hot enough to burn. The exposed space felt no chill at all. Faint embers flickered here and there like puddles after rain.
The air was hot and dry, like a desert. The frost covering walls and floors, the man-sized icicles on the ceiling—all vanished without a trace. What about the witch? Ronan scanned around and let out a hollow laugh.
"Ha, what the..."
The blue pillar showed no sign of melting. The Winter Witch remained curled asleep within the ice. Itargand stood dazed, staring at the intact pillar.
"D-Didn't melt it?"
"Impossible. Even a dragon's fire...!"
Murmurs spread. The surrounding temperature plunged again. Chill seeped from the ice pillar. Itargand drew a deep breath and twisted his lips.
"Not bad for a mortal."
Itargand raised both arms this time. Pale-faced people recast their defensive spells.
Kuuaaa!! Another torrent of flames poured out. The roar alone suggested double the previous scale.
Soon the heat faded, and people dropped their barriers. The scene was much the same as before. Amid the dying flames, Itargand's voice echoed.
"T-This can't be..."
The pillar had melted only slightly and remained intact. Even that refroze instantly. Itargand panted lightly, overexerted.
Shock and despair flickered in people's eyes. No one rejoiced at their chance to be the hero. If even the red dragon's famed hottest flames couldn't melt it. Ronan spat and muttered.
"Bastard. All talk."
The capital's folk would likely wear fur hats till they died now. As Ronan glared contemptuously at Itargand, a familiar energy caught his eye.
'That...?'
Faint, but unmistakable. Glimmering mana rose from the melted spot on the ice. Ronan's brow furrowed.
'What the fuck. Why's that there?'
It definitely hadn't been visible before. Its emergence after partial melting meant it was embedded in the ice's composition.
Fragments of memory stirred in his mind. No coincidence. Only Nebula Klazie wielded such shimmering mana.
Moreover, sword marks from the presumed cult leader etched the surface. Intricately mimicked swordsmanship, taunting. The witch already sealed inside upon discovery.
The case's outline sharpened. Clang! Unable to contain his rage, Itargand punched the ice.
"Damn it!"
No change occurred. Turning to the interrogator, he gnashed his teeth and continued.
"Guess the human form drops output. Move the witch outside."
"T-That's impossible. She's sealed in Jutecca here for contingencies. To release her, we'd need to destroy the ice or regather the sealing mages."
"Then I'll burn her here!"
Itargand's face twisted savagely. His round pupils narrowed to slits. Shrrk! Massive wings tore from his back. The interrogator screamed.
"N-No! Rodolan will collapse!"
"Dare you command me? I am the Flowing Fire, Itargand!"
Itargand roared. The space shook like an earthquake. People froze in place, unable to flee. Ronan, stroking his chin silently, snapped his fingers.
'So that's how it went down.'
The puzzle clicked. He strode straight toward the ice pillar. Asel asked in bewilderment.
"R-Ronan? Where to?"
"I know everything now."
"What...?"
"That ice. I can break it."
Asel's eyes widened. Ignoring Itargand, Ronan stood before the pillar. Tracing the sword marks again, he twisted his lips.
'Those bastards made the first move.'
The Winter Witch appearing years early was suspicious. The original was meticulously planned and proactive in her crimes.
Yet this one merely brought winter to the capital. Monumental evil, but off-track. Being sealed inside upon discovery was key evidence.
'She got played too.'
If Ronan's hunch held, the witch herself was trapped, unable to escape. Likely invoked winter somehow, then sealed within.
Mixing shimmering mana with other substances wasn't child's play, even for Nebula Klazie.
'A real taunt, huh.'
His impression of provocation from the marks wasn't wrong. Close scrutiny revealed: the surface sword marks were the answer key to shattering the ice.
Replicate them exactly, and it'd break. Few could recreate those marks.
The towering pillar was a letter. "Save the capital? Show yourself." No need to spell out the recipient.
'The savior lives somewhere.'
Ronan chuckled wryly at the conclusion. No time to waste now. Shing! Drawing his sword, he aimed the tip at the ice.
'Wonder if I can match it.'
He vaguely recalled it, but replication was iffy. Not anymore. The messy marks meshed with his memories, forming a precise image.
'In one go.'
Itargand still rampaged; no one noticed him. Better that way. Ronan's arm vanished from sight. The mana-infused red blade danced across the ice.
Barrage of short thrusts in the first form, comet from the tip in the second, storm whirl in the third. Hundreds of unique strokes executed in a blink.
"Hm? Ronan?"
Karaka noticed late, raising a brow. By his blink's end, it was done. Ronan sheathed his blade. Click. The scabbard swallowed Lamancha's root.
Crack! A massive fissure spiderwebbed the smooth ice pillar. Shimmering mana burst like blood. Itargand's eyes bulged.
"What...!"
"Glad you're alive."
Ronan smirked. Fissures covered the surface wholly, and the pillar exploded.
Kwaang! Neatly severed fragments scattered. The imprisoned witch's body toppled forward.