Pfeil was at the training grounds of Weathered Royal Academy with Flames.
The grounds were deserted. Thanks to the defensive walls surrounding the vast training area, any damage from a fight between the two would be contained.
“Hah, you’re quite the eccentric to want to fight here,” Flames sneered.
“I have no intention of having a leisurely chat with you. Let’s finish this quickly, Flames,” Pfeil replied.
“…I’ve always hated that condescending attitude of yours!”
Flames’ Magic Power surged, transforming into flames with a roar. A searing heat wave washed over Pfeil, but he remained unfazed, not even bothering to brace himself. This composure, however, only seemed to fuel Flames’ anger further.
“I’ll turn you to ash!”
As if an extension of Flames’ rage, the flames attacked Pfeil with a will of their own. Yet, Pfeil, without a hint of panic, skillfully evaded them using his footwork. Flames’ firepower was considerable, befitting his status as a candidate to succeed Waalthe. However, it was useless if it didn’t land. While he couldn’t dodge the heat waves at the last second, that was the extent of their effectiveness. If he was prepared to be burned, there was no real danger.
“Stop fidgeting around!”
“You’re too emotional. Wahash always worried about that side of you.”
“That’s why I don’t care about Wahash anymore!”
Multiple flames attacked like serpents, ready to devour him. Yet, Pfeil, maintaining his composure, astonishingly stopped moving and drew his bow, an arrow nocked.
There was no doubt that the arrow would turn to ash upon contact with the flames. However, the released arrow, without touching them, weaved through the inferno and struck Flames in the chest.
“Hey, there’s no way an arrow in the chest is enough to kill me. You know the poison on the arrowhead won’t work on me, so what are you trying to do?”
Even as Flames pulled the arrow from his chest and stood unconcerned, Pfeil’s expression remained unchanged. Everything had gone according to plan. Flames’ strength, his movements—nothing had changed from what Pfeil knew.
“That’s enough. I get it.”
“Huh?”
Pfeil muttered curtly and dropped his bow and arrow. Flames’ eyes widened in surprise. It was understandable. He had discarded his only weapon. This meant Pfeil no longer had his most favored longbow and arrows.
However, he still had other means to fight—magic.
Flames did not accurately grasp Pfeil’s magic attribute. In fact, within Waalthe, how many people truly knew Pfeil’s magic attribute? None came to mind, except for Rosa Roen, who had known Wahash for a long time. He unleashed magic bullets—arrows made of Magic Power. It was a simple feat, yet it was the very reason Pfeil was hailed as the strongest among the successors.
“You’re finally going to use it… If I defeat you using magic, I’ll undoubtedly be the strongest!”
“…Hmph.”
Pfeil scoffed at the eager Flames. As Pfeil chuckled, his light blue hair swaying, Flames’ already short temper finally pushed past its limit. A pillar of fire erupted from Flames, so immense it seemed as though his Magic Power would be depleted, causing the defensive walls of the training grounds to scream under the strain.
“Flames, you always say you’ll be the strongest if you defeat me. Why do you think that? It sounds like you’re admitting I’m the strongest.”
“…Among the successors, you’re the strongest, aren’t you?”
“No, in a straightforward fight, Rosa is superior. However, even if you kill me or Rosa, you will never become the strongest—forever.”
“You’ve got some nerve!”
“You can’t surpass Wahash. Even if you defeat me, you can’t defeat Jared Murphy. You’re nothing more than a beast whose only talent is raw power.”
Pfeil raised his left hand as if it were a bow, placing his right hand on it as if nocking an arrow. Then, an arrow formed from Magic Power appeared there.
“Just try and see if I’m truly a beast!”
Flames unleashed a tidal wave of fire. Pfeil remained motionless. He steadied his breathing, and from the encroaching red wave, he tracked the Magic Power emanating from Flames, who had disappeared within it, pinpointing his location. Then, he gently released the fingers holding the arrow.
In an instant, an arrow was released without a sound. The single arrow split into two, then four, then eight.
“This is my special move, the one I couldn’t use against Jared. Savor it—how will you deal with over ten thousand magic arrows?”
There was no reply. The magic arrows pierced through the wave of fire, dissipating it. Swallowed by the magic arrows that filled the training ground, Flames could do nothing.
“Damn it, I miscalculated the power.”
The moment Pfeil clicked his tongue, the defensive walls surrounding the training grounds, having reached their limit, shattered with a deafening sound. The spectator stands were destroyed, and even the surrounding walls crumbled. Dust kicked up, obscuring vision. Even with a single blow that reduced the defensive walls—which would normally require several Court Mages to breach—to nothing, Pfeil had still held back his power. If he had unleashed this attack during his fight with Jared, the outcome might have been different.
“…It’s not just the power, but I’ve also nearly depleted my Magic Power. Magic that can only be used once can’t be incorporated into tactics. However, I will master it eventually.”
With a new challenge identified, Pfeil watched as visibility cleared, found the fallen Flames, and advanced.
“Damn it…”
“Impressive. Such incredible vitality.”
Flames lay sprawled out, a scene of utter devastation. His limbs were torn, and there were gaping holes all over his body. Even his vital points bore the marks of magic arrows, but his sheer tenacity to not die instantly was worthy of praise. However, the flame of his life was already flickering out.
“Anything you wish to say?”
“What… was that? Those… arrows… weren’t just… Magic Power, were they?”
“Correct. I am a Light attribute magician. My bow and arrows are all magic themselves.”
In his past battle against Jared, he had called them magic bullets, but this was different. Following his defeat by Jared, he had improved the magic bullets, incorporating more magical elements and rebuilding them from scratch—a new, unnamed Light attribute magic. He had shaped them into a bow and arrows because that was his combat style.
“Why… did you use… magic… You’ll be punished… by Wahash…”
“I will accept any punishment. I always knew one of us would die in a fight against you. Therefore, I thought it was only proper to fight with all my might. That’s all.”
“That’s… great. I wanted… you to fight… me seriously… from before…”
“I apologize.”
Whether he could no longer see, Flames’ gaze wandered aimlessly.
“It’s… frustrating… I wanted… to win against Pfeil. I wanted… to win against… Jared… but it was… fun.”
With those final words, he stopped breathing. Pfeil silently offered a moment of prayer. He remembered a man who, like a child, was always obsessed with strength. Though older, he had provoked and challenged the younger Pfeil, perhaps simply because he wanted to fight. While he had a bloodthirsty streak, he also had a charming side and was good at looking after his subordinates. Perhaps he was chosen as one of the successors not just for his raw power, but also for his leadership qualities.
“Rest in peace, Flames.”
However, he had betrayed Waalthe. He had followed Wahash, betraying Pfeil for a life filled with greed and profit. That was profoundly regrettable.
“Today, all will be concluded. We will meet again someday.”
After bidding farewell to a comrade with whom he had once fought, Pfeil left the scene to bring about the final conclusion.
