—Gwaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!
Beyond the deepest chamber entrance, which Alicia had shrunk down just enough to keep the ants from passing through, a literal hellfire erupted. It was an inferno meant to incinerate every ant in its path, but the narrow opening compressed the blast, turning the flames into a concentrated beam of heat like a high-powered blowtorch.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
His Highness, who had been standing directly in front of the opening attempting to chant Wind Blast, took the full force of the eruption against his upper body.
His agonizing screams were cut short as he fell backward with a heavy thud, his body still smoldering as he lay motionless.
"...This is."
I recognized the Magic Power imbued within those flames.
It was unmistakable—it belonged to Gelasis Gran Ignite.
"Ragna-san! His Highness Edward is...! This is a disaster!"
"Wheeze... wheeze..."
I ignored Mariana’s panicked shouting.
I had been wondering when he would finally show up ever since he declared war on me. It seemed the time was now. His timing was practically perfect, as if he had been waiting for this exact moment.
"H-His skin is just... sloughing off... ugh... that’s so gruesome..."
"Wheeze... wheeze..."
I ignored Mariana’s mutterings.
If he had been watching us from nearby, the ants should have been more agitated. He likely only just arrived to confirm whether His Highness was actually dead.
This was a headache. Taking on that Scorching Majin in my current condition was going to be an ordeal.
"Alicia! W-W-W-What are we supposed to do!?"
"Wheeze... wheeze..."
Having been ignored by me, Mariana turned to Alicia for guidance.
"He isn't dead yet, is he? Why not just leave him there?"
"Wait, what!? L-Leave him!?"
"Ragna doesn't seem particularly concerned, does he?"
"But that’s just too pitiful... I’ll at least try to treat him..."
Though she looked physically drained by our incredibly cold reactions, Mariana began administering first aid to Edward. Even for someone like Mariana, who harbored enough trauma to faint at the mere sight of royalty, it seemed this situation was too dire for her to afford the luxury of passing out.
Good for you, Edward. She’s a kind girl.
Personally, I didn't care much whether he lived or died. A normal human would have been reduced to ash alongside the ants. If he could take a blast like that and still stubbornly cling to life, he probably wasn't going to die anytime soon.
You should count your blessings, Edward—specifically your high-grade Magic Items and top-tier clothing. This soul-crushing pain is your own responsibility, but the fact that you survived is entirely thanks to the people around you who actually cared about your safety.
"Whoa, his clothes and skin... oh, they didn't fuse together. I see... these clothes are made of fire-resistant fibers, and they’re designed to deploy a simple Barrier on the inside when they burn. Most of the fabric was incinerated and he has severe burns, but this is incredible. He’s barely breathing thanks to the specs of his outfit, isn't he?"
"Whee... wheeze... whee-wheeze..."
As Mariana analyzed the royal garments with clinical interest, Edward—who was now reduced to nothing but ragged wheezing—cast a desperate, pleading gaze toward her.
He seemed to have a surprising amount of mental leeway. Despite the fact that the agony of such burns is a living hell, his vitality was truly worthy of a high-spec prince.
"It looks like his hair is a lost cause, though... but I suppose that’s better than being dead..."
I see. So his hair was gone. His upper half was ruined.
Still, speaking as a man, I felt a sense of relief that it had only affected his top side. As long as His Highness's "Highness" was safe, there wouldn't be any complications regarding the royal succession.
Though, frankly, I suspected the country would reach its end anyway if this guy ever actually took the throne.
"—Gyahahaha!"
A cackling laugh echoed from the entrance.
So, he had arrived. The Scorching Majin controlled by Gelasis Gran Ignite.
"Gyahah!"
It was a grotesque entity. A body of pure fire with only black pits for eyes and a mouth visible on its flickering face. It wore a wide, distorted smirk, clearly finding the sight of the charred Edward to be the height of comedy.
As the figure stepped slowly from the shadows with a heavy, wet sound, I raised my voice.
"How dare you! How dare you lay a hand on His Highness...!"
Attempting to assassinate royalty is a grave crime—it carries the death penalty. I could think whatever I wanted in my head, but since there was actual physical evidence of the crime, he was officially guilty. How dare he mock the burned Prince like that?
"How utterly shameless."
Alicia gave me a look of pure judgment.
"But it gives us the moral high ground."
"I suppose that’s true."
Legally speaking, we were now in the position of protecting the targeted Prince. Mariana was already treating him, so the narrative was working in our favor.
"More importantly, Alicia, are you okay with the heat?"
"Compared to that, this is barely a scratch..." Alicia said, her eyes turning distant as she glanced at the mutilated Edward. "Besides, I’ve already said everything I needed to say to him. I don't care anymore."
She shifted her gaze to me, her expression softening into one of concern.
"The real question is, are you okay, Ragna? You’ve been through a lot. You’re exhausted."
"I’m fine. That was just a figure of speech to make sure everyone stayed sharp."
"I’ll help—"
"No need. You can't win against that thing yet, Alicia."
I cut her off before she could offer to join the fray. Even if she had managed to learn a bit of Chantless Magic, thinking she could stand against that Scorching Majin was nothing but hubris. Even the current Edward would have stood a better chance.
"I... see..."
"It’s fine. You just need to keep practicing at your own pace."
As long as a person has the will, they can become infinitely strong. She didn't need to look so tragic. She didn't need to look frustrated or worried.
"I haven't shown you much of this until now, so watch closely. This is how a true Mage fights when they’re serious."
The entrance, which had buckled under the heat and returned to its original size, stood open. I stepped toward the Scorching Majin waiting in the tunnel beyond, a sword gripped in one hand.
"Gyahah! Tha's... mine... gyahah!"
Letting Alicia get anywhere near a creature like this was far too dangerous. If she were ever taken from me, it would be the literal end of the world.
I had roughly two thousand separate grudges against this guy. Every single thing I had yet to achieve with Alicia—all of it manifested as a grudge against him.
My remaining Magic Power wasn't exactly overflowing.
And yet, for some reason, I found myself feeling a spark of genuine excitement.