Chapter 625

Whoosh—!

With a swift sweep of Raina’s blade, a long ribbon of fire unfurled.

The stretched-out crimson trail twisted gracefully through the air, moving as fluidly as a whip.

Reacting instantly, Zora vanished from sight.

Raina’s scarlet gaze immediately locked onto his position.

“Right there!!!”

The blazing fire spear held tightly in her left hand erupted with a furious roar.

Kwagagagagaga—!

Launched with incredible force, the projectile tore straight toward Zora, who had just materialized.

A brilliant trail of blue fire was carved across the sky.

Piiiiing—! Pubububububung—!

Shards of blue fire erupted outward in every direction.

The overwhelming thermal energy generated a dense haze, warping and distorting the surrounding air.

Raina narrowed her gaze in concentration.

‘That flash of spatial shifting isn’t sorcery.’

Utilizing spatial displacement magic provides a massive upper hand in a close-quarters struggle.

Regardless of how rapidly an individual accelerates, physical movement ultimately follows a predictable path of lines.

It can be anticipated.

For this reason, numerous combat spellcasters integrate short-range spatial shifting into their melee engagements.

They do so because even if physical velocity is bolstered through spellcraft, there are hard boundaries when confronting elite knights who wield aura.

Conversely, when facing a master-level knight, relying on spatial shifting in tight quarters can turn into a lethal blunder.

The exact point of arrival can be deduced by tracking the fluctuating mana current.

The primary flaw of spatial displacement is that during the minuscule window of transit, a combatant remains blind to their foe’s actions.

For a warrior standing on the threshold of hero status, that split second offers more than enough time to deliver a terminal strike.

Yet, the method Zora had just utilized left absolutely no trace of the magical ripples typical of sorcery.

‘It matched the previous instance.’

When he had forcefully taken her and arrived at this location, no mana waves had been emitted.

He simply vanished and reappeared out of thin air.

Even if an individual’s innate mana possessed ultimate concealment traits, it could not achieve such seamless execution.

Just as Raina prepared to launch another strike against Zora.

He vanished once more.

Observing this, a sharp smirk formed on the edges of Raina’s lips.

‘It is aura.’

Instantly identifying the nature of her opponent’s technique, Raina drove her blade upward in a sweeping arc.

Kwagagagagak—!

Deep crimson fire and brilliant blue flames collided violently, generating a massive, shimmering tempest of heat.

Raina’s eyes gleamed with intense focus as she stared directly at Zora, whose current form mirrored her own youth.

“That visage is utterly revolting.”

“And what do you intend to do about it? You understand the true nature of your own blaze, do you not?”

Zora’s fire began to swallow Raina’s flames whole.

“I am uncertain how you are currently channeling the strength of the Great Spirit of Fire. At best, it is merely a replicate of the power you held during those bygone days.”

Zora flashed a mocking sneer.

“What can a meager amount like that possibly alter?”

In response to Zora’s mocking query, Raina offered a subtle smile before unleashing a massive, explosive deluge of fire.

Whirrr—!

“Utterly pointless! I shall consume every bit of those flames—”

The moment Zora began to jeer.

Kwaang—!

“Ugh?!”

Raina delivered a brutal, direct kick straight into Zora’s midsection.

Wheeeing—! Kwagagagang—!

The impact of the phenomenally powerful strike detonated, sending Zora hurtling downward until he crashed deeply into the earth.

Alighting gently back onto the terrain, Raina spoke with calm authority.

“Just as you mentioned, because those flames once belonged to me, I am intimately aware of their traits. Consequently, I am also entirely aware of their fatal flaws.”

Raina’s unique fire possesses the trait of absorbing an enemy’s flames to generate an even more devastating output of thermal power.

To an outside observer, it would seem that any fire-wielding opponent would inevitably be consumed by Raina’s dominance.

However, Raina’s flame requires a brief window of assimilation while digesting an adversary’s power.

During that precise interval, the user is left completely exposed.

Because of this hidden drawback, Raina never chose to indiscriminately absorb an opponent’s fire.

“Did you truly lack even that basic understanding?”

“Agh!”

Glaring up at Raina, who was staring down at him with a look of pure disdain, Zora scrambled back to his feet.

He was certain that he possessed the overwhelming advantage in raw strength.

“Auntie!”

“Oh? Celia!”

Hearing the shout echoing from above, Raina smiled warmly and offered a cheerful wave toward the sky.

In that very instant.

Zora’s silhouette vanished entirely.

Having faded away without leaving a single trace, Zora suddenly materialized directly at Raina’s back.

Watching the scene unfold from her vantage point in the sky, Celia’s eyes widened in sheer panic.

“Auntie! Look behind you…!”

Thwack—!

Before the warning could fully leave Celia’s lips, Raina had already pivoted, driving her sword directly toward the spot where Zora materialized.

Zora’s cleanly decapitated head soared up into the air.

For a fleeting second, Zora’s gaze—which had reverted back into a skeletal visage—twisted in absolute dread.

“How could this be possible…!”

“As expected, that spatial leap isn’t sorcery; it is an art executed through aura, making the exact point of arrival incredibly difficult to foresee.”

It was precisely as Raina analyzed.

Zora’s current mastery involved using aura to slice through the fabric of space.

By carving a path between dimensions to step through to his destination, predicting his movements was practically impossible.

Attempting to react solely to a sudden surge of murderous intent would always result in being a step too slow.

Yet, Raina had pinpointed Zora’s exact destination with flawless precision.

Raina’s crimson eyes gleamed brilliantly.

‘Thermal shifts.’

Wielders of fire possessed an innate sensitivity to variations in temperature.

And Raina’s capacity to detect those subtle thermal shifts was far superior to that of any ordinary warrior.

Much like a serpent tracking its quarry.

She could perceive the minute heat signatures emitted by living beings.

Even in the complete absence of moving mana, the reality that a distinct thermal signature would vanish and then rematerialize within her perception allowed her to respond instantaneously.

—He’s absolutely out of his mind!

Ista, who had granted her power to Raina, cried out in profound astonishment.

—Regardless of circumstances, how can a mortal be so thoroughly accustomed to such intense heat! No, right from the beginning!

—How can she wield my divine power with such unbridled mastery!

The fiery potential bestowed by Ista far eclipsed the peak strength Raina had possessed during her prime.

Nonetheless, Raina was commanding Ista’s power with absolute, effortless precision.

‘It isn’t an impossibility. Rare anomalies like this do exist. Individuals whose internal vessels are already fully formed!’

When standard martial artists develop their strength, their capacity expands gradually alongside their power.

Yet, on rare occasions, there are individuals born with a vessel so overwhelmingly vast that it completely dwarfs the power they currently command.

Naturally, a massive vessel does not automatically guarantee rapid advancement.

It simply means the baseline capacity is immense.

If such an individual draws power from an external reservoir, the maximum allowable threshold they can safely absorb is simply far higher.

In Raina’s specific scenario, if that were the reality, it would explain everything perfectly.

‘Yet Raina Flobe had been completely severed from her power for an immense duration!’

This was an instance of borrowing the strength of an entirely different entity, rather than tapping into her own native reservoir.

There should have been an undeniable clunkiness in her command over the fire.

Yet, Raina displayed not a single trace of hesitation.

It was as though she had been manipulating this exact power for centuries.

She was executing flawless command over the strength she had taken in.

This was no longer a question of mere mental fortitude.

Her fundamental methodology for controlling fire quite literally transcended human imagination.

“You wretched woman! Mocking me! Kraaaaaaaah!”

Kwagagagagagaga—!

Zora was rapidly losing all semblance of control.

Leo had previously declared it.

That he was utterly wasting the power he had plundered.

Zora had scoffed at that assertion at the time, but now, standing right before him, was the living proof of those words.

And by a twist of cruel irony, that very individual was none other than the mother of the youth who had insulted him.

Gooooooo—! Pajijijik! Pajik!

An immense, suffocating tide of mana began to swell.

With a gaze burning with concentrated, murderous intent, Zora began weaving a massive spell.

“Go ahead, try and block this!”

Beholding the gathering storm, Celia spoke, her complexion turning utterly bloodless.

“A-Auntie! We have to retreat…!”

“Celia.”

“Yes?”

“Would you mind looking behind you?”

“Behind… me?”

Instinctively, Celia turned her gaze rearward.

And her breath caught in her throat.

Directly behind them, the grand perimeter walls protecting the Flobe estate were clearly visible.

“If we choose to flee, countless innocents will perish.”

“……”

Celia ground her teeth together fiercely.

Raina offered a soft, gentle smile as she looked upon the young girl.

“Would you be willing to lend me Flame Storm?”

“Pardon? Ah, yes…!”

Without hesitation, Celia passed Flame Storm, the treasured heirloom of the Jerdinger line that had been entrusted to her, over to Raina.

It was the very blade that Raina had commanded so long ago.

A weapon that would blaze with unyielding fury as long as the wielder’s resolve remained unbroken.

“To be sure, if we simply perish alongside those people, it amounts to nothing more than a meaningless dog’s death. But if even a sliver of a chance exists, it has always been my policy to strike back.”

Celia lowered her head deeply.

She felt a wave of intense shame washing over her for considering flight without weighing the true cost of her actions.

Raina gently placed a hand on Celia’s head, gazing down at her warmly.

“There is absolutely no reason to feel ashamed. You are still just a child, are you not? And you are under no obligation to mirror my path exactly.”

“Auntie…”

Raina softly stroked the cheek of her young niece, who was looking up at her with wide eyes.

‘On certain occasions, she truly feels more like my own daughter than Leo does.’

A niece who carried so much of her own likeness.

“You are destined to become a far more exceptional knight than I ever was. Formulate your own convictions and determine your own trajectory. And if I can serve as even a minor beacon along the path you must walk… I would find true fulfillment in that.”

Turning away, Raina stepped forward to confront Zora once more.

Whoosh—!

Vibrant blue flames began to shimmer and dance across Raina’s form.

Step— step—

The surging sea of fire began to condense, gathering intensely at the very tip of Flame Storm.

Staring at the display, Celia’s mouth parted in subconscious awe.

‘How can anyone command fire in such a manner?’

Even for someone like Celia, who had dedicated her entire existence to mastering the Jerdinger aura, she questioned whether such supreme control over fire was even achievable.

‘No. It isn’t just a matter of my own limitations.’

Lis… and even Lunia of the Lundar lineage.

Even Leo himself.

Though it shared the same elemental nature, the fire that Raina commanded felt fundamentally distinct.

It went far beyond the concept of merely controlling flames at will.

The moment the fire brushed against Raina’s fingertips, it erupted with an even more ferocious intensity.

‘Father. For what reason was Auntie given the title of the Witch of Flame?’

‘Because no other moniker in existence could possibly capture her essence more perfectly.’

A memory of a past discussion suddenly drifted back into her mind.

‘Ah. Now I comprehend.’

Gazing at the silhouette before her, the truth became instantly clear.

‘That is precisely why she is deemed a witch.’

Even the primal traits inherent to the fire of the Great Spirit of Fire would alter, reshaping themselves into Raina’s personal flame the instant they came into contact with her touch.

Celia whispered softly under her breath, her eyes locked onto the deep crimson fire that had, before she even realized it, gathered into a concentrated point at the edge of the blade.

‘She is the fire itself.’

That breathtaking, awe-inspiring display completely arrested Celia’s vision.

“You stated earlier,”

Raina spoke aloud, tightening her double-handed grip on the sword that was now heavily saturated with the crimson flame.

“That following that fateful day, I wallowed in regret for the remainder of my life. Yes, that statement is entirely accurate.”

Raina’s scarlet eyes flashed with a brilliant light.

“Not a single day passed where I did not experience regret.”

Lamenting the choices of that day.

Desperately longing for the version of herself that had been stripped away.

“It was precisely because of that pathetic, lingering attachment that I found myself incapable of halting my training.”

Despite the reality that her inner fire had been completely extinguished, Raina had never abandoned the refinement of her skills.

It transcended mere swordplay.

She had continuously nurtured and cultivated the flames within the realm of her own imagination.

The desperate, uncomely act of holding onto what had long since been broken and lost.

—So that was the reality of it.

Absorbing Raina’s admission, Ista let out a sharp click of her tongue, realization finally dawning upon her.

The answer was now completely clear. The reason why this woman could command her divine fire with such seamless precision, despite having been entirely severed from it for decades.

That foolish, unyielding attachment spanning over several decades.

A vast stretch of time that appeared utterly pointless, even pitiable to an outsider.

Was being fully validated and rewarded in this singular, fleeting moment.

—You… never truly surrendered.

Raina offered a serene smile at Ista’s profound realization.

“Prominence.”

The absolute distillation of the Jerdinger flame materialized at the vanguard of Raina’s weapon.

The fire, heavily compressed and focused entirely onto the tip of the blade, tore directly through the oncoming magic and cleaved Zora cleanly in two.

“Kraaaaaaah! A futile, desperate struggle!”

Zora, who had once again suffered a fatal blow and lost his focus, unleashed a frantic, enraged bellow.

“Why! For what reason do you refuse to just give up!”

“Why do you bother asking something so entirely obvious?”

Raina countered with a look of profound pity, observing Zora as he ranted incoherently, completely stripped of his sanity.

“Because my son will be arriving here momentarily.”

Leveling her finger directly at Zora, Raina spoke with a low, dangerous growl.

“When he arrives, your life ends. Until the exact moment I witness your demise, I will never give up.”