Cái Líyǔ had a clear burn mark on her arm, clutching it in pain. Across from her stood a red-haired man.
"You're here. Aren't you going to help?" the man asked.
"I…" Líyǔ's lips trembled.
The man narrowed his eyes, glanced around, then turned and left quickly.
The onlookers started gossiping. A mature woman and a team arrived, inquiring about Líyǔ's condition.
Leo Duncan decided to intervene. Although he didn't know her, helping a schoolmate would be a good thing.
"Are you from the Ember City Embassy? Greetings. We're students from Shuǐxiù University, schoolmates with her," Leo Duncan greeted them.
Líyǔ was surprised to see Leo Duncan, but when he identified himself as her schoolmate, she nodded.
"Shuǐxiù University students? Things are complicated here. Avoid conflicts; it could affect your studies," the woman said coldly.
Líyǔ bowed deeply. "I'm sorry for the trouble."
"It's alright. This happens often. Do you know your attacker?" the woman said, getting straight to the point.
"No."
The woman asked a few more questions, then dismissed Líyǔ, going to help those affected by the explosion.
Most of the onlookers left after witnessing the incident.
It wasn't particularly interesting.
Líyǔ joined Mithra and the others as they began their descent.
"Why are there Dreamland people here?" Leo Duncan suddenly asked.
Everyone looked at him. He continued. "The locals don't seem to care about the skyfire, even when asked by Planet Blue citizens. This mountain is a 'viewing point' discovered by Planet Blue. Locals rarely come here."
Nie Hong said, "Maybe they came from somewhere else and just happened to encounter Planet Blue citizens here."
"Why did you fight?" Mithra asked directly, turning to Líyǔ.
Líyǔ looked up, her expression vacant. "I don't know. He suddenly stopped me, said a few words, and attacked. I had a strange sense of familiarity, but I don't remember him."
"Were you here for the May Day holiday, too?" Nie Hong asked.
"I heard about the skyfire and decided to come and see. I only had time on May Day," Líyǔ said.
"Dreamland people causing trouble is common. He might have had some dark desires, targeting you because you're beautiful," Nie Hong suggested.
Leo Duncan glanced at him. "Typical monkey. You always oversimplify things."
"Yeah, yeah. You're right," Nie Hong, knowing he couldn't win an argument, remained silent.
"I don't remember either," Líyǔ whispered.
Mithra and her companions weren't particularly concerned about the others' situations; they didn't want to be involved further.
They returned to Ember City and parted ways.
Mithra spent the day exploring Ember City. As dusk approached, fires were lit throughout the city.
This was a custom, a tribute to the Blazing Man, whose skyfire had once ravaged the land. It wasn't really a religious practice, more of a tradition.
These fires burned throughout the night, only being extinguished at dawn.
This was a popular activity for tourists, as many events were held around these fires. Some were traditional, others catered to visitors from the Enchanting Land.
Ember City took its tourism seriously.
Mithra found a spot near one of the fires and quietly watched the flames.
After witnessing the night scene, the three went to the lodgings Leo Duncan had booked.
And that was the end of the first day of their holiday...?
...
Mithra turned and saw she was surrounded by burning ruins.
This was Ember City, but it had clearly been ravaged by fire; many buildings were still ablaze.
"..." Mithra was silent.
She had been heading towards her lodgings when she turned and saw this scene.
Leo Duncan and Nie Hong were gone. The passersby had also vanished. She was alone in a city of ruins, the only sound the crackling of flames.
"It couldn't have gone well," Mithra said, pulling out her hammer.
Black dots suddenly appeared before her eyes.
Fortunately, her Night Eyes were still functioning.
【Lyrical Flamescape: Fire serves not only to burn but also to deceive and create illusions. A massive illusion formed from fire. Space is meaningless here; reality and illusion are intertwined. It draws countless people into a simulated world, leading to a true ritual.】
An illusion.
Another illusion?
Mithra approached a fire, touching it.
The intense heat was unmistakable. It wasn't an illusion.
"It's blending reality and illusion...like that Dreamscape Gap. A large-scale event connected to a ritual. Should I be happy, or not?" Mithra tapped her shoulder, lost in thought.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps.
She saw several figures approaching around a bend.
They were dressed in tattered, burnt reddish-brown robes, embers still clinging to them, their faces obscured by hoods.
Their skin was dry and charred, as if they too had been burned.
Behind them, heavier footsteps approached.
A fiery creature emerged from the building.
Its body was composed of flames, dark bones forming a grotesque frame within the flames. It had a bear-like body and a deer-like head, its branch-like antlers flickering with flames.
A black collar was around its neck, connected to chains held by the figures.
Seeing Mithra, they charged.
Mithra moved faster, throwing her hammer.
The hammer struck, instantly knocking down two figures.
As another approached, she retrieved her hammer and struck again.
Seeing her power, the others hesitated, flames igniting in their hands.
"Not a miracle?" Mithra was surprised when Night Eyes didn't react to the flames.
This usually meant the opponent wasn't human.
"Roar!" With a deafening roar, the fiery creature's chains were broken, and it charged at Mithra.
The figures aimed at Mithra.
Fireballs erupted like machine gun fire, engulfing Mithra in a sea of flames.
Mithra discarded her hammer, her hands raised before her.
Swish—
Thick black smoke erupted from Mithra's hands, accompanied by a resounding crack as white lightning flashed through the darkness.
Abyssal Darkness!
Mithra spread her arms, extending the smoke and lightning, unleashing a fan-shaped wave of energy.
The flames were obscured by the white lightning. Thick black smoke instantly enveloped the area, followed by the fiery creature's pained roars.
After a moment, when the smoke and lightning dissipated…
The figures were severely injured, and the fiery creature was reduced to a skull and a broken antler lying on the ground.
Mithra calmly walked past, touching her forehead and activating Stabilize.
Ding~.
As expected, there was a hidden cost; her patrons never revealed everything.
The perpetual drain on her sense power from the Abyssal miracle felt like having her head roasted over a fire, boiled in a pot, and then seasoned and tossed to a stray dog.
The cost of such a powerful miracle was significant.
Mithra picked up a charred antler.
【Beast Fire Spirit: A fire spirit formed from the power of beasts, imbued with the power of the Blazing Man, resulting in a unique lifeform. Beasts and fire are opposing forces. But when humans are used as fuel, they can possess unique properties.】
Discarding the antler, Mithra looked at the remains of the human figures.
【Human Fire Spirit: Fire spirits formed from the burning of humans. The Blazing Man's fire consumes humans, and once their sense, sense power, humanity, and spirit are burned away, only this remains.】
These were also fire spirits.
Mithra crushed the remains with her foot.
They were far less appealing than the wild fire spirits.
Why were the things humans burned so strange?
Even the creation of the beast fire spirits had required humans as intermediaries to unite opposing forces.
So this illusion was designed to use those trapped here as fuel?
Mithra grabbed her hammer and charged in a random direction.
Her sense of space was already limited. She didn't fully understand spatial distortions, but while the dimensional pouch supposedly only reduced her sense of space slightly, it significantly impacted her navigation.
In this chaotic dreamscape, this effect was amplified. She couldn't navigate; she could only run.
With no clear objective, Mithra focused on finding survivors.
If the purpose of this illusion was to burn people, then protecting them would be the best way to disrupt the creator's plans. Finding the culprit would be even better.
Mithra ran tirelessly, activating Darkness in the Palm on her hammer.
Black smoke enveloped the hammer, and white lightning crackled.
She quickly found a group of people under attack by fire spirits.
Judging from their clothing, they were Planet Blue citizens. Not all Planet Blue citizens came to Dreamland to explore; most were tourists.
The difference between explorers and tourists was usually evident from their screams.
"Help!"
This group was clearly tourists, weak and frightened.
They were young people, possibly students, overwhelmed by the fire spirits.
Bang!
Mithra moved swiftly, knocking away the attacking fire spirits. A large fire spirit lunged at her, and she met its attack with her hammer.
The fiery claw clashed with the white lightning-imbued hammer. The fiery claw was torn apart.
The fire spirit shrieked and recoiled. Mithra, using Ki Attraction, lifted its head and, seizing a burning antler, brought her hammer down on its skull.
A resounding crash. The skull shattered, and the flames of the fire spirit dissipated. The skeleton fell to the ground.
Mithra glanced at her blackened hand. Forcing herself to grip the burning remains, her regeneration amplified the heat, making it feel as if her hand was melting.
But this amplified the power of her hammer blow. Without this, she wouldn't have been able to kill the large fire spirit so easily.
She lowered her hand and turned to the young people. "How did you get here?"
"...We just...appeared here...Thank you for saving us," a student stammered.
Mithra nodded. "Hide in the buildings."
She turned and left, searching for others.
She rescued many, encountering skilled individuals capable of fighting the fire spirits.
They were all believers, many from the Enchanting Land.
This illusion seemed to target believers.
But when Mithra asked them, they all said they didn't know how they'd gotten there.
This massive illusion must have a trigger. Bringing in so many people couldn't have been due to an inside job in Ember City.
Following the sounds, Mithra found another battle. There were many people here, attracting numerous fire spirits.
Those fighting the fire spirits seemed to be more experienced than the average student. They were more skilled.
Mithra decided her intervention wasn't needed here.
From a distance, she saw that they had formed a protective circle around the weaker members, making things easier for her.
A fire spirit suddenly attacked a member of the group, catching them off guard, breaking through their protective barriers. Fortunately, they weren't seriously injured.
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The fire spirit didn't stop and attacked again.
Bang!
Mithra's hammer, imbued with white lightning, smashed a portion of the fire spirit's skull. Its body fell back, and the hammer returned.
The others quickly moved in, crushing the skull. Only then did they notice the hammer's return and saw a figure in a suit quickly disappearing.
...
A group of people were gathered around a large bonfire.
"What's going on? The intensity isn't as expected," a man observing the flames frowned.
He asked someone, and the answer was soon given.
"The casualty rate is lower than predicted. The Enchanting Land citizens are stronger than anticipated. Such a large gathering hasn't produced enough fuel," the man said.
"Enchanting Land citizens are skilled at cooperating. Even though we've tried to attract skilled individuals, there are still many hidden amongst them. And the life lock's effect is greater than we anticipated. Even if they're burned to death, they can easily revive, rendering our efforts ineffective. It's counterproductive," someone said, looking at a report.
"...This prolonged conflict is unfavorable. Accelerate the dreamscape's transformation. Move to the next phase," the man ordered.
The others agreed and acted immediately.
"And those fire seeds, activate them. Whether the flames burn brighter depends on them," the man said slowly.
...
Mithra stood on a rooftop, observing her surroundings.
"It's getting hotter," her keen senses immediately detected the change.
Countless sparks fell from the sky, burning intensely, transforming into fireballs that were taking on vague shapes.
Smaller fireballs became human fire spirits, while larger ones transformed into beast fire spirits.
The transformation didn't stop there. The beast fire spirits, which had initially resembled deer-headed bears, were now developing more diverse skeletal structures.
In an instant, the sounds of burning flames were accompanied by the roars of beast fire spirits throughout the city.
The organizers were in a hurry.
Mithra thought about this.
But their reaction was too quick.
A horde of monsters wasn't a particularly clever design. The game designers needed to refine their standards.
A bird-like fire spirit, ignoring Mithra, swooped down, its speed incredible. Its cries drew the attention of other fire spirits.
They were even triggering the monsters' attacks. Excellent.
Mithra watched the fire spirit approach. As its fiery wings neared, she swung her hammer.
The fire spirit shrieked, losing control.
Mithra ducked, narrowly avoiding it.
But this was just the beginning. More bird-like fire spirits converged on her. Other beast-like fire spirits attacked the building.
This was no longer a safe area. Mithra leaped from the rooftop.
Using the maw's tongues like Spider-Man's webs, she swung between buildings until she found a less crowded area. She landed to rest.
"Hungry..."
The maw could only gnaw on bones; the burning fire spirits were too hot for it to eat. Although fire spirits were edible, the cautious maw didn't dare to eat the half-cooked flesh. The quality was lower than usual, but Mithra forgave it.
She had barely rested when she heard hurried footsteps.
Turning, she saw a group of people running from around a corner.
The group appeared to be a mix of Planet Blue and Dreamland citizens, seemingly working together.
They were in disarray, all showing signs of burns, running frantically.
Beast fire spirits were chasing them.
Seeing them, Mithra surveyed the area and pointed towards a sturdy, undamaged building.
She wondered what the fleeing people would think seeing someone in a suit and holding a hammer suddenly appear and direct them.
They would probably be terrified.
Mithra's impassive expression and strange aura made it seem as though she were some supernatural entity.
But they quickly understood her intentions.
It wasn't a ghost! It was help!
Several Planet Blue citizens quickly ran into the building.
The Dreamland citizens were slower.
Before they could enter, the door slammed shut.
The Dreamland citizens protested, then grew angry, and finally turned in despair, facing the approaching fire spirits.
Mithra shrugged, activating Burning and setting herself ablaze.
Then, she sheathed her hammer and drew the Abhorrence staff, activating Darkness in the Palm.
The staff trembled, seemingly reluctant, but didn't resist.
The lightning-imbued staff transformed into a whip, slashing forward.
Even a single whip, wielded as a god-killing weapon, was comparable to Sheng's attacks.
Combined with the Abyssal miracle, each strike inflicted significant damage.
The whips sliced and diced the fire spirits. Soon, their skeletons were scattered across the ground.
The whips retracted, the blades spinning before reforming into the staff.
Mithra brushed off the embers, extinguishing the flames. She approached the building, the wary Dreamland citizens cautiously giving her space.
She knocked. "Done. Open up."
There was no response.
Breaking down the door would be difficult, even in an illusion. Ember City's buildings were sturdy.
Mithra raised the Abhorrence staff. The staff softened, its tentacle-like form reaching into the crack.
Thud! Thud!
She shoved aside the debris blocking the doorway and pushed the door open. To the astonishment of the Planet Blue citizens inside, Mithra entered, her staff pointed at the ground.
"Come in," Mithra said, turning to the Dreamland citizens.
The Dreamland citizens were surprised; she clearly looked like a Planet Blue citizen.
But they obeyed and entered.
The Planet Blue citizens prepared for a counterattack.
"How many lives do you have left?" Mithra asked, holding her staff.
The Planet Blue citizens exchanged glances, remaining silent.
Swish!
White energy flashed. One of them was instantly severed at the legs, screaming in pain as blood gushed forth.
"We still have life locks! We do!" another shouted in terror.
"Good," Mithra raised her staff again.
Even though they were prepared this time, they were still unable to react, their vision blurring. Their severed legs were also destroyed to prevent further pain.
After their life locks were broken and they revived, Mithra tapped the ground twice. "We're all in this together. Stay here and watch each other's backs. Someone will rescue you soon."
The Dreamland citizens were terrified by Mithra's brutal efficiency, and the Planet Blue citizens were stunned.
"Why… why…" a Planet Blue citizen whispered.
"If you have life locks, why worry? You're wasting my time," Mithra said, turning to leave without looking back.
Before leaving, she thoughtfully closed the door behind them. Then she chose a random direction and walked away.
Left in the room were the Dreamland citizens who had just experienced a terrifying ordeal and the Planet Blue citizens who had just lost their life locks. They stared at each other.
Although they had been enemies, there was no animosity between them.
In this strange situation, they remained silent, barricading the door and waiting for the crisis to pass.
...
Mithra felt a sense of urgency. With the Dreamland citizens safely inside, the fire spirits would have to come to her. She had already retreated, so she didn't need to work hard.
It was annoying that they had wasted her time.
She continued her exploration, wielding the staff. The number of fire spirits had increased significantly, making it difficult to eliminate them one by one.
Her most effective large-scale attack miracles were the recently acquired Abyssal miracles.
But the Abyssal miracles were limited, and they also seemed to affect her mind; she usually only used Darkness in the Palm. The other two weren't very useful.
Hunting Blade could also be used for large-scale attacks, but overuse might trigger her beast form, which was noisy. Also, channeling the power of the Hunter Greatsword in her human form took too long.
Furthermore, Hunting miracles, as Godly miracles, were rooted in the Night Hunter, embodying bestial instincts.
Beasts and fire were opposing forces; this was something Mithra had seen repeatedly in her Night Eyes' reports.
She didn't want to unleash the maw again. She didn't want another chaotic encounter.
She decided to try the Abhorrence. While also a god-killing weapon, it seemed much more docile, less troublesome. It was the kind of employee a company would treasure.
Lost in thought, a distant explosion echoed.
Looking towards the sound, she saw something interesting.
People in Dreamland had various hair colors. It reminded Mithra of anime.
And in the ensuing battle, everyone had red hair.
Was this a Red-Haired Riot?
Various red-haired individuals were engaged in a chaotic battle, using fire miracles.
One of them was the red-haired man who had attacked Cái Líyǔ. His long hair was styled impressively.
Mithra used fire miracles frequently, but compared to these individuals, hers were like a lighter.
Mithra approached to observe.
A red-haired man with a large braid noticed her and frowned. "Stay out of this!"
"Thank you, but I have a question," Mithra replied calmly.
"Are you joking?!" The man's temples bulged as he turned and shouted.
Distracted, he was attacked.
【Starfire Fuel: A fire miracle. Unleashes beautiful, explosive flames with a high chance of ignition and explosion. Extremely volatile.】
Many sparks suddenly exploded, the chain reaction spreading towards the braided man.
He turned, white light erupting from his body. A massive fire pattern appeared behind him, the white light transforming into crimson flames.
【Spiritfire: A fire miracle. Ignites the life force, transforming the spirit into a temporary spirit, essentially an unstable fire spirit.】
A Transformation Technique combining different sense types.
Mithra noticed the braided man activating Spiritfire, having previously used Single Focus and Form Will.
Single Focus had made his spirit visible and controllable, a prerequisite for Spiritfire.
Form Will…
The man's hands formed claws. Flames erupted, transforming into a tiger that charged into the explosion.
The intense heat spread, and the two powerful miracles clashed, causing another explosion before subsiding.
As the braided man caught his breath, another red-haired man appeared, moving swiftly towards him.
【Inflammation: A fire miracle. Allows movement through flames and high temperatures. Even smoke can be used as a foothold. The heat is the path.】
The newcomer conjured molten rock and lunged at the braided man.
【Molten Body: A fire miracle. Transforms the body into molten fire, similar to magma miracles. The extreme heat incinerates everything it touches.】
Boom!
The sound of a staff striking the ground echoed in their ears.
The long-haired man's eyes widened. Mithra had appeared before him, her staff like a sword, slicing towards his neck.
He abandoned his plans, activating Inflammation, transforming into flickering flames and creating distance.
The three redheads paused, surprised.
The braided man gulped. Mithra turned to him. "I'm not joking. What are you doing?"
Would a normal person join a fight just out of curiosity?
"This...is our business," the braided man replied grimly.
"Do you know what's happening in this illusion?" Mithra pressed.
The three fell silent.
Neither confirming nor denying.
This usually meant they knew something they couldn't or shouldn't reveal.
"You want to help him?" the long-haired man asked.
"He was struggling and told me to stay away," Mithra replied.
"Are you crazy?" the explosive-haired man asked.
"You're the one who's crazy! Get lost! We're better off without you," the braided man agreed.
"Enough chatter. Let's fight," Mithra said, her staff transforming into a whip.
"Then you're asking for it!" the explosive-haired man unleashed another Starfire Fuel explosion.
But the long-haired man, looking at Mithra's staff, felt uneasy.
That strange weapon, combined with the danger he'd sensed earlier… Could it be a god-killing weapon?
As he was about to warn his companion, Mithra lightly clapped her hands.
Clap!
In the blink of an eye, Mithra vanished. Only the long-haired man, skilled in movement miracles, vaguely sensed her movement, but it was too fast.
The Starfire Fuel explosion was easily avoided. The explosive-haired man quickly activated Fire Protection.
【Fire Protection: Creates a stable layer of flames around the body, providing defense against attacks. It can form a separate wall of fire or completely envelop the body.】
He chose complete envelopment.
The instant he activated it, a white whip appeared around his neck.
When?!
The whip tightened. The Fire Protection expanded, attempting to block the attack, but Mithra's other hand held the Abhorrence staff, activating Darkness in the Palm!
Abyssal energy quickly consumed the Fire Protection. The blade pierced his neck.
Swish!
His body fell. The whip returned to Mithra, carrying the explosive-haired man's terrified head.
A flickering flame erupted from the corpse.
The long-haired man leaped, catching the flame and consuming it. He glanced at Mithra and, using Lyrical Flamescape, retreated.
Mithra turned to the braided man.
Mithra was clearly a force to be reckoned with.
"Why did we get involved in this?" the man sighed.
"You were pulled into this illusion. How could you be uninvolved?" Mithra tilted her head.
"...Right," the man sighed again, introducing himself.
Carazo, an ordinary name, was a believer skilled in fire miracles.
He was also a fire seed.
"What's a fire seed?" Mithra asked.
"An offering prepared for the Fire Worshipers," Carazo explained. "They distribute fire seeds that kill each other, and the strongest one becomes an offering to their Fire God."
The Fire Worshipers.
But this Fire Worshipers cult was different from the ones on Earth; they were simply a religious organization that worshiped the power of fire.
These fire seeds were essentially insects.
They raised insects as offerings.
"This illusion was created by them?"
"Yes," Carazo confirmed.
So this Lyrical Flamescape was an arena for the fire seeds to fight for survival.
Mithra simplified complex things.
Simplification made things interesting.
"We don't remember much. We don't even remember becoming fire seeds. We only remembered recently," Carazo continued.
Mithra suddenly remembered something. "The skyfire?"
Carazo was surprised by her quick deduction. "Yes. It's a signal, a call to gather. When the skyfire appeared, I had many dreams related to it. Then, following that sensation, I came here, remembering I was a fire seed."
They sat in the building, resting and talking.
After explaining everything, Carazo stood up. "I've told you everything. I've rested. I need to go,"
"Do you have to participate? Can't you opt out?" Mithra asked.
Was there some kind of rule that the fire seeds had to fight to survive?
"...I don't know. As I said, my memories are blurry. But I feel like I have to. Otherwise..." Carazo paused. "I'd regret it."
That felt odd.
"Next time you see redheads, stay away. Most of us Fire Seeds aren't mentally stable, we're eager to participate. I don't understand it fully, but maybe if I could kill more fire seeds, it would reduce casualties? But I would probably become one of them,"
It was a warning and a confession. Carazo left.
Mithra decided not to follow Carazo. He seemed to resist others following him, not out of arrogance, but perhaps out of helplessness. Given his skill, Mithra didn't push it.
Besides, hunting the fire seeds separately would likely be more efficient.
Mithra quickly identified the organizers.
The Fire Worshipers had planned meticulously. This massive illusion was an arena, drawing in numerous uninvolved individuals as NPCs, alongside countless unseen monsters.
Planet Blue citizens had really lucked out.
Saving people was a secondary concern.
The NPCs were just fuel for their plan, seemingly less important than the flames themselves.
Hunting the fire seeds might reveal more about their plan.
With this in mind, Mithra set off again.
...
Two red-haired fire seeds were chasing each other; a woman pursuing a struggling man.
The fire seeds were quite strong, their fire miracles creating a dazzling display. They focused on overwhelming attacks, sacrificing defense for power.
Their attacks were devastating to ordinary believers.
Their strength varied; their offense and defense shifted constantly, making it dangerous to underestimate them.
And there was a "wild boss" nearby.
A large Erytic rock pillar suddenly rose from the ground.
The fleeing man stopped, the pillar crashing down, sending dust flying.
The woman's expression turned vicious as she attacked.
The man, cursing, turned to face her.
Their attacks collided. The man screamed in pain, falling to the ground.
"You didn't think about this when you attacked me? Now I'm going to incinerate you," the woman said with a laugh.
Boom.
A figure in a suit appeared beside the man who was trying to get up, bringing her hammer down on his head.
The man was instantly killed, a fire seed erupting from his remains.
Mithra retrieved her hammer. "Maw, open wide."
"Hungry…" the maw mumbled reluctantly. Eating this felt bland and burned its tongues, no different from eating fire spirits. It didn't want to eat this.
But Mithra forced a piece of flesh into its maw. "Don't be a coward. If you don't eat it, I'll feel this pain."
"Hungry…!"
"Next, give me that torch."
The woman, although confused, attacked, sensing Mithra's intent to capture the fire seed.
Mithra swiftly drew the Abhorrence staff, slashing through the flames. To the woman's horror, she pointed the staff at the ground.
Boom.
She appeared before the woman, striking her down.
The blade sliced into the woman's left shoulder, tearing open her chest.
The woman's eyes widened in terror. Blood gushed from her mouth. As she fell, Mithra caught her, her other hand impaling the staff into the wound, hooking the heart.
The heart was ripped out and tossed aside. Mithra released her grip, and the woman fell silent.
Another fire seed was forced into the maw's mouth, despite its resistance.
"How many is this?" Mithra counted on her fingers, unable to recall the exact number.
"Hungry…"
"Ten. Not bad, your memory is better than mine," Mithra said, rubbing its teeth, which had almost been knocked out.
Finding fire seeds wasn't difficult; their fire miracles were hard to miss.
But Mithra needed to distinguish between the fervent participants and the unwilling victims.
Carazo, it turned out, was a rare exception.
Of the ten fire seeds Mithra encountered afterward, every single one was a battle-hungry maniac.
And those maniacs were swiftly defeated by Mithra.
One fire seed even possessed a high-level healing miracle, causing Mithra some trouble.
She discovered the miracle's source was in the heart, so she practiced removing hearts.
The maw silently retracted its burned tongue in protest.
Mithra ignored it.
The tongue was even briefly roasted over a fire to get it out of the way.
Continuing her search, Mithra noticed the temperature rising.
A large group of beast fire spirits charged towards her.
Mithra narrowed her eyes. She didn't want to fight them and turned to escape.
Suddenly, a bird-like fire spirit swooped down from the sky.
Mithra prepared herself, swinging her staff to precisely sever the fire spirit's skull.
The flames dissipated before they could harm her.
But that was only the first. More bird-like fire spirits attacked, and other fire spirits surrounded her. She was surrounded and had no easy escape route.
Mithra gripped her staff in one hand and drew her hammer in the other.
It was time to get serious.
...
A fire spirit lay dead in the street.
The lingering flames had turned the street into a sea of fire.
Mithra, her body charred, stood amidst the remains, gasping for breath.
After a moment, she said, "You shouldn't be so afraid of me."
Figures appeared around her.
There were over ten of them.
All with bright red hair. All Fire Seeds.
"We weren't afraid before, but now we are," one Fire Seed said, wiping his brow.
Among them, Mithra saw the long-haired man.
"When did you start following me?" Mithra asked, tapping her head.
"Around the third kill. Then I went to get more people. Your arrival changed the battle. We couldn't enjoy ourselves until we dealt with you," the long-haired man, Jason, said calmly.
"Stop talking, Jason. Let's kill her. Let's see who gets her head,"
"Easy for you to say. You go first,"
Jason remained silent.
Despite their numbers, the Fire Seeds were wary. They had seen Mithra swiftly defeat two Fire Seeds and then deal with the enraged spirits.
Jason had initially tried to persuade them to cooperate, but witnessing Mithra's power, they had changed their minds. They didn't want to die meaninglessly at her hands.
Jason sighed. "Useless."
Magma cracks appeared on his body as molten rock flowed out. He charged at Mithra.
The others followed suit.
A sea of fire, a barrage of fire miracles, converged on Mithra.
Too much fire.
Mithra's pupils shifted, turning bestial.