Raging flames scorched sky and earth. Rampant living fire lunged into the darkness of the winter night, like daylight descending for a second time, like the sun rising again on the horizon—until recently, the Aberrant army had utterly destroyed and occupied this land, corrupting and crushing everything it touched. Now, that had instead become the reason its defenders could vent their fury without restraint.
Nothing remained on this land that needed to be protected with caution. Wherever the living fire spread, there was only the ugly, malformed flesh and bones of those monsters.
"What a fine fire." Wickliffe, newly treated and bandaged, stood atop the steel-cast church tower. Through the translucent Energy Shield and reinforced glass, he gazed toward the distant mountain pass. Living fire was splitting apart at the edge of the land. Countless elementals climbed and leaped across the mountains, showered meteor-like firestorms, or exploded in place into enormous Mushroom Clouds. Their brief lives were nearing their limit, and the artificially created elemental environment would destabilize and dissipate within minutes. But as fire elementals, the closer they came to collapse, the more terrifying their power became.
The Human King even imagined a chilling scene—what kind of nightmare it would cause if one such incendiary bomb fell into an ordinary city. But at least at this very moment, that nightmare had descended upon the heads of those hideous monsters. The corners of Wickliffe's mouth rose despite himself, and he felt a wholehearted delight.
"The Purgatory Incendiary is more powerful than I imagined..." A steady voice came from beside him, interrupting the king's thoughts. Amal, leader of the White Knights, came up the nearby stairs, his heavy iron boots striking the floor with dull, forceful thuds. "No wonder Princess Rebecca repeatedly stressed that we must never deploy it near our