Momo Hinamori stood in an open area, took a deep breath, held her hands before her, and began chanting an incantation she had learned at Central Great Reikaku Academy:
"Ruler of the heavens! Mask of flesh and blood, all creation, fluttering wings, that which bears the name of mankind! Scorching heat and strife, rolling back across the sea toward the south, step forward! Hado #31—Crimson Fire Cannon!"
As the chant left her lips, a crimson glow gathered in Momo Hinamori's palm. Spiritual pressure surged from her body like a tide, sweeping the surrounding dust into the air.
The crimson light gradually swelled into a blazing fireball that hovered above Momo Hinamori's palm.
"Go!" Momo Hinamori abruptly raised her hand, and the fireball shot toward the Spirit Stone target like an arrow loosed from a bow.
Like an enraged firebird, the blazing mass carried searing waves of heat and a shrill howl as it traced a brilliant arc through the air. Wherever it passed, the air was scorched with faint burn marks.
In the blink of an eye, the fireball struck the target dead on. With a thunderous boom, the Spirit Stone target was instantly swallowed by raging flames, becoming a sea of fire.
The heat blast washed over the crowd, making the surrounding first-years unconsciously retreat several steps.
Once the explosion subsided, the Spirit Stone—capable of completely blocking spirit particles and spiritual pressure—was revealed. Aside from some dust on its surface, it was completely undamaged.
However, the ground around the Spirit Stone was covered in scorch marks, with flames still lingering in places. That alone was enough to show the power of that attack.
"My God, that was Crimson Fire Cannon? Its power is incredible!" A first-year stared wide-eyed, his voice trembling slightly with shock.
"She's only a first-year, yet