Jeanne seemed a little off. When Salomon mentioned Cereza and Bayonetta's names in succession, her voice caught. But she quickly recovered.
"Do you think I can't launch missiles without a remote control?" Jeanne pointed her gun at the Arcanist again, speaking disdainfully. While Jeanne had been distracted, Salomon had already climbed onto the railing, a sheet of parchment in hand.
"The magical power associated with the 'Command' trait has many uses. I know exactly what it can do." Salomon waved the parchment before Jeanne. "That's why I prepared this."
"A piece of paper? What can that do?" Jeanne had never seen a scroll, so naturally she had no idea what Salomon intended. The Arcanist had no interest in explaining further. He decisively tore open the scroll and activated the spell inscribed upon it. Salomon had always studied according to the principle that there were only suitable spells, never the strongest spells. The spell in this scroll was undoubtedly perfectly suited to the current situation.
Second-circle Evocation Spell: Dasson's Scorching Furnace. It could raise the temperature within an area to extreme heat, harming creatures and objects within it and producing other effects. Thanks to Salomon's magical power, the spell could persist here for some time. Fire had always been a Witch's weakness, as Bayonetta had demonstrated. She had always hated Salomon's fire magic, even when they hunted angels together. Now, Salomon was using that weakness against Jeanne.
Once the spell was cast, the entire rooftop except for the corner where Salomon stood was enveloped in searing heat. The concrete rapidly dried, puddles boiled into white steam and then vanished completely, vaporized. Raindrops that had only just fallen turned to gas before they could touch the ground and returned to the leaden clouds. The rooftop was now utterly dry, while a layer