Sifa kept flames burning around his body and increased their intensity until they completely concealed him, imitating the sight of Shevich transforming into fire.
This trick would not fool a demigod, but it was more than enough to intimidate the soldiers aboard the ships. Next, Sifa shot flames from beneath his feet, lifting himself into the air to make the act even more convincing.
He spread his arms, released his spirituality, and condensed a series of fireballs that glowed red, almost yellow.
Watching that mass of flames rise into the sky, followed by the appearance of fireballs in midair, the boatswain was too nervous to speak. He had no idea what His Excellency intended to do.
The naval soldiers on night watch aboard the warships all turned toward the flames hovering overhead. Any trace of drowsiness vanished as they quietly discussed Shevich's intentions.
Just then, they heard an authoritative voice ring out from within the flames. "Long live the Loen Kingdom!"
The fireballs then locked onto the surrounding warships and hurtled down with a roar, striking masts, crashing onto decks, and smashing into bows.
For a moment, explosions rang out one after another. Crimson flames surged, sending towering waves of fire into the air. Whether from the impact of the flames or some other cause, violent secondary explosions erupted inside one warship after another, including the flagship, as though their ammunition stores had been detonated.
The warships' ammunition stores had indeed been detonated, but not by those fireballs. Rather, traces of Sifa's spirituality remained in all the matchboxes he had dropped earlier.
As he hurled the fireballs, he simultaneously used that lingering spirituality to create flames and ignite the explosives, triggering even more violent secondary blasts. He did this to make his "performance" look more consistent with a demigod's level