A trace of panic began to creep into Ryu Lion's voice.
"Why... why is this turning black?! It was yellow just a moment ago!"
"The fire! Why won't the fire turn off?!"
"Why won't this fire do what I tell it to?!"
As Ryu Lion's attempt to beat out the flames with her spatula ended in failure.
She had clearly panicked completely.
She flung down the now-useless spatula and began fumbling frantically with the control knob beneath the magic stone stove.
Normally.
Turning off a fire was an instinctive action that did not even require any thought.
But.
In such extreme panic.
And so.
Ryu Lion used too much force.
There was a sharp crack.
The control knob, made of refined copper and expensive-looking at a glance.
Was simply snapped right off by her.
When Ryu Lion raised her hand and saw that the refined copper control knob was still clutched in it.
At that instant.
Time seemed to stand still.
Black smoke was still rising.
The fire was still burning.
But the air in the kitchen seemed to have been sucked out in an instant, leaving everything utterly frozen.
Even the two figures standing on either side of Ryu Lion, who had been jumping around and shouting as they tried to direct her from the sidelines-Lunoire and Chloe.
Froze on the spot.
Their mouths hung wide open, their eyes practically bulging out as they stared fixedly at the broken knob in Ryu Lion's hand.
After a second of dead silence.
"Meeeow!!!"
An utterly heartrending feline shriek instantly pierced the oppressive black smoke in the kitchen.
"You freakishly strong woman, meow!!!"
Chloe clutched her head in both hands, her cat ears flattened against her scalp in fright, looking as though the world were ending.
"That's a magic stone stove! It's