#030. When Flames Meet Flames (4)
Creak──! Boom─!
Philip looked up at the steel beam falling toward him, his mind blanking.
'Ah.'
It was too late to dodge. He lacked even a shred of strength to move his body, and even uninjured, he couldn't have avoided that speed. The encroaching flames from the side left no room for escape anyway.
'So this is how I die.'
Philip instinctively recognized death. Though feigning calmness, seeing death's maw gaping before him summoned a flood of thoughts. The first to surface:
'I don't want to die.'
Regrets overwhelmed him. Why had he let go of his mother's hand that day? What would happen to the hotel's operations if he died? Those secretly obtained magazines - he should've stored them in a safe despite the inconvenience, not under the bed.
As one boy froze in place, another stared at the white mana coalescing in his palm.
Uuuung──
The mana that usually lay dormant like hardened clay now vibrated in response to his emotions. A memory fragment rapidly expanded in Ray's mind - the moment he'd chased the bridge-bound golem through streets, pouring every ounce of his strength into the pursuit. What had he truly felt then? Had it only been about stopping the golem? About maintaining his purpose of repaying debts if the bridge children died?
...But was that truly all?
「Haa. Haa.」
Could he honestly claim no other motivation existed when he'd raced to intercept the golem? His chest prickled as memories surfaced:
"Ray hyung! Thank you! You're the best!"
"I'm so glad you became part of our family."
"You? Don't you feel awkward? It's unusual how little emotion you show, but... I guess it's fine?"
"Hyung? You act weird sometimes, but it's okay!"
And the other thought he'd carried while chasing the golem:
─I want to protect.
The pure words from the children's lips.
Their harsh yet warm days huddled together, sharing body heat.
All of it - he wanted to protect it all.
Yes.
Now he understood clearly. His rush toward the bridge wasn't solely about repaying debts. 'I had something I wanted to protect.'
The dam restraining his emotions burst.
Uuuung──!
White mana resonated with Ray's realization, emitting brilliant light through powerful vibrations. He felt the mana's texture - unfamiliar yet paradoxically intimate, as if he'd wielded it before... though that mattered little now.
Knowledge about white mana streamed into his consciousness - its properties, optimal uses, potential applications. Ray thrust his palm upward, firing a mass of white mana.
Woong!
The mana cluster halted midair before flattening into a hemispherical barrier - a translucent white dome.
CRASH!
The steel beam collided with ear-splitting force against the shield, ricocheting into the flames without breaching it.
"Is... this magic too? You just raised your hand and suddenly..." Philip gaped at the barrier, his amazement compounded by being mana-blind - to him, the shield had materialized from nothing.
"It's magic. We might survive this after all." After a beat, Ray amended, "No. We're getting out." His calm tone belied surging excitement - his first successful white mana manipulation, proving his intuitive understanding correct.
'It actually worked exactly as visualized.' The thrill of potential applications made his heart pound, washing away duel-induced fatigue.
"Survive? Really? You mean it?"
"If I'm right."
Philip followed Ray's gaze to where the barrier met flames.
Whoosh!
The fire raged against the impassable shield. "The flames and smoke can't penetrate! It's like clear glass... Does it have physical form?"
Ray approached the barrier despite Philip's warning cry.
Tap.
His palm met solid resistance, confirming the shield's physicality though heat still seeped through. Without withdrawing, Ray channeled blue atmospheric mana into the barrier.
Woong──
Azure light spread from his hand across the dome. Philip shuddered as clinging heat sloughed off like dead skin - the air inside was cooling. Sweat evaporated from his arms while breathing eased.
The surprises continued. Ray knelt to examine Cedric's hand - crimson burns from hurling flaming debris. He recalled Veronica's white mana healing. Though never attempted, certainty gripped him. Memories of chasing golems and caring for Pale's siblings saturated his mind, drawing ambient white mana into his grasp.
'I think I understand now.'
The essence of concern.
The texture of protective intent.
The desire to safeguard without expecting gain.
Uuuung──!
Luminous white mana enveloped Cedric's hand. Burns faded as shriveled skin smoothed. Though not perfectly restored, the healing sufficed.
"...Impossible." Philip's eyes brimmed - partly from concern for Cedric, mostly from witnessing magical miracles.
"Don't move. Stay still."
White mana engulfed Philip next, repairing torn muscles and resetting bones. When the light faded, mobility returned.
"Th-thank you. Really."
"Don't mention it."
Ray's casual reply masked practical motives - these two still had roles to play, and he needed to test white mana's limits.
"Can we move this glass-like barrier? We could slowly escape."
Ray shook his head. "Can't push it while moving. We wait for the fire to die."
As Ray reinforced the weakening shield with mana draws, Philip's sharp intuition grasped the implications despite his mana blindness.
"Will you be okay? Magic isn't infinite."
"It's manageable. Requires constant focus."
Silence fell save for crackling flames. Ray's concentration never wavered despite the grueling demands - maintaining emotional immersion while channeling atmospheric mana drained him doubly. Yet his focus held as the factory's heat gradually diminished.
Eventually, flames starved of fuel and purpose died like spent rage.
The factory exhaled final breaths of heat and soot through gaping wounds.
"Wh-what do we do?"
"This was too dangerous from the start! Fighting amid flames..."
Escaped boys shared unified dread regardless of faction. The magical frenzy had ended, leaving only catastrophic aftermath beyond their capacity.
"Our home's burning!"
"We need to extinguish it!"
"With what? How?"
Cedric's gang, who'd made the abandoned factory their den, stood pallid and helpless. Their prized brawn meant nothing now.
Zephyr and Lawson's gangs shouted:
"Not our problem!"
"Blame Cedric! He threw the flaming plank!"
They retreated, then fled entirely. Leaderless, Cedric's crew couldn't stop them.
Crackle! Crash!
The factory skeleton collapsed as sector residents arrived only to confirm the fire wouldn't spread before leaving indifferently.
Time crawled until flames finally expired. Children approached the ruins, then froze simultaneously.
"...!"
"Th-there!"
A silhouette moved through debris.
Fear.
Terror.
Shock.
Anticipation.
Indescribable emotions swept through the crowd as the figure emerged.
Tap.
In suffocating silence, Ray scanned the crowd while supporting Cedric. His quiet voice carried through heat-warped air:
"If you're thinking of attacking..."
Every syllable pierced their ears.
"Come at me all at once. I'll take you all."
None dared challenge the myth made flesh - unharmed from hellfire's belly, holding their leader like an avenging spirit.
Thud!
One boy prostrated. Others followed until only Ray remained standing, gazing beyond scrap heaps at the sunset's burning horizon where lingering heat still danced.
