-1555- The flame that engulfed the sky

"What... What is this...!?"

Leysritt Flowerchild, who had been smugly anticipating Rozen's brutal defeat and planning to turn him into her pet, was now wide-eyed in shock.

Before her, the crimson flames surged like a roaring serpent, a charging lion, a rampaging giant, and a ferocious dragon. These flames took the form of the Eight Vessels of Fudou Myou-ou, swallowing countless Armored Beetles and Behemoths, burning them all to ashes.

The overwhelming tide of Armored Beetles and Behemoths was instantly repelled by the searing heatwaves and engulfed in the sea of flames, leaving not a single survivor.

Rozen stood with his eyes closed, palms together, and an indifferent expression as he continuously chanted the incantations of Fudou Myou-ou, unleashing terrifying flames that scorched everything in their path.

Watching this spectacle, Leysritt was not only dumbfounded but trembling from head to toe.

Because Leysritt could sense that these flames were terrifying—utterly terrifying.

"Could... Could this big brother be the same as Yumier!?"

Why did she think this?

It was simple.

Yumier Kaiser, the captain of the Vebel representative squad, was naturally born with the ability to convert mana into flames.

She could use this ability to transform nearly all the mana within her body into heat in an instant, incinerating everything in her path.

If Yumier used her true power as a Humanoid Armored Beetle and activated her Collapse Force, she could even burn the entire Ninth Artificial Sky Island to ashes.

She was a true strategic-level weapon.

It was thanks to this ability that Yumier ranked among the top three strongest Humanoid Armored Beetles, and not even Emilie was sure if she could defeat her.

Now, seeing Rozen summon these endless flames, Leysritt immediately thought of Yumier.

Could he be the same type as Yumier?

Was he as strong as Yumier?

Leysritt was panicking at the thought.

What she didn't realize was that the flames Rozen had summoned were not ordinary flames at all.

These flames could burn through curses, incinerate even spirits, and destroy any existence they touched.

Compared to these demonic flames, ordinary fire was nothing more than fleeting smoke—completely insignificant.

"Boom—!"

With Rozen's continued chanting, the flames swelled again, turning into waves of fire that covered the entire sky above the Ninth Artificial Sky Island.

Many of the representative contestants witnessed this scene, all stunned speechless.

Among them was Yumier.

"This is...!?"

Yumier gazed at the flames that filled the entire Ninth Artificial Sky Island, sensing their terrifying power. Her eyes widened, but her face lit up with excitement.

"Is this the work of that human? Does he have the same ability as me?"

A smile crept across Yumier's face, and she couldn't help but draw a blazing red Magic Sword.

Seeing this, the Humanoid Armored Beetles of the Vebel squad, led by Gregor, knew something was wrong.

Because they knew that Yumier's battle spirit had been ignited.

"No! Please, Princess!"

Gregor quickly called out to stop her.

"Don't forget Lord Zeth's instructions!"

Gregor warned her.

Yumier paused.

Then, she turned her head to look at Gregor.

"...!"

Gregor and the others felt their hearts tighten.

Because in Yumier's eyes, a barely suppressed madness had surfaced.

"Can't I at least go and say hello?"

Yumier asked in a low voice, as though trying to restrain some terrifying impulse.

"...No."

Gregor hesitated for a moment, then resolutely said, "This is also for the future of us Humanoid Armored Beetles."

Upon hearing this, the madness in Yumier's eyes began to fade.

She raised her head once more and gazed at the sea of flames in the sky.

Around her, flames flickered, reflecting the unrest in her heart.

Meanwhile, the flames in the sky continued to devour the dark waves of Armored Beetles and Behemoths, burning countless of them to cinders.

Seeing this, Leysritt was in full-blown panic.

"Quick... Release more troops! Hurry!"

Leysritt ordered the Variant Armored Beetle.

"Roar!"

The Variant roared in response, opening its mouth wide and spewing out an endless swarm of small bee-like creatures. These creatures formed a dense horde and charged forward.

But they were merely lambs to the slaughter.

The countless small creatures were like moths drawn to a flame. They couldn't last even a second against the advancing flames and were immediately reduced to ashes.

Gradually, the sea of flames had grown even more spectacular than the overwhelming army of Armored Beetles.

The intense heat in the air was now enough to make everyone break out in a sweat. The forest below seemed as though it had been drained of all moisture, with the trees turning yellow and withering.

The oppressive heat left everyone in the forest dizzy with fear, worried that the flames would suddenly descend from the sky and ignite the forest. If the flames engulfed the entire Ninth Artificial Sky Island, no one would survive.

No one doubted that if the flames from the sky fell, the Ninth Artificial Sky Island would be reduced to nothing.

And no one knew where this apocalyptic flame had come from.

Within the sea of flames, Rozen continued his chanting, his figure now completely concealed by the overwhelming fire. No one could see him.

As the Guren flames finally reached Leysritt, she was so terrified that she leaped into the sky.

"Roar!"

In the next moment, a painful roar echoed across the sky.

The Variant Armored Beetle had been consumed by the flames. It struggled like a whale caught in a storm, howling and writhing in agony.

But even so, within seconds, the massive Variant was reduced to ashes.

No matter how large it was, in the face of the flames of Fudou Myou-ou, it was completely incinerated in seconds.

As for the endless swarm of bee-like creatures and the Behemoths, they had long since vanished without a trace.

Only then did the sea of flames in the sky finally cease its expansion, gradually retracting and dissipating like a mirage.

In the scorching air, Rozen stopped his chanting and opened his eyes.

His gaze immediately fell upon the terror-stricken Leysritt, who was staring at him.

Rozen smirked.

"So, what do you think? Am I stronger than you?"

Rozen spoke again, his tone playful.

Leysritt bit her lip in response.

"You... You're strong..."

Leysritt whispered.

However, a second later, she flashed a cunning smile and stuck out her tongue.

"Just kidding."

As soon as she said this, a sudden phenomenon occurred.

"Boom!"

A thunderous electromagnetic railgun descended from the sky, aiming straight at Rozen.