The transparent flames continued consuming Frieren's magical energy in steady, measured pulses.
Kavach was correct in his assessment. Under normal circumstances, the Burning Sky Flame would accelerate its consumption as a target's mana depleted, growing hungrier and more voracious until the card's magical reserves were completely exhausted. Only then would it begin devouring the Lore Cardian's mental energy directly.
This escalating consumption was precisely why he considered the Burning Sky Flame his ultimate killing technique.
The spell's effectiveness varied dramatically between demons and Lore Cardians. A Lore Cardian's summoned cards depended entirely on their creator's mental power for sustenance. Under typical conditions, once contaminated by the Burning Sky Flame, a Lore Cardian would be rapidly drained of their psychic energy, leaving them defenseless against their opponent's mercy.
Unfortunately for Kavach and Nangong Ce, this was far from a typical situation.
They faced two extraordinary anomalies: Frieren and Azrael.
Frieren, having lived for over a millennium and devoted centuries to continuous magical training, possessed a terrifying reservoir of mana. Even Aura the Guillotine, one of the Seven Sages of Destruction who had survived for five hundred years, had been rendered powerless before her overwhelming magical superiority.
In the original timeline, perhaps only her former master Serie, the Great Mage from the Mythical Era, could surpass Frieren's magical capacity.
As for Azrael, since arriving in this world, his psychic talents had far exceeded those of normal Lore Cardians, both in advancement speed and raw reserves.
The combination of these two powerhouses made the Burning Sky Flame appear to burn without actually consuming anything meaningful.
Witnessing this development, Kavach and Nangong Ce found themselves momentarily at a loss.
Nangong Ce exclaimed in disbelief, "How is that possible?!"
"Are you somehow immune to its effects?!"
Studying the youthful face of the white-haired girl floating serenely before him, he couldn't comprehend how someone appearing so young could possess such terrifying magical reserves.
Then, catching a glimpse of Frieren's distinctive pointed ears, an absurd realization flashed through his mind: This person isn't human.
He took a steadying breath and forced himself to remain composed. "As long as we can maintain the flame's hold on her, we still have a chance of victory."
Kavach sensed that although the Burning Sky Flame was consuming Frieren's mana slowly, the amount being drained represented only a tiny fraction of the white-haired elf's total magical capacity. However, as long as the flame could maintain its grip, it would gradually accelerate until it finally consumed all her energy.
Unfortunately, Frieren clearly had no intention of providing them that opportunity.
A jet of concentrated mana streaked across the battlefield. Zoltraak, the killing magic originally developed by demons to slaughter humans, had been extensively analyzed and modified by the Magic Association. Though they had renamed it "demon-slaying magic," its lethal essence remained unchanged.
"BOOM!"
A piercing explosion echoed across the arena, leaving massive gouges in the ground where the spell struck.
Nangong Ce fled desperately, occasionally casting Five Elements magic to harass Frieren in hopes of relieving pressure, but each spell was effortlessly blocked by her defensive barriers.
Kavach watched the scene unfold with a grim expression. After a moment's tense silence, he whispered urgently, "President Azrael, how long will it take you to resolve this situation?"
Silence followed. No one answered his desperate question.
Turning around, Kavach discovered that Azrael, who had been standing beside him moments earlier, had vanished entirely. Only his two cards remained on the battlefield, locked in fierce combat with Shiraori's spider form.
Kavach had no intention of searching for Azrael's current location, assuming the young man had relocated to better support his summoned cards.
However, something puzzled him deeply.
"Where's his trump card?"
"Could it be true, as Sun-Myun suggested, that Master Finn was responsible for killing that Emerald-level demon, and Azrael simply took credit for the achievement?"
The president of the Donglai Cardian Master Association felt increasingly frustrated. He was convinced that Azrael possessed a hidden trump card capable of eliminating Emerald-level demons, yet the young man was clearly withholding it, obviously plotting Kavach's downfall!
Azrael: Guilty as charged.
Kavach had no idea that the trump card he was desperately seeking was actually the fearsome white spider currently dominating the distant battlefield, one of his would-be assassins.
Glancing toward Godfrey and Diesel, who were engaged in their own fierce battle, Kavach's frown deepened. He realized he had no choice but to rely entirely on his own abilities.
When he returned his attention to the main conflict, the situation had taken a sharp turn for the worse.
Multiple magic circles, resembling floating artillery batteries, materialized around Frieren, unleashing countless smaller Zoltraak projectiles that severely limited Nangong Ce's movement options.
The flamboyant young man darted between the magical barrage, leaving behind only scorched leaves where each blast struck. He wiped sweat from his forehead and looked up at the white-haired elf hovering serenely in midair.
For the first time since the battle began, he noticed a rare smile gracing Frieren's typically impassive features.
"What is she smiling about?" Nangong Ce wondered uneasily.
What could possibly be amusing about this situation?
Is she mocking my current state of desperation?
Before he could process his indignation, another wave of killing magic forced him to resume his evasive maneuvers.
The arena was frustratingly small, and his available hiding space continued to diminish rapidly.
Taking a moment to catch his breath, Nangong Ce sensed Frieren's magical presence and allowed a grim smile to cross his face. "It's halfway complete. Just hold on a little longer, and we can achieve victory!"
But when he dodged the next Zoltraak barrage, Frieren had already anticipated his landing position with terrifying precision.
Feeling the sudden surge of mortal danger, Nangong Ce's expression changed drastically. "Not good!"
Golden flames erupted desperately, attempting to intercept the incoming killing magic.
However, what Nangong Ce failed to realize was that transparent flames were hidden cunningly behind the dark magical beam.
Barely avoiding the black projectile, Nangong Ce swallowed nervously.
Just as he was tensely preparing for Frieren's next assault, the cold, measured voice of the white-haired elf rang out clearly in the moonlight.
"What fascinating magic. Thank you for the demonstration."
Hearing Frieren's voice, Nangong Ce's attention was instantly captured. "What do you mean?"
"I've named it Burning Magic. I hope you find it satisfactory."
[Magic Analysis]: Frieren can spend a certain amount of time analyzing encountered magic, with a chance of successfully recreating similar effects.
Nangong Ce suddenly noticed the golden flames surrounding him gradually shifting to become transparent.
Feeling his mana beginning to drain away, he was utterly stunned. "That's my Burning Sky Flame?!"
Kavach also detected the anomaly and exclaimed in disbelief, "How is that even possible?!"
Frieren was undoubtedly wielding Nangong Ce's signature Burning Sky Flame. From its visual appearance to its devastating effects, the replication was virtually identical.
But how could this be possible?
That technique was his ultimate trump card!
Even Godfrey and Diesel, engaged in their distant battle, noticed the sudden development. Upon witnessing the transparent flames clinging to Nangong Ce's body, flickers of disbelief crossed their faces.
They recognized this flame as their guild leader's most powerful technique, but they had never expected anyone to successfully replicate it in such an impossibly short timeframe.
It defied all common sense.
Kavach felt the entire battle had become incomprehensible. His own card was being toyed with like a helpless mouse against the white-haired summoning, led around by the nose throughout the entire encounter.
Unlike the stunned spectators, Azrael, hiding in the shadows as the card's owner, naturally possessed far more detailed information about the situation.
Frieren had indeed successfully acted as a copying expert, but this was only possible because the Burning Sky Flame had been constantly consuming her magical energy, providing extended exposure for analysis.
Frieren had been unable to successfully analyze Nangong Ce's other Five Elements spells during their brief encounters.
After all, actual combat wasn't like a controlled training session where she could carefully observe and feel the flow of magical energy.
Even with successful replication, the copied spell's power was significantly reduced compared to the original version. Perhaps future research could restore its full potency, but that was certainly impossible in their current circumstances.
Nangong Ce, the unfortunate victim, also sensed the technique's diminished strength and breathed a slight sigh of relief.
However, this so-called "Burning Magic" was merely Frieren's method of psychological warfare; her real killing move was the extensively accumulated Zoltraak that followed.
A magic circle, several times larger than any previous manifestation, instantly unfolded. With barely a second's preparation, the massive beam of concentrated killing magic pierced the air with a bone-chilling whistle.
"BOOM!"
A direct hit.
In that devastating instant, Nangong Ce was reduced to scattered ashes, leaving only a bottomless crater silently testifying to his fate.
Kavach, feeling the mental connection to Nangong Ce's card abruptly severed, wore a grim expression of profound loss.
For a brief moment, the man had truly lived up to his ambitious reputation.
Godfrey, observing this development from afar, felt a surge of triumphant excitement.
There was no doubt that the balance of victory was gradually tilting in favor of the Crimson Oath Society.
Perhaps they could actually eliminate Kavach and escape unscathed today.
"As expected of our leader! If he had participated in the national competition, Azrael might not have faced such difficulties," the middle-aged man thought admiringly.
However, Diesel, not far away, was experiencing considerably darker emotions at this moment. Godfrey could observe what he could observe.
Unfortunately, the Crimson Oath Society member he was battling proved to be a formidable opponent, and for the time being, he was unable to disengage and provide support to Kavach.
But when Diesel recalled Kavach's previous treacherous actions, he found himself hesitating again.
Really, should I even bother saving him?
With deeply conflicted feelings, the square-faced middle-aged man once again faced his equally matched opponent from the Crimson Oath Society.
The scene returned to Frieren. After defeating Nangong Ce, she chose not to assist Zoro immediately, but instead directed her staff's tip toward Kavach.
In Lore Cardian duels, the optimal strategy was always to eliminate the enemy Lore Cardian first.
However, what she could anticipate, Kavach's remaining cards certainly couldn't ignore.
"Explosive Fist: Shocking Impact!"
Tiger Slayer abandoned his engagement with Zoro and, in a blinding flash, appeared directly before Frieren.
His eyes were bloodshot with rage, his expression completely crazed, his muscular body covered in a dense network of slash wounds from his previous battle.
In the next moment, his powerful right fist pierced through Frieren's defensive magic barriers.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
A series of shattering sounds echoed as Frieren calmly increased her distance from Tiger Slayer.
As a mage, she had no intention of foolishly engaging in close combat with a warrior-type opponent.
Meanwhile, Zoro's pressure suddenly eased after Tiger Slayer departed to engage Frieren.
Unlike the elf mage, he had only been facing a single opponent in Flame Silence.
Confronting both Flame Silence and Tiger Slayer simultaneously had been genuinely challenging, even for someone of his exceptional skill.
Rather, the fact that he had managed to hold out for so long under the coordinated assault of two cards, one red-tier and one gold-tier, without collapsing was itself a symbol of remarkable strength.
Fortunately, Frieren had swiftly dealt with Nangong Ce, creating a balanced one-on-one situation for him.
"It seems my companion is the more capable fighter."
The green-haired swordsman grinned confidently, gripping his sword firmly between his teeth.
Flame Silence glanced coldly at Tiger Slayer, who was already at a clear disadvantage in the distance, then returned her frigid gaze to the wounded Three Sword Style practitioner before her. "You're operating on borrowed time."
"Still talking tough, I see."
"As long as I defeat you, this crisis will be resolved."
Hearing this challenge, Zoro's expression became dangerously focused. "Let's see if you can manage it."
"Three Sword Style: Extreme Tiger Hunt!"