#052. White Sun (2)
—
As the iron door creaked open, revealing the figure inside, the children couldn’t help but feel an icy chill run down their spines.
“What… what is that?”
“Oh my god… this can’t be real.”
The figure’s entire body was engulfed in blazing red flames.
It was as if oil had been poured over the figure and set alight.
Yet, there was no thrashing on the ground, no cries of pain.
The figure continued forward in a mechanical, unflinching gait.
**Fwoosh! Crackle!**
Sparks scattered along its path, leaving small embers in its wake.
The sight was something none of the children, hardened by life on the streets, had ever seen or heard of before. It was shocking enough to embed primal fear into their hearts.
Someone gulped audibly before stammering, “Wh-who is that? What… what are we seeing?”
Their lips quivered, their bodies drenched in cold sweat.
The atmosphere was so taut with tension that everyone was certain: if one person bolted, a chain reaction would ensue.
Yet, nobody moved.
Instead, they desperately tried to guess the identity of the burning figure.
The conclusion came from Veronica’s trembling lips.
“…Ray.”
Only two people had entered the abandoned factory: Ray and the man in the coat.
The burning figure’s physique was identical to Ray’s.
Veronica recalled a particular moment when Ray had asked her about the properties of “Ignition” magic, further solidifying her belief in his identity.
“Shouldn’t we… help him?”
“But he seems to be moving fine….”
As hesitation loomed over them, a sudden noise broke the silence.
**Tap.**
Ray stopped in his tracks.
Slowly, his head turned to fixate on a pile of scrap metal.
At that moment—
**Fwoosh!**
A ball of fire materialized near his head and shot toward the pile.
**Boom!**
Shattered debris flew in all directions as the flames rapidly devoured anything flammable.
It took mere seconds for the entire pile to be engulfed in fire.
**Crackle! Boom!**
Everywhere Ray turned, the same thing occurred.
“D-did Ray do that?”
“Y-yeah, looks like it.”
Fear began to swell uncontrollably within the children.
They envisioned themselves writhing on the ground, consumed by flames, but their legs felt glued to the spot.
The only relief was that Ray’s fireballs were solely targeting the scrap piles, as if his sole intent was their destruction.
“That’s good, right? The piles are far apart, so the fire won’t spread much.”
“Y-yeah, and there are enough piles that maybe Ray’s strength will run out first.”
As a glimmer of hope began to form, Ray abruptly shifted direction, heading straight for the sector where people lived.
His steps were so deliberate and precise that there was no room for misinterpretation.
The air turned frigid.
With bated breath, everyone turned to Philip, the one they trusted most in emergencies.
But even Philip, known for his level-headedness, was at a loss.
His mouth was dry, his body soaked in cold sweat.
“Veronica,” Philip called, but she didn’t respond.
Her gaze remained fixed on Ray, her expression grim, as if analyzing something.
Realizing he had to make a decision, Philip forced himself to think.
If Ray reached the sector, then…
*Something terrible will happen. People could die.*
Magic, when misused, was a destructive force no ordinary person could withstand.
If fires broke out in the sector, no one could stop them.
And Ray himself might get hurt.
People would do anything to stop him, no matter the cost.
This had to end here.
They needed to extinguish the flames and try to talk to him.
With resolve, Philip shouted, “Go to the hotel and bring the water wagon! Now!”
“Y-yeah! Got it!”
“I-I’ll hurry back!”
A few kids sprinted off. At the hotel, there was a makeshift water wagon made from a drum, hoses, and a cart. Though not professional-grade, it was sufficient for fighting a fire of this scale.
**Tap, tap, tap, tap!**
The frantic sound of their footsteps faded.
Philip turned his focus back to Ray, steeling himself to step forward.
*Maybe… maybe we’re just overreacting. Ray might be fine and just looks like this on the outside.*
But just as Philip moved past the scrap piles, Veronica’s sharp voice snapped everyone to attention.
“Ray’s in danger!”
The mana barrier surrounding Ray was weakening against the intense flames.
Why?
Why was Ray maintaining such a flimsy barrier while cloaking himself in fire?
This wasn’t the Ray she knew.
*Did I… make this happen by telling him about Ignition magic?*
Tears welled in her eyes as guilt gnawed at her.
But there was no time for self-recrimination.
**Thud!**
Spurred by the thought of saving Ray, Veronica launched herself forward—only to twist her ankle and fall.
A figure darted past her.
“What are you doing?! Move it! He’s our leader! Ray’s in danger!”
It was Kedrick, his shout shaking the children back to their senses.
Clarity returned, sharp and undeniable.
They remembered who they were and why they were there.
“Ahhh!”
One child followed Kedrick.
“Save the leader!”
“He’s our leader! If we don’t save him, who will?!”
Soon, they all charged forward, even as fireballs rained down.
**Whoosh!**
“Dodge!”
“Look out!”
They rolled and scrambled to avoid the searing flames.
“It’s us! Don’t you recognize us?!”
“Leader! Snap out of it!”
It became clear that Ray couldn’t recognize them—or, if he did, he was consumed by hostility.
“Fire! My clothes!”
“Take them off! Quick!”
Despite the mounting dangers, Kedrick and the others didn’t flee.
Their faces burned, their bodies ached, and fear of death loomed large.
But amidst it all, a spark of courage—bright yellow like sunlight—kept them standing their ground.
Especially Kedrick, whose courage shone brightest.
**Boom! Whoosh!**
“Ray! Snap out of it! Please!”
In Kedrick’s small frame, determination burned as fiercely as the fire around him.
The boy thought to himself:
*Ray extinguished my fire… Now it’s my turn to return the favor.*
For minutes, the tense standoff continued until—
“Look out!”
“Gale! Watch out!”
A ball of fire hurtled toward a boy who had fallen and was still unable to rise.
The distance was too great for anyone to help.
Everyone imagined a horrifying scene in their minds.
But—
**Boom!**
What happened next was nothing like their expectations.
A transparent, dome-like shield, reminiscent of glass, had formed around Gale.
It was a barrier.
“What is this…?”
Gale muttered in a daze, staring at the smoke rising from the point of impact.
Soon, two sets of hurried footsteps and urgent voices approached the scene.
“Ray!”
“Can you hear me? It’s me, Philip!”
It was Veronica and Philip.
Veronica, who had sprained her ankle, was being supported by Philip.
**Whoosh—!**
A fireball flew toward the two, only to be blocked by another quickly formed barrier.
The bombardment continued, but the barrier moved forward in sync with Philip and Veronica’s steps.
**Boom—! Bang—! Boom—!**
At last, Veronica and Philip stood directly in front of Ray, leaving a short distance between them.
“I’ll take care of the others.”
“Understood.”
Veronica nodded faintly.
Soon, beyond Ray’s back, Philip could be seen stepping outside the barrier to attend to the injured.
**Boom—! Bang—!**
Ray remained focused solely in one direction.
As if the sole purpose given to him was to destroy the obstacle before him.
**Boom—!**
Each explosion caused the barrier to crack deeply, only to repair itself repeatedly.
Ray was forcibly drawing mana from the atmosphere at full capacity.
The girl felt terribly dizzy.
But she didn’t stop.
The rising gray smoke.
The crimson flames consuming the boy.
Amidst it all, the girl glimpsed the boy’s eyes through the chaos.
…Those eyes, usually dry and emotionless.
Yet now, within them was a palpable hostility and an unfathomable coldness.
*‘Mana intoxication…? Is he in a state of mana intoxication?’*
It was a condition where one’s rationality was overwhelmed, and they became consumed by specific emotions.
No other explanation came to mind for the current situation.
Memories of Ray casually using atmospheric mana in the past flashed through her mind.
“……”
It was highly likely mana intoxication.
**Boom—!**
It was terrifying. Overwhelming. She wanted to flee immediately, but she couldn’t.
*‘Ray’s shield is reaching its limit. If this continues, Ray will be consumed by the flames.’*
When asked why he insisted on paying for meals, Ray had said:
*”You repay what you receive.”*
In that case, she would repay him too, even as tears welled up in her eyes.
“Repay what you… receive….”
To the girl, the boy was her savior.
He had saved a struggling bookstore and become a small light in her lonely, desolate days.
Though their time together was brief, she believed the depth of their bond was undeniable.
So, the girl could not back down.
*‘There are two options.’*
Stop the fire himself, or extinguish the flames with an external force.
Given Ray’s current state, the first option was entirely impossible.
And as a half-trained mage without a mana circle, she couldn’t extinguish Ray’s flames herself.
…No, even if she had a circle, the difference in their abilities was so stark it likely wouldn’t have mattered.
Her only option was to endure until reinforcements, such as a water truck, arrived.
Pulling in the stiff, resistant mana of the atmosphere with all her might, she maintained the barrier.
**Boom! Bang!**
Fortunately, as the bombardment continued, the flames engulfing Ray’s body gradually weakened.
Perhaps his energy was depleting.
A glimmer of hope arose.
Maybe, if she could hold out a little longer, Ray’s flames would extinguish on their own.
**Boom—! Bang—!**
Veronica gritted her teeth and endured.
The more bombardments there were, the weaker Ray’s flames became.
Yet they still burned with enough intensity to prevent anyone from approaching recklessly.
At the same time, Veronica’s mental strength was reaching its limit.
*‘…My head is spinning. I feel like I’m going to be sick.’*
The speed at which the barrier repaired itself was slowing, and more precarious cracks began to appear.
Meanwhile, her reservoir of mana filled with a vast amount of white mana.
The white mana within her began to emit an intense brilliance unlike anything she had seen before.
**Woooooong—!**
It then started to converge toward a singular form already present within her core.
During this time, tears formed in the girl’s eyes.
—**Boom!**
Please.
—**Bang!**
Just a little longer.
—**Bang! Boom!**
At least until the flames die out.
The children, who had barely regained their composure, watched breathlessly as the scene unfolded, exhausted but silent.
They all knew there was no room for interference in this battle of unknown forces.
They could only pray fervently.
*Ray!*
*Captain! Snap out of it!*
*Please recognize us!*
*Ray! Please!*
The girl, Veronica, was no different.
But the world was always cruel and unforgiving.
**Boom—!**
In the end, the barrier broke before the flames could extinguish.
*‘Ah….’*
Veronica immediately realized it was over as she saw another fireball forming—this one many times larger than the rest.
Her mental strength was depleted, leaving her unable to create another barrier.
With a sprained ankle and no strength to dodge, escape was impossible.
*Thud!*
Kedrick and the children bolted toward her, trying to save her.
But they were a step too late.
*Fwoosh!*
The fireball began to tremble.
The girl, imagining the unbearable pain to come, closed her eyes tightly.
In that seemingly eternal, sluggish moment, she thought:
*‘I’ll be okay.’*
She felt the fireball begin to move.
Tears, too heavy to hold back, slid down her cheeks.
*‘I just hope you’ll be safe.’*
And then—
**BOOOOOM—!!**
A massive explosion erupted.
The wind from behind blew, causing the girl’s red hair to flutter.
Unexpectedly, there was no pain.
Cautiously, she opened her eyes.
And what she saw made her chest swell with emotion.
The flames that had engulfed the boy’s entire body were gone.
Vanished without a trace, revealing the boy beneath them.
“Veronica…?”
The boy’s voice, as though waking from a dream, called her name.
His gaze was fixed on the white sun within her core.
It shone far brighter than it had before, a radiant light surpassing anything she had seen.
And in that beauty—
*Drip.*
Tears streamed down the boy’s face.
