Eventually, the explosion ended.
Slowly, the light started fading.
What was left was expected, yet unexpected at the same time.
Joshua gasped, as what he saw was beyond explanation.
Everything was gone.
The forest, the trees, the rocks, the ground too.
Everything that was in the range of the explosion was completely vaporized.
The only thing left was flowing lava that started cooling down into molten glass.
The rest of the forest was devastated by the shockwaves alone.
Right then, Joshua saw a lone figure descending from the sky holding her staff, but something was wrong with her as her body kept flickering, turning into lightning, then back to human again and again.
“That is what I meant by losing control.” Ken removed his hand from Joshua’s shoulder and pointed at Elizabeth.
“See her?
She’s almost out of mana.
Her mental state is in a mess.
She barely has any control.
If she didn’t have that staff, she would be a goner.”
“Is she going to be alright?” Joshua stared at her, and he could see a rune was lit up in Elizabeth’s staff.
“Well, if she goes back to the academy at once, then yeah.
But wait.”
Ken frowned at Joshua.
“Why are you worried about her?
I’m the one that tanked that explosion.
Why aren’t you worried about me?”
“Well…” Joshua scratched his face with his index finger.
“You’re right in front of me unharmed.
You don’t even look injured, so it’s kinda hard to feel worried about you.”
Ken was angry but didn’t know what he was angry about, so he just kept glaring at Joshua.
are you injured?”
“What do you think!”
“Umm…
are you angry?”
“No.” Ken laughed sarcastically.
“What would I be angry about?
It’s not like I just had to fight a Unique Mana Holder while holding back so a certain someone could watch the fight and maybe learn something, and then that certain someone isn’t even a little grateful.
No, of course I’m not angry.”
“I…
I’m sorry.
I didn’t…”
Joshua panicked, not knowing what to do.
Looking at Joshua’s expression, however, Ken blinked.
“Hey, hey.
I was just kidding.
Don’t take it so seriously.”
“Huh?”
“Yeah.” Ken nodded, smiling.
“Anyways, you’ve seen a lot now.
Go inside and try to understand what you’ve learned.
I’ll ask about it later.
Also, maybe take a second shower.
We’ll go out to get you some clothes and the academy uniform.”
Joshua stood there for a moment as if wanting to say something but didn’t know how to.
“Just go,” Ken said gently.
Joshua nodded and, taking small steps, went inside the house, though there was an indescribable expression on his face.
Ken’s smile faded.
“Come on, Ken.
He’s just a kid.”
He sighed.
“Being a teacher is really not easy.”
Elizabeth floated above the molten ground, holding her staff tightly.
She needed to get back to the academy as soon as possible to stabilize her condition, but before that…
Gritting her teeth, she proceeded towards the center of the explosion.
It was a deep crater now.
There was no sign of the dome Ken had created, nor of the man himself.
For a moment, a certain thought hovered in Elizabeth’s mind—a thought that brought unknown emotional turmoil to her heart.
Was she happy?
No.
This was not happiness.
Far from it.
But before she could identify that emotion, however, the molten lava shook.
Simultaneously with her heartbeat, something—or more accurately, someone—rose from the ground.
It was obviously Ken, yet he was different.
His left hand was missing, his face and body were burned, and he coughed violently, spitting blood and lava.
But then, as if noticing her, he looked up.
“Oh, you’re still here?”
Ken asked, his surprised voice not matching the situation.
“Man, I almost kicked the bucket there.”
Saying that, he released Gray Flux mana.
Instantly, the molten lava turned into ground again.
Some rose up along Ken’s body, changing into flesh and covering his wounds, healing him.
His left hand grew back, his clothes returned, and he looked no different than before.
Elizabeth blinked, her body flickering even more intensely.