The moment the frost sealed the camp, the Destruction energy clinging to the arrow detonated.
CRACK-BOOM!
A blinding flash of violet lightning erupted from beneath the ice, tearing through the frozen battlefield with manic fury.
The Hilichurls, still encased in their glacial prisons, didn't even have a chance to struggle. The lightning surged through the conductive ice, ripping them apart from the inside out.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bolts of lightning hammered down from the sky, striking the frozen statues with the force of siege weapons.
In the next second—
SHATTER!
The frozen monsters disintegrated. Under the dual assault of extreme cold and explosive thunder, their bodies simply ceased to exist as solid matter. Massive chunks of ice flew in all directions, carrying shattered limbs and debris.
The entire camp was reduced to a field of sparkling dust and scorched earth.
In less than three seconds, the once-bustling monster stronghold had been erased. Not defeated. Erased.
"..."
"..."
Dead silence fell over the forest.
Fischl, who usually had a dramatic proclamation for every occasion, was frozen. Her mouth hung slightly open, her mind seemingly short-circuited by what she had just witnessed.
She stared blankly at the bow in her hand, then at the smoking crater where the camp used to be.
This...
This was my arrow?
Is this a joke?
She had only followed Kael's instructions. She drew the bow. She loosed the arrow.
And the result was a tactical nuke that leveled the entire area.
A terrifying thought crossed her mind: If my aim had been slightly off... would I have deleted a chunk of the Whispering Woods instead?
This wasn't an attack. This was an Elemental Calamity.
"T-This... T-This..."
Fischl stammered, her composure completely shattered. Her face was a mask of shock, her golden eye wide with disbelief. She pointed a trembling finger at the devastation.
"T-This... My... My Thunder... How has it attained such calamitous magnitude?!"
Oz was equally stunned. The raven remained silent for several long seconds before finally speaking, his voice flat with bewilderment.
"My Lady means to ask: What on earth just happened?"
As he spoke, Oz turned his bead-like eyes toward the tube of reinforcement balm in Kael's hand.
What is that thing?
How can a simple paste be this terrifying?
And Kael... he was just an ordinary human, wasn't he? Before this, whenever they worked together, Kael was the strategist, and Fischl was the muscle. Even when he used alchemy, it was standard Adventurers' Guild fare.
But this?
Reinforcement Salve? Oz had lived a long time as a familiar, and he had never heard of such a thing. Was it some lost alchemical artifact?
Kael watched the scene with a strange expression.
The effect was that good?
Even he had underestimated the Ice Reinforcement Salve.
When combined with Electro, it triggered a Superconduct reaction that stripped physical resistance, followed by an Overload-style explosion, all amplified by the Destruction Path energy.
It wasn't just the salve, though. It was the synergy.
Kael thought back to last night. When he applied Clara's "I Want To Help" skill to his sword, the blade nearly shattered, and the effect was mediocre.
It depends on the vessel, Kael realized. Path skills need to be applied to the right medium.
The description of Clara's skill was: Imbues an object with Destruction energy, enhancing its original power.
When applied to a bomb (Klee), the result was catastrophic.
When applied to a projectile weapon (Fischl's arrow), the result was devastating.
When applied to a melee weapon (his sword), the result was barely passable.
Explosives and projectiles work best, Kael noted. Swords can't handle the payload.
With these thoughts settling in his mind, Kael composed himself. He looked at the crater with a calm, unimpressed demeanor.
"Hmm. Not bad. The effect is slightly better than I anticipated."
Fischl: "..."
This is called 'slightly better'?!
Fischl whipped her head around, staring at Kael with a mix of awe, shock, and existential crisis.
She had thought he was just giving her a minor buff. Maybe +10% Attack Damage.
Instead, he had handed her a weapon capable of leveling a mountain.
She looked at the bow in her hand again. Her body began to tremble—not from fear anymore, but from a rising, uncontrollable thrill. Even her twin tails seemed to twitch with excitement.
A surge of indescribable ecstasy filled her chest.
"Hahaha...!"
A low chuckle escaped her lips. Then it grew louder, evolving into her signature, unbridled laugh.
"Ahahahaha! My Thunder has indeed reached the Apex of Judgment!"
The corners of her mouth curled up uncontrollably. She gripped the bow tightly, terrified that this "divine artifact" might vanish if she let go. She turned her golden gaze on Kael, her eyes shining with intense fervor.
"Kael Arclight! Thou art truly the Chosen One of Fate! Thou art the most dazzling chapter in the Prinzessin's chronicle of destiny!"
Oz sighed, translating wearily. "She means: You are incredible, and she has decided to team up with you permanently."
"..."
Kael's mouth twitched.
Why does she sound like a cultist who just received a divine revelation?
"From this day forth, we shall stand side by side!"
Fischl suddenly stepped closer, invading his personal space. Her face was flushed with fanaticism.
"We shall march upon the battlefield together! We shall conquer the darkness, sever the wicked, and achieve the supreme glory of Unser—our shared destiny!"
Oz continued his translation service. "She means: Wherever you go from now on, she is following you."
"..."
Kael looked at Fischl.
She was vibrating with energy, her chuunibyou persona fully engaged and running at 200% capacity.
He was silent for a moment.
Then, he raised his hand.
And placed it gently on top of her head.
"Good girl. Calm down."
Pat. Pat.
"!!!"
Fischl froze instantly.
Her brain ceased all function.
Her golden twin tails twitched. A visible flush of crimson shot up her neck, painting her cheeks the color of a ripe apple. Even the tips of her ears turned a suspicious shade of pink.
"Y-You..."
"Thou..."
Fischl's voice fell apart. Her usually fluent, grandiose speech turned into a stuttering mess. It was as if her internal processor had crashed.
"Thou... Thou darest..."
She wanted to retreat. Her dignity as the Prinzessin demanded it.
But the warmth of his hand was... gentle.
She found herself unable to move, standing there stiff as a statue, trapped between embarrassment and a strange comfort she hadn't expected.
"T-The Prinzessin..."
Her voice trembled, weak and small, trying desperately to salvage her royal authority.