Leonardo hurled his body with all his might against the seals enclosing the iron cage.
The impact caused the heavy metal structure to drag across the floor, gradually shifting to the side—until it abruptly stopped, as if blocked by an invisible wall.
Fearing his body would be the first to give out, he ceased his efforts and immediately sought another approach, rubbing his aching forearm.
At that moment, his gaze fell on the handcuffs and shackles binding his wrists and ankles.
Magic stone handcuffs were renowned for their toughness—they wouldn’t break easily. Usually, if someone tried to remove them by force, other things ended up damaged instead. But looking at it differently, if something struck hard enough against the magic stones, either the stone or the object it hit might break.
Quickly adjusting his stance, he brought his hands together and started swinging the handcuffs attached to his wrists wildly toward the iron cage. Gradually, the joints of the supposedly unbreakable magic stone cuffs loosened, and before long, they slipped off with a clatter.
"Damn, they wrapped them tight."
Leonardo frowned, rubbing his sore wrists. This wasn’t something he could repeat.
Still, now freed from the cuffs, manipulating his mana felt much easier. He took a steady, deep breath and moved on.
Grasping one of the two iron bars with each hand, he had wondered why they wouldn’t budge no matter how hard he struck them. Now he realized—they felt especially sturdy, as if reinforced with other materials.
Clenching the bars tightly and pouring out heat continuously, the surface softened just a little. Although his mana drained rapidly, it was somewhat bearable this time, perhaps because circumstances had shifted.
Leonardo wasn’t as strong physically as Hugo, but he was far from weak. Combining his inherent strength with all his effort, he pulled the two bars apart. The metal hissed and bent aside.
However, the black tarp wrapped around the cage wasn’t ordinary either—it repeatedly caught fire and smoldered, and he felt a strange unease as his mana was absorbed, as if his hands were being sucked in.
Quickly withdrawing his hands, he pressed the back of one against the surrounding area and detected the magic stone nets wrapped tightly around him. He sighed in frustration. Nothing here was coming undone easily.
“How do I get out...?”
Leonardo stepped back two paces, dropped to the floor, and pondered his options. As he massaged his stiff neck, turning his head side to side, a cracking sound came, and the tension eased slightly.
Still, the tarp and magic stone nets held fast. After a moment of thought, roughly running his hand through his hair, an idea struck him: if he could alter the volume of the rectangular metal box trapping him, cracks might form in the tightly fixed outer layers.
In other words, if he could deform the iron cage by crushing it entirely, the taut nets would loosen, and he could slip through the gaps with less effort.
The problem was that the men outside wouldn’t silently wait for his escape attempt.
At the slightest unusual sign, they’d attack immediately. This iron cage served as a fortress too, so he wouldn’t die outright—but it would clearly become much harder to escape if they noticed.
Therefore, all this had to be done quickly, without drawing attention.
Only one chance.
Organizing his thoughts, Leonardo slowly rose again. Through the gaps in the tightly woven magic stone nets, a bone-chilling cold mana flowed in.
The mana was so familiar it identified its owner at a mere brush—‘he’ was watching, even without eyes.
The energy came from above, so it was best to avoid a direct confrontation upward.
A smile spread across Leonardo’s lips—he had a good idea.
****
Hugo, who had called for backup, grew puzzled as the man causing a ruckus near the ice wall suddenly fell silent.
The sudden quiet was suspicious, but after some time with no movement, Andreas spoke first.
“Is he tired?”
Hugo hesitated to answer.
Earlier, near the iron cage, he had distinctly felt the man’s mana gradually leaking away. The current weak flow didn’t mean he was free, but it was undeniable the man was skilled at hiding and revealing his mana.
“The guy I fought never tires like this. Don’t let your guard down.”
At Hugo’s grave tone and expression, Andreas nodded seriously.
Then, as if waiting for them to relax, the creaking sound of metal bars bending sharply echoed. Both shifted their gaze as the iron cage’s corners visibly caved inward.
Instantly, Hugo surged into the center of the ice wall and extended his hand toward Leonardo’s cage.
“Burster Splash.”
A blue magic circle enveloped the entire airspace of the ice wall. From it, a giant whirlpool of water erupted, crashing to the ground with a roar that shook the surroundings. The frozen tip of the vortex struck the bars, tearing the surrounding area apart.
Streams of water hit the ground like cannonballs, forcing the ice wall upward and cracking the earth below, churning it into a muddy mess. The ejected soil mixed with the whirlpool, turning into a murky flood that obscured all vision.
When the ice wall’s interior had turned fully into a sea and the cage was submerged deep, Hugo withdrew his hand. As the water calmed and the movement ceased, Andreas spoke ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ with displeasure.
“Hugo, this is overkill. We’re not trying to drown him, right?”
Hugo didn’t reply, staring at the murky water.
The vast magic circle below him descended, passing through the ice wall. Impurities in the water sank to the bottom along with the circle, clearing the flood to reveal the submerged cage.
Water increased resistance and slowed everything down. Since Leonardo relied mostly on fire, Hugo assumed any magic he used now would be fatal.
But the man’s next actions proved him dead wrong.
Bubbles rose from the cage and surfaced. Alerted, Hugo and Andreas assumed combat stances.
Faint muffled thumps came from underwater, then cracks began forming on the ice wall’s surface. Andreas quickly wrapped tree vines around it to prevent shattering.
Kwaaang!
With a tremendous crash, part of the ice wall exploded, sending an explosion outward. The force blasted away the lower ice wall tightly bound by tree trunks.
The ensuing water splash soared skyward. Andreas hurriedly raised a barrier in front of himself and Hugo.
“Ahhh!”
“Run!”
As sharp shards of ice flew and the wall broke open, the vast floodwater poured out. Spectators screamed and fled, turning the Imperial Capital’s center into chaotic flooding.
Amid the torrent, golden hair tangled with hundreds of tons of water burst through the cracked wall, rushing into the square’s center.
“Cough—ugh... Thought I was done for.”
Sprawled on the ground, drenched, Leonardo coughed hard and lifted his pale face. Having been trapped in darkness for so long, the sudden sunlight dazzled him.
Squinting, he staggered to his feet, bracing with one hand on the ruined ground. Then, regaining his senses, he immediately ignited flames to dry himself.
Water evaporated rapidly, sending hot steam billowing in all directions. The scattered light only highlighted his presence.
Frowning and catching his breath, Leonardo shielded his eyes and scanned the sky. When his gaze met Hugo’s watching him from above, he called out with a confident smile,
“You know, hydrogen is a great explosive. Thanks to that, I survived!”
