Chapter 53: 53: Fire at the Door (3)
Several ordinary people fell to the ground. Tina stepped back with fear and excitement. Adrian’s guards pulled him farther away. Orven and Malik both turned serious at once.
Peter gritted his teeth. "Rank Four."
Jenny’s face turned white. "Lucard."
Dorian lifted his hand. His voice was colder now, no longer playful.
"You wanted my real power. Then burn properly."
A large magic circle appeared behind him, glowing red and gold.
"Velkhur War Art. Crimson Furnace Palm."
Fire gathered into a giant burning hand and shot toward Lucard.
Lucard tried to dodge, but the pressure slowed him. He forced blood under his feet and pushed his body sideways. The burning palm struck the ground where he had stood, blasting stone apart. The shockwave threw him across the street. He rolled, coughed, and stood again with difficulty.
Dorian did not give him time.
"Velkhur War Art. Ember Chain."
Chains of fire erupted from the ground and wrapped around Lucard’s left arm and right leg. The flames burned through his clothes and bit into flesh. Lucard cut one with a blood blade, but the second tightened.
Dorian raised one finger.
"Velkhur War Art. Heartfire Lance."
A thin, bright spear of concentrated fire formed in front of him. It was smaller than the other spells, but far more dangerous. The fire was white at the center and red at the edge. The moment it appeared, Lucard knew the target.
His heart.
Jenny screamed, "No."
Peter tried to move, but a Ravencroft guard attacked him. Orven blocked another guard. Malik was too far.
Lucard gathered blood in front of his chest. A shield formed, thick and dark.
Dorian smiled without humor.
"Break."
The Heartfire Lance shot forward.
It pierced the blood shield.
It struck Lucard in the chest.
The impact lifted him off his feet. Fire exploded against his heart. His body flew backward and hit the stone road hard. For one breath, he could not move. Smoke rose from his chest. His heartbeat staggered. Pain tore through him so sharply that even his old soul went silent for a moment.
Jenny’s voice broke. "Lucard."
Jake tried to run to him, but Peter caught him with one arm.
"No," Peter said harshly. "Stay back."
Jake struggled. "Brother."
Dorian began to laugh.
It started low, then grew louder. His anger had not disappeared, but now it had mixed with satisfaction. He walked toward Lucard slowly, flames curling around his hands.
"Did you think one hidden strike made you my equal?" Dorian said. "You injured me because I allowed you to stand near me. That is all."
Lucard’s fingers twitched.
Blood moved under his burned clothes.
His eyes opened.
He coughed, and blood touched his lips. Then, strangely, he laughed too.
It was not loud at first. It was dry, painful, and rough. But it was laughter.
Dorian stopped walking.
Lucard slowly pushed one hand against the broken stone and lifted his upper body. The wound on his chest was terrible, but his eyes were calm in a way that made the laughter feel wrong.
Dorian stared at him.
Then Dorian laughed again, louder than before, as if refusing to be disturbed.
"What are you laughing at?"
Lucard looked up at him and smiled through blood.
"I was remembering something."
"What?"
Lucard’s smile became colder.
"How many arrogant fire users died after saying almost the same thing."
Dorian’s laughter sharpened. "Then remember this too. I am the one who will burn you."
At that moment, the door of the Marovain shop opened behind them.
Around them, the merchant square had almost stopped breathing.
Shopkeepers who had been shouting prices a few moments ago were now hiding behind counters, doorframes, and half-closed shutters. A fruit seller crouched behind his own cart, holding one apple in each hand like they were weapons. When he realized what he was doing, he slowly placed the apples down, then picked one up again because fear made people make very strange business decisions.
A cloth merchant pulled his expensive silk rolls away from the street and whispered, "Not the red one. Please do not burn the red one. That one came from the western caravan."
His assistant said, "Master, people are fighting for their lives. You are thinking about your clothes."
The merchant hissed, "People heal. Silk does not."
A jewelry seller locked his display case with shaking hands, then locked it again because his fingers forgot they had already done the job. Two young apprentices peeked through the narrow gap of their shop door. One of them whispered, "Is that House Velkhur fire magic?"
The other swallowed. "If it is, we should not be watching."
"Then why are you watching?"
"Because if I die, I want to know who did it."
Some merchants recognized Lucard from earlier, the young fallen noble who had entered the Marovain shop with poor clothes and walked out with Marovain guards behind him. At first, they thought he was lucky. Now, seeing him stand against a Velkhur mage, their thoughts changed. Luck did not bleed like that and still laugh. Luck did not get struck in the heart by fire and answered with mockery.
An old spice merchant narrowed his eyes from under his awning. "That boy is not normal."
His wife, who had been married to him long enough to fear debt more than fire, whispered, "Should we move the cinnamon?"
Her husband answered, "Woman, a Rank Four mage is burning the street."
"That is why I asked."
A few shop guards from nearby shops hesitated at the edge of the square. None of them wanted to interfere. This was no longer a simple noble quarrel. House Velkhur’s fire, House Marovain’s doorway, House Ravencroft’s guards, and a fallen Vardros boy who laughed while wounded. The whole thing smelled like future trouble, and merchants hated future trouble unless they could sell insurance for it.
One banker’s clerk quietly took out a notebook and wrote down names. His hand shook, but his mind worked fast. Whoever survived this would owe someone money, compensation, or revenge.
In the square, fear spread quickly. The curiosity of people was spreading faster.
At that moment Celia stepped out.
She had come after securing the spell pages, intending to check why the street had suddenly become so noisy. The moment she came outside, heat struck her face. Broken stone covered the road. Guards were fighting near the entrance. Jenny was pale. Jake was held back by Peter. Tina stood behind Dorian with a cruel smile. Adrian was shaking beside his guards.
And in the middle of the street, Lucard lay wounded with smoke rising from his chest while Dorian Velkhur stood above him.
Both of them were laughing.
Celia’s expression changed.
