"That's right, just as you imagined in your mind. This is the result of optimising and bang all the parameters of the magic-powered mech, maximising its efficy — the activation device for the 'Frost Phoenix Magical Knight'."

  As soon as the words were spoken, Lucciliane waved her hand, which was holding the activation device, to the side. The previously retracted light barrier... or perhaps the light wings, unfolded accly.

  In that instant, a blue fme ignited around Lucciliane, not hot, but uedly cold.

  At the same time, various lines of light appeared around Lucciliane, and upon closer iion, one could see that they formed a uype of armour, unlike any on this world. When the blue fme passed over, it solidified into tangible form.

  In no time, a suit of armour, nearly 1.9 metres tall, resembling a smaller, human-shaped version of the 'White Crow' knight, appeared before them.

  "Is this... what we saw when we first arrived at the Demon King's Castle? No, it feels different."

  "That rototype. After over a month of modifications, this is the final version."

  A meical, androgynous voice, emanating from the 'Frost Phoenix Magical Knight,' echoed. Had Misako and Zillia been watg Lucciliaransform, they likely wouldn't have reised her in this form.

  Normally, Lucciliane was a girl of about 1.55 to 1.6 metres tall, but now, transformed into the 'Frost Phoenix Magical Knight,' she towered at 1.9 metres, t over Zilliane by nearly a head, making her appear four heads taller. Including the helmet, it was almost four and a half.

  "But... even if your appearance has ged, yic power should still belong to the same person. Why 't I sense yic?"

  Magic inates from the soul, and even if a person ges their appearance, ah suffit tier or ability, such as those at the tenth tier or above, should still be able the individual based on their magic.

  Yet, her Zilliane, Misako, nor Farkonia could sense Lucciliane's magic.

  "As I said, I've readjusted all the parameters, including the flow of energy."

  The 'White Crow' was so energy-inte only because of its massive frame and array of ons but also because energy leaked easily into the surrounding enviro — a natural phenomenon with magic tools and beings where magids to overflow due to natural regeion.

  Lucciliane had realised this and had worked to suppress this natural energy leakage, which prevehers from sensing her magiadvertently granting her an effect simir to that of an 'invisible fighter jet.'

  "Then, I'll be back shortly."

  With that, Lucciliaransformed into the 'Frost Phoenix Magical Knight,' leapt into the air, blue fmes erupting from her armour as she soared skyward.

  ...

  Time returo the present.

  Upon hearing those words, the masked individuals showed surprise, which quickly turo anger.

  "Who do you think you are, speaking like that?"

  "Frost Phoenix Magical Knight'. Make sure y that h you to hell."

  "How dare you act santly! Get them! Show them what we're made of!"

  With that, the masked individuals, who had been cirg the camp, gathered and began attag Lucciliane.

  In an instant, tless magic spells, flying knives, arrows, and various other ranged ons rained down on her with the power to level the entire camp, resembling a torrential storm.

  "Turn to dust."

  However, Lucciliane simply uttered these words.

  In the moment, the blue fmes surrounding the Magical Knight's armour surged into a fiery sea, resembling a tsunami of fmes that swallowed up all the ining attacks. Both physical strikes and energy-based magic were frozen, burned, and ultimately ed, as if they had been reduced to shattered ice.

  "...So cold! What is this fme!?"

  The strange blue fmes pletely baffled the masked individuals.

  In their knowledge, fmes were synonymous with heat, and after various studies on otherworldly phenomena and modern research, they knew blue fmes generally represented extremely high temperatures.

  They assumed the blue fmes from this armoured knight were no different. So, among their attacks, they included termeasures like ice-based magiagic that absorbed heat.

  But now, all their attacks had been obliterated, and they felt an unnatural cold as the blue fmes approached. This was clearly not normal!

  What was even more bizarre was that while some attacks were buro ash, others had characteristics of extreme cold, as if this blue fire possessed both the properties of heat and cold.

  If these fmes could truly bine fire and ice, it would be a terrifying force. Fire was already dangerous, but if it could burn in low temperatures, it would remove one of its greatest weaknesses, possibly even strengthening it in the process.

  "...No, we have to eliminate him here!"

  As one of the masked figures spoke, he retrieved a medal from his pocket and whispered a t.

  "...God... please grant us power... to defeat our enemies!"

  As he pleted the t... or perhaps prayer... a strange light desded from the sky, enveloping all the masked individuals present.

  "Ahh... this is the gift of the gods...!"

  "I'm ten times stronger now!"

  "Kill!"

  Enhanced by the light, the masked individuals' muscles swelled, their magical power surged, and some even grew additional limbs. Shouting inprehensible words, they charged at Lucciliane once again.

  This time, their assault finally caused her to shift her stance.

  "Iing."

  Lucciliane raised her hand, and the blue fmes enveloping her armour rapidly spread out, eventually c the etlefield.

  "Feel the pain of being burned by cold."

  To biological senses, extreme cold indeed feel simir t, especially sidering that from the perspective of otherworldly sce, the proteins that make up the human body be 'frozen' just as they be 'cooked' by heat.

  This was Lucciliane's design, inspired by her friend, Duke Salfra, who wielded both fire and ice affinity.

  "‘Frostfire Howl’."

  The blue fmes surrounding the battlefield surged acc to Lucciliane's and, engulfing all the masked individuals in an instant.

  "Ahhh!!"

  The intense sensation of 'burning' overwhelmed the masked individuals' bodies. Even though they were supposedly empowered by divine blessing, their pain was hardly diminished. In fact, the enhanced regeion abilities given to them by the blessing only made their suffering worse, as the parts buro ash regeed and were burned again, causing them to scream in agony.

  "...Looks like it's over."

  After nearly ten minutes of burning, with the enemies having lost all will to fight, Lucciliane ehe eruption of Frostfire. The masked individuals, now colpsed from pain and seemingly unscious, y like corpses on the ground.

  "Now, time to report back..."

  Just as Lucciliane reparing to leave, a loud bang suddenly echoed from the distance.