There’s an old tale where a father-in-law assigns his three daughters-in-law the task of filling a room with only a single coin. True to folktales, several solutions are passed down, but generally, they filled the room with intangible things like sound, light, scent, or heat.

If this story held true, then right now, the Abyss Plains were filled to the brim.

Explosions, smoke, thunder, and fire. The area was saturated with the aftermath of bombs dropped without reserve. Dust and debris were thrown into the air, the ground brutally torn apart, and once-flat plains were now marked by an unforgettable history.

Azi barked as he watched the carnage.

"Woof! Bad humans! Such a ruckus!"

"Not all humans are bad. That guy over there’s the real bad one."

As Azi dragged me away from the blast range, the Regressor confronted Locket with Tianying. The Regressor, shielding himself from the heatwave with a storm, glared at Locket and shouted.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

“This is what I’m doing!”

Locket planted his hand on the ground, and from where his palm touched, metal spread out like tree roots, fueled by alchemical power that transformed soil and sand into metal. Though weak and brittle since it was hastily made, even cheap metal gains value in the hands of a master like him.

"Blow up and die!!"

Metal buried deep in the ground erupted in a massive explosion, causing the earth to split and overturn. Dust and smoke swirled until visibility was zero, and the only clue to the explosion’s magnitude was the vibration transmitted through the ground.

Terrified by the rampant destruction, Azi whined louder as he pulled the cart along.

“Awooooo! Damn humans!”

“Humans are sorry.”

“Woof!”

Alchemy combined with unique magic can create value from almost nothing. Though it’s merely low-quality metal derived from soil, Locket can use it as bombs. Indeed, Locket, who effectively wields unique magic and alchemy, is formidable.

But...

“Do you have a death wish?”

The Regressor was stronger. Braving the storm with Tianying and severing the ground with Jizan, he tore through the advancing metal roots, leaving no room for harm. With a murderous intent, he gripped his twin blades horizontally and muttered ominously.

“Fine. Then I’ll kill you now.”

The Regressor swung Tianying as soon as he was sure his opponent was an enemy.

“Heavenly Sword Technique, Dragon Slice!”

Smoke and dust split diagonally as the elongated Tianying cut through everything between the Regressor and Locket. The invisible blade carved a deep gash from Locket’s shoulder down to his side, causing him to stagger heavily.

“Kuh...!”

Locket stumbled before collapsing onto a nearby quad. The Regressor coldly murmured as he gazed down with icy eyes.

“Hmph. Pathetic.”

The Heat Nation’s chieftains, though different from the Military Nation, have strength comparable to the Six Generals. However, purely in terms of combat, they fall short compared to the battle-hardened generals. Even so, to be so overwhelmingly defeated—it must be a matter of compatibility. The Regressor, wielding greater mysteries, is resistant to intermediate magic but vulnerable to pure martial techniques.

Leaving it to him was a good call... Wait a second.

“Shea! Don’t let your guard down!”

At that moment, just as I read the thin thread of thought connecting his mind, dozens of bombs came hurtling toward the Regressor. Fortunately, he instinctively took a defensive stance before I even had a chance to shout. His Celestial Recoil moved his body faster than thought, and the soaring Tianying accurately sliced through the heart of the explosion.

Though he successfully blocked the attack, the scene that followed left him speechless.

As the smoke cleared, Locket hovered in the air, looking down at her. Attached to him were wings, many times larger than those of the Wing Troop, with countless small thrusters embedded like feathers. His tail feathers emitted a brilliant red flame, holding him aloft, while launchers attached to his talons glowed a cold, steely blue.

It was the Juggernaut of the Heat Nation—the Winged Drake. The large quad he had been riding transformed into its true form.

He spread his flaming wings wide, gasping for breath.

The Regressor furrowed his brows.

“What? You’re still alive?”

“Hah! Did you think I’d die from that pathetic attack?!”

‘That was close! Without my rebound armor, I’d have been a goner…!’

Rebound armor, as I read from his mind, is a type of armor that surrounds his body with directional explosives, creating a repelling force upon impact—similar in principle to rebound martial arts. The difference is that it functions automatically, even without conscious activation. Because of the explosion’s shockwave, he must have fainted temporarily, making it seem like he was dead.

“Well, so you had a hidden ace!”

“No, I wasn’t hiding it.”

“But now I won’t hold back! I’ll kill you with everything I’ve got!”

With a fierce declaration, Locket’s talons spread, raining down countless bombs below.

Explosions continued without pause. Locket flew rapidly, hurling bombs at the Regressor, who dodged swiftly, but Locket trailed him closely.

“Ugh! So annoying!”

The Regressor slammed Jizan into the ground, launching chunks of earth that he used as stepping stones to leap into the air. He propelled himself forward with a burst of wind from Tianying, hurtling toward Locket in a near-acrobatic maneuver. In the blink of an eye, the Regressor soared skyward.

“Hah! Pathetically slow!”

However, no matter how he tried, he couldn’t match the speed of Locket’s thrusters. As the Regressor leapt powerfully upward, Locket circled wide, staying ahead. The Winged Drake’s speed was faster than an arrow, and the Regressor soon abandoned the chase, falling back to the ground, where he swung Tianying toward the retreating figure.

“Tch! Celestial Sword Technique, Piercing Blade!”

“Not a chance!”

A deflecting explosion met Tianying’s swing, forcing the Regressor to control the recoiling blade as he muttered to himself.

“A shield?”

“Hah! It’s the Winged Drake’s Storm. Even if I explained it, your pea-brain wouldn’t understand!”

The so-called “storm” was just iron dust. Locket’s thrusters scattered leftover iron powder into the air, forming small, airborne bombs. The tiny particles, designed to detonate on contact, shielded Locket from the Regressor’s attacks. As he spread his flaming wings wider, he shouted triumphantly.

“Wind Blades? Quite the rare item you’ve got there! But even so, you’ll never reach me!”

“That guy…! All he does is run away!”

“It’s called strategy, not cowardice!”

Ascending beyond reach, Locket unleashed another wave of bombs. Having just swung Tianying, the Regressor couldn’t dodge and instead encased himself in Rebound Energy.

BOOM! A massive explosion followed, scattering thick dust clouds. Watching with satisfaction, Locket proclaimed victoriously.

“Haha! I got you!”

“What? With that measly explosion?”

Indeed, bombs were not the ideal weapon. The Regressor, fortified by countless elixirs, possessed formidable endurance. Though his clothes bore a little soot, he had withstood the entire explosion with sheer Rebound Energy, resting Jizan on his shoulder.

“All you can do is buzz around like a fly! Don’t act all high and mighty with such a pathetic ability!”

“Pathetic?! Coming from someone scurrying on the ground, you’ve got some nerve!”

Soaring even higher, Locket shouted out.

“They all laughed at me, just like you! But in the end, the one who wins, the one who stands tall, will be me!!”

The relentless battle continued, though it grew wearisome. The Regressor hurled rocks and unleashed Wind Blades, but Locket was too fast, and most attacks missed. Even when he managed to hit, Locket’s rebound armor blocked them, and any assault on his wings barely scratched the Juggernaut. The Regressor stomped his foot in frustration.

The same held true for Locket. His lighter bombs couldn’t so much as scratch the Regressor’s Rebound Energy. He had no choice but to produce stronger bombs, yet even attempting this in midair left him vulnerable to counterattack. Locket switched his tactic to slowly depleting the Regressor’s stamina.

‘Damn, he’s too fast! If only I were a gunner, I’d snipe him. Or if Tianying could channel lightning, this would be over! Isn’t there any other way?’

‘Damn it, throwing rocks and firing gusts of wind, all while maintaining Rebound Energy? Does he have an endless supply of stamina?’

As both struggled with limited options, time dragged on. Breaking this stalemate required something… drastic.

Tir, in the air against Locket, was of little use. Hilde’s appearance wouldn’t be appropriate here. Looks like it’s up to me.

Ugh, I didn’t want to reveal my unique magic here… If anyone sees, they’ll start questioning my true identity.

“Azi, don’t tell anyone about this.”

“Woof? About what?”

Well, as if a dog could even understand what I’m about to do. I extended my hand toward the air, toward the lingering iron dust from the explosions. The particles felt heavy, drawn to my hand as they clung tightly.

Maximilien’s unique magic is the power to rotate gears, freely adjusting them left and right. By countering his movements, he nullifies unique magic. It happened to work well with me.

But Locket’s unique magic grants explosive properties to metal, which means that even if I steal his magic, there’s no way to stop the explosions.

However, I could trigger an explosion he wasn’t expecting. I just had to do it before he realized.

I reached into Locket’s mind.

Born with a physical disability, he had lived in a constant state of inferiority since birth. Fortunately, his condition didn’t completely incapacitate him, but it meant he never stopped fighting. If anyone mentioned his deformity, he would charge at them, fists swinging.

Kicked out of Claudia at the age of ten, Locket became a scavenger. His innate condition continued to be a hindrance in this life. Every small bump the wagon hit felt like a hammer driving into his spine.

Locket was furious—furious at the stones that caught his wheels, at his own body, and at his helplessness.

Then, one day, fate led him to an encounter that changed everything.

The Floating Fortress of the Magical Federation.

A marvel created by Golden Mirror himself, it was the most powerful Juggernaut, the very home of the Demon King in the sky. Drafted to help repair the fortress, Locket experienced flight for the first time, and it felt like a rebirth.

Flying was fast and exhilarating, and for once, he felt no pain in his spine. Locket yearned to live in the Floating Fortress, but as a mere scavenger, it was nearly impossible to stay within the heart of the Magical Federation. Yet during his time there, a mage’s words struck him deeply.

“The Floating Fortress doesn’t really fly. It’s simply an ancient land that hasn’t yet fallen. If you don’t understand that difference, you’ll never belong here.”

He wasn’t sure if it was a hidden truth or some metaphor, but it didn’t matter. The mage’s words resonated with Locket.

When he returned to the ground, Locket built cannons. His prized artillery, designed to hurl precious steel at others at high speed, was considered the most foolish weapon in the Heat Nation. But he didn’t care; his dreams fueled his work.

Watching the cannonballs soar, Locket shaped his own vision.

If explosions continue, if he keeps burning everything within him, he would soar forever, never falling.

Just before it all collapsed, he would vanish in a blaze of glory in the air.

Unique magic—Fireworks.

With a full understanding of his resolve, I extended my hand toward him.

BOOM! One of Locket’s wings detonated.