Chapter 569: The Grand First-Year Combat Festival: The New Sun Alchemist of Britannia III

Several minutes earlier, before Lyra's defeat…

The moment Lyra's hardened Alchemy Coat clashed against the expanding force of the Sun Alchemy explosion, the pressure around her became almost unbearable.

Golden light filled her vision.

Heat pushed against her body from every direction while the force of the explosion tried to drive her backward across the platform.

Yet Lyra pushed forward.

Her boots dragged against the damaged ground as she leaned into the pressure, both hands gripping her scythe.

She forced her body to keep moving.

A burning sensation suddenly struck the hand holding the scythe.

Lyra's fingers tightened around the handle despite the pain.

She lowered her eyes for only a moment.

The metal had become hotter.

Much hotter.

The heat had spread through the weapon from the earlier explosion, and the longer she continued holding it, the more the burning sensation climbed through her fingers and into her palm.

Her skin was beginning to burn.

Lyra looked back up.

She didn't care.

Her eyes returned to the battlefield ahead.

She continued pushing.

Her shoulders trembled under the pressure.

The heat pressed against her face, and the ends of her hair moved wildly in the violent air.

Unlike Ravenor, who could create a barrier out of flames and use his Flame Alchemy to protect himself from an attack like this, Lyra was a Gun Alchemist.

She had firearms.

She had her scythe, and she had her Alchemy Coat.

But creating a shield by stacking firearms together required something more.

A Gun Alchemist needed to be capable of performing Alchemy Levitation.

That ability allowed the firearms to be controlled freely and arranged into defensive formations without the Alchemist needing to physically hold each weapon.

And Alchemy Levitation could only be performed by an Adept Alchemist and above the Alchemist rank.

Lyra was only a Binder Alchemist.

There was a difference between them that couldn't simply be ignored.

The power balance in this Best Loser's Match was completely mismatched against her.

And she knew that.

She had known it before the fight even began.

Ravenor Burnwick was a genius of Flame Alchemy.

Maxwell had now revealed an Alchemy Path powerful enough to make even the High-ranking Alchemists pay attention.

And Lyra stood between the two of them.

Even if she risked her life, she knew she wasn't going to win.

But…

"AHHHHHH!!!!"

Lyra shouted.

Her voice was almost swallowed by the roaring explosion.

She pushed again.

Her right boot scraped across the ground.

Her left foot followed.

The hardened Alchemy Coat around her body resisted the heat while her scythe remained in front of her, giving her something to brace against.

The ground beneath her feet had already been damaged.

Cracks spread through the surface.

One of the larger cracks from the earlier standstill between Ravenor and Maxwell had opened into a hole nearby.

Lyra saw it.

And she quickly made her decision.

With another burst of strength, she pushed herself toward it.

Her body moved through the heat.

Then she jumped.

Lyra dropped into the cracked hole.

The moment she entered, she pulled her arms closer to her body and allowed the Hardened Alchemy Coat to cover as much of her as possible.

Her Cognis surged.

It flowed through her body and into her skin.

The hardening function increased and her skin became tougher.

Plus, her hair was reinforced as well.

She had to use a large amount of Cognis just to keep her back and body from being burned by the heat pouring over her.

The explosion continued expanding above her.

Golden light filled the opening.

Pieces of broken stone fell into the hole.

Dust covered her shoulders.

Then more debris dropped around her.

Lyra lowered her head and endured it.

She remained inside the hole until the strongest part of the explosion passed.

At the end of the expansion, the Golden Flames finally began to recede.

The pressure decreased.

The violent wind weakened.

The light that had filled the battlefield faded enough for Lyra to move again.

She pushed herself upward.

Debris slid from her back and shoulders as she climbed out of the hole.

A small piece of stone fell from her hair.

Another struck the ground beside her.

Lyra stepped onto the platform.

Her eyes immediately moved across the battlefield.

And then she saw them.

Maxwell and Ravenor.

They were already fighting.

The two Young Alchemists moved across the damaged platform at a speed that made it difficult for Lyra to follow.

Their positions changed every few milliseconds.

One moment Maxwell was in front of Ravenor.

The next, Ravenor had moved to his side.

Then their fists collided.

The sound reached Lyra a moment later.

She watched them exchange blows.

For a few seconds, she simply stood there.

Her breathing remained heavy.

The heat still burned against her skin.

She looked down.

Her hand moved toward the scythe.

She grabbed the weapon.

Her fingers released it.

The scythe fell from her hand.

Clang!

Lyra stared at it.

The weapon was simply too hot to hold.

She flexed her fingers.

The skin of her palm had already begun showing burns.

"Ahhh."

Lyra exhaled.

Her eyes returned to Maxwell.

"What kind of Alchemy is that monster of a boy using?"

She asked herself.

Her gaze followed Maxwell as he moved.

She tried to keep up.

She watched his feet.

Then his shoulders.

Then his fists.

But every time she thought she understood where he would move next, his position changed again.

Ravenor was just as fast.

The two continued exchanging attacks in the middle of the platform while Lyra remained farther away, watching.

For the first time in her life, Lyra actually felt like she should just walk down from the platform herself and give up.

She had already seen enough.

Her body hurt.

Her hand was burned.

Her Cognis had been consumed by the Hardened Alchemy Coat.

And the two people fighting in front of her were simply operating on another level.

She could leave.

Nobody would blame her.

At least, that was what part of her mind was telling her.

Then…

Slap!

Lyra's hands struck both sides of her face.

The sound surprised even her.

She blinked.

"What are you thinking, Lyra Ashburn?"

She rubbed her cheek.

Her eyes remained fixed on the fight.

Maxwell moved past Ravenor's fist.

Ravenor immediately turned and attacked again.

Their bodies crossed through the battlefield like two flashes.

Lyra watched them.

Then her expression changed.

"This shouldn't be the thought of the girl who is one day going to become Lady Vera's close aide in action."

She spoke quietly to herself.

Her fingers curled.

"If I'm going to continue walking beside the Lady, who will surely go beyond what people expect her to reach…"

Lyra lowered her hand.

"I can't stop here. Especially when two strong Alchemist are right in front of me."

Her voice became firmer.

She looked down at her burned palms.

The pain was still there.

She could feel it.

But this time, she didn't pull away.

Lyra moved both hands together and interlocked her fingers.

Then she stretched.

Crack.

Crack.

Crack.

Her bones popped.

She rolled her shoulders afterward.

The movement caused the Hardened Alchemy Coat to shift slightly across her body.

Lyra looked at her palms again.

The burns were more obvious now.

Red marks covered parts of her skin.

Her fingers twitched from the heat.

She slowly reached down and picked up the scythe again.

The moment her fingers closed around the red-hot handle, the burning sensation returned.

Her hand almost loosened.

But she held on.

Her jaw tightened.

Cognis immediately passed through her body.

She directed it toward her palms.

The skin hardened.

The burning sensation didn't disappear.

It simply became something she could endure.

Lyra stared toward Maxwell and Ravenor again.

"Even if I'm going to lose…"

Her fingers tightened around the scythe.

"I should get something out of it."

She licked her lips.

The corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

Her white and purple eyes sharpened as she watched the two Young Alchemists continue fighting.

"Let's go, Lyra."

She said to herself.

There was excitement in her expression now.

Not because she suddenly believed she could win.

She knew better.

Instead, she wanted to see how far she could push herself against monsters like these.

She raised the scythe.

And stepped forward.

Back to the present…

Lyra had already been defeated.

The Medic staff carried her away from the fight platform.

The temperature around the battlefield was still high enough that an ordinary person couldn't simply walk across the platform without risking serious burns.

Even the Medic staff had to remain careful.

Their protective equipment helped them withstand the heat as they moved Lyra away from the damaged battlefield.

Lyra remained conscious.

Her breathing had become more controlled, although she was still tired from the fight.

The Medic staff carried her farther from the platform.

Maxwell glanced toward them.

His golden eyes followed Lyra for only a moment.

Then his attention returned upward.

His eyes moved toward the sky.

The view had changed.

The battlefield below was no longer the most important thing.

A large scarlet glow had appeared in the sky above the arena.

The colour reflected faintly across Maxwell's golden eyes.

He stared at it.

A small smile appeared on his face.

"I knew he was going to go for that."

Maxwell said, while his eyes remained fixed upward.

The scarlet glow continued spreading through the sky.

The colour had become difficult to ignore.

Even the spectators who had been watching the ground were now looking upward.

Some stood from their seats.

Others leaned back to get a better view.

The scarlet light reflected across the Holographic Screens.

Maxwell already knew what it meant.

Ravenor had unleashed his Mass Alchemy.

Maxwell's smile widened slightly.

"It's only right for me to reply with my own Mass Alchemy of the Sun."

He moved his right hand to one side.

Then he moved his left hand to the other.

His arms opened.

His body settled into position.

Clap!

His hands came together.

Cognis surged from his body.

The pressure immediately changed around him.

Two small Novarite stones appeared under his control.

They were much larger than the tiny particle-sized piece he had used earlier.

That earlier piece had been small enough to look almost meaningless.

Yet it had still contained an enormous amount of power.

These two were different.

They were visibly larger.

Maxwell controlled them with his Cognis.

The Novarite stones floated near him.

At the same time, Cognis moved through his body.

It traveled from his upper arm.

Then through his forearms.

Then into his hands.

From there, the Cognis flowed rapidly out through his palms.

Alchemy Symbols appeared.

They connected together.

The Sun Alchemy Circle began forming.

The Golden Circle expanded as more Cognis entered it.

Maxwell's eyes remained focused.

Once the Sun Alchemy Circle formed…

Boom!

Maxwell slammed his hand against the ground.

The Circle responded immediately.

It spread across the platform.

The golden Alchemy Symbols expanded outward from Maxwell's position, moving across the damaged ground until the entire fight area was covered by the Mass Sun Alchemy Circle.

The scale of it was enormous.

Above the arena, the sky was already almost filled with the scarlet glow of Ravenor's Mass Alchemy.

Now the ground below was beginning to glow gold.

The spectators continued looking in both directions.

One side of the battlefield was dominated by scarlet light.

The other was being covered by gold.

"Wha…"

A spectator couldn't finish the sentence, when another person stood up completely.

The contrast between the two Alchemy Paths made the arena feel as though two different skies had appeared at once.

Boom!

Boom!

The two Novarite stones exploded.

A large amount of Golden Flame rushed across the fight area.

The flames expanded outward, reaching the edges of the platform.

When they struck the Force Field, the barrier trembled again.

The transparent surface rippled from the impact.

Several spectators instinctively moved away from the barrier.

The Force Field held.

Maxwell continued feeding Cognis into his Mass Alchemy Circle.

His arms remained extended.

His fingers moved slightly as he controlled the flow.

The Golden Flames that had spread across the platform began changing direction.

They started moving toward the center.

Slowly at first.

Then faster.

The enormous pool of Golden Flame began flowing into the Sun Alchemy Circle.

It looked almost as if the entire mass of fire was being sucked into a vacuum.

The flames rose from the ground and curved inward.

Golden streams crossed one another.

They entered the Circle from different directions.

The brightness increased.

The heat rose again.

Maxwell continued feeding Cognis into the Circle.

The more flames were absorbed, the brighter the Alchemy Symbols became.

The Mass Sun Alchemy was gathering everything.

And the amount of energy being compressed into the Circle continued increasing.

Meanwhile, high above the platform…

Ravenor stared downward.

He could see the enormous golden Circle below him.

His scarlet eyes narrowed slightly.

Then his smile grew wider.

"So, he's also using Mass Alchemy."

His voice carried excitement.

He had expected it.

Still, seeing Maxwell create a Mass Sun Alchemy Circle of this scale made his blood feel warmer.

"It was worth waiting to complete the Mass Alchemy, since I had to make it strong enough to face your Sun, which is at the power of a Meister Alchemist."

Ravenor said to himself.

His Cognis began flowing into his own Mass Alchemy Circle.

The scarlet Circle beneath him brightened.

The large pool of scarlet flames hovering above the arena began moving.

The flames twisted downward.

They entered the Flame Alchemy Circle through multiple streams.

Each stream rotated as it descended.

Some moved clockwise.

Others spiraled inward from different directions before merging into the Circle.

Ravenor continued controlling the flow.

The large scarlet pool wasn't just created from nothing.

He continued bringing out more lighters.

They appeared around him under the control of his Cognis, and a bottle of Dragons Tear also joined the process.

The additional materials increased the amount of scarlet flame being produced.

The lighters exploded.

One after another.

Their flames joined the enormous pool already hanging above the platform.

The scarlet glow became brighter.

Then those flames were absorbed into the Mass Flame Alchemy Circle.

Ravenor continued descending from the sky.

His body moved lower and lower.

The scarlet Circle remained beneath him.

Maxwell remained on the platform below.

His golden eyes were focused upward.

Ravenor's scarlet eyes were focused downward.

Between them were two enormous Mass Alchemy Circles.

The air above the platform had become almost impossible to ignore.

Heat pressed against the spectators.

The Force Field continued protecting them.

The two Alchemy Paths were reaching their final stage.

Then…

The last of the flames were absorbed.

The scarlet Mass Flame Alchemy Circle brightened.

The golden Mass Sun Alchemy Circle responded beneath it.

For a moment, the battlefield became strangely quiet.

Then the first attack emerged.

Scarlet Flame Lances shot forward from Ravenor's Mass Flame Alchemy Circle.

One.

Then another.

Then another.

Soon, dozens filled the air.

Then hundreds.

The lances spread across the sky in different directions, their pointed ends aimed toward Maxwell's position below.

At almost the same time…

Golden Sun Lances emerged from Maxwell's Mass Sun Alchemy Circle.

They erupted from the ground.

One after another.

Dozens.

Then hundreds.

They rose toward the sky, their golden tips aimed directly at Ravenor.

The battlefield was filled with them.

Scarlet lances occupied the air above.

Golden lances filled the space below.

The two armies of Alchemy weapons faced one another.

The crowd gasped.

Hundreds of lances now filled the air and the platform.

Some spectators raised their hands over their heads instinctively.

Others took a step backward.

Several ordinary spectators stared with their mouths open.

Many even braced themselves because another heavy clash was about to occur.

The sight alone was enough to make the battle seem like something far beyond a First-Year Combat Festival.

If the ordinary humans in the arena didn't already know that there were even higher ranks of Alchemy beyond what they were witnessing, many of them might have thought this was the peak of Alchemy itself.

But it wasn't.

The people who understood Alchemy knew there were still greater heights.

Yet that didn't make the sight in front of them any less shocking.

Back on the platform and in the sky above it…

Maxwell's golden eyes locked onto the hundreds of scarlet Flame Lances above him.

Ravenor's scarlet eyes locked onto the hundreds of Golden Sun Lances below him.

The two Young Alchemists remained separated by the enormous space between the ground and the sky.

Their Mass Alchemy waited for the command.

Maxwell slowly raised his hand.

Ravenor moved his hand as well.

The surrounding flames responded.

The lances shifted.

The tips of hundreds of attacks began turning toward the same direction.

Toward each other.

The crowd grew quieter.

Even the people who had been shouting earlier now waited.

Maxwell's golden eyes sharpened.

Ravenor's scarlet eyes became focused.

Then both spoke at the same time.

"Let's end this!!"

Their hands moved toward each other.

The command was given.

Hundreds of Scarlet Flame Lances moved downward.

Hundreds of Golden Sun Lances moved upward.

The distance between the two armies of Alchemy weapons began disappearing.

The sky shook with the movement.

The platform trembled beneath the pressure.

Scarlet and gold rushed toward the same point.

And the next clash was already beginning.