"Zero-Distance Water Cannon!"

Andrew murmured softly, in a voice only he could hear.

Back when he used the same Water Magic against Humboldt, Andrew was just a Magic Apprentice, not even at Tier One. Now, however, he's a newly advanced Tier Three Magic Lord!

With Tier Three magic power driving the same magic, the effectiveness is naturally incomparable to back then.

There was a thunderous explosion.

A dark red, almost black fireball suddenly exploded in mid-air.

It was clearly a water cannon, so why did a fireball explode?

Because the fireball that exploded at that moment was actually Fleur's internal Fire Power as a Flame Warrior, activated by Andrew's strike, producing a powerful counterforce.

The true Water Power belonging to Andrew, under the effect of "Invisible Enchantment," remained completely invisible.

Back in that dark red small world, when facing Humboldt, Andrew adopted an "unveiled" stance, completely unleashing himself temporarily, and fully exerting the Water Magic's restraint over Fire Element Professionals. But now, he could neither be so reckless nor did he need to!

A figure flew out of that fireball.

"Cough, cough! Cough!!"

Fleur's body shot out like a cannonball from the fireball, and after her feet landed, she carved two long marks in the sand before stopping.

She didn't seem injured.

But her expression was grim.

In mid-air, the odd-shaped giant axe that Fleur had been holding steadily spun rapidly like a windmill.

Finally, with a heavy thud, it landed not far from Fleur.

The axe head buried into the sand, leaving only a portion of the handle visible above the ground.

Although Fleur appeared unscathed, the hand she previously used to grip the axe was now trembling uncontrollably!

"Damn it, damn it...!" Fleur gritted her teeth.

She reacted quickly, snatching the axe from between the "Water Demon Puppet's" palms and holding it across her back when Andrew launched the "Zero-Distance Water Cannon."

Using the axe's door-sized blade, she blocked Andrew's blast!

Though she successfully blocked it, the tremendous impact forced her to release the axe handle, effectively meaning Andrew had disarmed her with a single blast!

Moreover, the "Zero-Distance Water Cannon" was previously a top-tier offensive spell in the "Fingertip Series," enough to eliminate more than one of Humboldt's lives and destroy his "Substitute Death Puppet" in one shot. While sending the odd-shaped giant axe flying—

It also left a round hole in that immensely sturdy axe blade!

The fact that her pride, her weapon, was pierced through with a single finger by Andrew was the real reason Fleur's face had turned so grim!

"If... if I had reacted a little slower and failed to block that strike with my axe—

If my body, rather than the axe, had been directly hit—"

At this thought, Fleur forcibly interrupted the negative thoughts creeping into her mind.

She knew all too well what the outcome would be if she had been hit.

Simply put, she wouldn't just escape with her life; she would instantly lose her combat power.

The issue is...

Can a Warm Fire Mage really possess such strong offensive power?

"If it were an Earth Fire Mage, breaking my weapon wouldn't be impossible, but the resulting hole wouldn't be such a perfectly round shape."

Fleur raised her hand and pulled the axe back from the sand. Upon seeing the bowl-sized hole, her eyelid couldn't help but twitch, "As for a Warm Fire Mage, their offensive power isn't as strong as an Earth Fire Mage, and while they might create regular-shaped holes, they wouldn't be this large!

I absolutely don't believe that the Warm Fire Commerce Association could have a person like this!

Also... that chaotic combat style of someone supposed to be a Mage, not only refraining from keeping their distance but actively engaging in close combat with me..."

At this thought, Fleur took a deep breath and looked into Andrew's eyes, who had swapped positions with her after the exchange, and asked, "Are you... the last disciple of some old master from the Retirement Land? You are a Warm Fire Mage, but not actually someone from the Warm Fire Commerce Association, right!"

Just like Barbara, Fleur had mistaken Andrew for a young Warm Fire Mage trained by a reclusive strong figure from the Southern Retreat Land, quite different from the usual style of the Warm Fire Commerce Association.

Seeing Andrew not answering, Fleur became more convinced that her guess was correct.

With a cold smile, she asked, "Did I guess right? Which old master is your teacher? Didn't your teacher tell you—not to meddle in the affairs between our Magic Guild and the Warm Fire Commerce Association, hmm?!"

In terms of overall strength, the Southern Retreat Land is not as strong as the Northern Royal Court.

However, it is still a formidable force that cannot be underestimated.

After the second young lady of the Warm Fire Commerce Association married the king of the Royal Court, the originally neutral Northern Royal Court, in a way, formed an alliance with the Warm Fire Commerce Association.

Fleur looked at Andrew, who was silent in front of her, and couldn't help but think, "Could it be that not only the Northern Royal Court but even the Southern Retreat Land has been subtly drawn in by the Warm Fire Commerce Association? If that's really the case—" A resolute killing intent appeared in Fleur's eyes.

She had decided: to kill this "young magician from the Retirement Land" in the most brutal manner!

This way, to represent the Magic Guild to the Southern Retirement Land, and to make a statement: Since you've retired, stay hidden and secluded! Matters between the Magic Guild and the Warm Fire Commerce Association, this Double Fire War, are not something you have the right to interfere with!!

"You..."

Andrew finally spoke at this moment, but he did not intend to answer the other party's question, he instead asked, "…Do you know Shan Hai?"

Fleur had already decided that no matter what Andrew said next, it would not shake her resolve to kill him.

However, upon hearing the name "Shan Hai," she couldn't help but be slightly stunned, narrowing her eyes as she looked at Andrew, "You actually know Lord Shan Hai? That was the first generation 'Dragon Flame Warrior,' and also... my ancestor!" She couldn't help but slightly lift her chin, her face brimming with unabashed pride.

The Dragon Flame Warrior was the form that Flame Warriors took after undergoing Dragon Transformation.

This Fleur was indeed a descendant of the ancient female samurai from that dark red micro world!

Andrew didn't have the chance to chat much with Shan Hai; the latter had left only a name behind and departed this world in a manner that allowed them to attain release.

Yet in the recent skirmish with Fleur, Andrew once again sensed an aura from her that was similar to Shan Hai.

Looking at Fleur now, Andrew earnestly asked, "Do you know how your ancestor, that Shan Hai, died in the end?"

Fleur answered coldly, "During the crusade against the sinners of the Warm Fire Commerce Association, she died in battle as a Dragon Flame Warrior! What's this have to do with you? Even if Lord Shan Hai died in battle, she killed enough enemies before her death! She did not lose!"

Andrew was silent.

He said to himself about the truth of this so-called "Dragon Transformation" and "Dragon Flame Warrior," as expected...only he knows, and the people of the Flame Realm were unaware.

His gaze inevitably swept over the desolate beasts surrounding the Wildfire Territory in all directions, "So many Flame Warriors transformed into desolate beasts, so many lives— moreover, lives of the Magic Guild itself—can they really harden their hearts to cover it all up so thoroughly?"

Only to hear Fleur speak slowly, "So you are indeed someone from the Retirement Land, huh? The folks at the Warm Fire Commerce Association wouldn't casually mention Lord Shan Hai's name! That name is a disgrace to the Warm Fire Commerce Association!"

"Disgrace, huh..." Andrew turned his gaze back to Fleur and asked, "What if I told you that your ancestor, Lord Shan Hai, did not die in battle, or even at the hands of the Warm Fire Commerce Association's people, but was killed by those from your own Magic Guild, would you believe it?

If I told you, Shan Hai as a 'Dragon Flame Warrior' lost control of her power, actually transforming into an irrational desolate beast, and has been roaming the Inner Sea Desert all these years, would you... believe it?"

Andrew didn't have the opportunity for meaningful interaction or communication with Shan Hai.

He only knew that the other party went to a place called "Outer Battlefield" and killed many Water Mages there.

Regarding this, Andrew naturally would not forgive.

But at the same time, for Shan Hai, Andrew also had a sliver of sympathy in his heart.

"In that dark red micro world, in her final moments, Shan Hai exuded the aura of a pure, ordinary person!" Andrew thought, "At least in her last moments, she was no longer the so-called Dragon Flame Warrior, not even a Flame Warrior!"

In Andrew's view, if the power of the Flame Warriors could be washed away, abandoned.

Then, without speaking of Earth Fire Mages, just discussing Flame Warriors, this group could actually be redeemed.

Andrew couldn't forget the relief, gratitude, and... deep remorse and apology that Shan Hai exhibited in her final moments of life.

Perhaps Flame Warriors were not naturally bad!

As the Fire Extinguishing Saint Son, perhaps he was not meant to extinguish the Flame Warrior profession, but to save a group cursed by the Flame Warrior's power... ordinary people?

Andrew wasn't sure whether his thought was right, but he definitely wanted to try.

This was why, after a round of confrontation with Fleur, Andrew did not rush to act immediately, instead saying what he had just said.

"You say...Lord Shan Hai...was killed by our own people from the Magic Guild?"

Fleur widened her eyes in disbelief at Andrew's unheard-of revelation, "You mean to say that the strongest among the first generation Dragon Flame Warriors of our Magic Guild... turned into a..." unable to stop herself from glancing at the Wildfire Territory's periphery, "…a desolate beast?"

Andrew nodded.

Flame Warriors are desolate beasts, desolate beasts are transformed from Flame Warriors.

This truth, Andrew did not intend to keep to himself.

"I…" Across from him, Fleur frowned at Andrew, after a while she suddenly laughed, "...I believe you."

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