The battlefield slowly fell into silence.
The violent clash that had shaken the village moments ago was finally over.
Only the cold wind moved through the broken streets.
Houses were cracked and damaged, their wooden walls burned and shattered from the chaos of battle.
Dark demon blood stained the ground.
The corpses of demons lay scattered across the village road.
For the villagers who slowly stepped out of hiding, the sight was terrifying.
Only minutes ago, those same monsters had nearly wiped out the entire village.
Yet now they were all dead.
Killed by someone no one expected.
At the center of the street, Leon Grimheart knelt on the ground.
He carefully held the unconscious body of his younger brother.
Ragna.
The terrifying crimson flames that had surrounded him earlier were gone.
Now he looked like a normal boy again.
His breathing was slow.
His body was completely exhausted.
Leon looked down at him with trembling eyes.
"…Ragna."
The sound of hurried footsteps soon approached.
Several royal mages quickly arrived at the battlefield.
Among them were healing mages, wearing robes marked with glowing silver symbols.
One of the healing mages rushed toward Leon.
"Prince Leon, please place him down."
Leon gently lowered Ragna onto the ground.
The mage knelt beside him and raised her hands.
Soft green light spread from her palms.
Warm healing energy flowed into Ragna's body.
She carefully examined his condition.
After a moment, she spoke.
"…His body is extremely weak."
Leon frowned.
"What happened to him?"
The mage sighed quietly.
"He forced his body far beyond its limit."
"His mana reserves are almost completely empty."
"But he will survive."
Leon finally let out a breath of relief.
Nearby, other healing mages were already helping the injured villagers.
"Bring the wounded here!"
Green healing magic filled the ruined street.
Villagers who had been injured by demon attacks or falling debris were quickly gathered together.
The soft glow of healing spells spread through the battlefield.
Broken bones slowly repaired.
Deep wounds closed.
Painful cries slowly faded as the mages restored the villagers' strength.
Meanwhile, two knights carefully carried Queen Elina to a safer place near the center of the street.
Her silver hair was covered with dust and blood.
Her breathing was weak.
The moment the healing mages saw her condition, they rushed toward her.
"Your Majesty is badly injured!"
Two mages immediately placed their hands above her wounds.
Bright green healing magic surrounded her body.
The bleeding slowly stopped.
Her breathing gradually became stable again.
Not far away, another healing mage approached Sylphiya.
The young girl sat against a broken wall while holding her injured arm.
Blood had soaked through her sleeve earlier when the stone thrown by the bullies cut deeply into her arm.
The mage knelt beside her.
"Let me see."
Sylpy slowly moved her hand away.
The cut was still visible, though the bleeding had slowed.
The mage raised her hands and began using healing magic.
Soft green light covered the wound.
"You're very brave," the mage said gently.
"This injury could have been worse."
Sylpy shook her head quietly.
"…I'm fine."
Her eyes slowly turned toward Ragna.
"I just didn't want them to hurt him."
Within moments, the wound slowly closed.
The pain faded.
But Sylpy's attention never left the boy lying in the middle of the ruined street.
At the same time, several sealing mages had gathered near the bodies of the demons.
Their expressions were serious.
One elderly mage looked toward Ragna with deep concern.
"…There is no doubt."
Another mage nodded slowly.
"That power…"
"…was Infernos."
The younger mages nearby felt a chill run through their bodies.
Infernos was not just any magic.
It was one of the three ancient powers that had once shaken the entire world.
The elder mage continued speaking.
"I once served under the legendary Monarch Kaal Grimheart."
The other mages immediately turned toward him.
"You saw him fight?"
The elder mage nodded.
"Yes."
"When Kaal used Infernos…"
His voice became quiet.
"The battlefield would become a sea of crimson flames."
"Entire armies disappeared within seconds."
The younger mages swallowed nervously.
That kind of power sounded like a natural disaster.
But then the elder mage looked toward Ragna again.
"…However, what we saw today was different."
Another mage frowned.
"What do you mean?"
The elder mage crossed his arms.
"The boy did not use the full power of Infernos."
The mages stared at him.
"…What?"
He pointed toward Ragna.
"That level of destruction you witnessed today…"
"…was less than half of Infernos."
The younger mages froze.
"Less than half…?"
One of them spoke in disbelief.
"That power destroyed dozens of demons!"
The elder mage nodded slowly.
"Yes."
"But there is a reason."
He looked toward Ragna's unconscious body.
"His body is still too weak."
The mages looked confused.
The elder mage explained further.
"Infernos is an ancient power that requires an extremely strong vessel."
"If someone with a weak body tries to release its full strength…"
His expression grew darker.
"…their body would collapse instantly."
The mages understood immediately.
"So the boy's body limited the power?"
The elder mage nodded.
"Yes."
"What we witnessed today was only what his body could handle."
The group fell silent.
If Ragna's body became stronger in the future…
Then the power he could release would increase as well.
The thought alone made the mages uneasy.
At that moment, the healing magic surrounding Queen Elina slowly faded.
Her eyes opened weakly.
"…Leon…"
Leon rushed toward her.
"Mother!"
Elina slowly sat up.
Her silver hair moved gently as she looked around the destroyed village.
Then her gaze found Ragna.
Relief appeared on her face.
"He's safe…"
Leon nodded.
"Yes."
But before he could say anything else—
One of the sealing mages stepped forward.
"Your Majesty."
Elina looked at him.
"What is it?"
The mage hesitated.
Then he spoke.
"The power Prince Ragna used today…"
"…was Infernos."
Sylpy's eyes widened.
Leon froze.
But the mage continued.
"And the power he used…"
"…was less than half of its true strength."
Elina's expression changed instantly.
"Less than half…?"
The elder sealing mage stepped forward.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Prince Ragna's body is still too weak to handle the full power of Infernos."
"That is why only a portion of its strength was released."
Silence spread across the ruined street.
Leon slowly turned his head toward Ragna.
Sylpy covered her mouth in shock.
Even Elina's eyes widened.
If that terrifying power…
Was only half—
Then the true strength sleeping inside Ragna was something far more frightening than anyone had imagined.
And that realization left everyone standing there in stunned silence.