Chapter 29
“Listen to me carefully. You have to stay alert. That’s the only way we can get out of here.”
At my grave expression, Diaz and the girl nodded.
Taking both children by the hand, I approached the door. I needed to get the children who were conscious out first.
Just then, the flames spread farther along the beam and began surging into the room.
I reached out toward the flames licking like the tongue of a living snake. Then I gathered power at my fingertips.
The flames began to subside like a beast that had met its tamer. Before long, the fire on the beam had nearly died away.
But even this was only temporary. Unless I continued suppressing the power of the flames, it was only a matter of time before they spread again.
The Fire Spirit’s ability allowed me to control fire, but while it was easy to strengthen or ignite flames, controlling or suppressing them was twice as difficult. At my current level, the most I could manage was controlling the flames before me while protecting the surrounding area.
Once the flames subsided, I could fortunately see a gap beneath the beam just large enough for the children to crawl through.
“Children, can you hear me?”
Still controlling the flames, I glanced behind me and saw Diaz and the girl trembling in terror.
“You see that gap underneath? You need to get out through there.”
Though the flames had subsided, embers still remained on the beam.
The children looked at me with frightened, tearful faces.
There was no time for this. Marie and one other child still hadn’t regained consciousness.
Growing desperate, I spoke sternly to the children.
“Go!”
At that, the girl seemed to steel herself and pulled Diaz by the hand. Diaz looked at me fearfully.
“W-What about lady?”
I held out my hand and blocked the power of the flames while breaking into a cold sweat. The fire pressing in around us was growing fiercer.
But I forced myself to smile to reassure the child.
“I’ll follow right behind you with the other girls.”
Still hesitating as the girl pulled him along, Diaz nodded tearfully.
“Y-You pwomise.”
I smiled at Diaz and nodded to reassure him. Only then did the small child crouch down and crawl beneath the beam.
“You remember the door leading outside, right? Run straight out through that door!”
At my words, the children beyond the beam nodded and hurriedly made their way through the collapsed debris before running outside.
After confirming that the children had gotten far enough away, I turned back toward the two unconscious children behind me.
I would have to carry them myself.
Steeling myself, I quickly withdrew my hand and went to the unconscious children.
The moment I stopped using my ability, the flames on the beam swelled several times larger than before and blazed fiercely. Gritting my teeth at the sight, I hoisted Marie onto my back and gathered the other child into one arm.
Supporting the dead weight of two limp children was twice as difficult. My ability was related only to fire, so my physical strength was no different from that of an ordinary woman.
Every single step was difficult, and each breath caught painfully in my throat. Even so, I somehow managed to carry both children all the way to the door. I carefully set down the child in my arms for a moment and held out my hand.
The flames that had been raging like the fires of hell began to subside once more.
That was when it happened.
“Madam!”
Jared’s voice came from beyond the beam.
He had been an assassin who once sought my life, yet I had never imagined I would be so glad to hear his voice.
“Jared!”
Apparently, he had been evacuating the other children, because Jared looked terrible.
His clothes were torn and scorched in several places, and one arm appeared to have been burned, exposing bright red skin streaked with blood.
“Diaz and the other child made it outside safely.”
Relief washed over me at his words.
Fortunately, the two children had escaped safely and apparently asked Jared for help.
“F-First, take this child!”
Controlling the flames with one hand, I lifted the other child over the beam with the other. It was a feat of superhuman strength I normally could never have managed.
Jared braced one hand against the beam, which still had embers burning on it, and climbed halfway over before taking the child from me.
Only then did my heart settle somewhat.
Good. Now I only need to pass Marie over.
That was when it happened.
RUMBLE—!!
“Madam!”
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