Josh looked up at his school, nearly consumed by flames. He couldn't help but blame himself for toying with Qun Via just because she was weaker than he was, and overlooked that, as a villain, she wouldn't be above killing innocents. However, he quickly shook his head, focusing on the task at hand.

  From his hammerspace pocket, he pulled out an emerald green, masterfully crafted dagger that seemed to hum with power. He remembered the words the elven mage Urui had spoken to him.

  "Magic is the energy that binds all of existence together, Miller, be it through the Aether that binds the structure of mass, energy, space, and time, or the Nether that lies within the border of the dead and the living, and the divine and the demonic. It is through the mind, by understanding and enlightenment, that one can control and use such forces, whether they be for good or ill… Tell me, Josh… what do you plan to use your magic for?"

  Josh had remained silent, a multitude of desires swirling within him. "Many things, in fact… I want to feel powerful. I want to feel special. I want to feel in control of my own life. And, if needed… to save those I love."

  The elf had nodded, his ancient eyes filled with a profound wisdom. "All of those are noble aspects, Miller, for magic is most effective when one is honest with oneself, for it opens one to the truth of what the world is, instead of what they think it is. And through that simple yet nigh impossible acknowledgment… can they truly wield such power as a mage?"

  Josh snapped back to reality, realizing that he had always been lying to himself when he was a prankster. Instead of pursuing other avenues that could still, in a way, make him a hero—like a policeman, or officer, or soldier—he had decided to lash out.

  He let out a deep breath. "But not anymore."

  Josh then spoke a word, a word that sounded ancient and powerful, something akin to Latin. "Pluvia." (Rain)

  He pointed his dagger at the sky, and a massive rainstorm erupted, the water falling in torrents, dimming the fire and limiting its spread.

  Then, Josh cast another spell, the words flowing from his lips in that same strange, Latin-like language: "inhalatio salamandrae.” (the inhalation of the salamander)

  He waved his dagger in a sweeping motion, manipulating all the flames within the building, drawing them out through the windows and into the rain clouds, where they hissed and sputtered before being extinguished.

  The onlookers watched in amazement, their fear replaced by awe as the fire that had threatened to consume the building was vanquished in such a spectacular and seemingly impossible manner.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  In the aftermath of the explosion, paramedics rushed to the scene, tending to the injured and assessing the damage. Josh, despite the chaos, found himself relatively unscathed, much to the astonishment of everyone around him.

  One of the paramedics, a seasoned veteran who had seen his fair share of superhuman feats, examined Josh's arm. "This burn… It's first-degree but…," he muttered in disbelief. "You took a direct hit from a Mark V laser cannon. An X-I-ranked weapon designed to single-handedly take out fortified bases and strongholds in an instant. Your durability… It's exceptional, even among superheroes."

  Josh shrugged, wincing slightly as the paramedic applied a soothing gel to his arm. "It still hurts like hell," he admitted. "I just don't let it bother me that much."

  Later, Ebony Blade arrived at the scene, surveying the burnt-out husk of the school building and the devastated parking lot. The destruction was extensive, a testament to the raw power unleashed during the battle. She began questioning the students and teachers, gathering eyewitness accounts of the events.

  "He quenched the fire with rain," one student stammered, wide-eyed with awe. "He summoned it with a green dagger, and then… he just sucked up all the flames and dispersed them, almost like magic!"

  Ebony Blade raised a skeptical eyebrow at the description. “Magic… really?”

  "Magic, huh?” Blue Lock let out a low chuckle. “People really like to let their imaginations run wild when they've been saved."

  "Blue Lock..." Ebony Blade mumbled evenly and then continued, placing her right hand on her hip. "If you think they're exaggerating, how do you explain the sudden rain, the camera and video footage of that man commanding the flames, or his fight against Qun Via?"

  Blue Lock snorted in dismissal. "Oh, come on, Ebony Blade. The guy could have multiple meta-genes or gadgets at his disposal to do all that, not some mystical spells these people keep raving about," he snorted and then shook his head. "I mean, you don't actually believe in that stuff, do you?"

  Ebony Blade then raised an eyebrow, her expression unreadable. "I know that having even two meta-genes is extremely rare to occur naturally, and that it's currently impossible to acquire two through genetic enhancement. And to assume there exists a device that can manipulate the weather and command flames with a spoken word… Well, that sounds even more ludicrous, don’t you think, Blue Lock?”

  The black-haired hero rolled his eyes and looked away.

  Ebony Blade then sighed. “But anyway, it is clear that this incident and the Lizard Commando one are tied to this Miller student, and for his own safety, we will have to take him into custody.”

  Blue Lock let out an irritated sigh. "Fine, but I'm not going to babysit some kid who got lucky against some C-rank fodder."

  Meanwhile, in a hidden location, the metal-haired woman from the shadowy organization watched the events unfold on a large monitor, showing Josh battling Qun Via, his control over the elements, and the conversation between Blue Lock and Ebony Blade.

  She turned to Dr. Psych, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "Good thing we have our leverage, huh?" she said.

  Dr. Psych chuckled, his cybernetic eyes gleaming with satisfaction. He pulled up a holographic image of Josh's parents, looking terrified and helpless, locked in a fortified cell. "It's standard practice if you want to get a so-called hero to do what you want…”