Honestly speaking, Barbara didn't originally want to make a move.
She knew she shouldn't make a move. For certain reasons, she actually had little strength left.
But also for certain special reasons, she chose to strike!
Just a "Gulp" sound was heard.
The sound of swallowing.
The lackeys almost trembled in unison.
For people like them, courage was nonexistent.
If they really had courage, they wouldn't bully the weak, they would have gone deep into the desert outside the town to hunt desolate beasts.
They were originally happily just coming out with the boss to have some fun.
Who could have expected the current situation—
The Crimson Knight Order of the Warm Fire Commerce Association, forming a circle.
The leading magical girl in battle dress, took control of their boss as soon as she made a move.
Damn it, the boss must have been scared silly too!
Still shouting "let go get out for me", now just like us, can't let out a peep?
But this woman who subdued the boss at once...
Damn, she's so beautiful!
Legs trembling, but eyes couldn't help but stare hard at the magical girl in front of them, almost transfixed.
You think we "gulp" because we're scared, because we're retreating in our hearts? No way!
It's because of the beautiful girl in front of us!
Compared to the most beautiful An Ya in Wildfire Town, the lackeys felt that this magical girl before them was even more so!
An Ya mainly excelled in temperament, just in terms of features, she was actually just above average.
The battle-dressed magical girl in front, however, was like a perfect sculpture, from her face to her figure, every detail, every angle, almost perfect!
Even because she was too perfect, there was instead a kind of inhuman coldness.
And if there's something this battle-dressed magical girl had less of compared to An Ya, it would be the eyes.
It's not simply fierce.
But... too cold, like a beautifully emotionless magical puppet.
"Had enough of looking?"
Barbara, at this time, had already put a coat on the girl who fainted after being rescued.
Standing up to look at the small lackeys staring at her, she said blandly, "If you've seen enough, then get lost."
The voice was very pleasant.
The tone didn't seem very fierce either, saying "if you've seen enough, get lost," instead of "what are you looking at, all get lost for me" or "keep looking, and I'll gouge your eyes out" kind of harsh words.
However, the seemingly calm tone and voice, like a heavy drum, harshly hit the hearts of many small lackeys!
The lackeys swayed, dizzy.
Some with weaker constitutions even spat out a mouthful of blood.
They were directly vomited blood from the shock of a mere "If you've seen enough, then get lost"!
They were astonished beyond measure, finally not daring to look at the girl anymore, and scattered.
At this time, no one paid attention to their boss Raymond.
Compared to a giant entity like the Warm Fire Commerce Association, Raymond, the mere sheriff of Wildfire Town, counted for nothing.
Not to mention that unbelievably beautiful and cold magical girl, any member randomly drawn from the Crimson Knight Order would absolutely surpass Raymond in individual strength!
"Hmph, rabble..."
Barbara sneered, a trace of disdain and disgust finally showing in her calm, exquisite eyes.
Looking at Raymond, she said, "You too, can get lost."
As she spoke, she manipulated magic power, withdrawing the flaming rope that bound Raymond, "If you don't scram, I might—"
The girl suddenly paused.
Showed a hint of astonishment and surprise.
Seeing the flaming rope loosen, Raymond's body swayed a few times, then fell straight back—
Thud!
Raymond's tall body fell to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Barbara: "?"
Raymond's eyes were dim, hollowly gazing at the sky dyed red by the sunset.
Clearly having lost all signs of life.
At the same time, Raymond's eyes were wide open, as if he had experienced some incredible, terrifying event he couldn't believe just before dying!
Seeing this, Barbara couldn't help but feel baffled.
Thinking to herself that she only restrained the man, but didn't seem to kill.
Could it be because she's now too heavily injured, even magic control had issues? Accidentally, did she mistakenly kill this big guy?
Thinking this way, she somewhat underestimated herself.
Even though Barbara was heavily injured for some reasons now.
Her spell control remained perfect, years of strict training had made her fundamentals extremely solid!
She just didn't expect Andrew, this presence defying the laws of the Flame Realm, to be there on site.
Time rewinds to not long ago.
At the moment Raymond was hit by Andrew's one-finger "Water Needle".
At that moment, Raymond understood what the term "smashing the dry weeds" really meant.
Andrew, on the other hand, recalled: "It's a Flame Warrior! Now I remember, this Raymond is a Flame Warrior!"
The characteristics of a Flame Warrior are "strength" and "defense".
On the contrary, "speed" is not their forte.
If they face Desert Hunters, who generally excel in speed, stealth, and assassination, Flame Warriors can barely touch their shadows.
Conversely, it's also hard for Desert Hunters to harm Flame Warriors.
Because Flame Warriors have formidable strength and even stronger defense!
How strong is their defense?
To put it simply, when Raymond fully operates his power, causing his muscles to swell, and is clad in "Flame Gauze Clothing", he can withstand some head-on charges from Desolate Beasts!
Andrew finally remembered this point!
However, he frowned instead.
The "Water Needle" was very strong. The instant it hit Raymond, it broke through the "Flame Gauze Clothing" on his body's surface and proceeded to wreak havoc on Raymond's bodily tissues.
The problem is, Raymond's body defense seems even weaker than the small fry I defeated earlier?
Andrew felt like he used all his strength to lift a bucket of water, only to find it empty, losing his balance and staggering back.
He's well aware: the feeling of "Raymond's defense being inferior to a small fry" is absolutely not in line with reality.
So the only explanation is:
His Water Magic has a profound "restraint" effect on Raymond's Fire Power!
This is the only way to make sense.
Just like how his Water Spirit Technique and Seed of the Water Spirit have a restraining effect on lung burns!
Indeed, it is a restraining effect.
Raymond can attest to this.
This Sheriff's will to survive is very strong.
After the initial shock and panic, he regained his composure with strong professional acumen.
Then he mobilized all the flame power within him to resist the finger power invading his body.
But soon realized: no matter how much power he mobilized to block, the result was still a defense breach, a defense breach, and another!
"What the hell is going on?"
Raymond finally couldn't hold on any longer.
He could feel Andrew's finger power restraining his flame power.
The intense flame heat that once burned within him was having a terrifying trend of being extinguished, quenched, during the consecutive breaches!
In this feeling, Raymond was about to go crazy!
But he still tried hard to discern it.
Moments later, he suddenly froze: this seems like... water power?
Even in extreme fear, Raymond was somehow thrilled by this discovery!
Though he couldn't understand why Andrew's finger power contained water-element power that restrained flames, it was undeniable that if he reported this to Grand Mage Hubert, it would definitely be a great merit! Perhaps even a promotion to become the town's mayor of Wildfire Town?
Thinking of the potential for promotion, Raymond couldn't help but perk up!
He opened his mouth again: "Here, here's a guy with Water Elemental Powers!
Damn it, what's with the 'Why is the opponent so weak' expression on your face, punk?!
If I wasn't bound, you would've been beaten to a pulp by me long ago!
Forget it, it doesn't matter... that's all in the past, the key is you're finished next! I'll call someone to capture you now!!"
Raymond's lips moved meaninglessly, failing to make any real sound.
His eyes gradually dimmed.
Andrew saw the remorse, self-blame, and pleading look from Raymond in front of him.
"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, I was wrong. I only now realize how those I bullied felt, I'm begging you Andrew, please spare me, I promise to reform! To err is human, right? Please! Just give me another chance! I beg you!"
Raymond's eyes seemed to convey this message.
Andrew then silently blasted the remaining "Water Needle" magic power into Raymond's chest cavity.
This was because in Raymond's eyes—behind all the repentance and pleas—the deepest part of his pupils—Andrew saw only deep-seated hatred!
All the power of the "Water Needle" blasted into Raymond's body. Nothing would be left on site afterward.
This was the correct way to use this magic artifact.
And the usage time for the artifact had also ended.
At the moment Andrew snuffed out the last spark of Fire of Life from within Raymond, his body shuddered, suddenly struggling for a final burst of strength, his eyes bulged out glaring at Andrew, he gritted his teeth, asking: "You... you punk, just who are..."
He wanted to ask who Andrew really was.
But the last "who" word was never spoken.
I hate...
I am truly unwilling!
Before his consciousness was swallowed by eternal darkness, Raymond's last thought was: If I could tell Hubert that "Andrew might be a Water Mage", I would definitely be the future mayor.