Perfectly Balanced [ON-GOING]

Chapter Eighteen: Using Magic and Laughter

18. Using Magic and Laughter

2-18-2023

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"Oh, Magma-chan~!"

Gen's playful voice was enough to stop Magma from berating Chrome and cause shivers to go down his spine. The brute turned around to see the mentalist standing on the very top of the hut where Ruri and the chief had stayed.

"You...! The outside sorcerer!" He cried.

"You did a number on me last time I saw you. Thank you so much for killing me!" Gen cackled.

Mantle stumbled upon his words as he saw the mentalist. "What?! H-How? How is he--"

"'How am I alive' you ask? Sorcery, of course!" Gen replied with a close-eyed smile. He then whipped his hands around and did a few motions, throwing flower petals everywhere. He shaped his fingers and pointed them directly at Magma. "I've hexed you, Magma-chan! Should you take a single step, your heart will explode under this sorcery!"

A wave of whispers and chattering spread throughout the village. Magma looked at his surroundings with sweat dripping down the sides of his head, then frantically searched for Jasper.

"A-A magic attack like that has gotta be an outside interference, right?! That's a violation!" Magma sputtered out.

"Only if your heart actually explodes!" You told him with a cheeky grin.

Senku put on a sly expression. "But if he's just bluffing, it all amounts to heckling from a spectator. No problem there, right? Why not make a move and test that theory? See if your heart really explodes?"

Magma took his trembling hand and gripped the area where his heart was, standing as still as he could.

Gen then urged Chrome, "Chrome-chan! Strike now and defeat Magma-chan while he's immobilized!"

The boy looked confused, but then he realized the plan that was going through. He replied, "I-It's no use! I'm so frozen with fear, that I cannot even move a muscle!"

"That's gotta be the worst acting I've ever seen, Chrome..." Kohaku was shocked by how bad it was.

"That is horrible acting," you mentioned with a snicker.

Senku replied, "Kukuku, but it's good enough. Gen is the star player here."

The mentalist continued his dramatic theatrics, "Please do it quickly...! This spell takes a toll on my magic reserves! I can only keep him frozen...for one minute!"

"Mwahahaha!" Magma let out a thunderous laugh. "Lucky for me that you're such a coward, Chrome! I can just hang tight and wait until the sorcerer's magic runs out!"

You crossed your arms, speaking quietly to your friend, "He actually fell for it."

"Not bad. But the rest is up to Chrome," said the scientist with a slightly worried expression on his face.

All you could do was watch Chrome and Magma sit still. But you noticed how focused your friend was, and you believed in him. And with time passing for a few seconds, the boy was able to sit completely still with immense concentration. With Senku's science, Gen's magic, and Chrome's tenacity and determination, they were able to spark a light to create fire.

"Bingo," Senku smirked. "Now pat the flames."

Magma did just that when he saw a flame burning on his pants. When his hand made contact with the fire, it immediately spread all over his clothing, causing him to scream in panic.

"Holy crap, that was fast!" You cried out.

"That's the surface flash phenomenon. Fire immediately spreads across the fuzz on clothing," the scientist explained to your group.