Chapter 43: An Important, Important First Step
During a backdraft… when there is a fire in an enclosed space, the fire dies down due to incomplete combustion and the combustible gases such as carbon monoxide ‘builds up’. When the windows and doors are opened during a fire… and oxygen is supplied to the fire, the carbon monoxide combines with the oxygen and undergoes a chemical reaction to create carbon dioxide. An explosion occurs during this chemical reaction.
This is a backdraft (or so it is known on Earth). All this requires is an enclosed space, incomplete combustion, a spark, and oxygen to be supplied and time for the carbon monoxide to build up.
This was the easiest chemical reaction that I knew which could be reproduced with magic.
First, the magically created ‘flame’ is covered with a barrier that doesn’t let oxygen through… 『Perfe Alex (Perfect Barrier)』and then the ‘flame’ is forced to continue to burn with magic to continue the incomplete combustion. Then when carbon monoxide has filled the barrier, the entire barrier is moved to the target and released. It reacts with the oxygen in the air at once, causing an explosion… artificially creating a backdraft.
The advantage of this magic would be that the explosion was caused by a chemical reaction.
For example, 『Flama Lacus』is just a compression and projection of pure heat energy, so it doesn’t affect Chistel which is only for ‘anti-magic’, but I can generate this ‘heat energy’ by converting mana, so this heat energy has magic as its origin and Chistel can protect against it.
But the artificial backdraft that I used this time was a pure chemical reaction, so Chistel can’t protect against it. This would be effective against mages in this world who tend to only prioritise protecting against magic.
But well, there was another reason why I chose this magic this time.
One of the weaknesses of this magic is that there is a slight time lag before the carbon monoxide reacts with the supplied oxygen, and that was one of the reasons why I chose to use it. After all, he needs to protect against it. I even told him I would cause a ‘backdraft’. I knew that he would be able to protect himself against it, even if only just for a second.