Ensis Exsequens

Ensis Exsequens
断罪の剣 danzai no tsurugi

Executioner sword, the Sword of Conviction. A high-level, extremely destructive attack spell, taking the form of a glowing ‘blade’ extending from the arm, which forcibly initiates phase change in certain substances, turning solids into liquid and gas, essentially vaporising any substance within range.

The process of vaporisation would generally be assumed to be an increase of temperature; however, in order to absorb the large amount of vaporisation heat and the latent heat of fusion, the temperature radically decreases. Therefore, even if the initial forced phase change was magically resisted, the target will be exposed to an extreme cold wave due to absorption of the enthalpy of fusion by the surrounding air, making this a two-fold lethal attack.

(The substance undergoing phase change does not experience a temperature increase as these are all latent heat. Thus, it is possible to cause, at one atmosphere down, the anomalous phenomenon of steam and vapour at -25 degrees Celsius. The magic’s effect weakens once the the substance has undergone phase change, allowing it to steadily release its latent heat, turning it back into mist and dust.)

Dissimilar to most cold-based spells, which generally work by freezing and solidifying the target; this magic works in reverse by reducing temperature with an induced phase change. Thus, cold-based magic is also capable of vaporisation in addition to solidification, though performing this would require a mage on the level of Evangeline, who can use this spell to match even the output of Negi’s Titano-ktonon.