Ignite

The hermit had casually demolished the four members of the student council. He easily appeared in front of them and smacked them around. He simply phased through, as if dissolving in thin air and reappearing in places they would not expect. However, it was not a space technique or teleportation, because the local space had been locked by him.

The four had been heavily injured, however, the Hermit hadn't even gotten serious yet. He looked at the scene of four students lying on the ground, with heavy bruises and injuries from just his physical attacks and scoffed. The only one who really interested him was the girl who was still uselessly trying to create portals. Her combat ability had truly reached a high level for a chick that hasn't even hatched yet.

"You, little girl, who taught you to fight? A chick that hasn't hatched yet, and facing a life and death battle for the first time has such combat ability? You must really be a heavenly genius. Too bad, someone wants you dead." The man said with a smile on his face.

Now it was time to finish them off. If the principal or the protectors of these fools realize that they have disappeared, he wouldn't have any time to leave quietly. A sharp blade had appeared in his hand out of thin air.

"I have to take your fingers, so that I have proof, you see. Don't make too much sound." He said with a cruel smile, as he stopped appreciating his blade and turned to look at the potential victims of his. However, he soon frowned.

Zeke had gotten back to his feet and stood in between the four and the Hermit.

"Are you trying to make some kind of point?" The Hermit looked at the boy on the verge of death with some curiosity. That he was still conscious was a big feat in itself after the torture he suffered at the hands of those villain scum.

However, Zeke's eyes closed. The seed of doubt that had once borne within him had been ringing in his ears.

'Was that really my ability?'

'That old man, he could amplify abilities, but does that mean if I had the luck that I could be at that peak? Or It was a fated peak I could not reach?'

'No. As Ryan said, there are no free lunches in this world. If I want something, I need to pay a price for it.'

'I just need the power to stall for time. I am sure the government can not remain silent forever, especially when the hero and villain organizations are unable to stop this incident from escalating.'

'Ah, I see it now. It was not my power, but I can make it mine."

As he realized that, he heard his heartbeat slow down until it stopped beating.

"Huh? Looks like he died!" The hermit said, surprised.

Hearing that Adrian screamed. "Stop lying! How can he die like that?" However, the hermit only looked at him with ridicule in his eyes.

"His heart stopped be-"

However, before he could complete what he said, Zeke's body began being surrounded by a powerful aura. This aura was so powerful, that it even gave the hermit a fright. The aura continued to get thicker and a rectangular glow was focused on his chest. Suddenly, the card came out of his body.

It was completely a black card and on it was the personification of a living grim reaper. The card kept emitting aura and Zeke's body continued to be filled with it. Suddenly his body was lit with flames. It began with orange flames slowly turning to red, but they soon began turning green, before they become blue.

When the power of blue flame returned, Zeke's body began to heal his intense internal wounds. Seeing this, the other four felt that perhaps there was hope to escape. However, the flame didn't just remain at blue, it kept getting more and more intense around his body. Deeper and deeper shades of blue until it reached purple.

When it did so, Zeke's biggest injuries healed, he immediately slammed his feet into the ground and attacked the Hermit. It was a clash where he was able to hold him back, and the hermit actually appeared serious.

"You activated a card! Just what rotten luck do you have?" The hermit exclaimed.

"Rotten luck?" Zeke smiled bitterly, "It truly is rotten luck for me."

The flame finally transitioned to a black flame.

Zeke then began a relentless assault on The Hermit, however, the Hermit was no ordinary enemy. He easily hid and dodged, while continuing to make sneak attacks on Zeke. He used everything in his arsenal to slip past this dastardly hero, quickly assassinate those kids, and leave. However, Zeke understood his situation very well.

Zeke's goal was stalling, not trying to kill the Hermit. Killing him was impossible anyway, he was way more skilled that Zeke was and his power was extremely mysterious and he couldn't detect him at all, however, he too received a trump card, even if it was only temporarily. The black flames that consumed anything he wished to, and invincibility from death.

"I have wasted enough time because of you and your stupid flame. Take this!" The irritated Hermit suddenly threw out a flame of his own. However, it wasn't a powerful flame at all, It was actually an extremely weak flame, but when it landed on the black flame surrounding Zeke, it did not get burned or dissipate. Instead, like a parasite, it began absorbing the flame and began to grow stronger.

The mysterious parasitic flame caused a problem for the black flame and diverted its attention. Zeke still continued to take guard against any attacks by the Hermit on the other four.

The other four had already gotten up with Zeke had been enveloped in black flames, each one of them heard a mental message from Zeke.

"Find the gadget causing the space lock."