All-devouring Flame

Max examined the flames that crept up his arm. There wasn't any burning sensation or pain but instead, there was a warm and soothing feeling enveloping his body.

'This is something new' He said, being highly content with the way he felt. Alongside the warm feeling that traveled around inside his body, there was a noticeable power increase. He felt powerful than before, feeling like he would be able to do anything.

Felix got back on his feet after a short while. Max's flames devoured his, this meant that he had no more magic particles to supply the flame with. The flames consumed all of the fire particles he had gathered so far, the outcome of something like this happening was extreme exhaustion which he was feeling at this moment.

Max looked towards Felix that just barely managed to hold himself up on his two feet, he was trembling while barely holding on to his weapon that he had stabbed the ground with, using it as a support.

Looking at him streams of information began filling his mind, information that Max was never able to acquire. He began concentrating on the overwhelming amount of information, trying to grasp the idea of what was happening.

He closed his eyes, disregarding everything around him. His senses went limp as his mind only concentrated on digesting the flood of information currently appearing inside Max's mind.

After a few minutes Max finally opened his eyes once again, he felt content with the amount of understanding he had gathered over the last few minutes but he still had to reflect upon the data to understand it fully.

The information was strictly about the awakening of Matt, more exactly it was about the general use of the flames. The black flames were the result of a good amount of space being filled with a dense amount of active darkness particles, they drain any of the elemental particles that are around the flames to sustain themselves, if the elemental particles around it are abundant then the flame will expand in size and power.

Max learned that the flames can be controlled at will, they can change forms and lengths depending on their user's wish but that required experience over the flames which Max didn't currently have.

"Are you going to finish this fight?" Felix asked. He was aware that he had no power left to defeat Max.

"Sure" Max agreed while walking towards him. He was reluctant at first as you can just give up and the match will stop but Felix wasn't doing so. Max reached Felix and was now standing right in front of him. They both stared at each other before the former finally made a move, pushing his shield against Felix.

"Thanks" Felix heard Max's words as he was about to blackout. Black flames began enveloping his body, draining it of any magic particle and energy he had inside his body.

Felix fell to the ground unconscious and as he did Azel disappeared from where he once stood, appearing instantly behind him. He examined him carefully, checking for his pulse before sighing in relief. He looked at Max before grabbing Felix's body and placing it in a fetal position before carrying him.

"The winner of this match is Max Edward!" He announced before once again disappearing alongside Felix.

Max heaved in relief before going up the stairs of the arena.

'This is something else' While walking Max thought, he had yet to call back the flames from his body. He didn't feel tired so he was examining them and even began slightly moving them around. As he reached the top of the arena, going back at ground level, Max finally retracted the black flames afraid that they might touch other people, and begin devouring their magic particles as well.

"What was that!?" Mark immediately made his way through the bunch of people. All of the other matches were already finished in the first division which is why everyone awaited Max and Felix to finish their match that took a long time. They were able to see everything that happened inside the arena including Max's black flames.

"You never used this ability against me while sparring!" Mark retorted at Max. He was angry as he thought that Max held back against him every time or even worse, he didn't show it to him because he was afraid of telling other people.

"I didn't know I can even do something like this before!" Max defended his case against Mark and it seemed like it worked.

"Alright then, you going to tell me about the black flames or not?" Mark's anger subsided but was quickly replaced by curiosity.

Max looked at Mark. He looked like a child; his eyes were glistening with curiosity. He sighed before refusing his offer.

"I want to sleep for now, I'm tired." He told Mark whose face changed into one of disappointment.

What he told Mark was true. He felt quite tired but it wasn't the reason why he wanted to get back into his room. What Matt told him was that he will have quite a portion of magic particles used but that wasn't the case for it at all. He in fact felt even more magic particles flowing disorderly inside his bloodstream than before.

He wanted to discuss with Matt as this ability had some other properties that he was yet to be aware of.

He made his way towards his dorm, got into his room before locking both his bathroom door and the entrance door. He didn't want any distractions to happen as he thought that this should be taken rather seriously by him.

He placed his head on the pillow before drifting off inside his soul realm. Matt has already manifested a seat for the both of them but what Max was captivated towards was in fact how the soul realm changed.

He hasn't been inside the soul realm for a while and in the meanwhile, everything changed around him. Instead of the black and empty void that he was normally greeted by, now there were rivers and mountains in his vision. He and Matt were standing in a field of knee-tall grass, the wind was slowly brushing Max's hair as he made his way over to his seat. It was true that the landscape changed and the marvelous sight that the soul realm offered was grandeur but he wasn't here to examine the changes of the soul realm, he was here to talk with Matt.

"So where do we begin?" Matt asked after seeing Max comfortably take a seat.

"From the start I guess" Max laid back on his seat before continuing. "A power that consumes others"