362. The thrill of successive battles!

[The Founding Flame: Arc 16]

Ginken is a weapon that is the main source of a person's vigor.

They are controlled or wielded by 'Spiritual Symbolism', which brings with it supplemental functions that give the bearer an unknown plenariness of puissance.

Ginken's weapon is exhaustively made within another person's birth (mostly in the 'Spiritual Realm' otherwise kenned as 'The World of Zero'), were the first personnel kenned as 'Godess' appeared within the 'Holy Arches' of only where the 'Deities' live.

However, due to the minute population of people at that time on the Planet Earth, her appearance was remotely unideal as she was not felicitously kenned, but it wasn't until a few centuries later that people commenced to believe in a legend about her subsistence and many of them were right.

She, the 'goddess of the firmament, Planet Earth and other dimensions, besides being the engenderer of legendary weapons has survived for many more years and was now met with Shinkaku Tim, additionally kenned as the 'Substitute-Duelist', which had the capricious potential of becoming the next savior of mankind, as well as the first 'Substitute-Duelist' after hundreds of years.

With his peregrination and meeting of friends, he came across a human with a 'Demonical Blood' as well as a girl with 'Holy Blood' and with them he had already managed to keep civilization safe, but after the incident that had transpired (of his friend realizing who she was in authenticity), he was now on an incipient path to obtain the facility kenned as 'The Founding Flame'.

[Underworld - The Palace - Tuesday, 6:10 p.m.]

The newly discovered Demon Classification, which seemed to have efficient speed and power, seemed to be one of the lowest of those classes, with no unique bodies apart from its foundation.

And by defeating Tim's newly discovered assault, they cleared the way for them to proceed to the fourth level, but at the expense to reaching the very end of such track, four of them arrived on time.

Climbing the final stretch of the palace, they came to an open space with lava-covered walls and a waterfall of lava in the centre, over which a white spirit appeared to float.

"I really can't believe we did it." When the four had moved up, hoping to make up for lost time, Codey chuckled.

"However, if the final stage was about hitting the brink, we would have an additional challenge ahead of us." Unlike everyone else, Tim, who was meant to be the 'wielder' of the force, kept refusing and saying he didn't want anything to do with it.

"Now, what are we going to do?" Tim pondered this while clutching the back of his head. "How can we or anybody from us know, it just told us that it exists, and what to do next is unknown." The white spirit, though, flopped to the left and flew around while passing in front of Tim as the white light started to shimmer.

"I think you've won this challenge if your opponents have fled the battlefield?" The same woman who had sent them the mirrors wondered.

"Your next challenge will be with these mirrors. If you want to catch and receive this fire's affection, you must first capture it." Explain the woman calmly, while the others feared her a bit. So, without further ado, I'll guarantee you a set of rules:

- The Spirit will be free to travel around this place.

- It'll be your responsibility to catch it when it wants to dodge.

- If you want to work together, I won't discourage you; but, if the spirit escapes through the opened hole in the history of this realm, it will be as free as a bird."

The woman explained, had crossed arms. "So now we're supposed to play fetch? Is this the process to capturing it?" Wondered Codey, a bit upset about the solution. "Correct, of course, I believe you won't need any other rules, as I'm sure this tiny soul will play around for a while.

"You will now be given 5 minutes to stay involved and on the duty of recording it; if you don't know what it's called, it's a 'gift initiative.' If required, you will have the privilege of naming the spirit. Then, when I start counting down, this challenge will unfold, as its roots will offer an effective escape. I'll start the countdown with it."

Finally, the woman lifted her arm after the white spirit created by fire made a squishy sound. "I appreciate that capturing what we would obtain is a challenge, but playing with it like a little dog sounds distracting." Elliot sighed, rubbing his itchy back.

"Be calm, we just have to work together; I'm sure it'll be simpler now that there aren't any other competitors on this battlefield..." And by preparing their stances, Codey, Elliot, Ayuka, and Tim became aware of what was going to happen.

"But, before we begin, please be mindful that this spirit will function on its own, and I will have no intention of controlling it. As previously said, this spirit's consciousness is as clear as that of an adult person. The challenge will then begin with three, two, one."

"Tim, do you know you have to be the one to grab it?" Ayuka wondered as she looked drafted into Tim's forehead, making his eyes squiggly.

"I've already said that I do not want to deal with this... You're all free, so you may as well get it on your own." Tim said this by crossing his arms. "You're completely insane! Agree that we've already put in a lot of work on this 'challenge.'" Codey was angrily asserted by Tim, who refused.

"Sure, I'll go so far as to capture it in this mirror, but don't you ever imagine I'll devote my spare time to dealing with it..." Tim and the others let go of their weapons as they prepared to confront the trembling spirit.

The Soul had flown right in front of Codey's face, activating his patience from the start. As Codey swooped with his left arm, the Soul turned around his right arm and flew past his face.

Elliot activated his 'Godspeed' while dashing forward at incredible speed, reaching with his left arm forward and attempting to capture the soul, but he was still unsuccessful once his body frontally flipped upon the soul's escape through his palms as he landed on his right shoulder and rolled on the ground, balancing his stance and sliding backward, supporting and piloting his body with his left arm.

And that caused Ayuka to rush forward and swoop forward, but just as she grabbed it, a bolt of fire was fired at her, and she immediately shielded her face and plunged into it, until the white soul flew around her waist behind her back up, and Ayuka was swung around Elliot and turned back to face the soul.

"What in the world was that?" But the issue came quickly after Ayuka saw Tolvard and Setsuko at the window. "You said we'd all run away after coming this far? You're completely insane... What's interesting about it is that you people really believed us, but it was just a ruse to throw you off, and besides, if I don't get it, you may not either." Tolvard jumped down the side of the glass, landed in a crouch on the pavement, and then hurriedly and efficiently shot his body into the air.

He swiped his left arm to hopefully grab the soul in the mirror, but the soul swept under him once avoiding his touch, by skipping his stomach, once he tried to cross arms and capture, but by spinning around and through the grip, the soul had flown down to the near ground's touch, once flying past Tim who tried to reach for it, but right as he hoped he had done it, the soul had flown down to the near ground's touch, once flying past Tim who tried to reach, but was unsuccessful.

When the soul began to fly by the wall, Elliot hurried along and with his 'Godspeed' chased after the fast-moving soul, at which point he swiped his right arm before catching up to it, but right at that moment the soul flung itself over his grip as he swiped with his other arm, but that time the soul spun around his wrist and burst aside with speed ahead, at which point Codey hopped forward with an outstretched arm, but was then prevented by a bolt.

Once Setsuko ran past Codey's front and pulled him to the side, once spread her whole body and location, then hurled herself at the spirit, but right at that moment, Ayuka leaped from the side while swiping her left arm, once Setsuko had to stop by sliding on the ground. As she needed to stop by sliding on the ground as well.

About the fact that Ayuka effectively blocked Setsuko, the soul simply hurled itself into the air.

Tim crouched, aimed his palms at the ground, and his body was launched up into the air, at which point he swiped with his arm and tried to reach for the soul, who spun around his neck and then flew toward Elliot, who had just ridden the wall and jumped after the soul by lifting his ankles, almost catching it, but then it swept itself aside his left paw.

Tim crouched, pointed his hands at the ground, and his body was thrown into the air, where he swiped with his arm and attempted to grab for the soul, which turned around his neck and then soared toward Elliot, who had just ridden the wall and leaped after the soul by raising his ankles, nearly grabbing it, but it swept itself aside his left paw.

"Damn it! This is an impossible experience to capture!" Elliot sped past Codey and with a forceful front flip aimed for the spirit, which soared under Elliot's legs and then swung behind his back, while Elliot offered himself another chance of catching it, but just as he did, it seemed to be only narrowly out of control.

"Come on! That was the nearest I could get to having it!" Elliot swore that as his body rolled on the ground and crashed against the back of the wall, energy was ejected.

As the spirit sailed past the glass, Codey jumped forward, but Tolvard came out of nowhere, spinning his body in mid-air, and with a quick blow, hit Codey in the head, forcibly throwing him aside and down to the floor, until he landed and spun around, at which point he swept his legs forward, dashing to potentially search for the soul.

Still, regardless, Ayuka emerged in front of him with her left leg twisted, turning in front of him and striking Tolvard in the stomach with sheer might.

After his body was tossed backward and then slammed against the wall, a huge clash with her power and wind rose, causing Tolvard to spit out saliva.

Elliot rushed to search for the soul at the precise moment, but when it dissipated, his eyes shook in shock. "Did it just get faster?" But, just as the spirit was about to return to the fountain, Torvald and Tim hurled themselves into the air in unison.

"Oh, no! That thing is all mine!" Tovlard yelled angrily, his right arm outstretched and quickly grasping for it.

"I was far too late to react!" Tim shouted from a few meters behind, after Tolvard had already grinned. ("That's what there is to it! That's it! It's now officially mine! I'll have complete leverage of it! I'll have unlimited strength! And I'm going to keep it all to myself! Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!")

"Hurry!" Tolvard screamed, but only before taking the soul, his eyes shook as he saw a shadow underneath him on the podium, and when Ayuka's mouth expelled a cool breath, he realized it had come to a decision.

"Not on my watch!" she stated. Ayuka's weight of speed forcibly slammed Tolvard into the dirt by outstretching her right leg and kicking the back of Tolvard's head, and before landing, Ayuka jumped off his mid-air frame, flipping backward.

"Please hurry! This is your opportunity!" As Ayuka said that, Tim's eyes became stern and optimistic, and he stomped on the floor with his left foot, causing orange flames to erupt from the ground, and his wrists to be bent to target the back, once a menacing fire brutally erupted from his arms, Ayuka quickly covered her arms as Tim spun around with a fiery cyclone across his body, in which scenario the flames allowed his body to accelerate exceedingly at which his body zoomed across the ground, and when they emit themselves, Ayuka quickly covered her eyes, when a flare of fire burned her skin.

Still, as reckless as she was about the minor cut, her smile shone brightly when she saw the fire and its supreme desert beserking outward, until Tim's body completely spun. His left arm was swept forward, fire trailing behind him, and the grip came into contact with a tremendous sun.

Finally, when Tim's hand came into contact with the bright soul of burning fire, the orange flames behind him scattered as stretched further into the distance at the hallway.

Has he accomplished what he set out to do, or is he still struggling to transcend the 'Spirituality' of this blazing star?

To be continued...