383. The emergence of near-flame supremacy!

WARNING!

The story contains graphic depictions of violence, sexuality, strong language, and/or other mature themes.

[The Fiend Lord: Arc 18]

Once upon a time, on Planet Earth, a young girl was born; the story goes that her identity was never adequately clarified, but she was effectively known as the 'Holy Light.'

Her title depicted the real life of one's planet. Humankind did not know the Dimensions that had appeared alongside her birth, only of the Spirits that had been destroyed or disappeared.

The woman... The Holy Light, the heir of all the inhabitants, was not born alone. The arrival of the Demon God, whose name was Rez, caused anarchy, and humanity was on the brink of extinction.

Humans terrified him because of his recklessness and hunger for blood, and Demons started to manifest all over the Earth and The World of Zero, alongside alternate races such as The Inner Fiends, The Shades, Wraiths, and Spirits.

To combat the challenge, a new breed of people has awakened, the 'Spiritual Duelists' and 'Substitute-Duelists,' who have been dubbed the "First Army to Face Evil."

With their Legendary Weapons, the Ginken. This swarm of humans increased the world's cleanliness to the greatest extent possible, overwhelming the Demons of various grades and placing their survival at risk.

But, after several years of waiting, the 'Holy Light' gave birth to a human child, a girl of theoretically greater worth than Zero herself, but unlikely to become the next 'Holy Light,' their Goddess gave the girl to a friendly family, and since her mother needed to participate in protecting the divinity, the girl's memories were wiped.

But there is another royalty trapped within the shadows that have been concealed for millennia, even longer than the birth of a Demon...

The only one who has beaten the 'Holy Light's own is the Fiend Lord. Its lurkers will undoubtedly be wiped out, and the newfound foe will ready the battlefield...

- Gyuma City, Thursday, 12:05 am -

Tim took a step forward with his right foot, bending his body forward, moving his right leg behind, stretching it while joining the left leg to the front with a smaller bend, the sword, on the other hand, was pointed outward to the right, at which point white shine began to emit itself and extend past the sword's tip to Tim's back, at which point his white clothes and hair rippled on and omitted. To the friction he had been exposing, the white burning flames growled from behind him, spinning, waving, startling, zapping as the blazing white fire cast a romantic flame whirl as Tim's eyes continued to look at Ryozo.

"... He's quickly gained exceptional power over the fire. Yet he seems to be at ease with it. His preparation paid off in the end." Ryozo spoke up, fascinated by Tim's casting.

Tim reached for the sword's handle with his freed arm, at which point the flames began to erupt heavily and intensely, at which point he dug his left foot further into the ground, until the ground shattered, at which point Tim's blade was completely covered by the white flames, once he lifted his right leg's ankle and dug his toes in the ground, until the flames rose in the air, once his body exploded.

He saw a swift flow of a white line of fire circularly sweeping from the right side of his body, at which point Tim's body appeared in mid-air behind Ryozo's back, once Tim swiftly summoned white fire from his left ankle once it followed its movement, once Tim swiftly kicked with his left arm upward with fire waving, Tim moved his body into a backflip in sync of a sidely roll. Ryozo turned around and pointed his left palm at Tim after the blazing flames whirled into the air like the wind.

However, as Tim was in the middle of a flip and his left eye gazed at Ryozo, Tim moved his right arm underneath his left armpit, bent his right foot in front of his hip, made a full-on spin, and obliquely swept with his right arm forward and to the side until the white flames swept from the back of Tim's right shoulder and extended past his reach forward like a vast circle of burning flames emits itself forward until Ryozo begins to summon a gust that was sucking the flames into once Tim's eyes were shocked at which point he was being sucked forward.

Tim crossed his arms after being thrown to the ground and landing, while the flames dissipated and were sucked until Ryozo was knocked back.

"You can't really be serious... It has little impact on you?" Tim was curious when Ryozo stood up straight and put his arms in his pockets.

"Your ability has not yet been perfected. It was the nature of the attack; the attack should have been much more lethal..." When Tim was unsure, Ryozo explained. "How do you think I'm going to master this attack?" Tim pondered, perplexed.

"Damn... How am I going to improve this talent if I can't even burn it?" Tim talking, lying on the floor and gripping his brow with his blade resting on his kneecaps. "Not only that but any other technique has been erased as a result of either my Henshin or this 'Universal Flame'... I hardly know how to use natural fire... I'll eventually master these fires, but then I'll probably wipe out the rest of the forms "Tim said as he looked up.

"... This isn't going to work... How much more do I have to go to learn it... yes, I can emit a limited amount of fire, but abilities, I can only use one, and it's far from mastered..." Tim said, uncertain if he could proceed...

"We've been leading you through the miniature stage of preparation, Tim. It won't be as simple as flicking a finger to master the flames. The 'Universal Flame,' also known as the 'White Flame,' is regarded as a high-tier class of talent... When perfected, it can compete with God's fairly, but you must go through a lengthy training period. From how to use fire to when to use it in attacks... It's as though you were born and had to learn how to walk, communicate, and so on." Risa explained as Tim smiled at her.

"I understand... However, none of the initial bits of schooling took me more than a year. This one is almost difficult to grasp..."

"We understand how difficult it must be. However, you are aware that this Kineticism is as unusual as being a God." But with it, even Tim struggled to embrace the idea.

"Tim, you're a competent duelist. That is beyond doubt. You just have to keep working hard until you're done. All will work out..." When Tim glanced at them, Risa asserted.

"She is right! Nothing will prevent you from mastering the blaze! You'll master it if you ever fire brilliantly! Maintain your composure." When Tim's eyes lit up with the confidence these few had offered him, Jomei spoke up, winking and flashing a thumbs up.

And, when staring at Ryozo, he noted Tim's hair wave as he rested his jaw on his kneecaps. "Thank you... you guys... I couldn't have asked for better interns." Tim spoke with his eyes closed and a warm grin on his face.

"Now, why don't you show the flame why you're the one who can master it, rather than it mastering you?" Tim let out a breath and nodded. "You betcha." When he got up, he took up the sword.

"Let's get back to work..."

Tim shifted his left arm aside until the white flames had exploded outwardly in front of him, through the sword, and Tim's vision had become unmistakably centered on the front, at which point Tim breathed steadily in and out.

Tim cautiously swung his blade behind his back and leaned over, at which point the white flaming fire raged out behind his back, spinning at a breakneck pace, once it was revolving with his whole body.

("... Am I squandering my strength only to master this one-of-a-kind Kineticism? Is it true that I am resilient, that I am worthy of such a high ranking? But... What if I don't, and a huge challenge arrives? Would I just leave my friends behind...? Would I just give up... Ayuka? Why would I even consider it? I've already abandoned them... I'm not going to run until I've accomplished everything I want.")

With it, Tim's eyes became serious once a white fire circled the blade and then extended outward, at which point the others became surprised and stressed when the line began to summon a snake-like body, at which point it began becoming a white dragon's head, which began to circle Tim at full speed, and at the end, the dragon's head flew next at Tim to the front, at which point his eyes glowed.

("I've got to get the hang of it... Without a question! There can't really be any remorse! I've made up my mind! Simply go for the kill!")

Tim instantly made a stomp the ground shattered forward and with full force swept with the sword in which moment Ryozo was caught off guard when the white dragon flew forward at full speed, burning once Ryozo quickly opened his right palm and began to release gust, but incapable of doing so, instantly the white swipe of a current flew in a circle past Ryozo's right side of the body at which moment Ryozo was caught off guard when the white dragon flew forward at full speed, burning once Ryozo got stunned and used his arm to suck it in.

But within that singular second, a white line of fire blazed past Ryozo's right side of the shoulder and circled behind him, when Tim flickered from vanished appearance.

"Definitely this time! Inferno Cremator!" Tim moved his sword over his left shoulder, once sweeping to the right, spinning in the air and summoning a massive cyclone of white fire when it burst out obliquely as Ryozo tried to use his left arm, but before he could, the fire smashed through his back, at which point Tim moved his sword next to his right hip, at which point the blade dispersed into sparkles but retained its shape.

When Ryozo became surprised, some bodies of transparency appeared in front, top right, top left, behind, below, and left when Ryozo became stressed, once a white flame line spurted out, underneath Ryozo's right armpit, when Tim's body flickered on the spot behind him, while his sword reshaped itself together, when Tim stood up seriously and spun his sword within his left arm, showing Ryozo his back

When Ryozo breathed, the bodies and any fire line vanished.

"... I was afraid you were going to kill me..." Ryozo claimed as he slid his arms down into his pockets.

"When Jomei grinned, Tim took a step backward while the sword was holding down, and with it, Tim's hair waved aside." "Would you take a look at that?" He was able to work out something of his own... "I'm both relieved and astounded," Jomei added after Risa nodded and put her right arm on her hip.

"Keep the training going this well, Tim, and I'm sure you'll be mastering this in no time," Risa said, while Tim nodded and smiled at her. "Yeah, thanks."

- Yashikami City, Friday, 3:10 pm -

Ayuka sat on the table, chewing as much as she could while covering her stomach. However, if she had a little, she wanted to sprint to the bathroom and vomit it out because she was weak.

She was in agony, but she wanted to eat as best as she could. "Ayuka! W-Wait, what are you doing?!" Elliot had approached from the side and asked a question. "If you are unable to eat, simply refrain! You don't have to put too much pressure on yourself! What the hell is going on?!" Elliot pondered as he felt perplexed.

"No... You don't get... I have no choice." When he got perplexed, she called. "What exactly do you mean?! It's not like you're pregnant or something!!" Still, at that moment, Ayuka, who was ashamed, turned away, which shocked him.

"W-Wait... D-Don't tell me that-"

To be continued...