The Sanctum of Flames

Inoka and I made it to the Sanctum of Flames, Phoenix and Nebula landing in front of the cave entrance. We got off our beasts and began to make our way inside. We had our weapons ready, bracing ourselves for anything that could jump out at us.

Entering inside, the heat within was much more extreme than it was in Hearth Mountain. The volcano rumbled and enraged roars echoed, bouncing off the rough interior. Inoka and I kept our steps careful, remaining as cautious as possible.

As we traversed the cave, we spotted a stone tablet that contained writing upon it. I crouched down and wiped the dust off it, making it much easier to read.

"Pyroc, The Legendary Dragon of Flames, is the partner of Vesta, The Goddess of Eternal Flames. Pyroc only answers to those she deems worthy, and casts out those she deems unworthy," The stone tablet read.

"That's very barebones to say the least," Inoka said, watching me stand up.

"It is rather short and sweet. Gets to the point very quickly," I said, walking forward and searched around.

Inoka followed behind, her eyes scanning the area as well. As we traversed the cave, we noticed the only way to go from here was down. Below, we couldn't see anything, the unknown awaiting us and inviting us to see what was in the depths below. I pulled Inoka toward me and picked her up in a bridal carry.

Inoka held onto me tightly, closing her eyes and burying her face into my chest as I leaped into the void below. The lower we went, the darkness slowly began to consume us until we reached the bottom, the location around us brightening up even more.

I landed on the ground and stood up slowly, my eyes scanning the area. "Inoka...what is this volcano?"

Inoka looked ahead then noticed we weren't even in the depths of the volcano. "This is the Temple of Pyroc, the Sanctum of Flames. We aren't even close to the area where Pyroc resides which is deeper in the depths of the volcano.."

I set Inoka down then noticed another stone tablet ahead of us. I walked toward it and wiped off the dust, beginning to read the contents engraved in th stone.

"The Sanctum of Flames, the holy resting place of Vesta. The Temple of Pyroc was built to protect her from the Eternal Emperor of War who wanted to use her power to rule over the Seven Suns and Seven Moons and wage war against Eyica, Arcania, and Genten. Upon dying next to her beloved Dragon, Ra-Ho-Kuit and Hoor-Ra-Chol blessed her by making her Eternal," The stone read.

I glanced at Inoka, who seemed to have gotten chills from reading the stone tablet. I crossed my arms and grumbled softly. "Even in the distant past The Goddesses even perished from tyrannical rulers. The Eternal Emperor of War huh..? The Bloodshed.."

"She died in this volcano, but how strong could the Eternal Emperor have been to kill a Goddess?" Inoka asked, holding her arms.

"I don't think she was a Goddess by this time yet. I think Vesta was actually the First Queen of Pyroc before becoming the Goddess of Eternal Flames based off this statement here. Phoenix and Cholra gave her that Goddess status when they made her Eternal," I said, gazing at the stone tablet once again.

"Mmph...if this is true then the history of Pyroc is completely...wrong," Inoka said, her heart dropping at the revelation. "What truly happened here..?"

I glanced at Inoka, gently taking her hand. "It seems this very Sanctum will tell the story. These stones seemed to have been written by either Phoenix or Cholra based on the scratch marks on the stones."

Inoka nodded, gently squeezing my hand. The two of us continued forward, exploring the vast temple ahead of us. The temple ahead was full of pools of lava, along with spring waters used for healing and to counter the intense heat of the area. Occasionally the volcano would rumble, causing the pools of lava to erupt in geysers due to the powerful force of the now active volcano.

Traversing through each room to find the next exit, we stumbled upon another stone tablet, leading to another abyss below.

"The Crest of Blaze, a power Crest belonging to the Legendary Beast, Pyroc, is able to bestow unrivaled Courage and Diligence to those who wield it. The flames of Pyroc is able to bring someone to a higher power in the Realm of Flames, being able to bring ones power to rival even a Sun General," The stone read.

"The way this is written, this is all confirmed. Vesta was as strong, if not stronger than a Sun General... meaning she could have rivaled The Seven Suns Union in Arcania where they actively use the power of the Seven Suns and Moons," I said, crossing my arms. I closed my eyes and began to think.

"Now I know why Alastor needs Claire, he wants the Crest of Blaze...but I doubt that's all he's after. There has to be something more to his plans than to acquire Pyroc's Crest," I wondered, trying to figure out what Alastor was truly after in Uthea.

"Mmm...I know Phoenix once told me that if you collect the Crest of Blaze, Waves, and Plants, you can go to the Kingdom of Volta to meet another Legendary Dragon named Galvan, who hold the Crest of Lightning," Inoka said, hoping to give me any help on my thoughts.

"That would make the most sense actually, but I'm thinking of his end goal. After all is said and done...then again...I'm sure the Eternal Emperor of War wouldn't actually hurt his own people. If I'm right, the Eternal Emperor of War could've been influenced by Chaos...or could've been an Incarnation of Chaos," I said, closing my eyes.

"If that's the case...then not only is he trying to destroy me, but he's trying to recreate the Uthean War all over again.." I finished, shaking my head. "Let's just continue though, Claire awaits us.."

Inoka nodded, following me to the edge of the room. I picked her up once again then descended deeper into the temple. The lower we went, the hotter it became and the more powerful the rumbles felt.

Upon landing on the ground, the surroundings area changed. There was only one exit which was ahead, but it was being blocked off by a gate of flames. I set Inoka down then looked around, hoping there was a switch or some type of contraption we could use to lower the gate of flames ahead.

Suddenly, the ground began to rumble then a column of flames crashed down in front of us. Inoka and I drew out weapons, our gaze landing upon the column of flames. The flames soon disappeared, revealing a large infernal golem in front of us, the top of its head containing a powerful flame.

"Those who wish to traverse deeper must prove themselves. I, The Blaze Titan, shall test your courage," The Blaze Titan said, summoning a fire spirit and an idol that resembled Vesta.

I readied my sword, my Crest of Arcane shining on my hand. I got into my stance, my eyes shining brightly. "Alright, you wish to test courage, then I'll show you my Courage!"

With a flex of my muscles, I rushed forward at near invisible speeds, slashing through the fire spirit with ease then rushed toward the Idol and bellowed, slicing the idol in half, my heart thumping heavily in my chest as The Tyrant began to break out.

Inoka looked surprised at my unrestrained power, her gaze stuck upon me. 'I couldn't even see him...he just defeated two enemies that shouldn't be that easy to defeat.'

The Blaze Titan began to unleashed columns of flames at me, but I dodged each one then countered with a powerful slash. I bellowed, my sword crashing into the titan and slicing it in two with relative ease.

I grunted softly as I felt my chest becoming tight, my eyes flashing red. I lowered my power level to keep The Tyrant at bay, not wanting to lose control while Inoka was close by.

'He's truly been holding back... because he just defeated the Blaze Titan in one hit. What incredible strength..' Inoka thought, a bead of sweat rolling down her face.

The Spirits of the three entities began to float toward Inoka, entering her body. She grunted softly, noticing powerful flames spiralling around her body. She smiled to herself as she felt herself growing stronger bit by bit. She looked at me, noticing I was holding my head then hurried toward me with a concerned expression.

"Ryoma...Are you alright?" Inoka asked, holding my arm.

"I think so... Inoka, if I lose control...please do not try to stop me. I can feel him slipping through...his anger can not be easily quelled anymore.." I answered, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath then exhaled.

Inoka stood in front of me, holding my cheeks. "Ryoma...I can't sit by and watch you lose control and let The Tyrant run wild. I'm here for a reason....if you lose control, I'll be here to help you.."

My gaze met Inoka's, a warm smile playing on my face. I gave her a nod, accepting her help. Inoka smiled back then leaned up toward me, planting a soft kiss on my lips. In that moment, The Tyrant slowly calmed down, my heart rate returning to normal and my thoughts slowly clearing up.

"Now let's go save my sister..~" Inoka said, letting me go.

"Right," I nodded.

Together with renewed spirits, we made our way to the exit from the arena then noticed a set of stairs leading down to another level of th temple. We made our way down the stairs, the heat slowly becoming worse and worse with each step.

As we traversed further into the temple, the roars slowly became louder, more intimidating and enraged. Inoka's hold on my hand tightened, her fear evident in how tightly she held my hand. Her courage was truly being tested here, but she kept a strong front, her determination to save Claire outweighing her fear of meeting what lied ahead for us.

We continued forward, soon arriving in a circular arena, one similar to the arena in Hearth Mountain. Ahead, another blockage was present, a door that was missing an item needed to open it. The hole in the door looked similar to Vesta's Wing that was used for the ritual during the Great Flame Festival.

"Looks like we meet again, Emperor," A familiar voice said behind us.

I turned back and noticed Morokai tossing Vesta's Wing up and down, a smirk playing on his face. I glared at him, summoning my sword. "Morokai...you're working with Alastor as well huh..?"

"You could say that. He promised me unrivalled strength if I agreed to help him...and frankly I don't really need it. I just wanted an excuse to see your face once again. This time, there's no escape. There's no way back up once you descend," Morokai said, placing Vesta's Wing into his pocket then summoned his axe with a laugh.

"So come, Ryoma! Give me a proper fight! Come at me so I can rip you to shreds! Allow me to make use of your bones!" Morokai bellowed, his Dark Crest shining on his forehead.

"A Dark Crest..." Inoka muttered, summoning her rapier then got into her stance.

"A Dark Crest only forms when one has been affected by Chaos's Influence. He didn't have one before but now he does... meaning we shouldn't keep him alive," I said, my eyes flashing with determination.

Morokai laughed at me, noticing the dangerous glint in my eyes. "Is the Emperor worried about his little bride?! It's alright, Alastor is just having his fun with her! I heard she might even betray you for him like Manami did all those years ago!"

My eye twitched and my heart thumped hard against my chest. I was already on the edge of breaking, but his words only fueled the rage within, it only caused The Tyrant to want to break out even more.

"You have a mouth on you, Peasant. How about I make you shut it, indefinitely.." I said, stepping forward and my Crest flashed brightly on my hand.

"I would love to see you try!" Morokai taunted, his dark aura surging powerfully around his body.

I chuckled darkly then got into my stance, my eyes glowing red. I propelled myself toward Morokai and swung my sword at him swiftly, but he blocked my slash, grunting as he was being pushed back. He found his footing and noticed me appear in front of him at invisible speeds, his eyes widening in shock.

"I will break you..." I said coldly, launching him in the air with a powerful kick.

Inoka ran forward and leaped in the air, thrusting her rapier at his chest, landing a clean strike. Morokai groaned as he crashed to the ground, but he quickly recovered, parrying Inoka's next strike. He went for a counter strike, but a Phantom version of Azusa appearing in front of him and parried his strike, knocking him off balance.

Inoka saw the opening and rushed forward, rapidly thrusting her rapier and landing each strike with rapidly succession. She slashed upward, knocking Morokai in the air and let out a battle cry. She used her flames to propel herself above Morokai, sending him crashing into a wall with a spinning kick.

Morokai crashed into the wall, small chunks of the wall breaking from the impact. He grunted softly and stepped forward, letting out a soft laugh. "Those were some good attacks, Princess...but you're gonna need to do more than that to kill me! Now die!"

Morokai launched himself toward Inoka then wildly slashed at her, and Inoka blocked his attack but the overwhelming strength of his slash caused her to slide backwards. He rushed toward her, but grunted as he was suddenly pinned down by his shadow. He looked back and noticed my intimidating presence, his heart skipping a beat.

"You won't be laying a single finger on her, worthless animal," I said, my tone low and intimidating.

'What is up with this guy? His power level is rapidly increasing..! He's not even in his Emperor's Form either...' Morokai thought, feeling a bit of fear settle into his soul as he looked at me.

I let out a bellow, knocking Morokai in the air with a powerful, brutal uppercut then followed it with a barrage of invisible strikes, each one landing their mark upon lethal areas. I grabbed Morokai's ankle then slammed him to the ground, raising him back up and caused a small stone pillar to rise then slammed his back upon the stone pillar, Morokai's yell of pain echoing throughout the arena.

I tossed him in the air then launched a brutal slash at him, sending him crashing through the damaged wall. I walked toward him, my aura flaring around my body. My heart beat increased rapidly, my dark tendencies bubbling to the surface as The Tyrant began to crack through the surface.

"Death is the only thing calling your name... Beast. There will be no mercy. I will show no mercy. You will fall," I declared, each step echoing across the arena.

Morokai bellowed and propelled himself toward me, swinging his axe at my neck. As his axe made contact with my body, my aura reinforced my defenses, shattering his axe in two. Morokai's eyes widened and his looked at his broken axe, unable to move.

I laughed at his failure, his failures only boosting me even further. "Weak! Now allow me to show you a proper execution!"

I swiftly slashed my sword at his neck, landing my attack and bellowed as I severed his head from his shoulders in one fell sweep. I gave a tyrannical smirk as I watched his body fall to the ground.

Inoka covered her mouth, her eyes widening in shock as she watched me kill Morokai with zero remorse. She couldn't bare to watch, but her eyes couldn't look away from the scene.

I laughed and covered my face, my silvery white aura slowly becoming silver and black. "Finally...that Arrogant Fool releases me from those dumb chambers. He understands the severity of the situation...now unrestrained, that bastard Alastor will pay.."

'The Tyrant...' Inoka thought, feeling her body tremble in fear. She watched as I grabbed Vesta's Wing from Morokai's pocket and her eyes followed me as I walked toward the door.

I placed the wing in the door then watched the door glow and open slowly. "If you're gonna just stand there, I will leave you behind Princess. If you wish to join me, don't get in my way. I don't need weaklings interfering with me."

Inoka's heart stopped at the tone I used with her, noticing the shift in my personality when I was The Tyrant. "R-Ryoma?"

I looked back at Inoka, my red eyes faintly glowing. "Are you coming or do you wish to bury that body in the ground? Either way, I don't care."

Inoka watched me walk through the door, holding her hand to her chest and gulping. She closed her eyes and calmed her heart rate, feeling it rapidly increased. 'He's still Ryoma...He said it himself...The Tyrant and Ryoma are the same...just...The Tyrant is so scary in person..'

Inoka calmed her nerves then quickly followed me, slightly keeping her distance. Now when she's faced with the situation of having to calm The Tyrant, her mind drew a blank and she couldn't think of anything. She stayed very cautious around me, not knowing what to say or do.

We reached the final drop of the temple, and stopped at the edge. Inoka grew even more nervous, imagining ruthless scenarios in her head where I either left her behind to jump down by herself or even push her down.

I looked at Inoka then grabbed her and picked her up as I've done for the other drops. "You can calm your nerves, Inoka. I'm not that heartless."

Inoka seemed a bit surprised then grunted as I jumped down without any warning. She held onto me tightly and buried her face into my chest. We were reaching the final layer of the temple, the roars now at their loudest. The heat was at its peak, causing even Inoka to sweat due to the heat. I set Inoka down and looked ahead, my gaze intense.

I stepped forward then grunted as a light emerged from my chest then floated in front of me. I watched the light and held my hand on my chest, noticing the light take shape of a woman. Inoka watched as well, glancing between the forming figure and me.

The light completely formed into a charming and whimsical figure with a mix of human and animal features. She had long, flowing silver hair that complements her large, expressive eyes and her overall soft appearance. Her most distinctive features are her fox-like ears and a large, fluffy tail that swayed affectionately, indicating a close connection to me and her animalistic traits.

She wore a white outfit with black accents, including a dress with lace-up details on the sides, which is both stylish and functional. Over her dress, she had a black cloak that adds a touch of mystery to her appearance. The outfit is accessorized with belts and pouches, indicating that she was adventurous and practical.

The woman walked toward me, placing her hand upon my chest. "Master Ryoma...I can not allow you to continue forward. Not as The Tyrant.."

I stared at the woman and noticed the Crest of Companionship glow on the side of her neck. I grunted softly as I stared at her. "Tsuhori..."

Tsuhori gently held my cheek, bringing me down slightly and pressing her forehead upon mine. "Calm your nerves. You never truly win as The Tyrant. Just focus on my voice...cancel that Indomitable Rage within..."

I listened to her voice, her tone soothing and soft. I closed my eyes and felt my body grow weak nearly immediately. The slowly growing marking on my body slowly disappeared then I gasped of air as I opened my eyes. I stood up straight and grunted softly as I had a splitting headache.

Inoka watched in awe at how easily Tsuhori calmed me down, quelling The Tyrant and sealing him within me once again. She glanced between me and Tsuhori, sensing our strong and close connection that stemmed deeper in my past.

"Good..~" Tsuhori whispered then let me go, taking a few steps backwards.

"Tsuhori...Why are you here? Why aren't you with my brother in Yesha?" I asked, my gaze meeting hers.

"I felt your rage becoming uncontrollable. I had to stop your rage before it got too bad. You don't think rationally as The Tyrant and your darkness would've consumed you. You can't listen to your Domination. You need to listen to Reason, Arcane," Tsuhori said, holding her tail in her hands.

I smiled at Tsuhori then chuckled lightly. "Right..."

Inoka sensed I was back to normal and let out a relieved sigh, her beating heart returning to normal. 'Thank the Goddesses for bringing Tsuhori...'

Before Inoka could ask any questions about Tsuhori, Pyroc's roar echoed throughout the volcano, the core of the volcano rumbling and shaking the ground. We were all alerted by Pyroc's rage, the dire situation finally hitting us once again.

"We need to hurry. Claire needs us asap," I said, hurrying forward toward the source of Pyroc's roar.

Inoka nodded and followed behind along with Tsuhori. She glanced at her and grew even more curious about her, but set aside her curiosity to focus on the task at hand. "We're coming sis...please stay strong.."