Chapter 20: The God of Fire part 2

"Okia, are you sure the module is working as intended?" asked the headteacher, worried the children would get desensitised.

"Yes." she said, reluctant to admit that she too felt like the gore was excessive. "One must wonder how Barbados feels though. All this power to regenerate indefinitely and yet I feel like there's more to it. Just how much of his body would need to disappear for his powers to have no effect?"

"You're starting to sound like Rathna." replied Adam back. "Why don't you give Barbados the answer he seeks. In return, he could offer the answer to your morbid questions."

"Blegh. Don't remind me of that horrible woman. She deserves her title of 'Rathna the Repulsive'."

Asher burned the atmospheric air, causing the encased environment to grow foggy. He tried to speak, but his voice was burned as his throat was smouldering. Although this form seemed invincible, without the druid blood coursing through Asher, he would be dead after using the move for a minute. Rather than using his flesh as fuel, he grew miniature wooden twigs and set them alight- a perpetual cycle of life and death that devoured his mana. He giggled, or attempted too, thinking about the lucky coincidence that allowed him to utilise mana like no other person. As he created fire constructs in the air, he began preparing for another attack to not let Barbados breathe. Descending his arm pulled the fire bullets down from the sky.

Barbados had no time to regenerate. With the remaining gauntlet, he touched his dying body. Crystal formed and acted like missing flesh, containing his barely-functioning organs. He tried to yell, but he hadn't healed his vocal cords yet. The barrage of heat-seeking flames rained down at an incredible speed. He punched the ground and launched himself out of the concentrated fire zone.

"Shishishi." yelled the Erk trying to imitate laughing. Using his other hand, a geyser formed under Barbados and shot water with an unbelievable pressure. The stream of water tore through Barbados's makeshift armour. "Shishishi." sizzled the flaming head of the Erk as he launched another attack before the geyser attack finished. In his palms, he forced fire to heat up water inside an impenetrable membrane.

The steam began to change under the constant pressure and increasing temperatures. At last, the string of superheated ions and electrons began changing- it formed plasma. Pure energy in the palms of a mortal, something not even Angels had been able to attain. Barbados would have attacked before Asher would have been able to unleash this attack, but something stopped him. An emotion ingrained deep within every organism, morbid curiosity. The Erk brought the sphere up to his head and blew a gentle ember into it. A ray of plasma shot out of the other side towards Barbados. The speed it travelled at was over a million miles per hour. No creature would have been able to realistically survive such a blast. Barbados didn't survive the attack and was dead for sure.

But a familiar symbol appeared before his lifeless body. A runic blue symbol that belonged to a friend of his. Out of the symbol grew gentle tendrils that nurtured the body of Barbados and resuscitated him, only leaving his heart missing. The Sinborn's eyes flashed back to life and stared at his burning skin. He was in the exact state from before being attacked by such a hit. Once again, through sheer luck of meeting the spirit, he had overcome death. His mind hadn't been sent to the afterlife yet, but patiently waiting for the last parts of his body to stop functioning. He tried to stand up, but collapsed back down. His body was still deathly injured, and not only his. Asher's burning form dissipated as his mind had given up and was unable to keep the spell going.

Barbados didn't win the fight. Neither did Asher Brumin. The fight had come to a standstill and no side could continue. From the referee's side, a familiar booming voice resurfaced.

"A DRAW! APPLAUD FOR THE EXCELLENT FIGHT BY THESE GENTLEMEN!" The referee spun around and gave life to the silent audience. Medics rushed to check on both sides, but both contestants refused their help.

"Maybe I was wrong about you." said the Erk as he gave Barbados his hand.

"Maybe so. But I was wrong about you too." replied the Sinborn as he clasped his hand. Asher leaned into Barbados's ear and whispered the secret that was considered taboo. Barbados chuckled. "The pleasure is all mine."

****

The Flesh Hunter that had questions about the body of an immortal couldn't contain herself. She shook at the thought of digging through a regenerating corpse. Her eyes were filled with an unsatisfiable desire for knowledge. Rathna screamed as she stared at the picture of the Sinborn. The glowing red halo adorned the pristine white head with raven wings. She opened a box of utensils and pulled out a small glass jar labelled 'Lust'.

"He will be mine." she talked to herself as she prepared for the presentation that she would need to give.

****

"What do you mean he isn't here?" Rathna questioned Grog as she couldn't handle the news.

"I assume you saw the state in which Barbados had come out of the arena. He said he needed time to heal. He went with the Chief to the staff sauna. Where are you going?"

"If you won't drag him out, I will." said Rathna as she prepared to depart, only for the same familiar man to tackle her. "WHAT?" she yelled with an eldritch screech. The man took off his sunglasses to reveal piercing silver eyes.

"I assure you that he will be here for the presentation. How about some snacks to cool you down." The woman moved away from the Recluse. "Where did that young enthusiasm go? I don't bite," he laughed while approaching her, "But I do slice." He held a blade up to her neck reminding her that she was at a prestigious academy and needed to act accordingly.

"Thanks Azer," Grog said while sighing, "But where did you get a weapon from? I thought security confiscated them?"

"I am a Vander that has turned his whole body into a weapon. It's pretty hard to confiscate this hunk." he said while laughing.

"That imagery won't leave my mind for any time soon." replied Grog as he nearly gagged. "But I do wonder how Barbados was able to regenerate from that plasma blast."

"It was the work of a spirit." said Azer as he stuffed his mouth with cookies.

"And I know which one. Please keep an eye on that woman while I go make a phone call."

"No problem." Azer said while lifting his sunglasses and staring straight at Rathna.

Barbados relaxed in the sauna. His skin didn't sweat but he could still find the appeal in the activity. Across from him was Asher who looked exhausted from the fight.

"Barbados," he asked as he melted into the bench, "What did you do to negate death?"

"I'm not entirely sure either. I had a symbol engraved on my arm from a good friend and after it healed my body, it disappeared from my body."

"So it's mystical shenanigans."

"I'm sure that if I questioned him then I would receive an answer. Now give me an explanation of your mysterious blast."

"The plasma blast? That came to me in the heat of the moment. By heating up steam you are able to get a new state of matter. That being the plasma at a temperature way above 6000°C."

"Just another quality to mana."

"True. But the main problem is having the knowledge of your proposed attack. You don't need to know it in vast detail, just the concept. I am not a physics major. Hell, I hated physics in school. But because I knew that hot steam was plasma, I was able to pull off the attack."

"Interesting. Here's another question. I know that you can create your own natural phenomenon that defies nature. How does that work?"

"You would need to ask a profession that specialises in that. Are you aware that we are only 2nd in command to the Pillars of Germania. They may not be the strongest, but are the most experienced in their specific fields. You would need to ask one of those pillars for the answer. Good luck trying to though, they never appear in public. I don't even know the face of the Pillar I serve."

"I believe it is time for us to go." said Barbados after a while to break the tranquil silence. Asher gasped.

"I completely forgot about the presentation. I will see you after the presentation at the banquet."

"Bye." Barbados only stayed for 30 more minutes before leaving. On his way back to his room he saw a familiar 5th year student that congratulated him on the immaculate fight. In his room he got dressed in formal clothing and received a phone call from Adam.

"Barbados speaking."

"Hi, please come by my office. As a last minute detail, I have planned for you to give a speech. Is that alright?"

"Even if I declined you would probably dock my pay."

"You are absolutely right." the headteacher said cheerily.

"Fine. On one condition. Can I get my vacation days back?"

"You actually thought I meant that?" asked Adam, perplexed. "It's illegal to remove someone of that privilege in Germania."

"You piece of-" but the phone hung up before he could finish his line. While he walked away, he noticed a scarab beetle on the window. "I forgot about you." he said as he went to pick it up. "I will look through the data later. I have a party to ruin." he said as his devilish side appeared, making his wings grow thorns and his feathers adorn a scorching red colour, while growing a thin tail. Something had changed after being brought back to life via an external factor.