The Warrior of Shadows
.The battle intensifies – Nero is outmatched, struggling against a warrior faster and stronger than him.
. Angel and Nagel intervene – But they are quickly overwhelmed But they quickly realize this enemy is beyond anything they've faced.
.A shocking revelation – The masked warrior knows the truth about Nero's power.
.A turning point – Nero's flames erupt beyond his control, but something darker awakens.
---
The night burned and burned
Nero's golden flames clashed violently against the black fire of the masked warrior. The very air shook from the force of their battle, waves of heat distorting the forest around them.
His heartbeat thundered in his ears. His muscles ached. But the worst part is that?
He was losing to the masked warrior.
The masked warrior moved faster than he could track, their blade of dark fire cutting through the air like a viper.
Nero barely dodged the next strike, but even as he countered with a blast of golden flame, the warrior vanished, appearing at his side in an instant.
A fast flaming fist struck Nero's ribs.
Pain exploded through his body that makes him tremble.
He crashed into the ground, rolling over dirt and stone. His vision blurred. His fire flickered in protest.
"I… I can't keep up."
---
(A Battle They Can't Win)
Angel and Nagel rushed forward, weapons drawn.
Angel's sword flashed, striking toward the warrior's exposed side—
But the masked figure turned effortlessly, catching her blade with one hand.
Angel's eyes widened. "What—?"
Before she could react, the warrior twisted, throwing her backward.
Nagel charged, swinging his axe in a downward strike.
The warrior sidestepped, moving with unnatura fast speed. Their knee shot up—
CRACK.
Nagel's axe was knocked from his grip, and a second later, a backhanded strike sent him sprawling.
Angel coughed, struggling to stand. Nagel groaned, pain radiating through his arms.
The warrior hadn't even broken a sweat.
They weren't fighting to kill.
They were fighting to test them.
---
(The Fire That Fights Back)
Nero pushed himself up, gasping for breath.
"They're too strong."
His Sacred Flame burned at his fingertips, but it felt wrong—unstable, almost like it was resisting him.
He clenched his fists, frustration building.
"Damn it—why now?!"
I promise to protect people I love with my Flames.
He took a deep breath. Pushed past the pain.
Golden flames erupted around him, but this time—they flared wildly.
The masked warrior tilted their head. "You are forcing something that does not belong to you."
Their voice was deep, layered, as if more than one person was speaking.
Nero gritted his teeth. "Shut up!"
He charged, swinging his flames in a wild arc—
The warrior didn't move.
Instead, they raised their hand.
And caught Nero's flame with their bare palm.
---
(The Truth in the Fire)
Nero's eyes widened.
The Sacred Flame should have burned through anything.
But the masked warrior's black fire devoured it.
His golden flames flickered, weakening in an instant.
The warrior tightened their grip.
"Do you not wonder why your fire rejects you?" they asked.
Nero gasped, feeling his power draining away.
The warrior leaned closer. "It is because it is not truly yours."
Nero said I was gifted with this power so it's mine
The masked warrior then asked Nero".
If it was really yours then why can't you control it
Nero's heart pounded. "What are you talking about?!"
"You are an echo of something far greater. A vessel for a fire that does not belong to you."
Nero snarled, trying to pull back—
But the warrior would not let go.
"You are not ready," they repeated.
"You don't worth it.
Then, with one final movement, they released him—and a wave of black fire slammed into Nero's chest.
He screamed as the flames burned, not his skin, but his very soul.
---
(The Power That Shouldn't Be)
Something inside Nero broke.
A pressure he didn't know existed shattered, and suddenly—
The Sacred Flame erupted.
But it wasn't golden anymore.
A burst of white fire exploded outward, consuming everything.
The masked warrior staggered back for the first time.
Angel and Nagel shielded their eyes from the blinding light.
Nero felt his mind slipping, his very thoughts melting into the fire.
His vision blurred, his body no longer his own.
"This fire—"
It was too much.Too powerful.
It was taking over.
And deep within the white-hot flames, something whispered to him.
Something ancient. Something hungry.
"Burn them all."
---
(The Warning and the Retreat)
The masked warrior watched, their gaze unreadable.
Then—they stepped back.
"The time is not yet right," they said.
Then, in an instant, they vanished into the darkness.
Angel rushed to Nero's side. "Nero, snap out of it!"
Nero please control yourself.
Nagel grabbed his arm. "You have to stop whatever this is!"
Nero gritted his teeth. Fought against the overwhelming fire.
"No. I won't lose myself to this."
I would never lose myself to this.
"This power was gifted to me to protect my friends and the villagers.
With a final breath, he forced the flames back down.
The light faded.
His body collapsed.
Angel caught him before he hit the ground.
Nagel wiped sweat from his brow. "What the hell just happened?"
Angel's voice was shaky. "I think… I think he almost lost control."
The flames were too much for him to handle .
Nero barely heard them. His body was exhausted, but his mind was racing.
"What did that warrior mean?"
"Why did they say my fire wasn't mine?"
"What did they mean that I'm not ready.
And the most terrifying thought of all—
"If my power doesn't belong to me… then who does it belong to?"
"He cried.
---
End of Chapter 11
.Nero is completely outmatched—but the warrior doesn't want to kill him.
.A shocking revelation—the Sacred Flame might not truly belong to Nero.
. A dangerous awakening—Nero's fire erupts into something even he cannot control.
. The warrior disappears—but leaves behind more questions than answers.
Next up: Chapter 12: The Fire Within—Nero must face the truth about his power before it consumes him.