Arc | 125: Ceremony (Part 7) (Patreon)

125: Ceremony (Part 7)

I needed mana.

That was my first thought as my surroundings increased by dozens of degrees to a scalding heat. My skin began to burn a second later, sizzling with aching pain. The heat was more dangerous than I ever thought.

I needed mana to shut down his skill but…

My eyes darted around. I also could feel that the flames from the skill didn’t come from mana but from something else⁠—

“So you’re part dragon now?” he asked. “Scaled skin, slitted eyes, pointy ears; curious how I didn’t notice it when we talked earlier. Can’t say I never ”

I frowned. “Are you not worried about the keeper of order showing up?”

“Of course not, he’s far too busy dealing with the Hero of Shadows,” he scoffed. “So unfortunately, you won’t be getting saved today.”

At that moment, the ground next to me quaked; softly trembled and my danger senses kicked in. I side-stepped and lava erupted from my side. I winced from the pain as my coat began to melt. It was unbelievable; when did he get so strong?

“You know, I never thought that I’d be using this skill against you unless we had another confrontation with interlopers present.” He took a step, the flames reaching a higher peak. “But I guess things never go as we expect; I didn’t expect to have to use this skill, I didn’t expect for my plans to be ruined, and I’m sure you didn’t expect to be in such a dire situation.”

My frown persisted as I took a wary step back, things were much more dangerous than I had ever anticipated. And worst of all, I knew that even if I had all my mana my skill would be wholly ineffective. Mana wasn’t being used here; it was something else. Something I couldn’t put my finger on.

And in order for me to win I had to find out what that was.

As for recovering my mana? I’d think about it later.

I gulped, I did have some mana but not enough to do anything worth mentioning, let alone use an actual SS Tier skill. But right now, I needed time to find out what the hell was the Hero of Flames using to empower himself.

Though that was way too difficult.

I side-stepped two torrents of lava as my skin suffered further burning, my heart was racing

And then, I could modify my current existing skill. That thought seemed unreasonable now I felt like I could do it. All thanks to the new skill I had learned.

[You have learned an SS Tier skill: (Passive) Innate Frost Affinity.]

[This skill allows you to see the intricacies of frost a lot more clearly, it does not improve upon your current talent or change your understanding of the element.]

It was an SS Tier passive skill, something that was always active.

And with it, I could optimize all my skills; or so I hoped⁠—

“Well that’s enough talking.” He cracked his neck. “Any last words for me?”

I summoned a spear and smiled. “Bring it on.”

In an instant his face became full of anger, and at that moment a shadow passed through his face. A slit of blood formed before closing for a moment and he stomped the ground.

“Aren’t you lizards way too persistent?!”

With a scream he flicked his arm and a barrage of flames was sent in the direction of the castle. A tall infernal wall that was one-hundred meters tall was sent, threatening to melt through anything before it was split by a flashing blue light.

I blinked only to see the Dragon of Water bloodied along with Malz and Regis’karr, both in their dragon forms and evidently injured.

“Sorry, I know you don’t want us to interrupt, but,” Regis’karr began, “you really need help this time.”

I nodded, and a moment later skills began to get fired. The dragons were exhausted and even then, I heard Regis’karr use one of his strongest skills at that moment. They clearly weren’t going to be able to defeat the Hero of Flames but, they were buying me time.

Valuable time that I could use to figure out what was the fuel to his flames.

And then came getting my mana back.

Then another explosion of flames occurred, as I focused on examining what was going on.

* * * * *

Ceylon was extremely worried. At first she had just been shocked with what happened, but after she became slightly worried for Arc, and now that the explosion had occurred her worry had skyrocketed. The nobles down below were panic stricken and still too afraid to run, but Ceylon didn’t pay any mind and made her way out of the private booth and immediately began to search for ways to get out.

However, she was pulled by one of the nobles when she tried to exit the normal way, saying that they needed to do everything they could in order to keep the heroes happy. It was… so strange to her; everyone’s reaction was to be sitting ducks and she couldn’t understand it. Her parents too were just as restless.

“We cannot leave, if Arc was to… lose…” her father trailed off.

“If she were to lose we’d be at the mercy of whoever other heroes there are here…” her mother said fearfully.

Even though they had a better grasp of the situation they too were too afraid. They were afraid of who Arc was fighting while the rest of the nobles were afraid of Arc herself. Ceylon couldn’t believe it. She hated it, she hated everything that was going on, and so she ran around looking for an exit.

Every normal exit was closed; she made sure to check everywhere she could, but she didn’t find anything! That was until she stumbled upon a door with ashes on its entrance.

She didn’t want to join the fight or anything; not as if she could. But she wanted to at least see what was happening. And so, she opened the door resolutely and walked into an ashen and stained room, only to see a flash of orange on the ripped wall.

This was where the explosion happened.

She made that connection as she rushed across the charred floor, and when she peaked out of the window she saw it. A sea of flames. Dragons fighting, and amidst all of it she saw her best friend.

Arc.

And she was… in a terrible state.

Now more than ever she feared for what was about to happen.

* * * * *

I had stared at every flame, every little thing I could observe and as time ticked down to an end, I remembered.

Didn’t Regis’karr gave the exact same feeling during our fight?

The Hero of Flames was consuming his⁠—

And the Dragon of Water screamed in pain, bringing my attention back to reality. Malz and Regis’karr were now on the ground, lying unconscious. And soon, the Dragon of Water would join them; thankfully the Hero of Flames was sparing them for some reason or another, but I couldn’t take all of that for granted.

Which was why I had to make the Hero of Flames angry.

The Dragon of Water turned to my direction and from his hand a potion emerged.

[ Ancient Mana Potion of Immemorial Times. Tier: S ]

Why does he have that…?

My mind paused before he threw it.

And at that moment a myriad of possibilities opened up. I wasn’t completely ready to use the modified skill yet but I could do it.

I could win against the Hero of Flames.

“As if I’d let you.”

A geyser exploded and the potion was incinerated. It happened so fast that I was just left standing there. Then, the Hero of Flames kicked and an explosion of fire engulfed the Dragon of Water in a single moment.

So in the end, the only way to recover my mana was…

And a wave of fire came my way as I was forced to use [Quick Step] to get out of the way.

To die.

I turned only to see a massive wave of flames. My eyes widened and I reflexively kicked. A spike of ice jutted, cutting through the flames just barely and by the time they passed it had melted. Part of my clothes along with it.

I was shocked but immediately corrected back to my plan.

“Are you even trying to kill me?” I spat. “Pathetic.”

“You!”

He screamed and a ring of fire imploded from his feet. My eyes widened and I summoned an ice spear, then I used [God Step] and I stabbed.

The Hero of Flames effortlessly dodged and kicked, I was able to block it but the shaft of the ice spear melted upon receiving the hit. I stumbled back and I still decided to reel him on.

“You know? You’ll lose in the end.” I grinned. “I just need to modify one of my existing skills and you too will die.”

“You speak as if it was easy.” He scowled.

“Well, for the Hero of Spirits I had to create a new skill; but for you I just need to modify it.” My grin became wider. “Even like this I’m not phased.”

He clicked his tongue and a moment later appeared behind me. Then he grabbed me by the neck and slammed me onto the ground. It all happened in a blink. My skin constantly burned and he smiled.

“You really are one cocky bitch aren’t you?”

“Well, modifying the skill isn’t that hard. I just have to change it to my will⁠—”

“And a narcissist too!”

He pressed harder and the ground  began to melt. My body was much more durable than a lot of things in this world, but at that moment I felt as if I was about to pass out. Even then, deep down I was unsure if I was making the right move.

I didn’t actually know if upon dying my mana would be full, but I didn’t have any other choice. And so I continued to piss him off; all to ensure he’d come solely for me and ignore everybody else.

“Well, I was an art major after all⁠—”

And I was thrown like a doll. My position was humiliating but it didn’t matter. I knew I came across as the annoying brat that was putting a strong front, because in reality I was afraid but even then I tried to think about the skill and other ways to annoy him.

The skill was rather straightforward, instead of mana I had to focus on his being and life, on the thing that was constantly burning within him⁠— whether i could grasp at it or not it was a different story.

But when I looked up at him, I felt it.

A burning flame within him. And another realization struck me.

It was his soul that was burning.

That was why Regis’karr had been able to learn his other skill; however it also meant:

I knew how to kill the Hero of Flames.

At that moment a smile crept up my face. Of course, there was a chance I was wrong, and of course, I had jumped through a fuck ton of assumptions to even get there. But, it didn’t matter. I was willing to risk it all.

I wanted to win this battle, and more than anything I still wanted to beat the shit out of him.

And now I truly felt like I was ready to start on that endeavor.

I stood up and faced him, smiling as I made an ice spear with my hand and waved at him.

“Well what are you waiting for? You should kill me so we can have round two. Or are you as much of a pussy as the Hero of Shadows? Considering how I ruined your plans and how generous you’re still being, I think that’s a fair assumption.”

At that moment the temperature became high enough for my clothes to ignite up in flames.

That did it.

He spat on the ground before pointing his hand at me.

“I’ll make you regret living. Arc.”

And an explosion of flames engulfed me and the entire lake along with it.

* * * * *

Ceylon gasped at the fire, and the ice crystal on her person shattered. Along with it a realization came.

Arc had died.

And then, the Hero of Flames disappeared from his spot.