I struggled and pleaded for Flareth to release , but it was useless. His unyielding strength kept locked in place, his grip firm like iron. No matter how much I resisted, he didn’t budge an inch.
I was shocked by just how effortlessly he held . In the end, I gave up fighting and accepted my fate, allowing him to carry without further resistance.
We crossed through breathtaking landscapes—lush, vibrant forests with towering trees, rivers flowing with pure white milk instead of water—a sight that felt almost surreal.
But then, the scenery shifted drastically.
We arrived at Flareth’s domain, his Ascendant Spire—the Spire of the Fire God.
A colossal tower of molten crimson stone stood before , reaching toward the heavens, its surface pulsing as if it were alive with flas. Around the tower, volcanoes raged endlessly, spewing fire and lava into the air.
This place was supposed to be a divine realm where gods and goddesses resided. Shouldn’t it resemble paradise?
Then why does Flareth’s domain look like the depths of hell?
I wanted to ask him, but when I glanced at him, his cold, sharp gaze made hesitate.
I swallowed my curiosity and kept quiet.
Once we entered his Spire, Flareth wasted no ti.
With a single swing of his arm, he threw into the center of the arena.
"W-Woah—!" I barely managed to land on my feet.
The arena’s ground rumbled beneath , surrounded by boiling magma that erupted in bursts of fla. The heat was suffocating, making it hard to breathe.
Around us, a crowd of fire-elent angels stood, their fiery wings burning bright, their cheers shaking the very air.
"FLARETH-SAMA! FLARETH-SAMA! FLARETH-SAMA!"
The atmosphere felt like that of a gladiator’s colosseum.
This wasn’t just a place for combat—this was a battlefield.
...Wait.
Is he planning to fight here?!
I stared in disbelief.
Flareth stood across from , his flaming red hair flowing like wildfire, his muscular fra emanating sheer power.
"Hey, Flareth-sama...!" I called out, forcing myself to stay composed. "I don’t know what you’re planning to do to , but... can you at least explain what this ’Trial of Blessing’ is first?"
Flareth’s intense gaze bore into , filled with irritation, but he eventually sighed.
"Tch... Fine! I’ll explain it quickly, so listen up, you insignificant insect!" He jabbed his massive finger at , his voice booming across the arena.
I felt a chill run down my spine.
...
Flareth grudgingly explained that the Trial of Blessing was a test conducted by the gods to determine whether a chosen hero was worthy of receiving their divine blessing.
Only those who survived and completed the trial would be granted the power of a god.
Hearing this, I recalled Cain von Flamore.
"Wait, Flareth-sama... did Cain also take this trial?" I asked.
Flareth’s eyes flickered with recognition.
"Cain? Ahh, that brat from the Flamore bloodline." His lips curled into a smirk. "Yes, he was the last hero I tested. That kid was just like —reckless, fierce, and strong. He passed with flying colors."
Cain... passed this trial?
Flareth continued, explaining that Cain was rewarded with the Blessing of the Fire God after completing the trial.
This blessing granted an 80% increase in fire damage and complete immunity to fire-based attacks. On top of that, he had also received a divine beast’s egg—a rare gift from the gods.
The divine beast within the egg would one day hatch and form a contract with its master, granting imnse power.
However, Cain’s egg had yet to hatch, aning he hadn’t been able to use its power in battle.
That explained sothing I had been wondering about.
Cain couldn’t use his divine beast’s power against Zorx.
If he had, maybe...
Maybe he could have defeated Zorx.
Maybe he could have saved Kael.
I clenched my fists.
Cain must have felt frustrated by his limitations, pushing himself to beco even stronger.
But... sothing didn’t add up.
If Cain had full immunity to fire attacks, then why was he still hurt by Zorx’s flas?
Zorx had injured him using fire magic. Shouldn’t his blessing have protected him completely?
Was there sothing special about Zorx’s fire?
I frowned, lost in thought.
I could still feel Flareth’s hostility toward .
It was subtle but undeniable.
I didn’t understand why.
Taking a deep breath, I finally gathered my courage and looked straight at him.
"Flareth-sama..." I hesitated, then asked, "Why did you bring here?"
Silence.
Flareth’s eyes narrowed.
"Are you... planning to give the Blessing of the Fire God?"
I needed to know.
Would he grant the sa power as Cain?
Would I receive the sa fire immunity, the sa divine beast?
Would he even allow to take this trial?
Flareth grinned.
A dangerous, fiery grin.
"Hah. You think you’re worthy of my blessing?"
His body erupted in flas, his aura blazing with intensity.
I swallowed hard.
This...
This was going to be brutal.
....
Flareth’s anger boiled over, his eyes blazing like molten lava.
"Why did I bring you here? Hahaha! You really don’t get it, do you?!" His voice thundered through the arena, making the magma pits around us tremble.
He sneered at with utter contempt.
"You think I would grant you my blessing? Don’t make laugh! The mont I laid eyes on you... I knew. I could feel it." He jabbed his burning finger in my direction, his aura intensifying.
"A dark, wretched heart lies within you."
His words struck like a blade.
"It disgusts ."
The heat around beca unbearable, as if his hatred alone could burn alive.
"That’s why I brought you here." His voice grew even harsher. "To see it for myself!"
His words hit harder than any attack ever could.
His accusations made my chest tighten.
I imdiately thought back to Zorx.
Back when I faced him, I had awakened the skill [Dark Magic: Black Fla].
Zorx had given it to .
A final gift—his way of acknowledging , a parting token for helping him and his sister find peace before they vanished from this world.
The Black Fla was a power born from dark magic, yet it had saved lives.
So why...
Why does Flareth see it as sothing impure?
Before I could process everything, Flareth lunged at .
With a fierce battle cry, he summoned four massive claymore-sized swords, each forged from living fire, hovering around him like extensions of his wrath.
The air roared with heat, the flas burning with divine fury.
"Show that wretched fire of yours, you bastard!"
I had no choice.
I had to fight.
Summoning all my strength, I reached deep into the abyss of my Dark Magic.
"[Kagegiri]..."
With a burst of dark energy, my katana materialized from the void, humming with raw power.
The mont my fingers wrapped around the hilt, my speed and strength surged.
Without hesitation, I channeled my dark magic and activated:
"[Dark Magic: Black Fla!]"
Dark fire erupted along my blade, burning with an unholy intensity—its flas dancing like cursed shadows.
I saw it—
Flareth’s eyes widened.
A flicker of shock crossed his face.
Then his expression twisted with rage.
"You dare wield that filth before ?!"
He roared and sent all four of his flaming swords hurtling toward .
I barely had ti to react.
The claymores struck with devastating force, each one powerful enough to cleave through mountains.
I raised my blade, channeling my training into a swift defensive stance.
"[Yanagi-Uke!]"
My katana whipped through the air, deflecting each of Flareth’s strikes one by one—parrying the relentless assault in a blur of motion.
But the pressure was imnse.
His strength—his sheer overwhelming power—was pushing back.
I gritted my teeth and launched a counterattack.
With Black Fla surging through my blade, I struck back, slashing toward him with all my might.
The dark fire crackled as my katana clashed against his burning claymores, the two opposing flas colliding in a battle of raw power.
But Flareth stood firm.
His flas surged, pressing against mine with such intensity that my feet skidded backward across the scorched stone.
His fire was too strong.
It was like trying to fight against a living inferno.
I clenched my jaw and adjusted my stance.
Fine. If I couldn’t overpower him with brute force—
Then I’d use technique.
Summoning my strength, I channeled my swordsmanship into my next move.
"[Tensho Kousen!]"
I swung my blade in a powerful vertical slash, sending a crescent wave of dark fire surging toward him.
The Black Fla roared as it tore through the air, its cursed heat burning everything in its path.
This attack couldn’t be dodged easily.
It would incinerate anything it touched.
But—
Flareth didn’t even flinch.
With a single sweeping motion, he swung one of his flaming claymores and extinguished my attack in an instant.
The Black Fla—fire that should never be put out—was snuffed out as if it were nothing.
My eyes widened in shock.
How?!
Before I could process what had happened, Flareth was already moving.
His swords rained down upon in a relentless barrage, forcing onto the defensive.
I barely had ti to react, dodging and blocking as best as I could—
But the heat, the overwhelming power of his flas and then—
I felt it.
The ground beneath my feet crumbling.
The arena’s platform was collapsing under the sheer heat and pressure, the edges lting away, threatening to plunge into the searing magma below.
This wasn’t just a test anymore.
This was a death sentence.
But Flareth wasn’t finished.
As he continued his relentless barrage, he sneered down at .
"That fla..." He spat the words like venom.
"You insult !"
He swung his hand, and a massive wave of fire burst forth, forcing back.
His eyes blazed with unchecked fury.
"I am Flareth, the Fire God! Do you really think I would ever accept such a disgraceful fla?!"
The air shook as his aura flared, the magma around us boiling even hotter.
"Black fire is a cursed, impure fla!" He raised all four of his swords once more, their flas now burning with divine intensity.
"I have changed my mind."
My breath hitched.
What?
He pointed one of his massive swords at , eyes burning with murderous intent.
"I’m not here to test you anymore."
His grip tightened.
"I’m going to kill you. Right here. Right now."
A chill ran down my spine.
For the first ti since stepping into this trial—
I realized...
Flareth wasn’t holding back.
He was serious.
This wasn’t a test.
This was an execution.
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