Flareth struck first, but I swiftly countered by drawing my katana, [Kagegiri], and channeling my magic—[Dark Magic: Black Fla].
Our clash turned the Spire of the Fire God into what looked like an inferno straight from hell. The angels present began to feel the heat, their celestial forms unable to withstand the sheer intensity. One by one, they withdrew from the battlefield, a wise decision considering the flas we wielded had grown so intense that even the floor of the arena started to lt.
When our attacks collided, my [Black Fla] managed to overpower Flareth’s strike, generating a thick black smoke that quickly enveloped the battlefield. Seizing the opportunity, I activated my most formidable magic—[Forbidden Dark Magic: Abyssal Wrath Mode].
Abyssal Wrath Mode instantly doubled the power of my Dark Magic, amplifying my strength (STR) and agility (AGI) as well. Without hesitation, I transitioned Kagegiri into its second form—[Yami no Shogun], transforming my attire into a pitch-black samurai armor in an instant.
Seeing my transformation, Flareth burst into laughter, eyes burning with excitent.
"HAHAHA! You’re going all out right away?! Good! I like this! Now I can obliterate a flea like you with full power!"
Without wasting another second, Flareth surged forward at breakneck speed, launching a relentless assault with his flaming claymore. Accompanying the main blade, he conjured multiple additional swords of fire, attacking from all angles. However, with [Future Sight], I could predict his movents and countered with precise deflections using [Yanagi-Uke].
"Not bad! But let’s see how you handle this!" Flareth roared as he activated his magic—[God’s Fire Clone].
Suddenly, dozens of flaming copies of Flareth erged, each capable of exploding upon impact. Within monts, the battlefield was swarming with his clones, all charging at with synchronized attacks. The sheer number made it difficult to keep up, but I had my own counterasure.
I unleashed [High Dark Magic: Nightmare Tempest, Hundred Shadow], summoning a hundred shadow clones crafted from pure Dark Magic. The battlefield erupted into chaos as my shadows and Flareth’s clones clashed in a whirlwind of destruction. Shadow blades and flaming swords collided, both sides eliminating each other in a battle of attrition.
For a mont, it seed as if I had leveled the playing field. However, deep down, I knew Flareth had yet to unleash his full power. I needed to act quickly and deal a decisive blow before he got serious.
Flareth, clearly frustrated by the stalemate, scowled.
"Tch, this isn’t enough... Fine! I’ll just use the sa spell that crushed you before!" he declared, his body igniting with an overwhelming blaze.
A massive inferno swirled around him, growing in intensity until it ford a colossal wave of divine fire. He grinned maniacally before thrusting his hands forward.
"Fall! Burn! Be defeated just like before! [God’s Fire Wave!]"
At last, he had resorted to it. The spell manifested as an enormous surge of fire, relentlessly advancing toward . It would not stop until it completely consud its target.
Instead of panicking, I let a small smirk cross my lips.
"I’ve been waiting for this," I whispered.
Without hesitation, I deactivated all of my Dark Magic, reverting to my base form. Then, I activated the blessing bestowed upon by Miranda.
[BLESSING OF FIRE DAMAGE ACTIVATED!]
A divine glow surrounded , granting imnse resistance to fire-based attacks.
[BLESSING OF SEALING MAGIC ACTIVATED!]
This blessing allowed to temporarily seal away my Dark Magic, shielding from the Divine Magic attribute imbued in Flareth’s flas.
The mont I sealed my Dark Magic, an excruciating jolt surged through my body, as if my very essence was being electrocuted. But I gritted my teeth and endured it, forcing my magic into dormancy.
With my Dark Magic sealed and my Fire Blessing in effect, I braced myself and stood my ground as Flareth’s devastating attack bore down on . The inferno engulfed completely, yet instead of agony, I felt nothing but a gentle warmth. Flareth’s triumphant laughter turned into one of sheer shock as he watched erge unscathed from the flas.
"Y-you idiot! Are you seriously taking my attack head-on?! Burn! Turn to ash!" he bellowed in disbelief.
Yet, as the fire dissipated, I remained standing, unhard, my eyes locked onto his with unwavering determination. Flareth’s expression twisted from confidence to pure rage.
This was the turning point of our battle.
The ti to strike back had finally co.
...
Flareth looked furious, his face contorted in anger as he shouted at . However, I paid him no mind. Instead, I drove my katana deep into the ground, spreading my arms wide as if embracing the flas rushing toward .
His attack struck head-on. A wave of searing heat surged through my body, and for a brief mont, I felt an overwhelming pain. But then, sothing changed. The agony dulled, fading into sothing tolerable. My skin, which should have burned to ash, remained intact. The blessing bestowed upon by Miranda was working.
Flareth’s flas no longer held the power to consu .
Without hesitation, I activated my skill—[Resonance]—attempting to absorb Flareth’s devastating attack.
"AARRGGHH!!" I roared, forcing every ounce of my will into absorbing the divine flas.
Flareth only laughed, his voice filled with confidence. "HAHAHA! Fool! No matter what you do, the result will be the sa! You will burn!"
But the seconds dragged on, and I remained standing. Slowly, the fire surrounding flickered and disappeared, as if sucked into my very being. Flareth’s grin faded into a look of disbelief. His flas—his greatest weapon—had vanished.
"What?!" he exclaid.
"That busty blonde goddess Miranda must have helped you, right? You couldn’t have held back my fire without her help. She’s such a ddler!"
I ignored Flareth’s chatter and clenched my fists, feeling the raw power of his divine fire coursing through . The once-deadly flas no longer hard . Instead, they had beco part of my own energy. I lifted my hand and let the fire swirl around my fingers before channeling it directly into my katana. The black blade glead as fiery energy wrapped around it, forming a brilliant crimson glow.
A notification echoed in my mind:
[Skill Level Up! Resonance has evolved into a new skill: [Seikaryuu no Issen]—Fire Divine Dragon’s Slash.]
A smirk crossed my lips. Without hesitation, I unleashed my new power.
"[Fire Divine Dragon’s Slash]!" I called out.
As I swung my katana, a massive crimson dragon erupted from its edge, its fiery body twisting and roaring as it surged toward Flareth. The heat was intense, distorting the air around it as it raced forward with incredible speed.
For the first ti, Flareth hesitated. But eventually she used her magic [God’s Fire Wave] again and tried to push my attack.
Our attacks clashed, and pushed each other back.
Flareth kept trying to push back, using [Second Wave] adding another wave of her attack. That finally pushed back, after which she added another [Third Wave] making my katana vibrate, my attack was pushed back even more until it almost hit .
But I increased my magic and added my aura to my attack. Finally I was able to increase my attack power and used [Fire Divine Dragon’s Slash, Full Burst!!!!]
Finally my attack managed to push Flareth’s attack back and hit her directly.
BAM!
The battlefield shook from the impact. Smoke and embers filled the air as the explosion from the attack sent a shockwave rippling across the arena. I watched, panting, waiting to see the result of my strongest strike yet.
As the smoke cleared, Flareth stood there, unhard—save for a single thin cut on his cheek.
I clenched my jaw. Even after all that, I hadn’t managed to deal any significant damage.
Flareth reached up, touching the wound on his cheek. His fingers ca away with a single drop of blood.
For a mont, there was silence. Then—
"Hahaha!" Flareth suddenly burst into laughter. His booming voice echoed across the battlefield. "Not bad, you small Flea. Not bad at all!"
I narrowed my eyes. Was he mocking ?
He wiped his cheek, still grinning. "That was the first ti in centuries soone has managed to land a hit on ." He sheathed his weapon and cracked his neck before turning to face properly. "Very well. You have passed."
I blinked, taken aback. "What?"
"The trial is over," he declared. "You have proven your strength. I, Flareth the God of Fire, acknowledge your power."
The realization hit . This had been a test all along.
My shoulders slumped as exhaustion washed over . The adrenaline that had kept going began to fade, and I felt the weight of the battle settle into my bones. Despite everything, I had done it.
I had won.
Flareth stepped forward and clapped a hand on my shoulder. His grip was firm but no longer hostile.
"Co," he said. "You have earned my respect. Let’s talk."
As we walked, my mind raced. I had barely scratched him, yet he seed satisfied with the result. Was I really strong enough? Or was there sothing else he had seen in ?
"Don’t look so troubled," Flareth said, as if reading my mind. "Strength isn’t just about destruction. It’s about control. And you... you controlled my flas. That’s sothing even gods struggle to do."
I frowned.
He was right. My Dark Magic had always been volatile, hard to restrain. Yet, in that mont, I had contained his divine fire within . What did that an? Was I evolving?
I clenched my fists. If this was just the beginning, then I had so much more to learn.
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