Hot-blooded Breakthrough
“All members, break free from the encirclement!”
Schiker’s shout after the momentary silence surprised the two bishops. Red flames surged from his body, even forming a giant phantom of a flying beast behind him.
This was a perfect creature like those in legends, bathed in fire like a god born of the flames!
“The eighth level of the Fireplume! Schiker, you’ve gotten this old, yet you still haven’t made any progress!” The two bishops exchanged a glance and took a step forward together, a huge pressure dispersing in all directions and suppressing the phantom of the fire phoenix ahead.
As if night had fallen, great amounts of black mist bound Schiker to them. A great battle was about to happen!
“Kill them!”
Numerous members of Mobius Organisation yelled, and figures in dark robes with daggers or the like in their hands darted out of the shadows.
The sounds of shouts were unceasing. Most of the members of the Special Task Force were new, and the surprise attack resulted in heavy casualties. Their morale immediately fell, and there some members who were outside who roared as they escaped into the distance.
*Thud!* Schiker was ruthlessly smashed to the ground by a fist, patterns that seemed to be multiple curses creeping up his body. Even the horrifying flames of the eighth level of the Fireplume was useless.
The large quantity of flames was even contaminated by the curse runes, and gradually died down.
Over time, even the fire phoenix behind Schiker’s back was beginning to whine. Schiker was pale, a few large wounds appeared on his body, countless black runes digging their ways in like earthworms.
“Haha... Schiker, you’re going to die today!” One of the bishops in red smiled relaxedly, “Let me...”
“Let the instructor go!”
The sudden yell interrupted the words of the bishop in red, and he furrowed his brows. What saw were two Emberwing clansmen with flames around their bodies charging over as if they had gone mad, looking frightened and worried.
“Keke... What hot-blooded young things! Schiker, you’re still as capable at brainwashing as before!” The other bishop laughed coldly, “Let me slaughter them before I take care of you...”
The old man had a drunken look. Merely killing the other party was not enough to satisfy his interest. The hatred that had lasted over a decade gave him the urge to torture him for over a period of time and, just when Schiker had given up all hope, kill him. Such a method of revenge was the sweetest!
“You guys...” Schiker clutched his chest, twisting his head to watch the figures rushing over, touched but also anxious. “Leave! You aren’t a match for him! Try your best to break out!”
“Keke... You can’t escape!” The old man sneered, and got his partner to watch Schiker while he blocked the path of those two young Emberwing clansman.
“Instructor, hang on!” Leylin’s face was flushed as he called out, the Fireplume exhibiting its full strength at his hands. Terrifying flames burned, causing a few Earth rank worshippers to suffer. Expressions of dread appeared on their faces as they kept a distance.
‘This display would probably be similar to a hot-blooded lead character in my previous world, the kind who’ll have a breakthrough at the most crucial moments...’ Leylin made fun of himself while putting on his best act. At the same time, he ran his gaze across the surroundings.
Due to the ambush, the casualties the Special Task Force sustained were very serious and practically all the members had died in battle. That kid Mies, however, had smeared blood on his face and collapsed, using some secret technique to hide his aura. This had allowed him to survive. He was much more fortunate than those who had escaped and been chased after and killed. He hadn’t sustained many injuries, and was on a whole other level.
Noticing the look of gratitude on Schiker’s face, Leylin grew speechless.
“If you knew that the two who seemed to be risking their lives to save you actually had other intentions, I wonder if you’ll start vomiting blood...”
Leylin’s shot a glance to the side. The cool burly man at the sixth level of the Fireplume was now fighting with all his might, looking enthusiastic and impulsive and seeming completely loyal.
In actuality, he was also someone harbouring malicious intentions. There was the obvious aura of another race on his body, but that had been concealed very well. If not for Leylin having probed him with his A.I. Chip and soul force, he might have been duped as well.
“Ley, I’ll hold them down. You go and save the instructor!” Loke shouted after seeing Leylin looking in his direction. Large amounts of flames shot out of his body and surrounded the few Earth rank worshippers around him. The sounds of explosions could be heard unceasingly, and the battle was obviously fierce.
“Damn it! You found a bunch of low-levelled cannon fodder to protect yourself and gave me two Sky ranks!” Leylin rolled his eyes but still rushed forward with a roar, throwing a fist at the bishop in red who was standing in the middle of the path.
*Bang! Scree—* The ear-piercing sound of an explosion sounded, seeming to be an enthusiastic call from a phoenix. A fire phoenix slightly smaller than that which had appeared behind Schiker emerged on Leylin’s back, the bright red flames so splendid that they were like sunlight, giving Leylin a layer of golden armour.
“Hm?! The peak of the seventh level of the Fireplume!” The bishop, who was blocking the way, cried out in astonishment. Though the Fireplume was a compulsory technique for all Emberwing clansmen, with practically every adult having reached between the first to the third level, there were few who reached the fifth level or above that. The peak of the seventh level meant he was just one step away from the Sky rank! With how young this Emberwing clansman appeared to be, he was absolutely a rare talent.
“Little guy, you’ve got pretty bad luck to have met me.” The bishop in red snickered. Wiping talents off the face of his world was his guilty pleasure.
Even if these talents would have a boundless future, a dead talent was not even comparable to a dog.
*Snap!* Turbulent black streams of air surged through the air, forming a giant scorpion that blocked Leylin’s path.
“Explode!” With a loud cry, the red force in Leylin’s hands became even more vigorous and seemed to turn into a bundle of flames, darting towards the scorpion.
The flames initiated by the Fireplume crackled as they scorched the surface of the scorpion’s large black pincers. Parts of the black air dissipated.
However, that was all the flames could do. *Pak!* The black gas scorpion waved its other pincer around, and Leylin was sent flying, fresh blood spilling from the corner of his lips.
“AH! Let the instructor go!” Leylin collapsed and appeared ‘gravely injured’, but He crawled back up, charging forth again. The giant fire phoenix phantom was less imposing than before, but still let loose a booming cry.
*Crash! Crash! Crash!* Leylin was flung backwards time and time again, and it seemed the bishop in red wanted to make Leylin waste all his energy. This would agitate Schiker even more, which was why he had held back a little every time and allowed Leylin to struggle up again.
“Ley...” Seeing Leylin tenaciously struggling on and not giving up, even if Schiker’s heart was as hard and cold as steel, he still felt a warmth boiling up from his chest. Hot air went up to his eye sockets, leaving him on the verge of tears.
“Give up, child. Leave!” Schiker yelled uselessly.
“No, I won’t ever give up!” Leylin yelled out words that made himself want to vomit while waving his fists, the fire spilling everywhere burning the ground till it was scarlet.
*Crash!* He was sent flying again, and the bishop in red took several steps forward, “I’m already getting tired of this game. I’ll take care of you the next time!”
*Huala!* The large black scorpion dissipated, and the streams of air converged before the bishop, terrifying energy undulations radiating.
“That Ley... Is he really a fool?” Meanwhile, Loke had just ‘happened to have’ finished dealing with a few of his opponents, and had crept closer.
‘Almost there. Once Ley dies, I can save Schiker with that and request a higher position...’ A determined look rose in Loke’s eyes. His hand already extended into his clothes, touching a round object.
‘Ley, you’re a good person with astounding talent, but it’s a pity. This is a dog eat dog world. Your enthusiasm will not give you anything in return and will only leave you dead. Rest in peace...’ Loke spoke in his heart, like a leopard waiting before a hunt as he hid in wait.
All of a sudden, his eyes widened, eyeballs protruding and almost popping out, mouth huge as he bawled in disbelief, “I... Goddamn! Does that even happen?!”
“For love and justice!” Leylin, who was bathed in flames, looked even more saintly. As he saw the bishop closing in, he had a holy look on his face.
Following that, with his yells, great golden flames surged out and healed all his wounds. Even the terrifying phantom of a phoenix that seemed omnipresent formed at his back.
If the phantom that Leylin had summoned before was a mere illusion, each feather of the phoenix floating behind him was undeniably real. It was as if a real ancient fire phoenix had descended.
The powerful undulations of Fireplume broke through the boundaries of the peak of the seventh level, and entered a much more powerful level!
‘Shit, he actually broke through!’ Loke cursed.
The eighth level of the Fireplume signified the Sky rank. In other words, Ley was now on the same level as the two bishops in red and Schiker!
“This... This actually happens?” Compared to Loke, the bishop who was the main lead felt as if he had received a huge blow.
How could a hot-blooded idiot actually have a breakthrough right before death? And he had even advanced and was on the same level as himself? This did not make sense!
Schiker, on the other side, was filled with elation.
“Die!” Terrifying waves of heat of the eighth level of the Fireplume immediately shrouded Leylin as he charged before the old bishop in red. Boiling hot waves swept through and even broke through his opponent’s defence, causing the old man’s eyebrows and beard to start to burn.