The air hummed with tension, and the mana outside built to its peak. Before anyone could react, a violent explosion ripped through the storefront, sending shards of wood and glass flying everywhere. Vin staggered back, shielding his face as a cloud of dust and debris filled the air.

The blast was so powerful that most of the entrance was obliterated, allowing a dozen figures to pour in all at once, their forms silhouetted against the Sun Market's bright golden glow. There was a sudden piercing sensation around his gut, so he looked down, where he found a large shard of glass poking from his skin. Blood slipped down its edge and leaked onto the shop's white marble floor.

Vin eyed his injury and scowled. It looked worse than it felt. He turned his intensifying gaze toward the company of over a dozen Elves. There was a mix of armored knights, mages in robes, and a few archers with leather covering. Leading them was the largest, a fierce-faced Elven paladin who, while still slender like the rest of his people, was slightly broader. His royal red cape, golden sword, and shield were memorable. That captain and a few others were there when Vin killed Nilick, the crystal knight.

Of course, he remembered the face of the archer who put an arrow through his chest. They were a dime a dozen, but the long yellow scarf over their leather armor helped solidify them in his memory. Also, to his favor, the silver-haired earth mage was also there. Assumably, the person who tracked them using plants.

Casty's shaky hand grasped Vin's arm as he eyed his enemies, and she asked him, "What should we do."

The surviving Ravenours were covered in scratches from the blast but were on their feet, armed with whatever improvised weapon they could grab. He told her, "Nothings changed. Get everyone out the back window while I buy some time here."

Gideon stood beside him, gripping his kitchen knife tightly. He glanced at Vin, his face uneasy. "This isn't like last time. There are a lot more people who want you dead."

Vin replied with a cutting bite to his tone, "Exactly. They want me dead. Anyone else would just get in the way."

"What!? A- Fine..." Gideon scoffed, taking a half-step back as though distancing himself from Vin's reckless confidence. "You better be right behind us."

"If anything happens to you, I'll have to pick up the slack," Jazzy said angrily, yet with a hint of worry. So, be careful."

A pair of eyes from an archer traced Gideon as he backed away. They took a tight hold of their bow, but Vin subtly repositioned in front of the Ravenour to block their view, replying, "Same to you. Careful getting back."

Gideon shouted, and all the Ravenours raced to draped windows at the shop's rear. Instead of immediately attacking, the lead knight barked at his unit, and they spread out. Vin scrutinized how they shifted, 'They're not just charging in blindly. They're conscious, intelligent.'

He was ready to put up a smoke screen and run, but then a familiar shadow blanketed his mind. The hairs on the back of his neck raised alongside the temperature of his body. A dark flame had joined him inside the privacy of his thoughts. He knew it well, for it was the very crux of his existence. This shadow, this- incarnate of dark oath- slid its vile claws across his brain, communicating, "Do not flee; their gaze is upon you."

There was a pause, then a more menacing growl echoed through his thoughts: "Destroy its precious creations."

Vin met that darkness and cursed it. "I've gone through hell in this past week. Fighting, and dying over and over, and over again and now you show up making demands?"

The intangible black Phoenix remained level, "Your struggles, losses, victories, everything has led you to this moment exactly."

Vin clenched his fist tightly and yelled into his mind, "You don't get to sum up my experience like that! You don't understand half shit I've gone through!"

As if above his complaints, the deity simply reminded, "A vow, for a vow. A blessing for a promise."

Vin's blood sizzled, running like lava through his veins. An irate blaze erupted on his palm, and he roared so loud that the opposing unit flinched. "I hear it! Every day, the same line rings at the back of my mind, reminding me that you own my life!"

He'd hoped to put that deal off until years later to have time to meet his family again- maybe start one of his own... But the unfortunate string of fate led him to the Archival Dimension prematurely, and now he had to answer to his maker.

"When the time is neigh, accept its offer," the enigmatic bird communicated. Then, it was gone. Vin bit his lip and waved his hand in command, which compelled dark flames to spread and form dozens of pointed darts. They were slim and minimalistic but would follow him and strike as directed. He unleashed the first blast out of rage, and the captain's golden shield activated a radiant barrier that deflected it.

The weapon, adorned with a quartz amulet as a tribute to their fallen comrade, only added to Vin's agitation. 'There are also relics that can counter magic!?"

While the captain and several of his troops charged forward, Vin looked at the ceiling where he'd placed the lamp made out of his flames. 'Block this too.'

The moment the knights were underneath the blazing orb, it detonated, sending flames splashing down onto them. They were educated about this dark power and began to disrobe, but the fire covered too much area for them to survive. Most of those directly under the rain died immediately, while it took longer for others.

Vin cleared the blaze and saw the paladin completely unharmed, a golden dome around his body. The man tried to continue alone but soon crumbled to one knee and touched his glowing shield to calm its effects. Even downed, he stared at Vin with ruthless irises as heated as the red cloak swung over his gallant armor.

Vin felt a sharp reminder of the shard of glass lodged in his gut and lamely yanked it out while peering at the pointed-eared paladin. 'A shield that powerful must be consuming a lot of mana.'

He moved to kill the man, but a barrage of arrows came blasting his way. His flames twisted and churned wildly, destroying the arrows and contorting into a winged creature. Within seconds, a fierce and noble falcon was bred from the eternal blaze and landed on his shoulder. Vin's brows tugged in annoyance as his shirt was engulfed.

The near-living firey creature unexpectedly nudged its head against its creator's cheek as if greeting him. Vin initially sneered in irritation but returned the gesture before embedding the bird with its duty. "Go harass the casters and archers so I can focus on the knights."

"Don't go too far, and don't make any unnecessary movements." Upon his order, the flacon took to the skies. The creature's acceleration and sudden arrival allowed it to catch one of the mages off guard swiftly. Since they wore simple robes, they died quickly.

A new wave of knights was approaching, so Vin quickly ducked down and skated from the open clearing into one of the many long store aisles. His legs were like wirey springs that sent his longboard speeding with mighty force with just one push.

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Three knights appeared at the end of the aisle with their steel craving blood. They misjudged their opponent's speed, expecting time to arrange a formation, but Vin was already underneath their noses.

Several of his flame darts blasted forward toward the trio with deadly precision, but the armored Elves didn't panic. The middle figure, an orange-haired woman with a rapier, lept vertically off the ground, and the two others with spears quickly jolted to the left or right to avoid being hit.

The orange-haired Elf who jumped came down with her slim sword. Vin snapped his skateboard to the left, a move called a kick turn that's achieved by lifting the front wheels and pivoting the rear. He reacted as fast as he could, yet the blade still cut across his cheek.

The spear specialist that dodged left took a sweeping, vengeful swing at the known butcherer; the unbecoming grimace on their face hinted that someone they'd known was killed. Vin jumped his longboard over the spear and onto their shoulder with a metallic clank. He magically reshaped the rounded tip of the deck into a razor-sharp point, twisted his body, and slashed the blade-like edge across their throat.

There was a mournful yell by the other two knights while Vin landed and rolled down the next long aisle without looking back. Three fighters with daggers were already at the opposite end of the lane. Evidently, their forces had scattered to cut him off no matter where he wasn't.

It was going to be a hard-fought battle. But he believed he could win. These people were strong. Nonetheless, they were sincere soldiers. Someone like Vin, who sometimes felt more comfortable on skateboards than on his feet, was a wild card to aliens.

It was an odd sight. Mythical, graceful Elves vs. The Skateboarding Prodigy, Vin. One side fought to protect their home, while the other worked to return to one.

<>

The golden light coming through the destroyed wall emphasized the metal items on the shelves of that once pristine music store. Vin grabbed two silvery flutes and hurled them at the three new enemies. They were easily sliced through; however, a scrawny flame he hid in the instrument discharged and splashed onto the knights. They were briefed on his power and started taking off infected gear before the immortal fire touched their skin.

'Their armor is a pain!' he fumed, pulling the flames from his remaining fire darts into his hand and condensing them into a small orb. These people's reflexes were too good for straight attacks, so he had to get creative. Even though the Elves were frantically taking off plated metal, they jolted out of the way of the blazing sphere thrown at them. It was a clean evasion, but the ball exploded behind them, setting their backs ablaze.

One of the fighters resisted their agony and continued to rush Vin, who promptly popped the longboard off the ground, flicked it 360 degrees on its axis, and then slammed it into their exposed face. The flames consuming their back had already begun to devour them, so the sharp blow to their head sent them crashing down.

As Vin landed on the ground again, the building trembled violently. He looked over his shoulder and saw streaks of radiant light tearing through the ceiling, unleashed by the mages desperate to obliterate the elusive falcon. The fact that any sorcerers could cast meant his creation was failing to hold them back. 'Neither of us will last long like this.'

The pursuing rapier and spear knight he passed caught up in a flash, reintroducing themselves with a cruel swing of their blades. Vin only had time to peek at them before he quickly plunged belly-first onto the wooden surface of his longboard. His reaction saved his head, but two deep gashes stung his back on the way down.

Even though he managed to sense attacks fast enough, his body couldn't move in time. Being out-classed in an area that he decided his life to made him want to scream.

Lying on his board like a surfer swimming toward shallow waters, Vin used his hands to propel himself. He rolled forward like a torpedo on wheels, escaping the range of the two knights. The silence enchantment on his longboard meant the archer who suddenly came around the corner of the aisle didn't expect to see the intruder gliding across the floor. They had no time to react before Vin grabbed both their ankles and superheated his hands, burning through bone.

Vin wasn't in that position long, but the two knights he just evaded already had their weapons above him. He scowled in frustration and flipped from his belly onto his back before holding his hands up to imitate guns. He squeezed his thumbs down, and two blazing bullets discharged toward what little skin was exposed through the fighter's helmets.

The first bullet hit the spear user, blinding them. The woman with the rapier was slightly faster, bucking their head out of the way. Their thin blade was no longer true to its course but, while missing his vitals, came down into his lower abdomen. Their sword pierced through Vin's flesh, the longboard beneath him, and even the ground, trapping him.

A slip of anguish exited his mouth. His face was scrunched, and his mouth was latched shut as he tried to hold back his screams. If the deities that cursed him to that fate were watching, they wouldn't see him look pitiful. No, they would only see Vin, the strongest human, fight and oppose every obstacle their world could throw at him.

He channeled a flame in his palm to strike. However, the woman's rapier suddenly withdrew from his body and pierced his hand, driving it to the ground. Her now sorrowful blue eyes weren't entirely on him but shifted back and forth from the archer only a pace away, suffering as his legs burned to mush.

Another pained mutter escaped from Vin's mouth as he moved his other arm, but the metal boot of the same woman came crashing down onto it. She kept her rapier lodged in his left hand while her foot secured his right, stretched over him like a sick game of twister.

Vin began to panic. Their armor and weapons were formidable; it would take at least three seconds to melt through; however, the knight who had just entered with a longsword wouldn't wait. They saw the intruder pinned down, arrived, and initiated the final blow to end the vile villain who'd stolen so many of their allies from them.

A boiling dread bathed Vin in a cold sweat. He struggled to get free, but that only agitated his wounds, sending lacerating pains through his nerves. At least ten more enemies were left, yet he'd been pushed that far. He tried to ration his essence so he could endure a drawn-out fight, but death had opened its taxi doors, awaiting him.

Molten hot fear seethed from his core. It swirled inside his gut and then barbarically upheaved. Vin's open mouth illuminated a bright purple glow, and a wild blaze burst out toward the woman standing over him like a flamethrower.

The perseverance of those artificial creatures was terrifying.

The mighty hand of a damned man grabbed Vin's hair. In one swift wink, the fallen archer, whose legs were burnt, slammed Vin's head against the hard ground. The spew of flames coming from his mouth discharged straight up, which only grazed the orange-haired woman's armor.

The trauma to Vin's head made him see doubles. He had exhausted all of his options and could only wait as a large saber came down towards his center chest.

Without a soul to consume, he would die there with no way to revive. He'd fought so hard, but everything seemed hopeless.

There was a frantic wiggle at his back. Through the flickering of his eyes, he saw the tail of a spine wrap around the blade and pull it off slightly course. A chunk of flesh was ripped away from his side, and he thrashed in pain, but he was alive.

"MOVE MASTER!" Bonely shouted. As if the odds weren't already against Vin, the Elven captain, whose shield could repel his flames, had been heading his way; each dead body they passed only strengthened the grip on their sword.

The fire on Vin's hands finally melted the rapier and greaves that had pinned him down, and the archer holding his hair had succumbed to their injuries. Free, he threw himself out of the way of another attack, stumbling into a wooden shelf like some kind of drunk.

He took a short moment to fill his burning lungs. His sweat mixed with the profuse amount of blood he was losing. His consciousness was fading, but he could hear Bonely in his mind, hollering, "Use everything you have!"

Everything.

A list of his spells flashed at the back of his mind. Center Gravity, Marking, Shape, Rotate, Bend, Sphere of Silence. He'd been so focused on killing enemies using flames that fed on his soul essence that his mana pool was nearly untouched...

Another attack left a wound on his chest, but he leaped down and began to channel two abilities. He swiftly slammed his hands onto the ground, using the spell of Marking to imprint the arcane circle for Rotate onto the floor.

The entire shop shuttered, and then the world spun. More specifically, the heavy building began to rotate in a place like a carousel. The knights stumbled, taking time to widen their stance. Vin enchanted himself with the Center Gravity spell and sluggishly stood to collect his bearings.

The music shop spun in circles, alternating between being illuminated by the sun halo and facing away from it and filling with darkness. At times, only the glow from the flying flacon could be seen in the sky as it danced around attacks.

This bold move used a lot of mana, but fortunately, he was one of the few people on the planet with two resources to cast magic. An advantage that wouldn't just save him now but many times in the future.