Paramour of the Searing Flame 6th passage ##

The light was lost, and the mission failed. They were escaping with their lives under the earth. Chased by the ‘flooding’, fighting an unknown.

Fate called again for a sacrifice…

<--->

Paramour of the Searing Flame was the present hero of the era. Many heroes existed but at any point in history, only one hero was crowned as the hero of the era.

Paramour had been the hero of the era for 10 years already but he was not all mighty rather it was his accomplishments that made him who he is today. Still, he lost many comrades in the process… it took him a while to have a steady party, the only constant during those times was his camaraderie with Raphael. They had been together ever since they graduated from school.

But now…

“...” he glanced at Simon… the Black Hood and Percival, he had their backs. Tilting his head again backward on the darkness behind them, he made a pained glare.

He was not perfect… a far cry from the last hero of the era. His predecessor lasted over 70 years. To that note, the last hero of the era pushed back the dungeons so deep that it would probably take another 100 years for another dungeon flow to happen.

Paramour could tell from his countless experiences. The dire situation was begging for something he didn’t want to give, one must sacrifice.

Time was running out, the Slime Walker that was hunting them was very strong. He remembered the story of heroes who fought the holy beasts.

‘Na… it is strong… but not as strong as a holy beast,’ thinking like this made his heart and mind more steady. What could be worse? His senses heightened and his magic spurned out from his body.

“Release!” he muttered once more, the whole tunnel was enveloped by light. Paramour took a flaming spear from his back and hurled another fire spear. It conjured a pillar of flame in the direction it flew, but he was certain it missed the slime. “Seal,” he commanded, and the spear behind him vanished once again.

Paramour’s Armas was named as the 10th Flame. When activated, he could conjure 10 fire spears, each with its strength reflecting a tenth of the hero's magic capacity. Upon striking a target, it left a mark, amplifying the potency of subsequent strikes.

Many formidable monsters had succumbed to this Release. However, resetting it only replenished the 10 spears; it did not restore the magic he had already expended. Having thrown it three times already, he was gradually depleting his current magic reserves.

Although his spear didn’t diminish the threat it was buying them time. Their escape continued as they were riding on the snowboards, he had to speak now, they had to decide.

“Guys... someone has to be the rear guard... I could take on that role,” Paramour suddenly spoke in a solemn tone. A hush fell over the noisy tunnel as Percival and the Black Hood turned to look at him.

“I can still fight,” Simon responded, not turning back. Simon had been raised never to surrender, no matter the circumstance.

“Our ancestors were said to be the most brutal warriors,-” Percival interjected. “They believed it was better to die in battle than to wither away in old age. I will be with you all the way.” then a fierce smile cracked on his face.

“We'll survive... and once we do, I'm leaving your party,” the Black Hood declared.

Why was he even hesitating? “Release!!!!” No words were needed as Paramour leaped off his board, followed by the other three, the boards drifting slightly forward.

Paramour charged ahead with his spear and his flame spear on his other hand. Simon ran beside him, ready to strike. Percival, grounded and resolute, advanced with a shield charge. Meanwhile, the Black Hood bolstered the party with his buff. “Hero's Parade,” he cast, a spell that Raphael specialized in.

Simon led the assault, he dashed from the hero’s side into the Slime Walker. The hero was surprised by his explosive speed, the boy literally appeared in front of him in a blink of an eye.

The Slime Walker attacked with an unlimited number of its tails whipping in the air. Simon painted the air twice with his sword, twelve magic edges flowed out creating a screen-like effect. But the boy was not finished, in one fluid motion as he spun he drew his last two wind blades to target the Slime Walker's feet.

The Slime Walker, taken aback, was too slow to react as different forms of attack were swung toward it. The hero uses his first spear to vault out of the screen of magic blades into the air. He threw down his flaming spear directly hitting the slime’s whole body.

The whole tunnel flashed it was a direct hit.

Paramour before landing saw something “IT HAS A CORE!!!” he screamed.

Everyone in the party, all of them heard it. Simon continued as the onslaught of the magic blade faded.

The Slime Walker tried to move but realized his legs had already been sliced down by the wind blades thrown by the boy.

Simon keenly observed this and hypothetically knew that the enemy didn’t feel any pain. The scream must be because of the flaming spear hitting its core thus revealing it earlier. Ideas sprouted in his mind.

Simon sent another magic edge on its legs and the others on its body, he had the opening. The slime-like tentacles were already dispersed by the twelve slashes and the hero’s flame strike that landed first.

It provided another opportunity for the hero to strike, but the core was elusive this time, the hero landed an attack twice using his world tree spear. The problem was that it didn’t land on the core.

Simon observed glowing lines on the Slime Walker's body every time Percival landed a hit. These lines seemed crucial in pinpointing the core's location.

Paramour who had his senses heightened saw the boy’s face, the boy actually smirked, “Simon!! You have to land the final blow!!!” he screamed.

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Simon had already deduced this after spotting the lines, and he aimed his sword at the intended target instantly after the hero finished his scream. However, a tentacle emerged from the same spot, deflecting the attack, it skewed Simon’s arm almost bending the wrong way.

“Simon!! Combo!!!” Percival screamed as he threw his axe, Simon was currently in a staggered moment as his sword was deflected by the tentacle, he should have used a 6x Slash attack but it was too late now. The heavy sword backfired, he didn’t have enough time to propel it for another swing.

Simon decided to let go of it. He couldn’t change its momentum anyway, instead, he pulled the momentum propelling his whole body until the hilt reached his feet, he stepped on it, and used his heavy sword as a foothold to traverse to the other side of the Slime Walker, leaving his sword (Walker Blade 6x) lodged in the ground.

The axe that flew grazed the slime, and Simon deftly caught it, checking the lines on the slime’s body he immediately suspected where the core was, and he hurled it back in the same direction, inflicting a graze on the core.

In a respite from its injuries, the Slime Walker let out a protest with a screech, its body wildly extended and it immediately began a spin.

Simon caught one of the slime-like tentacles with an “Urgh!!!” and used it to go back to safety.

Paramour was thrown onto his back, but he quickly retaliated by hurling a fire spear. This was the second time the Slime Walker had been struck, with the damage multiplied by 1.5.

As Simon, who had just landed back to the team, adjusted his position and prepared for another attack, the boy breathed and began a run but he suddenly coughed up blood dropping into the ground. Percival, witnessing this, immediately moved to defend him. The Slime Walker seized the opportunity, attacking the prone boy with its shape-shifting tentacle.

A spear-like Paramour’s weapon.

“Simon!!” Percival made it…

But it was not enough. Percival, defending Simon, managed to deflect the attack but broke his shield in the process. The spear morphed into a ball, it released a vibration for an impending attack. It shot out a smaller version of the spears. (Like a shotgun)

“Shit!!!” Percival groaned in pain as the attack punctured holes in his shoulders, he used his body to protect the boy.

Paramour reacted swiftly, firing a small fireball that severed the tail, which grew back as the Slime Walker retracted it. The creature then aimed its arms at the northern and the boy.

“It's going to use Siphoning Magic!!!” the Black Hood screamed. A dim light emanated from the Slime Walker's hands.

“Give... back life,” it spoke again. Percival and Simon, both wounded and unable to move, were used as shields by the Slime Walker to prevent Paramour from hurling his fire spears.

However, Paramour had already committed to an attack.

The Black Hood rushed forward, casting a barrier. The Siphon Magic began draining the magic barrier first, and the Black Hood had to continuously supply magic to sustain it.

“Will he make it? Cough! Cough,” Simon asked, concerned. The Black Hood clicked his tongue.

“Hey, I'm still awake! I'll make it!!!” Percival shouted, knowing Simon's sarcasm stemmed from his poisoning, which should be rendering him unable to make such a statement.

Percival began rummaging through his belongings on his belt.

“Nice lie,” Simon remarked, noticing the attack's movement and Percival's posture. It likely hit an artery, meaning Percival would bleed to death.

Simon had an inkling of what Percival intended to do. Although uncertain how the relic worked, Percival had mentioned earlier that the user would sacrifice their life. However, Simon felt strangely unafraid, knowing he was already poisoned and would likely die soon anyway.

Finally, Percival retrieved the object, concealed in cloth.

“Take me,” Simon heard a voice. Maybe he was hallucinating since he had been feeling light-headed. He began reaching his hands.

Was it instinct?… rather than the voice that started calling for him to take it?

“Simon give it back to me!!!” Percival shouted again as Simon forcefully took the relic that was on the cloth.

“Meet your family,” the kid said as the flash engulfed the dark tunnel.

It happened at the same time when Paramour’s Flaming Spear hit the slime walker.

“SCREECH!!!”

“What’s happening?” Paramour and the Black Hood tried to break the flashes in their eyes using their hands. The patches of lights on their eyes didn’t allow them to assess the situation more clearly, they didn’t know what was happening anymore.

“CRUSH!!!!” the area was instantly covered with dust… it seemed that Simon threw the slime walker on the opposite side of the tunnel.

The flash just remained at its peak for a short few seconds. The talking walker was already gone in front of them. “Move!!! I can’t hold it for so long!!!” it was Simon screaming…

“Let's go!!!” Paramour screamed, urging the others to escape without hesitation.

The four immediately bolted, swiftly making their way to safety. They quickly located the board they had leaped from and wasted no time in hopping back onto it.

It was a miracle. “Ooh…” Simon made a strange sound, catching the attention of the party.

Percival glanced at Simon, who still clutched the relic—a small piece resembling a tooth—as he rode the board with his head down.

“We can make it, Simon! Cover the relic with the cloth,” Percival urged as he held his bleeding shoulders. But Simon just stared at him. “I lost it,” he spoke softly.

His eyes were dimming, face already pale. It must be the poison that was in his system.

“No worries... we're almost there,” Paramour reassured them, listening to their exchange.

Although they couldn't yet see where the sealed collapse was, they knew they were close. The hero, now leading the party, tore a red paper, sensing they were nearing their destination.

“Urgh!!!!” it was a voice full of pain… followed by a crushing sound of wood.

At that instant Paramour noticed that Simon was not riding with them, it was already at a distance where the limit of Umbra’s Eyes allowed them to see, he stopped to look back and saw just a dim silhouette.

“Simon!!! What happened!!?” Paramour screamed.

The whole party halted their escape again.

“Paramour we were already close!!!” Percival informed the hero but it was still darkness on both sides for them and it was just magnified because of the light that was coming from the hero’s release.

The hero clicked his tongue, he couldn’t see the boy properly. The dark eerie place was just too much of the Umbra Eyes to handle.

“No don’t come closer!!! I can’t… I’m losing control. it's overpowering me… it wants blood,” Simon was walking closer to them until finally, they saw it with the little light coming from the hero’s release.

It was like a dark wave coming from Simon’s arm… it was slowly floating like smoke… taking the form of a sword.

“Go now… while I can still hold on!!!” Simon was walking slowly toward them but he stopped.

Percival’s tears started to probe “I shouldn’t have brought you here… I failed my friend…” the hero and the Black Hood pulled him.

“Message her!! Tear a white paper!!!” the hero said. He didn’t turn off his release, the fire spear still burned on his back.

The Black Hood immediately complied. They started moving with the boards again even dragging Percival who was losing himself.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!” Simon was screaming in agony.

They didn’t know what was happening but the terrifying feeling of bloodlust… magic and the crumbling sounds… the voice of Simon in agony forced them to not look back… even the hero and the Black Hood who fought much stronger enemies felt it.

“Don’t approach him… he can’t recognize friends or foes” Percival warned them in tears.

…

In a few moments “HERE!!!” it was Carla’s worried voice….

Using the light from Paramour’s spear he found the hole the princess opened, they were not that far, they jumped from their boards, it was just at a close distance on foot.

“Retreat back into the hole! Cast all the buff you can make and make her shut the hole!!!” the hero commanded the Black Hood but it sounded more like a plea. The Black Hood knew what the hero was thinking… but he still followed.

“Percival… go,” Paramour said to Percival.

“I will stay… I can buy you some time maybe…” Percival was adamant about leaving, he was the one who brought Simon to the north.

A wave of dreadful energy burst… the pressure was suffocating. Even Carla from the other side of the hole almost fell on her knees.

“HAHAHAHAHAHA I’M BACKKKK!!!!” it was a scream… a scream with a shockwave of magic power released… it pushed the hero and everyone into the hole… the princess did not hesitate even though her knees started buckling after sensing the terrifying magic power.

She used wind magic to guide the 3 that were flying from the burst of magic, the Black Hood hit his head on the side of the hole while Percival landed on his face.

The hero immediately landed on his feet.

“NO!!! DON’T CLOSE IT!!” It was the hero’s protest but still the hole was closed.