Chapter Sixty-Six: Playing with Fire
Ignarok’s final words sent ripples through Molten Cradle, altering its fate forever. The air grew unnaturally still, as if the entire realm was mourning its fallen ruler. The volcanoes, beasts, magma rivers, and even the embers seemed to hold their breath. The ground trembled, not from chaos but in reverence, awaiting what was to come.
Sirius knelt before the pile of ash that had once been Ignarok. The weight of what had just happened pressed down on him, heavy and suffocating. His mind raced, grappling with the absurdity of the moment. He stared at the ashes, then at his own hands, confusion written all over his face.
“Why… why me?” Sirius muttered, still kneeling. “I just got here.”
Before he could piece his thoughts together, the air shimmered. Geometric shapes began to form around him, glowing faintly, as though carved from light and fire. Sirius’s eyes darted from shape to shape, his body tensing as he tried to make sense of what was happening.
“Okay, what the hell is this?” he muttered, his voice edged with growing frustration.
Then, a voice echoed, calm and resonant, like a flicker of warmth within the cold chaos. “Sirius, calm down. I am with you.”
Sirius froze, the familiarity of the voice grounding him for a moment. “Ignarok?” he whispered. “But… how?”
The voice responded with an almost soothing certainty. “I am now part of the Eternal Flame. Just as my ancestors guided me, I shall guide you.”
Sirius stood, his face twisting in disbelief. “Wait, wait, wait. Guide me? Look, no offense, but I didn’t sign up for this. Why the hell did you choose me? I didn’t ask for your burdens, I don’t even know you!”
Ignarok’s voice was steady, filled with the patience of someone who had lived through eons. “You were chosen because you carry the aura of a ruler, Sirius. Yozora, for all his power, is not bound to the ground. He is the sky itself, vast, limitless, and untamed. A ruler must be steady, rooted. You, Sirius, are already a ruler, whether you accept it or not. The ancestors and I believe you will usher in a golden era for Molten Cradle.”
Sirius blinked, his brow furrowing as he processed the words. After a moment, he shrugged, his trademark sarcasm returning. “Okay, yeah, that tracks. Yozora’s not exactly the ‘sit on a throne and make speeches’ type. He’s more of a ‘punch first, ask questions never’ kinda guy.” He paused, glancing upward. “So… this Eternal Flame. Powerful stuff, yeah?”
Ignarok’s voice carried a hint of pride. “You have no idea the power you’ve inherited. Use it wisely. But be warned, Sirius: the first time will be painful. Prepare yourself.”
Sirius’s head tilted in confusion. “Wait, what do you mean by—”
His voice cut off abruptly as a sudden surge of Hindo overwhelmed him. His body seized as a blinding light erupted from within, forcing him to his knees. The sky above darkened, clouds twisting into a massive vortex that spiraled around Sirius like a celestial hurricane. Thunder rumbled ominously, and the ground beneath him cracked, glowing veins of molten energy radiating outward.
“What the hell is this?!” Sirius shouted through gritted teeth, his body writhing as the Eternal Flame coursed through him. It wasn’t just fire, it was raw, unbridled Hindo, from the core of Molten Cradle, It tore through every fiber of his being, remaking him from the inside out.
The geometric shapes around him began to move, spinning faster and faster, forming intricate patterns that hovered in the air like runes of light. The air grew hotter, heavier, as if the realm itself was holding its breath, watching as its new ruler was forged.
Ignarok’s voice rang out again, calm but firm. “This is the Eternal Flame bonding with you. It is not just power, it is responsibility. It will burn away your doubts, your fears, and everything that holds you back. Endure it, Sirius. This is your burden now.”
“Burden?! This feels more like torture!” Sirius spat, his voice straining as arcs of fire erupted from his body, forming wings of pure flame that stretched out behind him.
The fire grew brighter, hotter, until it was nearly blinding. Sirius’s screams echoed through the battlefield, mixing with the roar of the volcanoes as they seemed to erupt in unison, their molten rivers surging in tribute to the birth of their new ruler.
Then, as suddenly as it began, the chaos ceased. The fire subsided, the light dimmed, and the geometric shapes dissolved into the air. Sirius knelt on the ground, his body trembling but alive. Slowly, he stood, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath.
His eyes opened, glowing with a fierce, molten light that burned with the intensity of the Eternal Flame. The wings of fire still flared behind him, their edges shimmering like embers caught in a gentle breeze.
Sirius flexed his fingers, feeling the power coursing through him. A smirk tugged at his lips. “Well,” he muttered, his voice tinged with exhaustion and triumph, “that was one hell of a warm-up.”
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Ignarok’s voice, now faint but steady, spoke one last time. “Carry it well, Sirius. The realm is yours to protect.”
Sirius’s smirk widened as he glanced toward the horizon, his fiery wings casting long shadows across the battlefield. “Yeah, thanks for that. Now this and my other kingdom?” He let out a roaring laugh, flames bursting from his wings and exploding outward, sending shockwaves rippling through the air. His thoughts raced with a wild. “I’m about to fuck some shit up.”
Surveying the charred battlefield with a greedy glint in his eyes. “This is my burden now,” he murmured, his smirk deepening. “Time to make some money out of this hellhole.”
Turning his gaze toward Thyrex, Sirius cracked his neck, ominously. “I hope you’re ready for this, Thyrex!” he called out, pivoting on his heel with the grace of a dancer, mockingly counting down. “Three… two… one…” With a blaze of fire, he launched himself toward Thyrex, his voice filled with fury. “Time to bury this guy.”
Thyrex stood firm, the Madness Hindo swirling around him like a storm, his blood-red aura pulsating with raw, and chaotic.
“You’ve gone too far, Thyrex,” Sirius shouted, his voice sharp with anger. “You’ve sacrificed everything—for what? Power that consumes you?”
Thyrex tilted his head, his eyes glowing with unhinged intensity. The Madness surged around him like a living thing, twisting and writhing in the air. “Power is all that matters, Sirius!” he bellowed, his voice wild and filled with malice. “Sacrifice is the price of greatness. You’ll see soon enough… when I rip that flame from your bones!”
Sirius rolled his eyes, spinning his spear casually in his hand. “Oh great, another ‘power is everything’ guy. Seriously, is there a club for you idiots?”
Thyrex roared in response, lunging forward with his massive hammer. The two collided, Sirius’s spear meeting Thyrex’s weapon in a violent clash that sent thunderous shockwaves rippling through the realm. The ground beneath them shattered, cracks splintering outward as molten rock flew into the air.
Sirius grinned, his eyes tracking the flying chunks of molten rock. “Convenient,” he muttered. With a quick kick, he sent one of the molten chunks hurtling toward Thyrex. It curved unnaturally in midair, spinning wildly.
Thyrex snarled, swinging his great hammer to intercept the molten rock. “This pitiful maneuver again?” he growled, his voice dripping with disdain. He smashed the rock aside with his hammer. “Weak.”
Sirius’s smirk widened, his tone mocking. “Zero brains, this guy.” With a flick of his wrist, he whispered, “Atom Decay.”
The chunk of molten rock, now glowing brighter, detonated with a deafening explosion, the force of the blast engulfing Thyrex in a blinding inferno. The ground trembled as the shockwave ripped through the battlefield, scattering debris and sending sparks flying into the air.
As the dust began to clear, Thyrex’s clenched teeth gleamed through the haze, his massive hammer smoldering in his grip. The Madness-infused aura surrounding him pulsed violently, defying the damage Sirius had dealt. “Storm Fumi: Vapor,”Thyrex growled, summoning a dense, swirling mist of scalding steam that enveloped him, shielding him from the brunt of the blast.
Sirius cocked an eyebrow, his ever-present grin only growing wider. “Oh, now we’re doing parlor tricks? Cute. Don’t worry, buddy. I’ll light up your fog real soon.”
The dark vapor lingered in the air, an oppressive heat radiating from within. With a swift swing of his great hammer, Thyrex dispersed the mist, revealing his unrelenting form. “Instead of toying with me, you should have finished me, Sirius,” Thyrex sneered.
Sirius tilted his head mockingly. “Oh, so you can turn yourself into vapor? Gotta say, kinda badass,” he admitted, pausing for dramatic effect. “But…”
Thyrex’s sneer faltered. “There is no but!” he roared, his voice booming with indignation.
Sirius shook his head with exaggerated pity. “Have you learned nothing, my dude? Turning yourself into vapor just made it easier for me to decay your particles. You know… science and all that.” With a snap of his fingers, Sirius muttered, “Decay.”
Thyrex’s realization dawned too late. “Storm—!” he began, but the command was cut short as his vaporized form destabilized. His particles began to implode, exploding outward in a massive, chaotic blast that rocked the battlefield, sending shards of molten rock and ash flying in all directions.
As the gravel and smoke cleared, a sinister red glow began to swirl where Thyrex had stood. From the epicenter of destruction, a fiery vortex spiraled upward. Starting from his chest, Thyrex’s body began to regenerate, his form slowly knitting itself back together as if the destruction had only fueled his madness.
Sirius groaned, slapping his palm to his face. “Talk about annoying. Ignarok did say something about regeneration, but this is straight-up cheating.”
Thyrex’s mouth, still half-reformed, curled into a grotesque sneer. His voice emerged as a rasp, then grew stronger with each word. “Did you think… that would stop me? I’m beyond you, Sirius!” His laughter was maniacal.
Sirius planted his lance firmly into the ground, rolling his eyes. “Oh, i’M bEyOnD yOu,” he mimicked mockingly, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Yeah, yeah, big scary guy with a god complex. Heard it all before.”
With a flick of his finger, Sirius’s expression darkened. “Here’s the thing, Thyrex. Ignarok and his ancestors? They’ve been using the Eternal Flame wrong. So, lucky you, I’m about to show you how it’s done.” His grin turned wicked. “This is gonna get juicy.”
Without another word, Sirius ignited into a surge of heat so intense it distorted the air around him. Flames swirled and crackled, radiating outward like a living entity, wrapping around his frame with an almost sentient hunger.
From within the inferno, Sirius’s voice emerged, low and unrelenting. “Playtime’s over, Thyrex.”
Sirius’s aura flared, his eyes flickering with a strange, mesmerizing glow, a blend of void purple and orange-red flames. The sheer force of his Hindo surged outward, like a storm of lightning bursting from his core and splitting the heavens above. His face darkened, his expression fierce and primal, like that of a dragon waking hungry from slumber.
The air grew heavier, vibrating with the intensity of the Hindo Sirius now commanded. His voice thundered, “Hawkins, Eternal Flame.”