Chapter Sixty-Seven: Playing with Fire, Part Two
The pressure emanating from Sirius was overwhelming, a storm of hindo that burned with unyielding intensity while simultaneously pulling everything toward it. The ground beneath Thyrex groaned in protest, cracking and buckling as molten rock bubbled and churned, straining to endure the oppressive weight of Sirius’s unleashed power.
A wave of blistering heat radiated outward, but it wasn’t chaotic, it was precise, deliberate, and terrifyingly controlled. Every flame flickering around Sirius seemed almost sentient, bending and curling toward Thyrex as if mocking him, daring him to make his move.
Thyrex’s eyes twitched as he stared at the phenomenon before him. “He’s toying with me again,” he thought, the realization gnawing at his already fragile sanity. His fists tightened around the handle of his great hammer, his Madness Hindo surging violently as frustration bubbled to the surface. “You think your flames can match this?” he snarled, his voice layered with the chilling echoes of Madness. With a furious swing, he brought the hammer down in a wide arc, unleashing a torrent of raw Madness Hindo that roared through the air like a vengeful storm.
Sirius barely acknowledged the attack, his eyes glowing with a deep, eerie violet. As the wave of Madness surged toward him, it simply disintegrated under the crushing weight of his aura, dissipating into harmless wisps of heat and light. He tilted his head slightly, the faintest smirk curling his lips, like a predator watching its prey make a futile escape.
“That’s it?” Sirius quipped, his tone dripping with mockery. “One of my women could hit harder than that. I’m honestly disappointed, Thyrex.”
The flames around him grew fiercer, their heat causing the air itself to shimmer and distort. Sirius’s voice dropped to a deadly calm, every word laced with finality. “I don’t care what you think you are, Thyrex. This is over. This isn’t the past where Ignarok hesitated. As amazing as he was, he feared the full power of the Eternal Flame.” His expression hardened, the grin fading as he locked eyes with Thyrex. “But me? I don’t fear it. I am the Eternal Flame. And I’m going to annihilate you.”
Standing tall like a giant looming over an ant, Sirius planted his spear into the scorched ground, his aura crackling with violent energy. “I’ll even give you a chance,” he taunted, spreading his arms wide as if inviting the attack. “Go ahead. Hit me with your best shot.”
Thyrex’s jaw tightened, his eyes burning with crimson rage. “The arrogance, the belittling…” he hissed through clenched teeth. “I curse you, Sirius Hawks!” His voice was filled with fury, but beneath it lay a hint of desperation. He poured every ounce of his power into his Madness Hindo, his crimson eyes glowing brighter as jagged scars deepened across his face. The Madness seemed to consume him further, carving its twisted mark deeper into his flesh.
With a guttural roar, Thyrex raised his hammer high before slamming it into the ground with all his might. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the valley, the earth itself trembling under the force. Cracks splintered outward in every direction, and molten lava erupted from the ground, forming rivers of liquid fire that surged toward Sirius.
Sirius remained unfazed, his violet eyes narrowing as he stood his ground amidst the chaos. The molten rivers surged closer, their heat clashing with the unrelenting flames of his aura. The battlefield seemed to hold its breath, the clash of powers teetering on the edge of destruction.
“Torozon: Blood Supercell!” Thyrex bellowed, his voice reverberating like a primal roar through the molten expanse.
The skies darkened instantly, transforming from their fiery orange glow to a sinister, malevolent crimson. The oppressive weight of the Madness filled the air, choking the battlefield with a suffocating force. Above, clouds churned violently, spiraling in chaotic formation, their blood-red radiance casting a hellish hue over the scene. A chilling wind swept through the valley, carrying the metallic tang of blood, as if the atmosphere itself had been tainted by Thyrex’s wrath.
The first drops fell—not rain, but thick, dark droplets of blood. They spattered against the molten ground, hissing as they landed, corroding the rock with their sinister energy. Within moments, the rain became a torrential downpour, saturating the battlefield in crimson. Each drop pulsed with Madness Hindo, feeding the corrupt energy that enveloped Thyrex.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
The blood-soaked ground began to bubble and writhe unnaturally, forming rippling pools of sinister liquid. From these pools, tendrils of blood erupted, coiling like serpents, their movements unnerving and predatory. They lashed out, snaking toward Sirius, their intent clear—to ensnare and crush him.
Thyrex roared, Madness Hindo flaring wildly as he charged. “Die!” he snarled, swinging his massive hammer downward with earth-shattering force.
Sirius moved with practiced ease, ducking under the swing and sidestepping the impact, molten rock exploding where the hammer struck. “Gotta say, Thyrex,” Sirius quipped as he thrust his spear forward in a flash, the blade piercing deep into Thyrex’s stomach. “You’ve got flair, I’ll give you that.”
The spear struck true, its blade slicing through armor and flesh, drawing a guttural roar of pain from Thyrex. But before Sirius could capitalize, Thyrex’s hand shot out, tendrils of Madness surging from his body. One coiled tightly around the spear, yanking Sirius forward with an almost feral strength.
“Got you!” Thyrex hissed, his other hand crackling with concentrated Madness Hindo. With a sadistic grin, he slammed the hindo into Sirius’s chest, sending him hurtling backward. Sirius crashed into the side of the valley with a deafening impact, the rock face shattering and spilling molten lava from the fissures.
Amid the chaos, Sirius stood, brushing dust and ash from his shoulders with an infuriatingly casual demeanor. His armor shimmered with the heat of the Eternal Flame, fixing his hair with a smirk. “That it?” he asked, his tone dripping with mockery. “I said your best, little roach.”
Thyrex’s Madness flared hotter, his aura pulsating as he advanced. “You think this ends with you mocking me?” he growled. His steps left burning imprints in the stone as the blood tendrils writhed in tandem with his anger.
Sirius chuckled, spinning his spear in one hand before throwing it down to the ground with deliberate carelessness. “Mocking? Oh no, Thyrex. That wasn’t mockery.” He flicked his wrist as though flicking something from his teeth. “This is mockery.”
In the blink of an eye, Sirius unleashed a series of small, lightning-fast fireballs, each one streaking through the air with pinpoint precision. “Firefly,” he said nonchalantly, as if the technique were no more than a trivial annoyance.
The fireballs struck Thyrex in rapid succession, each impact erupting into violent bursts of flame. The force drove Thyrex back, his feet skidding against the ground, but he held firm, his laughter echoing defiantly.
“You think these little sparks will stop me?” Thyrex taunted, his voice manic. His Madness surged anew, the blood tendrils snapping at the air like enraged vipers, their movements faster and more chaotic.
Sirius smirked, the light of the Eternal Flame dancing in his eyes. “Stop you? Nah,” he said, his voice calm but laced with dangerous intent. “I’m just warming up.”
“You’ll have to do better than that!” Thyrex bellowed, his Madness Hindo surging as he charged forward once more, his great hammer glowing with an unholy light. The ground cracked beneath each of his heavy steps, the sheer force of his aura distorting the air around him.
Sirius appeared behind him in a flash, his movements a blur. “Say what, big boy? Zaichi: Ignition Burst.” With a fluid motion, Sirius struck Thyrex, igniting a seemingly small flame at the point of contact.
Thyrex barely flinched, a low growl rumbling from his chest. “Such a weak-ass technique. Who taught you such useless Zaichi?”
Sirius dashed backward, his smirk widening. “Your bent-over mother.”
Thyrex froze mid-step, his fury palpable. “Have you no respect?!” he roared, his voice echoing across the molten battlefield.
Shaking his head, Sirius shrugged nonchalantly. “For you or your bent-over mother? She’s definitely earned my respect—for throwing it back like a champ. But it’s a shame she raised a piece of shit like you.” His tone shifted, turning sharp, cutting through the tension. “It’s one thing to kill in battle, but to betray and slaughter the very people who had your back? That’s just pathetic.”
Thyrex’s rage boiled over, his Madness Hindo exploding outward in waves of violent red energy. The sky above them erupted into chaos as black clouds surged from nowhere, swirling into a vortex streaked with crimson. The oppressive pressure made the ground tremble, the air itself buzzing with a destructive hum that pressed against Sirius’s skin like a vice.
Bolts of blood-red lightning crackled through the storm clouds, each one ripping through the heavens with a deafening roar. The sky seemed alive, writhing as if responding to Thyrex’s unbridled fury. The crimson hindo gathered above him, condensing into a tempest of raw, destructive power.
Letting out a roar that seemed to tear through the realm itself, Thyrex raised his hammer high, his Madness-infused aura now a blazing inferno. “You’ve forced my hand, Sirius!” he bellowed, his voice a guttural roar that shook the ground beneath them. “Crimson Lightning: Ten Thousand Strike!”