“...Control and use it.”

Alexis muttered as he once again looked at the sky, but, different from before there's was no signs of manticore instead up there was a bright blue moon shining upon him.

He gazed back down to his hands with skin colored by sun then he glanced at the side where a man was happily chugging his beer—it was his father, and to the other side was his mother feeding his sister the vegetables she did not liked. Lastly towards the middle of lively plaza was the townsmen drowning themselves to the festival tunes.

The bards song and the folk's dance paired with laughter and smiles, a scenery that came from a dream—no, its an awful nightmare for him. Alexis was back again to the memory of that time.

A vivid nightmare of hell that he experienced haunting him every time he took a rest.

It always starts at the beginning of the festival where the townsmen was filled with joys as they cast themselves free to this brief period of happiness that they only experience once in a while. Then just as their happiness peaked, the bright moon that shone upon their night was blocked by a mighty creature said to be only exist in tales from the myths.

Alexis looked up where he met that cold vertical yellow eyes once more, but this time he was not shaking in fear neither cursed it with anger instead he faced the fire breathed out from its mouth calmly.

“Do not suppress it, instead control and use it.”

Like a mantra he repeated Lance's words again and again, strangely his churning heart calmed down but the flames in his eyes burned brighter much more menacing than the rampaging fire.

Slowly his body was also devoured by the fire, when the river of flame passed his body was covered in familiar black coal like husk, then cracks on its rough surface appeared as they lit up in bright orange-red.

Alexis turned his head towards the fire that burned through the town, the malevolent flames that burned his parents to death, the burning fire that came out of that creature's mouth and the dyed flame that was inside him all this time.

He slowly reached to that flame, a fire birthed by something that can only be named as miracle was warm and comforting however hidden behind the gentleness was gnawing wrath that gave a spark and pain. Alexis reflexively tried to take his hand away from it but the dyed flame followed and crawled on his arm before seeping inside the glowing cracks.

He was shocked at first but as the crimson flames inside his body settled Alexis felt the completion of something and a sudden feeling of breaking free to become new.

Both the group and the manticore suddenly was blinded by the light that abruptly came out of Alexis' body, before they could even guess what happened a soft crashing sound echoed due to the silence.

Then something flashed by, and after everything all became to normal they saw the right wing of the manticore was on the ground it was then followed by a howling sound, one that is full of pain.

“AAAAAHHHH!”

Bam!

With one of its wings taken down the manticore landed badly to the ground it kept crying while it squirms in agony, however the group attention was not on the beast but towards a young man's back.

Shoulder length black hair smoothly ride the wind, a height of that growing boy, skin as jaded as woman, and a body that had no muscles yet also fat, even without him turning they are sure he would look handsome. This young man—Alexis held an crimson flame sword in his right hand, it was beautiful and magnificent but the fire started to become erratic until it turned back to a ball of bright colored blood flame.

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Alexis raised his right hand where the flame orb kept afloat, he noticed that his skin was much whiter and fairer than what he remembers but he did not go into much detail as the enemy was now up and ready for fight.

When he turned around the manticore already stopped its tantrum now it faced him with much greater wrath than before.

“YOU'RE MAKING ME ANGRY!!”

The already loud annoying voice became much louder it made Alexis took a step back as he felt dizzy after receiving its impact, not wasting its chance the manticore fired a stinger towards him, then the beast ran following it.

Alexis tilted his head to the side letting the stinger passed him, then he clenched his right fist before opening it halfway, his fingers curled like a paw with the flame orb in his hands aligned with his fingers transforming them to a bright red claw.

He then scratched diagonally upwards to face off against the incoming claw of the manticore.

Clang!

Red colored fleeting sparks burst when their weapons met, it resulted in an obvious win to who's the stronger one between the two.

Alexis feet was dragged backwards before stopping a few meters, it left a trail from where he was previously standing to where he was now.

He looked at his right hand where the red flame orb was once again floating it was numbed due to the impact, even though he got his blessing it did not meant that he could just easily defeat the manticore, he only able to cut its wings due to the clever use of the force that came from breaking out of his egg shell and the element of surprise.

However Alexis once again clenched his fist as he faced the manticore in front of him with a smirk on his face, they once again faced off but now its not only Alexis that will dodge it was the same for his prey.

“So his blessing was fire.” Ezekiel commented after whistling.

The old man scrutinize the fight as he replied, “Hmm, its not a normal fire.”

“What do you mean?” Damian asked.

“I can't say for sure until I saw it up close but his flames...is a little different from what I know.”

“Umm...” Kyrille whose eyes covered by her hands that had fingers spread as wide as possible, “Are we not stopping him?”

When they saw her actions of taking a short peek towards Alexis they couldn't help but chuckle.

“Let him have his time for a while, you guys can hunt monsters if you want.” Lance answered.

“T-then I'll stay!” Kyrille said with her blushing cheeks.

“Ooh? Are you worried about Alexis or...” Damian smirked teasing her.

“W-what are you talking about!?”

“Then bye!” Damian immediately left by sliding down the stairs he made before she could raise her hand on him.

“Then I'll also go captain! Say my congrats to him!”

Ezekiel waved before he jumped down the cliff leaving behind the echoes those words.

The rest then made their exit on the mountain summit leaving only Heretic who's barrier didn't needed anymore but still decided to stay, Old Man who was curious about Alexis' blessing, Lance who was in charge of Alexis' test and Kyrille who stayed because she was worried(?).

Bam!

Alexis rolled over to right dodging the manticore’s attack he then suddenly turned around lashing out his right hand to the side sending a wave of flames towards the manticore.

“ROAR!!!”

Using the power of its voice the manticore snuff out his flames but it was just a diversion he made so that he could get close to the unguarded flank of the manticore. He clenched his right fist covering it with a bright hot crimson flame before punching it with all his might.

“AAAARGH!”

His fist did not get blocked by the skin instead it punch through creating a mess on its insides, Alexis was surprised by the power of his punch but he didn't forget that it was a good chance and immediately made the flames burn fiercely! As expected the manticore cried and reflexively attacked him with its thorny tail.

Alexis easily jumped backwards dodging the whip however his feet did not felt the rough ground as he landed on his butt.

“...Eh?”

Alexis holds his head supporting it as he was suddenly washed over by a bout of dizziness.

When he tried to stand up he felt the ground shake and the place around him distorts, he tried to take a step forward to balance himself only to fall down once more.

“Wh..aarts wro..uing?” he worded it like a drunkard.

His vision started to spin, his breathing was slowing down, and together with his heartbeats that was racing just before. Alexis was starting to get anxious about this sudden condition of his making him breath a little much faster, he shuddered from the sudden cold when the wind brushed with his uncovered skin, he was trying to overcome it but even sitting was taxing on him so he choose to lay down the ground.

He gaze upon the blue sky and white drifting clouds that was being distorted through his vision before closing his eyes.