As Mitchell heard the word "portal," he immediately scrambled to see the two exorcists from the Salamander Order. The events were unfolding too quickly for him to grasp.

"What portal? What's happening here?" Mitchell asked Micah, who looked worried.

"You don't understand... Unlike you, who have no real training, we—"

Mitchell interrupted, "What don't I understand? I've seen portals open up, devouring cities and towns, leaving their inhabitants as corpses and husks of their former selves. Yet you call me inexperienced!?"

"You don't know what you're saying!" Micah objected, but was stopped by Lyon.

"That's enough, Micah!" Lyon turned to Mitchell. "We need all the help we can get..."

"Me?" Mitchell asked incredulously.

"What could he possibly help with, Lyon?" Micah demanded.

The tension among the three pyro exorcists was palpable. Everyone, including Lucia and 2nd Lieutenant Armstrong, watched intently to see what they would do. Seeing that everyone was depending on them, Micah decided to calm down and spoke.

"There's one way we could survive this portal event." Micah paused before continuing, "It requires the help of two pyro exorcists of the same capability."

Lyon, understanding what Micah meant, tried to stop her. "You can't be suggesting... There has to be another way!"

Micah sighed and replied, "No, Lyon... There isn't."

Despite considering Mitchell inferior in knowledge, she noticed his experience. Changing her demeanor, she acknowledged his capabilities. "I need your help with this..."

"Mitchell!" He introduced himself. "As your friend said, there must be another way!"

"You don't get it, do you?" Micah yelled, pointing outside. "Look out there! See if we can make it out with those hordes surrounding this house!"

Mitchell replied, "What do you suggest we do?"

Lyon interrupted, "The furnace. That ability can protect us from the effects of the portal. However, one or both pyro exorcists performing the process may be consumed by the eternal fire!"

Mitchell looked at Micah and said, "There's no way I'll do that!"

"Then you're going to forfeit the lives of your team and us!" Micah shot back.

Mitchell glanced at Lucia, who objected to what Micah was saying. 2nd Lieutenant Armstrong remained silent, but his disapproval was evident.

"You have to decide, Mitchell... Your life, ours, or theirs!" Micah demanded.

"What about your companion? Isn't he a pyro exorcist too?" Mitchell asked.

"If only he were more competent and powerful enough, I wouldn't ask for your help!" Micah replied.

As the moment passed, the ground began to shake. It took minutes for it to stop. Lucia looked worried, while 2nd Lieutenant Armstrong and the others tried to calm themselves.

"Again, Mitchell... Our lives or theirs? We Ablers may be few, but there will still be those who can wield the sacred flames. I don't believe pure flame is your only ability," Micah assessed.

"What do you mean?" Mitchell asked.

"The Abler kind can use several abilities with their fire. The pure flame is the base ability. The holy flame is an improved version that can hurt and kill phantasms and protect people. The sacred flame allows hurting both phantasms and living beings of this world. I believe you can wield the sacred flame," Micah explained.

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Without a second thought, Mitchell enveloped his right hand with flames. Unlike the usual kind warmth, the flame radiated intense heat, burning from a radius of ten meters away. The sensation was felt by the others inside the house.

"I knew it!" Micah exclaimed, telling Mitchell to snuff his flame, which he did. "You will help me set up the barrier first! Then we will start. Just follow my instructions."

Meanwhile, at the city entrance, Vashni stopped meditating as he felt the unholy powers disrupting the veil. "A portal event!" he muttered and looked at the other mercenaries with him.

"What is it?" Sergeant Adams, one of the mercenaries, asked Vashni.

"A portal event is about to happen. If you want to save your skins, get to the vehicle. Also, drag those people who were guarding the entrance with you," Vashni advised.

"But sir, they are not our problem," Sergeant Adams objected.

"Do as I say, Sergeant!" Vashni ordered.

Sergeant Adams cleared his throat and approached the local town watch at the gate. "Listen, you SOBs, if you want to live, come with us!"

Mikhail, one of the town watch, was surprised at the sergeant's words. "What do you mean, mercenary?"

"I won't say it twice. A portal will open, and you'll turn into undead or scary creatures if you stay here. I won't repeat myself or offer it again!"

Mikhail looked at his friends, and one shrugged in response. This reaction caused Mikhail to reject the Sergeant's offer. "I don't trust where this is going, mercenary!"

"I'll say it once more, boy! Come with us, or you will die here!" Sergeant Adams repeated.

Mikhail and the other town watch defiantly stood at their posts, suspecting a trick from the mercenaries. Suddenly, the temperature dropped. Noticing this, Sergeant Adams retreated to their wheeled APC and confronted Vashni.

"They won't budge. They'd prefer to stand to their deaths!"

Vashni sighed and gave up. "We have no choice... I need help though. Can you order your men to follow my instructions? This will shield us from the portal's energies around the town."

Sergeant Adams nodded. "Yes, sir!"

In the living room of the house, everyone cleared the cobwebs and the furniture. Micah ordered Lyon to draw the runes, and Mitchell stood before her inside the rune. She ordered everyone out of the circle and to arrange themselves in the corner after the runes were drawn on the floor.

"Are you prepared for anything that is to happen to you?" Micah asked Mitchell in front of her.

Mitchell replied, "Do I have any choice?"

"You are one petty guy, Mitchell. You will save the lives of your comrades," Micah said.

"Whatever, make sure that it will be quick!" Mitchell replied to Micah again.

Micah did not respond and continued with her preparations for the ritual. She calmed herself before stepping into the rune. After she entered, the living room began to heat up, opposite to what it was before Micah entered. She took a black book and began chanting the words written there.

"The martyred saints, oh hear me! Today we both offer our lives in exchange for protecting others..." After Micah ended chanting, she looked at Mitchell and ordered.

"Mitchell, enter the rune!"

Mitchell did as Micah told him. As he entered, the rune drawn on the floor radiated heat as hot as a sauna. Everyone in the room felt the same temperature from inside the rune and out.

After entering the rune, Micah asked Mitchell a series of questions.

"Are you ready to risk your life for others?"

"Yes!" Mitchell replied to Micah.

Afterwards, ten more questions were asked by Micah, which irritated him. After the twelfth question, Mitchell snapped and replied, "Cut the religious crap! I agree to most of your questions!"

"You moron! This is part of the process to ensure everyone here is safe! Skipping the process will only jeopardize us all!" Micah scolded Mitchell.

"Whatever!" Mitchell replied.

A bright red light suddenly glowed on the ground within the runes. Mitchell suddenly felt a heavy pressure on his chest and was catching his breath. He unbuttoned his khaki uniform and fell to his knees. He sweated profusely, and flames suddenly began to wrap around his body.

"What, what did you do!?" Micah asked Mitchell, thinking that he may have done something.

Micah looked at Lyon, who did not know what had just happened. "I-I don't know what happened to him!"

"I did not start yet. Can you do something!?" Micah said, adding, "I cannot remove myself from my position, Lyon! Do something to help him. If I move, it may cause an imbalance and harm us all!"

Lyon immediately doused Mitchell with holy water from a bottle he was keeping, thinking it might stop the flames consuming Mitchell. Micah was horrified as the reaction likened to gasoline poured on fire. The flames around Mitchell intensified.

"What do you think you're doing, Lyon!" Micah scolded, seeing Mitchell being consumed by fire.

"You said to stop the flames. The holy water from Water Abler exorcists should do the trick!" Lyon replied.

"You moron!" Micah shouted, observing changes in Mitchell's body.

Lucia, who was observing, was horrified and tried to use a damp rug to extinguish the flames around Mitchell.

"Stop, whatever you are trying to do!" Micah yelled at Lucia.

"He's being burned, and I'm just supposed to watch!?" Lucia shouted in concern for Mitchell.

2nd Lieutenant Armstrong stopped her by grabbing her hand and shaking his head. "What do you think you're doing, Lieutenant! If this goes on, Mitchell will die!"

"This is beyond us! Abler exorcist flames cannot be extinguished by normal means!"

"No, Mitchell!" Tears formed in Lucia's eyes as she worriedly looked at Mitchell.

Mitchell, while kneeling down, continued to gasp for air. Inside his head, a voice echoed, "Do you think I would allow you to be sacrificed like this!?"