Pandemonium ensued as confusion and chaos swept through the manifold.

Hellish, shadowy creatures emerged from beneath the ground, seeping through buildings, walls, cars, and other structures. These dark, nocturnal beings rose ominously, their presence stirring panic among the crowds.

Some individuals, frozen in terror, were overtaken - possessed and controlled by these sinister entities, their bodies moving unnaturally, under the influence of unseen malevolent forces.

But David remained unfazed by the chaotic spectacle, maintaining his walking pace as he observed the chaos happening around him.

"D-A-V-I-D!" hissed some emerging dark creatures in perfect, menacing unison, their eyes locking onto him with eerie precision.

A bat-winged fiend materialized before David, baring its teeth with malicious intent. Without warning, it launched itself at him, its ferocity clear in every movement. But David, calm and calculating, shifted his body smoothly to the side. The creature, missing its target, crashed into a nearby truck with a sickening thud, the impact rattling the vehicle as it sped away.

The tremors grew stronger, shaking the city with violent quakes that occasionally sent David jolting off the ground. Yet, amid the destruction, he pressed forward, undeterred.

At last, he reached the designated building but paused briefly, glancing at the watch on his wrist. The accessory blinked, noting the thirty-minute reminder he had set to track the Spirit Mode's duration.

Afterward, he slowly awakened his flame and seamlessly transitioned into the ethereal state of the Spirit Mode. A halo of radiant, spinning crosses circled him wildly, while his brawler flame morphed into a divine, searing blaze.

Approaching the building's entrance, he casually stomped on a dark creature struggling to rise, its head crushed beneath his boot with brutal force. Without a second thought, he shattered the entrance door with a powerful kick, and at last...

The long-anticipated battle began.

A myriad of menacing sorcerers and growling dark creatures lunged at David from every direction, their murderous intent palpable.

But he was prepared.

He summoned a pillar of holy flames, engulfing his nearest foes and purging them with divine fire. In swift succession, he unleashed a barrage of searing beams from his hands, incinerating several more enemies with deadly precision.

Nearby, a sorcerer attempted to utter an incantation, but David quickly seized the menace by the throat, hurling him into a group of other sorcerers and dark creatures. Without pause, he unleashed an erupting beam of fire from his eyes, obliterating the entire group in a blinding inferno.

Protected by the power of the Spirit Mode, both sorcerers and dark creatures stood not a chance against him. They all fell before the might of his holy flame.

With the adversaries on the first and second floors vanquished, David, still wreathed in the remnants of Spirit Mode, proceeded to the last floor, dragging along the lifeless body of a sorcerer. The stage was set for the final confrontation, anticipation building as dark creatures and sorcerers awaited.

The last floor's door demanded biometric access, compelling David to place the lifeless hand of his fallen adversary on the control panel. With successful activation, he cast aside the victim's limp body and proceeded toward the unlocked door.

As the door swung open, the battlefield unfolded anew.

Fresh waves of dark creatures and sorcerers rushed at him from all sides, tension crackling in the air, the suspense mounting with every step they took toward him.

Without a moment's hesitation, David surged toward his encroaching adversaries, the cross symbols around him revolving faster and brighter. He skillfully parried the claw attack of the first approaching creature and retaliated with a devastating blow, sending it careening into several others.

He continued his onslaught with lightning-fast reflexes, delivering a powerful uppercut to another encroaching foe. The attack sequence culminated with a roundhouse kick that sent both it and a few others crashing through the walls of the building's top floor.

The fierce battle raged for a grueling fifteen minutes, leaving devastation in its wake. In the end, only two high mage-level sorcerers remained standing.

One of them, wide-eyed with terror, watched helplessly as his comrade was incinerated by David's lethal fire beam, reduced to nothing in a heartbeat.

Trembling with fear, the remaining sorcerer braced for his inevitable death. But instead of striking him down, David grabbed him by the throat, holding him firm. The sorcerer's eyes widened in disbelief as David, though his gaze blazed with righteous fury, withheld further violence, his grip tightening but no more flames unleashed.

SORCERER: "T-This should be impossible, especially f-for someone of your hierarchy. What s-sort of monster are you?" The sorcerer stuttered in confusion, his whole body shivering like that of a vibrator.

DAVID: "The name is David Blaze, and I am no monster. Now, go to your leader, Modred, and narrate your defeat to him. Tell him that I am coming for him,"

Leaving this message to the shivering sorcerer, David snuffed out his holy flame and gradually dispersed his Spirit Mode. Without a word, he turned and walked away, heading down for the floor's exit door.

The dust settled as he emerged from the wrecked building, The echoes of his defeated foes seemed to hang faintly in the air, reminders of the destruction left behind. The city, once shaken by violent tremors, fell into an eerie stillness, a strange calm replacing the earlier chaos.

******

As David stepped into the open, a sudden realization struck him. He froze, instinctively sensing an unseen presence, the subtle shift in the air around him impossible to ignore.

The atmosphere grew charged, thick with tension, as if the very world braced itself for what was coming. Without warning, he felt a cold, metallic object press firmly against the side of his head, shattering his brief moment of calm.

He slowly pivoted his gaze, meeting the somber glare of a blonde teenager. Her piercing blue eyes locked intensely onto his, her arms poised and armed with a crackling rifle aimed squarely at him.

It was Fiona.

DAVID: "... How may I help you, young lady?" David questioned the stranger before him, surprised by the unexpected threat.

FIONA: "David Blaze, the surviving son of Zakael Blaze. You would be returning with us to the military base! Resist us, and you shall die!" Fiona declared, her tone laced with seriousness.

DAVID: "What in the devil's hell? Did you just threaten me?" David asked in confusion, not expecting this kind of response from the stoic-looking girl.

However, Fiona ignored his question and gestured to Rim and Jimmy to bring forth an arrested Gary.

Seeing this, David got infuriated.

He didn't even know these people. He wondered why he was being stalked and threatened by a group of military troops right now.

DAVID: "Let him go!" David demanded.

FIONA: "I disagree."

DAVID: "[Ignites flame in his eyes.] What do you mean? He's got nothing to do with this,"

FIONA: "I'm told that you possess an exclusive ability to shoot fire from your very eyes! Such a rare gift among superhumans. And now, let's talk about the coveted Map of Mysteries. How did both of you come across such an ancient relic?"

DAVID: "Humph. It's none of your goddamn business." David replied in defiance, locking his glowing eyes directly into Fiona's.

Fiona's lips curled into a wicked smirk at David's bold response. In an instant, a furious inferno ignited from within her, sending a torrent of scorching yellow flames roaring toward him.

Alarmed by her sudden attack, David sprang into action, leaping backward with swift agility. His arms crossed defensively before him as he skillfully dodged the encroaching flames, narrowly escaping their reach.

DAVID: "...The brawler flame! You are superhuman?" David voiced out in surprise.

FIONA: "Yeah, just like you. But unlike you, I am a Crestivenian and I hail from the TRIBE, the Land of Flames. Now come with us or answer to my fury." Fiona warned, reigniting her flame.

DAVID: "Heh, seems like there's no stopping this. There is something you must know about me. I never shy away from a confrontation when I see one. So bring your best shot, Crestivenian!" David replied to Fiona, carving a taunting smirk while assuming a battle-ready stance.

Fiona gazed at David briefly, then rolled her eyes with a sigh that seemed to carry her impatience. In that single exhalation, she erupted into flames and vanished from her spot, leaving behind a flickering, fiery projection of herself.

David's eyes widened in shock, momentarily caught off-guard as he struggled to process her sudden disappearance.

In an instant, Fiona reappeared behind him, delivering a swift roundhouse kick aimed at his face. David's instincts kicked in just in time, allowing him to raise both hands and block the strike. But even though he managed to intercept the blow, the force behind it sent him staggering backward, his balance shaken by the impact.

<<This was the technique of the legendary 'Sonic Flame.' An offensive technique born from the sounds of fire, not only granting the user the ability to use flame sounds to their advantage but also other forms of sound. The noisier the surrounding sound, the faster Fiona would be.>>

(Troublesome, she's super fast. What level of speed is this?) David gritted his teeth, his mind racing. He had never encountered anything like this before. Acknowledging the strength of his opponent, he decided to take the fight more seriously.

David shifted into a more focused battle stance, drawing in a deep breath to steady his nerves. His stern gaze locked onto Fiona, though beneath his calm exterior, a spark of excitement flickered. Fiona, in turn, betrayed a glimmer of anticipation behind her stoic expression, lightly bouncing on her toes.

Without warning, she launched herself forward, her form blurring as she zigzagged toward him with blinding speed, almost too fast for the eye to track.

"Raaah!" David roared in response to Fiona's rapid approach, unleashing concentrated beams of fire from his hands toward her.

But Fiona remained unfazed. She gracefully dodged the incoming projectiles, leaping into the air and leaving behind trails of fiery afterimages.

"Sonic Fire Blade!" she shouted, hurling a searing blade of fire from mid-air, its speed almost impossible to follow as it shot toward David.

Sensing the attack, David snapped his gaze upward, locking onto the incoming fiery blade. In an instant, a fierce beam erupted from his eyes, colliding with the projectile in a blazing explosion of fire and light.

The clash of their fiery techniques formed a vast blast, knocking both David and Fiona away from each other. However, Fiona quickly regained control, sliding back in a low crouch, her feet bracing against the ground with enough force to steady her momentum. Without hesitation, she charged at David again.

In a blur of velocity, she drove her knee into his midsection, sending him stumbling backward, his balance momentarily shattered. Sensing her advantage, she deftly circled around him, writhing in flame, and delivered a fiery punch straight to his chin. The impact rocked David, knocking him back and forcing him into a defensive crouch as he struggled to regain his composure.

FIONA: "[Halts her movements and takes a breath.] You match me step for step. But I am no mere brawler of the saint realm's hierarchy. It saddens me to witness your current state, for I had anticipated much greater prowess from the so-called Scion of the Holy Flame," Fiona made her taunts, her voice dripping with disappointment and veiled superiority.

DAVID: "Heh! Crestivenian or whatever you call yourself - do not underestimate me. It may cost you your Life," David retorted with a smirk, casually brushing off an already-healing bruise on his chin.

Finding David's reply unsatisfactory, Fiona charged at him once more, her fiery aura leaving a streak of afterimages in her wake. This time, she aimed for a decisive, finishing blow.

But David was equally prepared. With calculated reflexes and good timing, he deftly parried her attack, surprising her.

He swiftly counterattacked with a powerful punch aimed squarely at her face. However, Fiona's lightning-fast reflexes also came into play. She caught hold of his fist with her free hand, holding it steady just inches away from her pale face.

A/N: Hello dear readers, your feedback matters. Please star 🌟 or share your thoughts on the comment box 🗃 if you found this chapter intriguing. Thank you.