Lennox found himself in the midst of a clash between the Fire Guardian and the Water Guardian echoed with a resounding sizzle. His clothes were burnt, and his body was covered in sweat. The two guardians, realizing they had fallen into Lennox's trap, stared at each other with a mix of surprise and acknowledgment. The Fire Guardian dispersed into smoke, weakened by Lennox's attacks, while the defeated Water Guardian lay on the ground as a puddle of water, succumbing to the combination of Lennox's earlier damage, Fire and Water Guardian's own elements defeated each other..
Lennox, aware of the intricate dynamics between elemental forces, understood that water and fire could defeat or counter each other based on the user's control and the specific type of fire wielded.
As Lennox, battered and fatigued strands of ash-speckled locks framed his face, as beads of sweat that clung to his forehead glistened like tiny crystals, prepared for the next guradian, the rising gates emitted an ominous rumble from the ground. Simultaneously, a strong current burst forth with a rushing whoosh, and a powerful earthquake shook the arena with a thunderous roar.
The Air Guardian attacked first, swinging the staff towards Lennox and releasing sharp razor air. Lennox skillfully dodged the invisible blades in the sky as the Air Guardian continued the onslaught. Lennox, feeling exhausted and unable to continue the fight, muttered about having to use a skill he never thought he would need.
In desperation, Lennox shouted, "Ultimate Technique: Infernal Convergence!" A surge of power within him created a deafening boom, and the air trembled as his eyes burned with intense azure fire. A vortex of flames enveloped him with a fierce roar. The heat intensified, and the flames shaped themselves to his body with a mesmerizing crackle. Lennox vanished within the conflagration, only to reappear transformed – his body radiating an ethereal composition of pure flame, standing tall and imposing amidst the fiery manifestation with a powerful whoosh.
Lennox's once-human features transformed into a flickering manifestation of living fire. His eyes became blazing orbs within a fiery visage, and his hair turned a fiery azure. He wore an intricately detailed armor on his normal hand, and he burned with an intensity mirroring the heart of a roaring furnace. The very essence of the flames seemed to course through him, turning him into a living embodiment of the inferno.
Facing Lennox was a stone guardian clad in intricately crafted stone armor, wielding a colossal warhammer made from enchanted stone and metals. The guardian exuded an unwavering strength, but as it emerged from the gate, a momentary hesitation crossed its stony face. Lennox noticed the fear in the guardian's eyes and thought, "Good...This is it. The Infernal Convergence...This is so surreal." He examined himself, feeling powerful inside and out. 'The toll on my body is palpable, but there's no turning back now.' he thought.
Lennox strategized, knowing he couldn't let the stone guardian land a direct hit with the devastating warhammer. With calculated grace, he maneuvered around the guardian, now a living inferno, leaving a trail of scorching embers as he propelled himself forward.
The stone guardian swung the mighty warhammer, attempting to crush Lennox with the force of an avalanche. However, Lennox, in his fiery form, danced effortlessly through the air, skillfully avoiding the devastating blows. Lennox then conjured a swirling tornado of fire with a flick of his wrist, sending it spiraling towards the stone guardian. The elemental vortex collided with the stoic guardian, eroding its stone armor as the intense heat took its toll. Undeterred, the guardian pressed on, determined to test the limits of Lennox's newfound powers.
Lennox, aware of the limited time before another guardian emerged and the potential backlash of the Infernal Convergence, thought, 'Five minutes. That's all I have. I must eliminate them swiftly. The backlash of the Infernal Convergence looms, and I can't afford to falter.'
Empowered by the Infernal Convergence, Lennox instantly learned two new techniques. The air guardian pointed their staff into the air, and air gathered around them, taking the shape of multiple small tornadoes.
"Inferno Blade - Crimson Tempest!" Lennox shouted, unleashing his newfound power.
Multiple blades made of fire appeared in the air behind Lennox, As air filled with the scalding heat of Lennox's Inferno Blade, creating a mesmerizing dance of flames. He pointed at the air tornado , directing the blades and tornadoes towards it. The clash resulted in a stalemate before the tornadoes burned away, and the blades slammed down on the air guardian, burning away its body and destroying it.
However, as Lennox stopped his blades, he heard a sound behind him. Turning around, he saw the earth guardian with its colossal warhammer. Reacting in the nick of time, Lennox raised a stronger fire shield than his usual one. The warhammer slammed against it, knocking him back forcefully, and he landed on the ground, coughing out blood.
Despite his formidable form, Lennox admitted, "Even with this form, that attack still hurt, Gotta be agile. Can't let that warhammer connect again." The stone guardian unleashed a shockwave, sending boulders towards Lennox, who skillfully soared into the sky, avoiding the barrage. With the ability to fly in his new fiery form, Lennox rained down multiple fireballs on the stone guardian. The guardian managed to block the fireballs, but Lennox descended like a meteor, crashing into the stone guardian with explosive force.
The impact created shockwaves, and cracks appeared on the once-impenetrable stone armor. Momentarily staggered, the guardian raised its warhammer for a final strike that pushed Lennox a few feet back. Determined to end the battle, Lennox said to himself, "This power is amazing, but I mustn't lose myself to it...as technique of last resort. Its power is exhilarating, but I can sense the risk. I must end this quickly.." He shouted, "Inferno Convergence Annihilation."
Lennox raised his arms, summoning pillars of fire from the ground around him. The pillars converged into a colossal sphere of swirling inferno, which he sent straight down at the air guardian. The sphere engulfed the area in a spiraling torrent of searing flames, dealing immense damage and disintegrating physical and magical barriers. The air guardian, unable to withstand the assault, succumbed to the all-consuming flames.
As Lennox's Inferno Convergence reached its limit, he fell to one knee, exhausted and in pain as he felt very muscle and function in his body was pian but mainly his cardiovascular system. Despite the challenges, he felt excitement and satisfaction, having completed all the trials.
"I did it. I'm now going to enter grade two, but what will the reward be?" Lennox said with a smile.
Lennox was startled by the sound of metal, thinking it was another guardian, but it turned out to be the platform in the sky slowly descending. Wondering if it was his reward, he questioned if everyone got an artifact for defeating the guardians.
With little strength left, Lennox limped toward the seemingly simple artifact on the platform. Examining it, he heard the sound of metal as the artifact started opening, releasing an intense heat of red fire stronger than his own. Even the fire guardian paled in comparison. As his hand began to burn, Lennox tried to back away, only to realize that the entire arena was now surrounded by the intense fire.
"The artifact's fire is overwhelming." Lennox said grimacing in pain 'One final push. The convergence will consume them. But at what cost to me? I can't afford to dwell'
Painfully, Lennox had no choice but to initiate his Inferno Convergence to protect his body. However, using it twice without cooldown had extreme side effects, causing intense pain as his heart raced.
"Hmm... This feeling," Lennox questioned amidst the searing pain.
Feeling a resonance between his body and the fire from the artifact, Lennox struggled forward to grab it. The fire burned away his armor, causing excruciating pain, and pushed his body away. As he fought through the pain, Lennox coughed up a large amount of blood due to the side effects and the intense fire.
To succeed, Lennox gritted his teeth, pushing his body against its limits. Finally, as he grabbed the artifact, it felt like he absorbed the fire from it. His insides were burning, and he screamed in pain. Orange and azure fires poured out of his body.
'Absorbing the fire... the pain is excruciating. But I must endure.' he thought Absorbing the fire as he floated into the air, transforming into a spectral bird. In the midst of his pain, Lennox saw an red phoenix flying around him.
The red phoenix abruptly swooped down with incredible speed, slamming into his head. Startled, Lennox felt a profound change in his body. A multicolored portal materialized within him, and the phoenix entered it. Lennox, now bearing red wing markings on his forehead and regaining some human-like features, passed out and descended to the ground. The arena returned to its normal state, and in the quiet aftermath, the academy awaited the awakening of Lennox, as a portal appeared.