Being stuck in bed for almost two weeks does no one good. Thoughts and dreams playing tricks. Doubt he did enough for his friends if he could've done more before being put there… In the end, it doesn't matter.
Every muscle fiber aches in pain, not only due to the inaction but the fiery sensation coursing through his blood, his heart. Setting on fire every part of him with malice and prejudice. For some reason, That doctor, Amelia, kept him company, with a clipboard in her hands.
"You got quite a bad end. Downtrodden by a magical degenerative disease." Despite the harsh words, a somewhat kind and understanding tone is there.
Pity. "Guess I have become pitiful." And yet, she still is here with him, taking notes. "What do you expect from taking notes? I don't think my condition will appear in other people. Magic degenerative disease doesn't appear to be something that will become common."
Wryly and cynical words leave his mouth, without a care in the world, nor was there a need to have them when you are dying. Despite the offhand joke, the fire inside still has to subset, even on the deathbed, their intensity is nothing to scoff about.
Screaming, begging to go out of control, going louder with every second. "Can you turn off the machines? I don't know how long I can starve off the flames this time around." Better to stop beating around the bushes and accept demise before it becomes too much.
The doctor stops, to ponder. Instead of surprise, an expression of sharp witty, and a matter of fact in both her face and voice. "Are you telling me to kill you?" Quick to realize the intentions behind such a wish.
"Yeah. Don't have many other options with my own time running out, you know?" Agreeing with that assessment, the black fire inside pulsates, spreading throughout his chest. Better to go out on his terms than let some fire use him to make a mayhem.
An expression of appreciation and understanding flourished on her face. "Courageous. Given the circumstances… well. You did your best so far." Out of nowhere, the building starts to shake and tremble.
No. The entire thing shakes as if the very ground below them is going to give up and sink. The smell of wood becoming unbearable. From the edge of the window, an immense shadow jumped.
An immense maw bites away a chunk of the room, throwing the doctor to the wall, while a section falls downwards in a rain of debris. A demonic giant wolf is there, its face just a few meters away from biting him and ending it all.
"—— ——?" A low-pitched noise comes from the beast's mouth. Contrary to what an animal says, there is a sense to it, despite himself not being able to directly understand what it is saying.
Kyrie stares down into the beast's golden eyes, not breaking eye contact. "———— —?" Once again, it growls in a low pitch. There is no way for a human to understand a beast, despite this, its eyes, its growl, ringed with some sense of logic and sapience.
"I'm sorry. I can't understand you." The giant wolf's "eyebrows" twitch in a hint of annoyance. If it wanted him or anyone else in the building dead. It should've done so already.
"... ——" The creature disengages from the building, not being bothered by the earthquakes, "You. Prince. Loyal. Obey. Command?"
Surprisingly, the beast's voice sounds close enough to English to be understood. Prince… Cain had called him the wolf prince before… is this thing seeing him as royalty or something like that? "Well, I don't know how I can be of help to you, but… can you help the others? The humans? Or not hurt them?"
The beast merely scoffs, jumping into the air, and disappearing as fast as it had appeared. "Just what was that?" Asks the doctor, confused. Looking at her, blood is dripping from her forehead.
That attack must've made a score. "You are bleeding. Doc." Widening her eyes, the moment to realize the damage is short-lived, as the building starts to tremble and shake more violently, the ground below them starting to give away.
"Kyrie!" James rushes from the door, looking worried and sick, wet from sweat. "We have to get out of here, right now! There is an earthquake— Ah!" The building shakes, the ceiling starts to crumble, and dust falls from it.
"Monsters are appearing! We have to move, now!" From deep inside him, the black flames start to sweep out, no longer content to be sealed and pushed away. It is already too late for him, either way.
Getting up from the hospital bed, his muscles crack and whine in pain, being unused for more than a week now… "You said there are monsters, right? It is too late for me. Take the doctor and run away."
He may die now, or he may die in a few minutes, with luck. Or die being devoured by the flames. Getting up from the bed, K.J forcefully yanks out the wires in him. The feeling of them being wormed out of his body and veins felt intrusive, as fiery dark blood gushed from the wounds made by forcefully taking them out, like miniature fountains of water.
Blood rushes to his mouth, searing hot, almost becoming red steam. "If there are monsters… There are still fights out there. Even if I die from taking these wires out… I will try to fight, even if it's a few seconds longer."
With each passing second, the fire grew stronger. Looking at James, he stares in abject horror. "I am going to die, anyway. You said there are monsters out there. I'm going to take as many of them with me before meeting my fate. Take the doctor and run, I don't want you or anyone near me when the flames get out of control."
With a doubtful, scared, and hurt face, James runs towards Amelia, taking her in his arms and then bolting out of the room. "Besides, it would be a bad sight to see me take out these wires," K.J whispers when his friend bolts out of the room.
Some wires are still connected, and soon they are taken out as well. With each wire gone, a new wave of pulsation and pain washes over him, the fire grows stronger. Organs clenching in pain, joints feeling rust and to the point of breaking down, the very air in his lungs becoming almost too hot to breathe.
Plugging out the last wire, his own body set itself on fire, like when he fell, black flames engulfed him. "Stop being pricks. We will get plenty of slaughter to be done here." Looking at the scenery below, monsters rise from the ground, James running past them as they appear.
Standing on the building's ledge, made by the monster wolf, his whole body pulsates in pain, blood wanting to go out by every pore. There's no need to hold back anymore, this is pure chaos. "It's my time."
Taking a breather, the young man jumps out of the ledge, stopping to hold back the flames to the depths of himself, letting them run freely through him. A massive aura of fire appeared a dark mist following the fire ahead like the first time had awakened his powers, making his presence closer to a moving fire.
"I, too, was dying at that time." For a single moment, his vision flares red. The fire and mist ignited to become a sea of flames, consuming the monster down below in a wrathful wave, burning past their decaying bodies, melting armor into fiery sludge, and falling on the ground in a sea of fire.
Falling on the ground, the flames feather the brunt of the fall. Limbs don't shatter nor break, and withstand the fall with overwhelming ease. Bone claws rupture the skin and flesh of his left hand, becoming a sharp natural weapon.
From below the ground, an immense root breaks out, as tall as a two-story building, multiple plants and lesser roots sprouting out of it. Pointing at the root, the black flames are unleashed like rabid hounds, striking away at the root, punching through its structure with violence, and burning away its existence into a horrid dark bonfire.
The world had become a mess, everything painted red, just with different shapes. More monsters sprout from the ground, more monsters to slaughter. Raising a hand, the black flames engulfing him spread, transforming them into a burning inferno.
Consuming stone, roots, monsters, vehicles, and everything unfortunate enough to stand in the way. His existence feels itself on fire, but it doesn't matter, he soon shall fade like the brief flame he is.
Yet, there is something more, something needed to complete this fleeting existence. "The sword." It is nowhere to be seen, but its existence, its location, is palpable. Like a flaming catastrophe, K.J walks ahead, towards the sword.
"The monster has awakened! A scion of Fenrir! End him! Don't let its cursed existence continue!" More from the rank of the dead starts to appear as if guided by the call. Looking at the one who made the call, a tall dead person is there, adorning a wolf pelt, pants, and nothing else.
They advance to meet the edge of flames, shields held to protect them from its searing, destructive touch. "..." Like a beast, K.J advances, the flames following him. All the pain seemed to vanish, leaving only the red world behind.
With a large swipe, the claw meets up with one of the dead, piercing through their body with ease, incinerating them into a burn crisp, armor falling to the ground, melting. "Vanish." The pierced undead explodes in a sea of flames, burning through the ones at the side, then the ones at their side… in a chain reaction.
"You weaklings! This is why we haven't entered Valhalla! I will take on this monster myself!" The undead roars, picking an axe from its dead comrades, and advancing like a bull. Swinging downwards the axe, he meets it by thrusting his claw against the axe's head.
The sound of two hard objects echoes, the axe's blade having slightly pierced through his hand. "Feel the strength of Bjo—" Forcing his hand against the axe head, he bent it backward, breaking the head out of the handle.
Wordlessly, K.J jumps on the undead, hitting its jaw with a claw swipe, tearing it apart, as well as a good chunk of its neck. Then, he forces the claw with the axe head through the dead's gullet, spreading fire to the inside of his body.
Fire spreads, burning it from the inside out. Taking his hand out, the axehead still is struck there. Taking it out, blood jumps from the wound, not that it matters in the slightest. There is work to be done. "Disappear, you all."
Flames take the form of a wolf's head, rising to the skies, towards the sun, and then descending, biting through the horde of undead, turning them all to ashes and molten slug. Without hindrance, he walks towards where the sword is.
The ground trembles and shakes more violently, more roots breaking off the ground towards the surface. More firewood to the pyre, more to be destroyed. He feels numb…
(...)
More of the death tries to hinder his path, before being mercilessly burnt away. The sword was near, its pulsating call of fire growing louder. The roots and trees sprung from them, taking over the base by the second, making it hard to traverse without burning something down.
Luckily, the building where the sword is relatively intact. Some human soldiers shoot away at something tall. Taller than any man. As if it was a giant human being.
Wearing simple and crude cloth, wielding a massive hammer. "Your puny weapons can't hurt a Jotun, humans!" The beast screams something, smashing the soldiers with its hammer.
Not much resistance is to be had against these types of creatures. Noticing the flames, the monster stares down in his general direction. The giant looked down at him. "A puny human with the flames of a wolf. Hm. How preposterous—"
K.J can't understand what the giant is saying, nor does he want to. Without giving it a warning, the young man moves fast, like a predator on the hunt, going at the beast's legs. With a single slash, the left heel of the giant is cut out, cool blood pulsating out of the wound.
The giant roars in pain, moving its right leg to kick him. A wall of black fire forms between him and the kick. However, it does little to stop the giant's attack. Its mighty foot hit his whole body, making bones crack and shatter under its weight, projecting his body forward like a soccer ball.
Hitting the ground at full momentum, K.J's body rolls throughout the ground, breaking a few plants and sticks that have grown out of the roots. His right arm bends itself to an unnatural angle as he continues to hit obstacles, the bone breaking out in a compound fracture, gushing searing hot blood.
A few of the sticks and branches tore his flesh away in lacerations, meanwhile, others pierce through it, impaling themselves in him. The sticks and branches of the roots are abnormal in power, to be able to hit his flesh—
Or the giant's kick was more powerful than he had thought. "You are quite durable, for a human. To break those fledgling and thin roots of…" It speaks something again. Probably didn't realize its words don't matter at all, it shall be killed.
Despite the lacerations and perforations, he doesn't feel anything. No pain, no anticipation or fear. As if he was dead— "Yes… I was dying… wasn't I?" For a single moment, the red filter seems to fade, showing a clear picture.
A giant humanoid ahead, a tense forest all around them, a dense and thick forest had grown from these roots… the forest was growing under their feet. However, such clarity is short-lived, as another rush of black flames surges from within, burning away the branches and sticks inside him.
Taking hold of the fractured arm, he forces it back in place, or close enough for it to be of use again. Blood gushes from the compound fracture. The giant walks towards him, unbothered by the fact one of its heels has been torn off.
Grabbing the sword with it around for a counterattack is not wise. It shall be killed for him to go further. Rising to his feet and extending his left hand: Black flames start to condense into a ball of pure hatred and malicious fire before his knuckle.
The giant notices it, and throws his hammer at him. Instead of waiting for the hammer, K.J advances towards it, not losing focus of the giant. Adjusting the position slightly to be just enough to avoid the hammer, the young man rushes forward fearlessly.
The mighty hammer flew just a few inches above his head, its momentum and wind almost enough to carry him with it, just short of enough. The giant looks in disbelief. Without further ado, the Wolf Prince punches the condensate flame just floating before his left hand.
A black shot of pure supernatural black flames is launched against the giant— as quick as a lightning bolt, creating a short vacuum corridor with its forward propulsion, all energy and heat being focused in just one stop: the giant's chest.
The black fire bolt hit straight on its mark, punching through its chests in a blast of flames, trespassing the giant. The giant falls on its knees, gasping for air that no longer would reach its lungs if it had them.
No blood is spilled, its flesh, organs, muscles, and bones burnt to cinders with the heat and destruction of the attack. It should buy enough time to get the sword. "You got a nasty trick upon your sleeve. Human."
With a roar, the monster gets up again, rushing towards him. Fighting it would be dumb right now. Instead of fighting, K.J tackles forward, jumping to the giant's chest hole, getting behind him with ease.
The giant out of the way forward, the only thing left to do is to grab the sword. Its call is still there. Without time, or patience to find the entrance to the building, he blasts away a wall with the black flames, forcefully entering the building.
It is a store room of sorts, with nothing inflammable. On the ground, the sword lies. Black mist leaking out of it. Taking it, a rush of powers flows from the blade to him, a feeling of belonging and righteousness from it.
The black mist soon becomes fire, connecting the sword itself to him, its veins fiery as if a raging hell runs through the sword.
"Don't underestimate me, human!" The giant comes back, but now is the time to give a proper greeting. Exiting the building by the role made in the wall. Trying to cut a giant with it wouldn't work.
But there is no need to cut him. Branding the sword, a wave of black energy is unleashed from it, advancing itself toward the giant with reckless abandon. Much like the black fire bolt, the giant has its body burn, being bisected by the sword wave.
"I did it…" The sword was recovered. A sudden wave of tiredness comes, forcing K.J to fall on his knees, as blood rushes out of his mouth. The dark fire finally waning… His death… is close.
Monsters appear out of the roots, undead, spectral wolves… and more creatures. Even if the fire wanes… There are still monsters that need to be slaughtered. "Just a little more…" Until freedom is finally at reach…
Like a thermobaric bomb going off, the sword unleashes a torrential wave of fire, washing over the forest growing out of roots, monsters, humans, and whatever it touches, it shall be incinerated.
The wave of fire grows and expands as it devours recklessly. A memory surfaced in his mind as the forest was cleansed in flames. "She died alone… I… want to see them one last time. James… Spencer… Lawrence… I want to."
Despite the red daze, the memory, the form of their little group of friends, is still clear as a perfect diamond. The nights they spent talking with each other about asinine and mundane topics.
The time he and Spencer fought over stupid topics and opinions. The time Lawrence offered insights about the most diverse topics… the strange knowledge and trivia Elliot had. Talks about games and useless gachas.
The hangouts they had, going shopping, to the gym… they spent their time well. They were good friends… the red filter vanished, the pain coming back all at once, burning his body, unraveling flesh and bone in cinders.
Feels his life burn away, and yet the desire to see at least one of them, one last time, remains. The forest grows, blocking the sunlight and any attempt at seeing past it. Monsters crawling out of the roots and the ground…
This forest needs to burn, and the monsters within it too. "I will hold back these monsters… before my life fades." For the first time, the fire listens to his orders, spreading to become a massive wildfire, a bonfire of darkness.
Dragging the sword, Kyrie Jensen walks, using the last remnant of strength in his body to check out his friends, being guided to them by their smell.