"His rage is capable of breaching the system, interesting." Zany mused.
___
"Look at you, kid. Your armor is telling us you're just a weakling. What do you think you can do?" Jason, the blonde bully, mocked.
"Yeah, like you could even scratch us." Leslie, the other bully laughed, "You're nothing but an ant."
Based on the arrogant smirks on their faces, it was clear that they were relishing in a moment of superiority. However, all that changed when a spontaneous ignition created a vivid burst of black flames encircling both Mickey's arms.
"Wh-What the...?!" Jason stammered.
"This little runt just made the biggest mistake of his life!" yelled Leslie, who was now engraged.
Due to being light sources themselves, flames naturally cast no shadow. However, despite this, there remained a perpetual shadow of black flames dancing on the ground, creating a patch of darkness.
In addition to this eerie spectacle, Mickey appeared like a zombie emerging from a dark portal in the earth, accentuated by his deteriorating condition.
Sporting a contorted expression, Leslie broke away from Jason's side and began to walk towards Mickey.
"You think fire scares me? I'll take you down!" Leslie sneered while prowling.
While walking, the pendant around his neck emitted a faint green glow, and a gooey, shimmering liquid akin to acid began to gather in his palms.
He pulled his palms together, and started massaging the green goo in it like a ball, preparing to strike.
Still in pain all over, Mickey tried to brace himself for the impending blow, but it seems the constant assault from his passive skill - blood boil, had left him too numb to fully protect himself, much less fight back.
Leslie launched his clenched fist dripping with acid. Mickey saw it coming but his body was just suspended, causing it to connect with his face.
The force of the punch sent Mickey reeling, stumbling to side and, as expected, the acid rapidly dissolved his the flesh of his left cheek.
"Grrr!" Mickey growled. Indeed it stung, but the entity of his body was in pain anyway.
[You have received damage]
[HP 9/10]
Mickey had been ignoring the most part of the system for awhile now. He just wasn't in the mood for its greed. But this message caught his attention.
"Will I be dead after a few hits?" He panicked, his thoughts flashing back to reality. Perhaps the game-like interface of the system had made him take things for granted at bit. But faced with death, he had quickly realized that this wasn't child's play.
He tried moving out of the way of another incoming assault, however, it seemed the passive traits of blood boil was still scorching his insides, causing every slight movement to be excruciatingly painful.
Alas he couldn't evade, as the assault was planted into the right side of his face.
[HP 8/10]
Leslie continued landing punches after punches on Mickey's face, relishing in each impact. Mickey's body swayed uncontrollably as the blows rain down upon him.
[HP 7/10]
[HP 6/10]
[HP 5/10]
[HP 4/10]
[HP 3/10]
"Is this my end?" Mickey thought, the cellular construction of his face damaged and the tissues melting to the point where both his cheek bones could be seen.
"But I would finally escape my torment, maybe death isn't a bad thing afterall." He thought, looking like a corpse. "My only regret is that I didn't die on my own terms."
[HP 2/10]
[HP 1/10]
[HP 0/10]
[User has been flat-lined]
[Condition for immutability has been met]
[Passive skill activated: Immutability]
[Immutability trait "passive healing" has been activated]
The swaying suddenly stopped, and his once hunched posture straightened. His pupils that blazed with an intense flame awhile ago had also dilated and rolled into the back of his head.
His instinct was overridden by an all-encompassing turmoil that twisted within him. He was knocked out cold, now nothing but a mere puppet.
However, this turn of events had triggered another passive skill that perhaps only worked when he was unconscious.
"Wh-What the...?!!" Leslie hesitated for a second, unable to comprehend the sudden change in his opponent's posture.
However, he rubbed it off and went in for another attack. But his confidence turned to shock as his acid-laced fist was caught firmly by Mickey's hand, which was still wreathed in the black flames. Instantly, the acid starts evaporating, vanishing into thin air.
Shocked but undeterred, Leslie attempted to break free from Mickey's grip, but his hand wouldn't barge. The black flames crept along his hand, searing his flesh and causing immense pain.
"Aarrghh!!!"
In a state of panic, Leslie tried to unleash another attack with his free hand, but Mickey slapped it away and clutched onto Leslie's face. His grip tightened on Leslie's face, causing the flames to crawl across his cheeks and nose, searing away his flesh with each passing second.
As Leslie screamed, panic gripped his companion. Jason, who was holding Flynn against the wall released his grip, his eyes wide with terror. He stumbled backward, trying to distance himself from the horrifying spectacle unfolding before him.
"Mo-Monster!!" He stuttered.
Mickey's unconscious body stood tall and immovable as the black flames engulfed his arms. If it wasn't for the highly resistant leather armor, Leslie would have already being bath in a blaze.
The sounds of not one, but sirens grew closer in the distance, causing Jason to scatter in fear. Flynn's eyes were popping out as he watched in awe and horror, his body trembling with both fear and relief.
As Leslie continued to wail in agony, a voice echoed, sending ripples through the air. It was cold and commanding, yet hauntingly familiar.
"Release him," the voice commanded, and to Flynn's shock, Mickey obeyed. His hand loosened its grip, and the black flames receded, leaving the Leslie's face charred and disfigured.
This was none other than Ingram, who looked to be a bit out of breath as the glow in his pendant faded.
"Huh, did he just use his demon art in a form of command to stop Mickey?" Flynn gasped, the fear in him shifting from Mickey to Ingram. "They are both Monsters."
Gasping for breath, Leslie scrambled away, his hands clutching his ruined face. His eyes locked with Mickey's, a mixture of fear and disbelief shining within them.
[Passive healing complete]
[Immutability has been deactivated]
[Blood boil has been deactivated]
[System breach repair in progress]
[User should refrain from accessing the system until completed]
Mickey's body remained still, but a faint flicker of awareness seemed to return to his eyes.
"What... what happened?" Mickey whispered, his voice trembling with uncertainty. The black flame subsided, retreating into the depths of his eyes and arms, leaving him feeling drained and bewildered.
Flynn approached him cautiously, his voice filled with concern. "I don't know, man... you... you unleashed something... something powerful and terrifying. But... it protected us."
Mickey looked down at his trembling hands, his mind reeling from the events that had just transpired. He could feel something had awoken within him, something he couldn't quite understand.
"Whoa! Your face is all healed up." Flynn gasped after a short remainder of how melted Mickey's face was.
"What?!!" Mickey asked
"Erh, never mind, not important." Flynn lied, not wanting to his friend to freak out.
Ingram joined the two from behind.
"Hey, you're back. How could I not hear you coming." Mickey asked with a smile.
'As I thought, he knowing nothing about what just happened.' Ingram though.
As the sound of the sirens only grew stronger, Flynn took Mickey's hand, urging him to leave. "We need to go, Mickey, before they arrive. Whatever happened, we'll figure it out together. But right now, we need to get out of here."
Nodding, Mickey allowed his friend to guide him away from the scene, while Ingram followed behind.
Mickey's thoughts were consumed with questions and a newfound uncertainty about the person he had become.
___
"Hahaha! What a showdown."
In a dimly lit space, a demon reclined upon a throne, his dark figure emanating an aura of pure darkness. With a voice that echoed eerily through the darkness, he emitted a laughter reminiscent of a twisted jester.
"Mickey! Mickey! Mickey!" Zany taunted, his tone both mocking and filled with anticipation.
His sinister laughter softened. "You are cursed, lad," he murmured, his words laced with a bitter admittance.
"Deep within you, a tiny spark has ignited, a spark of determination to uncover the truth. You may never fathom the depth of my demon art, but you are getting closer to figuring out the sacrifice that comes with it." Zany mused with a grin, as he scornfully remarked,
"Let's see if you can withstand the weight of what's to come, if your mind can stomach the abhorrent truth that awaits."
___
Back in the dormitory, Flynn went on to fill in the memory gaps, and described a little bit of what Mickey had become.
Mickey seemed to recollect everything before and after that moment, as if that portion of his memory has been dug out.
"And how did you manage to stop me?" Mickey asked, going through an unnerving guilt of almost committing murder.
Flynn jerked at the sound of this question, and started looking Ingram's way. Honestly, he wasn't sure about what he saw, but it was quite a scary feat to him.
Due to Flynn's reaction, and the direction of his eyes, Mickey could only assume that Ingram had something to do with it. Perhaps, he had come in at the last moment and intervened.
"It's alright guys," Mickey said, no longer interested in the tensed situation. For what's worth, he was grateful someone stopped him in time. "Besides, I'm famished, what are we having for supper, tonight?"
"Sukiyakiiii!!" Flynn yelled.
"Ramen." Ingram said.
"Alright, let's get both from the mobile foodstall." Mickey replied, feeling an insatiable hunger coming over him.
'Why am I so hungry' He thought.
***