Silvia made her decision and followed one of them. He was moving forward without looking back. It looked like nothing more existed.
She tried her best to catch up. The higher she went, the hotter it became. Her body was already drenched in sweat. She felt dirty and only wanted to run down the mountain to clean herself.
But at last, she could not. She had to push forward. She couldn't possibly abandon them. She might never forgive herself if she did.
The fire breeze had intensified. Her skin was almost turning red. The hood was already hot. The rune on its edges fought vigorously with the heat.
She had to strategically walk, avoiding the fire breeze. She knew she couldn't let one touch her. Kinty ahead did the same despite the influence of the dragon; his instincts were still there.
Soon they arrived on level ground. He could see colossal figures made of fire roaming the area.
Upon noticing their arrival, the fire guardian rushed out. Kinty's body tensed and sprang into action.
Dashing towards the fire guardian, every step left deep imprints on the ground. The higher the went, the hotter it became. Her body was already drenched in sweat. She fell dirty and only wanted to run down the mountain to clean herself.
But at last, she could not. She had to push forward. She couldn't possibly abandon them. She might never forgive herself if she did.
The fire breeze had intensified. Her skin was almost turning red. The hood was already hot. The rune on its edges fought vigorously with the heat.
She had to strategically walk, avoiding the fire breeze. She knew she couldn't let one touch her. Kinty ahead did the same despite the influence of the dragon; his instincts were still there.
Soon they arrived on level ground. He could see colossal figures made of fire roaming the area.
Upon noticing their arrival, the fire guardian rushed out. Kinty's body tensed and sprang into action.
Dashing towards the fire guardian, every step left deep imprints on the ground. The fire guardian's fist rocketed towards him.
Kinty's foot bent downward. The ground curved inward. His body rocketed out spinning through, avoiding the fist. He unsheathed his swords while in midair. Two blinding golden lights swept down. The fire guardian was severed into two.
The swords hammered the ground. It cracked upon impact, drawing visible fissures on the fire ground. The fire guardian's body had separated, forming two new bodies.
They both punched forward. Their fists burst the void. Kinty swept his foot on the ground, arching his body. He could feel a burning sensation flash inches away from his body.
A hammering sound echoed as the other guardian's foot smashed on his chest, sending him biting the ground, his body rolling uncontrollably.
At the same time, the two guardians bolted forward, sprang upward, then their fists descended in union.
Kinty crossed his sword. They collided; the void trembled, monstrous fire winds swept through the area. Kinty stepped back as his body was engulfed in fire. He gritted his teeth. His skin started burning and bleeding.
Suddenly, his body was engulfed in a water dome protecting him from the fire. The water dome was evaporating at a visible rate but still managed to contain the flames, giving him enough time to retreat.
He stared at the figure with conflicting emotions. He sometimes felt grateful but at the same time angry. What was happening, he thought.
"We can't defeat them. Flee is the only way out," she said. Silvia stood with a frail rune in front of her. The toll of launching a water rune in this area was immense, but she still did it.
"Don't slow me down," he said, retreating deeper into the mountain. The duo ran as fast as they could. But the higher they went, the more fire guardians they could see. Even worse, fire winds seemed to have life at this level. They struck like blades.
Kinty and Silvia stepped to different sides. The fire wind lacerated the ground, butchering it into two. A deep red line appeared in between them, fuming with white smoke.
Suddenly, Kinty's body fell to a knee. His robe was almost burnt. The runes on it had slowly started fading. He felt like his head was spinning.
His skin had red marks bleeding from the fire burn. Silvia rushed to his side.
The fire winds slashed out. Silvia glided past. A loud tearing sound could be heard above. She dashed using the fire tree she walked on, using it as an anchor, bolting in the void.
The fire wind divided the tree. It instantly caught fire. Her body threw a majestic rune while in midair. Her hairs whistled. It descended.
She landed, striking her palm on the ground. The rune furrow of the ocean was unleashed. With her as the center, a water tsunami roared as it rose, spinning with violence as it expanded. The fire wind and the tsunami clashed, but its power was devastating; the fire winds were extinguished. The water smashed everything in its way, several meters away. The trees were crushed; only their trunks were left.
Her arms were trembling as she forced his body up. The duo fled; the fire guardian chased vigorously.
She fought with all her might, after several near-dead experiences. Kinty was still not back. She started desecrating. It required an intense emotion to break free from the dragon will. She had hoped that the danger around and fear of death would provoke such an intense emotional burst, but it wasn't working. She started panicking. It wasn't working? She had the knowledge, but it was useless. Had her parents lied? Wasn't knowledge power? What was she lacking? More knowledge? Why wasn't it working? Her world was thrown upside down, all sorts of thoughts assaulting her.
The duo fled until a dead end. Ahead of them, nothing more than a sea of fire. The heat was so high that it was painful to the eyes.
The fire guardian and fire winds were fast approaching. She knew alone she would never be able to defeat them. Kinty still had a blank expression; it looked like the dragon will was almost in complete control.
She dragged his wounded body, their bodies engulfed in a water bubble. She stared at the fast-approaching monster. Her heart pounded in her chest. Ahead of her, a sea of fire, and behind her, a sea of monsters.
This was her last chance. She hesitated but still stepped inside. The fire was violent, furiously attacking.
She grimaced in pain as she walked, holding Kinty by the shoulder. Their advancement was slow and arduous. Their robe started burning, the runes on it almost all faded.
She cried out loud in the sea of fire. The water bubble almost all evaporated. Her heart beating nonstop. "Please return. I don't want you to die," she pleaded in her heart. Tears trickling down her face, but they were soon evaporated by the fire.
Her heart sank, the bubble burst. His body trembled slightly. Kinty's body bloomed back to life, his eyes pulsating with energy. Golden lightning sparkling in the middle of the fire. His sword slashed out.
A lightning sword bloomed. The sea of fire was divided into two. The flames pushed to the side, hoisting her almost frail body in his arms. His foot stepped forward.
Lightning could be seen rushing through the sea of fire. The fire burned furiously behind as he moved; the opened path closed rapidly behind him.
The ground trembled and cracked with every movement. He arched down. The ground was curved in. His body bolted out in mid-air. The fire kept chasing, engulfing them in midair.
Silvia closed her eyes, an exploding light could be seen jumping out of the fire, landing like a deity. The golden lightning pulsated all over the plane.