*Flashback: The Conversation of Vestiges and Hero*
As Grey marched towards the well-dressed foe, the historical spirits of John Henry, Lemuel Curtis, Nikola Tesla, and a new vestige by the name of Samuel Kier. As Grey walked, the four vestiges spoke amongst themselves and him.
"It would appear your ability has evolved further and further away from its intended construction.", said Nikola Tesla. He had his ghostly arms folded with a hand on his chin as to ponder the abilities evolution. John Henry nodded in agreement, "It is rapidly becoming clear that Heritage & Folklore aren't going to stop evolving anytime soon."
The four continued conversing with Grey nodding occasionally as he walked. While his historical and folklore ghosts did have good points, his mind was elsewhere. The words and the slap he'd received from the Goddess, along with the statement about the temple had his mind in a spiral as if it were a maelstrom amongst raging seas. However, he put all of his thoughts to bed as his "SR-Mask" folded onto his face. As he reached the well-dressed man, he snapped the last button of the sherpa together and glared at the man.
"Why have you disrupted the peace of this village?" Demanded Grey. The well-dressed man refused to dismount his horse and snapped his fingers and a servant elf ran over and opened a scroll. "To whom it may concern. Lorelei Village and outlying territories are now under the jurisdiction of his Lordship, Duke Carrigan Ellsworth. All villagers and animals are to report to his manor for reassignment. Refusal..."
The Elven servant became choked up and couldn't read the rest of the scroll. However, the Duke slapped him and dismounted his horse. "And any who dare defy me shall become ashes." Smiled the Duke as he summoned his spirit familiar, the fire spirit, Ifrit. As Ifrit emerged, Grey looked up at it and began to laugh.
"What is so amusing, filthy peasant?" Sneered the Duke. However, the laughter stopped with Grey's star-spangled eyes squinted at him. "So... you wanna play with fire huh...", Grey cracked his knuckles. His mind spoke words hidden deep within his soul, trying to invoke the power of the sun within his body. Grey started to open his mouth to speak, but the Duke punched him weakly in the chest. Grey's use of John Henry's strength sent a shockwave across the field as the Duke landed on his back, well away from Grey. The hero began marching towards the Duke, "Steel Angels of Red & Blue... Keep the fleas away from me."
As spirit P-51s and F4Us took to the skies, Grey stopped moving as Ifrit moved in front of him. However, Grey briefly looked back to the village wall that Jasper and Kassandra were watching from, then turned back to face the fire spirit. He took in a deep breath and smiled. "Sun, the greatest light of fusion burning brighter in the sky... bear witness as I surpass even your brightness..."
Ifrit listened to its master's voice and began to shower the area with fire. However, Grey's eyes remained affixed upon the sun. Upon the Duke yelling at Ifrit, "KILL HIM! HURRY UP AND END HIM!", the fire spirit rushed Grey, unknowingly running head first into Grey's line of fire. Grey's eyes flashed their star-spangled hue, as his mind once again spoke to him. "You can't have hope of redoing the past, saving them... so curse that weakness, curse it, and hate it before you are too frail to fight." and then he spoke. "Samuel Kier... Grandfather of the American Oil Industry... LEND ME YOUR KEROSENE! ALLOW ME TO BURN HOTTER THAN THE SOLAR SURFACE!" As Grey's body created tanks of pure kerosene on his back and began to generate fusion energy, memories began flashing through his mind, breaking an invisible padlock that had been binding his soul for years as he spoke. "Resentment... Anger... Scars of my past... I'll utilize them, put the weight of saving those I care about. I'll win this fight... and keep fighting for my future."
As Ifrit entered Grey's kill range, the vestiges of Oppenheimer and Kier became visible to the fire spirit. With a smile on his face, Grey's hands became covered in a special potion that Kassandra had given him. The Grey Ghost grabbed Ifrit by the face and laughed something sinister. "Your master was a fool to pit an overrated candlestick up against the better version of the sun." Ifrit struggles momentarily before Grey utters three simple words, "Nuclear... Kerosene... Nightmare." The entire sky becomes a blinding white followed by the Duke's forces bursting into flames killing them by vaporizing them all, instantly. The mountain range in the distance too wasn't spared.
Once the Duke regained his vision, he became horrified as everything around him, except for his servant was reduced to cinders, not ashes as the fire from Grey's attack... had been strong enough to burn even the ashes. However, as the Duke looked up, Grey marched through the flames and grabbed him by the throat, thrusting him into the air and holding him there.
"Tell your pathetic master, your king, if he wishes to continue his rule of his kingdom, he will never set foot in this village, not even upon the outskirts. For if he does... I shall reduce everything to cinders and molten glass." Grey's eyes pierced the Duke's soul while Jasper and Kassandra's jaws hung open. Their eyes weren't on Grey, but on the mountain in front of him, rather, what used to be a mountain in front of him. It had all been reduced to a bright orange molten pool of flat land. Grey dropped the Duke onto the ground, sending him scampering off to the King. With a deep breath, he put out the fires with his ability.
However... as he looked down at his right arm, blackened veins appeared and the world began to fade as he collapsed to the ground, unconscious. As Kassandra and Jasper rushed over to the Elven servant cradling his head, they all carried him back to the village, unsure when he'd wake up again...