The distant rumble of hooves became a thunderous roar, shaking the ground beneath them. Dust billowed on the horizon, marking the relentless advance of the King's soldiers. Sai stood at the village entrance, his flames flickering brighter, casting defiant light against the encroaching darkness. Beside him, Amal gripped her sword tightly, her knuckles white with tension.
The villagers scrambled for shelter, disappearing into hidden cellars and the hollows of broken homes. "Go! Stay quiet!" Amal shouted over her shoulder, her voice cutting through the chaos. Her eyes shifted back to Sai, who was staring at the approaching army with an intensity that could set the world ablaze.
"Sai," Amal said, her voice low but urgent. "There's no winning this. Not against that many."
Sai's flames roared to life, igniting the air around him. "Then we'll burn as brightly as we can."
Before Amal could respond, the first wave of the King's soldiers crested the hill—a massive force of armored cavalry, their banners snapping in the wind. The sun gleamed off their polished swords and spears, the crimson and gold of their uniforms a stark contrast against the charred ruins of the village. At the front rode a towering figure clad in obsidian armor, his spear glinting like death itself.
"For the King!" the armored commander bellowed, thrusting his spear skyward.
"For the village!" Sai roared back, his voice carrying over the battlefield like a war cry. His flames surged, spiraling into the sky in towering columns of fire that made even the sun look pale. The soldiers hesitated, their charge faltering as the sheer magnitude of Sai's power became clear.
"Now!" Sai shouted, his flames erupting forward.
The ground trembled as a river of fire surged from Sai's outstretched hands, roaring like a living beast. It struck the front ranks of soldiers, the force so immense that men and horses alike were swept into the air, their screams lost to the inferno. Amal shielded her face, the heat unbearable even from where she stood.
"By the gods…" she whispered.
But the soldiers kept coming, a relentless tide of steel and fury. From behind, archers let loose volleys of arrows, darkening the sky like a swarm of locusts. Sai's flames flared again, creating a dome of searing fire around him and Amal. The arrows struck the flames and disintegrated into ash, falling harmlessly to the ground.
"Amal!" Sai yelled, his voice hoarse from the effort. "Cut through their flanks! I'll hold the center!"
Amal hesitated for only a second, then nodded, her eyes fierce. "Don't die, Sai."
With a battle cry of her own, she sprinted forward, blade gleaming. Soldiers turned to face her, their swords raised, but Amal moved like a shadow. She ducked beneath a spear, slashing through the soldier's legs, and spun, her blade cutting through another's armor with deadly precision. She was a whirlwind of steel and resolve, her years of hardship honed into deadly skill.
Sai, meanwhile, unleashed the full extent of his power. His flames exploded outward in massive waves, searing through rows of soldiers as though they were nothing more than paper. The air shimmered with heat, and the ground blackened beneath his feet. He thrust his hands forward, and a torrent of fire—hotter and brighter than anything he had ever summoned—erupted toward the advancing cavalry.
The horses reared, terrified, as the flames consumed the riders. Armored men fell like meteors, crashing to the scorched earth. The commander at the front roared in fury, his spear raised high as he charged through the flames, his obsidian armor glowing red-hot.
"You think fire can stop me, boy?" the commander growled, his voice echoing like thunder.
Sai's flames crackled, surrounding him like an aura. "Fire doesn't stop. It consumes."
The commander thrust his spear toward Sai's chest. Sai moved faster than the eye could follow, his flames coiling around him like serpents. He sidestepped the strike and raised a hand, fingers spread wide. A single, blinding point of fire formed in his palm.
"Burn."
The fireball expanded instantly, exploding with the force of a hundred storms. The commander was hurled backward, his armor shattering as the flames consumed him. The shockwave rippled outward, knocking soldiers off their feet and flattening trees in its wake.
Breathing heavily, Sai turned to see Amal still fighting, her sword dripping with blood as she cut through the soldiers on the flank. She moved with feral grace, every strike precise and deadly. But the soldiers were endless, pouring in like an unrelenting tide.
"Amal! Pull back!" Sai shouted, his voice ragged.
Amal didn't listen. She fought harder, her blade a blur of motion, but exhaustion was setting in. A soldier's spear grazed her side, and she staggered.
Sai's chest burned with panic. "No!"
His flames erupted again, more violent than ever. Millions of flames burst from him, splitting into countless streams of fire that shot across the battlefield like meteors. Each stream sought its target—soldiers, weapons, banners—reducing everything in their path to ash. The sheer force of the flames split the earth, sending shockwaves through the battlefield.
Amal fell to one knee, her blade digging into the ground for support. She looked up to see Sai at the center of a raging inferno, his flames stretching to the heavens, his body glowing like molten steel. The soldiers screamed as they fled, their morale shattered by the boy who had become a living flame.
When the last soldier fell or fled, the battlefield fell silent. The fires slowly died, leaving behind charred earth and ash. Sai stood at the center, his flames dimming as he dropped to one knee, his breaths ragged.
Amal staggered toward him, clutching her bleeding side. She stared at the destruction, her voice trembling. "Sai… what are you?"
Sai looked up, his eyes glowing faintly with firelight. "Someone who's not going to stop until the King is gone."
Amal stared at him for a long moment, then offered her hand. "Then I'm with you. To the end."
Sai took her hand, a faint smile crossing his face. "To the end."