Seven years had passed.
The alleyway was no cleaner than it had been on that fateful night. Trash still littered the ground, and the shadows seemed to swallow the broken remnants of the city. A figure emerged, stepping through the darkness. He was tall, draped in black clothes that hung like smoke around his body. Fire-like steam curled off his skin, vanishing into the cold air. His crimson eyes glowed like molten embers beneath the hood of his coat, and his smile—a wicked, familiar curve—brought chills to the alley's silence.
Tyler Blaze had returned.
Blaze paused, inhaling deeply. "Ah, this place… still reeks of filth."
He lifted a gloved hand, and a faint flicker of flame erupted from his fingertips. Without a care, he called out, "Status."
A glowing screen materialized in front of him, its letters sharp and vivid:
Status Screen
Name: Blaze
Age: 19
Species: Human (Reborn)
Gender: Male
Nickname: Flame Reaper, Infernal Shadow, Ember Tyrant, Crimson Death
Occupation: Infernal Pyromancer, Flame Wraith, Lord of Embers, Guild Terror
Level: 45
Health Points (HP): 800/800
Magic Points (MP): 1500/1500
Strength: 120
Agility: 140
Attack: 200
Intelligence: 250
Skills:
Flame Manipulation (Lv. 5): Control and shape advanced flames with devastating accuracy.
Heat Resistance (Lv. 5): Reduces all fire-based damage by 50%.
Ember Touch (Lv. 4): Infuse hands with fire to deal moderate burn damage on contact.
Pyro Boost (Lv. 4): Temporarily increases fire magic potency by 50% for 1 minute.
Ash Step (Lv. 4): Move through ash and smoke, becoming harder to target for 10 seconds.
Infernal Surge (Lv. 3): A burst of speed and power, increasing movement and attack by 30% for 20 seconds.
Abilities:
Infernal Burst (Lv. 3): Release an explosion of fire around the user, damaging all nearby enemies.
Fire Wave (Lv. 4): A wide arc of flames unleashed forward, incinerating enemies in its path.
Phoenix Step (Lv. 3): Instantly teleport a short distance through flames.
Cauterize Wound (Lv. 3): Heal minor to moderate injuries by sealing wounds with fire.
Magic:
Flame Whip (Lv. 3): Form a whip of fire to strike enemies at mid-range, causing burn damage.
Burning Wall (Lv. 4): Erect a blazing barrier that blocks enemies and deals continuous damage.
Inferno Sphere (Lv. 3): Conjure a sphere of fire that explodes upon impact, dealing massive area damage.
Pyroclasm Rain (Lv. 2): Summon a rain of molten flames from the sky over a large area.
Unique Skills:
Crimson Flame Awakening: Unleash the full destructive potential of fire magic, doubling all fire-based stats and abilities for 60 seconds. Cooldown: 24 hours.
Crimson Flame Demon Form: Transform into a demonic form cloaked in infernal flames, drastically increasing strength, agility, and fire magic potency by 50%. Grants temporary immunity to fire damage. Duration: 5 minutes. Cooldown: 48 hours.
Items:
Infernal Cloak: A dark cloak that enhances fire magic and grants resistance to physical attacks.
Ember Ring: A ring that amplifies fire-based magic spells by 20%.
Flamebound Gauntlets: Gauntlets that allow fire to flow from the wearer's hands, enhancing melee attacks with burning power.
Cinder Blade: A flaming longsword forged from molten steel, capable of cutting through metal and igniting enemies on contact.
Blaze smirked, his crimson eyes glowing brighter as he read his status aloud. "Flame Reaper, Infernal Shadow, Crimson Death…" He flexed his fingers, flames swirling around his hand like a loyal serpent. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
The streets were filled with whispers about him—how he terrorized the city, incinerated rivals, and walked freely into any guildhall, causing silence to settle as soon as he entered. He had become a living legend, a nightmare in black cloaked flames.
Blaze walked deeper into the alley, his eyes scanning his surroundings until he stopped at a crumbling building. The faint black ash stain of a man's silhouette burned into the wall brought a twisted grin to his face.
"Ah…" Blaze muttered, a low chuckle bubbling up from his chest. "You deserved the first taste of my beautiful flames… father."
His laughter echoed into the silence of the night—sharp, maniacal, and broken. He stepped closer, replaying the memory of his abusive father in his mind. The screams. The flames. The smell of burning flesh.
"You deserved it," he repeated, a wicked grin stretching across his face.
He turned, finding a broken couch and sat down. A cloud of dust flew into the air. Blaze lifted his hand, and flames coalesced into the form of a snake—a writhing, fiery serpent that slithered across his arm.
"My beautiful crimson flames," he whispered, watching the serpent hiss and coil around him. "We will wreak havoc."
His laughter rang through the empty streets once more as he vanished into the flames.
Blaze reappeared outside the building, his form materializing in a burst of fire. He started walking away, but a ball of water came flying toward him.
Blaze smirked. "I knew you were there."
With a call of "Phoenix Step," his body burst into flames, vanishing and reappearing several meters away, untouched. A voice called from the shadows.
"Well, I guess I missed the famous Flame Reaper."
Blaze turned, his red eyes glowing menacingly. His wicked smile spread as he said, "Who are you? Do you want to burn to ash by my beautiful crimson flames?"
The man stepped forward to answer but had no chance. Blaze lifted his hand and snarled, "Burning Wall."
Flames erupted around the man, forming a cage of fire that trapped him on all sides. The man screamed, "Let me out! Now!"
Blaze's smile widened, his voice dripping with malice. "Pyro Boost."
The flames roared higher, their heat becoming unbearable. The man fell to his knees, sobbing. "Stop! I don't want to die!"
Blaze extended his hand, conjuring an orb of fire. "You will die with my beautiful crimson blaze."
"Inferno Sphere."
The orb flew into the cage, and as it neared the man, Blaze whispered, "Explode."
The resulting explosion shook the alleyway. When the smoke cleared, only ash remained.
Blaze laughed, stepping through the dissipating flames. "You'll live peacefully… by the kiss of crimson flame of death."
With that, he vanished into the fire, his laughter echoing through the city streets.