Flames and Failures

The battlefield around the mysterious portal was fraught with tension

The unknown person, undaunted, ignited his white fire sword and charged forward. Their clashing filled the woods with fiery clashes. The air was tense with the power of their flames.

Unknown Person: "You can't control your power, boy"

Joshua: "Maybe so, but I'll do whatever it takes to protect the ones I care about!"

Their duel raged on, the two combatants locked in a dance of fire and shadows. As the battle reached its climax, Joshua felt a surge of determination. He focused his will on his black flame, discovering that he could use it to extinguish the white fire.

With newfound confidence, Joshua lunged forward, managing to smother the unknown person's white flames, leaving him defenseless. In a daring move, Joshua cut the unknown person's right arm, causing a cry of pain to escape his lips.

But the battle was far from over. In a desperate and sinister trick, the unknown person unleashed his final attack. With a cruel twist of his remaining arm, he sent a powerful shockwave of white fire that struck Lara, ending her life instantly.

Joshua fell to his knees, overwhelmed by grief and guilt. He had failed to protect Lara, Leroy and ken and the unknown person had managed to escape, leaving Joshua with the painful knowledge that he still too weak.

The forest fell into a heavy silence, the echoes of their battle fading into the night. Joshua was left alone, nursing his wounds and carrying the weight of his unfinished quest for answers, haunted by the memory of that fateful night.

Later, the morning sun was accompanied by the chirping of birds as Mikoto, Lida, and Mickey slowly regained consciousness from their night of revelry in the tavern. The trio had indulged in more than a few drinks and was feeling the effects of their overindulgence.

As they groggily tried to piece together the previous night's escapades, they overheard a group of local folk at a nearby table engrossed in animated conversation.

Local Folk 1: (whispering) "Did you hear, old man Joe? They say there's a dark flame deep in the forest, miles away from here!"

Local Folk 2: (excitedly) "A dark flame, you say? I've heard stories about those, but I never thought I'd see one!"

Mikoto, still nursing a throbbing headache, couldn't help but eavesdrop on their intriguing conversation. His curiosity piqued, he approached the locals and joined in.

Mikoto: (curious) "A dark flame, you say? What do you know about it?"

Local Folk 3: (startled) "Oh, it's true! I saw it myself while hunting for mushrooms. A sinister, black flame, flickering in the heart of the forest. Gave me the shivers, it did!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Mikoto turned to Lida and Mickey.

Mikoto: (determined) "We need to investigate this. There's something unusual going on."

Lida and Mickey, though still nursing their hangovers, nodded in agreement. Together, they followed the local folk, who agreed to guide them to the mysterious dark flame.

The journey was long, leading them deep into the forest. Unease hung in the air as they ventured further, and the trio couldn't help but wonder what awaited them at their destination.

But when they arrived at the reported location, what they found was nothing short of shocking. The forest clearing was teeming with adventurers, seven of them in total

Mikoto: (bewildered) "What's going on here?"

Adventurer 1 (shock): "mimikotooo?" Aaaaaa sir, i think there a battle last night in here and one of them is a black flame wielder"

As Mikoto surveyed the scene, he noticed three freshly dug graves in the ground, each marked with a simple wooden marker.

Mikoto: (curious) "Excuse me, could you tell us who those three were?"

Adventurer 3 (answering) "They were fellow rank D adventurers according to their bronze card."

Mikoto: " Lida and Mickey come here"

Mikoto tells Lida and Mickey that those three came to the tavern last night, and there were four of them. Lida and mickey were amaze of how precise Mikoto's memory are.

Mikoto: (solemnly) "Rank D adventurers… This is truly disheartening."

Lida: (curious) "Sir, are there anyone survivors?"

Adventurer 7 (answering): 'None. As we arrived here, no one else was here, and those three were already buried.'"

Lina turned to Mikoto and Mickey, his face filled with a mix of confusion

Mickey (whispering) "maybe the other one survive"

Lida (whispering) " or the black flame user"

Mickey (annoyed) "stupid, a rank D? Be serious"

Lida and Mickey annoyed each other

Mikoto (resolute) "You two stop it, we need to go to city of butuan were this 3 adventurer came from"

As they leaving the scene, the remaining adventurers continued to examine the black flames and gather evidence.

With the weight of unanswered questions and the specter of the dark flame lingering in their minds, Mikoto, Lida, and Mickey set out on their journey, determined to uncover the truth behind the mysterious events that had unfolded.

to be continued…