54. Spirit Flame.

<p>***<br/><br/>"Tanji, I just reached the eighth stage," Hiro said.<br/><br/>"What?"<br/><br/>Tanji turns to Hiro with eyes widened. "You are kidding, right?"<br/><br/>"No I'm not. And a group of beasts are coming our way though. They aren't a big deal but they'll be a hassle because I'm protecting everyone."<br/><br/>"We better keep moving then."<br/><br/>"One more issue, the ones underneath have begun moving." <br/><br/>"The ones underneath?" the old man asked. "There are beasts underneath?"<br/><br/>"Yeah but these ones seem different."<br/><br/>"How so?"<br/><br/>"Let's keep moving, they wouldn't come out anytime soon," Tanji said.<br/><br/>"Is there a reason or just your thoughts?" the man asks.<br/><br/>"There's a reason. For now let's cover more grounds before those one get close."<br/><br/>"Tanji…" Hiro calls. <br/><br/>Tanji turns to him. "Is something wrong?"<br/><br/>"My spirit flame is acting up."<br/><br/>"You are joking, right? That flame will spread quickly here."<br/><br/>"Then we better get out of here," Hiro said and frowned. "How strong is your spirit flame?"<br/><br/>"Hmm? If yours is here…" Tanji placed his hand at his head level, then brought it down to his waist level. "Then mine is here."<br/><br/>"Give me a bottle of water. The one you gave me before."<br/><br/>"What do you want to do?"<br/><br/>"I'll walk over to the beasts while you guys continue. The further away I am from you guys the better." <br/><br/>"What if what happens last time happens again?"<br/><br/>"Relax, I'll catch up to you guys before I pass out completely." <br/><br/>"And you think you can do that you dumbass?"<br/><br/>"Either that or you guys turn to ash."<br/><br/>"Fine, fine. In less than two hours, the gate will appear in this direction."<br/><br/>"Okay?"<br/><br/>"Movement towards a gate causes the space to compress, and away from the gate causes it to expand. That means, ten steps in the direction of the gate would require lesser number of steps. And ten steps away would require more than ten steps."<br/><br/>"I see."<br/><br/>"When you run the space increases for you. If it was ten steps while walking, it would take way more while running."<br/><br/>"So that's why it felt weird when I fought, why the hill didn't get closer and why they haven't reached us yet!" Hiro turns to the herd of beasts. "Why didn't you say so before?" <br/><br/>"I told you I'll tell you later."<br/><br/>"Geez the bottle."<br/><br/>Tanji hands him the bottle and watches him storm away. "Wait for me at the gate," Hiro says as he continues. <br/><br/>…<br/><br/>"Shin, we should rest," Mia says.<br/><br/>Shin turns to look at her. She had stopped and was squatting. They've been running for a long while without rest. <br/><br/>"With that beast's size, catching up to us would not be a problem," Shin thought and turned to the other two. They were completely exhausted and were gasping hard. <br/><br/>"Five minutes, then we continue," Shin says. <br/><br/>"What exactly are we running from?" Mushuang Jian asked. <br/><br/>"A giant beast. It was sleeping between the buildings."<br/><br/>"Oi, you are kidding, right?"<br/><br/>Shin squints his eyes at him for a while then turn to Mia. "Is it your first time running like this?"<br/><br/>"Me? Yes, I didn't have a reason to run this much before. My feet hurt and I can barely breathe," Mia replied. <br/><br/>"I see, but we have to keep moving. If that beasts wakes up and decides to hunt in our direction, we would be dead meat."<br/><br/>"Why didn't we run in the direction we had appeared in?"<br/><br/>Shin looks at Mushuang Jian who had questioned his direction of escape. He had led them towards the east of the village settlement, whereas they had arrived in front of it by coming from the south. <br/><br/>"They were lots of people in that direction, it may seem safe but it isn't. At least to me it isn't."<br/><br/>"I see."<br/><br/>"I need to get away to loose him," Shin says in his head and continues. "His words just now meant we should have used others as meat shields. Having him around is dangerous."<br/><br/>Shin walks up to Mia and squats in front of her while backing her. "Get on, we need to put more distance between us and that beast."<br/><br/>"Huh? Is this really okay?" <br/><br/>"Just get on Mia," Shin instructed. Reluctantly, she climbed on his back and wound her arms loosely around his neck. Shin got up and turned to Mushuang Jian and Guan Xue. "Let's continue."<br/><br/>"What? Already?" Mushuang Jian gasped.<br/><br/>"Keep up if you can, if you can't… go join up with the crowd we left behind."<br/><br/>With that Shin bolted away with Mia on his back. Honestly, he hoped Mushuang Jian will not follow them.<br/><br/>…<br/><br/>~Spatial Maze~<br/><br/>After what seemed like twenty minutes, Hiro arrived some distance away from the herd of beasts. He realized Tanji's words were true. As he walked over he could see the beast up close and now that he was close he could finally understand why running in this place was a bad idea. In his eyes, the beasts were running on a spot and only moved a feet or two after a while of running. <br/><br/>He opened the bottle Tanji had given him and drank the content. And with an exhale, he loosened his hold on the spirit flame within him. <br/><br/>He could feel it. It didn't take long this time. His chest grew hot, his blood began to boil and every hair on his body rose. He grip his chest and opened his mouth to the sky. <br/><br/>From his mouth came hot flames that were as red as blood. It burned bright and was noticeable to all who was looking this way. Even the beasts before him halted. Letting out the flame that rose in his chest, Hiro exhaled. He looks at his right palm as a ball of flame appeared on it. <br/><br/>"Don't you think it's time we come to an agreement? I can tell by the way you move around in my body that you at least have a certain level of intelligence and that you understand me. Yield to my control and I'll give you what you want. Let's have a relationship that benefits both of us," Hiro says. <br/><br/>He takes in a deep breath and exhaled. "You've notice, right? Compared to those of equivalent level, my strength far exceeds theirs. One day when I reach the same level as those at the peak of martial art, I'll be a god among other beings."<br/><br/>"You say big words, you know that right?" a low disembodied voice says loud enough for him to hear.<br/><br/>"Words I have the capacity to fulfill."<br/><br/>"And what makes you so sure about that?"<br/><br/>"The blood in my body makes me sure of it. You wouldn't long for it so much if it wasn't something great."<br/><br/>"That doesn't guarantee you will reach the peak."<br/><br/>Hiro swings his sword and tosses the bottle away. "Do we have an agreement?" he asks as a beast falls at his feet. "Unless I die, there's nothing that's going to stop me from reaching the peak."<br/><br/>He held his sword with both hands and took in a deep breath. His left leg moves forward as he takes a stance. <br/><br/>~Vroom~<br/><br/>Flame rose from his body into the air and turned into a serpent with four legs and two long whiskers on its face. <br/><br/>"Fine, we have an agreement. I'll see if you will make it to the peak. However, be warned, the moment I see you have no hope of advancement, I will leave."<br/><br/>"Haha, that won't happen. Now yield!"<br/><br/>Hiro ordered and immediately the serpent dived back into him, covering his body with flames. His fingers twisted and the sword turned. With both hands he stabs the ground in front of him. <br/><br/>Quickly, like a cheetah after its prey, the flame on his body spread to the area before him, rushing at the beasts in front of him. It burns the plants and burns the beasts that was caught in it. Smoke as black as coal rose to the sky, and the scent of burnt grass and flesh filled the air.<br/><br/>"I had expected more," Hiro muttered and walks forward. "I'm a bit disappointed at you." <br/><br/>"What did you expect?" <br/><br/>"I thought you would have burnt all of them, now they are running away."<br/><br/>"Ha, I was a dying flame, weakened before I met you, if you want more strength from me increase your strength."<br/><br/>"There's no need going after them," Hiro mutters. He could feel the beasts fleeing for their life. "Let me return to Tanji."<br/><br/>The flame before him returned as he pulls the sword out and turns to leave. However, he pauses halfway and turns back. "Seems it won't be as easy as you thought."<br/><br/>Within the smoke, a beast walked towards him. Hiro smiles at the words of the spirit flame. <br/><br/>"I like that. The stronger they are, the more my blood boils. Besides, I was a bit disappointed I didn't get to fight."<br/><br/>Like a snake, the blood red flame wraps his sword. "You are one weird creature," the spirit flame voices. And with that, Hiro kicks the ground with his right foot, shooting into the black thick smoke.<br/><br/>…</p>