First Flame 20

Fuck, just how many levels could I-

My instincts went haywire and I expelled fire from my feet and launched myself back, just in time to avoid a massive meaty fist clad in fire piercing through the flames around me and aiming straight for my nose.

I landed on the staircase again from the force of my retreat, a few steps back, and the flames I'd let loose before, raging like a wildfire, was parted like Moses through the red sea and the Sun Warrior Chief stepped on through, a frown on his face, and a glare in his eyes, not a mark on him.

"It seems I will have to deal with you myself, outsider." He stated simply, but the threat hung heavy.

Yeah, this guy is on a whole other level from the average fire bender I've dealt with.

All around him, his kinsmen were strewn about, limp and beaten. They'd survive easily, but there was little chance at all they could continue on here and now in this fight.

But the sheer fact an attack of that level didn't even leave a mark on his clothing, never mind his body, was evidence enough of his strength.

This guy after all, unlike me doesn't have pure massive resistance to fire beyond the standard resistance any fire bender would have.

I don't think even Azula as she was the last time I saw her, could have so easily dealt with that attack. Oh, she would have gotten through it without too much damage, but to get through it with not even a mark on her clothing? Yeah, I don't think she could right now.

I guess there's a reason this guy is the chief of the Sun Warriors and the one in charge around here.

'This guy is the strongest guy I've met so far outside of Iroh and Bumi.' I thought, narrowing my eyes at him. I don't have the system to tell me his level, but I could feel it instinctively.

The grin that I'd lost in my surprise from him breaking through my attack, spread across my face once again as excitement filled me and made my blood boil.

I could just explain to him, tell him it was all a big misunderstanding. But…I kind of don't want to.

This guy, he'll be a great test for how strong I've gotten now.

"Z'at so?" I replied drolly, "Well, I hope you're more impressive than the rest of these guys, because so far, for being the legendary ancient Sun Warriors, I'm not all that impressed."

Granted, I'm not really a fair benchmark for these guys to be measured against, especially when using fire against me. I had a decent grasp on their strength though, and I'd rank them around the level of the Imperial Fire Benders I'd met while being with Azula.

Which kind of was impressive considering there was like sixty of these guys. In the entirety of the Fire Nation, according to Azula at least, there were only around five hundred people on the level of Imperial Fire Benders, and that was with a massive booming population.

For such a small tribe to have this many at this level, spoke well of them.

"You are strong for your age, but you have a big mouth outsider," the Chief didn't rise to my taunt, "It will be your undoing." he exploded forward as he finished, fire expelled from his feet with the Jet Propulsion technique just as I had and he closed the distance rapidly.

He lashed out with a huge meaty fist, launching a huge torrent of fire straight for my face, blotting out my vision with red and yellow embers.

Instead of retreating, I mimicked him and did just the same, my fist meeting his and unleashing a huge torrent of flame of my own.

The world around the pair of was was dyed by the blaze of flame.

"Hmph." he snorted, clearly not impressed by my efforts and he brought his other and up and thrust two fingers into the air.

The fire expelling from around as was swept up and compressed together, forming into a long serpentine shape, and then he brought both fingers down, just as the tip of the flame engorged into the shape of hissing serpent and it rushed down at me from above.

Damn, what control! He totally used my own fire for that as well.

I thrust up my own free hand, firing off a hastily prepared Fire Fist that smashed into it and through it, and then lashed out with a roundhouse kick, flame erupting from my foot to increase the force and speed of the blow.

He took it like a champ, merely bringing his still free hand up to block it with his forearm. The only indicator it done anything being the slight wince he gave and having to dig his legs in to help absorb the blow.

Fire erupted from one of his own feet and his knee came up, aiming for my chin. I narrowly dodged by forcing for chi into the flames coming from my fist and forcing myself backwards through the air.

It was close though, very close. I actually felt the wind of his blow and fabric of his pants brush against my chin.

I was back on him a moment later. Before my feet even touched ground, I was using the Jet Propulsion and launching myself at him, feet and fists clad in flame.

I unleashed a rapid bevvy of one-two sets of jabs, my arms a a blur of orange and yellow, but each one was blocked or diverted expertly and his own counter attacks were fists like missiles that made the air ripple from the sheer strength behind them.

I spun around his fist, using the flame on my feet to propel me and launched myself into a flying knee straight for his face from the side. His opposite sided arm came up in a blur to block my knee with his palm, stopping me cold mid-air, then his other hand came up and grasped my ankle and flame exploded form his own feet as he spun like beyblade, pulling and swinging me around like a ragdoll and tossed me through the air down towards the ground, hard.

Just for a moment though, he left himself open in the moment and just as he let go, my free leg lashed out and caught him square in the face, and fire erupted from the impact.

He was sent flying up the stairs, while I jettisoned towards the bottom. The wind was knocked out of me as I slammed into the ground hard on my back, and I lay there for a moment.

Idly, I caught sight of him, slamming into the stairs pretty hard himself, a burn mark spread across his face. He pushed himself up groggily, shaking off the pain he no doubt fell and fell into a very familiar stance.

Two fingers pointed outwards on each hand and winding his arms in rapid circular motions. The air crackled with power and the smell of ozone as bright blue lightning sizzled into existence around his finger tips, and the way he generated it…

'Lightning bending!' my eyes widened.

He made Azula's lightning generation seem snail-like in comparison.

A second later, he thrust one hand out towards me, a huge bolt of lightning splitting through the air towards me, thunder roaring in my ears.