Chapter 222: Burning Fire
Red’s body trembled violently under the pressure of the spear that pinned him to the ground as the dark flames continued to burn through his chest and spread deeper into his body.
For the first time since the battle began something changed in him. The unnatural grin that had stretched across his face slowly began to fade and was replaced by a tight and strained grimace. It showed something far more human beneath the madness.
That was enough to make the moment feel different as the realization struck him clearly that he could feel it.
He could feel the pain tearing through him in waves that his body could not fully suppress no matter how much power he held.
His eyes widened slightly as that sensation registered in full and a flicker of disbelief passed through his expression because this was not supposed to happen. Not to him, in this state where the Blood Sun embryo had fused with his existence and elevated him.
Yet, the pain was real and undeniable as it clawed through his nerves and forced a reaction out of him that he could not control.
The madness receded and something else surfaced as his old consciousness pushed back against the overwhelming presence inside him, forcing its way to the front. In that moment of clarity his thoughts surged rapidly despite the agony as he tried to make sense of what was happening.
"This shouldn’t be possible... with this power I should be dominating everything... no one should be able to push me like this!"
His breathing turned uneven as blood continued to spill from his mouth and his body trembled against the spear that held him in place.
His eyes locked onto Michael above him with a sharper and more focused look than before. His thoughts turned toward the only explanation that made sense at that moment.
"What the hell happened to you? what kind of power did you get?"
Above him Michael didn’t respond and didn’t even acknowledge the change that had just taken place because his mind no longer functioned for reasoning or analysis.
He stood there with his spear still embedded deep into Red’s chest while his expression remained twisted into that wild and unstable grin that only grew sharper as he stared down at the man beneath him.
A burning orange glow leaked from his eyes as if something inside them had ignited. The rage that consumed him showed no sign of weakening. It continued to rise and feed the power surging through his body.
Deep within his mind something stirred and voices began to echo through the emptiness that remained where his thoughts used to be.
A low and persuasive voice coiled around his consciousness and spoke in an almost welcoming way despite the darkness behind it.
"Let it go... let the hatred take everything... give yourself to it..."
The voice pressed further with a slow and deliberate pull that promised more, something greater and beyond what he already held.
"I will give you more power... far more than this... just don’t hold back..."
Michael didn’t question it and didn’t resist because there was nothing left in him that wanted to resist. His only focus remained locked onto the man beneath him and the need to destroy him completely.
The memory that burned at the center of his rage only fed that decision further as the image of his girlfriend resurfaced again and again in his mind.
The rape. The death. The helplessness he felt back then.
All of it twisted together into far darker power that erased any hesitation he could have had.
He tightened his grip on the spear.
The flames reacted instantly.
Dark fire surged from the weapon and spread rapidly across Red’s chest before crawling further into his body, pushing deeper with relentless force as it burned through everything in its path without slowing.
Red’s body arched violently as the flames invaded him.
"AAAAAAARGGHH!!!"
A scream tore out of his throat louder and far more broken than before as the pain intensified to a level that even his reinforced body struggled to endure.
However, despite that destruction his healing ability activated instinctively as his flesh tried to regenerate even as it was being burned.
But it didn’t save him.
It made it worse.
The regeneration kept him from dying instantly but it also trapped him within that suffering as the fire continued to burn while his body tried to repair itself. It created a cycle that forced him to feel every moment of it without escape as the agony stretched longer and deeper.
He couldn’t move. He couldn’t break free. He could only endure it for now.
—
On the other side of the battlefield the change in momentum became clear as the elites who had scattered earlier began to reach their targets.
One by one Myles’ companions found themselves engaged in direct combat against opponents who matched their strength and intent. It forced the flow of battle to change as the overwhelming pressure they had been applying to Red’s troop finally met resistance that could hold against it.
Kade and Clara faced coordinated attacks that forced them to move more carefully while maintaining their rhythm.
Samantha and Ethan also found their positions pressured by enemies.
Victor met opponents who could withstand his brute force and return it with equal intensity.
The battlefield that Myles’ group had been dismantling so effectively began to stabilize under that pressure.
The dominance they had established earlier no longer continued unchecked.
The elites forced them into real fights that demanded their full focus.
—
From the edge of the battlefield Rafe watched everything happening with sharp and calculating eyes. The shift in momentum spread across the field and his lips slowly curled into a satisfied smirk.
This was exactly the balance he had been waiting for, a state where neither side could dominate too quickly and both were forced into a prolonged struggle that would wear them down.
He exhaled quietly then moved without hesitation as his body slipped back into the chaos and his blade rose with intent, turning toward Michael’s troop as he began killing them down one by one.
—
