338 Intensifying Battle, Transformations Amidst the Rain of Flames and the Song Heard in the Background (1/2)

Day 54 – 12:12 PM – Industrial Area, South District, Bay City Settlement, Parañaque, Metro Manila

A tower of flames lit up the already darkened surroundings under the thick dark clouds and enclosed by the black wall of miasma. Around the tower, floating flames decorated the sky like lanterns. It was not a festival though but a fight of beings that already transcended the current level of humanity.

KEKEKEKEKE!

The eerie laughter of the floating flaming skulls echoed all over the place with their ghostly voices and rattling jawbones.

It was an amazing but totally horrifying sight to behold.

In the surroundings, flames scattered across the Industrial Area as the heat from the pillar started to light up anything flammable near it. Buildings both finished and unfinished were already demolished and turned into unrecognizable debris as the walls and floors cracked under the extreme heat. The remaining parts of the tower crane that lost its jib earlier started to incline as its metal supports started to melt.

CREAK! BAM!

Finally, the tower crane fell. Due to its height and position, some parts on top of it fell outside the wall of miasma connecting the inside and outside of the Industrial Area.

Quite a distance from the tower, a black sphere of Miasma could be seen floating. Inside was Mark who flapped his wings while he covered his body with Miasma to protect him from the heat. From the black sphere, only his eyes could be seen at a small gap in front of his face. He was staring at the towering flames with a calm expression.

From the start, Mark was aiming for the guy to blow up his temper. Inside the memories Mark had regarding the flame demon, he knew that he was extremely arrogant and had a short fuse. It was already amazing that Gar'Vlam lasted this long in holding his temper. That improvement might have been due to being sealed for a long time. However, the realization that Mark had been toying with him since the start pulled out the stopper.

Mark could feel the enemy inside that tower of flames growing stronger. In exchange however, his spirit was getting weaker. The flame demon had just gained his body causing it to be weaker than before. To empower it in the short time he had just revived, he needed to take the energy straight from his source, his spirit that had been sealed for who knows how long.

The enemy was growing stronger. However, there was one thing that did not cross the flame demon's mind.

The heat in the surroundings started to cool down and the light the tower of flames was giving started to dim. However, it was not because the flame demon was already done.

Only those outside the walls could notice that the walls of Miasma were getting thicker and thicker.

The heat in the surroundings was caused by a paranormal source. It carried energy emitted by the supernatural powers of the flame demon. That was a perfect food for the miasma Mark was controlling.

While Gar'Vlam was empowering himself, Mark was doing the same. The difference was that the latter was using the former's energy instead from his own source.

Soon, the tower of flames was extinguished by its own revealing the flame demon that was a meter taller and was with a body made from boiling lava. Rather than a demon, Gar'Vlam not looked more like a gigantic Lava Golem. Not only his body but his sword also grew in proportion to his size. Comparing the size of the two, Mark was like a dwarf now.

The giant turned his head towards Mark. At the same time, all the floating skulls did the same.

”You better prepare yourself.”

The giant mocked.

Mark did not reply as he removed the miasma covering his body. It was then that his figure appeared causing the witnesses to be taken aback.

His hair had grown longer up to the back of his knee. The bat wings on his back were covered in a thick black smoke making the wings larger than before. His eyes glowed violet while black lines and markings could be seen on the parts of his skin that could be seen outside.

”You!”

The flame demon was taken aback.

”What me?” Mark tilted his head. ”You transformed, why can't I?”

”GRAAAA!”

The flame demon roared as it realized that Mark was still not taking him seriously. He swung his very large sword from above.

His movement was fast and the slash came in almost instantly. The speed the demon displayed totally betrayed his current size.

BOOOM!

A large explosion like sound could be heard as debris and dust scattered after the slash connected with the ground. That attack despite coming from a sword was like a hammer that was capable of shaking a whole city.

Unfortunately, it did not hit its target. The attack was fast but Mark had already seen the attack coming even before the actual attack was made. With a poof, he turned into black mist and flew around the demon in a half circle.

”You should tone it down. The place is getting totally wrecked because of you.”

Mark spoke as he appeared just at an arm's reach to the right of Gar'Vlam.

The demon did not speak as it just punched Mark who immediately retreated.

However, that was not the end of the attack. At the same time the very fast punch was unleashed. The floating skulls flew towards Mark's direction trying to ram him down.

Mark was immediately surrounded and used his [Shadow Mist Movement] to escape. He appeared quite a distance away but his clothes and skin had scorched marks all over.

”Tsk. I can't just rely on my movement ability anymore. That guy is really going all out.”

He realized. Each of the skulls was infused with energy that could burn a gap in his subspace during movement. Since he passed by several of them, it could not be helped his body was hit.

While Mark patted his clothes and his burns started to heal, the next attack came. It was not from the flame demon but from the hundreds of floating skulls in the surroundings. Each skull opened their mouths wide and…

SWWOOOOOM!!

Balls of fire were launched towards Mark's direction.

Mark frowned. It would be easy if these balls of firecould be dodged using his [Shadow Mist Movement] but all of them contained the same energy from the skulls. Without any choice, Mark started to maneuver around the hundreds of balls of firelaunched towards him.

However, that was not the end. The hundreds in numbers, soon became thousands as the flaming skulls continued to launch balls of flame in succession.

Seeing Mark having difficulty in dodging the balls of fire, Gar'Vlam became delighted. He charged forwards attacking Mark with another slash of his huge sword.

Some of the balls of flame hit the demon's large but it really did not matter to it as it continued to attack Mark.