The brown robed Wanderer widened his eyes even further, as he opened his mouth to answer, but could not find any words. The Fire Servant had already expected such a reaction though, so the moment he asked his question, he urged the Fire burning within his heart to reignite the traces it had left behind in the air. And before anyone could react, the forest around them was filled with flames once again. This time, in the shade of blood.

  Yet, even more eerie than their shade was the way they moved. Or rather, the path they were moving in. A giant, ten sided circle, bending into hundreds of intricate patterns, stretching for nearly fifteen metres across, separating the rest of the world from the Wanderers hurdled within its confines. Twelve in total. Ten with tokens, that held wisps of blood red flame similar to what was surrounding them, and one with the flame in his heart. That left only one without any flames. The one in the very centre of the circle.

  “This is your opportunity, Nomar,” the Fire Servant said, not giving the brown robed man any chance to refuse. “Your chance to break through to the True Rank.”

  “…Can I refuse?”

  “What do you think?”

  “…I think we have seen enough,” the brown robed Wanderer said, before glancing at the other Wanderers around them. “What are you still hesitating for? Can you not see that he cannot move anymore?”

  “Indeed,” the Fire Servant said, glancing at the rest of the Wanderers. “I really cannot move much right now. But what is this about hesitating?”

  “…Do not listen to him, Mathias. We do not know what he is talking—

  “Stop pretending, Ejak,” the brown robed Wanderer said, glancing at the Fire Servant next to him, who did not seem to have any reaction to his words. “He already knows everything.”

  “…And whose fault do you think that is?”

  “Do you think he cannot guess what we are thinking?”

  “…That does not mean that you can do whatever you want,” said the blue robed Wanderer. “You were supposed to wait for our signal.”

  “If I kept waiting for your signal, then I would not even know when or how I died!” the brown robed Wanderer said, glaring at the blue robed man, before glancing at the rest of the Wanderers. “He is tied up in trying to maintain this Ritual. This is the best time we will have to take him down.”

  “There is no hurry,” the pink robed Wanderer said, tracing the edge of the token held in his hands, as he glanced at the flames around them, before turning back to the brown robed Wanderer. “We know too little about how this Ritual works… or what are its effects. Neither do we know if he has set any traps. Making any rash move would only give him more leverage over us.”

  “So, you want us to just lie down, and let him kill us one by one?”

  “Kill?” the Fire Servant said, shaking his head. “Like I said, I am just fulfilling my promise.”

  “…Even kids would not believe your lies,” the brown robed Wanderer said, before turning towards the other Wanderers. “We do not know how much time we have left before he finishes all his preparations. Let us hurry before it is too late.”

  “You are worrying too much,” the pink robed Wanderer said, and paused for a moment, before continuing with his words. “If he just wanted to kill us, he would not have handed us his flame.”

  “You! He handed his flames to you, not me.”

  “And that is why we can afford to wait. Besides, is this not what you always wanted? To break through to the True Rank?”

  “…You really do not believe his words, do you?”

  “I do not believe his words… I believe the fluctuation of Mysteries around us. And the thick smell of Spirit in the air. Do not tell me that you do not sense it.”

  “…You want to sacrifice me to see if he can really help you break through the True Rank?”

  “…Some sacrifices are necessary.”

  “…Do you think that he will spare you after he is done with me?”

  “…Do not worry,” the pink robed Wanderer said, spreading his lips into a grin. “We will not let your sacrifice be in vain.”

  “…You are crazy! All of you!” the brown robed Wanderer said, before turning towards the Fire Servant with a glare. “Do not think that you won just because I am alone.”

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  “Give up, Nomar,” the Fire Servant said, raising the edge of his lips in a smirk. “Your struggles are futile.”

  “Really?” the brown robed Wanderer said, smiling back at the Fire Servant, as he summoned his sword, and urged his Aspects to wrap around its edge. “Do you think that only those girls can hurt you?”

  “…You figured it out?”

  “That’s right,” the brown robed Wanderer said, turning the edge of his sword thick, and heavy, like Earth. “I know your weakness, Mathias. We all do.”

  “Is that so…” the Fire Servant said, glancing at the Wanderers around him with a solemn face, and paused for a few moments, before slowly revealing a smile on his face, and devolving into a laughter, confusing all the Wanderers around him. Especially the brown robed man standing in front of him.

  “…Have you finally turned insane?”

  “…Insane?” the Fire Servant said, reigning in his laugh, as he turned back to the brown robed man. “Maybe. But are we not all insane to some degree or other?”

  “…Stop speaking nonsense, Mathias, and end this farce.”

  “If that is what you wish,” the Fire Servant said, and waved his hands, asking for the help of the Flames. And the Flames responded kindly, sending hundreds of chains to do his bidding. Blood red chains, that looked just like Flames but seemed more solid. Like wood. Or metals. Yet stronger than either.

  It did not matter if the weapons of the Wanderers were wrapped with Aspects, or enchanted with their Concepts. They could not leave even a dent on the surface of the chains. Though they did manage to deflect a few of them. But there were too many chains. Hundreds of them. Over ten for each Wanderer. And they were each quicker than the other.

  “What are you doing, Mathias?” the red robed Wanderer said, just as the chains wrapped around his body, preventing him from making any movements. And he was just the first of them. In just a couple of moments, all the Wanderers were bound and restrained, struggling to escape. In vain.

  “Stop struggling,” the Fire Servant said, manipulating the chains to move the ignorant Wanderers into a circle, with him and the brown robed Wanderer at their centre. “Even that Serpia girl would be helpless against these Flames, let alone you, who have barely grasped the power of Concepts.”

  “…Do you think we have only our Concepts to rely on?” the pink robed Wanderer said. “Release us before it is too late, Mathias.”

  “It is already too late,” the Fire Servant said, just as the chains brought the last of the Wanderers to their intended place. “But not for me.”

  “…Then you leave us with no choice,” the pink robed Wanderer said, before glancing at the rest of the Wanderers. “Do it.”

  “Did you not listen to what I just said?” the Fire Servant said, shaking his head at the meaningless struggle of the ignorant Wanderers. “It is too late.”

  “…Your arrogance will be the end you, Mathias…”

  “…Perhaps,” the Fire Servant said, turning back towards the brown robed Wanderer in front of him, before activating the last step of the Ritual. “But that is something I will have to worry about in the future. Right now, you just need to stay still, and break through to the True Rank.”

  The moment that the Fire Servant finished his words, the blood red flame around him flared for an instant, growing thrice their size and ten times as bright, before quickly converging towards the brown robed Wanderer, taking their chains along with themselves, freeing the rest of the Wanderers from their restraints. But only for a moment.

  Before anyone could even register their freedom, a sudden sharp pain brought them back their senses, drawing their attention to a blood red chain piercing their chest. One that extended from the body of the Wanderer covered in flames. Though the chains were not there to just lock them in place. They also acted as a bridge between them. A bridge, for the flames to travel along, and dive into their bodies, bringing them an incomprehensible pain.

  Fortunately for them, the pain did not last long, and was soon drowned out by a strange, yet familiar sensation. One that came not from their bodies, but their Spirits. A sensation, that they rarely ever felt in normal times. Yet, a sensation, that they always longed for. After all, it was the sensation of their Spirit Power surging beyond its limits. A cool, refreshing sensation filled them with ecstasy. And disbelief.

  “I told you that I would keep my promise,” the Fire Servant said, raising the edge of his lips up ever so slightly. “Now, it is your turn to keep your end of the deal.”

  “…What…

  “…Deal…”

  “…We…”

  “…There…”

  “…No…”

  “…What…”

  “…This…”

  “…Done…”

  “…Not…”

  “…Promise…”

  Glancing at the Wanderers kneeling on the ground, struggling to form proper sentences, the Fire Servant could not help himself from laughing out loud, earning their resentful glares. Still, at least they could talk. The brown robed Wanderer, on the other hand, could not even open his mouth.

  No, he did not even have a mouth anymore. All he had was Fire. Blood red fire, carrying the Spirit Power of all the Wanderers it had burnt to ashes. And along with it, the last vestiges of their thoughts. It was no wonder that he could not move. Or think. Though the rest of the Wanderers were not much better.

  The flame that poured into their Spirits had already been filtered once, so it did not have any remnant thoughts, but the Spirit Power it carried was very chaotic, and was tainted with the breath of all kinds of Mysteries. Including those opposing the lineage of their Roots and Glyphs. Fortunately, the breath was not too strong, so they could still spare the strength to talk. But as time passed, and more flame kept pouring into their Spirits, it was only a matter of time for their Hearts to cave in.

  “…It looks you completely forgot about our deal,” the Fire Servant said when he saw the deteriorating states of the Wanderers around him. “But it is fine. Who told you to be my dear companions….”

  The Fire Servant paused, and raised his right hand, before clenching his fist. Moments later, blood red flame surged out of the bodies of the ten Wanderers kneeling around him, and rushed towards him, drilling their way into the crystal heart in his chest, before merging into the flame burning within, providing it with all the nutrients it needed to evolve, pushing his Spirit Power beyond its limits.

  “Since I helped you break through to the True Rank, I want you to return the favour.”