242 Blaze's POV -2
I instructed Ren, "Think of it like pulling water from a sponge. Imagine the fire as energy flowing into you, circulating within, not burning but merging with your inner mana. Visualize it blending, harmonizing with your being."
He hesitated for a moment, his brow furrowed in concentration. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes, forming the fireball again. This time, he seemed more focused. As the flames danced in his palm, I sensed a change in his approach.
"Okay, feeling it," Ren muttered, his voice determined. His posture shifted, indicating a willingness to try this new perspective.
The fireball glowed brighter, and gradually, I sensed the energy streaming into him, not as a destructive force but as an integration, merging with his inner mana.
He frowned slightly, as if concentrating harder. It was as though he was channeling the flames into himself, converting it into an inner force rather than an external manifestation.
A few moments passed in silence, Ren's concentration evident in the way his breathing steadied. Suddenly, a flicker of triumph flashed across his face, and the fireball began to dim.
"This!" he exclaimed,
.... I don't know if I should be proud of worried about his lack of reaction on his current state.
His eyes are closed as I saw multiple streams on read dark blood from his side of eyes, mouth corners, nose, and ears flowing down.
It's normal but still- shouldn't he- whatever.
"How is it?" I asked.
He opened his mouth, only to let already-puddled blood in his mouth fall out. "I absorbed it and am keeping it spinning under my sternum, the core is a bit upwards and it's under- I compressed the size to around a marble. I can feel my blood sizzling inside, but I cut a bit of my intestines- they are fixing themselves immediately though," he explained his current state.
"Okay let's not waste any time now- Make a mana shield around it- Internally," I added.
This is going to be tough-
"Done," He said immediately.
I noticed Ren's body freeze for a second, and then the air around us seemed to ripple.
Sensing something unusual, I instinctively shifted back, transforming into my Winged Pardus form, ready for whatever was coming.
Ren's back went rigid, and slowly, something began to happen. His wings began unfolding—each feather seemed to shimmer under the moonlight, radiating a silvery glow against the dark night. The span of those wings was impressive, displaying an intricate pattern that seemed to dance with a faint ethereal light.
His eyes remained shut, showing a serene focus. The streams of blood that were running down his face suddenly stopped, drying up almost instantly—a sight to behold.
Those wings of his reached their full stretch, spreading out magnificently, as if embracing the moon's soft rays. In that moment, bathed in the moonlight's gentle glow, Ren's figure stood out, almost otherworldly against the backdrop of the dimly lit night.
'What now?' he asked me in mind, still impressive that he's not unconscious.
I locked my paws on the ground, pushing the mana into my legs - I have been practicing my techniques each night when this jerk is asleep.
I let the lightning course my veins as I felt my fur hair straightening. 'Now on the count of three, push the shield outside of your body.'
I let my bare fangs out and spread the wings to give me a push—there's about ten feet distance between me and the princess right now.
...hope this works.
'Three!' I finished the count, and—
My vision went dark as a small rift formed, and I ran into it at a tremendous speed—my bones are going to break for sure.
The rift took me into a small dark realm, more like a tunnel.
When I and Ren share the skills through the convergence Amulet, I imagine him going through this guy; he says he can see the world beyond this, while for me, it's mostly a part of it.
I saw a distorted path—it was straight, and since I had chosen the opening place when I was outside, I could see the rift opening bit— I have very little time.
I flapped the wings once, and it throttled me outside the rift. The world shifted to its normal colors, and the next thing I knew, I was in front of Ren, who had his hand outstretched.
And a small square box hovered at the top of his index finger while his eyes glowed with a golden hue.
And—
I smashed my head into the shield.
Thad*
I got thrown a lot backward as I saw the whole space bend in a curve, the shield got bigger.
'And now shoot the fireball outside.' I ignored the crunching sound of my skull.
The shield crumbled and got replaced by—
'... it's not supposed to look like that,' I panicked as I saw—
I saw a spear—it had a definitive shape, like he purposely made it.
The spear looked like it was a projectile.
'Should I shoot?' He asked.
...he can control it?
'Can you change the shape?' I asked.
Ren didn't answer, but he changed the spear into something that looked more like a cone and then to a sword.
'It hurts,' he said.
"Shoot it!" I got out of my surprise; it's not good if he kept it like that.
And with that, the world felt like it had gotten slower.
[Five Minutes Later]
Surveying the aftermath, my eyes traced the immense fifty-meter-wide crater etched about twelve feet deep into the ground. Its edges smoldered with lingering flames, casting an eerie glow across the scene. The once serene pond nearby now lay in disarray, disrupted by the intense impact and fire's wrath.
Lowering my gaze, I observed the wound in Ren's stomach, a significant hole that had begun the miraculous process of healing itself. The raw power of his recent maneuver had certainly left its mark.
"I won't die, right?" Ren's voice cut through the lingering tension.
".....Why'd you aim that sword at me?" I asked, examining my torn left wing where the sword had effortlessly sliced through.
"For fun," came his casual reply.
Well, I couldn't argue with him; after all, I hadn't warned him about the potential pain of using the technique...for fun obviously.
"Used directly and correctly, you're going to cause some serious damage," I remarked, still astonished by his innate ability to wield such power without prior experience.
