Chương 338: Torrent of Flames

Vale stared down at the spear resting within his grasp, saying nothing for several moments as his eyes narrowed slightly. He studied the weapon carefully, feeling the strange yet familiar presence flowing through it. The darkness surrounding the spear was not merely a material or a simple manifestation of power, it was alive, responsive, and connected to him in a way that felt almost natural.

Every movement of the shadows seemed to answer his thoughts before he even formed them, as though the weapon had always been a part of him. Slowly, Vale closed his eyes and allowed himself to imagine something different. Not the weapon as it currently existed, but the weapon it was meant to become. He focused on its shape, its purpose, and the feeling it carried.

Memories surfaced from countless hours of training, endless battles fought, and lessons carved so deeply into his soul that they had survived even the loss of his memories. Kealix had taught him something that no ordinary warrior would ever understand. A weapon was never defined by its appearance. A weapon was defined by the will behind it. With that thought, Vale extended his own will toward the darkness and commanded it to change. The shadows trembled. Then they obeyed.

The spear twisted within his hand as its bone-like structure began shifting and reforming itself. Black tendrils wrapped around his arm, spreading rapidly across his body like living armor. For a brief moment, the darkness completely consumed him, covering every inch of his form before finally settling into something far more refined. When the shadows finally faded, Vale stood differently. The spear had disappeared. Instead, the darkness had transformed into a second skin, forming armor across his entire body.

Black plates covered his injuries while moving naturally with every breath and motion, and beneath the surface, the same strange energy pulsed quietly like a second heartbeat. Vale rolled his shoulder experimentally, and a relieved expression appeared across his face.

"Oh man... that feels much better." The wounds hidden beneath the armor began closing. The pain that had restricted his movements only moments before faded away, replaced by a familiar strength that reminded him of who he truly was. Vale glanced down at his new armor before smiling faintly.

"Sorry, Shade," he muttered.

"Looks like I'll have to wear you for a little while longer until everything is fixed." The armor gave no visible response, but Vale could still feel it. Shade agreed. A small warmth entered his expression despite everything that had happened. Despite the anger, the pain, and the memories that had returned all at once, there was one thing that brought him comfort. Shade was still there. The shadow's ability had not weakened after merging with the weapon. If anything, their connection had grown stronger.

Shade could now manifest himself more freely while still allowing Vale to access every ability the weapon and shadow, creating a bond that felt closer than ever before. Finally, Vale shifted his stance and turned his attention toward the three commanders and the remaining beasts surrounding them. Six opponents. A ridiculous number. Yet strangely, Vale no longer felt overwhelmed. Instead, he felt curious.

"Alright," he said calmly.

"This should be fair now." He raised his weapon slightly, his confidence returning completely.

"So please..." A confident smile formed beneath his mask.

"... I am all yours." The giant commander stared at him. Uncertainty flickered across his expression. However, that hesitation disappeared almost immediately as anger replaced it. He refused to believe that anything had truly changed. To him, Vale was still the same injured child who had barely survived moments earlier.

"Kill him!" His voice echoed throughout the arena. If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. The dark drake responded first. The beast released a roar powerful enough to shake the entire colosseum before launching itself forward. One massive claw rose above its head, casting a shadow over Vale before crashing downward with enough force to pulverize the stone beneath it. Vale remained still. He watched the movement before the strike landed.

He studied the timing, the weight behind the attack, and the exact amount of force being committed. Then, at the final possible instant, he stepped backward. The claw smashed into the ground. The arena floor exploded beneath the impact as shattered stone erupted into the air. The force of the strike created a shockwave that lifted Vale from the ground, sending him upward. But instead of resisting the momentum, Vale used it.

His feet landed against the nearby arena wall, and for a brief moment gravity attempted to drag him back down. Vale simply smiled. Then he pushed off. His body launched forward. The drake barely had enough time to understand what happened. One moment it was staring upward, searching for Vale's position. The next, the boy was standing on its back with his blade already drawn.

"Sorry, beast," Vale said calmly.

"But I can't really afford to go easy on you." The drake roared and violently twisted its massive body, attempting to throw him away. Vale prepared to strike, Then an arrow cut through the air. Straight toward his neck. Vale clicked his tongue.

"Annoying." With a small movement of his blade, the arrow split apart before it could reach him. However, that brief distraction was enough. A massive pair of claws descended from above. The tunnel wyvern. Vale barely had time to react before the attack connected. The force sent him flying across the arena. However, He stopped himself in midair. The shadow armor remained completely intact. Not a single scratch appeared. Vale landed smoothly and looked down at himself for a moment. A bitter expression formed.

"So the armor works..." His eyes moved toward the battlefield.

"... but it doesn't solve the real problem." Six separate threats. The commanders fought alongside their beasts with perfect coordination, constantly overlapping their attacks and removing any obvious openings. Even with all the experience returning to him, even with everything Kealix had taught him, fighting multiple opponents simultaneously was an entirely different challenge. Vale exhaled slowly.

"Alright." His vision sharpened.

"Let's get this over with." Then he disappeared. The giant commander barely had time to react. Vale appeared directly in front of him. The commander panicked and brought his hammer downward with all his strength. Too slow.

"Your attacks are large and predictable." Vale stepped aside effortlessly. Then his fist struck. Not the man's body. The hammer. The weapon shattered. The commander froze in disbelief. Before he could recover, Vale twisted his body and delivered a devastating kick directly into his abdomen. The impact launched the enormous man backward, blood escaping his mouth as he crashed violently across the arena floor. But Vale had no time to focus on him. The tunnel wyvern opened its jaws. Flames gathered.

A torrent of fire erupted toward him. Vale's eyes narrowed. A helmet of darkness immediately formed around his head as the flames swallowed him completely. Inside the inferno, a shadow moved. Slowly. Vale walked through the flames as though they were nothing more than warm air. The commanders stared. The scarred woman scoffed.

"There is no way he can-" She stopped. Because the Wind Guider moved. The massive creature spread its wings, unleashing a powerful gust that formed a tornado around Vale. The flames twisted with the wind, transforming into a raging prison of fire that surrounded him completely. The commanders waited. Then, A chain erupted from within the storm. Darkness pierced through the sky and wrapped around the Wind Guider's neck. The creature screamed as the chain tightened. And Vale's voice emerged from the flames.

"Please." The shadows intensified.

"Did you really think something like this would stop me?" The chain moved. The Wind Guider was ripped from the sky. Its massive body crashed into the arena floor with enough force to shake the entire battlefield. The flames disappeared. The tornado vanished. Vale stepped forward from the remains of the storm and removed the dark helmet, running a hand through his hair.

"Phew..." He looked around.

"Man, that was hot." The drake attacked again. The beast appeared behind him with its jaws wide open. Vale turned. The drake swallowed him. Or at least attempted to. Because Vale's hands caught its jaws. Vale was holding back a creature several times his own size. Slowly, he smiled.

"You know..." His foot planted firmly against the ground.

"... you guys really rely too much on your strength." The shadows beneath him moved. Vale redirected the force of the beast's own attack and used its momentum against it. The drake was thrown across the arena, crashing into the wall with devastating force. The wyvern attempted another attack. Its mouth opened. Before it could release another flame, a chain of darkness wrapped around its jaws. Vale pulled. The beast's mouth slammed shut.

"Do yourself a favor." Vale looked at it calmly.

"And keep your breath to yourself."

"It's already hot enough." Then something cut through the air. A spear. Vale tilted his head. The weapon passed beside him. The scarred woman appeared behind it, her blade following afterward. At the same moment, another arrow approached from the opposite direction. Vale smiled.

"They're charging me while I'm distracted?" His expression became almost amused.

"Very well." His hand moved. He caught the arrow between two fingers while his leg wrapped around the woman's blade, trapping it despite her attempts to pull away. Before she could react, Vale's knee rose. The strike connected with her jaw. She staggered backward, clutching her face.

"Come on," Vale said.

"I didn't even hit that hard." Then a shadow covered him. The drake. Again. Vale looked upward.

"Shade." The armor immediately separated. The darkness erupted from his body and formed Shade's massive shape, the living shadow catching the drake before it could devour Vale. Its claws pushed against the beast's jaws, forcing the creature backward. Vale watched for a moment. A small smile appeared. Then he turned away. The wyvern remained restrained. The Wind Guider was recovering. The scarred commander was barely standing. Only the archer remained untouched. Vale lowered his stance. His eyes locked onto her.

"Interesting." He glanced across the battlefield, observing every remaining threat. A grin slowly formed.

"Well..." His grip tightened.

"I've narrowed it down enough to call this fair now." His eyes focused.

"Don't you agree?"