Awakening to a Special-Grade Explorer
Vol. 4 - Ch. 186 - A Mysterious Voice

With a flicker, the nature of flames engulfing Flame Demon Blade suddenly transformed.

It wasn't like that monstrosity had skin, yet it felt an intense prickly sensation all over the body as it looked at those burning flames, as if it was the personification of hell itself.

'It must stay away from that flame or the flames would devour itself,' another thing may not matter but this fact was firmly ingrained in its mind.

As for why...there was no concrete reason inside the monstrosity except a vague hunch. Then again, it was probably too much to ask from the monster who had just been born.

To quote using knowledge of humans, the recently born monster was no different than a baby fawn. It was a tall task for it to come up with a reasoning that it itself doesn't know.

The only thing there was on in its mind was a buzzing sound, its instinct alarming to avoid those attacks. For monstrosity, nothing else matters except that. Instinct reigns at the top.

Yet, It was now stuck at the situation where it couldn't move its body even though It knew only that attack must be dodged. As if founding itself encased into a millennium old iceberg.

"---«Flame Crypt>!"

Just when its hands and feet were tied to take any other, Tenji crossed the several step distance in a moment and swung down his Flame Demon Blade.

The hell flames covering the Flame Demon Blade was burning with five times more intensity and density than usual, making it appear like a sheath of condensed hell flames.

The skill «Flame Crypt» was a probability based attack, which had a 25% chance to be activated, granting a bonus of 500% attack. And just now, the activation had tapped into that possibility.

Tenji's current attack value was '37, 767' and five times that means it actually transcends the power of zero-grade explorer by a slight margin.

The survival instinct of monstrosity was ringing at the highest volume ever as it gazed at those flames, burning intensely more than ever as if in an attempt to show the glimpse of what the actual hell looks like, zooming toward itself.

"T△I；＃＄"％"Lu!?!?"

It shouted as if trying to appeal something, but Tenji was busy focusing on its own attack and was unable to hear clearly.  If anything, he, the initiator of the attack, himself was more surprised.

(W-What in the world is with these flames!?)

Tenji himself couldn't contain his astonishment at the explosively burning flames.

Only he knew how much he had trained himself with his newfound abilities, which include «Flame Crypt» as well. But this phenomenon had never appeared. He had made sure to train himself in everything he possessed so that when the time comes, he could use them as effectively as his limbs. Speaking of experience, he should have known what was going to happen the moment he used the skill---or atleast, that was how it was supposed to happen.

(Why are these flames acting funny!? It's like something is causing it!?)

There's something strange about all of this.

------With the activation probability of 25%,  the affixed hell flame (500%) to the attack.

This was the explanation he had read in the description section of the Book of Enma. The sign of skill successfully activating was the flames clad on blade increase in the intensity and becoming larger, three times of original to be precise, alongside with a blue hue appearing in it.

Yet the sole change in Flame Demon Blade was it being now clad in white flames, moreover its size had hardly changed, if not at all.

It was like some kind of unforeseen force was at play. The flames were crackling with an intensity that almost made him drop the sword from his hand. It was taking all of his mental capacity to hold it.

The white flames bursted without any prior warning, rattling the whole of his hand. Tenji holds on to it tightly with a dumbfounded expression.

(Argh, darn it!! I can't swing it like this! All...Isn't there any...rgh...any technique to handle this rampaging blade---)

Tenji frantically wreck his mind for some idea in those few moments.

He recalled the moment of his training with Chisato a few months ago---certainly, what he had learned was the movement to swing the blade to bring out the maximum output of his flames. Asking him to be a master of blade was asking too much, but he could at least bring that training into effective use.

Unfortunately, he was in search of something even more concrete than just swinging the blade. With how flames were acting, he couldn't properly control them.

He could try it but he knew the instant his attack connected, the resultant burst of flame from the sword would cause him to drop it.

Isn't there any technique where he doesn't need to swing...no wait, maybe. As he searched his mind, he suddenly recalled a certain girl who always had that pure, beaming smile, like a clear sky. The one who had been with him all this time since he came to Mallorca.

He had often taken many lectures with her---Pyne. Recalling that, he also recalled her way of 'thrust.'

Her calling was more inclined to assassination style and the best way to put it in use was thrust technique. This was something Tenji was currently lacking. However, as long as he could ensure his grasp over the blade, the blade in itself was probably the ultimate crushing blow that he could execute without any technique.

A faint silhouette of white flame flicker at the depth of Tenji's pupil as a resolute look masked them.

«Hiccup......so it's finally the time.»

An intoxicated voice suddenly echoed in the mind of everyone present just as Tenji's attack was a hair breadth away from landing on that monster.

«Do you require strength? O' Future King......no, boy.»