Summoned and Unwanted

From the wounds Vincent inflicted, yellow flames burning wildly appeared. From the injury of the throat were yellow flames burning with a similar appearance to a flame scarf. From the wounds on the back caused by the tendrils were yellow flames raging like a furnace.

The temperature became warm because of the heat coming from Orso’s body. The snow around Orso was almost completely melted, and the grass was drying and in the process of burning.

Orso was exhibiting similar signs of Overload, yet not at the same time. Instead of breaking the boundaries of one’s limits, Orso was growing beyond its previous limits.

Vincent frowned. He could tell Orso was mutating and becoming a danger more than he expected. Vincent began to doubt if only his Overload form could offer victory.

“T-the great O-Orso was the guard of the underworld?” Awa questioned.

‘Underworld? I can not die today!’ Vincent thought, snapping him from continuing to think negatively.

Vincent lifted himself up. “No. That is a three-headed dog. That thing in front of us is a monster.” He answered while glaring at Orso.

[I am done.]

.....

-Done?-

[Yes, I am done. I have calculated all the locations the yellow flames are coming out from. The wounds Zero inflicted have been recovered, while the wounds you inflicted are still recovering. ]

Vincent noticed Oros’s eyes were staring at him with a yellow piercing glow. All of Zero’s attacks, done to cripple Orso, had recuperated because of this strange occurrence.

On the other hand, the injuries caused by Vincent were still slowly recovering. The attack done with the earth spike had recovered, but the attacks made with his gauntlets, the mutated ash, and the Limb Seeds were still in recovery, even if Orso was mutating and becoming stronger.

[I can see you have realized your attacks are effective against Orso. Like how your attacks can disrupt the flow of mana, your attacks might be able to disrupt Orso’s mutated blood from regenerating at its usual speed.]

Vincent felt better knowing his attacks could delay Orso’s regenerative powers. It meant Orso could be killed. However, time wasn’t on Vincent’s side.

*Sigh* “Awa. Do you value pride enough to die for it? Do you think it would be better to live and regain the pride you lose for choosing to live for another day?” Vincent asked while green light appeared in each of his hands.

Awa moved her frighted gaze onto Vincent. His voice was rough and not pleasant to hear, yet his voice was sweet in this crisis. In the moment when death was inevitable.

“Pride can be regained?... I...” Awa questioned in a wavering voice.

“Can’t you be selfish? Can’t you be greedy? Without sacrifice, there is survival.” Vincent raised both hands and continued, “Money can be gained, lost, and regained. Pride can be gained, lost, and regained. Remember one thing. You learn how precious something is when you lose it, but Awa, have you ever lost anything?”

Vincent opened his hands, and snow-like dust fell. *Clap* Vincent smacked both hands together and created a faint cloud of fine transparent dust.

“I choose life over money. That is why I am wasting money to win.” He said while his face contorted a frown. He was angered by the money he had to waste for a quick mana powerup.

Awa didn’t understand what Vincent meant by the sudden change of subject. Awa didn’t know Vincent summoned the snow tiger and wolf’s ice core, two items that could have been given to Sakura or sold.

Instead, Vincent absorbed the mana into his gauntlets. This was the choice Vincent made. A choice he didn’t want to make if possible.

Regardless of the change of subject, while Orso was in the process of growing stronger, Awa saw frosty dust fall.

It reminded Awa of the parting ritual they make for the dead. It reminded Awa how the soul of the Dullahan goes to Valhalla while the body becomes ash after the body burns.

‘Pride... this human... No. Vincent is right. I can not lose what I have because of pride. A leader needs the help of others to govern. A leader needs to learn the suffering of breaking their pride if it is for their people. Life over pride.’

This thought made Awa want to see her parents. The thought of Orso winning against Vincent and visiting her home terrified her.

Awa decided pride wasn’t worth death in this hopeless situation. Pride can be regained, unlike the loss of life. If pride takes a long time to recover, it would be an appropriate punishment.

Feeling ashamed every second until the pride is regained was an appropriate punishment in Awa’s eyes.

Awa clenched her shivering hands and mustered all the courage she could muster. “I am a proud Dullahan, but I am weak and powerless. I want to see my parents again in this world, and not in Valhalla.”

“Good choice, proud Awa. Being proud of your heritage is different than feeling proud to die a meanless death.”

Awa understood what Vincent tried to mean now as if they were somewhat on the same page. She was so focused on her pride in being a Dullahan that she lost the actual reason for being proud in the first place.

*Crack* Vincent straightened his back, and it didn’t make a nice sound.

“If my mutation stops you, then I will feed you a ton!”

Vincent leaned forward and sprinted toward Orso. Vincent sidestepped, and an earth spike extended from the ground.

However, this wasn’t enough to stop Vincent’s momentum. He twisted his body while his feet slightly slid on the wet slippery grass. The muscles of his legs expanded while many wind sigils burst wind at the same time.

Vincent jumped in the air and headed toward Orso without any way to stop. A trail of green dust followed his hands. After his fingers snapped, The trail of mutated ash burnt intensively, causing Vincent to propel forward at a greater speed.

Earth spike after the other raised from the ground at deadly speed, yet Vincent was always missing each by a hair. An earth spike raised in front of Orso, yet it could not stop him.

Vincent used his third Soul Invite and canceled promptly. He used the perception boost to do his best by twisting his body and extending his arms forward.

Vincent latched on the earth spike. He spun on it as if it was a pole. When Vincent felt the momentum was enough, he raised his legs to propel him upwards.

Vincent was about four meters above Orso. The three spectators stared at Vincent while having different thoughts.

Plow thought Vincent was cool and he could win. Plow wanted to burn this memory in her mind. Plow wanted to gloat to Lupa about how she saw Vincent acting cool while Lupa could not.

Zero did not think much other than trying to guess when Vincent announced another order.

On the other hand, Awa gazed at Vincent like a person who saw a superhero. She gulped multiple times, and her heart could not stop futtering from excitement.

In Awa’s eyes, Vincent looked glorious in the air. Furthermore, it made Awa wonder if the proud bloodline of the Dullahans could one day give birth to a warrior who could display power similar to Vincent.

Green light appeared on Vincent’s neck before he smirked. “I may burn, but not my precious rings.” He uttered while storing the necklace and the rings of his women.

Multiple wind sigils appeared on his back. However, because Vincent wanted as much speed as possible, he did not use Overflow to dampen the impact of the wind sigil.

The moment of truth arrived. The final move which could make Vincent the victor or the loser was upon him.

*Boom* Vincent burst down at Orso with incredible speed. With his mouth opened wide, Vincent shouted a war cry while suppressing the pain of the dozens upon dozens of toothpick-sized wounds caused by the wind sigils.

Orso perceived Vincent was aiming for its spine. The hardened fur rose up and clamped together to form spikes. Each spike extended by about one foot, causing Orso to look like a porcupine bear.

Orso wasn’t done yet. Instead of moving to attack Vincent, it caused the yellow flame on its back to burn intensely.

Three, two, one meter. Vincent soon entered the raging yellow fire and disappeared from Awa, Plow, and Zero’s view. *Boom* Could be heard a split second later.

Orso bent its knees from the recoil of Vincent’s attack. The long roots cracked from each side of the impact, and yellow flames exited from them.

This was good news, or it should have been. Vincent didn’t escape the intense yellow burning flames. His body could not be seen from all angles. As if Vincent had burnt to dust.

“Vincent Vincent! Please don’t die!” *Pho, Pho, Pho!*

“It is too soon to go to Vallhalla. Your enemy is still alive!”

“Master. Not. Dead.”

“Huh?” Both Plow and Awa looked at Zero. They didn’t know Zero’s connection with Vincent was strong enough to feel Vincent’s soul’s current condition.

The intense yellow flames fluttered before intense green flames appeared all of a sudden. The yellow flames were quickly consumed and turned green.

The green flames’ intensity remained the same, yet the flames started to shrink. The flames soon took the shape of a burning human.

The figure of flames clashed its fists with one another and stated, “You devour me? No! I will be the one to devour you.”