Chapter 256: Vermilion Flames Falling Subservient (I)

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While Typhir and Fuhrer continued their own actions, Apollo took matters into his own hands. As of right now, the Nebula Shard supplied him with enough energy to saturate his body seamlessly. However, since inspiration dawned upon him, he was compelled to act upon it without much further thought.

The Nebula Shard increased the presence of the Monarch's Tenebrosity inside his body. This in turn trained his Intent as an auxiliary effect. Inside both his Tainted Temple and Infernal Nucleus, the feeling of a void continued to grow stronger. Furthermore, when he tried to send his consciousness inside, blurred images flashed in his mind that he didn't understand.

In order for him to do so, it required a stronger intent to keep his mind together. Nevertheless, Apollo moved forward with his intention. He began to funnel the remaining energies of Geneva's flames of vitality inside the newly created voids in his corrupted organs. The more he funneled inside, the more an unfamiliar coursed through his body.

At the same time, the Infernal Ira Stigmata on his body started to illuminate. Slowly, it stretched across his entire body before it finally completed. Other than the times where he lost himself to Ira, this was one of the only times the stigmata was ever in its complete form. However, what surprised Apollo was the fact that his Cardinal Sphere began rotating the moment his Stigmata completed.

It released an energy that allowed him to retain his reasoning. Upon noticing this, Apollo rubbed his chin, 'Without the complementary component, a demon's power is one easy to run amok. That means, the stigmata is regulated by the Cardinal Sphere and the Infernal Nucleus and Tainted Temple work in tandem as well.'

Meanwhile, the moment he exhausted Geneva's flames of vitality, he could sense the immediate benefits in the next instant. Not only did the pain felt when he used his Ira Stigmata lessen, but he could also sense the layer of his physique under it healing to a certain degree.

Concurrently, the system also alerted him of all this. 'The effects of absorbing high-grade flame energy are very beneficial. However, the people who can fulfill all the criteria are probably low in number. If I wish to find more, it'll require a strong perception. But, I can't rely on Fuhrer for everything; I have to be able to perform some of his feats as well. After all, most of his power is sealed. Everything he does is something I'll soon be able to accomplish,' Apollo thought to himself.'

Nevertheless, as he kept the progress under control, his senses stopped focusing on the outward and only paid attention to his internals. In this state of monitoring the changes, time elapsed quickly. 

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A little over 2 weeks later, Apollo opened his eyes as the markings on his body receded. Slowly, he lifted both of his arms. In one hand, there was a silver flame flickering with diabolic intent whereas in the other there was a scarlet flame that was beginning to turn black of its own accord.

'So this is her source of flame. I must say, it is beautiful, to say the least. I think I understand why her appearance changes so much upon utilizing this flame. Its tantalizing qualities are top-notch,' Apollo mused silently while glancing between the two clumps of fire. In addition to this, like his darkness affinity, his fire affinity would soon near the limit of the elementary division. 

To advance, it would require him to understand the principles of each element. However, once he did that, he would be touching upon the prime forms. Once that took place, his lethality on the battlefield would skyrocket to a completely different level. Furthermore, his potential would become even more coveted.

After all, the number of youths who enter the prime realm of the elements is few and far between. Thus, anyone capable of performing this feat was one who deserved to be cultivated with the utmost resources. Of course. it wouldn't be so blatant as to arouse public discord from the favorable treatment.

Meanwhile, another change took place inside the independent space. Fuhrer had finally given Typhir the okay to practice with a physical sword. While he still lacked versatility, each of his strikes carried with it the ability to not only attack but defend and evade as well. In other words, Fuhrer was training him to deal with any unfavorable instances. 

"Your progress is commendable. Not to mention, your lack of complaints is ever more praise-worthy. However, from this point onward, should you complain, I won't hold it against you," Fuhrer voiced before unsheathing Brynhildr, "Until you leave, I will be your opponent but that isn't all."

Suddenly, Fuhrer's body split from one into two. Afterward, two turned into 4 and so on and so forth. By the end of it, he had split himself into 256 copies. As he watched this happen, Typhir's jaw nearly fell apart. In response, Fuhrer chuckled.

"In the beginning, I will only attack you once. Since you won't be experiencing mass combat any time soon, I'll take it upon myself to simulate the most basic of situations you need to learn how to overcome," Fuhrer said before raising his sword in Typhir's direction.

On the other hand, Apollo turned towards them and took a seat before watching the events unravel before his eyes. Of course, that wasn't all that he did. A few moments after he examined Geneva's flames, his Hellfire suddenly became unruly. Of its own accord, it jumped from his left palm to his right one.

With no hesitation at all, it started to devour Geneva's source flame. By the end of the process, the only remaining flame was the Hellfire. Although there was a greater amount of Geneva's flames, the two were not to be compared. Hellfire existed as a flame to burn nearly everything. Thus, when it came to the two, Hellfire won. However, there was a small change. At the edge of the Hellfire, there were faint flickers of black energy.

Nevertheless, Apollo paid more attention to Typhir and Fuhrer than this matter. Any changes that took place within his flame would be felt by his body and dealt with accordingly. 

Soon enough, Fuhrer made his move. In this training, Fuhrer took the initiative as defense was the easiest route to train in. Based on your opponent's move, you would then understand how to react. Once these movements were burned into the thought process, it became an instinctive response.

As a result of Fuhrer's advance, Tyhir gripped the hilt of his sword and performed a withdrawing step. As Fuhrer watched this take place, his eye glanced to the side for an instant. Yet, in that mere instant, he saw a few moments into the future and read Typhir's reaction.

In place of one strike, Fuhrer performed two. On top of his initial plain slash, Fuhrer also slid his hand to the side and performed a follow-up horizontal slash. This made his one strike turn into a cross slash with little to no openings. However, because this was training, he purposely allowed an opening to appear.

If he wished to teach Typhir properly, a large sequence of opening would need to be instilled within Typhir's reaction pattern. Typhir spotted the opening in a reasonable amount of time and broke through it. An instant later, however, Fuhrer closed the distance with a light tap of his foot. He moved closer like a phantom before unleashing another strike upon Typhir.

Unlike the prior two, this one was a pierce. Due to the change in the strike's fundamentals, Typhir responded in kind. He pierced his sword forward and glided it against Fuhrer's blade. In light of his movement, Fuhrer praised him inwardly. 

Be that as it may, Fuhrer still raised the difficulty of the training marginally after every few collisions. By the time Typhir had been introduced to nearly all of the possible opening points, the difficulty was at a level wherein Fuhrer allowed for little to no breather. In less than 5 minutes, Typhir exhaustedly fell to his knees.

"H-how can your stamina be so great? Do you not get tired?" Typhir exclaimed through prominent gasps. 

"Minimal exertion, you must learn your opponent's flow and manipulate your exertion to utilize the least energy possible to retaliate. Of course, you also need to learn how to monitor your own consumption as a whole. Once that happens, your ability to fight in prolonged battles will always assist you," Fuhrer replied while lowering his blade and looking into a corner of the independent space.

"Someone is here on the outside," Fuhrer announced before looking beyond to reveal who.