Ty took a deep breath, shedding his shirt and tucking the fairy safely inside it. "Don't want to oversweat my main shirt," he explained, his voice carrying a mix of focus and nonchalance.
The man overseeing the test couldn't hide his shock upon noticing the imposing scar that marred Ty's stomach. "What in the world happened to you?" he inquired, his curiosity piqued by the visible testament to Ty's resilience.
Ty, with a confident smirk, directed his gaze past the man and towards the camera. "Let's just say I'm one sturdy guy. I can take a hit," he declared, his statement hinting at the battles he had endured.
The man, momentarily distracted, followed Ty's gaze before turning back, only to find Ty assuming a peculiar stance. "What are you doing?" he asked, bewildered by the unfamiliar posture.
"It's called a runner's stance. People in track do it to get a better step off and get to full acceleration faster," Ty explained, schooling the man in the basics of sprinting techniques.
With his eyes closed, Ty harnessed his focus, feeling the heat coursing through his body. He channeled this energy, directing it through his muscles and down to his legs, grounding it in the heels of his feet, preparing for the burst of speed he was about to unleash.
"If I still had the barrier ability, I could probably hit even faster levels of speed, but it's not worth fretting over," Ty mused internally, acknowledging his limitations while embracing the strength he possessed.
Ty's eyes, clear and blue, snapped open as he focused forward, his feet scuffing across the smooth concrete. With a forceful push, he blasted off the surface, leaving an intense black scorch mark behind. A massive explosion of flames erupted in his wake, a visual testament to the sheer power he harnessed as he sprinted down the lane.
About 15 seconds into his dash, Ty sensed he could push himself even further. Propelling off his right foot, he flung himself forward at an accelerated pace. It was only when he was inches away from the wall at the end of the lane that a sudden intuition of danger flashed through his mind.
Reacting instinctively, Ty spun around, his feet finding purchase on the wall in a maneuver reminiscent of swimmers turning at the pool's edge.
"Just like those swimmers do in the water," Ty thought to himself, using the wall to push off and propel himself forward with renewed momentum. He rushed back towards the starting line, his path engulfed in flames that billowed and spread across the entire field.
"Oh, no, that's it for that skill. As you saw, when I get enraged, I tap into a heightened power boost, and my eyes change to red. Other than that, the staple black flames that I can shift and weave into weapons," Ty finally shared, cautiously revealing only parts of his capabilities, mindful of how much he divulged in this environment where information could be as critical as strength.
"I see, please step forward again and unleash your strongest attack you can muster up in the..." the man glanced at his watch, noting the time, "5 minutes you have left."
Ty nodded, accepting the challenge as he repositioned himself, his gaze fixed on the expanse before him. 'An ultimate attack...?' he pondered. Do I even have one? Now that I think about it, I've never really gone all out on a specific attack.
Though I have pushed myself to exhaustion, that was always blending many abilities into one and never just an all-out brute force attack, Ty reflected, delving into his past experiences for inspiration.
What could I reference to unleash an ultimate attack? A sudden inspiration struck him as he recalled Laos's attack, his hands stretched out in a commanding gesture as he entered. Yeah, that might do.
Taking a deep breath, Ty brought his hands together, then extended them out in front of him. A small black flame emerged, twirling between his palms. Pure black flamed energy, but deeper than that, it's just energy, right? Ty considered. I should be able to bend it further!
With determination fueling his resolve, Ty focused on the flame, intent on shaping it into something more powerful, something truly deserving of being called his ultimate attack.
As Ty concentrated, every muscle in his body tensed, veins bulging visibly on his forehead. Around the black flames, fragments of pure energy began to crackle, gradually merging into a dark orb devoid of any visible flame. This ball of pure black energy sprang forth, heralding the culmination of his power.
Summoning the image of his childhood hero, the embodiment of pride and resilience against bullies, Ty found his voice. "Final Black Flames Bursting Flash!" he bellowed, channeling every ounce of his being into the attack. The vision of Erebos, a figure of antagonism, fueled his resolve as the energy bolted forward.
The man overseeing the test could only watch, eyes wide in disbelief, as the attack launched. In the mere blink of an eye, the aftermath left Ty on one knee, exhaustion overtaking him. His body trembled from the sheer force exerted, but his gaze remained fixed forward, witnessing the aftermath.
The entire field, stretching 3 miles wide, lay in ruins—a wasteland of destruction permeated by black essence. This devastating energy seemed to leech life from everything it touched