Kris’ POV

Kris observed the short interaction between Jack and the red-haired Colonel. It seemed to him like Jack was able to put the Colonel in line only because of their respective ranks. Kris doubted that Jack would be able to stop the Colonel otherwise.

So it’s that kind of guy.

Kris unconsciously grinned. Before Kris could stop himself, the Colonel noticed him then scowled.

“What’s so funny, brat?”

“Nothing.”

“Heh,” the Colonel snorted. “Brats like you should know their place,” Kris felt the Colonel flare up his mana as the heat around the room grew hotter. The Colonel punctured Kris with a sharp gaze.

Kris didn’t reply or react.

“Hahahahahahahahaa! I don’t blame you for being scared kid,” the Colonel whirled his fingers as flames conjured and danced around his arms. “It’s not always that you find yourself up against such… heat.”

The colonel then mimicked a throwing gesture as a ball of fire shot forth his palms, aimed directly at Kris.

Kris promptly stepped to his right with minimal movement, the flame grazing his cheeks as its heat whizzed past his face.

“Ooohhh,” Kane nodded in mocking. “Seems like you can at least run away when you feel like it.”

The air around them slowly became painted with a tinge of red, and Kris could feel even his clothing get hotter and uncomfortable. The Colonel in contrast, seemed to become livelier.

Kane raised his arms rapidly, and soon an inferno swallowed Kris’ view.

Kane Ordin’s POV

The heat in the air fueled Kane’s power. The beating of his heart grew more rapid as he swelled his mana, coloring the very space around them in a bright, red hue. His eyes became bloodshot, as the gloves on his hands burned and slowly whittled away.

His hair danced with the rapidly rising heat. Kane’s very excitement traveled through the dry halls.

This was his magic, Hell’s Gate. By releasing his mana in the surroundings, he gains complete control and influence over an area. This allows him to summon flames of the highest quality any time.

For an Ordin of his caliber, even chants became meaningless. All he had to do was spread his influence. It was an original technique inspired by the mages of old.

He raised his arm as the friction in the air created sparks and created an intense sea of flames in front of him, up to where the boy was.

As Kane watched his flames spread evenly and rapidly, he couldn’t help but smile. The flames enclosed on Kris’ position, making him jump back. Kane extinguished the inferno and summoned spikes of flame towards where Kris was landing.

Kris pointed a palm to his right and made a gush of wind push him away from the spikes. He grimaced as the wind, influenced by the scorching heat, burned the right side of his body. He landed safely but Kane snapped his fingers as a tornado of flames sucked in the heat and collected where Kris was.

He heard a muffled scream of agony from inside the tornado.

How splendid. Kane still had to pace himself in order to not consume his mana quickly when he used Hell’s Gate, but he found that his control and the sphere of influence has found much wanted improvement.

As the tornado of flames subsided, Kris knelt onto the floor. Smoke rose from the edges Kris’ body. The smell of burnt skin pleased Kane greatly, but a thin line of mana covered Kris. Kane raised a brow.

“Oh, to be able to defend against a Hell’s Gate attack, I must say it’s quite impressive,” Rather, Kane thought that if he wasn’t able to do that much, then there was no point to this charade.

Kris darted towards him in response.

“Hahahahahahaha! Come then, brat!” Kane jumped up and directed two whips of flames using his hands. He swung his arms consecutively, as Kane timed a purposeful delay. Kris weaved through the first whip, but before he could dodge the second, a bolt of fire exploded to his left and propelled him sideways.

Kris rolled as he landed, the heat of the ground sizzling any exposed skin even through his defense. As Kris helplessly rolled, Kane snapped his fingers as another explosion spread shockwaves that threw Kris again in the opposite direction.

The boy finally landed squarely on his back, but before he could get his bearings, Kane summoned a large ball of flame that plummeted down towards Kris. Kris face scrunched as he rolled to his side and used his arms to push him away from the incoming meteor.

The meteor landed with a burst of fiery abandon. Swaths of orange flames bolted around the epicenter. Kane consciously took hold of five streams of flame and aimed them at Kris.

Kris had no time to spare as he jumped to the side, this time trying to conjure water. As expected, his conjuring failed. A swath of flame managed to rinse Kris’ arms and made the boy reel in pain.

The pitch of the boy’s screams made Kane tremble in delight.

‘This should be it.’ thought Kane.

Kris’ squinted his eyes as a cage of flame blocked any path to escape. It was short enough that Kane could instantly make them grow, and it allowed him to see Kris’ struggle.

Kane laughed, not bothering to hide his disdain of the boy. In truth, Kane was just playing with his despair. The moment Kane had exerted enough influence around him, the boy was already at his mercy.

“That’s it, huh? I’ll hand it to you, to at least take those blows while unable to use magic in this heat…” Kane then paused after he took a more meaningful glance at Kris’ body.

There were no injuries.

‘What the?’ Kane frowned.

Kris then turned his head up as he looked at the ceiling. After what seemed like a long time, he spoke.

“It’s hot, isn’t it?” Kris said. Kane scowled.

“What are you…” Before he could finish, Kane was able to notice a subtle change. The activity, the friction in the air was slowly dwindling down. The color of the air became less saturated. Kane instinctively took a step back.

“You said that this magic is called Hell’s Gate, didn’t you?” Kris then slowly turned his head towards Kane, not even bothering to turn his whole body. His eyes had no light in it, but as soon as his gaze landed on Kane, the Colonel felt a cold wrap around his face.

Kane couldn’t reply.

Kris smiled.

“Then…” The air around Kris felt devoid of any motion, and slowly, the inactivity was seeping to the heat that Kane was proud of.

“Let me show you that true hell…” Kris paused then turned his body as the flames that surrounded him froze, covered in lifeless, dull purplish ice.

“...is a cold that freezes our very hearts.”