Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

"What the hell are you doing?" Rain asked.

The target ignored Rain's question and kept doing whatever he wanted. Before long, the whole area was trembling, and the ground began to crack… before any other signs could show, Rain kicked the face of the target with all his might and knocked him down. However, Rain felt an explosion on his feet that burned his boots up to the flesh and even pushed his leg backward.

"... Was that magic?" Rain frowned.

It seemed that the magic of the enemy was activated as soon as Rain kicked him… it wasn't a spell-like others. Rain also didn't see anything similar to fire magic. The impact just caused an explosion.

"Explosion… explosion?" Rain thought and then recalled something.

Rain's thoughts drifted back to a past mission where he had been assigned as Lorene's bodyguard. The building they had been in came under attack, and explosions threatened to bury them alive in the debris. The close call had left many questions to Rain since he never found the culprit.

Now, Rain couldn't help but draw parallels between the two situations. Explosions, though of a different kind, obstructed their path. Bodies were strategically placed to hinder their advance, and then they exploded. The eerie similarities between these pieces of information stirred a sense of unease deep within Rain.

"I should have known… killing Lorene probably would make Orcis depressed, and that would make him make mistakes in business. It also would affect Branden's family.

In any case, Rain decided to leave the capital with the prisoner and ask him some questions in one way or the other. Rain wasn't a fan of torture, but he didn't mind considering that agaisnt someone who tried to kill him before.

While he was leaving the capital with the unconscious prisoner, he realized that the aura of the guy was similar and yet different from the other royal guards, the ones that received the position thanks to Joanis. It didn't seem like they had the same type of abilities, even though they probably were special in their own right.

In any case, the prisoner only woke up at night, and he soon realized that he wasn't in the capital anymore. They were in an open field in the middle of nowhere… he could feel the smell of the ocean, but he couldn't turn around to see that. Rain locked his arms and legs behind his body with handcuffs that weighed one ton each.

"Let's start, with the introductions, I am the guy who will kill you soon if you do anything else aside from answering my questions," Rain said and you are the guy who will suffer a lot thanks to my lack of patience at the moment. Well then, where is Branden and the others?"

The prisoner carefully analyzed Rain, desperately searching for a way out of the risky situation. While he had heard numerous stories and tales about Rain, facing him in person presented an entirely different challenge. Rain's actions and decisions continued to shock the prisoner, leaving him confused to find an escape route.

Despite having gathered a wealth of information about Rain, the prisoner found himself scared. Rain's knack for resourcefulness and unpredictability became increasingly evident, leaving the prisoner with a sinking feeling that there might be no straightforward solution to his current predicament.

As he understood with this grim realization, he fervently checked his surroundings for any signs of hope amid the daunting uncertainty.

"... I don't know," the prisoner said while looking around and trying to make his arms slightly. "I wasn't around when they moved them, and we don't ask questions to our master."

Rain sighed, and then he approached the prisoner before kicking him in the stomach. He knew well that when someone usually takes a short breath before answering a question, it is because they were considering the best answer that they could do at that moment. And for the prisoner, mixing lies with truths was the best thing he could do.

The prisoner's body curved as he lost the air in his lungs, and he trembled in pain. Still, Rain suffered some damage, too, since an explosion happened upon contact.

Rain carefully observed the explosive magic wielded by his prisoner, and a concerning revelation sent shivers down his spine. It appeared that this opponent possessed an inherent, almost instinctual ability to create these explosions without conscious thought. It was as if these explosive counterattacks were a natural reaction deeply ingrained within the enemy's very essence.

What troubled Rain even more was the composition of these explosions – searing hot air. It seemed as though the enemy's body had a built-in mechanism to react to damage, using these explosive bursts as a fiery counter against anyone who dared to harm him.

Rain's mind raced as he considered the newfound danger presented by this unique defensive mechanism. The situation had become considerably more complex, requiring Rain to think swiftly and adapt his strategy.

"That is an interesting ability to have," Rain said while checking his feet and then healing when he saw the skin peeled in a large area. "Well then, how about you only tell the truth now before I decide to attack you without using my body?"

The prisoner eventually recovered, and he tried not to glare at Rain. However, his intentions were crystal clear… while he didn't glare, he still was emitting some bloodlust, and Rain felt the atmosphere changing. He tried to see what was happening around him, but he didn't notice anything… until he used magic eyes.

They were there… floating in the air… spheres of mana that were invisible, or maybe they were spheres of hot air. Either way, Rain made those explode by firing some earth bullets from the ground. The temperature increased a bit thanks to that in the area.

Still, the prisoner didn't have much time to suffer since Rain fired some earth bullets at his head as well, just enough to make him suffer but not enough to pass down.