Authors notes will go up here, and at the bottom of the page in bold.

Also imma write a small poem for every chapter! Or find one!

Thanks guys, this is book 2 in the Fire King series. It will be decided into two parts.

Part One: Champion Of Fire

All things eventually turn to ash

And are left in the distant past

Never to be reborn,

Even as the heart lays torn.

—January 15, 2023, 4:42

—Floor 1

—Wraith

"Lord, thank You for the people You have divinely placed in my life who speak holy truth, love and words of wisdom." The words flowed out of him as he spoke before the cross.

"Give me a heart of discernment to know when You are using someone to speak instruction into my heart and my circumstances, and give me the strength and courage to follow through with that advice, even when it's hard." His mask was discarded to the side as he prayed to God, his voice raspy and hoarse from underuse.

"Fill me with peace in knowing that even if I take a wrong turn, Your purpose will prevail. In Jesus' Name, Amen." He sat for a moment longer before taking a stand.

He donned his pure white opera mask, taking a look around the ruins of the church. He found the place only a week ago, and had been going here every day since, in fact, he never really left.. The pews were rotting, and falling apart, the stone was growing moss in several places. Half of the roof had collapsed inward, making a large pile of wood off to the right. None of the windows had the beautiful stained glass that probably once adorned this sacred building.

The one thing still completely intact were the heavy oak doors at the entrance. They stood solid against the howling wind outside. There were two doors on either side of the cross at the front, behind the pew. Both were locked, and Wraith didn't try forcing them open, deciding not to further damage the House Of The Lord.

He equipped his taidachi sword again, feeling it's reassuring weight settle on his back. He refused to pray with a weapon on, feeling that was somehow against an ancient code. He didn't know if it was, it just felt wrong.

He turned to go outside and hunt some Wolves for food. Right before he reached the huge doors, he heard the creak of one opening behind him.

—Floor 7

— Aoki

She stretched, having just lain on a bed. The eighth floor had been unlocked only hours previous, and she was tired. Sure, she didn't do much (any) of the fighting, but it was still exhausting, running around, delivering health potions to the fallen people, and helping them get out of the way of harm.

She yawned, relaxing in the cool comfort of the bed. Her sore muscles made her skeptical of the [Pain Absorber]'s effectiveness, but nonetheless, sleep came easy to her.

Even though she was trying to get some rest in before she was supposed to meet a client only a few hours from then, someone decided to wake her from the beginning stages of sleep with a pm.

Sender: Kora

Message: "we need you at the BIP within one hour. Important meeting"

"Fuck you, Kora. Fuck you and your 'we'" she groaned, standing on weary legs.

She pulled a cloak around her, and quickly made her way to the teleport gate, silently coming up with the exact names she wants to call Kora for waking her up, breaking one of her sacred rules.

The fortress of steel loomed over her as she jogged into it, the pillars of solid dark metal sucking the very warmth from her bones. She ignored the cold sensation creeping up her spine, and took the specific set of halls that led to their designated room, given to them by Kibaou, the head of the most powerful guild in SAO, the Aincrad Liberation Force.

When she heaved on the solid iron door, she found the rest of her guild there, minus three. "Hey, where is Wraith?" She asked, the first she noticed wasn't there.

"Don't know. He hasn't shown up to anything for a week now, beginning to fear for him" Kora said in his husky voice, scratching the stubble of a beard on his chin.

Aoki opened her menu, and checked her [Friends List], glad to see his name still there. 'At least he isn't dead' she thought.

Then she could sense people coming up behind her. She turned, and held out her arms, offering Teika a hug.

He smiled a bit, and accepted, happy to see his friend. They haven't actually had time to sit down and talk for the past week, as the mages (minus Wraith) were very busy fighting through labyrinth after labyrinth, clearing the floors almost as fast as they were put in front of them.

As soon as Teika released her, Silica came up for a hug also. The brief greetings were all they got however, as Kibaou decided just then to walk in.

His spiky brown hair and hard scowl were his most key features, but his eyes shone with a cunning uniqueness to them. His standard green cape, adorning darker armor fluttered behind him.

"Sorry I'm late. Meeting ran longer than I expected" he said. He took a position at the circular table that they always met at. When everyone was seated, he began speaking.

"I want you guys to take a break from clearing for a week. You have been doing the majority of the work, and to be completely honest, no one is leveling enough to keep up." He clasped his hands in front of him, looking everyone in the eyes.

"Eventually, we are going to get to a boss you can't take on, and we will need the rest of the Assault Team to be strong enough to help fight." Kora, Teika, Silica and the rest of the non-mages nodded.

"One little problem" came the bored drawl of the blonde Ice Mage. "We gain power and strength the same way you do, by defeating enemies. The stronger the enemy, the larger the reward for us"

"Ok, continue" Kibaou said, as though it wasn't evident.

"So" the blonde squinted. "How do you expect us to get more powerful, if you take away the biggest and strongest enemies we can face?"

"I want you to find a [Campaign] to do, like the [Elf War] or something. There are quests all over this damned floor alone, I am sure you can find something." He looked at Kora. "This sound ok to you?"

The leader thought for a moment. "Fine, but as soon as we are ready, we need to be the front line when assaulting again, I don't want the Mages, our main fighting force, sidelined."

Kibaou nodded. "Of course, of course" he then stood. "I will tell Argo to give you information on the best quests."

He turned around to leave, then remembered something. "One last item on the agenda. There is growing support for your efforts among the general populous, but there is also growing hate. There are numerous people who strongly dislike you, and believe in what Lind did, that you should either be on a leash, or dead"

"So, I don't want you traveling in a group less than three, got it?" There were nods and verbal confirmations around the room.

As he left, Teika turned towards Aoki. "Wanna go and grab a bite? My treat" he asked, Silica smiling to her.

"Sure! I would love to!" Came her reply, and they fell in step on their way out, chatting about nonsense.

— 4:54

—Floor 1

—Wraith

His taidachi was drawn as he whipped around, eyes flickering towards the two doors. Neither door was notably different from where he was standing, but he didn't move, holding his blade in his right hand with his left extended in front of him.

'Don't do it Isaac' he thought to himself. Curiosity won, and he took a step forward. Followed by another. And another.

Soon, he was at the altar that the preacher would normally speak at, the wooden cross propped on the wall behind it. The door to his left was open just slightly. Wraith lowered the tip of his sword, ready to thrust into whatever attacked him.

His eyes searched the ground, and found a relatively large stick, and lifted it, using it to push the door further open. It creaked, but nothing jumped at him.

Beyond the barrier, there was a stone staircase leading downwards in a spiral. The torches along the wall of the staircase burst into dark blue flame, no heat being given off.

Fighting himself each and every step of the way, he walked forward towards the stairs leading towards the unknown, a darkness beneath that seemed to call his name. Seemed to whisper words of death and hunger.

'This is floor one. I am level 16. I am pretty sure I can take on anything down here' he reasoned, and started walking with more purpose.

The staircase lead to an open chamber, a coffin on the opposite side of the room. In the center of the room, a massive pentagram painted with a dark color surrounded a hole that was at least four meters wide.

The air was heavy, and it was hard for Wraith to breathe underneath his mask. His white cloak was weighing him down, although it never bothered him before. This whole room was off.

And the smell wasn't helping either. It was sickly sweet, and metallic. Anyone knew this smell, but he had never had so much of it attack his senses at once. And it was coming from the hole.

A sound, deep and low like a bass synthesizer shook the room. Wraith looked around him, the blue-flame torches raising in height and intensity, without emanating more light. The telling click of a lock echoed down the stairs, telling him he wasn't allowed to escape.

A notice popped up on his HUD. "Notice: Light Magic disabled". 'Shit'

Bloodborne soundtrack ost - laurence the first vicar

*Wraith*

The voice reverberated through his very core, shaking his bones, and turning his stomach into a gelatin.

*Your allegiance with the Light disgusts me*

Wraith grunted slightly, pressing his left hand to his temple, a throb starting there. The low vibrations had turned into a pulse, a beat. A heartbeat.

"What…. are you…?" Wraith asked, the pressure in the room increasing. His headache worsened.

*I am one of the oldest beings created in Existence.*

Wraith's sword dropped from his hands, and he was forced to his knees suddenly.

*Pitiful Wraith. Did you really think you could have saved her?*

A vision was forced into his mind. It was of the day, weeks ago. The blonde girl he counted as his best friend sauntered towards him, a confident smile on her face. Her rapier being sheathed by her side, and before Wraith could react, the longsword raised, and cleaved through her neck.

Wraith shook his head, clearing the image that has haunted him for some time, but only in the back of his head.

"Why do you show me this?" He demanded, trying to force himself to his feet.

*Why do you resist fate?*

"Fate doesn't exist" he grunted, succeeding in standing. "I choose my own path."

*Free Will is a lie produced by the strong so the weak think they can escape what will be forced upon them.*

"I don't believe that" Wraith grunted, his knees locked to keep from buckling.

*Do not resist me. I am among Gods. Kneel to me. Submit to me.*

"I kneel to one God. And He isn't you."

The weight lifted off of him, and he immediately reached down, grabbing the comforting hilt of his taidachi. He gripped it, widened his stance, and held it firm.

*We will meet again, Wraith. Until then, have fun.*

The vibrations left, and the hole filled with a dark red light.

The torches around him turned scarlet as a shadow floated out of the hole, forming a humanoid shape. Above it's head appeared [Anane, Dawn of Armageddon].

'Shit' he repeated in his head.

The shadow solidified and formed well toned muscles, bulging underneath black skin…. if you can call that skin.

The red eyes formed, no pupils or irises sitting within. The whole body formed in less than thirty seconds.

"Wraith, bringer of Light. Expeller of Darkness. I shall bring you to your knees, and exterminate you from this world." its exceptionally deep voice boomed throughout the stone room.

"Well, Anane, I would prefer not being 'exterminated' just yet. Have a few things to do first."

"Then a battle it shall be" four health bars appeared next to its head, and boss music started playing.

As soon as there was no way out of this, Wraith darted forward, feinting left, and slicing wide with his blade.

A sword of darkness formed, and moved faster than Wraith could react, blocking the arcing Japanese steel.

A ring echoed about, both combatants unmoving. One from confidence, the other from shock.

"You are nothing without your powers, Light" the thing guffawed. "My Lord told me not to underestimate you, but it seems you are not even worth my time."

Wraith lept backwards, skidding to a halt. He hadn't met anything that fast before, ever. Usually, that feint would fool even the computer controlled enemies. But whatever this was, it was something more.

'Shit'

It moved.

It's blade of shadow arced, and Wraith stumbles to keep up, parrying and blocking as fast as his reactions would allow. But the barrage continued, and he was pressed backwards, slowly but surely.

Anane swung straight down, and the Light Mage barely managed to get his own blade above his head before the clang, and impact. Forced down to a knee, Wraith groaned, every muscle tense as he tried to force himself up. But he couldn't. This…. thing was holding him down with one hand.

"It seems the great and mighty Banisher Of Darkness has fallen to me! Haha! Wait until my Lord hears about this!" Anane laughed, backing away.

'I cannot land a blow against him like this. Damnit!' He swore in his head.

"I refuse to die yet." He spat. "I refuse to die today!" Wraith raised a hand to his face, and tore off his mask, discarding it.

"I refuse to be sit scared in the dark, shying away from whatever happens to pop out of the shadows"

He rushed forward, sword trailing slightly behind him, glowing with a fierce blue light. When he was two meters from Anane, he swung, the System speeding his movements.

The Demon sneered, blocking the horizontal arc of glowing steel. Wraith let it rebound, chaining another skill, his body moving by itself without his command.

"I refuse to go down without putting up a hell of a fight!" He cried out, striking Anane's defence over and over.

"Pitiful!" Came the reply, and Anane parried a strike, sending Wraith back. He followed it up with a kick, sending Wraith flying. "How can beings so useless as humans exist?" He laughed.

The Mage lay there, will broken. 'I tried… and….. couldn't.'

"Get up, Wraith" a soft voice floated to him. "Get up."

"I can't" he grumbled, Anane pacing back and forth, enjoying his victory, ignoring the pesky insect of an opponent.

"Get up! You can't die yet! You said so yourself!"

Wraith opened his eyes, and saw the blonde smiling face he knew all too well. "I can't. It's all for nothing"

"You can! You can fight on! At least until help arrives!"

"No one is coming…." Wraith's eyes shut, resigned.

"Get up. For me"

This got him moving. "For you"

She lifted herself off of the bed, opening her eyes. She managed to get Wraith to fight on, to buy some time until she could make it. But could she in time? She quickly moved to the center of the room, which was thick with fumes of a cooking potion.

Satome stirred a cauldron, a bubbling clear liquid inside. It smelled rancid, but most potions did while being brewed. She sat back, huffing from the exertion. This was almost done. She had been making this in secret for a while now, keeping it from Kayaba.

But she had to finish now. Wraith was in trouble. She didn't really care if he died or not, but she didn't want anyone else to have the chance at that power, and possibly have them siding against the Alliance… or worse, LC. So, it was currently in her best interests to help him somehow.

She looked to her crystal ball, sitting on a wooden table. She saw the the White Mage was being knocked around, unable to fend off Anane's attacks. He wouldn't last much longer.

It was too early. The potion wasn't finished. It still ended another two minutes…. but she didn't have two minutes. Running forward, she drew out a flask she swiped from Kayaba while he wasn't looking, dipped it into the clear liquid. She brought the potion to her lips, and quickly downed the bitter drink.

The effects activated immediately, her max health nearly doubling. At the cost of all her other stats, but for her purposes, her other stats didn't matter.

"Grant me the power to move through the confines of space. Teleport me to Wraith!"

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