Title: The Legend of Firzen
Fandom: Little Fighter 2
Summary: Long ago, a creature terrorized the world. In turn, the world had created its saviors–a champion of fire and a champion of ice.
Centuries ago–when man followed the sempiternal cycle of day and night with so much leisure and so little conflict–a vile creature emerged.
This peculiar creature was the sort that mocked the very appearance of man through his hulking, humanoid form. His face was nothing more than a dark mask with eyes that boasted an eerie crimson glow, something of a testament to his malice.
The origins of this creature were unknown. Some believed he arose from deep within the forbidden depths of earth; others believed he was of a different world entirely. All they had learned about him was his name: Julian, Bringer of Suffering.
So despicable, this Julian was. He sought to assert his dominance over man, sought to subjugate the land and mold it in his own image. And so began the requiem of doom and despair. What was once in peace had been ravaged into pieces. Explosions erupted, earth trembled, evil laughed, and people screamed. No one in the world could oppose Julian.
Scorching heat from the day had raged and freezing wind from the night had hissed. Day after day, night after night. In time, when they could tolerate Julian's malevolence no longer, the heat and the wind assumed physical forms.
They looked human, though they were anything but. The heat took on the appearance of a man with a black sleeveless outfit and blue eyes, his hair like gold flames. And the wind manifested into a man with a white cape and purplish garments, his gray hair up like shards of crystals. They called themselves Firen and Freeze–champions of fire and ice who were created by the world and her wish for salvation.
Firen and Freeze initially had their differences. Although they shared the same enemy, they could not bring themselves to work alongside each other.
"I shall be the one to vanquish the Bringer of Suffering. My explosive fury, the strongest fire in existence, will reduce him to ash," Firen declared with burning conviction.
"No, I shall be the one to vanquish the Bringer of Suffering. My seething ire, the coldest ice in existence, will condemn him to a wintry hell," Freeze declared with calm resolve.
Unimpressed, Firen scoffed, "Your ice would melt if struck by my fire. That and the little power you have will cost you."
But Freeze retorted, "Your fire would be snuffed out by the water from my ice. That and the little patience you have will cost you."
Firen fumed, "Still your tongue! I will see to it that Julian falls by my hands!"
With that said, Firen set out to defeat Julian while the day was still restless. Powers of fire and darkness clashed in the struggle that had ensued. Firen fought well–strong and fast, he was–but he could only do so much without a calm mind.
Unable to stop the Bringer of Suffering on his own, Firen returned to Freeze in bruises and blood.
"Rest, brother," Freeze told the injured Firen, "for I shall deal with Julian myself."
With that said, Freeze set out to defeat the Bringer of Suffering once the night had been reborn. Ice and darkness clashed in the battle that followed. Freeze fought admirably–patient and judicious, he was–but he could only do so much with his limited strength.
Unable to stop Julian on his own, Freeze returned to Firen in bruises and blood.
"I am powerful, but my impatience is my undoing," Firen admitted.
"I am patient, but my limited power is my undoing," Freeze conceded.
And it was then the champions of fire and ice recognized the paramount importance of teamwork. They had their strengths and their weaknesses, but they had each other as well.
Mother Earth always did intend to have the brothers unite.
"Shall we work together then, brother?" Firen suggested, his desire to try again growing like a flame that was reignited.
"Yes. Let us fight Julian together," Freeze nodded, his resolve to try again hardening like ice that had solidified.
Thus, in the following day, when sun and moon together had accompanied the heavens, Firen and Freeze set out to defeat Julian. They found the demon at a tower he created with his own power, sitting upon a throne crafted from the bones of those who dared oppose him.
Julian rose to his feet when he saw them, his eyes a reflection of his insatiable bloodlust.
"Too often must I leave my throne to deal with the foolish, miserable lot," growled the Bringer of Suffering, "I welcome you both to the end of your lives! This time, neither of you will escape!"
And so fire and ice collided with the darkness. Firen supported Freeze whenever his coolheaded brother struggled to damage Julian, and Freeze defended Firen each time his fiery brother got too reckless. They both covered each other's weaknesses, shared each other's strengths. Their camaraderie was one to respect.
But Julian, Bringer of Suffering, still proved to be too much for them to handle. His power, an unholy energy augmented by all the souls that he devoured, seemed to rise without an end. The attacks unleashed upon the duo betrayed years–perhaps decades–of ruthless massacres.
Before long, Firen and Freeze were overwhelmed. They were on the verge of collapsing.
"Fools!" Julian cackled, "Genuflect before my might, or perish beneath my feet."
"How can this be?! We have been fighting this savage as a team–as fire and ice!" exclaimed Firen.
Freeze mused, "It would seem camaraderie is not enough. We must resort to stronger measures."
"What more can we do, brother?! We have tried everything!"
"That is not so. We have not tried everything. Do you recall the last resort bestowed upon us by Mother Earth?"
Right at that moment, Firen understood the insinuation behind Freeze's words. "Freeze, you… you surely do not mean…"
"Yes, Firen," Freeze confirmed, "We should not fight as two; we should fight as one."
Julian scoffed, "Just what are the two of you blathering on about? Has my power truly instilled madness in you fools?" he cupped his hands at his side, an ominous purple ball of energy forming between his palms.
The elements knew they did not have time to argue–did not have time to think of another solution. Their foe had no intention in granting them even a sliver of respite. At this juncture, Firen and Freeze needed to act post haste.
They promptly ran toward one another without saying anything, ready to unite.
Julian thrusted his hands at the duo and shot forth a giant blast, the Soul Bomb.
A dark explosion erupted from where Firen and Freeze were.
"Hahahah! A couple more victims to add to the body count!" gloated the Bringer of Suffering, looking skyward in glee.
"Celebrating prematurely, are we?" a calm, yet firm voice interjected, "That arrogance shall lead you to your downfall."
Eyes widening in shock, Julian stared back at the thick cloud of smoke before him.
When the aftermath of the Soul Bomb attack had dissipated, there stood a man whose spiky hair was viridian like a forest. His eyes, as red as fire born from righteous anger, gleamed with tenacity as his long cape billowed out behind him. Energy orbs that formed from his hands bathed his yellow suit in cyan and orange radiance.
"What sorcery is this? Who are you? Where are the other fools?" Julian demanded.
"I am not only fire but also ice. The Bringer of Salvation, Firzen!"
"Bringer of Salvation?" Julian spat, "Perhaps you should first observe your own reflection before judging others of arrogance."
"I speak not with arrogance," countered Firzen, "but with certainty."
"Enough of your delusions, Firzen!"
The Bringer of Suffering charged yet another Soul Bomb before shooting it toward his opponent.
Firzen, however, was prepared to parry. He slammed his hands together, which combined the cyan and orange orbs into a large sphere of golden power, and unleashed a mighty energy beam.
The two blasts clashed with each other. Created from the collision, an explosion swallowed the attacks. Wind had scattered in every direction as a result.
"Inconceivable!" Julian cried out, "His power is as great as mine!"
And right there and then–for the very first time–the dastardly villain was in complete disbelief. He had always seemed unrivaled, invincible, a god before lowly creatures that he could play with as he so pleased. What stood before him challenged that same belief.
Incensed, Julian summoned a barrage of flying skulls to get rid of his target. Firzen merely raised his left arm while creating a shield made of ice around the forearm. The Skull Bullets failed to damage the shield.
Julian lunged at Firzen, his right arm cocked back and his entire body imbued with a blinding aura. He thrust his fist in Firzen's direction, only for the Bringer of Salvation to swiftly evade the deadly punch by leaping off to the side.
Firzen had then cast numerous energy spheres up in the air. Each blast split into smaller orbs of blue and red that rained down upon Firzen's enemy. It mattered not how many mirror images Julian pulled off in his desperation to dodge; the villain could not escape the ice that burned worse than fire, or the fire that stung worse than ice. This shower of elements was powerful and precise–like Firen and Freeze respectively.
The Bringer of Salvation, after having repeated his attack many times over, eventually decided to end the battle with one last move. When he approached his wounded adversary, he crossed both arms in an 'X' shape moments before throwing them over his head. Icicles sprung up from the floor, flames emerged from the explosion that preceded it, and another shower of fire and ice struck down the battlefield.
The Polar Volcano technique thoroughly overwhelmed Julian.
Irony had been at play that day. Julian was on one knee before the man he initially pegged as a mere peasant.
"This… This is not over. You may have won now, but you will fall by my hand sooner or later," the defeated villain sneered, "I am unbeatable! I am not fated to lose!"
"Your arrogance never ends, does it?" scoffed Firzen.
"You poor fool. Should you kill me, I will simply train and come back! Again and again until I become victorious. That is not arrogance, that is truth," Julian cackled.
"…"
"Hahahah! You seem troubled, Bringer of Salvation. As you should be. I mean what I say. Sending me to the next world will do nothing."
"…Julian. You will suffer a fate worse than death. You shall be sealed away."
"What?!"
"Demon!" spat Firzen. His hands were aimed at Julian as they glowed in gold. "Your reign of terror ends right here and now!"
"N–No!" Julian panicked, "Nooooooo!"
Firzen shouted, "Begone!"
And with that, Firzen delivered the coup de grace. He summoned a large pillar of light that erupted from the ground beneath Julian, engulfing his foe. Julian had suffered an agony so immense that his screams were as deafening as the celestial hum of Firzen's attack.
When the illumination died away, all that had remained of Julian was a statue.
"If Julian truly can return from death, then I must ensure that such a possibility never occurs. I cannot risk him coming back, stronger than ever. This way, in his petrified state, the horrible fiend will not be able to train and amass more power. May Julian never imperil the world again."
From that day onward, Julian would remain sealed. His statue had been moved someplace isolated, never to be disturbed. Where it was placed, no one knew. No else except Firzen.
And what of Firzen? Such a thought was one more mystery. However, once in a blue moon, there would be sightings of two peculiar men with hair like golden flames and gray shards of crystal respectively. They would disappear as quickly as they appear.
Many claimed to have seen them on an island governed by heat and wind, lava and snow, fire and ice. And these claims would continue–even now.