The streets of the city were quiet at this hour, save for the occasional clatter of hooves against stone and the faint murmur of distant tavern songs. Two figures staggered down the cobbled road, swaying slightly, laughter spilling from their lips like ale from an overfilled mug.

Milo, threw an arm around Regulus' broad shoulders, nearly tripping over his own feet in the process. The two of them reeked of beer and good times, their steps uneven, but their spirits high.

"Oi, oi, Reg," Milo slurred, trying to focus his bleary eyes on his friend. "What's the deal with Lady Celestine these days, huh? I heard her new party got scared off once more."

Regulus sighed, running a hand through the flaming feather on top of his helmet. He was taller, more solidly built, but no less affected by the alcohol. "Yeah," he muttered. "That man scared them off once again."

Milo groaned. "For gods's sake. So the rumors were true?"

Regulus nodded grimly. "No matter how high-ranked she is as a Liberator, no one wants to stand next to her if it means getting assassinated in their sleep."

Milo exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "It's ridiculous, she's the king's own daughter. And yet, he doesn't even see any value in her." He wiped his mouth, frustration creeping into his drunken stupor. "I mean seriously! That man's an idiot!"

Regulus gave a humorless chuckle. "It's just bad luck, Milo." His voice was quieter now, his steps slower. "She was born second. That's all there is to it."

Milo scoffed. "Yeah, well, the firstborn, his royal highness, the crown prince himself tried to acknowledge that she'd make a better ruler. And guess what? The king still won't listen." He spread his arms wide in mock exasperation. "The man is blind!"

Regulus sighed, but before he could respond, something changed, as the air suddenly grew thick and heavy. The drunken haze in their minds cleared just enough for their instincts to scream at them. Then, from an alleyway up ahead, a brilliant, searing light erupted into the night.

A pillar of fire, raging and hungry, shot up into the sky, licking past the rooftops like the breath of a vengeful god. The force of the explosion sent shockwaves rippling through the streets, rattling windows, and casting an eerie orange glow over the cityscape.

Both men staggered, their intoxicated minds struggling to process what they were seeing.

"…What?" Milo muttered, shielding his eyes from the blinding blaze.

Milo stared, jaw tight. "That wasn't natural."

"Oh wow, Milo," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "What seer whispered that ancient wisdom into your ear? What oracle bestowed upon you the knowledge that this—" he gestured wildly at the massive, obviously unnatural inferno consuming the skyline, "—is not natural? By the heavens, your perception knows no bounds!"

Milo gave him a flat look. "Shut up, Reg."

"No, seriously, I need to know," Regulus continued, stumbling forward and clutching his friend's shoulders. "Was it a prophecy? A divine revelation? Or perhaps it was the fact that there's a giant pillar of fire exploding in the middle of the city?"

A green haired woman burst out of the alley like a bat out of hell, her arms flailing as she screamed at the top of her lungs. "I JUST WANTED TO SAVE AN INNOCENT MAN, AND NOW HE'S A FREAKING FIRE TORNADO!"

Without breaking stride, she sprinted full speed toward the nearest wall, only to slam straight into it face-first with a loud, fleshy THUD making both Regulus and Milo wince.

But then, the wall opened up. A section of the scaly surface shifted inward as if she had pressed some kind of hidden trigger, revealing a narrow passage. Without hesitation, Elsie stumbled inside, the wall sealing behind her just as quickly as it had opened.

Milo blinked and then Regulus blinked, both in utter and absolute confusion. They were first distracted by the flames, but something else caught Reguluses attention, something about that green-haired lunatic seemed very familiar. Then it hit him, and his face twisted in sheer disbelief. "Wait a damn minute. That was Elsie the Green!"

Milo raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

Regulus sighed, shaking his head. "A fanatic from the Northern Libratorium. Her whole purpose in life is to heal wounded heroes at their time of need and then demand an insane payment they can never actually afford."

Milo scoffed. "What kind of scam is that?"

Regulus shrugged. "She calls it 'Markapama' or something similar to that."

Milo frowned, the name still not ringing a bell. "And why's she called Green?"

Regulus I n response turned to him, expression deadpan. "Milo."

"What?"

"She has green hair and green eyes."

Milo blinked. His face remained blank for a second before he groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Oh, come on." Regulus smirked, shaking his head. "I swear, sometimes it's like you ask stupid questions just to drain my brain of any logical thoughts I might have."

Milo grumbled under his breath, but Regulus continued, now clearly enjoying himself. "Besides, she's still new to all this. She's barely fourty."

Milo nearly choked on his own spit. "Barely fourty?!" to which Regulus only nodded. "For a Grounded, that's basically a kid."

Milo groaned again, this time rubbing both hands over his face like he was reconsidering every life choice he had ever made. 'It's so unfair.'

He had to train for years just to keep up with monsters like Regulus and Erya, and meanwhile, a thirty-year-old Grounded was out here acting like a hero, while still being probably stronger than most people in the world.

Regulus chuckled at his suffering, giving him a hearty slap on the back. "Hey, you get other benefits. No need to be jealous."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Milo rolled his eyes. "Yeah? Like what?" Regulus grinned. "Well, for starters, you—"

His words died in his throat as they rounded the alley corner. Milo followed his gaze, and his stomach twisted.

Kaiser was standing there. Completely on fire.

The flames danced along his body but didn't consume him, wrapping around his form like a cloak of living fury. His eyes burned just as intensely, his breath slow and deliberate, each exhale sending a wave of heat rippling through the air. The very ground beneath him cracked and blackened from the sheer heat radiating off his body.

Milo swallowed hard. "Well… that's new."

Regulus didn't waste a second. "Kaiser!" he called out, stepping forward, his usual easygoing tone gone.

Milo followed suit. "Hey, lad! What the hell is—" Before he could finish, Kaiser slowly turned his head toward them, his burning eyes locking onto theirs, and both men stiffened. There was something deeply, deeply wrong with that look.

It wasn't just the flames or the heat rolling off his body in suffocating waves. It wasn't even the sheer intensity in his expression. It was the fact that for the first time since they'd met him, Kaiser looked like he was having true fun.

Selvira laid sprawled on the ground beneath him, smoke rising from her scorched coat. Her body ached, and her leg burned, the pain screaming at her to stay down. But she didn't listen. With a sharp breath, she dug her fingers into the ground, forcing herself up on shaky limbs. Her body protested, her muscles tight and weak, but she pushed through.

Kaiser loomed over her, his fiery gaze locked onto hers. He was waiting, amused by what he was seeing, expecting her to do something crazy, and Selvira did not disappoint.

It started with a sudden burst of strength. A lunge forward. Her foot slammed into Kaiser's chest, the impact sending a wave of heat through her boot as the flames licked at her skin. It hurt—Gods, it hurt—but she didn't care.

The force barely knocked him back an inch, but an inch was all she needed.

She landed back, staggering but refusing to fall. Her body screamed at her, but she ignored it, pushing forward in a reckless dash. The alley walls blurred around her, the pounding of her own heartbeat drowning out everything else. Her leg burned, every step agony, but she kept running.

Kaiser was already turning, his smirk widening as if entertained by her little stunt.

"If you ever wanna continue our date," she cooed over her shoulder, voice dripping with amusement, "You can find me in the capital, my special little human."

Kaiser exhaled through his nose, rolling his shoulders like he was merely warming up, his expression shifting from amusement to something far more dangerous as his smirk deepened. "A date, huh?" he mused, his voice laced with quiet intrigue before his grin widened, his fingers twitching with anticipation. "Then take this as my parting gift."

Without hesitation, his arm shot forward, and in an instant, a massive streak of fire exploded from his palm, roaring to life as it surged toward her like a ravenous beast, its searing heat distorting the air and casting the alley in an ominous glow. The very ground beneath them trembled from the sheer force of the flames, the light reflecting off the surrounding walls in flickering waves, stretching shadows into jagged, dancing figures.

Selvira's breath caught in her throat as she spun toward the alley wall, her fingers scrambling against the stone until, at last, they brushed against the hidden brick she had been searching for. Without wasting a second, she slammed her palm against it, her heart pounding in her ears as the mechanism groaned to life, the ground beneath her shifting as the concealed passage yawned open just wide enough for her to throw herself through.

She lunged forward, barely slipping past the threshold as the stone doors came crashing shut behind her at an alarming speed, grinding against each other with a deafening sound. The fire Kaiser had unleashed surged forward in a last, desperate attempt to reach her, some of it managing to slip through the narrowing gap, its scorching heat licking at the edges of the passage, but the bulk of it was smothered against the reinforced stone, leaving only a lingering heat and the charred scent of scorched air in its wake.

For a brief moment, everything was still, the alley bathed in eerie silence, save for the faint crackling of dying embers drifting through the air. Then, with the same unsettling ease as before, Kaiser let out a slow, entirely amused chuckle, the sound rich with amusement as the last remnants of fire flickered away from his body. Rolling his shoulders once more, he exhaled in a relaxed sigh, his gaze lingering on the wall where she had disappeared, his smirk only deepening as he cracked his neck.

"How convenient," he muttered under his breath, his fingers flexing at his sides, still itching with residual heat as he turned away from the now-sealed passage. With one last glance at the alley, he allowed himself a final smirk, his voice carrying the quiet promise of something inevitable.

"Guess I'll be getting my second date soon."

Milo moved first. Carefully, cautiously, like he was approaching a wild animal that might lash out at any second. His eyes flicked toward Regulus, who, despite his usual laid-back demeanor, had a single hand resting on the hilt of his sword, fingers loose but ready. The tension in the alley was thick, the air still tainted with the lingering heat of flames that had no right to exist.

Kaiser's smirk had faded, the last embers of fire flickering out into nothingness as his shoulders slowly relaxed. With an exhale, he waved a dismissive hand. "Just some thieves," he said, his voice calm but slightly hoarse. "No reason you two to get involved."

Milo reached him first, concern plain on his face as he tilted his head and gave Kaiser a once-over. "Lad," he said, his voice softer than before, almost fatherly, "Are you alright? Did they take anything?" His brow furrowed, the usual sharpness in his eyes replaced with genuine worry.

Regulus, however, had his gaze locked onto Kaiser with something far less forgiving. He wasn't looking at a victim of a mugging, he was looking at a puzzle, one that had just dumped all its pieces onto the ground in front of him. His expression unreadable, he tilted his head. "What was that?" His voice was steady, but there was an undeniable weight behind it.

Kaiser met his gaze, but before he could answer, Regulus kept going.

"You already have a different power," Regulus continued, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Which means you've got two talents, huh?" His tone was skeptical, but there was a flicker of something else beneath it—curiosity, maybe even intrigue. Then, as if realizing something mid-thought, he corrected himself with a small chuckle. "No… You've got royal blood in you, don't you? That'd make sense. Or maybe—" He smirked to himself, shaking his head. "Maybe you're just a rare find."

Kaiser opened his mouth to speak, but Regulus didn't let him. Instead, he laughed, low and amused, before turning on his heel and walking away, his long cape trailing behind him as he disappeared out of the vally.

Milo frowned. "Where the hell's he going?"

Kaiser sighed, attempting to push himself off the wall, only for his legs to give out slightly beneath him. He stumbled, catching himself against the stone, but before he could steady himself, Milo was already there, grabbing his arm and helping him up with ease.

"Easy there, lad," Milo muttered. "You're still half-cooked."

Kaiser let out a breath, shaking his head. "I'm fine," he said, though he still leaned against the older man for support. "And… thanks, Milo."

Milo waved him off. "Don't mention it." Then, after a beat, he scratched the back of his head. "Though… I gotta ask. You and Regulus both seemed real surprised in what you just did. I take it even you know that people with two powers aren't exactly common?"

Kaiser hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Judging by his reaction? I'd guess they're not." He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. "I've never met someone like this before. And to be honest, I didn't even have this power until after my fight with Sabel."

Milo blinked. "Wait, so this is new to you?"

Kaiser nodded again. "One day it was ice. The next, fire. I don't control when it changes, it just… happens?"

Milo frowned, rubbing his chin in thought. "That's interesting." Then, after a pause, he glanced at Kaiser. "You don't have to explain anything to me, lad. I'm just glad you're still in one piece." He patted him on the back before crossing his arms, his expression thoughtful. "But… I have heard of powers changing before. It's rare, but it happens. And from what I know, the main factor behind it are emotions. The stronger they get, the more unstable the power becomes, shifting with whatever the person's feeling."

Kaiser looked at him, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. Milo tilted his head. "So, tell me, lad… what were you feeling when those flames first sparked?"

Kaiser was quiet for a moment, then exhaled, his voice low and sure.

"…Like I was being drowned in power," he muttered, his lips curling into a smirk. "And I wanted to drink every last drop."

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