Blaze was filled with thoughts and fear.
What can I do? What can I do to save Cloudy? Is there no one here? Somebody help us.
But then—Cloudy barked—a sharp and unwavering sound.
Blaze looked down at his friend Cloudy. Cloudys legs were shaking in fear but still he stood tall. Defiant. Loyal.
Cloudy is scared. But he didn't run. He is defending me. He is saving me even after knowing that he can never win.
Blaze took a deep breath. He forced his feet to stay rooted.
No more running.
The leader of the bullies smirked as he cracked his knuckles and said, "What's wrong? Scared? Huuuhahhahah"
Blaze's body was trembling in fear of those bullies. Then suddenly, he slapped on his face. Took a deep breath. His face darkened. Then he murmured to himself, "Not this time."
Blaze's fists clenched tightly.
"Wait, Cloudy," he commanded. His voice was surprisingly calm despite the chaos unfolding around him. Something had shifted within him.
He looked toward his past self.
Flashes of memory raced through his mind—grueling laps with heavy tubs filled with water, the burning exhaustion that followed, and every moment he pushed himself beyond his limits. Each instance was a testament to his determination.
"You are right. I couldn't win that day, but after all this training, after enduring the pain and struggle, I've grown stronger. I won't run. Even if I can't win, I won't run. I will never leave Cloudy. You are not the real me. The real me would never leave a friend. And I won't be afraid anymore. I am gonna become the strongest swordsman. That's my dream. I'm gonna catch up to that person, no matter what, and win against him. That's what I believe."
Blaze declared as he saw his past self vanishing in the air with a smile, saying, "That's right. You, no, I am gonna become the strongest swordsman in the magical verse. Don't you dare forget that, me!"
His fingers curl into tight fists. These bullies were nothing compared to the challenges he aimed to overcome on his path to greatness.
A fierce fire ignited in his chest. It was fueling him with an overwhelming resolve.
He drew in a deep breath and shouted, "That's right, I will never forget. I AM GONNA BECOME THE STRONGEST SWORDSMAN!"
For a split second, the bullies faltered. They were taken aback by the raw intensity in his voice. Then, they charged.
The first punch came flying toward him. That time, Blaze was completely overwhelmed by their punches and couldn't do anything. But this time, it was different. This time, it felt like nothing. There was no pain.
The impact barely registered in Blaze's mind.
The second punch? Nothing at all. He stood firm, unshaken, seemingly unbothered by their pathetic attempts.
The leader scowled in disbelief. "Hahaha! How was that?" he taunted, evidently frustrated.
Blaze met his gaze with an expression that was cold and almost bored.
"How was what?" He tilted his head slightly. "I didn't feel anything."
"Huhh? What? What did you say?!" The leader's face twisted into a mask of fury. His veins puffed in his face. He was enraged by what Blaze said.
"Tch, I wasn't serious enough! You will regret it, you damn brat."
With that, he lunged at Blaze and threw another punch with all his might.
But in the blink of an eye, Blaze vanished. He disappeared from the eyesight of that bully.
" What?! W-where did he go?!"
That bully scratched his eyes. Couldn't believe his own eyes. He scanned for Blaze. He got confused.
Then, A chilling silence settled, broken only by the sound of Blaze's voice as it echoed behind them.
"You should leave," he stated flatly.
"I don't want to hurt weaklings like you."
In that moment, his mere presence became suffocating for them. It felt like tons of weight was boring them down. The cold glare that Blaze gave them sent shivers down their spine. Their body started to tremble. Fear. They were feeling fear more than anything then.
The leader of the bullies stumbled back. He exchanged some glances filled with terror with his lackeys.
Then came their hushed whisper, "R-RUN!" His voice was barely heard. Then they screamed in fear while running, "We're sorry! We won't bully anyone ever again!"
They stumbled over themselves and bolted into the depths of the woods. Their laughter turned to frantic shouts as they desperately escaped.
All the fear was for nothing. Blaze let out a slow exhale. His muscles started to ease up from the tension earlier.
He glanced down at his hands. "So... this is the result of my training," he mused quietly.
They felt different—stronger, more powerful. And he felt confident, he wasn't that weak anymore.
A small, triumphant smile tugged at his lips. Then, Cloudy bounded over, letting out a joyful bark. His tail was wagging furiously. His horn turned white.
Blaze crouched down and brushed his hands on Cloudy's fur. "You okay, buddy?"
Cloudy licked his hand in response.
Blaze chuckled and said, "Yeah, I am alright. Thanks for defending me."
The sun was going down. Blaze stood tall on the ground. He could feel the weight going away. The weight of old fears. Weight of the weak Blaze Lumnell.
But then—he froze.
He looked toward Cloudy. Cloudy was wagging his tail in happiness.
"Wait a second... Cloudy?! You are here? Why are you here at this time?"
Cloudy tilted his head.
"Shouldn't you be at home resting after last night's mana expulsion? Dad said it would take one or two days to recover. But it hadn't been a full day." Blaze asked. His voice was filled with concern.
Cloudy blinked at him before letting out two cheerful barks.
"Woof! Woof!"
Blaze stared at him for a moment. "Well, it's alright if you are feeling well. I am also happy that you recovered fast."
Another happy bark.
"Good. You had me worried for a second there." Blaze brushed his hand on his fur and felt relieved to know that his friend was right.
Then suddenly, a soft voice spoke from behind them.
"Sorry... I couldn't come out to help."
Blaze turned behind. He saw Ris coming out from the woods.
"I can't let others see me," she said, looking toward the way those bullies ran away.
Blaze waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, you don't worry about that. I had it under control. And I know that you can't let them see you."
"But..." Ris hesitated. "I still feel bad. If only I could do something—"
"It's fine," Blaze reassured her with a grin. "Besides, I didn't need help. Not anymore. I have to face tons of people stronger than those bullies and stronger than the current me. I can't afford to lose there because of fear. "
Ris studied his face for a moment, and then, she gave a small and approving nod.
Cloudy sniffed at the elf girl. His tail was wagging.
Ris knelt down toward Cloudy and smiled at him. "Oh, who's this little guy?"
Blaze's chest puffed with pride. "This is Cloudy. He's my pal."
Cloudy let out another happy bark.
"A d-doid?" Ris blinked in surprise. "Hey, little guy." She hesitated before reaching out. But somehow, she managed to accumulate courage and brushed her hand on Cloudy's fur.
Cloudy, delighted by the attention, wagged his tail harder and gave her hand a small lick.
Ris giggled. "He's so fluffy."
Blaze laughed. "Yeah, that's right. That's why I named him Cloudy."
As Ris continued to pet Cloudy, a thought struck Blaze.
"Wait... where's the scrabbit?"
Ris pulled back, glancing around. "Oh... sorry. It ran away while you dashed toward the sound, and I was distracted."
Rubbing the back of his neck, Blaze sighed. "Figures. Well, guess it didn't want to stick around with anyone after what happened. Ohh, Yes. What might have happened that it fell from the sky?"
"Yeah, right. What might have happened? But that's okay," Ris said gently. "At least it's safe now."
Blaze nodded. "Well, I can't refute that."
With that, all three of them went to their respective homes. All tired for the day. Cloudy trotted happily beside them.
The day had been exhausting, but it had also proved something important—
He was getting stronger.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
When Blaze opened the door, the beautiful aroma of food was sending him to his limit. A sudden growl from his stomach.
"We're back," Blaze called out.
Then, a sound came from the living room.
"Cloudy! Where have you been?"
Mili rushed forward and kneeled a little to scoop Cloudy into her arms. She checked him over with concern as she ran her hands through his fluffy fur.
"Don't worry. He is okay. He was with me the whole time. Right, buddy?"
"We were worried," Lili added, stepping in. "As soon as he woke up, he just ran off somewhere."
Cloudy wagged his tail, and he was also giving an innocent vibe as if he wanted to say, I was fine!
Just then, a heavy footstep. It was coming from deeper in the house, coming this way.
"Okay, it's good that you're all right," Ignis said as he approached. His deep voice was filled with relief when he came to know that Cloudy was okay. He crossed his arms and gave Cloudy a thoughtful look.
Then, he gazed toward the way where Blaze was.
"Come to the backyard with Cloudy after dinner," he instructed.
Blaze blinked in surprise. "Huh? The backyard again? Why?"
Ignis smirked slightly. "You'll see."
Blaze had no idea what his father was planning, but he had learned by now that Ignis always had a reason for everything.
After Dinner – The Backyard
Blaze stepped into the backyard, Cloudy right beside him. The moon cast a soft glow over the garden, and the faint chirping of crickets filled the silence.
Ignis stood near a large boulder with his arms crossed. He looked like he was waiting for them.
"We're here, Dad."
Ignis nodded. "Good. Now, get ready, Cloudy."
"Woof woof."
"Let's see what you have got. Now, use a mana blast on this boulder. "
Blaze's eyes widened as if he were happy. "Yes—Cloudy can use magic now."
Ignis pointed his finger toward the big boulder in the middle of the backyard. Its surface was rough and covered in patches of moss.
"That's what we're about to find out," he said.
"Now, fire."
Cloudy tilted his head. When he caught Ignis' serious expression, determination sparked within him.
With a confident bark, he lowered his head slightly. He was trying to focus.
As he was focusing, a faint glow started to emanate from the center of Cloudy's forehead. Then, a sudden flash—
Mana started to flow. It looked like swirling magical power flowing from Cloudy's body. But soon, it began to change. The mana swelled. It started to gather energy from the very air around them. It absorbed the warmth of the night. The ambient magical energy started to vibrate with its potential. Mana was accumulating from everything near him.
The atmosphere thickened. Nature itself was humming with a resonance that made the wind pick up. It was carrying the scent of freshly turned earth and blooming night flowers with it.
The mass of mana grew increasingly larger. It was expanding far beyond what anyone had imagined.
Blaze was standing a few steps away. He was confused. What was happening? He took a few steps behind with a cautious look on his face.
"W-wait... what's happening? This is a lot bigger than I thought!" he stammered. He felt like something was wrong. It shouldn't be like that.
Even Ignis looked concerned with that. What's wrong?
"Oh no... it's too big for just that rock," he muttered. His tone was creeping with concern.
Cloudy's small body started to tremble. He was struggling to contain the overwhelming force building within him. The energy was nearly too much to bear, and it coursed through him like a raging river. It was far wilder and untamed than what Clowdy could handle.
Cloudy couldn't control it and released the blast! The mana Blast went toward the sky.
Then—BOOOOOM!
The explosion that followed was nothing short of breathtaking. A massive golden burst erupted from his forehead. It was so big that it was illuminating the night like a brilliant shooting star. The sheer force of the blast sent shockwaves rumbling through the ground. The leaves in the trees were rattling, and the nearby windows shimmered from the intensity of the shockwaves from that burst.
Blaze's mouth opened without him noticing. "Holy—!" he exclaimed. His heart was racing for the awe-inspiring display before him.
If only Cloudy had aimed that blast at the rock, there would have been nothing left but fragments and a crater where their backyard stood.
The last remnants of the gigantic burst faded from the sky. But then, Cloudy wobbled unsteadily on his feet. He was visibly shaken. His breath was ragged, and he was gasping as if he had run a marathon.
In the blink of an eye, he collapsed to the ground.
"Cloudy!" Blaze shouted. His tone was flaring with panic within his chest. He rushed forward for Clowdy. His heart sank as he realized that Cloudy was unconscious. He looked the same when he was unconscious for the mana expulsion. But then, he realized something troubling—
Cloudy's horn was broken. A jagged shard of crystal jutting out where there was his whole horn that indicated his emotions. Blaze's breath caught in his throat. A wave of dread washed over him. He stared at the fractured remnants of Clowdy's horn with a pale look, and "His horn..." he whispered in shock.
Ignis stepped forward. He crouched down to examine Cloudy's frail body closely. After a long moment that felt like an eternity, he sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Looks like he couldn't handle it," he finally said. He was shaking his head in disbelief.
Blaze clenched his fists. "Is he going to be okay?" he asked. His voice was barely above a whisper.
Ignis nodded, though the look on his face remained grave. "Don't worry, he's just exhausted. But..." He gently ran his fingers through Cloudy's soft fur. His expression darkened. "Is that really possible?"
"Wh-what? He couldn't handle the mana blast. It was his first time. So isn't it—"
"No, that's not what I am trying to say. It appears that he's from a rare family of doids. I thought they had all gone extinct."
"A... rare family of doids?" His mind raced with the implications of Ignis' words. He was confused. He was wondering what that could mean for his friend.
Ignis rose to his full height. "I'll do what I can. But one thing's for sure—Cloudy isn't just another ordinary doid."
Blaze looked down at his beloved friend. He remained confused, and it was worry weighed heavily on his shoulders. Just what was Cloudy, truly?
What secrets lie behind that gentle yet powerful exterior?