I always get hurt, everyone shunned me, and not once had anyone cared, time and time again, as I've been oppressed. The moment the roles were swapped, the time when I came to hold the position of power, why should I act differently? Just as scars heal yet a mark remains, my fury now unseen remains as fiery from the moment I was authorized to grant death—
"Arghhhh!!!"
Kang Sei Jun found himself at the center of charred carcasses slowly perishing in the presence of the black flame. Faces unknown, yearning for death, this sensation was very new and mysterious, as he never once felt rage. He realizes the very flames latched to his very being, bringing no harm but delivering an intense, radiating fury.
[I will never forgive them!!! Pain... it was the first thing I ever knew the moment I grew aware of this world. Be it physical, emotional, or psychological, I bore scars that no soul should yearn for. I believed this fate of helplessness was mine alone to bear, that I, who was born with none, was subjected to. Yet this place, a prison, a hell, and a nightmare for others was my sanctuary, for it bestowed me a gift. Gave me the chance to leave this horrid fate, and ascend, should I perish one day, I desire that my power be open to those who yearn an escape]
"Stop! What did I do wrong!! Why does it hurt so much!!!?"
Kang Sei Jun although he never knew the Monarch in person, his ability allowed him to peek through their past. But to him these nightmares were no more than a representation of his life, not knowing how similar he was to the deceased. The similarity brought by the past and present resulted in an unprecedented event in the creation of a Will.
[Calm yourself, little soul, these memories aren't yours. This burden is mine alone. So worry not]
The black and dreadful flame turned blue, and within its presence, a soothing warmth comforted Sei Jun's worry. "Who... who, or what are you...?"
[I am [Redacted] and you are the 2nd]
"*Yawn* well that was a weird dream. Since when did I get here? Strange I could've sworn I nearly died-"
[Died? That's a most likely scenario of the past. I suggest you rest for s little while. Your last stunt nearly drained you]
"Am I still dreaming? I swear that voice sounds so familiar. Like the one I heard a while ago-"
[You could really hear me!!? Thank the tower it hasn't abandoned me yet. Hello there little soul!!!]
"There it is again? I swear I should be screaming right now, but the voice feels so comforting? Uh, hello, who is this?" Silence suddenly fills the entire room and just when he was about to play it off as his hallucination, it finally replied.
[Good lord, you can really hear me? It's been ages since I last talked to someone. So I'm sure your ears are ringing by my nonstop rambling by now. This is quite the unprecedented scenario we have here; I heard dead monarchs can only be heard through dreams. Might this be the result of your latent ability? It feels like I'm connected to you mentally, even though I reside in my diary]
"Diary... wait a minute you're the Monarch!!? This can't be real. I'm talking to a literal Monarch,"
Kang Sei Jun was flabbergasted that this upbeat and cheerful voice belonged to the Petty Arsonistic Monarch.
[Not what you're expecting right? You were thinking I'd be more serious and vengeful. That's not the case. Although I was quite petty, I came to be feared because of my power, and that brought me countless enemies. I tried to become a hermit once, but the moment I got overwhelmed by the floor I resided I thought to climb the tower. Thats when I got a eureka moment to gain more power enough to make me revered and then live life without worry]
"Uhuh, but my ability summed up your story of wanting revenge and you died by their hands doing so,"
[I was haughty back then, prideful as well. Looking back on it I was at fault. Considering I burned billions of lives. They stopped me right before I could kill the monster, which got away, and I blamed them for it, resulting in my death. Now that I think about it, killing the monster wouldn't make a difference seeing as I torched the floor residents who requested our assistance. And before you judge me, it was an act of friendly fire, I just forgot to realize that my flames can even spread through water]
"What the fuck, Monarch? You killed billions? I can't believe you've done something so messed up," Horrified and a daze was what donned on Kang Sei Jun as he heard the Monarch nonchalantly talk about their accidental genocide.
[I told you I mellowed out. Spending my time trapped in my diary allowed me to be open. I should've gone to therapy. Seriously it took me eons to find out that; well, I'm fucked in the head. Don't worry about getting your body hijacked or anything I'm too old for revenge.]
"I highly doubt that, also do you smell something burning- Oh shi! Why the hell is everything on fire!!?"
Once Kang Sei Jun's attention steered away from the Monarch's voice, he found the room ablaze in flame. The worst discovery of them all was his uncanny resistance to their heat, implying where they'd originated from. He was panicking along with running as his new sets of clothes burnt to ashes in a matter of seconds.
[You should be capable of controlling them. You did inherit my will. Reach out your right palm and focus.]
"Like hell, this is gonna work. Do you think I'm some sort of genius? I don't even know what the world is Ether- oh, it works?" The Blue flames halted in their escape from burning down the room, and with a wave of Sei Jun's hand, they gathered at his palm.
[Your ability is unique... seeing as it replicated my powers. From what I can tell, it seems it's the power to synchronize with the content of literature. It makes you gain insight, memories, and even knowledge of their power. Hypothetically speaking, if you know the power, know its background and everything, it isn't impossible to copy it. But that also means if you could copy my highest degree of fire output then that means you have an affinity for Ether. To be more specific the Pyronite Affinity, an attribute you must have to train and use Ether to conjure Pyro.]
"You mean those supernatural elements talked about by the Regulars?"
Just then, a group of armed assailants burst from the windows, where they met the butt-naked junior arsonist. Kang Sei Jun instinctively conjured a flame the moment they drew their blades as he propelled himself forward. He crashed at one of them, and before they could react, the flames wrapped around Sei Jun and burnt them to a crisp.
[It seems immersing yourself in my diary had unknowingly added my earlier fighting style, you got this!!!]
"You piece of shit! That's my sister-in-law!"
Sei Jun was seconds away from having himself beheaded, and even if he got up, he'd be dealt with by the others. Although he wasn't sure of his actions he followed his intuition and did what he deemed applicable to his dilemma. He planted both of his palms on the ground, spread his legs far apart, and shot out a flame from both feet to spin it clockwise.
[Fiery hip hop, Blazing Backspin!]
"You have a name for this?" As Sei Jun spun around, adding the boost from his fire, it allowed him to sweep his main attacker's feet.
[Okay now get back up, launch yourself by firing a low output blast to your back!!!]
Just as the Monarch instructed, Sei, Jun fired out a low output flame, sending him afloat, and he chains a downward kick. Regardless of how quick he was, the assailants rose back up and he had no way out except for weaponizing himself. He gave his leg a fiery boost striking one of them in the head and using it as a stepping stone to escape with a low output flame.
"Brother no!!! You bastard, you killed my wife, then my brother. I will never forgive you for this," As Kang Sei Jun once again felt the ground beneath his feet he was then threatened by these people who yearned for his life.
"Who the hell brings their family to a contract-killing job? Or is it a family business? Next, you're gonna tell me that the one next to you is your son?"
Silence fills the room as he asks that particular question, and the killer responds. "No, he is my apprentice..."
"Then why the long pause... mwehehehehe. You just played yourself, you fool. I'm gonna burn your son!!!" Sei Jun uttered with a devilish smile, and the killer's laser-focused movement vanished for even a second.
"Now feast your eyes for my Meteor!!!" He spawns a large ball of flame which scares the two remaining killers, and they respond by attacking him head-on.
"Bluargh! You tricked... us,"
The father-son duo was stopped the moment their focus centered on the large ball of flame. "Father!!!"
Four killers trespassed, and one remained; Kang Sei Jun's plan was set the moment he diverted their focus. The large ball of flame was no more than a ruse to get them close and the real danger was found below. A fiery solid spear skewered these two and kept them in place when he cranked the heat, where one became charred.
"You guys are terrible at your job. Don't squirm junior. You'll see your family soon enough, but before that, its time for a little genocide,"
Kang Sei Jun was nowhere cruel and merciless, for everyone he killed at that moment died quickly. However, one of the four was unfortunate enough to feel his wrath; after waking up from a long slumber, his mood grew fierce. Instead of a morning breakfast, he's served with a surprise assassination and whilst subduing them bare naked.
"They say that a man holds millions of lives. Be they poor or rich. As long they have nuts. Say goodbye to your eggs!!!"
Kang Sei Jun positioned himself and released a high-output blast from his right foot, sending it all the way up to his enemy's treasured sack. The sheer force alone was enough to make the killer faint, but with the added momentum, he felt his sack flattened. Seconds worth of unbearable pain and later, his screams were extinguished by the intensity of his conjured flame.
[These killers had the skills to outright kill you if you hadn't gained my power. Did you piss anyone off? What's wrong?]
"I'll tell you what's wron-" The door uncloses as a blue-haired four-eyed man enters drenched in blood and a hallway full of corpses in his back as he pants.
"Khan Ugero Eljis...! You pampered shit!! What the hell have you roped me into!!?"