( Hidden training no:1>Jinzo {AOTE:6} )
* The Dark flame Awakens:
[Stage 1 : Ember Call ]
Haru, Sai, and Izuma were gradually discovering and awakening their powers, but Jinso could only watch them from a distance. A deep sense of frustration spread within him. Sitting on his bed, Jinso stared into the darkness of the room, not knowing what to do. The wound on his hand was still stinging.
Beside him, his sword lay wrapped in a black cloth, motionless.
"Everyone is moving forward, and I'm just stuck like this," he whispered, suppressing the sorrow within him. He had no desire to sit idly by. Ignoring his injury, he stood up and unwrapped the sword. As soon as his hand touched it, the sword awakened, and a dark crimson glow flowed through its veins.
He felt a slight sear on his wound; this was no ordinary fire-breathing sword it was the dark Abyss Flame. This fire reacts to the owner's emotions. The moment his hand touched the hilt, the sword sensed the anger and grief inside him. As his emotions intensified, the heat increased.
He closed his eyes, letting his mind drift into the depths of the blade for a moment.
"Are you becoming useless? Will this black fire of yours sear my wound or make me stronger?"
With eyes still closed, Jinso slowly unsheathed the blade. Hot smoke rose from its sharp edge. Now, Jinso had to control it he had to master that heat. He loosened his grip and stilled his mind; the temperature of the blade began to drop.
After a moment, he stood up, closed the window of the room, and stepped back into the shadows. He had read the papers Nobaya had given him; one page lay open on the bed. Standing in the dark, he held the sword in one hand and took a deep, hot breath. His only thought was that he had been set aside as useless. He had to prove his strength just like the others.
"I am not a coward," he muttered repeatedly.
The Abyss began to flow through his body. The heat reaching his heart transferred directly into the sword.
{Splash...!}
Jinso swung the sword into the darkness. The Abyss flowing through the blade's veins was clearly visible in the shadows. He didn't stop once; he slashed through the air fifty times in rapid succession. With every strike, a black flame erupted at the tip of the blade not a common red fire, but Morikara's dark flame. This fire burned by drawing heat inward with every stroke. In the light of that burning flame, the words on the paper Nobaya gave him became clear:
[Stage 1: EMBER CALL]
Jinso continued relentlessly, his inner rage peaking. "I can do this!" he yelled, striking again.
Suddenly, he noticed the fire rising higher, glowing like a living ember. The force caused the sword to fly out of his hand and clatter onto the floor.
"Ahh!"
The impact threw him backward. Even on the floor, the sword continued to glow.
"Shhh... ahh..." Jinso slowly got up, unsure of how he had just achieved that. He looked at the wound on his hand. It was no longer bleeding. Instead, a strange energy enveloped the injury. There was no pain, only a numb sensation.
"What is this...?" He unwrapped the bandage. The wound had completely dried and healed.
Jinso couldn't believe his eyes. Crawling on his knees, he reached for his sword. The heat was gone, but the color of the blade was much more intense than before.
"So, this is your true nature," a wild smile appeared on his face. The dark flame had melted his pain away.
{Knock! Knock!}
"Jinso!"
It was Nobaya at the door. Knowing Nobaya would scold him if he saw this, Jinso quickly hid the sword and re-wrapped the bandage to make it look as it was before. He stood up to open the door.
But before he did, he glanced out the window. A strong ray of sunlight hit his eyes. As he rubbed them and looked away, a dark, flickering glint flashed deep within his pupils.