Bab 22: The Red Cloaks
Standing amidst the ashes of a ruined village, three figures clad in red robes gazed down upon the charred remains of Uta.
"Hmph," sneered the leader, 'Red Flame', his voice laced with disdain. "So, this is all he amounts to. Not even worth the trouble."
Behind him stood 'Green Flame' and 'White Flame', their faces obscured beneath deep hoods. Green Flame chuckled lightly, the sound dripping with mockery.
"The king truly overestimates this so-called heretic," Green Flame said. "The only noteworthy thing about him is his teleportation. And even that is… unimpressive."
Red Flame smirked, his lip curling in derision. "With your power, Green Flame, even that trick of his is worthless. The heretic should thank us for cleansing his pitiful existence with the flames of Flare."
The three members of Flare's Hand, an elite assassination force of the Fire Temple, stood triumphant over their prey. They had tracked Uta to this village and, deeming all who harbored him guilty of heresy, had reduced the entire settlement to ash.
"It's done," Red Flame declared. "We'll return to the temple and report our success."
"Hold on," Green Flame interjected, his voice carrying a hint of sadistic glee. "What about those women over there?" He gestured toward the unconscious survivors Uta had teleported back to the village.
"Women burn beautifully, don't they?" Green Flame said, his lips curling into a malicious grin. "Why don't we send them off with a little mercy?"
"Do as you will," Red Flame said indifferently, dismissing the matter with a wave of his hand. "They've been tainted by beasts. Burning them is a kindness."
With his superior's approval, Green Flame stepped forward, raising his hand to summon his magic.
"This is mercy," he said, a dark smile spreading across his face. "Be grateful to the gods for their kindness—"
A soft voice interrupted him, calm yet cutting through the tension like a blade.
"I don't get it," the voice said.
"What?!" Green Flame jumped back, startled. Red Flame and White Flame also turned, their postures tense as their eyes searched for the source.
"I really don't understand," the voice continued. From within the ashen remains of his own body, Uta stood up, his figure re-forming as if time were rewinding. The knife that had pierced his skull clattered to the ground, and the flames that had consumed him were nowhere to be seen.
"You… How are you alive?!" Red Flame demanded, his voice trembling with disbelief.
Uta tilted his head, genuine confusion on his face. "Isn't it rude to answer a question with another question? Didn't your mom and dad teach you manners?"
For a moment, the three assassins were silent, unsure how to respond. Uta stepped forward, the flickering embers of the destroyed village illuminating his expression.
"I don't understand why you did this," Uta said, gesturing at the ruins. "What grudge did these people hold against you? Why destroy everything?"
"These villagers harbored you," Red Flame spat. "A heretic. An enemy of Flare. Their deaths are a necessary sacrifice."
Uta frowned, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I don't care about that. What I do care about is… the beef stew."
Red Flame blinked. "The… what?"
"The beef stew!" Uta said, pointing accusingly at the charred remains of the inn. "Tonight's dinner was supposed to be beef stew! Do you have any idea how much I was looking forward to it?! Now it's gone! Gone forever! You owe the beef stew an apology!"
For a moment, the assassins stared at him, stunned.
"This one's insane," Green Flame muttered, his voice filled with disgust. Even White Flame, silent as ever, seemed unsettled, shifting uneasily beneath their hood.
Red Flame sneered. "Enough of this nonsense. The boy is deranged. Let's finish this."
"Good idea," Green Flame said, his grin returning. He snapped his fingers, and with a crackling burst, green flames erupted behind Uta.
The fire struck him squarely, sending him sprawling forward.
"Stay still, heretic!" Red Flame shouted, lunging at Uta with a pair of knives.
But before the blades could reach him, Uta vanished, teleporting ten meters away in the blink of an eye.
"Knives are scary," Uta said, shaking his head. "You're going to make me develop a phobia."
Before he could finish, a wave of green flames erupted again, striking him mid-sentence. Uta was engulfed once more, the emerald blaze wrapping around his body.
"This is my ability," Green Flame said, his voice dripping with pride. "Teleporting fire. It doesn't matter where you go, heretic. My flames will find you."
The flames continued to burn, consuming Uta's form—but to the assassins' dismay, his body began to regenerate almost as quickly as it burned.
"Hot, hot, hot," Uta muttered, brushing soot from his clothes as the flames dissipated. "That's like a sauna. You're going to make me sweat!"
"Why won't you die?!" Red Flame roared, frustration boiling over.
Uta sighed, shaking his head. "I guess I have to get serious. I really didn't want to do this, but you ruined my dinner."
He straightened, his expression hardening. "For the beef stew… I'm going to have to punish you."
Red Flame's eyes narrowed. "Enough games. Kill him!"
Green Flame and White Flame moved in unison. Flames—green and red—erupted in coordinated strikes, enveloping Uta from all sides. The ground trembled as the inferno reached its peak.
"Still hot," Uta's voice echoed through the flames. "But I'm done playing."
In a flash, Uta disappeared, reappearing behind Green Flame. His hand shot out, touching Green Flame's shoulder.
"Wait, no—" Green Flame stammered before his body crumbled to dust.
"You!" Red Flame charged, his flames roaring like a volcano.
Uta turned to him, his expression blank. "You'll regret ruining my dinner."
With a flick of his wrist, Uta teleported directly into Red Flame's path, touching his chest.
"No!" Red Flame screamed as his body began to disintegrate, the flames around him sputtering out like dying embers.
Now only White Flame remained, standing frozen as their comrades' ashes scattered in the wind. Uta turned to them, his gaze calm but unyielding.
"So, are you going to apologize to the beef stew?"
White Flame trembled, their voice barely a whisper. "M-Mercy…"
Uta tilted his head. "Mercy? Sure. But only if you promise to cook me dinner."
With that, the last assassin crumbled into dust, and Uta turned back to the ruins of the village.
"Guess I'll have to find dinner somewhere else," he muttered, teleporting away, leaving behind the echoes of his strange vengeance.
Hadiah
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