The Fallen War

Episode 16: The Awakening Flame

Josh's eyes scanned the battlefield as he moved with precision, taking out Don. It was a clean elimination—Don had made it into the top 30, but it wasn’t enough to stop Josh's relentless assault. With his superhuman hearing, Josh could sense everything around him, knowing his place in the battle was secure.

But his mind wasn’t entirely on his own fight. He knew Faye was somewhere, struggling in a battle of her own. And for a moment, a flicker of worry crossed his usually calm demeanor.

Meanwhile, Faye was feeling the pressure. Seya, with her dual Glock-17s, was fast—almost too fast. The pistols, ranked SSS, gave Seya a massive advantage. Each bullet was fired with perfect accuracy, and the rapid succession of shots made it nearly impossible for Faye to find a moment to breathe.

On top of that, Seya’s water magic was a direct counter to Faye’s fire. Every time Faye managed to launch a flame attack, Seya’s water magic doused it without breaking a sweat. The combination of speed and elemental advantage was overwhelming, and Faye was barely hanging on.

*I’m going to lose.*

The thought echoed in her mind as another burst of bullets flew her way. She barely managed to dodge, rolling behind cover. Sweat dripped down her face as her heart raced. The air was heavy with gunfire and magic as the battlefield roared around them. She was running out of options. Seya had the upper hand in almost every way.

But then, Faye remembered something. Something Josh had told her back when they were training.

*"Everyone has their own weaknesses, even me. If you can find it, you can win."*

Faye closed her eyes for a brief moment, forcing herself to calm down. She couldn't match Seya's speed head-on, and her fire was being neutralized by the water magic. But there was still a way out—there had to be. If Josh was right, then Seya had a weakness too.

She watched Seya move across the battlefield. Every step, every dodge was calculated. Seya never stayed in one place for too long, always on the attack, always pushing the advantage.

But then it hit her. Seya was always moving—*too much*. Her speed was her strength, but also her flaw. She wasn’t focusing on defense. She relied on her speed to avoid attacks, but if Faye could find a way to predict Seya’s movements…

*That’s it.*

With renewed determination, Faye stood up, her mind racing. She couldn’t go on the offensive just yet. She needed Seya to believe she still had the upper hand. She summoned her fire, letting the flames swirl in her palms. Seya smirked, already preparing her water magic to put out the blaze.

“Still trying with fire? You’re predictable, Faye,” Seya taunted, her pistols raised.

But this time, Faye didn’t push forward. She let her fire grow weaker, flickering as though she was running out of magic. Seya’s smirk widened, her water magic extinguishing Faye’s flames almost instantly.

Seya rushed forward, her guns blazing, certain the fight was already won. Faye ducked, dodging the bullets by a hair's breadth, but she wasn’t focused on fighting back just yet. She needed Seya to overextend—to fall into the trap.

Then, at the last second, Faye let her fire die out completely.

Seya, seeing her opponent seemingly out of options, charged in for the final blow. “Time to end this!” she shouted, her Glock-17s glowing with power.

But Faye was ready.

Just as Seya moved in for the kill, Faye raised her weapon, her hands igniting once more—but this time, the fire was different. It was denser, more controlled. The flames were small, almost invisible, but they burned hotter than ever before.

Faye had Awakened.

The air around her crackled with intense heat as Faye infused her bullets with her fire magic. The flames didn’t blaze outward in a large display. Instead, they shrank into tight, concentrated bursts of energy, far more powerful than before.

Seya, caught off guard by the sudden shift, fired a volley of bullets at Faye, but this time, Faye didn’t dodge. She didn’t need to. With her fire enhanced, Faye’s body moved faster, her reactions quicker. She sidestepped the bullets effortlessly, her own weapon raised.

And then she fired.

The bullets, infused with Faye’s Awakened fire, shot forward, small but lethal. Seya’s eyes widened as she tried to summon her water magic, but the fire was too intense. The bullets tore through the air, each one leaving a faint trail of heat behind it.

But Faye wasn’t aiming to hit Seya directly. She knew Seya would dodge. Instead, she aimed just in front of her, predicting her movements perfectly.

As the bullets neared Seya, Faye snapped her fingers.

With a sharp *crack*, the bullets erupted into controlled explosions of fire. The heat was overwhelming, and Seya was caught completely off guard. The explosion didn’t just hit her—it surrounded her, leaving no room for escape.

Seya stumbled, her speed suddenly useless in the face of Faye’s precise, calculated assault. The heat was too much. She tried to summon more water magic, but it was too late. Faye had already won.

Seya fell to the ground, her Glock-17s slipping from her hands as she lay defeated. Faye stood over her, breathing heavily, her fire still flickering in her hands. She had done it. She had gone against the odds, found Seya’s weakness, and won.

Barely.

As the tension in the air slowly faded, Faye couldn’t help but smile. She had pushed herself to the limit, Awakened her fire, and used her magic in ways she never thought possible. Josh’s words echoed in her mind once again.

*"Everyone has their own weaknesses."*

And Faye had just exploited hers.