The Greatest Fight [progression cultivation isekai]

The Flames

The guests smiled and raised a cup in celebration, eating and chatting for hours. They played songs on many instruments, dancing for hours, laughing as the alcohol eventually had its effect. The two young men apologized to the minotaur for hitting him so hard, and chatted with the traffic wizard who explained that they were some of Vesper's old students.

In the middle of the night, half drunk, they asked the old man what kind of chances they had at beating the Shadows ahead, hoping that the wine would do away with his usual profound and often vague responses.

He thought about it for a moment, between hiccups, and said: "little to none."

"What?" They screamed in unison.

"They're much too powerful—and you got the auras of a couple of ladybugs."

"Then why the hell did you waste our time for months training us?"

"Because you asked me to—plus, little to none is still better than none at all. "

The night was long and eventually songs and drinks gave way to yawns as the guests left. The students were given supplies, new clothes and food for their journey as a reward for their completion of the training.

Lying on the grass, surrounded by empty wine bottles, Rosso noticed the boy in a somber mood as Vesper snored on top of the table, his belly swaying up and down with each breath.

"I swear, the old guy is annoying even when he sleeps. What's the matter with you? We are done with the training. Aren't you happy we finally get to leave this place?" he asked as Roa sat in silence.

"I should have saved her that day," he said, his heart filling with regret as the wine yanked out some feelings from deep inside.

His friend sat up without saying a word at first.

"My mom and I—we lived together after my father died." Rosso spoke with a calm voice. "She was the one who kept me from ending up like he did. When she left too—things got harder for me. I was always on my own. The people in my village hated my family. We were always seen as outcasts since our beliefs were considered—wrong—different. She used to say something—something that stuck with me after all of these years."

"What's that?"

"The biggest gift in this world is to become your own best friend. Everything becomes easier once you do," he paused then scoffed. "I guess I always understood the lesson from an intellectual perspective—but found it much harder to apply it in practice, from an emotional standpoint."

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"I guess we are all our own worst enemies."

"Yeah. We really are—exactly for that reason, you shouldn't beat yourself up. It won't help you find her, or your way home, anyway. Sometimes things go just the way they do, even if we don't like it. I guess all we can do is—accept it."

After a long pause, the boy said: "It's not what happens to you, but how you react that counts. Eralay used to tell me that often. She was always so wise—but I never listened. I guess it was easier to feel like a victim instead—and torture myself in the process," he looked at his friend, as they nodded at each other with a soft, somewhat resigned smile.

"I think this journey is about to get a lot more dangerous, but—what other options do we have? Either face danger head on, or get lost in the maze forever," said Rosso with a sigh.

"I've been lost for long enough. I think at this point, I would rather know where I am going and fight, than wander aimlessly for the rest of my days," the Sunflower's brow furrowed. "We should pack for tomorrow."

The two travelers soon passed out inside their shed as the gentle breeze lulled them to sleep. The cow that shared their humble space sighed, as it laid down on the soft hay.

The sound of footsteps crunching on dry leaves roused the boy from his sleep. It was still dark. A crash startled them, their eyes meeting in the dark, as they exchanged a look of confusion.

"Shut up, you drunk buffoon," Rosso screamed, recognizing their teacher's groan coming from outside.

"The oasis—it's burning!" screamed Vesper with a tone of panic.

"The training is over—it's too late for a test. Leave us alone," he rebutted, in an angry tone.

Roa glanced through a hole in the planks and his eyes shot open—fire. The glow sent him scattering outside. The whole food forest was alight, the flames climbing the giant tree, growing brighter from branch to branch. The cow ran out in a panic, as the goats, the bunnies and the other animals scrambled for safety. Torches swayed among the trees, revealing the culprits.

"Master, who are they?" asked Roa.

"Locals from a nearby village," answered Vesper, his eyes darting in all directions.

"Why would they do this?"

The Jumpers tensed, their hearts racing as they glanced up. Four men floated above the oasis, their eyes peering through their white masks, their stillness almost more unsettling than the chaos below. Vesper stood motionless, his eyes narrowing as he sized up the threat. The air seemed to grow heavier, as if even the breeze dared not disturb their stillness. The enemy had come, and this time, there were four of them.

"When the people are hungry, they can be bought by any kind of promise of relief or safety," said Vesper, as he grabbed his pupils by the shirts. "You boys get yourselves and the animals out of here—now! I will get Mattina!"

"There's the man who claims to be the Sunflower!" someone screamed from atop the wall of the oasis, catching their attention. Roa turned, his eyes opening wide as he noticed a familiar face.

"The winged Jumper from the bathhouse—that traitor—he sold us out. We helped him," Rosso's fists clenched at his sides, his teeth gritted so hard that they might have shattered another incisor.

"I said get out of here!" the old man flew up in the air towards his house atop the giant tree; before he could reach it, however, the four Shadows swarmed him, disappearing through the leaves as they pummeled him from all directions.

Roa and his friend stood trapped, the heat of the roaring flames closing in from every side, their breaths stifled by the smoke that choked the air. The once mighty tree now crackled and burned above them, its towering canopy ablaze, casting an eerie glow that illuminated the vast expanse of the giant room of the Palace. Around them, the enemy closed in, their figures merging with the fire. In that moment, it felt as if the world itself was coming to an end. There was no way out.