The night air was cool against Kazuki's skin as he stepped outside the inn, his breath visible in the crisp air. The streets of the city were quieter now, with only the faint murmurs of distant conversations and the flickering glow of lanterns lighting the paths. He needed to be alone—somewhere away from prying eyes.

  After a few minutes of walking, he found a secluded clearing just outside the town. The trees swayed gently, and the moon cast a silver glow over the grass. It was the perfect place to practice.

  Kazuki took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He had done this before—he had felt the power of flames coursing through him when he fought against Prometheus. He had used it before. But now…

  Nothing.

  He clenched his fists and focused. Come on… ignite.

  He willed the fire inside him to rise, to burn like it did before, but all he felt was an empty silence within. No warmth, no embers, no flicker of energy. Just… nothing.

  Kazuki exhaled sharply and tried again, this time throwing a punch into the air, hoping the flames would follow. His fist cut through the wind, but no fire erupted. He stomped his foot against the ground, attempting to summon even a single spark.

  Still, nothing.

  Frustration started to creep in. He had barely thought about using his fire before, and it had erupted like a raging inferno. But now, when he needed it, it refused to answer him.

  "Damn it…" he muttered, rubbing his hands together as if trying to coax out some heat. He tried remembering how it felt back then—the heat in his chest, the way his body moved without thinking, how the flames had felt like an extension of himself.

  But the more he tried to remember, the more it slipped away from him.

  Why?

  Why did it work when he was in Prometheus's domain but not now? Did something change? Was he missing something?

  He gritted his teeth. If he couldn't even summon his flames, how was he supposed to put on the firework display? How was he supposed to keep his promise to Luna?

  Kazuki clenched his fists. No. I can't just give up.

  If his power wasn't working the way he expected, then he'd just have to find another way. There had to be something—some trigger, some reason why it had worked before.

  He just had to figure out what it was.

  And fast.

  Kazuki sat in the quiet night, staring at his trembling hands. The frustration was eating at him, but then—a thought struck him.

  Prometheus…

  Back in the domain of fire, Kazuki had absorbed him. Not just his power, but him. That meant Prometheus was still inside him, in some way. Dormant, waiting. He was a host now.

  Which meant… if he was truly in danger, Prometheus wouldn't just let him die.

  Kazuki glanced down at the ground, eyes locking onto a thick, jagged wooden branch lying a few feet away. His heartbeat quickened as an idea formed in his mind. It was insane. Reckless.

  But it might just work.

  Slowly, he picked up the heavy branch. It was long and sturdy, sharp at the end like a spear. He held it over his chest, his breathing uneven. If I do this…

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  His grip tightened.

  It'll work. It has to.

  Before doubt could creep in, he drove the wooden spike into his chest.

  The pain was instant. White-hot agony tore through his body, his breath vanishing as blood surged from the wound. His vision blurred. His body screamed.

  But then—

  A roar.

  Not from him. From within him.

  The moment his life began to slip away, something ignited. A violent, burning force erupted inside him, like a dam breaking. Flames surged out of his body, consuming him entirely in a pillar of fire. His consciousness spiraled into nothingness—

  And then, he woke up.

  The world around him was not the one he left.

  He stood in an endless void of roaring flames, the air thick with heat and smoke. Rivers of molten fire flowed beneath him, and above, the sky burned a deep, unnatural crimson. It was as if he had stepped into the heart of a dying star.

  And there, seated on a throne of obsidian and embers, was him.

  Prometheus.

  The god of fire rested his chin on his fist, a smirk playing on his lips. Unlike before, there was no hostility, no malice—only amusement.

  "You really are an interesting one, kid," Prometheus mused, eyes glinting like burning coals. "I was wondering when you'd come knocking."

  Kazuki took a shaky breath, feeling the fire coursing through his veins.

  It had worked.

  Now, it was time for answers.

  Kazuki stared at Prometheus, still trying to catch his breath. The heat in this place was unbearable, yet his body didn't burn. He could feel the flames licking at his skin, but they didn't hurt—they felt familiar.

  "So?" Kazuki asked, standing in the infernal void. "Are you gonna tell me what the hell is going on?"

  Prometheus chuckled, leaning back on his throne. "Ahh, right. Your powers. You still can't use them properly, huh?"

  Kazuki narrowed his eyes. "Obviously. That's why I'm here."

  The fire god scratched his head, looking vaguely guilty. "Yeah, about that… I might have forgotten to tell you how to activate them before you absorbed me."

  Kazuki's expression froze. "…You forgot?"

  Prometheus gave a sheepish grin. "Hey, it's been a decade since I had fun! Can you blame me?"

  Kazuki clenched his fists. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I ALMOST KILLED MYSELF BECAUSE OF THIS!"

  Prometheus waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, dramatic and all, but listen up. It's actually super simple."

  Kazuki felt his blood pressure rising. "Simple?!"

  The god of fire nodded, his smirk widening.

  "Just call out Leo."

  Silence.

  Kazuki blinked. His mind went blank for a moment, as if his brain had just refused to process those words. "What."

  "That's it," Prometheus said, looking smug. "Just say Leo, and boom—your flames will activate."

  Kazuki's eye twitched. "…That's it?"

  "Yep."

  "All I had to do… was say Leo?"

  Prometheus snapped his fingers. "Exactly."

  Kazuki felt something inside him snap. He had spent days struggling, had stabbed himself in the chest, had thrown himself into an infernal hellscape—ALL FOR NOTHING.

  Prometheus, completely unbothered, continued, "Once you call it out, a magic circle with the Leo zodiac sign will appear around you. When it passes through your body, that's when the real fun begins."

  Kazuki buried his face in his hands. "I'm going to lose my mind."

  Prometheus grinned. "Nah, you're gonna set the sky on fire."

  Kazuki groaned. "I hate you."

  Prometheus laughed. "You love me."

  Taking a deep breath, Kazuki steadied himself. If this was all it took, then—

  He clenched his fists, focusing.

  "Leo!"

  A golden magic circle erupted beneath him, spinning with ancient symbols. At its center, the unmistakable crest of the Leo zodiac blazed brilliantly. Flames roared around him, dancing in spirals of pure energy.

  Then, the circle rose, passing through his body like a tidal wave of power.

  His veins ignited. His body felt weightless. Fire rushed through him, crackling at his fingertips.

  And for the first time....

  He felt alive.