Reincarnated as a failed hero?! Watch me Defy Fate! - Chapter 155

Chapter 155: Trial of the Blessing
I struggled and pleaded for Flareth to release me, but it was useless. His unyielding strength kept me locked in place, his grip firm like iron. No matter how much I resisted, he didn’t budge an inch.

I was shocked by just how effortlessly he held me. In the end, I gave up fighting and accepted my fate, allowing him to carry me without further resistance.

We crossed through breathtaking landscapes—lush, vibrant forests with towering trees, rivers flowing with pure white milk instead of water—a sight that felt almost surreal.

But then, the scenery shifted drastically.

We arrived at Flareth’s domain, his Ascendant Spire—the Spire of the Fire God.

A colossal tower of molten crimson stone stood before me, reaching toward the heavens, its surface pulsing as if it were alive with flames. Around the tower, volcanoes raged endlessly, spewing fire and lava into the air.

This place was supposed to be a divine realm where gods and goddesses resided. Shouldn’t it resemble paradise?

Then why does Flareth’s domain look like the depths of hell?

I wanted to ask him, but when I glanced at him, his cold, sharp gaze made me hesitate.

I swallowed my curiosity and kept quiet.

Once we entered his Spire, Flareth wasted no time.

With a single swing of his arm, he threw me into the center of the arena.

“W-Woah—!” I barely managed to land on my feet.

The arena’s ground rumbled beneath me, surrounded by boiling magma that erupted in bursts of flame. The heat was suffocating, making it hard to breathe.

Around us, a crowd of fire-element angels stood, their fiery wings burning bright, their cheers shaking the very air.

“FLARETH-SAMA! FLARETH-SAMA! FLARETH-SAMA!”

The atmosphere felt like that of a gladiator’s colosseum.

This wasn’t just a place for combat—this was a battlefield.

…Wait.

Is he planning to fight me here?!

I stared in disbelief.

Flareth stood across from me, his flaming red hair flowing like wildfire, his muscular frame emanating sheer power.

“Hey, Flareth-sama…!” I called out, forcing myself to stay composed. “I don’t know what you’re planning to do to me, but… can you at least explain what this ‘Trial of Blessing’ is first?”

Flareth’s intense gaze bore into me, filled with irritation, but he eventually sighed.

“Tch… Fine! I’ll explain it quickly, so listen up, you insignificant insect!” He jabbed his massive finger at me, his voice booming across the arena.

I felt a chill run down my spine.

…

Flareth grudgingly explained that the Trial of Blessing was a test conducted by the gods to determine whether a chosen hero was worthy of receiving their divine blessing.

Only those who survived and completed the trial would be granted the power of a god.

Hearing this, I recalled Cain von Flamemore.

“Wait, Flareth-sama… did Cain also take this trial?” I asked.

Flareth’s eyes flickered with recognition.

“Cain? Ahh, that brat from the Flamemore bloodline.” His lips curled into a smirk. “Yes, he was the last hero I tested. That kid was just like me—reckless, fierce, and strong. He passed with flying colors.”

Cain… passed this trial?

Flareth continued, explaining that Cain was rewarded with the Blessing of the Fire God after completing the trial.

This blessing granted an 80% increase in fire damage and complete immunity to fire-based attacks. On top of that, he had also received a divine beast’s egg—a rare gift from the gods.

The divine beast within the egg would one day hatch and form a contract with its master, granting immense power.

However, Cain’s egg had yet to hatch, meaning he hadn’t been able to use its power in battle.

That explained something I had been wondering about.

Cain couldn’t use his divine beast’s power against Zorx.

If he had, maybe…

Maybe he could have defeated Zorx.

Maybe he could have saved Kael.

I clenched my fists.

Cain must have felt frustrated by his limitations, pushing himself to become even stronger.

But… something didn’t add up.

If Cain had full immunity to fire attacks, then why was he still hurt by Zorx’s flames?

Zorx had injured him using fire magic. Shouldn’t his blessing have protected him completely?

Was there something special about Zorx’s fire?

I frowned, lost in thought.

I could still feel Flareth’s hostility toward me.

It was subtle but undeniable.

I didn’t understand why.

Taking a deep breath, I finally gathered my courage and looked straight at him.

“Flareth-sama…” I hesitated, then asked, “Why did you bring me here?”

Silence.

Flareth’s eyes narrowed.

“Are you… planning to give me the Blessing of the Fire God?”

I needed to know.

Would he grant me the same power as Cain?

Would I receive the same fire immunity, the same divine beast?

Would he even allow me to take this trial?

Flareth grinned.

A dangerous, fiery grin.

“Hah. You think you’re worthy of my blessing?”

His body erupted in flames, his aura blazing with intensity.

I swallowed hard.

This…

This was going to be brutal.

….

Flareth’s anger boiled over, his eyes blazing like molten lava.

“Why did I bring you here? Hahaha! You really don’t get it, do you?!” His voice thundered through the arena, making the magma pits around us tremble.

He sneered at me with utter contempt.

“You think I would grant you my blessing? Don’t make me laugh! The moment I laid eyes on you… I knew. I could feel it.” He jabbed his burning finger in my direction, his aura intensifying.

“A dark, wretched heart lies within you.”

His words struck me like a blade.

“It disgusts me.”

The heat around me became unbearable, as if his hatred alone could burn me alive.

“That’s why I brought you here.” His voice grew even harsher. “To see it for myself!”

His words hit me harder than any attack ever could.

His accusations made my chest tighten.

I immediately thought back to Zorx.

Back when I faced him, I had awakened the skill [Dark Magic: Black Flame].

Zorx had given it to me.

A final gift—his way of acknowledging me, a parting token for helping him and his sister find peace before they vanished from this world.

The Black Flame was a power born from dark magic, yet it had saved lives.

So why…

Why does Flareth see it as something impure?

Before I could process everything, Flareth lunged at me.

With a fierce battle cry, he summoned four massive claymore-sized swords, each forged from living fire, hovering around him like extensions of his wrath.

The air roared with heat, the flames burning with divine fury.

“Show me that wretched fire of yours, you bastard!”

I had no choice.

I had to fight.

Summoning all my strength, I reached deep into the abyss of my Dark Magic.

“[Kagegiri]…”

With a burst of dark energy, my katana materialized from the void, humming with raw power.

The moment my fingers wrapped around the hilt, my speed and strength surged.

Without hesitation, I channeled my dark magic and activated:

“[Dark Magic: Black Flame!]”

Dark fire erupted along my blade, burning with an unholy intensity—its flames dancing like cursed shadows.

I saw it—

Flareth’s eyes widened.

A flicker of shock crossed his face.

Then his expression twisted with rage.

“You dare wield that filth before me?!”

He roared and sent all four of his flaming swords hurtling toward me.

I barely had time to react.

The claymores struck with devastating force, each one powerful enough to cleave through mountains.

I raised my blade, channeling my training into a swift defensive stance.

“[Yanagi-Uke!]”

My katana whipped through the air, deflecting each of Flareth’s strikes one by one—parrying the relentless assault in a blur of motion.

But the pressure was immense.

His strength—his sheer overwhelming power—was pushing me back.

I gritted my teeth and launched a counterattack.

With Black Flame surging through my blade, I struck back, slashing toward him with all my might.

The dark fire crackled as my katana clashed against his burning claymores, the two opposing flames colliding in a battle of raw power.

But Flareth stood firm.

His flames surged, pressing against mine with such intensity that my feet skidded backward across the scorched stone.

His fire was too strong.

It was like trying to fight against a living inferno.

I clenched my jaw and adjusted my stance.

Fine. If I couldn’t overpower him with brute force—

Then I’d use technique.

Summoning my strength, I channeled my swordsmanship into my next move.

“[Tensho Kousen!]”

I swung my blade in a powerful vertical slash, sending a crescent wave of dark fire surging toward him.

The Black Flame roared as it tore through the air, its cursed heat burning everything in its path.

This attack couldn’t be dodged easily.

It would incinerate anything it touched.

But—

Flareth didn’t even flinch.

With a single sweeping motion, he swung one of his flaming claymores and extinguished my attack in an instant.

The Black Flame—fire that should never be put out—was snuffed out as if it were nothing.

My eyes widened in shock.

How?!

Before I could process what had happened, Flareth was already moving.

His swords rained down upon me in a relentless barrage, forcing me onto the defensive.

I barely had time to react, dodging and blocking as best as I could—

But the heat, the overwhelming power of his flames and then—

I felt it.

The ground beneath my feet crumbling.

The arena’s platform was collapsing under the sheer heat and pressure, the edges melting away, threatening to plunge me into the searing magma below.

This wasn’t just a test anymore.

This was a death sentence.

But Flareth wasn’t finished.

As he continued his relentless barrage, he sneered down at me.

“That flame…” He spat the words like venom.

“You insult me!”

He swung his hand, and a massive wave of fire burst forth, forcing me back.

His eyes blazed with unchecked fury.

“I am Flareth, the Fire God! Do you really think I would ever accept such a disgraceful flame?!”

The air shook as his aura flared, the magma around us boiling even hotter.

“Black fire is a cursed, impure flame!” He raised all four of his swords once more, their flames now burning with divine intensity.

“I have changed my mind.”

My breath hitched.

What?

He pointed one of his massive swords at me, eyes burning with murderous intent.

“I’m not here to test you anymore.”

His grip tightened.

“I’m going to kill you. Right here. Right now.”

A chill ran down my spine.

For the first time since stepping into this trial—

I realized…

Flareth wasn’t holding back.

He was serious.

This wasn’t a test.

This was an execution.