Phoenix Force

It was finally the long-awaited day of the Rookie Fire Soldier Games, an event of grand significance held within the expansive and heavily fortified Tokyo Armed Forces Training Ground. The competition served as a proving ground, a stage where newly recruited Fire Soldiers from various companies would showcase their abilities, testing their strength, combat skills, and tactical prowess in front of seasoned commanders and high-ranking officials.

At the entrance of the vast arena, where the hum of anticipation filled the air, Shinra Kusakabe and Arthur Boyle, the chosen representatives of Company 8, stood side by side. The energy surrounding them was electric, the weight of the competition pressing down on their shoulders, yet neither showed any signs of hesitation.

Shinra, standing tall with his hands clenched into fists, could feel his heartbeat quicken with anticipation. His crimson eyes gleamed with determination, his mind focused on the challenges ahead. This was his moment—to prove to everyone, to himself, that he was more than just the so-called Devil's Footprints.

Beside him, Arthur exuded an entirely different kind of confidence, one drenched in unwavering, self-imposed chivalric delusion. His grip on Excalibur, his plasma blade, was firm, and his stance carried the air of a knight standing at the threshold of battle, ready to claim glory.

The air was thick with excitement, the distant roar of the crowd signaling the beginning of something monumental. The Rookie Fire Soldier Games had officially begun.

Just as Shinra and Arthur were about to step forward into the waiting area, an unexpected explosion of fire erupted right in front of them. BOOM!

The sheer force of the blast sent a wave of heat rippling through the air, forcing Shinra to instinctively leap back, his muscles tensing as his boots skidded slightly against the ground. Arthur, in stark contrast, remained completely unfazed, standing firm with his arms crossed, his expression one of mild disinterest—as if a sudden fiery attack was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

As the smoke and embers cleared, a figure emerged, landing with effortless grace. The flames around her flickered wildly before coiling back like a controlled blaze.

She was young, with short, tousled black hair, sharp, piercing amber eyes, and—most strikingly—ears made of pure fire, resembling those of a feline. A long, flaming tail swished behind her, moving with a life of its own. Every inch of her posture radiated confidence, from the way she stood to the casual yet commanding manner in which she adjusted the edges of her fireproof coat.

With an air of superiority, she smirked and placed a hand on her hip.

"Hah! Out of my way, amateurs!" she declared, her voice sharp and full of self-assurance. Her fiery tail flicked behind her, as if punctuating her words with a challenge.

Shinra, still processing the sudden entrance, blinked in confusion. Who the hell was this?

"…Uh," he muttered, raising an eyebrow. "And you are…?"

The girl's expression twisted into an annoyed scowl, as if personally offended by his lack of recognition.

"Tch. You really don't know?" She scoffed before straightening her stance with dramatic flair.

"The name's Tamaki Kotatsu! Third Generation Pyrokinetic of Company 1!"

Her introduction carried the weight of both pride and expectation, as if daring them to acknowledge her status. Flames crackled lightly around her tail, emphasizing the fiery spirit behind her words.

Arthur, entirely unimpressed by the dramatic entrance, casually flicked his hair back, his expression one of pure, unaffected arrogance. With a dismissive tone, he tilted his chin up and remarked,

"And? A knight does not bow to a mere cat."

For a moment, there was silence. Then—

Tamaki twitched. A vein visibly popped on her forehead, her amber eyes narrowing into pure, fiery indignation. Her tail flared behind her, the flames intensifying in response to her rising anger.

"What did you just say, dumbass!?" she snapped, her voice sharp enough to cut through steel.

Arthur, completely unbothered, opened his mouth—probably to deliver another one of his knightly delusions—but before he could utter a word, Tamaki moved.

With zero hesitation, she launched herself forward, her foot swinging toward Arthur's face with deadly precision. It was a clean, well-aimed kick—one that would have surely knocked some sense into him had he not swiftly sidestepped at the last possible second.

Arthur's expression briefly flickered with something almost like approval, but it lasted only a fraction of a second before he smirked again, returning to his usual self-satisfied demeanor.

"A feral beast indeed."

That did it.

Tamaki's flames exploded around her, her entire form radiating with unrestrained fury. Her ears and tail flared violently, crackling with raw heat. "YOU WANNA DIE?!?!" she roared, fists clenched, already preparing to lunge again.

Meanwhile, standing off to the side, Shinra sighed, rubbing the back of his head. He had seen enough fights to know where this was going. If he didn't stop them now, this would end in someone catching fire—or worse, getting reported for property damage.

He quickly stepped forward, raising both hands in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. "Okay, okay, let's not start fighting before the actual competition—"

But then—

It happened.

Tamaki, still seething with rage, took a step forward—and suddenly, as if the universe itself was playing a cruel joke, she tripped.

On absolutely nothing.

One second, she was standing tall and furious, and the next—she was falling forward.

And somehow—some impossible, cursed way—Shinra's hands ended up landing right on her chest.

Complete silence.

Time itself seemed to stop.

Tamaki's eyes went wide—her entire brain short-circuiting as heat surged through her face.

Arthur blinked, tilting his head slightly, as if trying to process whether or not he had actually just witnessed that.

Shinra?

Shinra felt his soul leave his body.

His stomach plummeted. His blood ran cold. His face turned as pale as a ghost.

"Wait—I didn't—!"

BAM.

Before he could even try to explain, Tamaki's flaming fist connected with his face in a brutal uppercut, sending him flying backward with enough force to leave a trail of flames in his wake.

He crashed into the ground—half-buried in the dirt, groaning in pain.

Tamaki, still bright red, pointed an accusing, shaking finger at him. "PERVERT!!!"

Shinra, still dazed from the impact, let out a weak wheeze. "…That… wasn't my fault…"

From a few steps away, Captain Obi sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose as if this was the tenth time he had witnessed something like this today.

"Alright, let's move on before someone gets hospitalized."

As the tension slowly faded and Tamaki huffed in frustration, the sound of a loudspeaker crackled to life in the distance.

The Rookie Fire Soldier Games were officially about to begin.

The highlight of the Rookie Fire Soldier Games had finally arrived—the main event.

A grand spectacle designed to test the speed, power, and tactical prowess of the newest Fire Soldiers.

The rules? Simple.

A mock battle against an Infernal.

The objective? Eliminate the Infernal before anyone else could.

The stakes? Bragging rights, reputation, and the chance to stand out among the rookies.

Standing at the starting line, Shinra could feel the electric buzz of anticipation crackling in the air. Every single competitor was on edge, muscles coiled, eyes sharp—each one determined to prove their worth.

Shinra rolled his shoulders, shaking out the tension before adjusting his gloves. His legs burned with restless energy, his flames simmering beneath the surface, just waiting to ignite.

This was his moment.

His chance to prove, once again, that he wasn't just some reckless kid with fire at his feet.

That he could be something more.

That he could be a hero.

He exhaled sharply, setting his stance.

Then—

The starting siren blared.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion of heat erupted beneath Shinra's feet as he launched himself forward, flames bursting from his soles. He rocketed ahead with blistering speed, the sheer force of his ignition sending a wave of hot air rippling behind him.

In an instant, he was already leaving the competition in the dust.

Arthur, still fiddling with his sword, barely had time to react before Shinra blazed past him, the wind from his acceleration ruffling his hair.

Tamaki, on the other hand—

"AH—WAIT, WHAT THE HELL!?"

Somehow, some way, she had managed to get completely tangled up in another competitor's coat, flailing wildly as she struggled to free herself.

Shinra didn't look back.

He didn't hesitate.

His eyes locked onto the Infernal in the distance, the flames in his legs roaring to life.

He had one goal.

Win.

"Too slow!"

Shinra grinned, the thrill of the chase surging through his veins as he propelled himself forward with another burst of flames. The wind howled past his ears, his body cutting through the air like a missile.

He could see the containment facility now—a towering, steel fortress, reinforced with heavy-duty plating to withstand the intense heat of the upcoming battle. The structure loomed ahead, its massive sliding doors standing like the gates to an arena.

This was it.

The battlefield where he would prove himself.

Shinra didn't hesitate. He leaned forward, pouring more power into his ignition as he closed the distance in mere seconds. The reinforced doors let out a mechanical hiss, gears grinding as they slid open, revealing the fiery battleground within.

Inside, the Infernal waited.

A massive, smoldering figure stood in the center of the arena, its body a writhing mass of molten flesh and flickering embers. Its glowing, hollow eyes locked onto him immediately, its presence radiating a suffocating heat.

But just as Shinra stepped inside, ready to make his move—

Something was off.

Very off.

His muscles tensed. A strange, unnatural pressure settled in the air, pressing down on him like an invisible weight.

The fire crackled differently here—distorted, flickering in a way that felt unnatural.

A cold sensation—something he had never associated with fire—crawled up his spine, making his skin prickle.

Then—

A voice.

Low. Calm. Dangerous.

"So… you're still chasing after glory, huh?"

Shinra's entire body stiffened. His breath caught in his throat, his heart skipping a beat.

That voice.

It was unmistakable.

Slowly—almost unwillingly—Shinra turned his head toward the source.

A figure emerged from the shadows, stepping into the dim light of the containment facility.

A long black coat billowed slightly as he moved, the fabric swaying with every step. His face was partially obscured by a dark bandana, but there was no mistaking the glint of amusement in his expression.

And then—there was the eye.

One golden, gleaming eye— piercing, analytical, and far too familiar.

Joker.

Shinra felt his stomach drop.

Why was he here?

More importantly—what did he want?

Shinra's muscles tensed instantly, every nerve in his body firing like a live wire.

"You again?!"

Joker simply exhaled a slow, lazy puff of smoke, his ever-present smirk playing on his lips as if he found the entire situation amusing.

"Miss me?"

Shinra didn't hesitate. His instincts screamed attack.

With a powerful blast of fire, he launched himself forward, twisting mid-air as flames surged from his feet. His leg snapped out—a blazing roundhouse kick, aimed straight for Joker's head.

But—

Joker vanished.

A flicker of movement—then—

CRACK!

A sharp, brutal knee drove into Shinra's ribs.

His breath hitched. Pain exploded in his side as he was launched backward, skidding across the floor, the heat of his own flames trailing behind him.

He barely caught himself.

Gritting his teeth, Shinra planted a hand against the ground, flipping mid-air before landing in a crouch. His ribs ached from the impact, but he pushed through the pain.

Joker tilted his head, spinning a burning playing card between his fingers as if he had all the time in the world.

"You've gotten a little faster," he mused, watching Shinra with those sharp, calculating eyes. "But still not fast enough."

Shinra wiped the corner of his mouth, fire flaring in his pupils. "What the hell do you want?!"

Joker chuckled, flicking the playing card through his fingers like a street magician. "What I want?" His grin widened. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe to see if you're actually strong enough to handle the truth."

The truth?

Before Shinra could question him, Joker suddenly flicked his wrist—

BOOM!

A flurry of ash-filled explosives detonated around them, the concussive force shaking the entire training facility. The explosion swallowed the battlefield in thick, suffocating smoke.

Shinra coughed, eyes darting through the haze. He could barely see two feet in front of him—Joker had disappeared again.

But then—

His voice sliced through the smoke.

"That fire twelve years ago… do you really think it was that simple?"

Shinra's heartbeat pounded in his ears. What was he talking about?

The smoke began to clear, revealing Joker stepping forward, his coat barely disturbed by the chaos he had created.

"You already know Sho is alive," he continued, his golden eye glinting like a predator in the dark. "But what if I told you… aside from Sho, he wasn't the only survivor?"

Shinra's breath hitched.

"What…?"

Joker's smirk widened. "I thought that would get your attention. You thought your little brothers were dead, right?" He leaned in slightly, voice low and almost teasing. "Guess what? Both of them are alive."

Shinra's mind stalled. Brothers? Plural?

"That wouldn't be possible," he said, his voice raw. His fists clenched so tightly his nails dug into his palms. "Aside from Sho—I saw everyone burn to cinders."

Joker's grin never wavered.

"Did you?"

Shinra lunged.

Faster. Harder. This time, he wouldn't hold back.

His flames erupted violently as he twisted mid-air, delivering a powerful blazing axe kick aimed straight at Joker's shoulder.

Joker dodged effortlessly.

A flicker of movement—then—another impact.

A burning card whizzed past Shinra's cheek, exploding behind him. The concussive force sent him tumbling forward, but he recovered fast, twisting mid-fall and countering with a fire-propelled thrust kick.

Joker leaned just out of reach, the flames barely grazing his coat. "Too slow, Devil Footprints."

Shinra snarled, frustration burning hotter than his flames.

"Enough riddles! Just tell me what you know!"

Joker exhaled, as if disappointed. His smirk faded slightly, just for a second—before he flicked another card between his fingers.

"Nah," he said.

Then—

He vanished again

Shinra's flames roared beneath his feet as he twisted mid-air, his instincts screaming for him to keep moving. Joker had already vanished into the smoke, but Shinra wasn't about to let him stay hidden.

"I'm not playing your damn games!" Shinra growled, his foot igniting with blinding fire.

BOOM!

He launched himself forward, exploding through the smoke, his fiery kick slicing through the air.

WHOOSH—!

A flicker of movement. A blur of black and gold.

Joker dodged—again.

"Tch!" Shinra adjusted mid-air, twisting his body to deliver a spinning flame wheel kick.

But—

Joker was already gone.

A split second later—

PAK!

A devastating elbow slammed into Shinra's gut.

The force sent him crashing backward. His breath hitched. Pain flared through his ribs, but he gritted his teeth and twisted, slamming his hands against the ground to flip back onto his feet.

Joker stood a few feet away, flipping a smoldering playing card between his fingers.

"Still too slow."

Shinra wiped his mouth, his vision locking onto Joker with renewed fire. This wasn't a normal fight. Joker was testing him.

And Shinra was sick of it.

"Then let's see if you can dodge this!"

Shinra kicked off the ground, his fire exploding in every direction.

He vanished in a blur of speed.

Joker's eye gleamed. "Oh?"

Shinra reappeared behind him in an instant. His foot ignited with full power—a blazing HELL CRUSHER KICK aimed straight for Joker's back.

But—

Joker disappeared. Again.

A flicker of movement—THEN—

BANG!

A devastating palm strike slammed into Shinra's side, sending him flying like a ragdoll.

He hit the ground, rolling twice before flipping back to his feet, flames still burning.

Shinra coughed, tasting iron in his mouth. Damn it.

He's faster than I thought.

Joker sighed dramatically, tapping a finger against his temple. "Come on, Devil Footprints. You need to think before you attack."

Shinra's hands clenched into fists. "Then let's see you dodge this!"

With a roar, he unleashed a rapid-fire barrage of kicks, each one igniting the air.

FLAME DRIVE!

One kick. Dodge.

A second. Miss.

A third—Joker simply leaned to the side, avoiding it like a dance.

Shinra growled, pushing his speed even higher. His flames intensified, his feet moving so fast they became a blur of fire and heat.

He vanished again.

Behind you!

Shinra reappeared mid-air, flipping forward, aiming a final, concentrated axe kick straight for Joker's skull.

But—

Joker caught it.

With one hand.

Shinra's eyes widened. "What—"

Before he could react—

BANG!

Joker's fist buried into his stomach, sending him rocketing backward.

CRASH!

Shinra skidded across the ground, his back slamming against the reinforced steel wall. A deep dent formed from the impact.

Pain shot through his body.

He coughed, struggling to push himself back up.

Joker sighed, rolling his shoulders. "You're getting closer."

Shinra spat out a bit of blood, his flames burning hotter than ever.

He pushed himself up, eyes glowing red.

"I'm not done yet."

Joker grinned.

"Good. Make sure you do better next time "

Then—Joker raised a hand.

A single flame ignited at his fingertips.

But it wasn't just any fire.

It wasn't the deep orange of a raging inferno, nor the scorching blue of extreme heat.

It was white.

A strange, flickering light that shimmered like a mirage, its glow soft yet impossibly intense.

Shinra felt his breath catch in his throat.

A slow, creeping sensation crawled up his spine—this fire was different.

Not like the flames he wielded. Not like the flames of an Infernal. Not even like the Adolla Bursts he had encountered before.

Something about it was… otherworldly.

Joker's golden eye gleamed through the flickering glow, his smirk deepening.

"Find the Phoenix, and you'll find your answer."

The Phoenix?

Shinra barely had time to process the words before—

BOOM.

The white fire exploded outward.

A wave of blinding light swallowed everything.

Heat pressed against Shinra's skin, but it wasn't just heat—it was something deeper, something that sank into his very bones.

For a split second—

He felt weightless.

Like he was floating in an endless void, surrounded by firelight.

Then—

The flames vanished.

The world returned in an instant.

Shinra gasped, his vision adjusting. The battlefield was unchanged.

The steel floor beneath his feet was unscorched. The arena walls stood undamaged.

And most of all—

Joker was gone.

Vanished without a trace.

Shinra's chest rose and fell with heavy breaths, his heart pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears.

"That… can't be."

Had it been real?

Or was it some kind of illusion?

But before he could even fully grasp what had just happened—

The illusion faded.

The match was still ongoing.

The Infernal still stood, roaring in its mindless rage.

The other competitors were still fighting, completely unaware that anything had even occurred.

To them, nothing had changed.

But to Shinra—

Everything had just changed.

As the dust settled and the final moments of the event played out, the energy of the stadium slowly began to shift. The excitement of the competition faded into murmurs, cheers, and the usual post-match chaos.

Amid the commotion, Captain Obi approached, his steady presence cutting through the noise like a lifeline. His usual easygoing demeanor was replaced by something firmer—a quiet concern.

He placed a hand on Shinra's shoulder, pulling him aside, away from the crowd.

"Shinra." His voice was calm, but there was a weight behind it. "What happened in there?"

Shinra stiffened for a moment, debating how to answer.

He could lie.

Say it was nothing. Pretend that everything had gone exactly as planned—that there had been no mysterious fire, no cryptic message, no vanishing ghost of a man who somehow always knew too much.

But even as the thought crossed his mind, he knew better.

Joker wouldn't have shown up just to toy with him. Not this time. Not when he'd dropped something that could change everything.

He exhaled slowly, glancing upward. The sky above Tokyo was the same as ever—vast, endless, unknowable.

Just like the past he had thought was long buried.

Finally, he turned back to Obi, his fists clenching slightly at his sides.

"I think… I just got a new mystery to solve."

Obi's brow furrowed slightly, but he didn't push for more. He knew Shinra well enough to see that whatever had happened, it wasn't something that could be explained in a few words.

Instead, he simply nodded. "Then we'll solve it."

Shinra felt a small smirk pull at the corner of his lips.