"Let's go, Yinsen, move." Tony led the way, vigilant, and only after clearing the enemies and confirming it was safe did he wave for Yinsen to come over.
"Yinsen, come here, it's safe, Yinsen?" When he didn't get a response from Yinsen, Tony turned back in confusion. Yinsen stood motionless at the corner of the passage.
Tony sighed and walked over, whispering, "Yinsen, we need to go."
"Tony... something's got my leg..." Yinsen said, his body stiff.
Tony looked down and saw a bloodied hand gripping Yinsen ankle. Tony gave Yinsen a look, and Yinsen slightly turned his body.
A figure covered in blood was lying on the ground, its hand tightly clutching Yinsen foot.
Tony crouched down, about to push the figure away, but suddenly, the figure lifted its head, wearing a chilling smile.
It was Raiden. Raiden was smiling at him... through the blood-soaked beard!
Tony instantly felt as if he couldn't control the primal force within him. Raiden... don't blame me. Blame yourself for coming back from the dead! Tony, frightened, instinctively raised his right hand, ready to fire the rocket launcher he was holding.
"Wait... wait... it's me!" Raiden croaked. Hearing Raiden voice, Yinsen quickly turned around.
Raiden was alive! He was really alive!
Tony stared at Raiden, frozen. After a long moment, Tony laughed, but he also cried.
"This bastard!"
"I was dead for a while... but I didn't quite make it... then I remembered... remembered the money you two owe me, so I thought I'd die another day," Raiden said, a smile of survival on his face.
Tony didn't know what to say to Raiden response, but as long as he was alive, that was enough. He sniffled, calming himself, holding back tears as he said to Yinsen,
"Yinsen, help him up. Let's go home!"
"Yes, home!" Yinsen laughed joyfully, tears streaming down his face. He quickly supported Raiden and followed Tony out of the cave.
Ratatatatatatata—
Whooshwhoosh—
Biubiubiu—
Soooooooo—
Fire in the hole!
Raiden and Yinsen hid at the cave entrance, waiting for Tony to take care of the enemies outside before they could leave.
And Tony wasn't like in the movies, just using the flamethrower on his armor to fight the enemies. Inside the cave, he had found a Gatling gun that spat blue fire and rattled when fired.
With a series of explosions and flames rushing into the cave, Tony charged through the fire.
"Yinsen, move! Help Raiden, follow me!" Tony clearly gestured in his armor, and Yinsen quickly helped Raiden follow him out.
But outside the cave was already a sea of fire. Although Tony had tried to avoid attacking the weapons and equipment in the open area, stray bullets had still ignited some explosives, causing a chain reaction of explosions.
"Follow me!" Tony said, knocking over a burning wooden crate.
Raiden and Yinsen looked at the inferno before them...
"Tony, you go first. I know your armor can eject. Get out of here," Raiden said to Tony.
"No!" Tony flatly refused. "What about you guys if I leave? We've just managed to escape together, and we need to survive this together."
Tony used all his strength to clear the obstacles ahead, but facing a series of potentially explosive ammunition crates, he was blasted back and fell heavily to the ground.
"Tony, Tony, listen to Raiden. You go first, or none of us will make it. Calm down!" Yinsen stopped Tony, who was trying to charge back into the inferno after getting up.
"No, I can clear a path for you. Believe me, just give me a little more time!" As Tony spoke, another series of explosions erupted, and rows of missiles detonated on the hillside.
"No, Tony, trust me. You should believe in me! You go first. I'll get Yinsen out. Both of us will survive!" Raiden said, looking into Tony eyes.
The gazes of the two men met.
"I believe you, Raiden. You must survive... I'll come find you! I will!" Tony took a deep look at both of them, etching their faces into his heart.
Into that small world that belonged only to Tony Stark, with just a few people in it.
Tony activated a mechanism on his arm, and a red button popped out.
"I'll come find you..."
Under the watchful eyes of Raiden and Yinsen, Tony pressed the red button. A powerful jet of air burst from beneath his feet, propelling him into the sky...
"Come visit often!" Raiden waved from amidst the flames.
"Raiden, what are you talking about?" Yinsen said, putting Raiden shoulder.
"Oh, maybe we forgot to ask Tony for his phone number. Never mind, let me think about how we're going to get out of here." Raiden turned back to Yinsen.
"Raiden, do you really have a way out? And, you look terrifying." Yinsen hesitated, looking at the bloodstains on Raiden face.
"Of course!" Raiden pushed Yinsen aside. The injuries he had sustained earlier were mostly healed.
Raiden turned to Yinsen and nodded slightly. "Yinsen, I'll get you out of here."
Raiden spread his arms and chanted loudly to the sky,
"Spirits wandering in the wind, in the name of Kynareth, by the command of the Elemental Gods, heed my call! Let your power serve me. Let your form be my vessel. Let us run with the wind, freedom is our direction, chasing the power of thunder and lightning—filling the vast ocean into my chest! Even the smallest sail can voyage far— By with the wind, dreams as our wings, dare to love, dare to set, brave the unknown—even if we face the greatest risks, the mightiest waves, we'll share a tacit understanding!"
Yinsen stood in disbelief at Raiden, who was holding a concert in the middle of the inferno... Is this your plan... is this how we're supposed to survive? Are you planning to move these flames with your singing, make them cry and extinguish themselves?!
Of course not!
Raiden was just casting a spell.
And why was Raiden incantation so... flamboyant?!
That's because the so-called incantations are merely meant to help the caster focus their attention, allowing their magical power to resonate with each word, continuously increasing in strength and drawing closer to the free-flowing energy of the world.
In truth, even without incantations, a mage can still cast spells, but it would take longer, and any distraction could lead to failure. Only powerful mages or those with exceptional talent can cast spells without chanting.
If, from a young age, you instill in someone mind that fire is water, fire is water, then even if they chant a water incantation, they can still unleash fire magic.
As the last word... the last lyric of Raiden chant fell, a gentle breeze swept by, causing Raiden hair to flutter in the wind...
"Good heavens, Yinsen, help me out! I can't see! I'm blind!" Raiden vision was completely obscured by the thick beard on his face.
But Yinsen had no time to tend to him he was pointing ahead in astonishment.
"The road, Raiden, the road!"
Amidst the sea of fire, right in front of the two of them, a path had suddenly appeared. When the flames surged toward it, they would collide with what seemed like a wall of wind, extinguishing instantly.
Yinsen quickly grabbed Raiden arm and dashed out!
"We made it! We survived!"
"We made it! We finally survived!"
........
Meanwhile, in the desert on the other side, Tony finally managed to pull himself out of the sand. He was determined to find the rescue team...