The Human Torch (Fire Force) Chapter 9: Respect

[Third Person's PoV] 


Maki was letting out her frustration by battling Arthur and Shinra. In the heat of the moment, Arthur made a critical mistake:


“I see! So I was wrong about you! You aren't a princess, you're an ogre in disguise!” Arthur panted as he knelt with his sword.


Maki stopped and slowly stared at Arthur.


Johnny sighed, “Come on sister, let's pray for this idiot. Latom,” he said next to Iris, making the prayer sign.


Iris nodded in agreement, “Latom,” she echoed, joining him in the prayer hand sign.


Maki’s eyes filled with tears of rage. “Who are you calling a gorilla cyclops?!”


“I didn't even say that! Is the human language that foreign, you ogress?!” Arthur shouted back.


“Arthur's big mouth is going to get him killed one of these days,” Johnny sighed, leaning by the entrance.


Iris wore an awkward expression, “That's a third generation for you, adding fuel to the fire.”


Just then, Shinra flew up from the side of the building where he was thrown off, “DON'T FORGET ABOUT ME!” he shouted enthusiastically, ready for more action.


Shinra froze, seeing Maki’s angered expression, “Huh? What's the deal with the ogre-like expression?” he asked innocently.


Johnny let out another sigh, “Sister, let's also pray for the soul of this other idiot,” he said, his hand sign already ready.


Iris simply nodded in agreement.


“If I can't extinguish your flames, then I guess I'll just turn them against you!” Maki declared, waving her hand as if she were casting a spell.


The flames under Shinra's feet suddenly gained faces, signifying Maki's control over them. Shinra looked down in surprise.


Arthur, too, saw his Excalibur adorned with a small face at the base, which then puffed its cheeks and blew smoke at him.


“My Excalibur too?!”


Maki smirked, “Now it's Pusucaliber!”


Hinawame, standing near Johnny, explained, “Hero, Knight, or simply a mischievous Fire Spirit—” he turned to look at him when mentioning the last, “if you were to characterize Maki in a similar fashion, then she would most likely be a ‘Witch.’”


Maki raised her hands to the skies, commanding, “Pusupusu Blaze! Come forth!”


The small spirits Maki created from Shinra and Arthur's flames ignited into large infernos, growing in both size and power, merging into one.


“Boboboh!” Maki shouted, summoning the flame creature with a sinister expression.


Johnny looked at the flame creature curiously, muttering, “I wonder how it would taste…”


Iris turned to look at him strangely.


As the flame loomed larger than anything they had seen before, Maki had a satisfied expression as she crossed her arms, “So, shall we continue?”


Shinra and Arthur looked at the flames above Maki, then at Maki herself, and then at each other. They both blamed the reason for dropping out on the other person dropping out first.


After the fight was over, Hinawame put out the giant flame creature using a fire extinguisher. All Maki could do was cry in sadness as it was extinguished.


…


After their fight, Arthur properly met Captain Obi, who invited Johnny, Shinra, and Arthur out to eat as they were all newcomers.


Captain Obi took them to a ramen spot where they all happily enjoyed their meal. Captain Obi used this chance to get closer to all three of them as a team bonding exercise.


After they finished eating, they casually walked back to the church, where the headquarters of the 8th was located. Captain Obi took the three, along with Lieutenant Hinawame, to the weapons room where multiple types of weapons were stored and cared for.


Captain Obi picked up three long-handled axes and laid them on the table in front of them, “These are the seven-style fire axes for you three,” he said, looking at Johnny, Shinra, and Arthur.


Arthur stared at the fire axe with a plain, uninterested expression, “I don't need it,” he said simply, closing his eyes.


“I already have Excalibur,” he added, casually lifting his scabbard.


“I don't need it either,” Johnny shrugged, “since I can do this.”


Johnny conjured a fireball in his hand before squishing it between his palms. His palms turned bright red as little wisps of flames escaped from the sides. When Johnny extended his hand, a detailed bastard sword appeared where the fireball once was.


Johnny casually examined the sword.


“Cool, can other people wield it?” Captain Obi asked, looking at the sword.


“For a bit, but it would start to dissipate if I'm not the one holding it.”


Meanwhile, Shinra looked at his own fire axe in awe, holding it with both hands. Lieutenant Hinawame gave him instructions on how to hold and use it.


Just then, the siren rang. Maki ran into the storage space, warning everyone about the Flame person that had appeared.


“They're in the Iriya district!” she informed them as they all ran down the hall, Shinra still holding his axe, while Arthur held Excalibur.


“All units aboard the Matchbox!” Obi ordered. They all entered, immediately getting dressed into their outfits as they drove to their destination.


Captain Obi informed them all of the situation at hand. “The fire is in a single-family home, so we will most likely be fighting in a confined space. Shinra, your abilities might be limited, so use the axe.”


Captain Obi then gained a serious expression as he looked toward Shinra and Arthur. “Conceal your weapon in your coat! Absolutely do not wield it in public!”


Arthur simply stared at the scabbard in his hands as they quickly arrived at their destination. When they arrived, there was no fire; it was strangely quiet.


They found a schoolgirl sitting in a street, wrapped in a blanket with tears in her eyes.


A firefighter approached Obi and informed him of why it was so quiet. They were told that inside was a flame person just casually sitting down in the house.


After being informed, Captain Obi looked towards the traumatized little girl, who was the next of kin. Hinawa informed him of what he was able to gather. “Two years ago, that child's mother became an infernal as well…”


Obi gained an angry expression, angered at the misfortune the little girl was experiencing. “Damn, now it's the dad's turn? How cruel.”


Iris looked at the girl with a pitying look. “Captain…”


“Leave her be for now. Prepare to enter,” Obi said, opening the small gate to the house in front of them.


Obi then stopped and looked towards Shinra and Arthur, who still had their weapons out and in the open. Obi let out a sigh as he closed the gate. “Shinra, Arthur, come with me for a bit.”


Obi guided them to a secluded spot away from prying eyes with a serious expression.


Obi began to reprimand them about still keeping their weapons out even after he instructed them to keep them hidden.


“Excalibur is my pride. Why do I have to hide it like I'm ashamed of it?” Arthur asked, holding his scabbard with a serious expression and tone.


Obi then sighed once more before he explained. “Our job and mission are to battle and extinguish flame people. Flame people were once humans as well. What we are doing is no different from simply killing them,” Obi said, explaining the severity of the situation.


“There are those who take pleasure in hunting down flame people. They view it as their calling. But what about the people they left behind? Those killed in battle are their loved ones. This is why you must never display your killing tool before the families of the victims. The 8th has no need for anyone who can't follow such simple instructions. Now come, we've wasted enough time.”


Just then, fire burst from the balcony of the building. When they all turned, all they saw was a fire forming into a skull with demon-like horns.


Everyone immediately turned towards Johnny, who looked at them in confusion. “What? I didn't do that. I have standards, you know. Since when have you guys ever seen me play around during our missions?”


They all then turned towards Maki, who raised her hands. “It wasn't me either…”


The flames then started to shift, turning into a smiling expression with its tongue sticking out.


Everyone just looked between Maki and Johnny once again. “You guys are starting to piss me off,” Johnny said, rolling his eyes.


Maki nodded, agreeing with Johnny.


“Do you guys think it's perhaps the flame person?” Shinra inferred.


Hinawa stared as the smile expression started to dissipate. “I doubt a flame person has gained such self-awareness that it would begin to ridicule us with fire.”


“Let's move in!” Obi ordered as they all rushed inside the house.


There was an eerie silence. Shinra's devil-like smile appeared due to the tense situation. They all headed towards the living room as that's where the reports stated the flame person was.


They found an infernal wearing normal clothing with its head on fire and its black skull present. “Wel…Wel…Welcome,” it greeted, turning its head around slowly, causing everyone to feel a tingle in their spine.


Obi stared at their family picture and lamented, “Why did something like this happen…”


Arthur gained a serious expression. “Leave the soul's repose to me,” he said.


“Wait…” Shinra said, stopping him. “That flame person technically hasn't done anything wrong…”


Johnny just put a hand on Shinra's shoulder. “It's suffering… Can't you see? Let Arthur do it. Let Arthur end its misery…”


Shinra bit his lip but didn't say anything else. Arthur looked towards Johnny and nodded graciously. He reached into his jacket and pulled out his scabbard, then pulled out his sword.


Sister Iris began the prayer as usual. Arthur joined in as he walked by the flame person’s back and aimed his sword. His eyes gained a glowing blue color as his face remained neutral.


“Oh soul, returned to the raging flames!” Arthur shouted as he plunged the sword into the back of the flame person.


“Mikako!” the flame person shouted before it crumbled into ashes.


“Latom,” they all said with a somber expression.


Ashes then began to spill out from the corners and edges of the ceiling before it all exploded. Everything began crumbling down. Everyone soon began rushing out except for the captain, who returned and got the picture he was looking at earlier before rushing out with everyone else.


As part of the house was about to fall on the captain, it was intercepted by Johnny, who used his own flames to hold it in place for the captain to make it out with them.


Just before they exited the building, Arthur looked at his own scabbard and hid it inside his fireman jacket.


When all soon returned outside to the little girl who was shivering in fright, scared that she would be next, Iris had a look of sadness as she didn't know what to say to comfort her.


Captain Obi walked up and crouched down, handing her the photo and saying encouraging words to help pick up her mood.


Meanwhile, the perpetrator of the cause of all was calmly walking away, smoking his cigarette with a smile as his eye bandana covered one of his eyes. His black hat covered most of his face. The smoke from the cigarette turned into the smiling expression from earlier.