My fingers wiggled and cracked as I flexed them, flames burst forth in spurts as I finished making my speech. In the spaces between my fingers small spiraling fireballs appeared, with a flick of my wrist I unleashed them.

“Scatterbomb!”

A series of explosions went off in six different locations. Smoke clouds formed from the aftermath. As the bandits composed themselves I dashed into the first smoke cloud punching my way through. Two fast moving fireballs shot out of the smoke cloud I was hidden in the resulting explosion shook the mine. The stalactite high above me wiggled from the shock.

As the smoke in front of me cleared I scanned the area making sure I knew where each of my opponents where, the locations of the stone statue, and most importantly how close Chuu was.

As I formulated my attack strategy I could feel Ma’s eyes on me from above.

“We don’t want to hurt you. Honest.”

“You won’t.”

Within the blink of an eye I had dashed in front of the bandit who had spoken jabbing my elbow into his face. There was a satisfying crunch sound as he hit the ground, from the downed bandit I zigzagged around tagging three bandits in the chest, stomach and neck respective.

Chuu kept close watching from above. Good.

“You’re dancing around to my tune. You see I’m at the top of the food chain. I Ma Ma, the purple witch.

Ma Ma? Seriously. That was her name and she can say that out loud without a problem.

“Weren’t you going to show me something Mao? Weren’t you supposed to show me how you’re better than me. Hehehee. You’re no different than the apathic townspeople they’re so easy to bend and manipulate. There so weak willed a breeze could kill them.”

Ma wasn’t wrong the townspeople of Rockfell seemed so lazy, almost nothing could spur them forward. The thought churned my stomach, rage began to fester. Ma, Mir, the townspeople of Rockfell.

“That’s it!!!”

My feet slid to a stop which seemed to signal the remaining bandits to converge on me. I threw a punch forward, something strange happened I missed. A kick aimed for the neck of a man of my left missed every so slightly. What? How? With clenched fists I threw a few practice punches in the air seemingly finding my problem.

“Well these can go.” Without warning I tore off the sleeves to Mir’s father’s old mandarin collared black shirt.

With a wave off my hand I motioned one of the bandits over, he cautiously approached getting sent flying a second later.

“That’s better. Now bitch ma, opps. I meant to say witch baby. Ancient loli? Prehistoric twerp. You might want to laugh while you can because Imma burn everything all down.”

“You wouldn’t dare. What about this little boy?”

“Earlier in Rockfell I was willing to burn the whole town down. Why would now be any different? Oh, you get it now. Good. I’m not gonna stop even if you beg me to. This place with its pathetic people, these annoying bandits. That crybaby Mir. And you. You Ma, hehehehe. I’m gonna burn it all away.”

Ma watched me closely as a red aura seeped out of my body, my arms were crossed close to my body. The ground around me began shaking, the aura began fully engulfing my body like wild flames.

“Gate of Wrath!!!”

I threw my arms into the air, several streams of orange and yellow flames burst forth from my body. The streams of fire hit several bandits, various stalactite, the area near Ma. She was taken off guard loosening her grip for just a moment. NOW!!!

“Chuu I’ve got something delicious for you to eat.”

“Really, chuu. Where is it? Where is it? WHERE IS IT!!!”

Chuu zoomed into my hand. With a slam of my right foot forward I pitched Chuu right at Ma.

“FEED CHHHUUU!!!”

Ma was hit dead on in the forehead, by the time she recovered I was already rushing up toward her. With a final jumped into the air I engulfed my right fist in flames.

“Final lesson time for you Ma. Time to learn the real pecking order.”

Ma’s eyes opened wide as my flaming fist approached. Ma hastily put up a barrier. The thin purple wall of magic slowed my attack but didn’t stop it.

“Wait. We can work this out. You…you don’t have to be my friend if you don’t want to. Just let me keep the bandits. No? Spare me. I’ll do whatever you want…”

Putting all my practice as an apprentice baker to use I gave Ma a sincere smile and said.

“Burn in hell.”

“Huh? Wha..what I didn’t quite catch…”

“Burn. In. Hell!!!”

My flaming fist broke through Ma’s barrier for just a moment I saw the sheer terror work its way across Ma’s face as it rapidly aged. By the time my fist met Ma’s face she was wrinkled beyond description. BOOOM!