『PHOENIX』

The dull, dim horizon vanished as the sun eradicated and rose in its casual elegance, igniting the continent with its glorious golden light. My eyes drifted to my hands; the blessing within me finally possessed the hues of the golden isle of the Elysian Continent.

Aizelle’s blessing and arcane magic surged all over my veins, the confidence inside boastfully boosted. Nararamdaman kong matatalo si Satan ngayon.

Isang galit at nanlalasik na tingin ang binigay sa ‘kin ni Satan habang kami’y parehas nakatigil sa himpapawid. Marahil alam niya ang maaaring maging katapusan niya ngayong naging successful ang merge namin ni Aizelle.

Nanatili lamang siyang nakatingin sa ‘kin hanggang sa maramdaman ko na may kakaiba sa repleksyon ng mga mata niya.

“Is he scared of something?” I heard Aizelle ask.

A smirk slowly curved on my lips, “Reminiscing something?” I mockingly asked. Satan may have remembered Master Garet and Tita Freya’s merge after witnessing ours, especially since he was terrified of him.

He was scared of Garet Christophe Lockser; the man considered the King among the King Vessels.

Satan gritted his teeth and grunted. He tightly held his poisonous black sword and soared toward my direction. He lunged his sword, targeting my chest, but I immediately deflected it. And as our sword collided, its sound resonated around. He forcefully pushed me, grazing the tip of his sword on my cheek.

Yet, it was immediately healed. I flew above him and cast a sphere of golden flames. Satan was blinded for a while, losing his balance and opening a path for me to attack.

“Phoenix, now!”

Nang marinig ko ang boses na Aizelle, mabilis ko siyang sinugod at hiniwa ng espada ang kanyang dibdib. Bahagya niyang naiwasan iyon dahilan upang puwersahan ko siyang sipain hanggang sa tumalsik siya sa lupa.

“Phoenix, something is wrong,” Aizelle said worriedly. I looked below and saw the cloud of dust covering Satan. “I think… we should end this quick as possible.”

I hovered down, charging my sword in his direction, but my sword struck a rock. I was dumbfounded when Satan suddenly appeared beside me, and without wasting any second, he rapidly kicked me.

Aizelle and I groaned as I hit the ground. And as I slowly got up, a sudden sickening feeling devoured my entire body. The land where I was standing collapsed slowly, making me soar to the horizon. My eyes searched for Satan, who was standing in the middle of the soon-dead land of the Divine Continent.

Monsters began to march in Satan’s direction. They dove into the hollow pits formed by Satan’s tremendous magic, the carved in the land suddenly glowed a crimson light, along with a sickening show of the monsters covered with lava climbing back to the land.

“Dude, bakit mo naman kasi ginalit? May patanong-tanong ka pa r’yan na gago ka!”

“Wow naman, Aizelle. Parang ikaw ‘yong mas bobo sa ating dalawa ha. Sa tingin mo ba kahit hindi ko itanong ‘yon, hindi niya gagawin ‘yan?”

“Maybe?!”

“Kita mong natakot sa nagliliwanag kong ka-g’wapuhan—”

“Seriously, why did you become a King Vessel that I must serve?”

Nang makaalis ang halos lahat ng mga monster sa loob ng bangin, dahan-dahan na umagos ang mga nagliliyab na bato ro’n. Bawat malapatan ng mga ito’y nawawalan ng buhay tila ba’y nais nitong sakupin ang buong Divine Continent, at nakawin ang buhay na mayroon ito.

“Shit…” I cussed.

Mas lalong lumaki ang aninong nakayakap sa katawan ni Satan kasabay nito ang mabilis na paglamon ng dilim sa liwanag ng kalangitan. Dahan-dahan na nagbabago ang anyo niya, ang kanyang mga mata’y nagkulay dugo. Mabilis na tumubo ang dalawang sungay sa noo niya kasabay nito ang pagsulpot ng buntot sa kanyang likuran at ang pagkabiak ng kaliwang parte ng mukha sa ibaba ng kanyang mata.

Wala sa sarili akong napalunok nang mawala ang tingin niya sa direksyon ko. Tumingin lamang siya sa gilid kung saan nakita ko sina Sue.

“Tangina,” singhal ko.

Agad na nagmartsa patungo sa direksyon nila ang mga monsters habang pinoproseso pa lamang nila ang kanilang nakikita. Mabilis akong bumaba sa direksyon nila’t kinulong ko sila isang golden shield gamit ang arcane magic ni Aizelle.

“What the fuck was that?!” Riley exclaimed.

I looked at him with disbelief, “Malamang monsters!”

“Tita Mommy!” Rinig kong sambit ni Serena habang nakatingin sa gilid ko. Saglit akong lumingon saka ngumiwi nang walang makita.

“Boang na ba ang kapatid mo, Sky?” Tanong ko.

“Never mind her. We will help you,” Sky said.

I looked at him and stole a glance at the monsters possessed by Satan’s cursed around. “Will you please take care of those habang sinasapak ko ‘yong master nila?”

“We will.”

“Phoenix,” Aizelle called, making my brow raised. “Give them some of my arcane magic.”

“Sure.”

The golden shield slowly vanished into eight pieces of mana stone. They gradually appeared in front of each of them, making their way into their chest. And as they glowed within them, they looked at me with confusion.

I smiled, “A gift from Aizelle—that will serve as your shield from those monsters.”

“Phoenix,” Sue called, almost whispering. “Please… be careful.”

“I will. You, too.”

“We need to end this now.”

Mabilis akong lumipad sa direksyon ni Satana habang mahigpit ang hawak ko sa aking espada. Nang sinubukan kong sugurin si Satan, agad siyang naglaho sa aking harapan at lumitaw sa likuran ko. At bago niya magawang mailapat ang espada niya sa sikmura ko, mabilis ko iyong sinalo gamit ang hawak kong espada.

“Damn, we do!” I gritted, a late reply to Aizelle’s remark.

A dark shadow ball suddenly appeared in his palm. I forcefully kicked his hand, making his attack launched above. The sky suddenly received his powerful attack, making the clouds split in half.

Our swords began to dance once again. The deafening sound of the screeching metal overpowered the screams and groans of the monsters around.

“Phoenix, dodge!”

I was too late. I was caught off guard. His tail pricked the side if my stomach. I winced in pain, and forcefully cut his tail. At kahit na putol na iyon, patuloy pa rin nitong sinasaksak ang tagiliran ko hanggang sa binuhos ko ang buong lakas ko upang tanggalin iyon.

“Damn… I’m sorry,” I mumbled.

“Bobo,” sambit ni Aizelle.

“Wow. Salamat sa moral support. Bigyan kaya kita ng award bilang best servitour—”

“What do you want to hear from me? Napagaling mo, Phoenix? Sa sobrang galing muntik ka na mamatay?”

“Ang pangit mo magbiro.” I covered my hand with golden flames and slowly healed the wound. Dahan-dahan na gumagaling ang sugat ko, ngunit nanatili ro’n ang sakit. “Aizelle…”

“What?”

“Shall we do it?” I asked with my eyes half opened, something is wrong with my body right now, and I wouldn’t want to waste any more chances.

“All or nothing.”

I soared deeper to the horizon. I cleared my mind and let my body and soul synchronize with Aizelle’s. We poured every ounce of the power left within us. I slowly lifted my sword, and magic circles began to appear above my head and below my feet.

And even miles away, my eyes could see the fear devouring the Kin of Wrath. He panicky coated his body with shadows, thicker and thicker with every second.

“Are you ready, my dear servitour?”

Aizelle chuckled. “Always, my revered king vessel.”

“Extreme Magic: The Grenadier Phoenix!”

A gigantic projectile light of seraphim appeared in front, along with a golden bow and arrow in its hand. As soon as the seraphim released the bow, the piercing arrow slowly turned into a blazing golden phoenix plummeting towards Satan.

Satan tried running away, but this extreme magic is special. The golden phoenix followed Satan until it finally struck Satan.

“Finally…” I mumbled, slowly losing all the energy left inside of me.

My eyes finally gave up. I felt Aizelle’s body released from mine, along with the sudden disappearance of the wings attached to my back. My body dove through the air rapidly, yet my body wouldn’t move even while thinking about the pain once I fell to the ground.

All of a sudden, I felt my body pause with a tingling sensation wrapping around my body, replenishing and healing the sore killing me inside.

And even the power, the energy, and the magic somehow came back.

This sensation… was awfully familiar.

“An Aurulent Phoenix, huh? Shall we commend these young king vessel and servitour for doing an awesome job, Garet?”

“Indeed, they did great. But I think we should take it from here, Freya.”

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