Chapter 19
The man, his eyes wide with shock, backed away as Liza's body ignited, her skin becoming a raging inferno. The flames danced across her skin, their heat scorching the ground beneath her, And then, Liza's form shuddered, transforming her body with the power of a phoenix, her body burning with an intense, blinding light.
The crowd, their cries of jubilation replaced by those of terror, shrank back, their faces painted with fear and awe. Liza, her body unfurled in a blaze of glory, rose into the air, its plumage filling the sky with a vibrant, searing light. The man, his arrogance replaced by pure terror, dropped his sword and stumbled back, his eyes fixed on the massive ball of human flames before him.
Liza, her body still burning with an intense flame, let out a piercing screech that seemed to shake the very foundations of the arena. And with an unimaginable speed that defiled human comprehension, she launched herself at the man, her claw-like fingers poised for the kill. The man, his heart racing with terror, tried to dodge Liza's deadly dive, but he was no match for her speed.
Liza's fingers, its razor-sharp tip glinting with fiery fury, closed around the man's shoulder, the flesh parting with sizzle of burning skin. The man, howling in agony, collapsed to the ground, his screams drowned out by Liza's triumphant cry. Liza, her skin still radiating with searing heat, stalked towards the fallen man, her expression hard and unyielding. '' What happened to the strong man who stood before me a few minutes ago?'' she purred, her words dripping with malice, '' But you underestimated me, And now, you'll pay for that mistake.''
The man, his face contorted with terror, tried to crawl away, but Liza was too fast. She grabbed him by the ankle, the heat of her touch scaring his flesh. The man screaming in agony flailed and kicked, his struggles only seeming to amuse Liza further. '' Please,'' he begged, his voice a desperate plea. '' I'll do anything! Just spare me!''
Liza her eyes glittering with sadistic pleasure, laughed, '' Oh, I'm not going to kill you,'' she said, her voice a low, threatening purr. '' I have something much more fun in mind for you.'' The man's eyes widened in horror as he realized what Liza had planned.'' No!''
Liza's gaze fixed on the man, her words becoming a twisted promise of agony. '' You're going to be my plaything, my little pet,'' she whispered, her hands tightening around the man's ankle with a burning grip. '' And I'll make sure you never forget what happens to those who underestimate me.''
The man's plea turned to whimpers as Liza dragged him across the scorched sands, her becoming a terrifying lullaby of torture and pain. '' Don't worry.'' she cooed, her voice deceptively sweet. The man, his body trembling with terror, tried to pull away from Liza's grasp, but her grip was iron-tight, the heat of her touch searing his flesh. '' I'm not going to kill you,'' Liza repeated, her voice dripping with cruelty. '' Not yet, anyway. No, first, I'm going to make you wish you were dead.''
With a flick of her wrist, Liza sent the man sprawling across the ground, his body clattering against the sand. As the man lay sprawled at Liza's feet, his eyes wild with fear, she knelt beside him, her hand stroking his face with a scorching touch. '' You see,'' she whispered, her voice like a serpent's hiss, '' I'm not an ordinary woman, I am a woman that can do things to you that will make your darkest nightmares seem like a pleasant dream.''
The man, his lips trembling, looked up at Liza with pleading eyes, his voice a weak, pathetic whisper. '' please...no...'' he begged. Liza, a wicked smile curling her lips, leaned closer, her body with power. '' No? you want me to stop?'' she asked, her voice sweet as poisoned honey. '' That's too bad, you see, I'm just getting started.'' Liza's hand, now blazing with blue-white flame, traced a pattern on the man's chest, scorching his flesh into a horrific bloody brand.
The man screamed, his cries a desperate symphony of pain and fear. Liza, her voice a low, delighted chuckle, traced more patterns on the man's skin, each one leaving a smoking, scared trail of agony in its wake. '' I'm going to make you into something beautiful, '' she purred, her words a mocking lie. '' A work of art, if you will, A living, breathing sculpture of pain and terror.'' The man's cries, now pitiful, a desperate mewling, fell on deaf ears as Liza continued her macabre work, her body still humming with the power of the flames.
Liza, her voice now a dark, throaty purr, leaned close to the man, her face mere inches from his own. '' The person you're begging to, '' she whispered, her voice carrying a chilling promise, '' Isn't here anymore.'' The man, his eyes wide with terror, whimpered, his body shuddering in fear. '' No..... please....'' he begged. Liza her smile now a sadistic grin, leaned even closer, her breath caressing the man's face.
'' Do you know what a phoenix is?'' Liza asked, her voice a soft, seductive whisper. '' A phoenix is a creature of rebirth, of fire and rebirth, But what your legends don't tell you is that a phoenix can also be a creature of vengeance.'' The man. his body trembling, tried to turn away in an attempt to escape from Liza, but Liza's grip on his mind was as unyielding as her hold on his body.
'' And that's what I am,'' she continued, her voice now cold as ice. '' A creature of vengeance.'' Liza's eyes, now glowing with a malevolent light, fixed on the man, her smile a twisted rictus of delight. '' Tell me,'' Liza whispered, her voice as soft as a dying ember, '' do you know how a phoneix feeds ?''
The man, his voice now a pitiful, terrified whisper, shook his head. '' let me show you, '' Liza purred her words a cruel invitation.