Chapter 251: The Fire Mage of East Borough

All the demigods and civilians near the tree froze.

The earth shook again with pain, the few remaining houses were reduced to rubble, and to the horror of the Church forces and the great joy but confusion of the Rose School, the Crimson Tree began to grow as the intensity of its glow increased.

Its height reached such points that the top of the tree disappeared into the storm clouds. Ace Snake and Saturna had to step aside to avoid being struck by the raging bolts of lightning that began to attack the tree but could never touch it.

"What's happening now?!" Ace Snake snarled in annoyance, the lightning that surrounded his body thundering with rage. 

Saturna just looked at the tree, her expression hard to read. But there was confusion in her cold eyes.

Suddenly, both demigods looked down at the base of the tree. Sweat suddenly covered their foreheads.

Their spirituality screamed the same thing.

DANGER!

The ground cracked again. Thick, fleshy roots spread out and destroyed the remains of the buildings, revealing a huge platform with a huge, deformed baby in the middle, cramped and hidden in the remains of what appeared to be a womb.

Ace Snake's spirituality told him all he needed to know. A mighty bolt of lightning charged and was ready to go, but before he could act, a mighty thunderbolt struck and tried to strike the baby.

And it wasn't the only one, a ridiculous amount of lightning and thunder struck, all aimed at the same target.

But before the thunder could reach any dangerous distance, it was stopped by what appeared to be a crimson barrier.

The baby was further enveloped by the remnants of the womb, fear on its hideous face as it looked up at the black, thundering storm clouds above.

The few civilians present, those who survived the initial explosion and the monsters that followed, watched the creature on the platform in horror and great pain. The image would remain etched in their minds along with a splitting headache. The cold of this rainy day added to it.

A woman in an extremely damaged, dust-covered, blood-stained dress looked at the incredible scene before her from her hiding place in the rubble and could only weep. All around her, more people were hiding with her. There were a few children, but mostly just adults.

"We are lost..."

"I want my mummy!" cried a little girl who couldn't have been more than 4 years old, in the arms of a man who could only hold her tight as he tried to keep her quiet.

"Shut that brat up before the demons find us!"

"Please, Goddess, protect us!" 

Looking at what was happening behind her, Margaret could only give a shaky sigh and wipe the tears from her reddened eyes.

Looking at the horrific scene in front of her, Margaret raised her hands and clasped them together, "Please... A miracle... Please." The woman wept as she prayed to whatever deity might hear her, but the only thing around her besides the destruction and death was the storms and lightning that tried to destroy the crimson barrier.

Gritting her teeth and on the verge of collapse. Margaret closed her eyes and cried out to the only savior she knew, "Save us, please! Mr Kenway!"

Suddenly, at the end of the barrier, the earth shook and cracked. A pillar of golden fire shot up and faced the crimson light. 

This pillar caught the attention of all present, who stared in disbelief.

At the top of it, a figure shot out. Golden flames covered part of his body and his red hair danced in the air, a fiery stone sword in his hand.

"YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD OUTRUN ME?!!!"

Everything seemed to freeze. The demigods and the people of East Borough watched as the familiar man faced the monster on the platform.

A bloody smile on his bruised face and burning eyes lit the fire of hope in their weary hearts.

"What is he doing here?!!! Is he crazy?!" Ace Snake shouted in disbelief as he saw someone he thought was dead.

"HOW IS HE STILL ALIVE?!!!" Saturna shouted angrily as she looked at the man.

HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!

The surviving people of East Borough looked at the man, tears falling from their eyes, not of sadness but of immense joy.

Margaret cried out in joy as she fell limply to her knees. Similar cries surrounded the crater, shouting his name.

"MR. KENWAY!!!" 

The Fire Mage had returned!

As soon as the baby saw the red-haired man, an expression of horror appeared on his face, and he raised his deformed arms to cover it—the natural movement of any baby at the sight of something that frightens it.

As if sensing his fear, the fleshy trunks wrapped themselves around him like a protective cocoon, twisting around each other like skinless snakes until they formed a huge ball of bleeding, throbbing reddish flesh. In the next instant, black spikes erupted from the trunks, oozing a dark, thick black liquid. They pointed everywhere, their tips as sharp as the most dangerous spears.

Seeing this, Adryan clicked his tongue. His agitated breathing didn't have much effect as he took another step, using Sky Walk to propel himself a little higher. Dust and pieces of rock covered him, clinging to the fresh blood from his wounds.

His eyes moved quickly around him, an emptiness forming in his stomach at such a ruinous landscape.

Whether the emptiness was because he still had some emotions or because they were empty, the redhead did not know.

He might have seen the destruction caused by the emergence of the tree thanks to Chicho, but to see it for himself was something else entirely.

Houses and buildings had been completely destroyed. Streets were gone, and wrecks of carriages and corpses were sticking out of the rubble. Dust, smoke, and fire as far as he could see...

Beyond that, rolling in like a raging wave, huge numbers of what he could best describe as ghouls were coming towards him. Running over debris and corpses, ignoring even living people, their goal was clear.

Adryan watched all this with empty eyes as he took another step with Sky Walk and soared even higher. His eyes moved around him, and he let out a small sigh.

"This is really annoying..."

He didn't know if Chicho's barrier was still standing; there was no sign to tell him, so he had to assume that it had fallen. That would mean that any enemy could join the battle, making everything even more difficult.

In his current state, he was sure that he would not be able to withstand another fight as brutal as the last one.

His body was already at its maximum limit, and he no longer had regeneration. His spirituality was almost full, but that would mean nothing if he had to use one-third of it to fire a plasma beam.

No sooner had he left the ground than he noticed the crimson barrier covering the base of the tree where the baby and he were standing. 

'If that thing didn't turn to ash as soon as it lifted its misshapen head to the surface, it was because of that barrier... A defense system, perhaps?' It didn't even let in the rainwater, for which he was grateful.

The redhead nodded inwardly. If the baby hadn't been blown to dust, it was because of this barrier, which seemed to come out of the tree itself and encompassed a large area around the platform. 

A plan quickly formed in his tired mind, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly at what was coming.

If his theory was wrong, he would be nothing but dust in the next 5 seconds.

What does it matter at this point? All or nothing!

So, all things considered. Adryan pushed himself as high as he could but stayed inside the crimson barrier.

...

Ace Snake watched as the redhead continued to rise and could only frown.

What does he think he's doing? Is he trying to escape? The Archbishop of the Holy Wind Cathedral was quite confused by what the man was doing. What was he trying to achieve?

Saturna, for her part, could only growl inwardly. She had failed to find the chosen ones to protect the divine vessel in the rubble of the platform.

Had the Fire Mage defeated them? All 5 of them?

He was only one man!

How could one man have defeated 5 of their agents?!

...

Having reached the highest point, Adryan inhaled as much air as he could. His chest swelled, his not-quite-healed bones protesting, but like the last few minutes, they were ignored.

Pouring spirituality into his throat, Adryan screamed. The spirituality increased the power of his voice, and the Conspirator's natural ability to scream made his voice sound like he was speaking into an amplifier.

"HEAR ME CHURCH DOGS!!!"

...

Ace Snake's expression broke, and he stared at the red-haired man in disbelief, momentarily speechless.

Elsewhere on the ground, Horamick Haydn's expression also cracked slightly, the corners of his bearded lips quivering.

The holes in his back closed, and his robe covered his back again. The Archbishop's old eyes couldn't help but widen slightly as he looked up at the source of the scream.

"I have to admit, the young man has courage." He commented with some respect as his arm opened again and fired a purification cannon at the demon that was trying to sneak through the shadows toward him.

...

"FOR ONCE IN YOUR DAMN LIFE, DO YOUR JOB AND PROTECT THE PEOPLE OF EAST BOROUGH.... COVER FOR ME, AND I'LL FINISH THIS!!!!"

"YOU HEARD ME, YOU USELESS WASTE OF HUMANS!!!!"

...

'Who does this brat think he is?!!!' The veins in his neck began to throb, but before Ace Snake could say anything in righteous retaliation, he saw Adryan pointing to the sky, to the storms that were raging with even more fury than before.

"AND YOU TIN POT GODS KEEP YOUR HEAVY ASSES IN YOUR UGLY CHAIRS. YOU DON'T MAKE THE LAST CALL UNTIL I DIE!!!"

KRABOOM!!

A thunderclap struck and tried to hit Adryan, but the crimson barrier blocked the attack and protected the redhead.

Red-haired Adryan looked up at the sky in annoyance. A vein throbbed in his forehead, and a mad grin spread across his face.

"YOU REALLY ARE AN ANNOYING PIGEON, YOU KNOW THAT?! WHAT?! YOU WANT SOME BREAD TO CALM YOU DOWN A BIT MISS PIGEON?! JUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO DIRTY YOUR DRESS!!" 

KRABUMMM!!!

Another clap of thunder fell, but the barrier blocked it again. Instead of saying anything else, Adryan just raised his middle finger at the storm clouds as he let out a maniacal laugh.

...

Despite the thunderous roar, the explosions in the distance, and the mighty wind that swept over East Borough, everything seemed to fall silent.

All present, civilians and demigods alike, stared in disbelief and astonishment at the man in the sky. 

"He... he just insulted the gods, and despite receiving divine punishment and surviving... he just insulted them again?"

The demigods and beyonders present thought the same thing in shock. The scenario before them was so ridiculous that they could not believe it.

...

Ignoring the stares, Adryan lowered his gaze to the thorny bud at the base of the tree. The fleshy, thorn-covered trunks struck him with familiarity, and he realized that they were exactly the same ones the Doctor had used.

The energy-sucking Ivies!

'They look much bigger and stronger than the ones the Doctor used... If I try to destroy them like I did Cell's, they'll no doubt drain me of what's left of my spirituality before I can get to the damn baby...' Adryan grunted as the armor covered him again.

KRABUMMM!!!

Glancing back to where the thunder had struck the barrier, Adryan's expression under his helmet was one of confusion, the anger gone and an eyebrow raised.

'Annoyed Pigeon can't be so childish as to want to destroy me just because I called him that...' Recognition glinted in his eyes as another thunderclap struck the barrier.

'It's not that he's angry... He's trying to tell me something!

Clicking his tongue, Adryan lowered his hand and formed a golden fireball. A fireball that began to grow and burn white.

It didn't take a genius to understand what the Lord of Storms was trying to tell him.

Turning his attention to the sky, the red-haired man watched in alarm as the clouds no longer looked black but white, thanks to the ridiculous amount of lightning churning inside them!

They seemed ready to explode and destroy everything!

A sea of pure lightning and fierce winds, concentrating into a bomb that would wipe out a city off the map!

'There is almost no time left!!!' Adryan poured more spirituality into the fireball below him.

Backlund would be leveled at any moment!

HE HAD TO END THIS NOW!!!!

As he watched the thorny trunks, threads of strength shot from his body into the fireball as it began to change shape.

He already knew how to solve the problem of destroying the thorny trunks.

He could not use a torrent of fire or a normal fireball, the former because the connection would drain him, and the latter would not have enough power...

The threads wove together to form the chest and tail. The white sacred fire followed the path created by the thread and began to take shape.

The plasma beam was discarded. Though he felt that the attack could easily pass through the trunks, he knew that if it went through so many layers, it would lose its power and fail to do the necessary damage. Not to mention that the spirituality would be absorbed before it could do any serious damage...

The white fire's steps through the invisible threads created a spectacle worthy of an opera from a fantasy novel.

The fire danced in the air, following its master's fingers and will in an aggressive yet elegant dance. A dance of blood and fire.

Looking at the tattoo on his forearm, Adryan quickly changed the soldier's configuration. The human form changed into that of a flame.

Charging the soldier into the creation beneath him, Adryan couldn't help but smile as he tied his feet to the creature's back with threads that began to vibrate.

He didn't know how big he could make his soldiers now that he was in Sequence 6, there was no time to test it, nor did he have the luxury of wasting spirituality in a situation like this.

But now that he was in Sequence 6, he found a simple solution to this problem.

His soldiers could take on the appearance of animals and humans, but nothing would change their true nature.

They were soldiers of fire, soldiers charged and given physical form by his spirituality! 

The eyes of his creation flared into reddish-orange flames, a mighty roar echoing through the shattered streets of Deep East Borough. 

An extinct creature had come back to life from Adryan's own will.

He had expended more than half of his spirituality to create the body, and now the soldier was making sure it would not drain him any further. Adryan felt his head throbbing with the ravings, but he endured them. The euphoric smile on his face was followed by a laugh—a crazy, maniac laugh.

...

"That's a...?!!!" Ace mumbled in disbelief. His eyes were dazed. Unable to find words for the ridiculous scenario unfolding beneath him.

Saturna stared at the creature, mouth agape. Her battle with the Sea King was momentarily forgotten by the recent events.

...

"... That..." Horamick Haydn whispered in admiration, his hand scratching his beard in curiosity.

"...What an annoying brat." The demon Tuclero growled as he raised his magma sword and waved it at the Archbishop of the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery.

...

The figure that was now hiding on the other side of the battlefield had a very surprised look on 'Her' face that quickly turned into a satisfied and sensual grin.

"Fufufu~ How very insteresting~"

...

"This is..." Margaret whispered. She did not understand or believe what she was seeing. 

They should only be creatures of legends or even of church history. It was easily recognizable, but she found what she saw difficult for that very reason.

All the civilians who saw them shared the same thoughts, even those who never went to church and those who couldn't read because they had heard stories about them growing up. Stories told by their parents to help them sleep on an empty stomach.

A creature that captured princesses, possessed a vast treasure and was defeated by a knight in armor to save the damsel in distress.

A creature that every man in their youth wished they could defeat!

...

With a body of white fire and golden glitter, with huge wings and a long tail that flapped in the wind. With sharp teeth and deep reddish orange eyes that blazed like forest fires in the darkest of nights...

RRROOOOOAAAAAARRRR!!!

The Albino Dragon let out a mighty roar that shook the hearts of all present.

The magma sword in his hand blazed, the golden armor covering him, and the scarlet eyes in his helmet gave him the appearance of a knight.

Adryan thought for a moment. This soldier had followed him for a long time and had been at his side in dangerous times.

He did not deserve a name like Ñoño. Not after such outstanding service. The name of an obese child from a 70s TV Mexican comedy was not something that would roll off the tongue.

Looking at the huge beast, he was now riding, a beast easily as big as a two-story house; he knew immediately what his name would be.

Grinning sharply under his mask, Adryan reached out and formed a golden fireball that began to shrink rapidly. A low shriek carried on the wind, and the ball began to burn white.

Letting out a wild laugh, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "OPEN THE WAY, IGNIR!!!"

ROAAAAR!!!

Roaring and flapping his wings, the now-named Ignir swooped towards the thorny cocoon at great speed. The wind whistled, and his furious, reddish eyes focused on his target.

...

Alarm flashed across the face of Saturna as she tried to get to where the Knight was going to protect the Divine Vessel, but her path was cut off by an extremely angry Ace Snake.

"I can't believe I'm protecting a psychopath..." The demigod spat in anger, which was reflected in the lightning bolts he hurled at Saturna.

The demigoddess could only abandon her previous attack and dodge the thunderbolts that almost hit her in her haste.

Taking advantage of the seconds and using the wind to amplify his voice, Ace Snake shouted to the four winds. "Listen to me, Punishers! New orders!"

The demigod paused for a moment, finding it difficult to say what he had to say, but the thunder that threatened to rain down on Backlund gave him all the motivation he needed. With huge veins pulsing in his neck and forehead, Ace Snake roared.

"PROTECT ADRYAN KENWAY!!!"

...

Demon Tuclero found himself in the same situation, only he was cut off by Horamick Haydn, who had a serious look on his old face.

"We still have business to attend to, so I can't let you go. Besides, the older ones have to take care of the younger ones."

The demon clicked his snake-like tongue. The green fireballs dancing around him swooped viciously at his enemy, whose back opened, and missiles shot out.

"You heard the Punishers! Machine Hivemind! Don't let them through!"

The forces of the three churches cut down the forces of the Rose School on earth and in the sky, all understanding their purpose.

...

It soared through the air, accompanied by a screeching sound that grew louder and louder. The dragon's wings flapped with power, and tied to its back with threads was the knight Adryan, who held a rapidly shrinking white orb in his left hand.

Sensing danger, the giant Ivies moved. The ground cracked again, and out of it came snakes-like ivies shooting into the air towards them. Eager to knock the albino bird out of the sky.

When the red-haired man saw what was coming, he didn't waste a second and prepared himself.

"Ignir!" Adryan ordered as he tightened the strings on his feet and torso. The dragon just let out a mighty roar, and his massive body began to maneuver, barely dodging the prickly flesh snakes.

With swift and sudden movements, Ignir zigzagged through the explosive defense with the same intensity. 

"Not yet..." Adryan whispered without blinking, clinging tightly to his soldier's back. His eyes were on the cocoon beneath him at all times.

Ignir moved violently and extremely roughly, the knight on his back certain to have flown away by now were it not for the threads that bound him to his back.

The huge, nightmarish Ivies brushed past them, the thorns almost licking at their bodies. 

If they so much as collided with one, or if a single thorn struck one of them, they would die!

Gritting his teeth, the red-haired man poured more spirituality into the orb in his left hand before finally releasing the magma sword, which returned to a jet stone stuck to his side.

'Not yet...'

'Not yet...'

Each time, the attacks came closer and closer, more and more desperate to stop them. The earth was cracking more and more, more and more flesh snakes coming out of it to attack them. 

A widening chasm formed beneath the platform, into which the remains of the streets and buildings fell.

Nearing the cocoon, the bullet in his left hand was almost ready.

Suddenly, from the same abyss. A huge number of thorny trunks shot out at an enormous speed, too many for Adryan to count. Venomous, angry, hungry snakes.

There was no space between them; the flesh snakes were so tightly entwined that they seemed to merge into a single wave of rotting, poisonous flesh.

Seeing this, Adryan continued straight ahead. The dragon Ignir did not change direction but accelerated even further. With the full intention of crashing head-on into that wave of death. 

'Now!'

Adryan's mouth opened under his helmet. A terrible scream echoed across the battlefield.

It was the cry that he had stolen from the baby earlier! 

The attack's target, the Wave of Thorn and Death, instantly shattered. The giant ivies twisted and bled a black liquid as they fell into the abyss beneath the platform.

The ivies that formed the cocoon were not spared. The outer layer of the cocoon released black jets, and the force that bound them weakened, causing some of the ivies to fall limply.

The path to the cocoon had been opened! There was no more protection!

Ignir charged like a furious meteor, the impact with the thorny cocoon sending dust and debris flying. The cocoon trembled and wept from the impact, its red flesh burning from the sunfire that was the soldier-turned-dragon's body.

ROOOAAAARRR!

SLASH! HASH! BASH! PAM!

Its sharp white claws ripped, tore, tore, slashed, and tore at everything in its path. Black blood spurted like geysers from the severed trunks, a black rain covering the platform.

Its own snout joined the carnage, its teeth like blades biting and chewing, quickly making its way to the seed inside the fruit.

CRACK! CRACK! SLASH!

SLASH! FUSH! CRACK!

CRACK! SPLAT!

Adryan had already raised his arm and palm up, ready to fire, as soon as a window opened and he could see the baby.

His spirituality flared, and without thinking, he took a mighty leap out of the cocoon. Not a second later, a huge ivy shot out of the cocoon and pierced Ignir's chest, passing easily through his body and out his back.

And it didn't stop there; it began to chase the red-haired man, who was forced to dodge the chasing ivy.

Despite being pierced through the chest and rapidly losing his white color, Ignir continued his brutal attack. 

He was not a blood dragon! Such an attack would not kill him!

Another ivy pierced Ignir's body, but he didn't care! His claws and teeth moved furiously, tearing at the ivy that was rapidly draining his strength.

The previous attack was already losing its effect, and the ivy was regaining its strength.

His albino color soon turned to gold. One of his wings was gone, and his tail was cut off. More than 16 ivies pierced his body, but the dragon didn't care!

He wanted to fulfill what his Lord had commanded! 

More ivy shot out, twisting around his legs and tearing them off. Ignir roared furiously and gave the cocoon a mighty headbutt, opening his snout and grabbing as much of the ivy as he could, pulling it off with one last effort!

An intense crimson light suddenly appeared. A window had opened, and an annoying baby monster was looking at the dragon that had broken its defenses.

A few last ivies wrapped around Ignir's great golden neck, and as the thorns sank into his body, it clenched with monstrous force. The dragon's head was severed, and its body vanished into golden dust.

Adryan watched his soldier fall without emotion, taking another step into the air and barely dodging the ivy that rushed toward him.

The golden dust of his fallen soldier enveloped the red-haired man's forearm, forming a somewhat opaque golden tattoo in the shape of a flame.

With a mighty leap powered by Sky Walk, Adryan let out a silent sigh.

'I'm 60 meters away...' That was far beyond the effective distance the plasma beam needed to do the necessary damage.

Even if he fired now, the attack would lose too much power, and he would not have enough spirituality to create another fire dragon to repeat the process.

In mid-air, upside down, with a sea of destruction above his feet and the abyss itself beneath him, the Knight looked through the hole Ignir had made.

Through the remains of the ivy trunks, black blood, and burnt flesh. Though he shouldn't, given the structure of his mouth, the baby gave him an arrogant smile.

A clear mockery on the part of the Abomination, who let out a giggle as the remaining logs lunged at it, and the hole began to close.

A baby's giggle came from it, filled with arrogance.

As the huge, sharp trunks that had killed his soldier approached, Adryan let out only a slight chuckle, which quickly turned into a maniacal cackle.

None of that mattered. He'd already found the solution!

He raised his arm and pointed at the baby, whose smile froze on his horrified face.

The burning eyes, accompanied by a sharp smile, Adryan laughed as he crossed his fingers. The super-condensed white sphere resting between them now.

"Say hello to your whores of mothers for me!"

Instead of releasing the energy in a burst of super-condensed plasma energy, as he had been doing all along... Adryan flickered his fingers.

KRABOOM!!!

With a rumble that could only be compared to the thunder that rumbled high in the sky between the black storm clouds. The battlefield was bathed in a blinding white light that shot toward the cocoon hole at a ridiculous speed.

It was so intense that, for a moment, it completely dazzled the tree's crimson glow. The spear, which was the white orb, flew through the tiny crevices in the ivy with murderous intent.

The repair of the cocoon was not slow but not fast enough. 

The marble went through the window Ignir had made and, like an arrow hitting its target, it hit the baby's chest!

Adryan watched the attack all the way to the moment it touched the baby, but the man couldn't see what had happened next. 

He couldn't see the explosion because as soon as the bullet touched the baby, he felt something tugging at him.

Suddenly, much faster than his exhausted and suffering mind could process, the landscape before him changed. He no longer saw the towering, misshapen trunk of the crimson tree or the way its attack struck the baby directly.

As far as Adryan could tell, he was now in a forest. None of the trees looked familiar. The abrupt change of scenery left him slightly dazed.

For a moment, Adryan stood on guard, his armor shining a little brighter, and he was about to grab the stone at his waist. But as quickly as he prepared to defend himself, he calmed himself as he saw a giant behind him, holding his shoulder with a ridiculously large, pale hand.

Despite the holy flames, the hand was undamaged.

"Lord Kenway. I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to burn me." A familiar voice spoke to him, and the red-haired man couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.

The armor that covered him disappeared with a sigh, revealing his torn, tattered, and rather melted clothes. His torso, barely covered by the remains of his shirt, was covered in wounds and horrible bruises that even the dirt that covered him could not hide. His right arm was still completely covered in black cracks.

Turning and looking at his messenger with tired eyes, Adryan gave a weak smile, "Next time... You're going to help me..."

She looked the same as the last time he saw her, with no visible wounds and just as fresh. His messenger didn't look like she'd come from holding an angel.

Looking at his contractor, Chicho's lips lifted, "I'll think about it."

"Heh... Clever girl..." Adryan laughed wearily. His gaze lifted a little higher from the pearly eyes of his messenger to the sky.

Amings gray storm clouds and rising at the highest point of the gray fog, the sun illuminated everything. In the distance, he could see a City with some clouds of smoke coming out of it; no doubt that city was Backlund.

The sunlight warmed the cold in his soul and embraced him with its warmth. He felt he could sleep right there; the tiredness in his body only grew with the rain bathing him.

Adryan said nothing. Just closed his eyes and let the light of the celestial object fall on his face.

It had been more than 72 hours since he had felt the warmth of midday. A warm smile spread across his dirty face.

It stayed like that for several seconds. Or was it minutes? To be honest, the redhead didn't care at that moment.

Chicho said nothing, giving him time to bathe in the warm light, something he appreciated. 

Deciding he had had enough, Adryan opened his eyes, ignoring the sensation of looking directly into the sun and moving his eyes back to the Phoenix.

"I doubt you have anything to eat?"

Still smiling, Chicho pulled a small chocolate bar from behind 'Her' back, "I thought you might be in the mood for something sweet."

Still smiling, he took a rather big bite of the chocolate bar, and about one-third of it disappeared.

Tasting something other than his blood for the first time in 3 days, the redhead let out a satisfied sigh.

"Fufu... Some chocolate will be good." Adryan commented as he took another bite. 

"Tell me. Did you manage to kill any of the demigods or the angel?" 

"Unfortunately, no. The Angel of the Rose School proved to be... quite capable. Even so, I manage to hurt 'Her' badly, 'She' won't be a problem for a while."

"Huh..."

Chicho nodded. With a chocolate of 'Her' own in 'Her' hand and some in 'Her' mouth, 'She' looked off in the distance. "Lord Adryan, would you like me to take you with the rest of your team?"

Licking his fingers of the chocolate, not caring in the least about the dirt, Adryan nodded. His eyes were weighing him down and his vision was quickly becoming blurred.

At any moment, he would pass out; he was sure of it. And to be honest, he wouldn't mind sleeping in a place as quiet as this, even if it was raining, but he would prefer to rest somewhere near his team and change into some dry clothes.

The Phoenix said nothing more, taking the red-haired man's left shoulder again. Her pearly eyes were drawn for a moment to the man's broken right arm. Shaking 'Her' head, a door of light formed in front of them.

It opened, and inside was the familiar small church covered in gold. It was surrounded by debris and had a few broken windows, but otherwise, the Earth Mother's Church had suffered little damage.

They both stepped forward, intending to go through the door, but just before they entered, they both froze.

The light gate suddenly lost all its brightness, and the next second, it was erased, like a drawing on paper.

All the light in the clearing was dimmed, absorbed by the figure that had suddenly appeared a few meters away from the duo.

A woman with long black hair and eyes, wearing a dark robe and with fine features, cut them off.

Before he could process what he saw, Chicho had already grabbed him and jumped back with a look of horror on 'Her' face.

Another door formed behind them, but like the previous one, it lost its luster and was extinguished as soon as it formed.

Before Chicho could do anything else, a ridiculous pressure completely covered the clearing. The light faded even further and they both fell to their knees, trembling.

Adryan's spirituality was triggered. Sweat covered his body again, and a shiver ran down his spine. His heart pounded with terror in his chest, and his pupils shrank to mere dots.

The terror-suppressing effect of Tauk Millennium on his stomach was completely overwhelmed, unable to suppress the absolute terror emanating from the woman in front of him!

The original story said that if you saw her on the street, you would not pay much attention to her appearance, that she was just a somewhat beautiful woman to simple eyes. But Adryan couldn't disagree more!

He would recognize that look anywhere!

'0-17! The vessel of the Evernight Goddess!' Adryan shivered with fear. Any command he wanted to give his body was completely forgotten. The sheer terror that swept over him completely blinded his mind.

A blank expression adorned 0-17's thin face; it never changed. Those eyes, like the night, moved to Chicho for a moment before returning to him.

Huff! Huff! Huff!

His heart was about to explode, beating so hard it was more like a Formula One engine. His breathing was ridiculously agitated, and a thick layer of sweat covered his entire body.

He couldn't do anything. That was all he knew and felt.

Fear and helplessness grew as his body began to be erased, starting with his foot and quickly moving up his leg.

If he could move his head, he was sure that Chicho was in a similar state.

0-17's expression didn't change at all. Cold eyes stared directly at him, staring so directly that Adryan felt his very soul was exposed.

Unable to maintain eye contact, the redhead could only lower his head through clenched teeth. His eyes wandered to his disappearing leg.

Strangely, he couldn't help but notice that even though he was watching his leg being erased as if it was the wrong answer in a test, it didn't hurt.

A small consolation in a shitty situation big enough to fill 5 stadiums.

Watching helplessly as his leg disappeared, Adryan was confused when the erasure suddenly froze.

[Please rest, Master, I will take it from here.]

'!'

The familiar 'voice' echoed in his head, and before he could call out its name, his eyes rolled back, and he fell unconscious.

In the next instant, a black robe covered him completely.

It all happened in less than an instant. 0-17's blank expression broke. The delicate black eyebrows rose to almost touch 'Her' hair. Her hand shot up, trying to grasp something invisible.

Suddenly, a black bolt of lightning shot out of the void and struck her square in the middle of the forehead. 

The light suddenly returned to normal, released by the huge presence of 0-17, 'Her' hands covering 'Her' face. Blood dripped from between the fingers.

Just as the light returned, a door of indistinguishable light formed beneath the unconscious body of the red-haired man who fell into it. 

Chicho stepped through another door, the Phoneix also dripping blood from her reddened eyes, nose, and ears. 'Her' skin was much paler than before.

The giant barely managed to close the door before everything in the clear of the forest was engulfed in darkness.

...

In an alley of Backlund, a door of indistinct light formed and opened; something came out of it, then closed and disappeared. A body fell to the damp ground with a thud, a robe as black as the darkest night enveloping its form and twisting in upon itself.

Adryan's unconscious body lay face down, so deep in the alley that his only companions were the shadows of the alley.

Shadows that had suddenly grown so dark that they absorbed all light. Deep within those shadows, there seemed to be countless eyes, each one staring at the only living creature in the alley.

Suddenly, the curtains of shadow opened, and someone walked with a quiet step.

He was a rather tall man, wearing fine black robes that were tied at his waist by a black cord with beautiful details woven into it. His hair was extremely long and silky, reaching easily down his lower back. His bright scarlet eyes glittered and were further exalted by the shadows that seemed to embrace his figure.

Tap, tap, tap.

Standing by Adryan's side, scarlet eyes stared at the man on the ground. A low, deep chuckle came from his lips.

He dropped to one knee, not caring how the dirt ruined his fine robes, and reached out a hand to the man.

The black robe that enveloped him reacted. For a moment, it tried to grab the arm of the one who was about to attack its master. But as soon as it touched him, it stopped.

After a few seconds, the robe that covered Adryan vanished, leaving his body exposed once more.

The ever-present shadows moved, covering the red-haired man's body in a dark tide. After a few moments, the tide of shadows receded.

The horrible bruises and wounds on Adryan's body were gone, as were the dark bags under his eyes. Even the filth was gone. The skin had also regained its soft, pale pink. All the fatigue and discomfort the man had suffered had been taken from him; the only thing that remained the same were the cracks that still covered his right arm.

The man let out a soft sigh. His scarlet gaze then shifted in a random direction.

Without looking at the red-haired man on the ground, he stood up and began to walk...

The man hadn't even taken the second step when 'He' disappeared behind the curtain of shadows.

...

A few minutes after the strange man disappeared, rapid footsteps came from the back of the alley.

Tap, Tap, Tap, Tap, Tap

The footsteps stopped when the person saw the body on the ground. After a few seconds of suspicion and nervous observation of the body, recognition shone in her blue eyes. Breathing heavily and with her heart on the verge of exploding, she moved quickly.

In an exhausted sprint, the woman, now identified as a woman, knelt beside the unconscious body, now able to recognize the all-too-familiar red hair.

"Mr. Kenway!"

Her hands went up to her mouth in horror, and she tried to turn the man over, but before her hands touched the body, she stopped. 

Experience with similar cases in the past stopped her; perhaps there would be some internal injury, or he would have a broken neck. She had seen too many similar cases in her time in the Cave where people tried to help but only ended up making the situation worse.

"Please, please, please! Something useful..."

The fear of aggravating an injury served to calm her fears. Looking around for something she could use, she despaired at the sight of nothing but rubbish.

Then her eyes lit up with recognition, and she stood up quickly. Before she ran for the alley's exit, she looked at Adryan with determination: "Please hold on, Mr. Kenway. I'll be back with help!"

Swearing on her soul, Serena Williams ran to the end of the alley with more speed than before. Dodging the overturned carriages and the large cracks in the ground, she raced towards the massive doors of the golden-domed church.