[198] And Where the People Understand and Dream of a Perfect Man

Chapter 198: And Where the People Understand and Dream of a Perfect Man

—

"Run faster, Ruby."

"Yes."

We moved swiftly through the dense greenery of the Elven Forest, the Elf Chief leading the way with a determined pace. He was as concerned as I was, he was being quick. Ruby kept close to me, her eyes sharp with focus. 

Ancient trees towered above us, their branches intertwining to form a natural canopy that filtered the moonlight into a soft, ethereal glow. Lights of big and small explosions lit up the night sky every now and then, and each made me grumble in my head. We had to hurry.

"There, I see blue!" the Chief shouted.

As we neared the shore of the Lake of Life, the sense of urgency in my heart only grew. This was a crucial task, and there was no room for error. My thoughts raced, each step feeling heavier than the last. I knew what had to be done, but the weight of mixed choices pressed down on my shoulders.

Suddenly, the sky went dark-bright.

– Boom! Boom! Boom!

A massive explosion of black flames erupted from the edge of the forest, its shockwave shaking the ground beneath our feet. Instinctively, I turned my head toward the source, my heart pounding in my chest. The sky above was illuminated by the dark flames, casting an eerie glow over the forest.

My body trembled, my fists clenched. A mix of fear and anger jerked within me. Before my feet could move, I felt Ruby's hand grab mine, her grip firm and reassuring.

"Onii-chan!" she shouted, her sharp voice cutting through the chaos. "We can't just go, have some trust in her, she's strong! And it's more dangerous if it's an enemy that even she can't handle! If that's the case, we need to open the gates and bring in the others! The faster we do it, the faster we can reach that battlefield."

I grunted in response, my gaze locked on the distant flames. Ruby was right, however. Opening the Gates of Heaven was not an easy task, the Chief couldn't open it even if he knew where it was, and Ruby didn't even know how it worked. So it had to be me. She was right. We had to stay focused and complete our task first, if our people had come here fast, we'd be able to go help Sieran.

"...Let's be quick," With a final nod, I squeezed Ruby's hand and turned my attention back to the path ahead. We had no time to waste.

It would take a bit of time, like half an hour. I just hope that Sieran… and Jasmine will be able to hold on till then.

****

Unfortunately, half an hour was half an hour too late. 

Sieran stood amidst the battlefield, her breath coming in heavy, ragged gasps. No blood dripped from the stump where her left arm once was, as it was burnt and the wound closed. She couldn't even use a spell to regrow the limb because the wound was cauterized. How annoying!

She should have been more careful, she didn't expect him to be that fast. He had his wings coated in fire, and he used them to cut her arm off. He was such an annoying enemy. Regardless, that wasn't an issue, it's not as if Sieran was a hand to hand fighter, she could manage without one hand.

Her emerald eyes blazed with hatred and rage as she faced the Phoenix Avatar, his form wreathed in unholy black fire.

"Come, Archmage," the Phoenix Avatar sneered, his voice a mocking challenge. He wasn't even taking the initiative to attack anymore, aware of the gap between their powers. "Show me the true power of your spells."

Cocky bastard. She would have stomped on him if she wasn't stuck at this Level 99 bottleneck. Sieran raised her staff, its tip glowing with a brilliant golden light. "I'll make sure you regret underestimating me."

With a swift motion, she cast a powerful spell. "Storm of Heavenly Wrath!" The sky above darkened like ink in a glass of water as swirling clouds gathered, and bolts of divine lightning rained down upon the Phoenix. 

Each strike was precise, aiming to pierce through his fiery defenses. The Phoenix Avatar snarled, spreading his wings to shield himself from the onslaught. Black flames erupted from his body, forming a barrier that absorbed the lightning strikes. 

When the barrage ended, he laughed and charged forward, his talons ready to strike. "Your spells are futile against me!"

Sieran sidestepped his attack, a mobility spell boosting her speed. Her staff twirling as she prepared her next spell. "Eternal Prison of the Glacer Demon!" The ground beneath the Phoenix Avatar's feet froze instantly, jagged ice spikes shooting up to trap him. The temperature plummeted, the air around them turning frigid.

The Phoenix roared in annoyance, and his black flames intensified to melt the ice. He broke free with a powerful burst of fire, lunging at Sieran with deadly speed. His talons slashed through the air, narrowly missing her as she dodged.

That was a spell that could restrain even the Demon King for half a minute. Yet he had broken through it like it was nothing!

Sieran's eyes narrowed as beads of sweat formed on her forehead. If ice wasn't going to work, then she'd have to overpower his fire with something hotter. 

"Inferno of the Sun!" A massive sphere of blinding white fire formed in the air. She hurled it at the Phoenix, the heat from the spell causing the air to shimmer.

The Phoenix Avatar countered with his own flames, not laughing anymore, as the black and white fires clashed in a display of power. Sieran gritted her teeth, pouring more of her mana into the spell, but the Phoenix's flames were relentless, pushing back her inferno.

With a surge of strength, the Phoenixman broke through, his black flames consuming the white fire and rushing toward Sieran. She raised her staff defensively, but the force of the attack knocked her back, burning her robes and singeing her skin.

"You're strong, Archmage," the Phoenix said, his voice dripping with malice. "But not strong enough."

Sieran's vision blurred as she struggled to stand, her body trembling from the exertion. She could feel the black flames creeping closer, their heat searing her flesh. Desperation filled her eyes as she summoned her last ounce of strength.

"Grand Invocation: Celestial Shield!" A shimmering barrier of pure light enveloped her, protecting her from the worst of the flames. But the Phoenix Avatar was relentless, his talons slashing through the shield, causing it to flicker and weaken.

In a final, desperate move, Sieran let out a large portion of her mana with her most powerful spell. 

"Wrath of the Divine Dragon!" A blinding column of golden light descended from the heavens, engulfing the Phoenix Avatar in its brilliance. The ground trembled as the spell's immense power tore through the battlefield.

For a moment, it seemed like Sieran had won. After all, the Phoenix Avatar's form was obscured by the radiant light, his screams of agony echoing through the air. But as the light faded, he emerged, his body wreathed in even more intense black flames.

"Foolish Archmage," he growled. "You cannot defeat me." With a roar, he lunged at Sieran, his injuries healing on their own. His talons glowed with dark energy and he slashed across her eyes, the searing pain blinding her instantly. Sieran screamed, her hands flying to her face as the world went dark.

The Phoenix Avatar didn't stop there. He continued his assault, as his black flames burnt her flesh, weakening her further. Sieran's screams echoed through the forest as she trembled in pain, her strength leaving her. 

"Yes, writhe in pain!" While he would let himself heal for a bit.

Blood dripped from Sieran's face as she fell to her knees, her remaining right hand clutching the stump of her left arm. The once-mighty Archmage was reduced to a broken, defeated figure.

She had lost. She was defeated.

….

Amir and Layla lay on the ground, injured and unable to move. Amir's gauntlets were shattered, his body bruised and broken. Only his eyes were open, allowed to see the end of his comrades. His older sister, Layla's staff was snapped in two, her eyes half-closed as she struggled to even breathe. 

But at least they had their eyes at all. Sieran's once-majestic figure was a shadow of its former self; her left arm was gone, both her eyes were burnt beyond recognition, and she could only grunt in pain, every breath a testament to her suffering. Whenever she tried to cast a spell, black flames burnt the magic circle to a crisp.

Magic Burning Fire.

That fire was stronger than anything Sieran had faced in her long life. Even the Volcanic Dragon did not have such firepower! In the face of this, the defeated Sieran could only grumble as she was on her butt on the ground. 

"Kekekahaha! What a sight!" instead of attacking her further, the Phoenixman was taking a break to heal his injuries. He stood towering above her, laughing like a maniac. The black fire still burned around his body like an aura; he had yet to lower his guard at all.

In the distance, Jasmine glared at the bastard. Was this the true power of an Outer God Avatar? That Joker was strong, but not as overwhelmingly powerful as this guy. He did not go easy against Sieran, she was defeated in less than ten minutes. As for Jasmine? She couldn't help at all as three true Ahaiyutes took her out easily.

Her legs were broken, her sword lay beside her as she rested against a tree, her breaths shallow and labored. The once-proud hero was now a picture of defeat, her eyes staring blankly ahead as if all hope had drained from her soul.

"Your end is… near… dirty phoenix," Sieran was having a hard time talking, yet she said.

"Oh, what is this?" The phoenix turned his head to the side, toward the forest. "Who, are they the ones who will end me?! Kekekahaha!"

Armies of local elves, loyal and loving towards Sieran, were charging in a desperate attempt to save her. Beasts who occupied this forest were also among them. They were quite formidable, even a team of eight S-rank Hunters would have a hard time against them. Yet the Phoenix Avatar merely waved his hand, and black flames engulfed them, turning the brave elves into ashes within seconds. 

Just like that, hundreds died. 

This particular side of the once lush forest had been transformed into a barren wasteland, a small desert of death created by the Phoenix's unholy fire. The intelligent Ahaiyute watched the scene with sadistic glee, their laughter echoing through the desolation.

The Phoenix Avatar laughed, his voice a mocking symphony of malice. "Look at you, Sage Sieran the Wise," he sneered. "The mighty Archmage, oh so powerful. Reduced to a pitiful heap of flesh and bone. Did you truly think you could stand against the power of a god? You fools should have given up a long time ago. Given your powers, if you had sworn to serve my master, he might have taken you in. Heh, if not for your power then for your looks perhaps, you bitch."

Sieran could only grunt in response, pain took over her very being when she tried to speak. The Phoenix Avatar's smile widened. He raised his hand, ready to deliver the final blow. "Sadly, your body is too burnt and damaged for my master to enjoy now. So it's time to end your suffering," he said, his voice dripping with sadistic delight. "Say goodbye, Archmage."

"...Fuck," Jasmine watched in horror, biting her lip. Her heart pounding in her chest. With a final, desperate effort, she reached for her sword, trying to draw upon the last remnants of her power. 

But her body betrayed her; she couldn't even lift the blade, let alone stand. How could she be this… this weak?! Tears of frustration and despair filled her eyes as she grumbled and closed them, unwilling to witness Sieran's imminent death.

Just then, the sky began to sing.

"...7th Star, Dubhe." Jasmine's eyes snapped open at the familiar words, her heart skipping a beat. A brilliant light filled the sky as a shining sword descended from above. "Grand Chariot." 

The voice, filled with unwavering resolve and power, echoed across the battlefield. In an instant, the light moved from the sky to down, and the Phoenix Avatar's served hand fell to the ground. The sheer force of the strike was unlike anything Jasmine had ever seen, as the wind exploded and the forest cleared further due to the trees that flew away. 

The Phoenix Avatar blinked and screamed in agony, his severed hand falling to the ground in a smoldering heap.

A lone figure stood opposing the Phoenix, with a shining sword in his hand, with eyes as dark as the black holes. 

–「A man will die...」

"Leaving the Gates of Heaven to Ruby was a good idea, in the end."

–「...but not his ideas.」

The sky sang, and Jasmine's lips shook. His face was hard to see since the sword in his hand was a bit too bright, but Jasmine was sure.

There was only one person who could perform the Grand Chariot better than her. 

"Ah-" Jasmine's voice broke. "AHAHAHAHA."

A sense of hope brimmed in her heart.

All of a sudden, victory felt inevitable.

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