Chapter 5

"A-are you actually willing to sacrifice yourself for me? I will never forget you" Xianth said with fake tears in his eyes and if the Phoenix was made from flesh and blood it might have blushed already

"W-what sacrifice myself! I didn't do this for you!" The Phoenix said hurriedly, afraid of the misunderstanding that the puny human have over it

"It's okay, it's okay. I am aware of your tsundere personality. I really appreciate your sacrifice for my sake" As he was saying that, Xianth walked toward the Phoenix and he pats its claw affectionately

"S-shut your mouth! I-I said that I'm not sacrificing myself for you! I have my own reason! If I stay here, I might spend an eternity in this forsaken place, but if I let you kill and eat me, I would be free! Listen to me you annoying human, I am a very very special being! Even if I die now over time, my mana would recollect and condense so that I could be reborn! This Noble Phoenix is essentially immortal! Even if I die it would be as if I'm just taking a vacation. I won't have any recollection of what happens after I die. Do you understand that? If I die it would feel like only a blink of an eye passed before I resurrect! I am absolutely not sacrificing myself for an insignificant human!"

Upon hearing that explanation, Xianth retracted his hand as a pout formed on his lips. "Tsk, I knew that you are not that kind" he whispered but the Phoenix still heard him nonetheless

"Do you really wish for me to die that badly?!" The Phoenix once again raises its voice and Xianth simply stuck his tongue out at it

"Hmph, be thankful that I also need you to regain my freedom. Now hurry and eat me"

While the Phoenix acts as if it simply wanted to regain its freedom Xianth thinks that the two of them really grew closer over the past two months. This tsundere bird just doesn't want to admit that it too wants to give Xianth his freedom

"Before that tell me your name first. I'll list your name to be the first person that sacrificed themselves for my sake" Xianth teased and he saw the Phoenix glaring at him

"I already told you that I'm not sacrificing myself for your sake! And if you need a name then just call me the Noble Phoenix. I have no need for a name"

Upon hearing that the Phoenix actually has no name, Xianth looked at it with eyes filled with pity that made it annoyed

"What is that look for? I really don't need a name! If that bothered you then think of a name that would suit this Noble being!"

"Meh, is that your way of saying that you want me to name you as a symbol of our deep friendship?"

"S-shut up! You're annoying! If you don't want to name me then don't! I was merely giving you a favor but you are this ungrateful!"

"Hahahaha!"

Xianth can't help but laugh. Bickering with this Phoenix is definitely amusing. It might have a foul mouth but its personality was not that bad. In fact, it was even a bit cute

"Stop laughing!"

"Hahahaha alright, alright. Then from now on I shall call you Yellowie!"

"DIE!"

The Phoenix looks as if it was suffering from high blood pressure all because of Xianth and he decided to stop teasing it... for now

"Even if you're not sacrificing yourself for me you are still a great help. I'll give you the name; Ischyros"

"Ischyros..." the Phoenix repeated the word. "What does that name mean?"

At that, Xianth simply smiled. "See you maybe after a thousand years?" He said as he don't really know how long it would take before the Phoenix would resurrect

"Hmph, next time you must tell me the meaning of my name" Ischyros the Golden Lightning Phoenix replied and the two started their plan to obtain freedom

This plan involves the use of Xianth's [Gift] but most work would actually be done by Ischyros

The current Xianth is still too weak and he is far from being an entity that could eat the Phoenix

The first thing that Xianth did was emptying his energy reserves. Once again, his body released a bluish aura but this time his energy was not under his control. He was letting his energy freely flow out like a leaking faucet

When he was almost out of 'juice' that familiar sense of gluttony started to resurface and he immediately opened his mouth while Ischyros closes its eyes

Xianth acted as if he was just sucking air and soon the chains sealing Ischyros became visible to the naked eye. The chains along with the Phoenix itself started to distort

It was like they are paint on a paper that was being brushed by the artist with the way that they are distorting

Just like what Ischyros said the chains really didn't attack and soon the Phoenix and the chains starts entering Xianth's mouth

He was swallowing the energy that formed the chains and also the Phoenix but unlike in the previous times the energy he was swallowing was not being absorbed by him

He was instead storing the energy in his stomach and his stomach immediately grew bigger. The size was not proportional to his body

His instincts were telling him that if he continue it wouldn't be long before he explodes but Xianth insisted and he believed in his companion

If it was just Xianth he can't possibly store all the enormous energy of Ischyros in his stomach even if he doesn't intend to absorb it. Thankfully, Ischyros itself was controlling and suppressing its energy to prevent Xianth from dying

After some time Xianth finally finished swallowing the Phoenix and the cave started to collapse. However, while Xianth is on the brink of obtaining freedom he is also on the brink of dying

He has to release all the energy of Ischyros that he swallowed and he didn't waste any time

The terribly bloated Xianth raised his head into the sky. He was about to puke out all the energy when something happens

The Phoenix, the Chains, Xianth's Divinity, and blood are reacting with each other and something was happening inside of him

However, Xianth doesn't want to die and he doesn't have the time to bother checking what was happening inside him. All the thoughts inside his head were that he had to release all of these energies but before he could do so he sensed Ischyros' will

It was not speaking with him through words but Xianth understood its intent and he stopped his original plan and he waited anxiously

His body continues to grow bigger and he was no different than a cannonball that his school uniform was torn to shreds. If not for his special Divinity that Ischyros already mention before he would have exploded and died already

Finally, after waiting for like an eternity, Xianth's body stopped expanding. In fact, he even started to return to his original size

"Arrrghhhh!!"

Suddenly, a searing burning pain engulfed Xianth's senses. When he looked down he saw a tattoo that was not there in the past. It was a tattoo of a creature that was familiar to him

It looks like Ischyros!

Xianth doesn't know what was happening not that he has the energy to care. His body fell down to the ground amidst the falling debris of the cave's walls and ceiling

His bloated body returned to normal and a completely new and far stronger aura was released by him

"Aahhh!!!"

Xianth shouted as loud as he could as a golden aura covered him from head to toe. The pressure from his aura alone broke the ground below him forming a crater that was growing bigger and deeper the more seconds passed

He was releasing an amount of energy that he didn't possess in the past and Ischyros' will communicate with him again

Xianth controlled the energies that he could and on his back, a pair of golden wings formed. Each feather looks plump and healthy and bears a large amount of energy

His wings were bigger than himself and looks very majestic. Lightning energies constantly flickered from his enormous wings and they packed enough power to flatten an entire mountain

Knowing that this form would not take long, Xianth took flight and in no time be reaches the skies

To other people it was only as if a golden line appeared in the sky but it was actually Xianth

The cave where he stayed for two months was actually on top of a mountain and Xianth absolutely cannot stay there. He has to at least reach the foot of the mountain if he wanted to survive and that is what he did

He dove down as fast as he could and any flying creature along his way was unable to react at his speed in the slightest