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

[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.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com

****

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!"

“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.

**

**

**

Read the next chapter right away along with this entire month's, on my Patreon.

Link: /Master4thWall