"Screech!"
Bella shielded her mother, stepping into the battle with unwavering determination. As a level 300 warrior possessing both demonic and human skills, she was a force to be reckoned with.
Her third cursed eye emerged on her forehead, radiating an eerie glow that filled the hall with an oppressive aura.
"Thud!"
With a single curse, she immobilized one of the female elders. Wasting no time, Bella used her superior raw strength to send the elder stumbling backward with a powerful blow.
The other elders were alarmed by Bella's unexpected strength and skill. Three more charged toward her angrily, their movements fueled by fiery determination.
The grand hall began to melt under the intense heat and energy of the clashes between the two parties. Fiery bursts and cursed energies clashed, creating an environment of chaos and destruction.
Aengus, already locked in fierce combat with the Phoenix Empress, dodged a flaming strike with ease, his mind calculating his next move. His thoughts wandered briefly as he contemplated the larger picture.
"If I can bring the Phoenix Empress under my control... the entire Phoenix Empire will fall into our hands. This could be the perfect opportunity."
With that thought lingering in his mind, his attacks grew more deliberate, probing the Phoenix Empress for weaknesses while maintaining his dominant presence in the battle.
The Phoenix Empress seethed with frustration, her attacks proving ineffective against Aengus. No matter how much raw strength or Eternal Phoenix Fire she unleashed, his defenses were impenetrable, bolstered by his superior stats and layered defensive skills.
"Charge!"
"Save the elders and the Empress!"
Suddenly, the ground trembled, and the grand hall filled with a deafening roar as dozens of Transcendental-level Phoenix warriors burst in, their majestic phoenix forms glowing with fiery brilliance.
"Screech!"
The sharp cries of the warriors echoed, shaking the very foundation of the hall. Yet Bella remained unyielding, her cursed eye glowing ominously as she prepared for the incoming assault.
Vira hesitated, then dropped to his knees in an unprecedented show of vulnerability, his voice breaking.
"She is my everything. The love of my life. She risked her life to save mine when no one else would. I beg you—don't kill her. If there's any shred of mercy in you, let her live."
The sight of the Vira, kneeling and pleading, caused a ripple of unease even among the Phoenix elders and soldiers. His words cut through the chaos, leaving the battlefield momentarily silent.
The Sky Phoenix Queen, watching the scene unfold, hesitated in her tracks. Should she interfere? Her heart was conflicted, torn between loyalty to her mother and the realization that this battle was spiraling out of control.
Meanwhile, the Phoenix Empress, locked in her struggle against Aengus, felt a twinge in her heart as Vira—her proud and formidable husband—knelt, begging on her behalf.
"Vira," she said sharply, her voice cutting through the tension. "There's no need to beg him. I am not defeated yet!"
Her declaration echoed like a thunderclap.
"Chi—SCRRREEEECCCCH!"
Suddenly, a heaven-shaking cry of a phoenix resounded across the palace, its piercing note reverberating in the hearts of everyone present. The intensity of the sound sent shockwaves through the air, shaking the very foundations of the palace.
With that cry, the Phoenix Empress underwent a radiant transformation. Her small, human-like form burst into a blazing inferno, her regal figure expanding as fiery wings erupted from her back, spanning hundreds of meters.
Her transformation into the Eternal Phoenix form—a massive 1000 metres, majestic creature of flame and wrath—was both awe-inspiring and terrifying.
"Boom!"
Her transformation alone destroyed everything about the palace, bringing everyone under the sinking red sun.
Her blazing feathers radiated a heat so intense that the air shimmered, and those closest to her had to retreat, their skin burning from the searing temperatures. The sheer pressure of her presence brought everyone to their knees, and her fiery eyes locked onto Aengus with unyielding fury.
"You think you can change me?" she roared, her voice magnified by her transformation. "You overestimate yourself, boy. Witness the might of the Eternal Phoenix!"
Her aura exploded outward, creating a vortex of flames that swept across the battlefield.