"Ha? You want me to be your pet?! Don't be ridiculous!"
"Not as a pet, but as a travel tool I can summon at will."
"Is there even a difference? Let whoever wants to be a pet do it! I'm a Lord Ravager, how could I possibly... AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!"
After Lumina revealed her intentions, Phantylia immediately retorted with a dismissive tone, as if dismissing a cosmic joke.
But before Phantylia could finish her protest, Lumina's gaze turned icy once more.
"AAAAH!!!!"
In the next instant, excruciating pain surged through Phantylia's entire body. Her agonizing screams pierced Lumina's ears.
Hearing this agonizing sound, Lumina chuckled lightly, showing no concern whatsoever.
She reached out and lifted the golden-green flames, wrapped in a green barrier, into her hand, warning with a smile, "Miss Phantylia, I thought you understood your current situation... But your words just now suggest you haven't quite grasped it yet."
"Remember, I'm not negotiating with you; I'm giving you an order. Understand?"
"You're no longer the invincible Lord Ravager, but my spoils of war. You have no right to speak to me as an equal. Understand?"
Phantylia: ...
After hearing Lumina's words, Phantylia fell silent for a moment. The golden-green flames surrounding her dimmed slightly.
It seemed the Lord Ravager had finally taken Lumina's words to heart.
"I don't have—"
"I know what you want to say. But as long as I fabricate a body for you, that solves the problem, doesn't it?"
Phantylia pondered for a moment, about to speak, but Lumina cut her off, having already seen through her intentions.
Lumina understood perfectly what Phantylia wanted to say: as a Heliobus, Phantylia lacked the physical form required to serve as a mount.
Hmm... True enough. On her own, Phantylia lacked that capability.
But that didn't matter. If the ability was lacking, Lumina could create it.
As the Heliobus incarnate, Phantylia had no corporeal body. Therefore, she could forcibly possess the bodies of people or objects...
Therefore, as long as Lumina creates a body according to her ideal mount's appearance, the issue Phantylia was "worried" about would naturally resolve itself! o(* ̄▽ ̄*)ブ
Moreover, given Lumina's tendency to fall in love with something new only to quickly lose interest, Phantylia's Heliobus form was practically the perfect natural mount for Lumina!
If Lumina grew tired of a particular body after using it for a while, she could simply switch to another... After all, changing bodies posed no loss whatsoever to Phantylia, who possessed the power of an Emanator...
Hmm... Even if there were losses, Lumina wouldn't care...
"You... Never mind..." Phantylia started to speak, but remembering her current predicament and the brutal torture she had just endured, she clamped her mouth shut.
Endure... endure... Though these words hardly suit the dignity of a Lord Ravager, there's no other choice for now.
Just wait—wait for Lumina to release her, wait for the day Lumina falls into her hands... When that day comes, all this present endurance will finally reap its ultimate reward!
Knowing that Lumina could steal her innermost thoughts through the green barrier, Phantylia kept her resolve hidden deep within her soul, where it left an indelible mark—one that would never be forgotten.
"Looks like you've agreed," Lumina said.
Of course, Lumina remained unaware of the imprint Phantylia had etched into the depths of her soul.
Even if she had known, she wouldn't have said or done anything about it.
"From the moment I thoroughly crushed you, Phantylia, I stopped seeing you as a rival. I'll give you time to catch up, but in the end, you won't even catch a glimpse of my shadow!" Lumina declared arrogantly.
[Holy daytime emperor...]
The System couldn't help but exclaim at Lumina's brazen arrogance, then silently gave her a thumbs-up.
Though Lumina's words reeked of bravado, they reflected the reality.
Why, despite regaining her power, escaping Lumina's prison, and chasing after her with all her might, would Phantylia—a Lord Ravager—ultimately fail to even glimpse Lumina's shadow?
Of course, it's because our gentle and kind Saintess has been playing a little trick on Phantylia. (∩^o^)⊃━☆ﾟ.*・｡
"Do I even have the right to refuse?" Phantylia snorted coldly at Lumina's words.
"Of course you do! You absolutely have the right to refuse," Lumina replied, shaking her head with an innocent expression. "I'm not some demon who would strip someone of their right to choose."
"If you refuse, I'll respect your wishes... respect the pride you held as a Lord Ravager, and reward you accordingly."
Lumina spread her hands, but Phantylia could sense the thinly veiled threat beneath her words.
Phantylia understood all too well that refusing Lumina's request would likely mean enduring another half-Hour, or even longer, of torment.
Through her observations, Phantylia had come to understand Lumina's true nature: a treacherous little schemer who wore a perpetual smile while plotting your downfall!
"Miss Phantylia, I can hear you, you know." Hearing Phantylia curse her as a treacherous schemer, Lumina's smile faltered slightly. With a subtle flick of her finger, she prepared to inflict a small punishment.
"Wait! Wait! I was wrong, I was wrong!" Seeing Lumina slightly raise her finger, Phantylia, unwilling to endure that torment again, hastily abandoned her dignity as a Lord Ravager and begged for Lumina's forgiveness.
"Hmm?" Hearing Phantylia's groveling tone, Lumina let out a soft hum and lowered her finger, deciding to grant her forgiveness.
"Phew..." Phantylia exhaled in relief as Lumina withdrew her hand.
Although this compromised her dignity as a Lord Ravager, as long as no one besides Lumina and herself witnessed it, her authority would remain untarnished...
With this thought, Phantylia's heart found a sliver of solace.
"Seeing how sincerely you repent, I'll grant you the right to choose♪"
Lumina, having observed Phantylia's inner thoughts, smiled and waved her hand gently. Instantly, countless images materialized before Phantylia.
Chickens, dogs, sheep, cats, cows, snakes... the forms of various living creatures filled her vision.
Phantylia: ...
Gazing at these images, Phantylia fell into a contemplative silence, realizing what Lumina meant by granting her the power of choice.
"Alright, Little Phantylia, pick one." Having displayed the images before her, Lumina sprawled out, patiently awaiting Phantylia's decision.
"..." Phantylia stared at the myriad options, her silence deepening.
Originally, Phantylia had imagined that becoming Lumina's mount wouldn't be particularly humiliating. After all, no one would know that this mount was a Lord Ravager. Moreover, given Lumina's status, her mount would surely be something impressive like a Long, a white tiger, a phoenix, or even a nine-tailed fox—God Beasts that, while inferior to a Lord Ravager, would still command considerable prestige.
But to her shock, Lumina's idea of a mount turned out to be dogs and cats...
What kind of mounts are these?! Phantylia screamed inwardly, her composure unraveling. These are just pets!
Becoming a mount, Phantylia could barely tolerate it... But becoming a pet? That was utterly unacceptable!
What was the difference between that and humiliation, insult, or degradation?
I am Phantylia, the Lord Ravager, feared and shunned by all in the Cosmos! And you dare treat me like a mere cat or dog pet?!
Absolutely not! Utterly impossible!
Even if I endure endless torment, boundless humiliation, and ultimately die in agony, I will never yield! I will never become your pet, Lumina!
"Hmm?"
As if sensing Phantylia's thoughts, Lumina hummed softly and tilted her palm slightly upward.
"I'll choose a cat, then..."
Seeing Lumina's hand rise, Phantylia recalled the soul-shattering pain she had just experienced—the kind of agony that could instantly break a person.
Her resolve crumbled. Perhaps... enduring in silence was the wiser course for now...
"Hm-hm♪"
Seeing this shift, Lumina merely hummed with a smile, offering no other response.
A mere Lord Ravager... so easily manipulated!