As Yoru charged at her once again, Yubelluna brandished her staff, preparing to attack—but just then, a sharp pain surged once more from the depths of her soul.
The frost that had previously receded spread again across her body, and in the blink of an eye, she was frozen into a solid block of ice.
Rebel stared in disbelief as her brother's Queen fell silently to the ground.
"H-How could this happen?! Not even the Tears of Felix could heal that injury?! That's impossible!"
The Phoenix family's secret medicine had no effect. Rebel struggled to accept the truth. On the other side, Yoru paused his advance, raising an eyebrow as he stared at Rebel.
She was the young lady of the Phoenix family. Unless necessary, Yoru had no wish to fight her. After witnessing his strength, surely this little girl would know what decision to make.
But if she failed to understand her situation, Yoru didn't mind turning her into ice as well.
Clearly, however, Yoru was overthinking. As the Phoenix family's heiress, Rebel wasn't someone who would back down at a moment like this.
"If you want to get past me, you'll have to defeat me first. I am Rebel of the Phoenix family, Riser's younger sister—and the holder of the Monk piece under my brother's command!"
Blocking Yoru's path, Rebel spoke coldly.
She no longer dared to underestimate him. She now saw him as an opponent worthy of her full strength, someone who had to be faced with the true flames of the Phoenix.
"I don't like bullying children, you know."
"I'm not a child, you jerk! Don't look down on me!"
Pouting unhappily, Rebel waved her hand and hurled a blast of flame toward Yoru.
Casually deflecting the attack with Frostmourne, Yoru lowered the blade. His gaze turned just as cold as his weapon.
"In that case… I suppose I'll have to apologize in advance. Because today, my goal is to bury the Phoenix family's pride—and its flames—beneath biting ice."
He chuckled lightly, and his arrogant words rang out through the hall, plunging the watching devils into silence once again.
The strange artifact, and the wounds even Phoenix Tears couldn't heal, had already shocked them. But now, Yoru's declaration was simply too outrageous.
Yubelluna had only been a servant, and while blessed by flame, she lacked the true Phoenix Fire. Rebel was different—she was a true heiress, and her flames were the genuine, deathless fire of the Phoenix that could reduce all to ash.
Yet Yoru claimed he would bury that fire in ice? Where did this boy get such confidence?
Even now, most of the devils present refused to believe it was possible to freeze the flames of a Phoenix.
"You'll pay the price… for your arrogance!"
Rebel's voice turned icy. The Phoenix family's heiress was truly enraged.
Before everyone's eyes, the direct clash between ice and fire had begun. The large screen above the hall was now filled entirely with flame, the view zooming out dramatically to capture the full scope of the inferno. The entire training ground was transformed into a burning purgatory—such terrifying fire released from the small body of a single girl.
At the center of the raging firestorm stood Yoru, calm and unmoving, as if the flames had no effect on him at all.
"The Phoenix family's flames will never be defeated by ice!" Rebel shouted, gathering all her strength. Then, the raging inferno surged toward Yoru.
Victory was hers! Seeing Yoru standing still with no intention of resisting, Rebel clenched her fists tightly.
He was powerful, yes—but he was also arrogant and overconfident. Standing there and taking the Phoenix fire head-on was suicide.
Wait… could he really die from this? After all, he was Rias-senpai's servant. If something happened to him, it'd be hard to explain.
In Rebel's mind, Rias was already her brother's future wife—making her family. Hurting a relative's servant wouldn't be good. It might even harm her brother's relationship with Rias.
But even after some time passed, Grayfia's voice announcing the end of the match never came. Rebel blinked in confusion and looked again toward the heart of the fire.
There should've been an explosion when the two forces clashed—but nothing. Instead, the flames were slowly solidifying.
It was a scene beyond description—flames that once danced and burned were now transforming into another state entirely. They were still fire, Rebel was certain of that—but they had taken on a strange form she couldn't put into words.
"What… what is this power?!"
Staring at the eerie transformation before her, Rebel muttered unconsciously. What she felt now was fear—fear coming from the flames themselves.
As one with Phoenix blood flowing in her veins, Rebel could hear the voice of flame. But now, the flames were speaking only one thing: terror.
"The fire… it's frozen…"
Looking at the screen above the hall, Sirzechs murmured dreamily. This boy wasn't making wild claims—he had actually done it. He had frozen fire.
"No… impossible… impossible… impossible!"
Rebel screamed, shaking her head and clutching her skull. She simply couldn't accept it—the Phoenix family's flames, frozen solid. But denial didn't change reality.
The scarlet flames gradually solidified, then became covered in layers of deep blue frost. The flames were still burning, yet now blanketed in thick ice.
The flames had been frozen.
Right before the eyes of countless devils. An impossible miracle… had become reality.
"It seems… the Phoenix family's flames… aren't that impressive after all."
With a sigh full of meaning, Yoru stepped out from the frozen inferno. With every step he took, Rebel felt her heart pounding violently.
It was fear—raw, uncontrollable fear. As the cherished, pampered daughter of the Phoenix family, she was feeling this for the first time in her life.
She had always found comfort in fire—but now, in this frozen sea of flame, she felt no safety at all. Only the desire to escape… to flee from this icy inferno.
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