Bubbles started erupting across the lava, small at first, then they became larger and more violent. A second later, a massive pillar of lava shot into the air, lighting up the cavern in a blinding orange glow.
Adrien's eyes widened slightly as the lava twisted and gathered above the sea and started taking shape.
Wings formed first, spreading wide enough to cast shadows across the black stone cliffs. Then came a long neck, sharp talons, and a fierce head crowned with flame. The lava dripped from its body in thick streams, but wherever it fell away, roaring fire replaced it.
Heat rolled off the creature in waves, warping the air around it.
Adrien's body tensed as sweat gathered on his skin, the heat pressing against him from every direction.
"Yeah…" he muttered, staring at the enormous flaming bird above the sea of lava. "That must be it…"
The pressure coming from the Phoenix was unlike anything Adrien had felt in a long time. A heavy, ancient force that filled the entire cavern and made the air feel harder to breathe. For a moment, it reminded him of the one time he had felt Sirzechs get angry and allow his power to slip loose.
The Phoenix's ember-bright eyes locked onto him. Then a voice echoed through the cavern.
"Are you the one who has entered my territory?"
"Yeah…" Adrien answered.
'He's way stronger than I expected…'
Adrien stared up at the Phoenix, his body still tense under the pressure rolling off the creature. He very rarely felt tense, not even the demon kings could make him feel like that. The creature in front of him was undoubtably was one of the strongest on the world.
The Phoenix lowered its head slightly.
"Hmm…" the Phoenix said, its voice echoing through the cavern. "I sense no energy leaking from you, boy. Who are you?"
Adrien kept his expression steady, "Adrien Agares. I was born with a special body that doesn't leak energy."
"Oh? Then in that regard, you are similar to God," the Phoenix said. "What an intriguing being you are."
Adrien's eyebrow twitched slightly.
The Phoenix tilted its head, "Speaking of God, how is he? I have not seen Him in a very long time."
Adrien blinked.
"You're seriously asking a devil how God is doing?" he asked, almost unable to believe what he had just heard. Then his expression shifted slightly.
"Wait… you don't know?"
"Know what?"
Adrien looked at the ancient bird for a moment, then asked "How long has it been since you last left this cavern?"
The Phoenix was silent for a few seconds, "More than a thousand years, I suppose," it replied. "Though a devil did come to visit me once. He begged for my power for a long time, and eventually, we formed a blood pact."
"Hm… the Phenex Lord, huh?" Adrien muttered, looking up at the giant flaming bird. "So it really was true."
For a moment, the Phoenix simply stared at him. Then its massive wings spread wider, and a deep laugh shook the entire cavern.
"Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha! So he truly named his family Phenex, just as we agreed. What a foolish name."
Adrien looked at the laughing creature with a flat expression. "Didn't you make a blood pact with him? You're laughing like you weren't involved."
"He pleaded with me for power for quite some time, At first, I ignored him. Then he continued to beg, again and again, until his persistence became irritating. So, to silence him, I granted him a single drop of my blood."
Adrien's face twitched slightly. "You gave him your blood just because he annoyed you?"
"Indeed," the Phoenix replied, sounding completely unbothered. "And since he had wasted so much of my time, I decided to amuse myself. I gave him a few absurd conditions. Naming his House Phenex was one of them."
'Yeah his idea of 'amusement' is extremely boring.'
"You have not answered my question, boy," the Phoenix said. "How fares God?"
"He's dead."
The cavern fell silent. Even the flames around the Phoenix seemed to quiet for a moment. For the first time since it appeared, its presence shifted from overwhelming power to solemnity.
"I did not expect such an answer, to think He passed from this world while I remained here in slumber…"
Adrien said nothing, letting the ancient beast process it.
After a long pause, the Phoenix lowered its head. "Tell me, how did He die?"
"During the Great War. The war between Heaven, the Devils, and the Fallen Angels."
The Phoenix closed its eyes for a moment, and a deep sigh left its beak. "I warned Him... I told Him to end that war before it consumed more than He was willing to lose."
"The war ended after God and the original Demon Kings died," Adrien said. "The three factions even made peace recently."
The Phoenix remained silent for a moment then it gave another sigh. "That is good. You youngsters should have chosen peace long ago. So much blood was spilled for pride, fear, and old hatred."
The Phoenix raised its head slightly. "Now I find myself curious. Tell me, boy, how fares the outside world?"
Adrien's eyes widened slightly.
For a second, he said nothing. Then, slowly, an idea began to form in his mind.
At first, he had come here with a very simple plan. He wanted to force the Phoenix into being sealed, or at least find a way to take a piece of its power. But the moment he saw it, he understood the gap between them. This thing was not something he could defeat by brute force. If it had attacked seriously, his best option would have been to teleport away and leave the entire mission behind.
"Would you like to see it for yourself?" Adrien asked.
"Hmm… It would certainly be interesting," the Phoenix said. "However, there is a reason I have not left this cavern for a very long time, boy."
"My power would not go unnoticed. If I were to step outside carelessly, the Dragon Gods would surely sense me. They and I are not what one would call close companions. And a battle involving a Dragon God would not merely scar the land. It could very well bring ruin upon the world itself."
Adrien raised his gaze again.
"They're already making their moves," he said. "Ophis, the Infinite Dragon God, is the leader of a group called the Khaos Brigade. A terrorist organization. They attacked the Three Factions recently."
"Ophis has gathered an army?
Adrien nodded slightly. "Pretty much. Devils, fallen angels, magicians, old Satan descendants, probably other factions too. Anyone who wants war, chaos, revenge, or power. They're all gathering under her name."
"How foolish," it said quietly. "Even after the death of God and the Demon Kings, the world still finds new ways to walk toward ruin."
"Lend us your strength, and I promise I'll show you the world."
"Hm…" The Phoenix lowered its gaze toward Adrien, "Do you plan on sealing me as well? Just as Ddraig and Albion were sealed?"
"Didn't you say you haven't left this cavern in over a thousand years? How would you even know about that?"
The Phoenix tilted its head, its ember-bright eyes glancing upward toward the hole Adrien had blasted through the cavern ceiling. Through it, a thin stream of outside air entered the fiery depths.
"After you opened that passage through the ceiling, the outside world became close enough for me to sense again," the Phoenix replied. "And yet, I cannot feel Ddraig or Albion anywhere. Those two were far too loud to disappear naturally. If I cannot sense their presence, then they must be sealed somewhere."
"To be honest, that was my original plan," Adrien admitted, looking up at the Phoenix. "Though Ddraig and Albion are actually enjoying themselves now. You can ask Ddraig yourself when you meet him."
The Phoenix's burning eyes narrowed with interest. "You know where Ddraig is?" it asked.
"Sure," Adrien said casually. "He's sealed inside a Sacred Gear, and his current host is actually a student of mine."
The Phoenix tilted its head slightly. "Oh? Sacred Gears, you say? Are those not the toys God created long ago? He was quite interested in them back then."
Adrien gave a small nod. "Yeah. They became a pretty big deal after that."
"I see. Then they must have developed greatly over the years. So, your intention was to seal me inside a Sacred Gear as well?"
Adrien didn't deny it. The Phoenix stared at him for a moment, then asked, "If I were sealed within one, would I still be able to witness the outside world?"
"Sure," Adrien replied.
He raised his hand and pointed at one of the rings on his finger. "After God died, some factions started manufacturing Artificial Sacred Gears. Mostly the fallen angels. This ring is one of them, I actually made it myself."
The Phoenix's gaze shifted toward the ring, studying it carefully.
Adrien continued, "If you were sealed inside something like this, you'd be able to see and hear everything I do. You wouldn't be stuck in complete darkness or anything like that."
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Yo I didn't drop yesterday so I dropped three chapters today including the bonus chapter for reaching 300 power stones.