We had finally reached the next city.
The massive walls stretched high into the sky, reinforced with layered magic and glowing technology far beyond anything primitive kingdoms could create. Floating drones drifted overhead while silver runes pulsed along the gates like veins of light. Even from a distance, I could feel the density of the population inside.
Millions.
Maybe more.
And all I could hear was my master's voice.
"Destroy this city as well."
The command echoed endlessly in my skull like a curse branded directly into my soul.
Behind me, Raiku's disciples stood silently atop the cliffside path leading toward the gates. Some looked amused. Some looked curious. Lais looked uneasy. Amela simply watched me with those cold red eyes that reminded me too much of someone I didn't want to think about anymore.
Raiku himself stood with his arms folded behind his back, calm as ever.
Waiting.
Testing me.
I slowly unsheathed Edith and Zenith.
The instant the blades cleared their sheaths, dark purple destruction magic spilled across the ground like liquid smoke. Civilians near the gate froze immediately. Guards tensed. Alarms began sounding somewhere beyond the walls.
Good.
Maybe if they feared me enough…
this would hurt less.
I took one step forward.
Then the sky exploded.
Two figures descended from above so fast the air itself detonated around them. They landed directly between me and the city gates, cracking the earth beneath their feet while dust spiraled upward violently.
My body froze instinctively.
Danger.
Real danger.
The first was a man.
Tall.
Sharp features.
Pink hair flowed around his shoulders while radiant fire rolled from his body in waves. Blue eyes stared directly into mine with terrifying calm. His aura looked almost identical to the pig-faced woman's magic… except infinitely more refined.
Controlled.
Beautiful.
Like staring into a living phoenix.
The second figure was stranger.
Androgynous.
Beautiful in an unnatural way.
Bright blue hair flowed behind them while silver energy distorted the air around their body. Their white robes fluttered weightlessly despite the absence of wind.
Then I saw it.
The rainbow-colored peacock tail extending behind them.
Beastman.
But stronger than any beastman I'd ever seen.
My instincts screamed at me immediately.
Run.
Instead, I smiled.
The dark purple scales spread across my body instantly as Body of Destruction activated. Power flooded through my muscles violently. My heartbeat slowed. My vision sharpened.
The transformation multiplied my physical capabilities nearly twentyfold now. Maybe more.
Enough.
Without hesitation, I attacked first.
Zenith shifted into a sleek black handgun while Edith elongated into a radiant white blade burning with holy destruction magic.
I vanished.
The city gates exploded behind me from sheer acceleration as I appeared directly before the peacock beastman and opened fire.
Space-warping bullets screamed through the air.
The beastman blinked once.
The bullets stopped midair.
Not blocked.
Stopped.
Then slowly crumbled into silver dust before reaching them.
My eyes widened slightly.
What the hell—
Danger exploded behind me.
I twisted instantly and slashed downward toward the phoenix.
He sidestepped casually.
That was all.
My blade missed him completely and continued downward into the city behind him, splitting apart entire sections of the outer district in a single strike. Buildings collapsed instantly beneath the leftover force.
The phoenix didn't even look back.
Pain erupted through my spine.
A cluster of razor-sharp peacock feathers pierced directly through my scales before retracting instantly back toward the beastman.
Fast.
Too fast.
Before I could recover, the phoenix moved.
Fifty punches.
One second.
Every strike landed perfectly.
My ribs shattered.
My scales cracked apart.
Shockwaves burst from my body with every impact while fire and lightning exploded across my nerves simultaneously.
I couldn't even react.
The final uppercut launched me into the sky.
Then he appeared above me.
A glowing bow formed instantly in his hands.
Three arrows released.
They vanished.
Then reappeared already inside my body.
The arrows bypassed my defenses entirely before detonating from within.
Blood exploded from my mouth.
Before the pain could fully register—
another barrage hit me.
Punches.
Feathers.
Arrows.
Perfect synchronization.
Like they had fought together for centuries.
I barely managed to spread my wings before crashing into the ground hard enough to split the continent beneath me.
The city alarms screamed louder overhead.
Citizens fled through the streets below while guards stared upward in horror.
But the two strangers never even glanced at them.
Their attention remained entirely on me.
Like predators.
I roared violently, dark magic exploding outward in waves as I forced myself back into the air.
Space magic condensed around me instantly.
A massive spatial barrier unfolded between us.
The peacock beastman lifted one finger lazily.
Silver feathers drifted forward.
My barrier split apart instantly.
Like paper.
The phoenix descended directly afterward, fists engulfed in divine flame.
I snarled and shifted my weapons again.
Edith and Zenith transformed into replicas of his gauntlets.
If he wanted a fistfight—
fine.
I surged upward.
Our punches collided.
And the world beneath us imploded.
The planet cracked instantly beneath the force of the collision. Oceans split apart. Mountains collapsed inward. Entire sections of atmosphere distorted violently while shockwaves raced around the globe faster than light itself.
For a moment—
everything went white.
Then I saw it.
The phoenix smiling slightly.
Not mockingly.
Excited.
That irritated me more than the pain.
I laughed suddenly.
A broken, exhausted laugh.
"Finally," I whispered through bloodstained teeth.
Dark-purple flames erupted from my body again.
"Someone worth killing."