Eternal Saṃsāra: The Wanderer of Worlds

Chapter 220: Troublesome Chicken Against the Heavenly Demoness

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The Demonic Phoenix had fled the scene the moment he saw the condensation of the demonic energy. To spread his control over the entire area’s demonic energy and make it his own, gathering it around him like an aura armor, was a feat beyond the current Demonic Phoenix. It was a feat on par with destroying a world.

Something that woman did so effortlessly.

She wasn’t good news, and Ignaroth didn’t want to die. “Dammit,” he cursed in his head as he made his way into the Blood Tower. Should he escape? Or was there any chance left for him to make things better?

Flying up the stairs, rushing toward the chamber of wormholes, he paused in the hallway before another door. The chamber of wormholes could send him back to Atlanton, although it’d take quite a toll on his body. 

By escaping, however, he’ll lose all he worked for these past few months.

Stopping before the door of the main chamber, where the blood obelisk awaited, he started to have another idea. “It’s premature, but it’s possible...” 

Only 36% of this world’s essence has been absorbed. Since there were two blood towers, it meant this one only had 18% inside it. It wasn’t enough to form a proper World Pearl, but it could make a small one. Any other God would fail to absorb such an imperfect thing, but the Phoenix God was special. 

He could melt the pill to his own essence and absorb it better than any other God. His black flames had useful applications like that. 

“18% isn’t much, but…” he slowly approached it. While it wasn’t much, it was still the essence of the world. He could grow enough to fight back against that demoness. If he succeeded in that, he could sacrifice her and the other foreign Gods into the tower to replenish this 18%. 

At the center of the massive chamber stood a red obelisk, its surface covered in glowing runes. The obelisk glittered red, sucking the essence of the world through a swirling vortex of dark energy. Slowly, Ignaroth placed his hand on the surface of the grotesque thing. His authority as its owner bloomed up, his energy rushing into it. 

With his divinity, he commanded the energy to condense. Just then, he stopped. 

“Huh, what is this…” he blinked. This tower was supposed to have 18% energy, but his senses were telling him that there was 36% energy. 

How? Ignaroth frowned in contemplation. The towers weren’t designed like this. Something like this was impossible unless the other tower was deactivated. “Ah.” That’s when the realization hit him.

The other tower has fallen. So Malakar lost, huh? Impossible. In any other situation, that realization would have prompted him to flee again. Not only was there someone like that Demoness, but there was also someone else strong enough to defeat Malakar.

However, this situation was peculiar. 36% of Pangeal’s essence. While nowhere near the whole deal, it was more than enough to double his strength and defeat any enemies under this heaven. Although to replenish this much energy, he would have to sacrifice some more later on, that was manageable.

With a scoff, he commanded his divinity again. The world trembled, and earthquakes spread across Pangeal’s land. The entire Blood Tower shimmered lustrously.

Five minutes later, the shimmering red obelisk lost its shimmer. A circular, red pill formed at the peak of the obelisk. He reached out a hand, and the pill came flying into his hand. Ignaroth took a long look at it. Then, he threw his mask away, revealing a face covered in feathers, before he threw the pill into his mouth.

Ignaroth’s body exploded with aura, his demonic energy expanding intensely. He fell on his knees, his hands clutched his head, and he screeched like a bird. The pain was insane, but he had to deal with it. There was no way to slowly absorb it.

After a minute of screaming, he stood back up. He was an inch taller, his shoulders wider, and his feathers sharper. His black wings had a tint of gold on them. He felt better. Better than ever before.

With a grumbling chuckle, he turned back. The Demonic Phoenix God of Destruction rushed back into the fight.

…Just when he left the tower, light shimmered in the main chamber where he stood a minute ago. Four figures took shape, as red blocks of energy teleported them here.

****

[First Person Point of View]

The southern Blood Tower and its ominous red glow faded for a moment, pure darkness surrounded me and the girls. Only to be replaced by a background identical to it just a few seconds later. We appeared in the northern tower, letting out a breath.

“We’re here,” I said, looking at the girls. Sieran and Seraphina looked around their surroundings, while Elara faced me with a frown. “Is there anything wrong?”

She parted her lips, “What’s your relationship with that dragon woman?”

Not this, not now. I sighed. Was this the time for such a talk? Especially when Quetzalcoatl and I didn’t actually have anything going on. “She’s the teacher at my school back in my new world, she’s a little flirty. We’re not in a relationship, nothing of that sort.”

“I see,” her frown melted away. She didn’t bother asking about Mem-Cho and Shoko, thankfully, since those two and I didn’t show lover-like affection. “Then let’s move.”

I nodded, turning around to leave. That’s when my eyes caught something peculiar. On the ground, a mask rested. Black feathers were also spread across the floor. 

I frowned. The mask had a painting of a phoenix face over it, it wasn’t hard to guess who these feathers belonged to, too. Why did he throw his mask away, and what’s this messy feather supposed to mean? Hair loss?

I looked at the red obelisk in the center of the room. It seemed strangely subdued… Huh? No, wait. My head snapped toward the exit. “Girls, quick. It’s dangerous.”

I burst through the walls, through the spiraling stairs, and leaped outside.

Just when I stepped outside, allowing my senses to unravel the entire outside world, my heart skipped. The aura of two dangerous demons was stifling the air, Seraphina began to vomit on the spot due to the stench, while I grew anxious.

I told her only to use that out when she’s alone, and when she’s in danger of her life. Since she still used it, that meant the rest of the group had been wiped out. I only hoped that they were unconscious, and not dead.

Then again, if they’re not dead yet, she’ll kill them herself.

This situation was a lot more dangerous than I had hoped for.

****

[Third Person Point of View]

“Arghhhh!!!” Vortigern let out a cry, his eyes bloodshot, blood dripping from his nose and mouth. The Heavenly Demon's grip tightened around his ears, and his head burst like a watermelon.

His entire body exploded, blood raining from the sky.

This time too, she remained unscathed by the blood. Except for her hands, they were all bloody, red, and glossy. She grinned at the sky, raising them up to her face.

-「Many Men~ Many Many Many Many Men…」

“Ahhn,” she licked her fingers, shivering in pleasure as her Icons shimmered. “One more remains?” She looked around. “Hm, where did the black chicken run off to?”

“M-mom!” A voice recalled from the ground. It was Ruby. “He headed towards the Blood-”

“Ruby, watch out!” Tsubasa leaped, jumping at Ruby and tackling her off. They fell on the snow, tasting water in their mouths, just as a laser of blood Qi pierced the spot she stood a moment ago.

“You filthy child,” the Demoness clenched her jaws. “I did not ask you. Do you think this young lady requires your assistance?”

“....” The ones on the ground shivered in fear. They sensed something was wrong with Ai from how she was grinning and acting, but they didn't realize it was to the degree that she would attack her own daughter.

Only Galaxara, Tsubasa, and Ruby remained on the entire battlefield. The Goddess felt herself to blame, seeing the mother of her Hero in this state. She knew of Ai’s power, she knew this wasn't her but some character she had transformed into.

It made her curious though, just who was so disgusting and demonic? Even she felt like vomiting, as a Goddess.

“Three of you, eh,” the Demoness crossed her arms. “Since the last of the outer gods are nowhere to be seen, should I play with you three instead?” She stared at Tsubasa and Ruby for a moment, before her head snapped towards Galaxara. A grin spread across her lips, “Let's start with you, then. Aww, how sad, you're already half broken. What happened to your arm?”

Galaxara frowned, opening her mouth, but before a word could leave her lips, the Demoness stood before her. It happened in the blink of an eye, Galaxara shivered and jumped back.

“Oh, where are you going?” her long and slender hand snaked toward her, clutching her remaining arm. The Demoness grinned ear to ear. “Hehe… it really makes my OCD act up, seeing you with only one arm. Let me fix that, yeah?”

“M-mom! What are you doing, let her go!” Ruby shouted from behind, but Tsubasa held her down in fear of getting hurt too.

The Heavenly Demon ignored them both and swung a hand. “Ah~” she feigned a gasp and the Goddess’ arm went flying. 

Galaxara let out a scream, pain filling her entire body, while the Demoness burst out laughing. “AHAHAHAHA!”

Galaxara fell on her knees, while a hill slammed against her mouth, sending her flying backwards. The Demoness loomed over her, shaking her head, “Ah, such a useless blob of flesh. You're the ruler of this world, for real? Such a pathetic sight.”

“MOM, THIS ISN'T YOU!” A burst of rainbows flashed from behind, and Ruby's kick came flying toward her neck.

The Demoness bent backward impossibly, her eyes snapping toward the girl, her brows tightening. Time seemed to slow down for that moment, as her fist slammed against Ruby's waist. Ruby shot upwards to the sky like a star being sent out of the planet's atmosphere.

The Demoness stood straight again. “Ahh, I'd have killed her right now if I didn't want to play with her later.”

She looked down at Galaxara again, “Then, shall I finish you first? I still have another one to finish before I can play with that blondie,” she licked her lips, looking at the defeated Goddess under her feet. She raised her feet, red aura flared up like blades, “Goodbye.”

Then she kicked towards her head, just about to make it burst. Galaxara closed her eyes shut. However, the attack never came.

The Demoness’ form vanished at the last second, and she appeared hundreds of meters far from there, above a boulder. “Who did you think you're hiding from, you ###### chicken?!”

Her attack slammed against the Demonic Phoenix who's been hiding and hoping the enemies to take each other out.

That did not happen, as the maddened woman changed targets at the last second and decided to finish him first. 

The Phoenix raised his arms at the very last second, the kick slamming against his forearms. Instead of being sent kilometers away, however, he slid across the snow a few feet backward.

“...Ooh?” The Demoness didn't attack again and raised an eyebrow. “Your presence is heavier than what it was earlier. How odd.”

The Phoenix slowly put his arms down, his eyes lighting up. His unmasked face stared ahead, as three Icons bloomed in the sky overhead.

The [Star Icon] shimmered, a black star in the sky darkening everything.

“It won't be the same,” he said. This time, a song accompanied the Phoenix.

-「Work it, make it, do it, makes us. Harder, better, faster, stronger…」

The Demoness blinked, as Kanye West’s [Stronger] played.

The Phoenix blitzed from his spot, appearing before the Demoness with a blazing fist.

The Heavenly Demoness tilted her head, dodging the fist. The next fist didn't go past her shoulder, however, it slammed against her nose.

The wind exploded and was sent flying through the clouds. She blinked again, and then a bloody grin spread across her face.

Finally, things were getting interesting.

****

Ruby recovered, wiping blood from her face with her hand, and rushed back to Galaxara. Tsubasa was already there, thankfully, scowling as she pressed two palms against Galaxara's chest.

“What's going on, how's her condition?!” Ruby asked. For a moment, her eyes flickered to the exploding clouds in the sky, but she didn't care to focus on it too much. It didn't matter who would win, at this point. Their only hope at survival was if Aqua came here somehow.

“I- I am trying to heal her,” Tsubasa said, “I don't know, I suddenly felt my Soulfire act up. My Soul Core feels like it can help her…!”

Tsubasa had three cores in her body. The Soul Core, the Bloodline Core, and the Divine Core. 

As Nyxandra’s reincarnation, the first core let her learn Nyxandra’s original techniques, the second granted her bloodline abilities that Nyxandra grew to have over time. The third one gave her access to Soulfire and acted like divinity.

Since Nyx built herself as a support for her husband, Trigathar, she had a lot of support-type abilities. Healing techniques were naturally within her grasp.

“A-anyway I can help?” Ruby asked, and Tsubasa nodded.

“Soulfire, give me your Soulfire,” she said and Ruby quickly aided. She put her hands on Tsubasa’s back, and her Soulfire lit up and traveled into Tsubasa's body.

Tsubasa's palms lit up white. A translucent, white energy spread over Galaxara's body. Tsubasa had already recovered her two arms and placed them beside one another. The Goddess had barely opened eyes, she was barely holding her consciousness. But as the energy bloomed into her, her eyes snapped wide. Her stumps lit up, connecting with her arms, and then began to stitch themselves back into place.

Galaxara watched in fascination as something that even her divinity couldn't do happened right before her eyes. Since the damage she received was from a God stronger than her, she couldn't just heal it off, but this young lady was doing just that.

What type of technique was that?

“Haaang!” Tsubasa gasped a minute later, withdrawing her hands. The procedure was done, the goddess was fully awake, and her arms were back to her body too.

“Incredible…” she slowly pushed herself up with a grunt. “You two… you two need to flee this scene now.”

“What?! No, if we go then–” Ruby tried to protest, but the Goddess gave her a sad look. She pointed around them.

“Nobody else will make it. You two need to save yourselves,” Galaxara said.

Tsubasa frowned, “What about yourself?”

Galaxara slowly rose up in the air, “I'll have to make sure that, no matter who wins among those two, they can't leave the North Pole and head into the world. They are too dangerous for life on Pangeal.”

“We can't do that, if we leave you here you'll end up dead,” Tsubasa said firmly.

“I agree with her,” Ruby said. “You're coming with us, or we're not leaving. The best choice now is to send a message to Onii-chan and wait for him to come.”

“But how long will it take for him to…” Galaxara started when footsteps filled the area. Four people walked into the scene, causing the three of them to turn their heads towards them.

“....” Aqua walked with a dark expression, scowling at the scene. 

The three girls behind him looked around in shock, before looking up at the sky where two demons fought.

“Doctor!” Ruby called him by his title as she jumped at him, hugging him tightly. Tears painted her face ugly, she looked at him pleading, “Mama! You need to stop and save Mama, she's gone insane!”

Aqua silently ruffled her hair and looked up. He stared at the sky for a long moment and then turned back to his wives from another life, “Bring all the bodies nearby, help anyone who can still be helped. I'll end this situation.”

Pushing Ruby aside softly, he called forth the [Crown Icon] over him. His hair grew a bit more, a golden armor shimmering around him. His size grew, and his eyes went golden.

 Then, he leaped into the battle. In the worst-case scenario, it'd be a three-way battle.

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