PHASE 11 - INEXTINGUISHABLE FLAME AGAINST UNMELTABLE ICE

When the dusty clouds that were brought by the explosion faded, the Eidolon of Envy revealed itself, still alive and kicking. But it sustained critical damage on its throat. Ice shards started to grow out from its neck, blocking its windpipes and esophagus.

“KUUUUK!!! KUUUUUK!!!”

The dragon with eight spider legs choked. It channeled its energy once again to charge flames from its lungs, but as soon as the flames launched to its clogged throat, a deafening explosion emerged once more.

“KWAAAAH!!!” The dragon fell flat on the ground. It struggled to use its wings to get up, as the Eidolon of Envy cursed my name. “Damn... you... Alaric... Eisenhower! How… did you manage… to wound me… with that ice!”

I used my two hands to open two gigantic Gates from the Realm of the Frozen Soul, and gigantic ice spears rushed towards the spider dragon. Three giant shards pierced the dragon’s left-wing, five shards to its right-wing, and one shard each to its spider legs. I also pinned the drill tail with five icicle spears.

“GAH!!!” The dragon cried once again.

I looked at my hand and wondered how I got that newfound power. Each of those ice shards has the ability to seal the enemy and absorb their prana, rendering them weak and immobile. It must be an amazing ability I have since it managed to pin a Level 4 Eidolon with ease.

It’s not my power. All I ever did was to open a Gate, and yet, these ice shards keep raining on the enemy. There’s no doubt that it came from Frozen Soul’s ice.

“...Is Tiara helping me?” I muttered to myself.

“DIE!!!” The dragon roared as it elongated its neck. It opened its mouth and revealed the shark-like sets of teeth, ready to chomp my head.

But in the nick of time…

Swish. A blinding sword strike parried the raging lizard head. It was Jeanne who did it.

“Finish it already!” The blonde runt complained.

“R-Right!”

I opened two Gates from my hand and withdrew ice shards that took the shape of a sword. I crouched, charging all the energy I need on my butt and my thigh, and leaped forward.

“!!!”

Eighty-five silver streaks. All those slashes are focused on the Eidolon’s frozen neck, and several cuts and wounds followed. Black blood sprayed all over the floor as the Eidolon of Envy made its final cry.

“YOU’LL PAY FOR THIS, MORTAL!!!”

Then the dragon exploded once again. But now, there’s nothing left, not even its flesh. All those messes it created disintegrated into ashes.

<>

Suddenly, I heard a cracking noise once again. Jeanne noticed it too, and now our gazes focused on Erylle who has been containing that one last prison guards locked on her gigantic moon pearl sealing spell.

“I’m sorry… guys…. I can’t… hold it… anymore…” Erylle cried, but there was a slight hint of a smile on her face.

“Erylle, you had one job!” I shouted.

“I told you before, didn’t I…” Erylle curved her eyebrows. “I can only… seal them… for so long…”

The gigantic pearl continued to crack as if it’s a hatching egg. Meanwhile, Erylle’s body started to become see-through transparent. As if she’s going to be deleted from existence.

“Erylle, your body…” Jeanne’s tone is full of worries.

“It looks like I intervened too much,” Erylle said, still maintaining her smile. “This is what happens if I put so much work in a universe where I don’t belong. Using too much prana will erase my existence in this world.”

“Erylle, are you going to... die?” I’m getting worried about her wellbeing too.

“Yes.”

…

There was silence.

“Syke~” The tall blonde woman laughed as she retracted her joke. “I’ll just need to recharge my prana and stop intervening in this dimension. So for now, you’ll have to deal with the last prison guard.”

Then the moonlight sphere breaks. The pieces of the gigantic pearl clunk around the dark floor and the evil Gate Guardian has made his re-entrance.

He is Heushac Efilion. Or at least, the image and the sins of him. This Evil Gate Guardian completely imitates his blue hair, tanned skin, and a homeless man’s sense of fashion. He even has this rusty buster sword attached to his back.

“Heushac…” I muttered.

“Ric…” He whispered back.

We stared at each other’s eyes. His prideful glare full of iron will and raging cross sigil on his irises makes me pump up and gives me chills. I have wished to see my dead best friend again, but not in this circumstance.

“Hey, you two. Stop doing that bromance stare.” Jeanne said with a disgusted look.

“Shut up!” Evil Heushac and I shrieked in sync.

Meanwhile, this blonde runt smirked like a kid full of malicious and evil intentions.

“You heard the little turd.” I smiled at my enemy. “Now go introduce yourself so that we can kick your ass quick.”

“Right.” Evil Heushac smiled back and nodded. “I am the Eidolon of Pride. I represent Heushac Efilion’s sins, and I have copied his emotions, his memories, his appearance, and his power. I think you know me well because you are this person’s best friend. I need not explain how prideful this form is.”

Heushac is the most prideful man in the group. If you have been paying attention to the past two books, you will know how reckless he is. He always charges first in battle without any plans or strategy, and sometimes, he wouldn’t listen to his field commanders. All he does is hack and slash, but that’s what makes him the most. He's always holding his pride up high.

And also, he is one of the most powerful Aether Crusade members. He managed to match Helena’s power with three primal God Cores using his mastery on . I haven’t sparred with him since then, but I think he has a good chance of beating me even if I wield the God Core of Freyr and the .

Evil Heushac drew his buster sword and stabbed its tip on the ground.

“I see that you have defeated Eidolons of Lust and Envy. Even without the power of the God of Kings, you are a force to be reckoned with, especially your connection to the Frozen Soul. I shall never underestimate you. So I will fight with full force from the start!”

Crimson flames engulfed his sword, and the ground where he’s standing became magma. Soon, the fires went wild and gigantic that ate the hobo swordsman whole.

“!!!”

A humongous flame pillar flowed through him as he transformed into a god-killing machine.

He’s now a giant that is well equipped with blazing magma armors all over his body. Two twirly horns like those of a ram grew on his forehead, and his face formed a shape like those of a skull. He breathes flame from the gaps of his magma armor that has an approximate heat of a thousand-degree celsius, capable of melting all types of steel in a couple of seconds. And his buster sword bathed with prana-rich flames that could convert anything it touches to charcoal.

I smiled.

This might be the first and last time I will fight his full power. My nerves are itching for a good battle.

Even without the power of Freyr.

Even without the power of the .

I step forward, initiating the first attack.

“Haaaaaah!!!”