Ifunanya and Chiamaka finally arrive at a beautiful large estate with visually appealing structures. This estate is where Ikeoku, Ezeogu (Chiamaka’s father) and the Unknown (Shade) are currently residing.

At the Eastern part of Nigeria however, Oge, Ifunanya and Chiamaka make their arrival at the location of Ikeoku, Ezeogu and the Unknown going by Shade. This is at about 4:00am. The large gates of the estate open and the car conveying Ifunanya, Chiamaka and Oge, drives in. After moving some distance, it stops. Ikeoku appears and stands in front of the car.

“No need to proceed further Ifunanya, we shall have our discussion here,” he says.

Ifunanya alights from the car, her eyes glowing with yellow lustre, and her face wearing a calm but fierce look.

“And you think I’ll just let that happen, Ikeoku?!” She responds, holding the door of the car as steam emanates from her entire body.

Ikeoku smirks and replies, “Do you think you can fight me while protecting her? That is why you’re here, isn’t it? To defeat me, right? If so, then it’s best she goes ahead. Also, she is here to see her father, he is waiting for her. Let’s not waste time on this, shall we?”

Ifunanya pauses, looks at Oge, then switches her gaze to Chiamaka. She thinks to herself, “He’s right. Even if I insist, there’s no way I alone can take on him and Oge simultaneously.”

“Fine,” She says. “Be careful Chiamaka. Once I’m done here, I’ll come for you.”

Ifunanya lets go of the car and slams the door. Oge giggles as the car drives off past Ikeoku.

“That’s a bold claim, Ifunanya. You’re under the impression that you’ll defeat me and go for your friend,” Ikeoku states with both his arms behind his back.

Ifunanya stretches her right hand towards Ikeoku, a sword materializes; she grabs it, points it at Ikeoku and declares, “I am hundred percent confident that I will.”

“Fine. Come th--,” Ikeoku was about completing his sentence, when Ifunanya promptly appears in front of him in a crouching position. Swiftly, she lands a powerful kick on his solar plexus (part of the body) that sends him flying four thousand feet in the air (4,000 ft). While in the air, she follows up with another kick that pushes Ikeoku further and she keeps at it, landing fifteen of these kicks. This brings them both to an altitude of about sixty thousand feet (60,000 feet).

Each of the kicks discharge powerful sonic booms like thunder roaring in a mighty storm. Ifunanya halts on the kicks and keeps her distance from Ikeoku as she catches her breath.

As Ifunanya’s barrage stops, Ikeoku crouches in the air for a brief moment, exhales and stands. “Not bad, I see you’ve released your limiter,” he says standing in the air with his hands behind his back and his eyes glowing fiercely.

“I don’t intend to drag this battle for long. Even if we’re in the phasic realm, I don’t know how much impact my attack can have in the real world. That’s why at this altitude, I can let out as much as I want,” Ifunanya replies.

“Our people have a saying, Ihe ehi hụrụ gbalaba oso ka okuku huru

na-atụ onu (Fools rush in where angels fear to tread). It was foolish of you to rush in, Ifunanya” Ikeoku says. With great speed, he appears before Ifunanya and throws a mighty blow.

“Solar wave: Scorching Fist.”

However, Ifunanya quickly reacts.

“Solar wave: Scorching Jolt.”

Using her leg, glowing and enshrouded with fire, she stops Ikeoku’s punch with a kick. A powerful shockwave is released from the collision of the hits. Ifunanya quickly utilizes Ikeoku’s fist to throw herself higher in the air and with her sword, she projects an assault.

“Solar wave: Corona Pillar.”

Instantly, a huge beam with a diameter of about fifteen meters (15m), shoots out from her blade, consuming everything in its path at an altitude of sixty thousand feet (60,000ft). Ifunanya stands in air, watching carefully as the beam dissipates. After the attack clears out, Ikeoku remains there, unharmed while surrounded by a brilliantly glowing corona.

“Tch! The corona is the aura of plasma that surrounds the sun and other stars. He used that to protect himself from my own corona attack. After years of living, I shouldn’t be surprised with his solar manipulation proficiency,” Ifunanya ponders.

Ikeoku smirks and taunts, “What’s the matter? Can you already feel your loss?”

Ifunanya maintains her calm expression though she is fuming with anger within her. She replies, “Humph! I was just warming up.” Suddenly, there is an exponential increase in temperature to about two thousand degree celsius (2000 Celsius) around the area where the battle is ongoing.

“Oh? I see you’re getting fully serious now,” Ikeoku says, looking at Ifunanya.

“Ikeoku, i tiela aka na tipa bu aja, (You have placed you hand on tipper with load of sand), you are in big trouble. For the sin of taking away the life of my father, I will see to it that this world never heard of you again,” Ifunanya replies.

“Crest Activation: Battle mode: Eze Nwanyị Ukwu nke Anyanwụ (Igbo – Empress of the sun).”

An immense heat wave flows from Ifunanya, spreading across the entire Earth. Her hair changes to yellow in color, gleaming brightly as does her eyes and her sword; the glow also outlines her entire body. A big hollow circle with glistening outline appears behind her back, radiating mostrous heat with visible corona.

“Amazing,” Ikeoku compliments. “To think that you’d have achieved this level of power in such an amount of time. You truly have a unique potential, I was right to have waited.” Ikeoku stretches his right hand to his right, emitting fire from it. The flames form a battle axe with a long handle and materializes into a solid battle axe. “Maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing that your father, Nnanna, died after all.”

The last statement makes Ifunanya to fume within herself and immediately, she dashes to attack causing a clash of weapons between herself and Ikeoku. While still showing in front of Ikeoku, swiftly, she also appears behind him; her legs are now cloaked in sunlight with the form of a long combat boot emanating great heat. With this, she launches a powerful kick. Ikeoku looks over his shoulder to see her incoming assault while her image in front of Ikeoku vanishes.

“She moved so fast, she left an after-image that appeared like she was still in front of me clashing blades. Impressive,” Ikeoku appraises.

BOOM!!! The kick is so heavy, it sends Ikeoku flying another ten thousand feet upwards (10,000 ft). Ifunanya prepares another attack. A massive ball of fire of about one hundred square kilometres (100 sq km) in diameter, radiating with enormous heat, is generated from the tip of her blade.

“Oké iwe nke Eze Nwanyị Ukwu nke Anyanwụ (full fury of the sun empress).”

Without delay, she swings her sword and unleashes the attack against Ikeoku with tremendous force. The attack moves with immense and when it close to Ikeoku, he strikes his battle axe vertically.

BOOOOMMMM!!!!

A colossal explosion occurs, blasting Ikeoku out of the Earth’s atmosphere into outer space. Once the explosion subsides, Ikeoku stands in outer space, shining brilliantly, like a star. Ifunanya quickly zooms off, leaving Earth’s atmosphere, into outer space.

“That was dangerous, had I not reacted with my battle axe, I would have been in trouble,” Ikeoku states, with a smirk, looking at Ifunanya.

“I see,” Ifunanya responds. “However, that attack was just to push you here so that I can use an even greater attack that you won’t be able to counter,” she says as she lifts her sword vertically.

She evaluates her approach, “This technique should determine the outcome of this battle. I have used up almost all my phasic aura and if I should use Supernova, then I wouldn’t be able to do anything for at least the next three days. Charles, Ada and Nedu along with Chiamaka, may still need my help so I have to be smart about it. Given the circumstances at hand, I’ll use the other.”

Shortly, the radiance around her becomes so bright as she burns and shines like a mini sun. She proceeds to point the blade at Ikeoku and says, “ike ndọli (gravity bind).” Suddenly, a great translucent wave is widely dispersed which passes through Ikeoku also.

“What?” Ikeoku wonders. He tries to move and discovers that he is unable to.

“Impossible. I can’t move?” he adds.

In the blink of an eye, Ifunanya instantly emerges close to Ikeoku, about to stab him but forcefully, he manages to move his hand and grab the blade of Ifunanya’s sword, stopping her from piercing his body.

Ikeoku is a bit amused, “I couldn’t sense her movements at all until she was close to me. Could it be that she moved even faster or...?”

Ifunanya looks Ikeoku in the eye and calmly says, “Ura ga-eju onye nwuru anwu afo (A dead person shall have all the sleep necessary). Rest in peace.”

“Oké iwe nke anyanwụ na-enwu n’abalị (dazzling fury of the night sun).”

A blazing huge ball full of intense heat grows and engulfs Ikeoku. The temperature within the ball keeps rising and soon the ball implodes. Instantly, there is a humongous explosion releasing a very bright light, shimmering so much that on Earth, in the normal realm, at some places where it is night, there is a flash of sunlight like daytime for just a brief moment.

At Aisha’s house…

ID is about to sleep but notices the sunlight. He rushes to the window and looks at the sky as the light fades away and the night returns. “Ifunanya,” he thinks to himself. He gets a phone call and answers, “Hey Nelo, I know already.”

“Yeah so don’t try anything yet until we’ve met and discussed a plan,” Nelo replies.

“Alright. No qualms then,” ID responds. “How far with Ife?”

“She’s getting better. Yewande is an expert healer so I expected nothing less. However, I left she and Ife. I’m on my way to meet a teacher and friend, someone that is vital to us in stopping Ikeoku,” Nelo answers.

“Oh? Think you can convince him? I heard he left the whole advanced talent and crest thing a while ago,” ID states.

“That’s right but he still has his abilities in tact and I’m certain once he knows that Ifunanya is in danger, he will move. The previous Crest of Amadioha, the one who was known as a genius even among crests, having twice the phasic aura of a crest; Ifunanya’s father’s student and later, our teacher, for us crests that is, Chisom Ejiofor.