"Greetings, mortal"

Pier's blurry eyes stared at the burning outline in front of him.

"You're suffering," the blurry thing in front of Pier spoke.

"Wha-..." He laid his head on the ground as the pounding headache started to creep in his nerves.

"Let me help you," the thing spoke again before Pier felt something hard touch his forehead.

As the hard thing that was touching Pier's forehead departed, Pier started to feel something in his body.

"What's... happening..." He spoke as he felt all too light and all too comfortable.

His body started to produce the same glow that the stone sitting at the top of the mountain was also emitting.

Pier turned to look at his hands.

'Why is my body glowing?' He thought as his breathing started to become stabilized.

He also felt the fatigue start to lighten and the entire drowsiness he was feeling from using all of his magic power go away.

After a few more seconds, Pier's vision started to become clear once more.

"Huh..."

He spoke in awe as he felt his body return to its normal state. He was no longer fatigued, he no longer felt heavy, and

schaaa~

He can form his ice sword again.

"How..."

He then turned his head towards the rock.

"I see, my magic is quite effective," His eyes immediately widened and his hands trembled when he saw the creature that was standing in front of him.

"...." His eyes silently screamed in fear as the creature's burning body lit the dark surroundings.

"Do you fear me, mortal?" The creature asked even without opening its beak.

It was as if it directly talked in Pier's mind.

"A... bird?" He spoke dumbfoundedly as he watched the bird stand proudly in front of him.

It was the same height as him.

However, what made Pier fear the giant bird in front of him was that its body was burning.

No, its body was not burning. It was completely made out of fire.

"Hah, I guess you could say I am a bird," He heard the voice again in his head.

"What...are you?" He asked hesitantly as he inched away from the bird.

The giant bird tilted its head in confusion on why the mortal was moving far from him.

"Why would I answer a mortal's question?"

The bird asked and both of Pier's eyebrows furrowed while he had a disbelieving look on his face. He had a terrified look on when he heard the voice's frightening tone.

Is this a monster of the Mir Mountains?

Is this the final boss that he had to defeat in a game?

What was happening right now?

Why were Pier's vitality and magic replenished instantly?

He had so many questions running in his head that he did not notice he was at the edge of the land they were on.

"I would not save you if you fall, mortal," The burning bird spoke and Pier gave an exhilarated breath at the intimidating voice.

It was the first time that he heard such a voice. It was so prideful that it made Pier scared to the core of his bones.

The bird stared at the scared human in front of it.

He observed the white hair the human had.

"What is your name, mortal?" The flaming bird asked and Pier's entire body trembled at the scary and demanding voice.

"P-Pier..."

"Pier... I see," The bird spoke as it spread its wings and the flames from its body started to circulate in the surroundings.

"Well Pier, let me introduce myself-"

As the bird spoke about introducing itself, Pier's hands found no ground left to lean on and he accidentally slipped on the edge.

"AH-"

However, before he could even fall, soft flame bubbles formed at his back and supported his weight.

"To think a clumsy mortal like this possesses such great magic,"

The bird eyed him angrily and Pier could not retort.

It was so scary that he thinks even in his normal and perfectly healthy state, he would pass out.

Every single time the flaming bird flapped its wings, the skies would turn into an orange color as if it was acknowledging the bird's presence.

The colors of the sky in the Mir Mountains continued to be lighted by the flames that were surrounding the place Pier and the bird was currently at.

"To the mortal named Pier, I am acknowledging the great magic you possess," The bird spoke and Pier only stared at the flaming bird in silence.

'Does it want me to bow or something?' He thought while he stared at the bird with still disbelieving eyes.

Seeing that the human did not react, the bird flapped its wings and it flew up in the sky.

Flap~

One flap of its wings made the skies tremble and the clouds rumbled in response.

Continuous flaps passed and Pier felt like the world was about to end with how noisy the sky was and how lightning flashed back and forth despite the orange skies that were dyed with the bird's power.

"HAH! HUMANS DO REALLY HAVE SUCH PRIDE JUST BECAUSE THEY WIELD A GREAT FORM OF MAGIC! HAHAHAHA"

The bird laughed as it flew in the skies. Its flaming tail was so enchanting to look at that even Pier was enamored by the majestic glow.

As the flaming bird roamed the skies of the Mir Mountains, its laughter rang out in Pier's ear.

"HAHAHAHA! THAT IS GOOD, VERY GOOD! YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF WHAT YOU HAVE, PIER!"

The bird's loud voice rang out in his head.

It then soon descended back to the peak of the fifth mountain where Pier was speechless with the display of power.

Not even the immense magic that he displayed at the fourth mountain could compare with the bird's flames that rose in the heavens that dyed the skies orange.

"Since you have given me a taste of pure flames, I shall allow you to become my guardian while I am at my weakest!" The bird puffed its chest out as it stood in front of the young master.

"G-Guardian?" Pier asked as he started to gain more rationality as time passed by.

"Correct! Come on, hurry! Give me a taste of your flame magic!" The bird's demanding tone once more resonated in his ears.

"W-What?!" Pier did not know what to do.

What he thought was a mystical glowing rock was actually... an egg?

"What are you?!" Pier spoke as he stood up from the group and he eyed the bird warily.

The bird had a disappointed look as it stared at the white-haired human who did not give him another taste of the pure flames that he truly loved to bathe in.

"Let's make a deal, Bathe me in your flame magic and I'll tell you what I am," The bird still had no expression on its face but the voice inside Pier was saying otherwise.

"A-Alright..." Pier agreed to the flaming bird's suggestion.

In his palms his fire magic manifested and the bird's entire body started to shake as if it was excited with the young master's magic.

When the flames on Pier's hand burned brightly, he pointed it at the flaming bird and his fire magic started to burn the already burning creature.

"AAAAH! TRULY A MAGNIFICENT FORM OF FIRE!"

The voice inside Pier's head praised as he continued to shower the flaming bird with his fire magic.

He did not have any clue as to what was going on.

All he knew right now was that he was bathing a powerful flaming bird with his flame magic.

"You are truly suited to become my guardian, Pier!" This time, the bird had an excited tone in its voice as he stared at the young master.

The flames on Pier's palms that were being channeled to the bird burned brightly.

Once Pier's magic stopped, Pier swore he heard a clicking noise in his brain as if the bird was disappointed.

"I guess that is good for now, Pier. Now let me introduce myself"

It spoke as it flapped its wings and flew up in the sky.

"I am what humans call a phoenix. An immortal being that does not die nor decay. I am a creature born from pure fire magic,"

It spoke and Pier listened to it attentively.

"I am Melfar, the Sovereign of the Southern skies!"

The huge phoenix said loudly and Pier's mouth was agape in awe.

"A... phoenix?" Pier asked as he stared at the flaming bird again who started to go back in its original spot.

"That is correct! I did not want to come out of my shell and simply sleep but after I had a taste of your fire magic, I changed my mind! HAHAHAHA!"

The bird laughed again and this time, Pier's eyebrows were etched into a furrow and he had an angry look on his face.

"A bird?! A bird was the cause of all of this?!" He asked angrily as he marched towards the bird who was flapping its wings while it laughed in Pier's head.

"HAHAHAHAHA-"

"SHUT UP!" He angrily screamed to the bird.

"Wha-"

"YOU!" Pier picked up a rock and threw it at the large bird.

But the rock did not even hit the bird as it turned into ashes once it came in a radius of the bird's flames.

"HOW DARE MY GUARDIAN SCREAM AT ME!"

The Phoenix named Melfar also had a surprised tone in its voice after Pier screamed at it.

"YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MY FRIENDS HAVE SUFFERED BECAUSE OF YOU!" He angrily spoke as he released his ice sword and started to charge at the firebird.

It was a scene that anyone would die in shock if they ever saw it.

A mere human who had an ice sword in his hand was chasing after a mystical creature who had extreme powers with killing intent.

"GUARDIAN! I AM TELLING YOU TO BRING YOUR SWORD DOWN!" The bird spoke as it flew up in the air and Pier gritted his teeth.

"YOU DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO YOU GODDAMN BIRD! MY FRIENDS DIED BECAUSE OF YOU!" Pier screamed in anger as he pointed his sword up in the sky and the orange-colored clouds were starting to get covered by the white patches of his ice magic.

"WHAT?! FRIENDS? MY GUARDIAN HAD FRIENDS?!" The bird spoke as it started to avoid the occasional ice lightning that came out from Pier's clouds of ice magic.

Pier did not bother answering as he continued to produce his entire magic capacity up in the air to attempt in freezing the mythical creature.

"DO YOU MEAN THE VAMPIRE AND THE KNIGHT?!"

Melfar expertly glided through the rain of lightning as if it was a breeze.

The phoenix was playing with Pier.

It was having fun conversing with the person who had pure flame magic that he liked.

"YES! THEY DIED BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO FUCKING WAKE UP!" He screamed as he wanted to cry after remembering the clingy vampire prince and stupid knight.

"IT IS NOT MY FAULT THEY ARE SO WEAK NOW IS IT?!" Melfar asked in return to his guardian's angry screams.

Pier's jaw ticked and his eyes dimmed as he heard the bird's taunts.

"You're gonna die right here, right now!" He spoke as wind magic started to appear around his body.

The wind barrier surrounded him and the faint glowing crown on top of his head reappeared.

His twin swords were in each side of his hands and he started to fly up in the air where the phoenix currently was.

The phoenix stopped flying around. It stood still as lightning rained down on it.

But the flashes of ice lightning from Pier's magic did not even reach it as it instantly burned away once it touched Melfar's flames.

Melfar observed the human he decided that should take care of him levitate from the ground.

"Tell me, Pier, how many elements can you wield?"

This time, Melfar's voice was serious. He was amazed at the two swords that were in each of his guardian's hands but he was even more astounded at the level of wind magic that was surrounding Pier.

"You'll die before you know how many," Pier responded as he became one with the wind and he rushed towards the phoenix.

Melfar continued to dodge.

He was still thinking about the wind magic on Pier's body so all he did was a dodge.

Of course, he continued playing with the young master.

"Fine, it looks like my guardian and his friends have a close bond. I wish to gain the same connection with my guardian," Melfar spoke as the flaming bird landed on the peak again and Pier did not waste more time and rushed towards the bird at an extremely fast speed.

But before his swords could reach Melfar, the flaming bird's eyes glowed.

Pier abruptly stopped as he watched the phoenix's eyes glow red and he saw what happened.

The entire Mir Mountains glowed red as well.

"The vampire and the knight are alive," Melfar spoke in Pier's head which made Pier stunned.

"T-They are...?"

The bird did not respond as its eyes continued to glow.

After a few seconds of silence

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

The ground started to violently shake and Pier instinctively looked in the direction where the thuds were coming from.

"WHAT-" He spoke in surprise as the two flaming bone monsters were hurriedly running upwards the place where he and Melfar were.

However, he saw what was at the two monster's fangs.

Ciaran and Gideon, both unconscious and bloodied were lying on the large bones of the beasts.

"My Guardian," Melfar called and Pier turned his head to look at the bird.

"Allow your flames to heal their wounds and they shall return to the state they were in," The bird reminded him and Pier looked at his hands.

"However, before you could do so, you need to form a bond with me and agree to become my guardian," The bird's eyes continued to glow and Pier hesitantly stared back.

"I agree," Pier did not question the terms anymore.

He was in a hurry after seeing the states the vampire prince and his knights were in.

The wall of flame surrounding the peak of the mountain that reached into the skies burned brighter as the mythical creature started to speak its will.

Melfar's entire body started to glow like its eyes did and Pier watched in silence as the bird started to form into something else.

It contracted.

Smaller and smaller.

The flaming bird covered in brighter lights became a small ball of magic as it drifted towards Pier in a steady motion.

"Wear this until I come and rise from my exhaustion, guardian. I will feed on your flame magic but do not worry, I shall also take care of you," Melfar spoke as the bright ball of light landed in Pier's palms.

Shiiiing~

The bright light started to disappear and an object was now in Pier's hands.

"This ring will be my home, I have just opened my eyes and I needed to rest further. As my guardian, your task will be to simply wear this until I regain my strength through your magic," He added and Pier kept silent.

The ring in his palm was entirely made of gold and it had a diamond stone where a miniature carving of a bird was placed.

Pier wore the ring in his right hand's ring finger and immediately, a warm sensation coursed through his body.

Melfar spoke once more in its authoritative voice.

"As the Sovereign of the Southern Skies and the immortal being that continues to rise from the ashes," Pier breathed in when the warm sensation filled his entire body.

"I declare that the human who wields the magic of pure flames become my guardian."