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"E...Elaine?"
"Lady Elara."
'She really is the one. That Divinity Point, it's high.'
"We'll celebrate later but I'd like you to go back to Cepheus right now. Assist him and bring Lady Magisa back to her senses."
"Lord Cepheus, Lady Magisa, The Twins. Got it."
She turned without complaint and flew towards them without hesitation.
'She really has grown. I wonder if Anta chan had a hand in this.'
"More hands won't help."
Phoenix snapped her out, solidifying his aura and summoned his sword, Crimson Fang.
"It'll buy time."
She repaid the favour by summoning a celestial wheel behind her. As she raised her palm, the wheel responded, forming a radiant sword that descended perfectly into her grasp.
"For who, Antares? Don't always rely on that kid."
He dashed toward her, their blades becoming their words. At first, Elara's swordsmanship was far from perfect, but with each swing, she adapted, and so did her weapon.
Phoenix leapt backwards after Elara's sword drew blood from his chin.
"Cycle's Embrace. I thought it was only used for resurrection and rebirth?"
Phoenix asked, surprised.
"It's my thing, I can change its specs and function with a single thought."
"So, what's the curse this time?"
He asked after noticing the wound healing.
"It's not best used on an opponent but your chance of resurrection will only be guaranteed by my permission."
"Before I die, tell me what its main purpose is?"
He asked, releasing his aura ready to go all out.
"Bring back the dead including those weird Spiritual Realms like the Afterlife into their previous or new bodies, a spirit, element, object, animal or whatever. That decision is up to me. They are also reborn with immunity to their past weaknesses."
"I really need you. I really need to kill you. You're strong, too strong you don't belong here."
"I never did."
"Allow me to summon the grand stage. Activate Crimson Moon, release Crimson Plane."
An endless expanse of red stretched across the Domain, yet the Twins above remained clearly visible through the crimson haze.
'Limitless range.'
"Let's add some decorations."
He snapped his finger, summoning countless floating mirrors like glass blossoms from the void.
'I'll keep it at the back of my mind that he can attack from any of these mirrors.'
"Welcome to the Infinite Hall."
He spread his arms gesturing like a magician on stage.
"Let's hear the script."
He said, gesturing toward a mirror that held the reflection of an Angel captured by Phoenix a long time ago. An Angel renowned for her beautiful, enchanting voice.
"You bastard..."
"A A A."
He shook his finger, gesturing "no" talking yet.
"I never really cared much about you guys. As long as I can continue experimenting to get the perfect existence."
Elara's mouth babbled on its own. But she didn't flinch or show any expression to deny what she just said.
"Truth is absolute in this hall. Lies become visible and illusion fails. If you're hiding your true nature, it'll also be revealed."
The Angel in the mirror spoke.
"So you never cared about us?"
"I thought I was special to you?"
"Was I just a tool?"
"I can't really believe this."
"Everything was a lie."
Countless complaints came from different mirrors but Elara's expression didn't change.
"They resent you."
He said, the only sound present in this Infinite Hall.
"I created them. Of course, they'll be nothing but mere tools."
She snapped her fingers, shattering every mirror that complained. Phoenix ignored it, only urging her to continue.
"Total isolation. Absolutely nothing can intervene even divine interference is impossible unless they surpass the will of the creator or possess the power of pure Creation."
"If you let someone in for help, you're weak. And proves you can't defeat me on your own."
He immediately blocked that spot to prevent her from inviting any third party. This way, she'll have to defend her pride and fight alone.
"This is between the two of us. I'd be a coward to let someone in."
He smirks at her response.
A spear of light so fast that even Phoenix couldn't react, pierced him. The next instant, without any visible motion, the attack reversed its course, striking back at Elara. She couldn't defend herself; it was no longer her attack to command.
"Law of Reflection. Every action or attack is mirrored back to the attacker, often more brutally. The more aggressive their intent, the more destruction the reflection."
But Phoenix wasn't worth enough to earn her wrath so without blocking, the attack had no damage on her.
"That tickles."
"Impressive. I'm sure a Hypergod tier would've perished in the presence of that spear of light."
"I'm no Hypergod Tier nor am I an Omni Tier."
"Time distortion. A moment can feel like eternity or a second worth outside the domain."
Phoenix kept selling the attributes of his Hall.
"I'm not bothered about that."
"So confident. That's why I have this.."
He opened his palm and a prism appeared.
"Prism Anathema is..."
He paused deliberately.
"...is complete."
He finished right before the prism was complete. But nothing worked. It did but she immediately defeated the anti-ego the prism created thus breaking the seal.
Phoenix's eyes widened, and Elara's lips curved.
"Surprised?"
She asked. An invisible arc that decapitated him instantly only to realise she had struck a reflection. Almost at once, he appeared in the surrounding mirrors, but Elara's arcs followed relentlessly, tearing through each one in pursuit
"Wings of Blinding Judgement."
Channelling solar energy through an array of mirrors, a winged-shaped burst of divine light descended on Elara.
'How can he possess such Divinity that's currently on par with mine.'
She raised her hand to block at the last moment, but it was too late, the light came crashing down on her, obliterating that section of the hall.
"At your current state, not even you can withstand such power."
He spoke, looking down at Elara, who had taken a heavy toll for the first time since the battle began. Her body was bruised and burned, and her once-pure white wing was lost amid the exploding chaos.
'A bond-breaking light. I couldn't even nullify it completely. Was he really this strong?'
She asked. Phoenix isn't the type to go all out. Even during the Rebellion and Quantum Quake invasion, he only reveals the need to convince the others he's giving his all.
Back in the heavens, Magisa was holding her own against a fully focused Cepheus who was going all out using his twin as a punching bag.
"I love it but I fail to understand why you didn't climb the ranks. With your current strength, you've clearly surpassed the Hypergod tier to an early Omni Tier."
"I don't know about you guys but the Omni system is strict. If it were easy, Lord Alter would've done it billions of years ago."
"Oh come on, Alter this, Alter that. I can kill him with a flick of my wrist but here you are holding your own against me."
A punch connected with her shoulder destroying the joint. She quickly jumped backwards after taking unexpected damage.
"I'm not holding back."
He displayed his clenched fist, his usual expression replaced by a cold one, a burning crown of stars spinning above his head.
'Astral Aegis will get the job done. Elaine.'
'I'm almost done...'
Astral Aegis, is a barrier and counter-based Art of Cepheus which projects a crown when activated. Any attacks specifically void, blood and darkness which Magisa specialises in get shattered upon contact unable to reach him. This is an Anti-Magisa skill not even her basic conceptual collapse can work on Cepheus.
"Alright, time to go all out."
With Magisa's suicide prevented by Elara's conditional immortality, Cepheus was given the task to restrain her at all costs while protecting Elaine who became a casual target for Magisa.
"Magisa, stop moving."
He ordered spreading his palm towards her.
"Who are you to order me?"
She leapt forward, a red aura blazing along her fingers as she struck at him. She caught a glimpse of light to her left and turned only to be struck by a luminous chain.
'What's that? Is this....'
She froze, noticing the same chains slowly wrapping themselves around her. She struggled to move but couldn't.
"No more attacks from Magisa."
He unleashed the second Law, but she was stubborn, breaking it by summoning a massive magic circle. It shimmered, ready to unleash flames that could consume the very Drop. Yet Cepheus' Order remained unshakable, and the chains multiplied, growing in number and strength.
"It's useless. The Lawweaver's Chains bind chaos itself, anchoring targets to my Order. Each Law you break makes the chains stronger."
"I... I hate you!. I'll..."
She went silent all of a sudden.
"Even abstractions can be chained. You no longer possess that emotion."
He said coldly walking up to her.
"Be silent because this might hurt. Celestial Art: Itherian Pillar."
Cepheus stepped back as a massive column of pure energy descended upon Magisa, wrapping her in a radiant storm of shifting colours that wrapped the space around it.
'A defensive and restoration Art. Another perfect counter for Magisa. It not only heals whatever she's capable of destroying. It dispels corruption, erases curses, heals allies and more.
Most importantly, it snaps all disorder back to order. Such as curing anything foreign within her.'
He watched as she cried out, the chains binding her slipping free from her grasp. The multicoloured light faded, and she returned to her normal form. Her eyelids trembled before slowly opening and the first thing she saw was him
"King?"
She spoke, her voice barely whispering.
To be continued...