Mydei stared at the familiar black robe, his jaw clenched tightly.
"...It really is you!"
But in just an instant, all emotion vanished from his face, replaced by the pride of Castrum kremnos's Crown Prince.
"Is there anything I can help with, Deliverer?"
"Control her."
Phainon's voice came from the center of the destruction energy storm, every word carrying the pain of being torn apart.
The power within him was still surging wildly, and a spiderweb of cracks had already appeared on the surface of his skin, with golden flames glowing brightly from the fissures.
At these words, Phantylia's playful expression stiffened for the first time.
Something's not right!
The destructive torrent, personally injected by her and surging into Phainon's body...
At this moment, their control was forcibly seized by an even more brutal will!
She tried to sever the connection, but found that Phainon's will was like a branding iron, firmly welded to the source of this power, plundering it in reverse, like a whale devouring their prey!
So... this was his true objective!
From the very beginning, he wasn't passively enduring, but actively hunting!
"Was this what you were plotting all along?"
"Only just figured it out now?" Phainon's voice held a hint of a smile, "Your cage is simply too ridiculous!"
Phantylia's expression changed drastically; she was about to forcibly shatter the connection of this power.
Yet, a figure had already torn through the sky like a meteor, plummeting down with immense force!
Mydei's fist, accompanied by a thunderous shriek, smashed down fiercely!
"Witness the fighting style of Castrum kremnos!"
Boom—
Phantylia's massive body merely swayed slightly; she didn't even bother to glance sideways, her pupils filled with the contempt of a god for an insect.
"The struggles of an ant are not even worthy of tickling me."
On the other side, the cracks on Phainon's face grew more numerous, the lava capable of incinerating all things within him almost bursting forth from his body.
[Warning! Warning!]
[The current ignitable Coreflames has reached their limit.]
[Your body is about to melt down!]
"It's still not enough… still far from enough! This bit of Coreflames is simply not enough to light Amphoreus's tomorrow!"
Phainon roared, his voice filled with an insatiable hunger.
Mydei glanced at Phainon's condition, his eyes narrowing.
"Deliverer, can you still hold on?"
In that moment of distraction, Phantylia condensed a concentrated star of destruction in her palm and detonated it with a roar!
Terrifying energy swept across the entire Scalegorge Waterscape.
As the dust settled...
Phantylia's form mutated again; her grayish-green skin transformed into a deep blue-violet, and eerie patterns covered her entire body, exuding an oppressive aura several times stronger than before.
"It seems I underestimated you."
She watched the two standing side-by-side in the smoke with keen interest.
"Bring out any other trump cards you have; let this humble maiden broaden her horizons."
As the dust cleared, Phainon and Mydei stood side by side.
Mydei crossed his arms, letting out a disdainful snort, and tossed the brand new Invasion Dawn to Phainon.
Phainon caught it.
His left hand held the shattered Dawnbreaker in a reverse grip, and his right hand held the resplendent Invasion Dawn in a standard grip.
Their gazes, devoid of any fear, met the Lord Ravager before them.
[path: Destruction, Elation, The Hunt]
[Authority: World-Bearing Cage (The Hunt)]
[World-Bearing Cage: Lock onto the enemy, construct an inevitable endpoint! The Hunt is endless!]
Phainon turned his head, his eyes meeting Mydei's, a crazed arc forming on his lips.
"Let's have a competition, see who slays that ugly monstrosity first."
"Hmph! Boring." Mydei coldly uttered two words.
But in the next instant, blazing battle intent ignited in his eyes, "I'm definitely going to win. But first, give me my stuff back."
He extended his hand.
Phainon's movements paused, and he looked at Mydei as if he were an idiot.
"HKS! Coreflames of Conflict!" Mydei's tone was beyond doubt.
"Coreflames?"
Phainon was stunned.
In those more than thirty million cycles of reincarnation, he had personally cut open his dearest friend's chest, taking one burning Coreflames after another. Only he knew the searing pain, which still burned deep within his soul to this day.
And now... he was actually going to return it with his own hands.
Seeing his prolonged inaction, Mydei added, "One who fights alongside the Deliverer must be a demigod. And…"
He paused, his voice deepening slightly, and he said gently,
"Let me share the warmth of a Coreflames with you."
Suddenly, Phainon smiled.
That smile tore through the madness and pain on his face, radiant like the first ray of dawn rising in eternal night.
He no longer hesitated, and his right hand plunged fiercely into his own chest!
Amidst the sound of flesh being torn, he pulled out a scorching Coreflames inscribed with the mark of "Conflict."
"Take it! Even if you become a demigod, the winner of this contest can only be me!"
Mydei took the Coreflames, letting out a cold snort.
The moment the Coreflames touched his palm, it fused into his flesh like a branding iron.
Dazzling red crystalline structures rapidly spread from within his body, completely encasing him in a humanoid crystal cluster.
The next moment, Mydei clenched his fist sharply!
Crack!
The red crystals shattered inch by inch, revealing the body of a demigod of Conflict!
Meanwhile, Phainon's form was also undergoing a dramatic transformation.
His white hair ignited strand by strand, turning into flowing molten gold.
His icy blue pupils were completely devoured by a brilliant golden hue.
Behind him, a pair of light and dark wings simultaneously unfurled.
Divinity achieved perfect manifestation upon him.
Mydei looked at his broken appearance, devoid of disgust, and instead, he unconsciously smiled.
"You finally look like a Deliverer."
However, Phainon slowly landed.
He held two Invasion Dawns in a reverse grip, one a restored old item, the other a gift from The Hunt.
Under Mydei's astonished gaze, he cleanly swung them at his own back!
The wings of light and darkness snapped off in response!
"What are you doing?!"
"Don't worry. They'll grow back." Phainon's voice was terrifyingly calm, "I just want to… compete fairly with you."
"Haha… Hahahaha!"
Mydei burst into laughter, his voice filled with uninhibited joy.
His gaze was blazing, his battle intent soaring.
"I ask you, Deliverer!"
"Is your sword still sharp?"
The arc of Phainon's lips grew more frenzied; he raised both swords high, their blades pointing directly at Phantylia.
"Won't we know once we strike her down?"
The next moment, in Mydei's palm, a colossal spear forged from lightning and battle intent began to take shape!
"I am the 'Spear of Heavenly Retribution'! The inevitable pain of this world!"
Phainon's twin swords crossed, the heaven-burning flames and the starlight of The Hunt interwoven and shining brightly.
"I am… the blazing sun that will eventually rise!"