[197] The Avatar of the Outer God; the Dark Phoenixman

Chapter 197: The Avatar of the Outer God; the Dark Phoenixman

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The world trusted her with its protection. All the races in Pangeal begged for her to win. Civilians of her Empire, the Erebian continent itself, placed their hope on her. They begged the heavens for her victory.

Yet, she came out defeated.

Victory seemed further than the sun.

Founding Empress of the Erebian Empire, the Great Hero Jasmine bint Alimah Al-Qadir fought till the last of her soldiers dropped dead. Until all the cities in her empire were burnt to the ground. Until her people fled from her, in fear that her presence would call the demons to attack that place.

She had no choice but to leave Erebia. Instead of helping restore the little remnant of her home, she has to flee because the people feel uncomfortable with her presence instead of feeling hope.

….What could be a greater failure for a hero than this? She had no other choice but to seek out an old friend. She required medical treatment and also planned her next actions, that's why she came to her old friend, Sieran the Wise.

"We're here, Your Highness," her loyal butler said, acting as the charioteer for this carriage even when one of his arms was missing.

"Mhm." They were right outside the Elven Forest with titanic trees casting shadows at them.

"Grandmother, I hear the Elven Village is located deep within the forest, how long will it take?" one of the other two people who shared the carriage with her, asked.

He was a man in his mid-20s, with strong copper muscles filling him to the brim. He was also quite the looker, as one would expect from a bearer of her family bloodline. He was the 2nd Prince of the Erebian Empire, who's been fighting beside her on the frontlines all this time.

Of course, it has been six hundred years since she passed away and was resurrected, so she was not really his 'grandmother' but it worked. It was better than adding all the 'great, great, great, great-' before the title.

"It should take a few hours, the Hero's mark will guide us easily," Jasmine replied, her voice raspy and smooth. Although it's been just a few months since she was reborn in this body, she was already as grown as a 30-year-old woman, as one could guess from her mature voice. And while that was a good thing at first, since she didn't get stuck as a baby, it's not good now since the aging didn't show any sign of slowing down. She might reach old age in a few more months and die.

"Should we rest for a while, grandmother? You're still injured." This time, the other passenger spoke. She's been quiet for the majority of the journey, but she couldn't help but show concern for Jasmine now. "The Elven Forest is filled with monsters, it'll be dangerous if we come across any danger."

Jasmine sighed, "Have more faith in yourself and your brother, Layla. You're the Crown Princess, not a little girl. You and Amir are powerful enough to take down most beasts on your own."

Biologically, she's the younger sister of these two royalties since she was born from a concubine the current Emperor slept with. However, soul-wise, she was their ancestors, she couldn't help but be a worried guardian for them.

It seems fighting against those strong bastards left them with a low morale. Jasmine lamented. It's not as if they're weak. The enemies were just stupidly powerful. Those fucking demon bastards.

One of the two invading Gods, the Clown God, had sent his Avatar on that battlefield, after all. Against that Clown Avatar, Jasmine failed to earn a victory despite giving her all. He was too strong.

…Or maybe she was just that much weaker. She wondered if things would have been different if it was that brat fighting in her place.

In the end, was it true that the single Demon Lord he defeated was stronger than Malebranche, the Twelve Demon Kings that she defeated?

It was not impossible.

The Demon King Shadowveil who that Seriphoth defeated was the son of Malacoda, the leader of the Twelve Demon Kings. And Jasmine knew how strong Malacoda was. It wasn't that hard to believe that Malacoda's offspring could become a force greater than him, given his blood.

…Jasmine missed that kid. She knew better than anyone how reliable he was. If it was him beside her, maybe she could have defeated those demons. Those fucking demons.

– Bang!

A loud sound filled the air.

"....!"

"Grandmother, there is a problem."

Her two grandchildren looked around startled and she clenched her jaws. She hadn't noticed since she was dazed. "Butler," Jasmine called, and the butler slowed the carriage.

She peeked out of the carriage, looking at the sky. Her eyes widened as she saw an army in the sky.

They looked white-skinned, except for the single one that led them, and had wings. However they… were not angels.

It was demons. Fuck.

Flight was not allowed in the Elven Forest, and so weren't demons. So the army was trying to break the barrier. They were breaking two barriers at once, and once the anti-flight barrier broke, they could easily invade the Elven Forest.

This was dangerous. Were they trying to burn this place to the ground, or what?!

Jasmine couldn't let them enter this forest. From the looks of it, it seemed they had some kind of a stealth spell that made their attempt at breaking the barriers hidden. There were no warning alarms. So Jasmine had to do something to warn the elves by herself.

"Butler," Jasmine grabbed her sword and jumped off the carriage. "Head into the forest, and shout to any oak tree you see that demons are attacking this place."

"U-understood, Your Highness!"

She looked at the two royals. "I'm sorry but you two have to accompany me."

"Of course, grandmother!" The prince was ready but the crown princess looked hesitant. They both jumped off the carriage, the prince wearing a pair of large gauntlets, while the princess wielded a mage staff.

The carriage scootered off into the forest, leaving behind a trail of dust. Jasmine looked at the kids and sighed. "Follow suit," kicking the ground, she rushed toward the outskirts of the forest again with her sword shining in her hand.

****

A mistake.

That was a mistake.

Jasmine's heart pounded as she clashed with two True Grade Ahaiyute, who unlike their lesser variants looked quite humane. That gave them greater maneuvering ability and techniques. They were receiving a lot of attacks from her, but they were not going down. They looked stupidly powerful.

This is impossible! She thought, parrying a brutal strike that sent shockwaves through her arm. In my current state, I can barely take these two, and there are six more on the other side!

In total, there were ten True Grade Ahaiyute here. Amir and Layla were taking care of two others, and having a real hard time with it.

The battlefield was a chaotic swirl of movement and magic, and only four of the enemies were actually participating in it. The others watched in silent amusement as if this was a circus. Dozens of high-grade Ahaiyute and hundreds of lesser-grade ones surrounded them.

If that was the last of them, Jasmine would still have had a bit of hope.

But it wasn't the end.

There was a bigger fish.

The Phoenix God's Avatar, why's he here?! It was something Jasmine couldn't understand. The one who led this army was the Dark Phoenix Avatar, who watched the scene in silent amusement, his arms crossed as if this was mere entertainment.

Jasmine's sword clanged against the feather blade coming out of the Ahaiyute's elbows, sparks flying from the force of the impact. She ducked under a wild swing, slashing upward and leaving a deep gash in the demon's side. But for every wound she inflicted, another Ahaiyute pressed forward, their monstrous forms relentless.

Jasmine couldn't even perform [Grand Chariot], her main skill, in her current state. She was injured and totally not in a condition to fight this battle.

"Amir, on your left!" And she has to keep an eye out for her grandkids. She shouted and warned, her voice barely carrying over the din of battle. Amir, his copper muscles straining, barely managed to dodge a fatal blow, his gauntlets crackling with energy as he countered with a powerful punch that sent an Ahaiyute reeling.

Layla's magic staff glowed with protective runes, and she cast a barrier just in time to block a rain of fiery feather arrows. Her eyes were wide with fear, but she stood her ground, her resolve unbroken.

Why's she scared at this time?! If that girl wasn't scared, she would have performed better than not just Amir, but also the current Jasmine.

Desperation clawed at Jasmine. There was no way to win. This… this was a dead end. Just when they were about to reach the Elven Village, too!

Should they just have gone there first? No, then the enemies would have reached the village first if they had broken the barrier and flown in. Thousands of elves would have died without preparation. Now, they at least could prepare for an attack.

"Gaah! Fuck!" Jasmine tapped into the depths of her power, forcefully pulling out a skill. "Grand Chariot, 6th Star, Merak!"

The moment those words left her lips, the air around her seemed to be still. A brilliant, radiant light enveloped Jasmine's sword, making it glow with the intensity of a falling star. Her blade became a comet, a beacon of hope and destruction, tearing through the darkness.

— Shinggg!

With a powerful swing, Jasmine unleashed the full might of her Grand Chariot. The sword's edge cut through the air with a sound like the crack of thunder, and a trail of blinding light followed its path. The two True Grade Ahaiyute engaged in a battle with her and froze, their eyes widening in stupid realization and fear.

The light of Merak shone brighter and brighter, its brilliance was almost unbearable, as if the star itself had fallen from the heavens, its descent was fast, unstoppable, and inevitable.

The first Ahaiyute raised its feather blade in a desperate attempt to block the attack, but the light of Merak was too powerful. Jasmine's sword cleaved through the feather blade as if it were paper, continuing its arc and slicing cleanly through the Ahaiyute's torso. The demon's body split in two, the wound cauterized instantly by the intense heat of the celestial energy.

The second Ahaiyute tried to back away, fear evident in its eyes, but it was too late. Jasmine's star-like strike continued unabated, cutting through the second demon's chest with ease. The creature let out a gurgling scream before collapsing, its life force extinguished by the overwhelming power of Merak.

The battlefield fell silent for a moment, the other enemies staring in shock at the sight of their fallen comrades. Jasmine stood amidst the chaos, her breath heavy, and her sword still glowing with the remnants of the celestial light.

The Dark Phoenix Avatar's smile faded, replaced by a scowl. "Impressive, but ultimately futile," he sneered, his wings flaring out behind him. Under his frown, his eyes still glinted with amusement. "You can't even bring forth the 7th Star in your current state. Is this the best the so-called Hero can do?" His voice was a deep, mocking rumble. "Your efforts are futile, Jasmine. You cannot win."

As he finished speaking, the two Ahaiyute that were engaged against Amir and Layla laughed like a monster's screech. Jasmine snapped her head to find the two kids defeated, the false angels holding them by their necks.

"What a pitiful sight, isn't it?" The phoenix avatar said, "I didn't think I'd strike gold when I was sent here. To think the hero who fled from that joker will throw herself in my plate. I'm sure my master will be very happy if I gift you to him, keke."

Jasmine gritted her teeth, blocking another strike from one of the other six Ahaiyute that leaped at her. This time, she really had no strength left to pull out another Grand Chariot. The Ahaiyute she faced roared, its clawed hand swiping at her with terrifying speed. She narrowly dodged, feeling the rush of air as the claws missed her by mere inches. Her muscles burned with exhaustion, but she couldn't give up. Not yet. She had to buy time for reinforcements to arrive. She couldn't let Amir and Layla die here!

Yet, as the battle continued, hope died as if it was a distant memory. Jasmine grumbled, frustration filling her lungs, until a series of brilliant flashes lit up the sky.

Magic Circles filled the cosmos.

Jasmine looked up to see a showering spell of fire descend upon the battlefield, the flames engulfing many of the lesser angels in a blazing inferno. It was a spectacle from hell, as screams filled the air and the Ahaiyute were consumed by the fire.

"Sieran..." Jasmine breathed, her eyes shaky. "It's her, I'm sure." Relief flooded her veins.

Sieran, the Wise, descended onto the battlefield. Her presence was like a beacon of hope amidst the chaos. Jasmine took this moment of distraction to move swiftly, cutting the heads of the two gross and disgusting Ahaiyute who were holding the two kids.

In the meantime, the entire battlefield watched the new player. Sieran's entrance was grand, in a whirl of elemental fury as fire, water, earth, and air swirled around her. With a wave of her hand, she unleashed another spell, it was a torrent of golden lightning that arced through the numbers of the Ahaiyute, decimating them in a spectacular display of power. Thirty percent of those creepy bastards died right away.

"Impressive, indeed. As always, Master was not exaggerating." The Dark Phoenix Avatar's smile faltered as Sieran landed, her eyes cold and yet burning with rage. "The Archmage herself deigns to join the fray," he sneered. "I would have greeted you soon anyway, after taking out this trash. Do you think you can change the tide of this battle?"

Sieran's gaze was cold as ice. "I find it pointless to chat with a disgusting demon."

The avatar laughed, a harsh, grating sound. "Bold words, Archmage. Let's see what that small mouth of yours yells when I burn your pretty skin."

Black Flames burst around his body, circling him like a cocoon, and he came out of it transformed into a humanoid burning bird. His head was that of a dark phoenix, and his body was covered in feathers. He had wings on his back, and yet a pair of hands.

Archmage Sieran's hand faced the air and cast a thousand more spells.

The entire forest side exploded in a clash of black fire and electric ice. The Elven Forest trembled in an artificial earthquake.

A moment later, Sieran's burnt and cauterized left arm fell on the ground.

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Author Note: Here's a picture of the Hero Jasmine.

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