Ryu chose to directly ignore the Dark Phoenixes as they blazed a trail toward Shrine Mountain. Instead, he calmly observed Dai'si's use of his Heavenly Patterns. They seemed so much more alive and powerful than when Ryu used them. In fact, they almost breathed as though they had a life of their own.
Ryu took a mental note of this and turned his head away.
He already understood why the Dark Phoenixes had chosen to retreat. Whether it was the Martial Gods or the Ancestral Beasts, they all seem to have given up on the Pedestal Plane and that wasn't a coincidence by any stretch of the imagination. It seemed that even now, he had really underestimated that woman.
The Martial Gods had been preparing for generations, the Ancestral Beasts for even longer. But, with the way things were going now, it felt like of the three Planes, they would each get one while the last would fall into the hands of a young woman who seemed all alone.
Much of these matters were still hard for Ryu to wrap his head around. After all, he still couldn't understand the nuances of these choices, he only understood things from a macro perspective.
If he was correct, the Martial Gods would likely end up securing the Shrine Plane. The Ancestral Beasts would end up with the Blossom Plane. And finally, Sarriel would end up with the Pedestal Plane.
From the very beginning, the Ancestral Beasts and Martial Gods must have felt that something was off about the current circumstances of the Pedestal Plane and as such, they purposely chose to divert their attention elsewhere. There was no doubt that the strongest and most violent contests of strength would be occurring on the Blossom and Shrine Plane.
'It seems I'll have to make a trip there soon. But first… I'll finish this.'
Ryu had originally come for the sake of slaughtering Martial Gods and venting some frustration before he went about accomplishing his duties. But, he hadn't expected to stroll into such a big matter. It seems that there was quite the conspiracy occurring right under his nose.
Ryu's gaze suddenly shifted toward the Martial Gods. They had been caught off guard by the sudden retreat of the Dark Phoenixes as well, however they took this matter as a victory. With less variables to consider and worry about, they would take this victory for themselves.
Joce and Gervis blazed a blinding trail toward Ryu, one a streak of crimson and the other one of gold. They weaved and dodged the falling violet petals, realizing that despite how delicate they seemed to be, running into any one of them felt like ramming into a thick steel wall.
Berold's array of swords covered their charge, deflecting Ryu's rain of arrows and deflecting the fluttering violet petals to open up a path.
When Ryu regained his focus on the battle at hand, the two had already cut the distance between himself and them to just under a hundred meters, a distance that was less than negligible to individuals of their caliber and yet… just too far away when facing an enemy like Ryu.
The pages of the Elemental Tome flipped, growing a size in the skies until it radiated like it was its own moon. Its cover danced with beautiful embroidery, the pulsing runes of the Emperor Phoenix suddenly springing to life across it in a gorgeous golden-red.
In that moment, a pillar of golden flames shot into the air, taking the form of a crying phoenix. Many of the Dark Phoenixes were still charging for the path toward the Blossom Plane and saw this scene with their own eyes… And yet… they still didn't believe it.
Ryu's soul soared, changing out of its humanoid form entirely.
A radiant phoenix bore down on the battlefield, its cry suppressing all those beneath. With a single flap of its wings, it vanished and reappeared before Joce and Gervis, its speed touching a realm of untold horrors.
Two enormous claws reached downward, carrying with it the momentum of a world. Joce and Gervis felt so completely insignificant in that moment. Despite the fact they had all seen it personally, despite the fact they knew that this should have been Ryu's soul and that it should have been vulnerable to attack, their hearts froze over, their instincts screaming at them to run.
But, it was already too late.
Both Martial Gods roared, a crimson halberd and a fist jetting forward with all the strength they could muster.
However, at that moment, the left claw of Ryu's soul construct began to whirl about with violet, blue Heavenly Pattern etched petals, forming a tornado of volatile defenses. On the right claw, cyclones of dense black appeared, mirroring Dia'si's usage of Dark Heavenly Patterns with a deft skill that made it seem as though Ryu had long since comprehended this ability.
Joce's halberd crashed into the whirlwind of violet and blue. The insurmountable wall before him proved to be far too much, his forearms and wrists shattering on impact.
Gervis fist didn't even get a chance to land. In fact, neither did his arm in general. His entire shoulder vanished, leaving a beaten and bloodied figure. The flesh in his wounds tried to quickly repair themselves, but this only lasted for but a moment before his entire body shattered into a bloody rain…
Joce's Berserk state dimmed, his gaze flickering and his mind swirling with thoughts of running. However, his last sight would be forever tied to that final devastating attack.
Ryu's soul phoenix opened its beak, appearing right before it. At that moment, a violent swirl of qi shot forward from all directions, bearing down on the blackhole-like vortex as though being pulled by the hands of a god.
Ryu himself continued to sit on Nemesis' back, unbothered and unmoved. His breathing grew more steady and his wounds rapidly healed with every passing moment. And, when his soul phoenix took a breath… It felt as though the whole world had come to a pause.
In the distance, Berold and Linnet froze. The latter had already gathered up a great amount of power and was preparing a large strike of her own. But now… It all felt so insignificant.
The cry of Ryu's soul phoenix shook the skies, a swirling beam of gorgeous rainbow colors jetting out with the forceful rotation of as its foundation.
Everything in its path was drowned out. For tens of thousands of kilometers, it was the only thing people could see, a memory that would be forever imprinted onto their souls.