A Phoenix was domineering.
A Phoenix was powerful.
A Phoenix… spread presence with her power alone!
And at this moment, Achilles was facing the power of a Phoenix alongside Rose, as the power of an Astral Core Ascension—one that made them so terrifying—was unfolding.
The first stage of Astral Core Ascension, one of its three stages, was called… the Luminblood Stage, also known as the Astral Circulatory Infusion, as one absorbs Astral Light through their Ethereal Selves and into the bloodstream.
If one did not form their Ethereal Selves,
they would not be able to attract starlight.
The once illusory, and then solid, Ethereal Stars—fused into one's being as they progressed to become Land, Sea, and Sky Dharma Kings—were critical in defining how powerful an Astral Core Ascension could be.
The more unique an Ethereal Self was determined everything as an Astral Core Ascension.
The power they could express.
How quickly they absorbed starlight.
All of it determined their progression across this fantastical Realm—as, at this moment, they faced a Luminblood Stage Astral Core Ascension Phoenix, and she made it known.
Around her, astral light stemming from her very blood shimmered like a wave of Haki, pressing down on them heavily.
It sought to stifle and crush their spirits, and at this moment...
The Primordium Evolutius Magitech Suits absorbed much of the pressure.
What remained was withstood by a Planetary Forcefield III from the Assimilation of Organic and Inorganic Terrestrial Planetary Body on both Achilles and Rose, who were—surprisingly—fine against the terrifying pressure of an Astral Core Ascension being!
And such a reality made the Millennium Acheron Phoenix laugh as she looked at them closely.
She examined their armaments, filled with Living Scripts she did not recognize, as she spoke succinctly.
"The two of you should barely be chicklings of Dharma Manifestation, and yet you defy my will, wear armaments filled with rare Living Scripts, and were about to claim the first Aeonic Treasure I've encountered since waking… You all truly stole our Planar Destiny!"
Nonsensical words bloomed from her, and yet Achilles' heart pulsed when he heard them.
His mind clutched at something utterly critical as he kept his gaze measured, speaking out for the first time toward the Phoenix.
"Planar Destiny? We didn't steal anything from you and have no conflict with you."
He was fishing for information.
And the Phoenix knew it. She laughed cruelly, her wings flashing with flames that converged into a single point—manifesting into a humanoid woman of impeccable beauty, with many Phoenixes floating behind her!
"You fools don't even know. Planar Destiny—what the Ancient Races held in abundance in the Primordial Age! After the Long Slumber, the weak humans who were once our slaves were the only ones left alone, as the Planar Destiny clustered within you in this Evolutius Age. How else do you think you could possess armaments filled with rare Living Scripts? Or conveniently have an Aeonic Treasure of this budding Evolutius Age near your home? It's all Destiny, and dumb slaves like you won't even begin to understand!"
"So I'll make it easy. In the next ten seconds, hand over the woman holding our Lineage, and I'll raise her into a genuine Phoenix instead of devouring her being to refine my bloodline. I'll keep you—and those… what is it, a few million?—in that floating city also kept aloft by Living Scripts. I'll bring you all under the rule of the Phoenix Assembly of the Everburn Aerie Continent, and you'll be the first Humans to return to Phoenix Rule. Enslaved again—to give you even greater freedom. Ten seconds."
Achilles' eyes vibrated.
Primordial Age. An Age of Ancient Ones and Primordial Energy.
Evolutius Age. An Age of change, evolution, and Evolutius Energy!
All of that was fine and good.
But did she just threaten Rose?
To take her and enslave them all?
Devour Rose? His Queen? His World?!
His assimilated seas churned and boiled over as he looked toward the now-humanoid Millennium Acheron Phoenix with eyes of blazing rage, his voice booming out.
"You fucking flaming chicken."
"You dare threaten my World?!"
Everything around them trembled.
Behind them, another Astral Core Ascension light bloomed. From white flames, the figure of the True Magitech Throne emerged, looking around in shock.
But Achilles paid her no mind. The massive mountain—home to multiple astonished Dharma Kings and Ancient Ones—began to tremble. Then, shockingly, it began to melt, surging out like a river toward Achilles!
The peak of the Holy Hyacinthus Mountain Flower trembled as a veiled, booming power was torn apart, a flower budding and blooming as a pillar of purple brilliance shot into the sky.
It looked like an incandescent purple gem over fifty miles large, terrifying waves of pure Evolutius Energy surging around it—as it began to melt along with the rest of the mountain, flowing toward a single man in the sky!
Even the Millennium Acheron Phoenix stared in shock before she let out a harumph, raised her slender white foot—and stamped it down.
Instantly, an illusory river of starlight blood surged above her, cascading downward to depose everything in its path.
Rose looked torn as she screamed out, green flames erupting from her as a massive phoenix—shockingly real—emerged as her Dharmic Ethereal Self!
Meanwhile, Achilles wore a face twisted in pure fury as he roared.
A single, commanding word.
But he poured every ounce of his power into it.
Every Assimilated Sea.
Every drop of his existence!
And he directed it all toward Gravitational Field Manipulation III, his Existence folding the gravity around them—crashing down on the Astral Core Ascension Phoenix, wrenching her out of the skies and smashing her through her own Legion. Her body flung hundreds of miles away, rocketing into the endless skies of this Plane!
At the same time, as rivers of molten mountain and an Aeonic Treasure flooded into him—and Ancient Ones scrambled away from the Holy Hyacinthus Mountain Flower...
Nine solid Primordium Evolutius Ethereal Selves locked into his being.
The very peak of Ethereal Physiology was reached.
Stars were pulled into the body.
And a Land began to form.
His Realm… crossed into and began establishing itself as a Land Dharma King.