Maya requests the rotten fruits from the sacred tree of the Mermaids determinedly, but even though she is immortal, Nea is hesitant.
"I... I can't... you don't understand, these fruits are cursed, that energy corrupts the body and soul of those who eat them," she explains.
"I'll be fine, my friend," Maya insists.
Still, Nea hesitates as old painful memories return. "You're such a pure and kind soul... I don't want you to end up like my-"
"Kaisa?" Lucien understands Nea's concerns.
A thousand years ago, Kaisa and the Fox Princess ate those fruits to perform a profane ritual as corrupted as Tyrion's.
Nea lowers her head due to sadness and shame, but Lucien gently holds her chin and makes her look into his eyes.
"We will help Kaisa, remember?" He speaks in a loving tone. "And Maya can handle this; if anything goes wrong, she can simply burn her essence and start anew..."
Lucien can't help but imagine a somewhat funny situation. "So we'll take care of a baby Phoenix for a few decades until she becomes this beautiful... lady?"
Nea doesn't find that funny now, but Maya blushes and quickly grabs the box of rotten fruits. She opens the box and takes one of the fruits, but before eating it, she looks at Lucien with an embarrassed and even slightly hostile expression.
"If the worst happens..." She blushes even more as she imagines that same strange scene. "Just don't do anything weird to me!"
Lucien can't help but imagine how cute a baby version of Maya would be, as she's already so adorable now.
But before he can say anything, Naomi steps in between them and smiles friendly at Maya. "I wouldn't let him do anything weird to you, I promise!"
[Such a defender of morals and ethics...] Lucien can't help but mock Naomi in his mind; after all, she is by far his most naughty sister.
Perhaps Naomi's promise may sound odd to others, but it eliminates any hesitation Maya may have, so she takes and bites into one of the rotten fruits.
The fruit looks like a withered gray apple and appears larger in Maya's delicate hands. The most bizarre part is that despite appearing dry, when she bites into the fruit, black liquid drips from her lips.
Everyone looks at Maya with concerned and curious expressions, and the atmosphere is so tense and silent that only the sound of the black tentacles growing around Tyrion inside the green barrier can be heard.
Maya's expression doesn't look good, but she quickly devours the bizarre fruit and even licks the remaining black liquid around her lips.
Everyone anxiously awaits Maya's reaction, but Envy is impatient and quickly asks, "So?"
"It's very bitter..." She responds with a disgusted expression, clearly indicating that the fruit tastes as bad as it looks.
But Maya's determination is as fierce as her flames, and before the pieces of that horrible fruit finish repulsing her stomach, she grabs another one and quickly devours it.
"Take it easy, those fruits have a lot-" Before Nea can finish speaking, Maya's eyes widen, and she contorts in extreme pain.
"DAMN!!!" She generally avoids cursing, but Maya can't help it due to the massive surge of chaotic energy erupting within her.
"Maya!!!" Naomi is the first to exclaim in concern for the Phoenix.
But Maya ignores the group's concerns and her own safety by quickly eating the third rotten fruit.
"Ah! Huuhh!! Ahhh!!!" Moans of pain escape from her little mouth as she has to use all her will to eat every last piece of the rotten fruit.
But that comes at a price, and everyone sees it as Maya's once beautiful and fair skin becomes a sea of pulsating black veins, as if the black juice from the cursed fruit has corrupted her blood.
Maya's lovely face is overtaken by expressions of agonizing pain, and she can barely stay afloat.
"Hey!!" But Lucien acts quickly and holds her in his arms.
"Ah..." Maya tries to contain the groans of pain, but it's impossible. "There's so much power... but it hurts so much!!!"
Everyone is deeply concerned for Maya, but Nea, Naomi, and Lucien are clearly the most shaken. Layla would be in a similar situation if she hadn't already been taken away by Kara.
"We have to do something to help her!!" Nea quickly exclaims.
Naomi also wants to help Maya desperately, but she can only think of one person with healing abilities for that. So, she shouts towards Crystal City, "SOPHIA!!!"
Lucien had already called Sophia mentally as soon as Maya let out the first moan of pain, and although she is coming quickly, the situation with the Phoenix seems critical.
Since Maya seems to be going through a similar situation as Olivia did when she absorbed so much dark mana, Lucien knows how to help her. There is nothing better than Lust's demonic energy to calm chaotic energies.
He knows that Maya doesn't want his energy, but he won't let her continue to suffer in his arms.
"We don't have time!" Without hesitation, he brings his lips to her beautiful mouth.
And before their lips touch, he can see in her eyes a glimmer of gratitude.
Maya feels all the good sensations that Lucien's kiss brings, and his powerful energy enters her body, quickly calming all that chaotic energy.
It helps Maya gain control over that energy, making her feel more powerful than ever. Yet, instead of being fully focused on that power, she can't help her body from reacting positively to Lucien's.
She curses in her mind because this kiss is happening in such a tense situation. She didn't want to have to kiss the Devil, but since it's already happening, she wishes she could fully enjoy it.
Maya's groans of pain are quickly replaced by moans of pleasure as Lucien does his best to fill the Phoenix's body with his energy.
But as her cries of pain subside, other even louder cries resurface, not from her mouth but from within the green barrier.
"AAAAHHHHHHHHRRRRHHHH!!!!" That echoing and sinister scream comes from Tyrion's already distorted and corrupted voice.
He sounds more like an abomination than a man, matching his current personality.
"SHIT! SHIT!! SHIT!!!" Wrath exclaims as she continues to wildly attack the green barrier with her soul weapons. "We're running out of time!!"
"Damn, Lucien!!" Greed also exclaims. "You better be faster!!"
Lucien wishes he could put Greed in her place now, but he is fully focused on helping Maya deal with the explosive power of the cursed fruits.
In that moment, Sophia and Mira arrive, and while the former tries to help Maya as well, the Naga Queen approaches the green barrier and touches its surface.
Just as Lust mentioned, she can pass through the barrier, but she refrains from doing so, trembling at the profane ritual Tyrion is performing inside it.
She even considers using her chaos mana for a sneak attack, but Lucien warns her mentally that it wouldn't work due to Tyrion's current power.
"He's using only a corrupted fragment of the tree..." Mira comments. "This barrier won't last more than two minutes."
"I bet it will be enough time for Tyrion to complete the ritual." Gluttony remarks.
"We need to be prepared to fight when the barrier falls!" Pride declares.
"What we need is a plan!" Lust responds.
"I thought the Phoenix was the plan!?" Greed sarcastically comments.
Everyone looks at Maya and Lucien, and then Sloth is the first to speak. "Her power has grown significantly, but it still doesn't resemble someone from the Cosmic Realm... perhaps it's not enough yet."
"It will have to be!" Maya breaks the kiss with Lucien, despite their lips being frustrated.
Her eyes gleam with red, black, and purple flames. "I'm ready!"