The rest of the journey remained uneventful. Apart from the Heaven’s Fist’s party, and the crusaders Bianca annihilated, Elian’s party did not encounter anyone else.
The silence wasn’t hostile—but it lingered. With Fralhame’s harsh truths and Elian’s memory loss still fresh, even the cool forest breeze felt reluctant to speak.
Eventually the party came to a gigantic wall. It was one made of stone and wood, having intricate patterns carved in fire. The other Flame Swallows began to land among the tall trees. Burny who was more familiar perched on Bianca’s shoulder.
"We have arrived," Bastion curtly declared.
Elian dismounted and approached the door, Blockbuster’s panels already unfurling with a mechanical swoosh.
Fluffy chuckled, "Don’t. It’s already open."
"I don’t even know how you can tell."
"I think it’s cute when you break things,"Bianca said. "Just... not everything."
She added with a giggle. "This one can be opened by even Burny, why not just ask kindly."
"Ah, right—Weapons no longer have mana. I can open it for you Sir Elian."
Elian made a strained smile as he countered, "Thanks. I’d appreciate it. But it’s not my fault, okay? I can use just doors just fine, but what else am I supposed to do when it doesn’t open?"
Out of chance, all of the people in their party spoke at once, "You look for another way in."
"Huh?" Elian turned to Burny, gawking. "Even you?"
The Flame Swallow nodded, "Yes, why waste energy on breaking a wall, if you look hard enough, there is sure to be another way in."
"Doesn’t Flame Swallows just try to burn everything?"
Burny extended his wing like an arm and pointed it out, "We don’t, Sir Elian. That will be incredibly foolish, what good would blasting a door be if you fail to burn anything in the process? The Fire would never reward such stupidity."
Silent’s voice followed next, calm and cool.
"Rather than breaking the entire thing, collapsing a small part with mana would work. Picking the seal to force it open is also an option."
"Is your answer to everything overwhelming force? You can try using your head too," Bastion added with a grunt.
Bianca wrapped her arms around Elian from behind as she teased, "Hehe, You’re lucky I’m into stubborn idiots."
As the group chuckled, the great wooden gate slowly creaked open—revealing a crimson glow pulsing within. Compared to the outside the inner sanctum turned scorching hot.
The air was stifling, a sweltering atmosphere persisted as steam rose up from the ground.
"So, you have come," an elegant and feminine voice resounded.
At the very center of the room was a mythic and divine being. It had feathers that burned and eyes that looked like sapphires. Its entire body covered in scarlet flames flickered with the wind yet could not be smothered by it.
Elian swallowed, he knew of numerous famous monsters from fiction. But this was the first time he saw one. In terms of size, he was just as big as Strength of Winter at 15 meters. But the fires covering her body made her look dangerous.
Despite the warm greeting, Elian braced for battle, "System, Scan."
Name: Sun That Never Sets (F)
Alias: Sun Everflame Tyrant
Species: Flame Phoenix
Class: Dungeon Tyrant
HP: 430,000/430,0000 | MP: 325,000/350,000
Strength: A | Intelligence: SS | Agility: S
Title: [Tyrant of Passion]
Forget the fact that the Tyrant’s stats were extremely high, the being before him already won three times! That fact alone spoke more than just stats. And unlike the Strength of Winter who only was called his species, the phoenix had a proper faction.
All of a sudden, the large bird got up and approached Elian.
"It’s been ages since someone dared to speak so plainly. So young-one. You saw my strength, what do you wish to do next?" It said as its eyes narrowed.
Elian’s body trembled. Against his will his body began to react to the danger before him. His instinct’s told him. If he tried to fight this Phoenix, he would die.
Like hell, would I back down.
[Talent: Adamant – activated. Elian Reed is now immune to fear and psychological effects so long as the Talent remains active.]
[Talent: Driven – activated. Elian Reed will never lose consciousness in the face of an enemy.]
As Elian’s body calmed down, he braced his core and was about to charge, when a white tail flicked the phoenix in the head. It was Elian’s Mother-in-law.
"Sunny, your bad habit is showing! He is but a child! Stop being such a nuisance."
But rather than get angry, the Flame Phoenix scoffed and pouted.
"Tsk. Silent, you of all people should know how boring my life has been," she turned away sulking, "Do you really have to mess with my fun? Look, he even resisted my intimidation."
Elian turned around and saw that both Fluffy and Bianca reacted the same way he did. Bianca had her rifle out while Fluffy’s fur turned into spikes. The only exception was Burny, who was prostrated on the ground, not even looking at his Tyrant.
As everyone grew confused Bastion came forward, "Sunny, I have come to you with a proposition."
The Phoenix turned her head and used her swan like neck to study Bastion’s body.
"Ho? You are Unyielding Bastion of Fralhame right? What happened to you? Hmm... a golem... interesting. This metal of yours is quite interesting. It can change shapes and functions like blood, muscle and bone."
Ugh, as expected of SS intelligence, she figured it out just from a single glance.
"Stop it, you battle junkie. Just listen. I have abandoned my body and joined my Son-in-law’s faction. He plans to rule Earth. Entrust your mark—and he might solve that ’boring’ little problem of yours."
"Ho? Will he now? It’s the golem masquerading as a human right? You even have one of my foolish sons and the Witch of the Frozen Night among you. Quite an interesting party."
Figuring that just reacting to the situation was not acceptable, Elian lowered his weapons and shifted to his human form. Bastion already showed that this Tyrant unlike the ones before listened to dialogue.
If he could win this one over without fighting, he would be able to save himself some energy.
Although, I would lose out on experience and material as a result.
He approached Sunny and introduced himself.
"I am Elian Reed—husband to Bianca Valestra, and future Tyrant of Earth. I ask not for your submission but offer an alliance. Noble Sun That Never Sets, join me."
However, Sunny’s eyes narrowed, and her feathers all blazed hotter.
"Careful, hatchling. I let your elders speak because they’ve earned the right. You? You haven’t even earned the pedigree to clean my ash. Your mouth makes promises your strength can’t deliver. You wear arrogance like a mask—hoping it protects you."
Elian felt his stomach drop. An immense pressure slammed on his body which forced him to kneel.
"Besides, you speak of such lies when you have proven nothing and hold my sons and daughters hostage?"
Despite Sunny’s interactions to Bastion and Silent, she was in fact a ruler. Her three victories were something Elian still had yet to achieve. Thus, it was a mistake to think this Tyrant would be friendly just because she liked the Snow Wolves.
Elian couldn’t even refute her words. The Dominator variants inside the Flame Swallows might have been used to free them, but just as Sunny said, they were also a tool to force their submission.
Her words reminded Elian of a truth he almost forgot.
Tsk, Tyrant’s really are a special breed of pompous bastards.
But before he could make his move, someone else did.
An Ice VII bullet flew towards Sunny. It melted before it reached her, but the flames around the phoenix’s body grew significantly weaker.
"Stop your posturing you oversized parrot, I tolerated your antics because my parents liked you, but you shall not speak to my Tyrant in such an insolent manner,"Bianca snapped.
Frozen lances made of Ice VII formed even as the entire surroundings bore the brunt of Sunny’s flames. Without fear, Bianca aimed her sniper rifle at Sunny and fired.
It didn’t fire a beam, but a projectile made from Cinderglass.
Like a star made of ice, it detonated and extinguished part of Sunny’s flames. For a moment, everyone saw her true form. Despite being covered in feathers, there were gaps in her plumage. A network of scars decorated her body like a web.
As expected of a veteran of three wars.
"Ah... passion. I remember what that felt like. Silent, Bastion, please forgive me. I will test your supposed daughter and her husband. I will try my best not to kill them."
Sunny then stood up and ignited her body. The walls groaned. The stone warped. Even the air began to howl. Like a sun that came down from the sky the Tyrant burned.