Chapter 494: Sapphire vs Phoenix

“Get down from here!” she roared, channeling all her power into a single blow.

The ground beneath her feet cracked as she concentrated fire in her arms, forming a glowing sphere so dense it seemed to contain a miniature sun. The air around it rippled, distorting everything within meters of it.

With a scream, she hurled the sphere at the phoenix.

The explosion was deafening. The fireball streaked across the sky, tearing through the smoke, and when it collided with the creature, the flash was so intense that for an instant it blotted out all the colors in the forest.

Sapphire fell to her knees, panting, her body sweating from the exertion. An arrogant smile formed on her face.

“Let me see you swallow that…”

But, little by little, the light from the explosion dissipated.

And there it was.

The phoenix, intact.

Not just intact—but larger, more radiant, as if reborn even more powerful from that attack. Its feathers were now golden flames that danced like banners in the wind, and each beat of its wings set the air ablaze, scattering shimmering embers that fell like rain of fire.

Sapphire’s eyes widened.

“No…” she murmured in disbelief. “Is it… stronger?”

The answer came in the phoenix’s song. A firm, ancient sound that descended upon her like a verdict.

Sapphire gritted her teeth, but her pride wouldn’t allow her to back down. On the contrary.

If each blow strengthened the creature, then it needed to become something even more destructive.

Blue flames began to surge around its body, hotter and more violent than ever. The heat was so intense that the ground itself began to melt, turning into incandescent puddles.

Her eyes glowed with the same fury as the flames that engulfed her.

“I will not lose to you…” she said softly, almost like an oath. “Not to you, not to anyone!”

With a leap, she raised her arm and unleashed a torrent of blue fire at the phoenix, an attack so intense it seemed to devour even the very light around it.

This time, the phoenix didn’t stand still.

She dove from the sky in a magnificent swoop, piercing the torrent with her body enveloped in her own golden flames. The impact of the two colliding fires shook the world—Sapphire’s blue against the phoenix’s gold, two seas of fire vying for air.

The roar echoed like a battle of gods.

Sapphire felt the pressure crush her, but she continued screaming, forcing every ounce of power she had. The wind burned her skin, the energy threatening to tear her apart, but she wouldn’t give in.

The phoenix, however, seemed to fight with an almost serene calm, as if in no rush, as if it had all the time in the world.

And yet, even in the face of that resistance, Sapphire didn’t back down.

On the contrary—she smiled.

A mad smile, of someone who had finally found something worthy of her.

“So this is it…” she muttered through her teeth, the blue flames burning brighter and brighter. “I’ve finally found someone who can handle it!”

Sapphire screamed, a roar so savage it seemed to shatter the air itself.

The blue flames around her body roared as if they were alive, spreading in columns that touched the treetops and melted them into embers. Her hair was loose, mingling with the fire, as if each strand were a glowing wick ready to explode.

She advanced.

Her hands transformed into flaming claws, and each blow she launched into space made the air sizzle and ignite. She sent slashes of fire ripping through the sky in blue streaks, each faster and more violent than the last.

The phoenix, however, dodged them gracefully.

Her golden wings beat slowly, scattering sparks that illuminated the battlefield. She didn’t flee—she simply moved like a dancer, like someone choosing to watch a child’s desperation struggle against an unbreakable wall.

“Stop playing with me!” Sapphire screamed, raising both hands.

The ground shook. From her feet, a fissure opened, spreading in all directions like veins of fire. From the crack, columns of blue flames gushed, transforming the forest into an inferno. Animals fled screaming, trees were consumed in seconds, and the sky turned gray and red.

The wave of destruction followed the phoenix, which was high above.

For a moment, Sapphire believed the creature would be swallowed. The heat was devastating, the flames too fierce for any being to live within.

But then, from the midst of the fire, a golden silhouette emerged.

The phoenix spread its wings, and a single beat dispelled the flames. As if extinguishing a bonfire with a breath, it dispelled all of Sapphire’s power, casting it aside. The blue inferno shattered into sparks and vanished into thin air.

Sapphire stood still for a second, her mouth hanging open, unable to believe her eyes.

And before she could react, the creature dove toward her.

The impact of the phoenix’s flight wasn’t physical, but energetic. The golden heat emanating from its body hit Sapphire hard, throwing her backward like a leaf in the wind. She slammed into the ground hard, leaving a crater of scorched earth.

Panting, she rose, spitting blood and smiling with hatred.

“Is that all?” she said, even as she trembled with pain. “I’m still standing!”

With a swift movement, she launched herself into the air again. Her body resembled a comet, a glowing blue sphere. Mid-leap, she began to spin, gathering energy around her. Within seconds, her entire body became a flaming saw, ready to tear through anything.

She collided with the phoenix.

The shock shook the world. The explosion spread like a blue shockwave, knocking down trees for miles. Smoke covered everything, turning the forest into a suffocating black sea.

Sapphire fell to her feet, gasping, her knees trembling with the effort.

She looked up, trying to see through the smoke.

“Come on… show yourself…” she murmured, a trail of blood trailing from the corner of her mouth.

The answer came like a flash.

From the ashes rose the phoenix, immaculate. Its golden feathers not only withstood the attack, but shone brighter than before, as if the blow had been nothing more than fuel to increase its strength.

Sapphire’s heart pounded in her chest. A mixture of rage and… fear.

But she wouldn’t give in.

“Damn you!” she roared, spitting more blood. “I’ll… end you!”

Gathering what energy she had left, she extended her arms and created two flaming spears. The projectiles vibrated, unstable, as if about to explode. With a scream, she hurled them both at the creature.

The spears sliced through the air like lightning, exploding as they collided with the phoenix’s chest. The flash illuminated everything again.

But when the light faded, the result was the same.

The phoenix remained. Majestic. Untouched.

She raised her neck and let out a long, deep chant that reverberated through the air. The sound was both beautiful and terrifying, echoing like a song of victory.

Sapphire fell to her knees, her arms trembling, her body seared by the excess of power she unleashed. Her chest heaved, each breath sounding like blades cutting through her.

She laughed. A bitter, almost hysterical laugh.

“This is impossible… no one can handle this much…”

But her eyes still burned. There was still pride.

She rose again, even as her legs gave out. She created swords of fire in each hand and rushed forward, slashing the air, launching furious blows at the creature.

The phoenix, in response, merely flapped its wings.

Each beat warded off the blows. Each movement of its incandescent feathers undid Sapphire’s power. The contrast was brutal: all human fury against the unbeatable serenity of a divine being.

“Fight me for real!” Sapphire roared, tears mixing with sweat and blood.

But the phoenix didn’t respond. It just continued to sing.

Each note of the song felt like a cruel reminder: no matter how much you scream, no matter how much you burn—you are not enough.

Sapphire fell again. Her body couldn’t take it anymore. Its fire flickered, weak, unstable.

And above her, the phoenix hovered. A golden sun in the sky of the destroyed forest.

Sapphire lifted her head, her eyes half-closed, her breath catching.

“So… it’s like this…” she murmured, her voice weak but still filled with pride. “You are not my enemy. You are… my mirror.”

And she smiled, a sickly smile, but genuine.

“I will reach you. Even if I have to destroy myself a thousand times… I will.”

The phoenix descended slowly, beating its wings calmly, until it hovered before her. For an instant, their eyes met.

And in that gaze, Sapphire saw something beyond indifference. She saw a silent invitation.

The creature’s golden fire began to envelop her, not as an attack, but as if to test whether she could withstand the heat of rebirth.

Sapphire felt her body burn, every cell scream. But instead of running away, she opened her arms and accepted the flames.

“Then come on…” she murmured. “Let’s see who burns first.”