A week had passed, and Libinea was growing restless with the monotonous diet of Void Koi. Although her magical abilities had partially returned, allowing her to fly briefly, no Queen could withstand a diet solely of fish without going mad. Determined to find some variety, she led Raiking into the twisted forests of the Void Realm.
"Tell me, young mortal, where do you come from?" she inquired, perched on his shoulder, her eyes scanning the canopy for anything edible.
"I am from..." Raiking hesitated, glancing beyond the purple clouds and stars to a place known only to him. "...far, far away from here."
She noticed a hint of sadness in his eyes, or maybe it was just her imagination. His behavior was peculiar; he often stared into the distance, philosophizing like a hermit from the Fairy Realm. He was unlike any mortal she had ever encountered.
Part of her suspected he might be a hidden master, yet he showed no signs of mana. She had discreetly checked his pulse multiple times, only to find he seemed more dead than alive.
This was her main motivation for seeking a new diet; she couldn't let her rescuer suffer from malnutrition under her care.
Eventually, she spotted an unusual orange and purple fruit that inexplicably smelled of burnt tofu. She leapt from his shoulder, nipped the stem, and returned with the prize, taking a cautious bite.
"Here," she said, offering him the fruit. "Do you miss your home?"
"Not really."
"How can one not miss their homeland?"
"Sometimes a long journey—"
"Yes, yes. A long journey, reflection, choices made hastily," she interrupted, rolling her eyes. "You've mentioned that a few times now, so I get the gist."
Raiking responded with a faint smile.
"And what about your homeland?"
"Mine? Right now, my people would be getting ready to celebrate the Lunar New Year."
Raiking observed a smile spreading across her beak. "Is the Lunar New Year special for you?"
"Mhm. It's the one time of year when the people can meet their Queen."
"..I see."
Detecting the sadness in his tone, she puffed out her chest. "The solitude isn't as bad as one might think, especially when the time away is spent training to ensure I can protect my people."
"Oh, so you are a Queen?"
Oops.
"Wait, why aren't you impressed?" She scrutinized his face closely. "Has the senility truly taken hold?" she muttered.
"Senility?"
"N-nothing. Oh, look, another fruit! I must fly away now."
"There's nothing there."
"Your mortal eyes just can't see it," she insisted, flapping frantically toward her supposed discovery.
[One Week Later]
Libinea spent most of her time sleeping, using the Void as an early hibernation period, especially since Raiking wasn't much for conversation. His responses rarely went beyond a stoic "I see" or a simple "Mhm," and she'd rather sleep than endure hearing his favorite proverb about long journeys once more.
"The Royal Guards, despite their silence, seemed to possess more vitality," she murmured as she awoke from her sleep, noticing that he was nowhere to be found.
As if in response to her search, Raiking emerged from the dense underbrush, holding a peculiar object that resembled a shard of black ice, continually emitting steam.
"What is that?" she asked.
"A Void Mirror."
"What does it do?"
"Take a look for yourself."
She looked into the dark reflection and saw children running through a village decorated with ribbons and lanterns holding floating embers.
Meanwhile, the elders, dressed in worn feathered robes, were adding the finishing touches to the decorations.
"Is... is that my Phoenix tribe?"
Her gaze remained fixed on the image, even as she spoke to him.
"Look, they're offering the harvest to my statue," she remarked, pride shining in her eyes and a contented smile softening her beak, indicating she was happier than he'd ever seen her.
She devoted the entire evening to detailing each aspect of the festival, determined not to overlook a single element. She elaborated on the significance of the head feathers as cherished family gifts, and vividly recounted the Sky Dance, during which participants returned to their true forms to adorn the heavens. Finally, she described the prayer that concluded the night, with everyone kneeling before the Queen's shrine to wish her eternal life.
However, her happiness was fleeting as a profound anger began to simmer within her.
Flames flickered from her feathers, reducing the ground to ash, but Raiking's hand moved with a speed beyond her comprehension, gently tapping her forehead.
"I'm.. suddenly.. feeling so drowsy," she murmured, swaying before collapsing onto his shoulder.
"Even after erasing her memory of the Divine Realm incident, the hatred remains deep-seated," Raiking whispered.
"At least it clarifies why she confronted them despite the imbalance in power." He gazed at the sleeping bird with a heavy heart. "What decision does the Goddess believe she will make when faced with that crossroad once more?"
[Two Weeks Later]
The moment had finally come, as Libinea had fully recovered. Yet, she was puzzled when Raiking brought her back to a familiar location where his fishing rod still lay undisturbed, despite their weeks of travel.
"Why have we returned here?"
"This is the exit from the Void Realm."
"What?!" she exclaimed, feathers bristling. "Then why did we wander around for so long?"
"The journey..." he began.
"If you finish that sentence," she interrupted, glaring at him menacingly, "my beak will find its way into your brain."
Raiking didn't smile. Instead, his demeanor shifted instantly. The lazy fisherman vanished, replaced by a predator.
"Reveal yourself," he commanded, his voice projecting into the empty treeline.
Libinea froze. "Oh no," she muttered, shaking her head. "He's truly lost his mind now. There is no one—"
"Fascinating."
An ominous, rasping voice resonated through the air.
"A mortal who can actually sense our presence?"
Suddenly, the ground before Raiking and Libinea erupted. Seven jagged crystals shot upward, undergoing a violent growth spurt until they towered over the path like crystalline coffins.
CRASH.
The crystals shattered instantly, unveiling seven cloaked figures.
"So... he wasn't crazy—wait, that's not important right now," Libinea said, snapping her attention to the threat. "Who are you?!"
Two of the attackers wasted no time with words. They materialized crystalline blades in their hands, executing a coordinated assault: one leapt high into the air while the other stayed low to the ground, cutting off all escape routes.
"You dare to ignore this Queen?" Libinea proclaimed.
Unfurling her wings, she launched herself from Raiking's shoulder. Her speed far exceeded what she had possessed in the Divine Realm. Fire swirled around her as she ignited, transforming mid-air.
ROAR.
When the flames settled, she stood protectively in front of Raiking in her true humanoid form, hair blazing like liquid gold.
The assassins approached with determination.
Libinea reacted swiftly, raising her hand. She didn't need a long incantation.
"Incinerate."
A surge of flames erupted from her palm, coalescing into two concentrated suns that shot forward with lethal intent.
The airborne assailant attempted to defend himself, but he was too slow. He was reduced to ash before he could even scream.
Libinea remained unfazed by his demise. Her focus shifted to the grounded attacker.
He was faster than his fallen companion, managing to raise his sword to shield himself from the scorching heat.
BOOM!
Smoke engulfed the area.
Within the haze, a shadow moved; the assassin had survived. He leapt backward out of the smoke, skidding to a halt beside his stunned allies who had severely underestimated the Phoenix's strength.
"She is more formidable than the reports indicated," the assassin gasped, clutching his scorched armor.
"Speak now, while you still have the chance," Libinea commanded, six more fireballs hovering around her like loyal sentinels. "Who are you?"
The Leader remained silent. His attention was drawn not to the primary target, but to the man standing calmly behind her.
"He is more complex than he seems..." the Leader observed.
"Astute," Raiking remarked, his voice cutting through the tension. "Though, it is unfortunate you realized this too late."
THUD.
Raiking took a single step forward, releasing a pressure so overwhelming that every assassin nearly buckled under its force.
"W-what is this pressure?" the Leader gasped, blood leaking from his mask.
Two of the five remaining assassins—the Lieutenant and Varexon, who had been dispatched weeks ago to scout the target—recalled a similar pressure. At the time, they had mistaken it for a Void Lord passing by and fled in panic.
Yet now, as their bones creaked under the weight Raiking unleashed, the terrifying truth became clear.
"We had eyes but failed to see Mount Tai," the Lieutenant admitted, his voice trembling with regret.
"So it was you!" Varexon exclaimed, pointing a shaking finger. "The fisherman!"
They were not the only ones grappling with the realization. Even Libinea found it hard to believe that the mortal she had been bickering with was a hidden master.
"How can this be..." Libinea questioned.
But before she could delve deeper, she felt Raiking's hand rest heavily on her shoulder.
"Remember."
A torrent of energy surged into her, driving her to her knees as she clutched her head in agony. The memory barrier Raiking had erected shattered, overwhelming her consciousness with the truth:
The massacre of the guards.
The dismissal of the Divine Emperor.
The Goddess of Creation urging patience while ripping the wings from her back.
She remembered the torment, the fall, and ultimately, the face of the man she had begged for assistance.
Raiking stepped past her, shielding her from the assassins.
"I warned you, mortals," he declared. "Now face the consequences."
He walked toward them.
The assassins began to scream, for with each step he took, the ground rippled like a stone cast into a still lake.
With every ripple, reality aged. Their voices grew raspy and old. Their skin withered.
Even the surrounding crystals of the Void Realm—famed for their impenetrability—succumbed like mortal flesh, corroding and rusting into nothingness.
As Raiking took the final step, everything within a mile radius disintegrated into dust, scattered by the wind as if they had never existed at all.