[ Rex's POV ]

Noticing the lack of monsters being sent my way while I guarded this ruin, I silently dismissed the longsword I made with my magical energy. Guess that woman switched plans, especially since she was getting nowhere with these constant assaults. I thought to myself while surveying my surroundings. She learned firsthand that I've already been meticulously trained in efficiently killing all sorts of enemies and dealing with different kinds of tactics. Not only was her legion of corrupted people useless, the fiends from the Underworld that she sent were no use against me, much to her annoyance.

I let out a sigh and glanced at the red ornate door covered with a multitude of protection spells. Of course, she refuses to confront me herself due to my status as the Executioner. Because of that, her plan to access the 'core' and plunge this land into eternal darkness won't come to fruition as long as I'm here. However... I paused, the image of Stella immediately coming to mind. ...that also means Stella and her group will have to deal with that devil.

I bit my lip and anxiously paced around, too worried to stand still. With those magical eyes and the Void gauntlet that I gave her, she should be fine to some degree. On top of that, Raghnall is currently there with them, just like I requested. Thankfully, it took very little effort convincing him to help out. But will this be enough? The chances of success should be decent enough with all those factors in play but it's not guaranteed that they'll win. At this rate...

"To think the current Executioner would be this antsy, it's certainly a welcome change from the previous emotionless enforcers," an ambiguous voice commented as I heard the sound of wings flapping. "They lacked any semblance of personality and feelings that it was downright disturbing. At the very least, you definitely seem more human than them."

"...and care to tell me why the beloved phoenix of Ignifera is roaming about outside of the Holy Land of Flames?" I asked, turning to look at the huge fiery bird. "I'm sure you have your ways to fight against the corruption but don't you normally dwell in the 'core', opting to watch the state of the kingdom from afar?"

The phoenix stared at me for a bit before letting out a long laugh. "My, not only are you more human, you're even giving me sass!" it commented, amused. "The difference is so stark that it makes me wonder how you even got chosen as Executioner! Did they have a change of standards or something of the sort?"

I simply stood there in silence and the bird quickly took the hint. "Got it, guess it'll have to remain a mystery, I suppose," the phoenix remarked as it perched itself on a nearby ancient branch. "I will admit though, while I was keeping an eye on Ignifera, I couldn't help but notice that girl, Stella, has those mystical eyes that only Executioners could have. I can assume you're responsible for her having it but aren't those typically incompatible with everyone except the enforcer? Did something happen to her soul that caused her to become compatible?"

Again, I remained quiet, much to its disappointment. "Hm, this sure is a hamper to my curiosity but from your lack of response, I'll assume that I'm close to the truth," the mythical bird continued. "If not, oh well. No skin off my ba—ah, right, I have no skin. I'll need to use a different phrase. I'm purely made out of flames, after all. Maybe—"

"Sorry to interrupt you but you haven't answered my question. After all, you have some important info on you so it'd be bad if you fell into the wrong hands."

"True, that certainly is a good point you make there," the creature said as it nodded its head. "I shall give you an answer in return then. Since that woman made her appearance, he has decided to take action and do the same. Because of that, I've been told to stay outside for a bit and accompany you."

I blinked my eyes in surprise at that possibility coming true. "...honestly, that's kinda unexpected from him. I expected him to leave them to it as a means of them becoming stronger through enduring a trial of flames," I admitted as I put a hand on my hip. "That guy loves watching others improve, after all. Still, if he's taking action, is he gonna...?"

It once more nodded its head, confirming my suspicions. "Knowing him, I won't deny any of that. However, because of how bad the situation currently is, he made an exception and decided it's time to intervene," it answered, sighing. "Besides, he also said that he shouldn't be relying on the Executioner to get the job done, especially when it comes down to protecting Ignifera. Doing absolutely nothing while that devil invades and causes trouble would seem pretty heartless of him to do..."

I couldn't help but smile upon hearing that. "...I see, so that's how he feels, huh?" I remarked with a small laugh. "Nice to know. Guess I'll have to reevaluate what I think of him, then."

"Were your views on him more negative or something?" the phoenix asked, amused. "He certainly wouldn't be pleased about that, that's for sure. That guy would definitely complain and pester you about what 'it' told you about him."

"Well, it couldn't really be bothered to give me everything about them since it would be too much of a hassle," I admitted as I let out a sigh. "So I wouldn't be overloaded with all the information, I was instead given only the necessary records about them and was told to familiarize myself with those."

"...right, fair enough. Being given everything would cause a lot of issues due to how long their lives are. I can definitely understand that as a phoenix with pseudo-immortality. There's just too many memories to keep track of that I just ended up deciding to forget the unimportant ones to lessen the burden."

A part of me wanted to say something about that but in the end, I chose not to. After all, as a phoenix, his element is tied to the Fire affinity while I'm connected to the Void variation. Even if I told him what I knew, it would be pointless in his hands. Only those who have the authority to connect to the 'deep void' can make use of that information. I thought to myself as I went back to silently guarding. Gaining that is only possible if 'it' decides to bestow it upon that person. ...and the only time it'll give that power is if it deems it necessary for its mission.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed that the bird actually remained quiet for once and was just silently sitting there. However, I knew that the creature was telepathically connected to a certain someone, especially since said person admitted it to me before. He must've suddenly said something and it shifted its attention to him. As to what, I have no idea but it doesn't matter. I have my own stuff to worry about.

With a quiet sigh, while I kept an eye out for monsters, I tried to figure out where Stella and the others should go next as I mentally sorted out the information I had at hand. It seems I'll need to adjust my plans. His arrival will certainly cause some issues and questions to surface. Because of that, they should go meet up with Tatsuya and Gwenn instead. As to where they'll be by the time the situation here in Ignifera is resolved... I paused and closed my eyes while crossing my arms over my chest, bracing myself for the sudden influx of info that I'll be bombarded with.

When I was finally ready, I quietly muttered the words to myself so the phoenix wouldn't hear it. "Fall deep into the Void and bear witness."

Almost immediately, just like the incantation suggested, I felt the familiar sensation of suddenly falling into an endless pit. The freefall lasted for a while, then soon changed to me floating somewhere in space. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in pitch-black darkness. ...I'll never get used to this place nor will I ever like this empty void... I thought to myself, frowning.

I quickly said the next set of words, wanting this uncomfortable emptiness to disappear. "Time, future. Targets, Star Artifact wielder, Tatsuya, and Holy Artifact wielder, Gwenn," I chanted, causing an endless amount of screens to suddenly appear everywhere I look. "Time frame, right after the attack on Ignifera kingdom, initiated by the traitor Aterna."

So many of them quickly disappeared one by one until only a few of them remained in this dark void. Not much, huh? I suppose I can't complain since that makes things a lot more easier for me. I commanded them to come and they instantly appeared right in front of me.

One screen showed them in the Underworld, camping out somewhere relatively safe with the templars to heal up their wounds and recover some mana. The prince is complaining about how much of a pain it was to get the resources needed for them to escape the place while Gwenn is trying her best to create the holy item that's designed to leave that hell. He also apologizes to the girl for stopping her from reaching out to Adalina when they spotted her, especially since something about her seemed off. She says it's fine and reluctantly admits that they weren't really ready to confront her in their current state. For now, they need to prioritize getting back to Sanctus to prepare themselves for what's to come.

Another one, on the other hand, had the two confronting the Dark Artifact wielder, Adalina, who was surrounded by the dead bodies of the templars. Tatsuya is standing there in front of Gwenn with his holy sword at hand, his body covered in several wounds and his breathing heavy from all the fighting he probably had to endure. As for Gwenn, despite being wounded and greatly fatigued, she's desperately trying to get through to her friend as best as she could.

The last event was the two of them being lost in the Underworld, separated from the templars. Tatsuya is trying his best to remain calm while the girl apologizes to him numerous times, admitting that she's pretty bad when it came to navigating around places. With a sigh, the boy creates a sword with magic and stabs it into the ground, saying that they'll use it as a marker to know they've been here before. He also tries to reassure her that they'll eventually leave the depths that they fell into and reunite with the others.

...knowing the prince, the first one seems the most likely. I thought to myself as I dismissed the displays. Guess that means their next destination will have to be Sanctus, the Land Blessed by God. ...and knowing what will soon happen, this time, I'll have to temporarily accompany them in their journey after sending warnings to the other Artifact wielders about that devil.

"End connection."

In a blink of an eye, I was back in the ruins that I was protecting and was immediately greeted by the phoenix squawking in surprise at my sudden appearance. "Don't just reappear out of nowhere after leaving me all alone in these ruins without saying anything!" it complained as it dramatically flapped its wings about. "Honestly, you almost gave me a heart attack from that!"

"Sorry, sorry. I had to look up something for a bit so I can plan ahead," I admitted with a small laugh. "I'm not the only one trying to stop these conflicts so I need to coordinate with them to the best of my abilities."

The bird stared at me for a bit, caught off-guard by that admission. "Willingly working with others, huh...? That's something the previous Executioners refused to do, no matter what," it remarked, then sent me a grin. "You're piquing my interest more and more. If you don't mind, can we have a little talk? I wish to know more of this irregular newcomer."

"'Irregular', huh?" I repeated, feeling slightly downcast at being called that. "Not a word that I'd like to hear but I can't exactly deny it. Anyways, seeing as how I have nothing else better to do, I'll concede and talk to you for a bit. ...as long as it involves stuff I'm allowed to talk about."