Twenty minutes later…

I just had a ham and cheese sandwich – crustless and cold, like it was plucked straight outta the fridge. Absolutely hit the spot! Dispelling powerful magic does work up an appetite. And so does running and wielding a massive claymore, because Anna’s downing her second one!

I’d easily go for another sandwich myself… but we gotta keep moving. From what I remember of the Cathedral, there’s still one more challenge ahead before we face Saint Alyssa herself. It’s a literal trial by fire with a Phoenix – a holy construct Monster born of wind and flame.

Eh, we’ll manage. Though, I can’t shake the feeling that the rules might shift on us again. Nothing here has stayed as it was in the previous timeline. With everything trying to kill us… I doubt this will be any different. But getting past it alive is the only way we’ll get to Saint Alyssa… and Rinnah willing, she’ll help us understand what’s happening.

I’m worried, of course… but there’s no point fretting. Eyes on the prize, y’know! We pack up our supplies quickly and get moving again, Anna taking the lead once more.

“So, umm… what exactly do we have to do in this upcoming challenge?” Anna asks, her gaze steady on the path ahead. “You mentioned something about a Phoenix, right? The previous trial tested my Sanctuary. So this one… is going to test your Spell Ward?”

“Yeah. It’s an obstacle course of fire – at least, that’s how it was before. There were places to hide and recover Mana, fireballs to dodge… the whole shebang. I’ve got a bad feeling about this, though.”

“What do you mean?”

“I doubt we’ll be afforded any safe spots this time,” I reply with a wry smile as we approach the massive doors ahead burning with fiery Enochian runes – a foreboding welcome if there ever was one. “They want us dead, remember? Don’t worry, though. You’ve got me.”

“And you’ve got me!” Anna adds enthusiastically, her grip on Ascalon steady. “Together, we’ll get through this. I’m sure of it.”

----------------------------------------

The judgement of Natasha, the Burning Soul…

Ornate bookcases line the arena, sectioning off aisles with neatly arranged oaken desks and chairs. It’s the spitting image of the library back at the Chantry of Eternal Light – nearly.

There’s no life here. No Arcane Familiars, no studious paladins or healers… not even the old Librarian. Just silence stretching unnervingly across a massive space.

“Arisa…” Anna murmurs, tightening her hold on Ascalon. “I sense… Mana.”

“You feel it too, huh?” I reply, my tone grim. “Get ready.”

“You must be powerful to have made it this far, Tainted One…”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

The air hums with magic… and the temperature rises blisteringly. The Phoenix’s voice is everywhere at once, all around us… an apocalyptic symphony of wind and fire.

“But I am your reckoning. By fire, you shall be purged from this world.”

And then, the world ignites.

Flames roar to life, consuming the bookcases, desks, and chairs – the supposed safe zones – until there’s nothing left but fire and ash. The inferno surges toward us, but my Spell Ward powers up just in time, forming a runic dome of white and blue that shields Anna and me, keeping the searing heat at bay. Within seconds… I’m already sweating buckets.

“This wasn’t how it went before, right?” Anna notes, her voice tight with concern. “This heat is… overwhelming…”

“I know, right? Just stay close to me. I got this.”

The Phoenix lets out a piercing cry, its laughter resonating in the fiery winds. “We shall see.”

Fireballs, each the size of a boulder, hurtle toward us from all sides. I clutch Elizabeth tightly, channelling more Mana into my Spell Ward. The flames crash into my barrier with explosive force… but my barrier holds. Barely.

Good grief. The air’s so blisteringly hot that every breath burns my lungs. I could really use a glass of iced water – or a Heal. Thankfully, Anna has the same thought, and the silvery glow of her Heal washes over me in a flash of light, easing the strain of the oppressive heat.

“Ashes to ashes… dust to dust,” the Phoenix intones, its fiery storm intensifying. “Burn.”

The barrage is relentless. Blazing winds howl with divine fury, and searing fire rains like an unending hellscape. I pour every ounce of Mana I have into my Spell Ward, the wings of Elizabeth glowing radiantly with my efforts. Anna pours all her Mana into casting Heal after Heal, keeping me steady and conscious despite the ruinous toll of the relentless heat and my dwindling reserves. But even so… cracks begin to spiderweb across my barrier.

Each second feels like an eternity… every heartbeat, a test of endurance. It feels like… I’m burning alive. And I’m wondering who’ll give in first – me, or that damn Phoenix with its hellish flames. It sure as hell won’t be me…

Finally, mercifully… the storm of wind and fire abates. The room’s a smouldering ruin, flames licking hungrily at the scorched ground, but we’re no longer under attack. I lower my trembling hand, my Spell Ward finally flickering out.

“Is it over?” I rasp, my throat dry and raw. “Fucking hell…”

“I think so…” Anna replies, though her expression is far from confident. “But I wouldn’t let my guard down.”

“Yeah, I know. No letting our guard down.”

“You expect a surprise attack?” the Phoenix’s voice reverberates, softer now, almost contemplative. “That would be beneath me.”

Drawing energy from the lingering flames, the Phoenix manifests before us, its form a radiant pyre of red, gold, and orange. Its wings flare wide, their heat subdued yet still palpable.

“Oh, shit…” I say, my grip on Elizabeth tightening while Anna assumes a battle stance with Ascalon. “You’re back for round two, eh?”

“No. My Mistress shall finish this battle,” the Phoenix declares, bowing its fiery head. “My energies are fully spent... and soon, I shall dissipate into nothingness… for a time…”

With that… that fiery Monster dissipates, its flames extinguished. What remains is a world of ashes. The acrid smell of burning hangs heavy in the air, a sharp reminder of how close we came to being consumed... purged by fire.

“Here, Arisa…” Anna says softly, pressing a Mana Draught into my hands. “Don’t chug it all at once, alright?”

“Heh. Like you?” I tease, even as I gulp it down gratefully. “Thanks.”

“Umm… maybe! You should always strive to be better.”

“Of course.”

I flash her a tired grin and reach for another draught. The ice-cold liquid feels like heaven… a balm against the exhaustion threatening to overwhelm me.

But this ain’t over yet. Alyssa Alcadeias, the First Saint herself, awaits. It’s almost time for our curtain call. Rinnah willing, we’ll face her together… and survive.