The towering Fire Revenant stood as the last obstacle between the group and the Pyreforge. Its molten armor shifted and glowed with each step, its blade wreathed in flame. The room’s temperature skyrocketed, the air thick with ash and power.
Raezel’s smirk vanished, his tone uncharacteristically serious. “This isn’t just any guardian. That’s a Revenant of the Flame Sovereign. It’ll test every ounce of your resolve.”
Kira stepped forward, gripping the Flameheart Blade tightly. “We’ve come too far to turn back now.”
The group braced themselves as the Revenant unleashed a shockwave of fire, forcing them to scatter.
The Revenant was no mere mindless beast; it wielded cunning and strategy. Each attack targeted weaknesses, forcing the group to work in perfect coordination.
Darumu charged forward, her chi-enhanced punches striking at the Revenant’s armor. “You’re nothing but a pile of hot air!” she growled, narrowly dodging a fiery slash.
Selvi darted to higher ground, her arrows seeking out cracks in the Revenant’s molten plating. “Its chest! Aim for the cracks near the core!”
Mira focused on maintaining protective barriers, her chants blending seamlessly into the chaos. “Stay together! I can’t shield you if you spread out too far!”
Kira, though drained from the battle with the Magma Titan, tapped into the Phoenix Spirit’s ember. The heat resonated with him, amplifying his arcane energy. He leaped into the fray, the Flameheart Blade glowing brighter with every swing.
The Revenant raised its flaming sword, targeting Selvi as she lined up another shot. The blow came down too fast for her to evade.
Kira, acting on instinct, threw himself in front of her, deflecting the sword with his own. The force of the impact sent him flying, but Selvi was unharmed.
“Kira!” Selvi cried, rushing to his side.
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He pushed himself up, gritting his teeth. “I’m fine. We’re ending this—together.”
The group regrouped, their attacks synchronized. With Kira’s leadership and Raezel’s occasional interference, they managed to crack the Revenant’s core.
Kira unleashed his new ultimate skill, Infernal Nova, a fiery vortex of magic infused with the Phoenix Spirit’s power. The Revenant let out an ear-shattering roar as its molten form disintegrated, leaving only a pile of ash and a glowing shard.
The Pyreforge’s Revelation
With the Revenant defeated, the Pyreforge pulsed with energy. Kira approached it cautiously, the Phoenix Spirit’s ember reacting to its glow.
Raezel watched from the shadows, his expression unreadable. “This is it, hero. Let’s see if you’re worthy.”
Kira placed the ember into the Pyreforge, the room erupting in a blinding light. Visions flooded his mind—images of the Phoenix Spirit’s creation, its battle against the dark god, and its ultimate sacrifice to seal the corrupted influence.
A voice echoed in his mind, ancient and powerful. “You, who bear my essence—are you prepared to carry the burden of my power?”
Kira nodded. “I’ll do whatever it takes to stop the dark god.”
The ember fused with the Flameheart Blade, transforming it into the Phoenix Ascendant, a weapon that pulsed with both fire and arcane energy.
But as the light faded, Kira collapsed, overwhelmed by the power.
The group rushed to Kira’s side, but before Mira could heal him, Raezel stepped forward.
“Don’t bother,” he said, kneeling beside Kira. “He’s not injured. The Pyreforge has unlocked something inside him—something even he doesn’t understand yet.”
Darumu narrowed her eyes. “And how would you know that?”
Raezel smirked, his ember-like eyes glowing. “Let’s just say I’ve seen this kind of thing before. He’ll wake up stronger… or not at all.”
As Kira stirred, he found himself in a strange void. The system, which had been silent since the Pyreforge’s activation, reappeared—but it wasn’t the interface he remembered.
A voice, soft yet commanding, spoke. “Updating complete. Welcome to Version 2.0.”
Before him materialized a figure—a dragon girl with shimmering scales and glowing eyes. Her form was humanoid but otherworldly, her fiery aura matched only by her confident smirk.
“I am Auria, your upgraded system. Let’s just say things are about to get much more interesting.”
When Kira awoke, the group was relieved but startled by his new aura of power.
Mira hugged him tightly, her worry evident. “Don’t scare us like that again!”
Selvi crossed her arms, her voice teasing but with an edge of concern. “You’re not allowed to die, remember? I haven’t beaten you at archery yet.”
Darumu smirked, though her fists clenched. “If you ever try to sacrifice yourself like that again, I’ll kill you myself.”
Kira chuckled weakly. “Noted.”
Auria appeared as a faint hologram, her smirk mirrored Kira’s. “Let’s get moving, hero. The Phoenix Spirit’s power is only the beginning.”
Raezel clapped slowly. “Touching. But the Pyreforge was just one piece of the puzzle. If you think the dark god will sit idly by, you’re more naive than I thought.”
Kaelara stepped forward, her expression grim. “Then it’s time we moved on. The City of Embers awaits—and with it, answers to the dark god’s influence.”