Raging Phoenix: Part Twelve (VOLUME 2's END)

*Thuuuud!* A heavy sound echoed through the entrance tunnel. The impact of a pair of legs falling from a few meters above—all that remained of Jericho’s body. Yet, despite the drastic diet, Agent Van Kasteel was still alive because nothing in this world, the universe, or any conceivable reality possesses the power to destroy every blood vessel in the brain simultaneously. Thus, in that fleeting trillionth of a second before his total annihilation, Jericho’s brain managed to transmit a Radiation to his Essentia, embedding with his last command—restore my body.

That being said, the brief moment wasn’t enough to imprint the blueprint of his body parts or the instructions on how they worked together. As a result, the Essentia, lacking precise data, had to rely on a technique known among specialists as Classical Engineering—a crude but effective process based on performing the same activity through countless iterations, refining each new version using insights from the previous one. In layman’s terms—trial and error.

The Essentia first focused on reconstructing the brain. From the two remaining legs, a thin strand of flesh began to blossom like a flower from the ground. As it grew upward, it twisted in on itself innumerable times, forming a tangled mass of muscle and tissue—a flesh yarn that oozed blood and pulsed erratically. Once it reached the approximate size and location of a human head, new strands sprouted from the legs, weaving together to form organs, a torso, and limbs, and now the mass resembled a meat sketch of the original design—BBB-Class ‘Raging Phoenix’ Jericho Van Kasteel HD-Remastered 0.0.1 Alpha was born.

However, the result resembled a bizarre prototype, an incomplete human lacking critical functions such as cognition, vision, and balance, and as a consequence, its movements were sluggish and awkward, often causing it to trip over itself or crash into nearby walls. Still, failure is the first step toward success, and the Essentia didn’t lose passion for its project, repeating the process millions of times per second. Thanks to the infinitesimal delay between each iteration, an external observer would see only a chaotic blur of colors, slowly, yet steadily, stabilizing. And with just a few billion attempts, its contours began to sharpen, its proportions corrected themselves, and the swirling chaos of flesh gradually converged into a distinctly human silhouette.

The project advanced to its next phase after successfully restoring the brain and its nerves, allowing the Essentia to download a stored backup copy of Jericho’s consciousness from the Collective Consciousness. ”AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” His first reaction upon witnessing his head floating on a meat tube connected to his legs was to scream as loudly as a grand orchestra, smashing his head against the ground in an awkward attempt to control his still incomplete body. However, the traumatic experience aided in calibrating his mind, accelerating the restoration of his body, and the process concluded with an overall successful result.

Thanks to a small puddle of his own blood on the floor, the ’Raging Phoenix’ admired the final result of one of the greatest engineering projects ever attempted. However, rarely clients were satisfied with an artist’s work.

”N-no…anything but that—NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” With fish-like eyes, a broad nose, and crooked teeth, Jericho saw himself in the reflection—the face he had tried to erase through dozens of plastic surgeries. At first, he tried to cope, to deny what he was seeing, but slowly and painfully, he realized it wasn’t a nightmare. ”GO AWAY!” In rage, he dug his nails into his own face, scratching deep into the skin. ”GO AWAY! GO AWAY! GO AWAY!” He relentlessly screamed, but his remaining [HP] did its job, healing the wounds instantly. Next, he tried to scorch his own skin with his fire. ”…go away…" That failed too, and with a defeated expression, he lowered his gaze, forced to confront the thing he hated more than anything else in the world—his real self.

No one remains a Crypto-Atheist at the sight of the end. So, the man who had once proudly called himself the King of Degenerates began to pray.

”Oh…’Romantic Dreamer,’ help a man plagued by the worst curse nature can bestow upon a man.” First, he pleaded with his favorite member of the Holy Trinity, begging for a way to restore his beauty, but he received no answer but silence.

“Oh, ’Original Seeker,’ if there is a reason why I was born, give it to me now, and I promise to live for it and nothing else.” Next, he begged his least favorite one for a purpose, a reason to keep going, but he was coldly ignored.

“Oh great ’Imperfect Eclipser’…” Few ever prayed to him because there was only one thing one could ask of the God of Regret. “I’m imploring you for a chance…a way to take revenge…I’m begging you, give me the power to kill—FFF-Class ’Javelinist’ Jacques Dreux!”

*CLING* A notification sound broke the gloomy atmosphere.

***
SYSTEM WARNING
***
Congratulations!

By dying more than thirty-seven billion times—standard definition—
you’ve unlocked the achievement [ I’veHeardNoBell ], granting access
to the evolution [ S.DrownedPhoenix ]. 
***

Jericho blinked a few times. The salt in his tears was now replaced by sugar.

***
SYSTEM WARNING
***
Unfortunately, according to the guidelines written by the
'Romantic Dreamer,' Essentias shall not evolve while fighting
an enemy of inferior [Rank].

To unlock your evolution, you must first eliminate:
[ FFF.Javelinist ] and [ FFF.Mafioso ]. 
***

The ’Raging Phoenix’ grimaced slightly, doubtful his current condition could lead to victory. But once again, a familiar sound came to his rescue.

***
SYSTEM WARNING
***
Nonetheless, fighting in your current physical condition would
indeed be unfair. Therefore, the Collective Consciousness has
positively voted to grant you a glimpse of your future power.

1) Your [MP] is completely restored.
2) All [Static.Stats] are increased by 37.
3) New Skill unlocked: [ ImperfectWorshipping ]. 
***

Curious, he clicked on the new skill’s name.

***
Imperfect Worshipping
***
Once per day, you may reshape your Molecular Graph to match that
of another human. During this process, your neural connections will
be uploaded to the Collective Consciousness and later reinserted
into your new body.

The transformation is permanent until the next activation of this Skill. Additionally, you may copy a graph from a painting, statue, or photograph—assumptions will be made to reconstruct any unseen portions. 
***

Jericho hyperventilated, his trembling hand hovering over his [Inventory] as he retrieved a photo album filled with hundreds of pictures of him and Agent Diflas together. ”It doesn’t matter how much time has passed, or how much I’ve changed…I’m always the ugly one.” With a wave of nostalgia, he posed his sight on a photo from their graduation. They looked so young and so full of hope for the future—Agent Van Kasteel would have sold his soul to return to those carefree days. “[ImperfectWorshipping],” he stammered.

A violent fire erupted around him, and from the outside, all that could be seen was the silhouette of a skeleton dancing in the flames. When the flame cocoon died out, Jericho glanced at the pool to admire his new reflection—he had become Ludwig. “I’m finally…beautiful.” The next few moments were ones of sheer ecstasy, screaming out all his happiness over the realization of his greatest dream. However, human nature is one of greed, and his mind soon connected the dots about his new power. What about using this [Skill] to kidnap a girl and torture her while resembling her father? An everlasting world of possibilities had just opened before him, and that thought alone pumped an ocean of adrenaline throughout his veins. The pain was gone, and wearing nothing but a frenzied grin, Jericho—completely naked—sprinted toward the tunnel entrance.

Thanks to his new [Skill], Jericho’s [MP] was nearly depleted, his [HP] had not regenerated enough to feel safe, and his [SP] had dropped to the bare minimum due to [Fatigue.ThirdPhase]. Nevertheless, he ran through the tunnel, high on adrenaline and visions of the bright future that awaited him, but as soon as the ’Raging Phoenix’ reached the tunnel’s entrance, he noticed that massive metal cranes had been stacked to block the exit. “USELESS!” He roared, unsheathing his wings before flying straight at them.

*Crash!* The violent impact cleared his way, and now his eyes were free to admire the majesty of the blue sky, Ælfgifu’s terrified face, and two Essentia Crushers aimed straight at him. “Surprise, motherfucker!” Both Jacques shouted in unison as they fired two Mana Spheres directly at the ’Raging Phoenix.’

“USELESS! USELESS! USELESS!” Despite the spheres surpassing the speed of sound, a combination of factors—the strength of his wings, the adrenaline rushing through his body, and the bonus points in [DEX]—saved Jericho from another death, and with a last-second explosion, he shot upward—the only safe route since stacks of metal cranes blocked both sides. Without him blocking the entrance, the two Mana Spheres traveled straight into the tunnel, engraving the Imperfect Temple for eternity with two thunderous detonations.

”USEEEEEEEEEEEEELEEEEEEEEEEEEES—” Jericho stopped mid-sentence after feeling something strike his back. He turned his head and saw a wooden javelin, its sheep-shaped tip carrying a package tightly secured with a shoelace. “U…se—”

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!* Thousands of flaming wings, each stretching hundreds of meters, erupted from his back, following Jericho in his lifeless freefall toward the ground, and with [HP=0], his splattered organs painted the ground red.

*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*… The ’Javelinist’ and the ’Mafioso’ wasted no time, unloading on their enemy every last Mazooka the pirates had left behind. Each explosion deepened the phoenix’s new nest.

Inside the newly formed crater, the stench of burning flesh rose with a thick column of smoke. Jericho’s skin had been entirely incinerated, no organs remained visible through the gaping hole in his back, and only ash could be found where his skeleton once stood. Yet, above the charred and deflated balloon that had once been his head, a phrase still lingered—BBB-Class ’Raging Phoenix.’

”It’s over…it’s fucking over…” Jacques dropped to his knees, covering his pale face with trembling hands. ”We’re all dead.” His grimace deepened as he began to wonder how he should end his own life, before Jericho could find a way to take his revenge.

”Maybe…if we’re fast,” Jude stammered.

”The [Suffix] of his Class is PHOENIX!” Jacques shouted, panic cracking in his tone. Yet, after a deep breath, he steeled himself. ”I’ve got an idea. If he’s busy torturing me, perhaps…you’ll have the time you need to escape.”

”Shut up, you fucking idiot! Neither of us is a hero, and I’m not letting you leave me with a good memory of your ugly face,” Jude snapped, scanning the area like a cornered animal. ”Listen, we’re going to burn all the ships except ours. Let’s pray Immortal can’t fly after so many wounds.”

Jacques nodded, even though he thought Jude’s plan was unbelievably stupid. Still, he followed the second half of the suggestion and began to pray. ”Oh Holy Trinity, hear the plea of a faithful—well, surely more faithful than the piece of shit next to me—soul. I admit I’m not exactly your most noble worshipper, but today, I’m offering a life-changing deal, available only for the next five minutes—or less, depending on that roasted chicken. I’ll attend church at least once a week, and I’ll even pray once a day, every single day, for a whole year. I know there are fanatics out there who’d self-flagellate in your favor, but let’s be real—quality over quantity, right? I’m a descendant of Hero Mario, the de facto Scion of the Free City of Maria, and creator of the best coffee machines in the world. Wouldn’t it be a tragedy to lose such a valuable customer, especially in an era where religion is becoming less and less trendy? Jacques opened his eyes, and that’s when his gaze met Ælfgifu’s, witnessing a miracle. Floating above her head were the words—S-Class ’Dust Symphonist.’ “Thanks,” he whispered as he slowly advanced toward Marquis Rougedior, lust-eyeing her like a hunter with his prey.

Terrified by the weird feeling in his eyes, the ’Dust Symphonist’ tried to crawl backward, but she was too slow, and the ’Javelinist’ seized her arm. “My dear damsel in distress,” Jacques beamed with unsettling delight. “It’s time to reward your prince charming. And guess with what?” His voice dropped to a sinister tone. “Your body.” He forced her hand toward Jericho’s body. “See that roasted chicken? Kill him.”

“I’ve…I’ve never killed…anyone,” she stammered, her voice quivering like an out-of-tune violin.

“You’re an Essentia. From the moment the Holy Trinity blessed you with the Gift, your only purpose in life is to kill in the name of the Emperor.” He shouted in her ear. “And you’re a Class S, for Adam’s sake! Stop acting like a little child!” He leaned in closer, his tone sharpening. “Besides, he’s the one responsible for Ysoline’s death, isn’t he? Damn it, take your fucking revenge—NOW!”

Ælfgifu lowered her disfigured face, crying tears of blood. “I know…but…he’s been defeated…It’s immoral to attack a defenseless person. We should bring him to justice.”

Jacques’s expression twisted to the peak of absolute disgust. The Starship Commando is right. If our future leaders are all going to be like her, there’s no future for this shithole we’re living in. He lamented, before snapping. “Fuck your ethics. Fuck your justice. And most importantly, go fuck yourself! I’m not risking MY LIFE for that garbage. If he didn’t want to get killed, he shouldn’t have tried to kill me in the first place.” He took her by the chin. “Now, I’m giving you two choices—either you kill him, or I’ll test what Connor Rolandsson did in 'Connor 3: Too Angry to Die.' You know, the part where our hero turned an enemy’s Essentia int---ACK!"”

Jacques’s rant was abruptly cut short by a violent punch. ”Are you seriously threatening our only hope of survival? You fucking retard!” Jude shouted, his tone burning with anger. Then, he faced the trembling girl, softening his expression. ”Please forgive my colleague’s thoughtless behavior.” He knelt down and gently took her right hand. ”He’s not a bad guy, just…stressed,” Jude said with a warm, fatherly tone. ”By the way, does my lady have a name?”

”…Ælfgifu…” She whispered, her voice barely audible.

”Ahah!” Jacques, who had just recovered from the hit, burst out laughing. ”Ahah! Holy shit, ahah! Did your family unironically name you Elf-GF? Ah—ACK!” This time, Jude silenced him with a swift kick.

”Ælfgifu, an unusual yet beautiful name for such a wonderful lady.” She blushed. Her distrust of the dark knight was slowly fading. ”I know I’m asking something horrible, but it isn’t just about saving your life or mine. The police have labeled you a ’Very Important Person,’ and the consequences of what happens here will affect the lives of millions. If we die…no, if you die—it’s war.”

The Marquise caught her reflection in Jude’s helmet, seeing just how pitiful she looked. If Astary could see me now, she’d laugh with delight. This isn’t me. I’m the heir of Heroine Maëlys. I ought to be strong and fight for my people, not cry like a helpless little girl. She wiped away her bloody tears, wearing a resolute expression as she rose to her feet. ”There’s only one problem…my Blue Bar is empty.”

“Thirty-Seven, move your ass!” Jude shouted. The ’Javelinist’ grumbled as he got to his feet, pulling his last potion from his [Inventory]. “Here, my lady.” Ælfgifu took the potion and swallowed it, and newfound warmth surged through her body in sharp contrast to the coldness she had endured until then—it felt like reactivating a long-dormant machine. “Oh, wait! Elf-GF needs a memento.”

“No need for that. We Class S are above such toys.” Ælfgifu raised her right index finger, and the sand surrounding them began to stir, dancing through the air before settling over Jericho’s body, forming a granular layer. Then, with a motion of her left index finger, the rocky soil joined the dance, layering itself over the sand and creating a human-shaped shell resembling one of the legendary Aramashi Sarcophagi. Next, she clenched her left fist while rotating her right index finger faster and faster, until the sandy coffin began to vibrate, an intense orange glow radiating from within. “The sand in the inner layers can’t break through the outer shell. Now the atoms are trapped in a confined space, forcing them to collide with each other, raising the overall temperature.” Ælfgifu continued the rotation as the orange glow intensified, resembling molten metal in a forge.

“Ahem…I thought a phoenix was made of fire, right?” The Marquise smirked at Jude’s question.

“Fire is a spoiled girl. It needs oxygen or Mana to survive, nothing compared to the absolute power of pure heat.” The chicken-roasting lasted a full fifteen minutes. Then, Ælfgifu gently lowered her index finger, and the glowing sarcophagus crushed to the ground. ”He’s dead,” she coldly stated.

”How can you be sure of that?” Jacques asked skeptically.

She turned around, and both Jacques and Jude were momentarily stunned by the unexpected sight. Heated sand had replaced the white grease in her wounds, which now glowed in shifting tones of yellow and red, mirroring her sandy hair. However, the cherry on the top was her smile, resolute yet fierce, and combined with her shimmering scars and newly shortened hair, the Marquise De La March looked like the Goddess of War. ”His soul has stopped screaming.”

***
Breaking News
***
The Third Battle at the Imperfect Temple was over.
De Jure Original Victory, De Facto Infinitesimal Triumph 
***

”So…we’ve won…we’re alive…” Jacques stammered, collapsing to his knees.

”Yeap, Thirty-Seven. Somehow, we did it,” Jude replied, pulling out his Tryfix from his [Inventory] and silently offering a prayer.

Tears of joy almost drowned Jacques inside his Carbon-Woven Helmet, and overcome with emotion, he forcefully embraced Ælfgifu. ”You saved my life. I love you—Elf-GF!” Still wearing his helmet, he kissed her eighteen times per cheek, finishing with one final kiss on her large forehead and leaving her visibly uncomfortable. ”I love you too, Angel!” The ’Javelinist’ exclaimed before jumping onto Jude and clinging to him like a monkey on a tree.

”I know, I know. We did a good job,” Jude said, patting his head reassuringly.

”You’re my best friend ever! But no word to Casimir.”

As the two Jacques rejoiced, the ’Dust Symphonist’ caught her reflection in a metal crane, her fingers gently tracing the glowing trio of scars across her face. The once-sweet memories of her father, mother, and brother praising her doll-like beauty would, from now on, be painful ones.

”Don’t worry, Elf-GF. I’m sure the Miraval Family will be able to fix that,” Jacques patted her shoulder, trying to console her.

”I agree with my colleague. Besides—that’s not the important part.” Finally, Jacques recognized the old Jude and gave him a nudge just as the girl guffawed at the joke, delighting both.

*DING* All three heard the notification.

***
SYSTEM WARNING
***
Congratulations from the Collective Consciousness for your
victory at the Third Battle of the Imperfect Temple.
As a reward, your [ Static.Stats ] will increase by 0. 
***

What? Jacques seethed.

”So, winning battles increases your [Stats]? Interesting.” I must inform Connor. Jude took mental note.

”According to the description, the [Stats] increase depends on the difference in power between you and your opponent, the fairness of the battle, and your [LUK].” Ælfgifu explained. ”Since I’m a Class S, I only got 12 points in [WIS], 6 in [INT], and 3 in [COS].”

”In the end, it all comes down to [LUK], and I got lucky—12 points in everything. What about you, Thirty-Seven?” The ’Mafioso’ asked, whistling toward Jacques.

”Me? Uh, same…ahaha…”I’m cursed to keep the same stats for the rest of my life…meh…better than losing points…I guess… His expression betrayed the Gate of Chaos he was barely managing to keep shut.

*Ding!* Just as Jacques pondered what he had done in his previous life to deserve this, a new chime rang—one only he could hear.

***
SYSTEM WARNING
***
The Collective Consciousness has nominated you as the battle’s MVP.
You have fulfilled the conditions to unlock the achievement
[ TheKing’sGambit ] : Kill a Class S while being a Class F.

As a reward, a random [ Cheat.Skill ] will be granted. 
***

”WE’RE SO BACK!” Jacques shouted, erupting with joy as Jude and Ælfgifu stared at him, confused.

***
SYSTEM WARNING
***
The [ Cheat.Roulette ] has sorted: [ NOTHING.ERROR ].
No [ Cheat.Skill ] has been unlocked. 
***

”WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS!” He screamed as he failed to grab the atomless [Window] while the other two awkwardly glanced at each other.

***
SYSTEM WARNING
***
The odds of losing the [ Cheat.Roulette ] are one in thirty-seven
trillion. Yet, you’ve actually managed to lose—impressive, indeed.
Nonetheless, the Collective Consciousness has decided to award
you a consolation prize.

One of your [ Tree.Skills ] has been unlocked: [ StealthJavelin ]. 
***

Curious, Jacques clicked on the [Window].

***
StealthJavelin
***
Throw a javelin to release a smokescreen, blocking any Radiation
from passing through it. It won’t block your enemy’s eyesight, though. 
***

”Meh...”

***

After several hours sailing through the orangish waters of the Pacific Sea, the group finally reached the site of the pirate ambush. ”Here we are,” Jude said as he steered his ship alongside one of the pirate vessels. ”The VIP will ride to her freedom with Gatekeeper. Meanwhile, we’ll take one of the pirate ships and return to Miraval Island using a quieter route. Any objections?” Jacques acknowledged the plan with a nod. However, there was one major flaw—the silent girl, now standing at the bow, was mesmerized by the sunset, its splendor mirrored perfectly in her amethyst eyes.

”Ysoline…you are and always will be…my greatest friend.” She could barely say the word, feeling like a thorn in her throat. ”Forgive me for ever doubting you…you died for me, and I can’t do anything to bring you back to my side…but, at least…” The sand inside her three deep wounds—all three stretched from her large forehead to her petite chin, but two passed through her eyes, while the center one ran by her nose—began to stir, faster and faster, until it glowed. ”That devil said someone deceived you. A handsome boy who abused your pure heart for his vile purposes.” The sand began to reach astounding speeds, its shimmer shifting from yellow to orange, then red, and finally to a bright blue. ”I will find your killer and make him suffer!” The Marquise de La Marche had made a vow, and as the history of the Rougedior Family taught, it was one she would have to keep to the bitter end, regardless of the consequences.

”Elf-GF, we have a favor to ask you.” Jacques snapped Ælfgifu back to reality, beaming at the sight of her saviors.

”You saved my life. On the name of my family, anything you might desire is yours.” Her eyes exuded reverence.

”Well…we don’t want much. You know, we’re pretty shy people, right, Angel?” The ’Mafioso’ lowered his head and started to whistle awkwardly. ”So…how about you tell the police that you and Gatekeeper defeated not-so-Immortal-anymore all by yourselves?” Jacques mumbled, seething with each word. The pain of giving up the glory and riches he could have earned as the Empire’s savior was almost impossible to endure, but it had to be done for the sake of his new identity.

”I’m not that stupid. Let me guess, you two are part of some secret organization, fighting in the shadows against bad guys. Like the Infinitesimal Butterfly that Princess Cassandra met in episode 77. You two are awesome!” Enthusiasm erupted from every pore of her body.

”Sure, Dudette. Anyway, take this, and if you ever run into trouble again, just call us.” He handed her a black business card. ”Now, the two of us will take a different ship. If you don’t know how to pilot a motorboat, just wait for the Gatekeeper to wake up. Oh, remember to tell him never to mention us to the police.” And with that, the two jumped on the pirate ship, ready to end this story.

”Just one more thing,” Ælfgifu called out before Jude could start the motor. “May I ask your names? Nothing that could identify you, of course.” She rubbed her hands together, chuckling awkwardly while avoiding their faces. “I just…want a way to remember you.”

The ’Javelinist’ swiftly wrapped an arm around the ’Mafioso’s’ neck. ”Don’t say a word. We signed a contract, and even if we could talk, we go to school with her—BIG NO!” Despite his tone remembered a yell, his volume was low enough for only his classmate to hear.

”So…we lie to the girl?” Jude whispered.

”Not exactly. There’s a way to tell the truth without compromising our new identities.” The two exchanged a glance, sighed, and then spoke in unison—

”Rinaldo.”

WORLD'S END BLOG:

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