CHAPTER 24: LOFTY PROMISES
BACK IN THE VILLAGE:
Jin had contained the energy for the time being, and the earth around the crater had become hot enough that the soles of the elders' shoes were scorched.
"Go to sleep, you dog. I need to have a chat with your mistress," the lewd elder said as he knocked Roy out. The other elder was close to the crater but did not realize the moment Jin appeared in front of him. Before he could shout a warning, Jin kicked him in the chest, sending him flying backward with an exaggerated scream. The impact alerted the other elder, who immediately noticed and attacked her. Jin deftly repelled all his strikes and landed a soft palm to his chest, which sent him crashing through the village walls.
The elder who had been kicked struggled to his feet, noticing a screeching impression of Jin's bare foot imprinted on his armor. The status of the other elder was still uncertain.
"Hey, weren't you old clowns talking about making me your slave or something? It wouldn't work if you don't put in more effort. Anyways, you wouldn't stand a chance even if you tried your best," she said, frowning seriously. Her tone was dripping with disgust and ridicule toward both elders. Energy continued seeping out of her in small bursts, causing her aura to fluctuate.
"Hey, little miss, I don't want to mess your face up because my partner may renege on his promise. Why don't you just give up and save us all some trouble?" the kicked elder said, drawing his sword as his aura flared. A murderous grin spread across his face.
Jin did not waste time bickering. She teleported right in front of him. He slashed diagonally with his sword, aiming to cut her, but she vanished again. Appearing at his side, she struck his ribs with a punch, sending him flying through the air and breaking through buildings.
"What… it's impossible," the elder muttered, coughing up blood as he struggled to rise.
"I guess this won't end as simply as we thought, Ku. Let's use that move," the other elder said, beginning to retreat toward the gate where Jin stood. The ground beneath her scorched further, and her pupils were blood-red.
"I guess there's no helping it. Glory before hoes," the lecherous elder, Ku, responded, finally deciding to rejoin the attack. Both began performing intricate hand signs, and runes appeared throughout their formation. Their swords intertwined and shot into the sky, creating clouds that blotted out the rising sun. The clouds churned ominously, as though a storm were about to break.
"Frozen Tears!" both elders screamed. Storms of hail swept through the village, and the temperature plummeted. Rain began to fall—but it was no ordinary rain. Everything it touched froze and shattered.
"Hahahaha. If you had just come with us, none of this would happen. But now everyone will freeze slowly and shatter like ice statues. I hope you leave behind your core so we could present it as proof," Elder Ku said, laughing.
Villagers and their homes were freezing rapidly. Roy, who was near the origin of the freezing point, began to solidify. Jin's eyes glowed with determination.
"With just this, you think you can kill me? I will make sure you don't even kill a single soul in this village," she said angrily. Flames erupted uncontrollably around her, black wings unfurling in a majestic, ominous display. Her powers manifested in the form of a Phoenix.
"Dance of the Spatial Phoenix," Jin intoned, her voice low but charged with rage.
The aura, wrapped in her massive wings, spread across the village. A piercing screech—a spatial sonar attack—immobilized both elders. The Phoenix surged into the clouds, releasing a massive flare of fire and space energy. When the clouds cleared, the dead bodies—both human and beast—had vanished, and those previously frozen could move freely.
The Phoenix circled, flaunting its superiority, then hovered above the floating Jin. It fixed the elders with a disdainful gaze. Their runes shattered, and both coughed up blood as the energy of the Phoenix flowed back into Jin through her head. Her eyes closed as she slowly descended, wings fading.
"Huh, does this bitch think we're joking? She broke our formation and now she's trying to go to sleep?" the nameless elder exclaimed, visibly angry. He bolted toward Jin to strike, but just before contact, someone appeared in his path, deflecting his kick and countering with one of their own—striking exactly where Jin had previously marked him. The force sent the elder flying again.
Tor, who had just caught the falling Jin, assessed her aura. It was weakening. His own aura flared as mana converged around him, encasing both him and Jin.
"I will add another lofty promise on top of what Jin has said. Not only will everyone alive continue to live, but I will deal with both of you without dropping Jin," he declared.