850 The Final Battle IV
Meanwhile, on one of the smallest planets filled with greenery in the universe, Nine and Asher slowly stepped out of a spatial crack, their auras concealed.
Asher narrowed his maroon-gray eyes.
"Are you sure this is the place?"
He was clad in armor over his clothes.
The golden scales adorning his exposed skin itched at just how pristine the planet before him was. It stood in stark contrast to the rest of the universe, which was filled with dark energy, bloodshed, and shadows.
Nine grimaced at the sight as well.
"So, that bastard likes places like this? Clean and pure. He doesn't fit in. Not at all."
He glanced at the familiar dark phoenix flying behind him, observing him and Asher with a bored yet curious gaze, anticipating what was to come. Nine muttered.
"Darkbird, are you sure he is here?"
The phoenix's eyebrow twitched at the name. It was the title Bia had given him at the Sacred Divine Land after he formed a bond with Nine. So, they could ensure he would never betray them and could also contact their spy whenever necessary.
He sneered inwardly. He wasn't a bird; he was a full-fledged huge phoenix! However, he kept his thoughts to himself.
"I am certain. I saw him here last time. He was here when he commanded me to steal the remaining fragment of the fruit of fate. This is also where he nearly killed me when I failed to do what he ordered. So, how could I possibly forget this place?"
He groaned in the end, remembering how his body was tossed around like a rag when Ceano beat him up. The man only stopped when he was half-dead and unconscious.
Sensing his emotions through the bond, Nine felt a twinge of sympathy. However, in reality, he didn't truly care. Even though this dark phoenix had joined their side, he was not innocent and had killed many. He also wielded dark energy. Who knows what he might do in the future, given his nature? They would tolerate him as long as he was useful and didn't cause trouble. But if he did, that would be his last day alive.
The dark phoenix shuddered when Nine's thoughts wandered in the wrong direction. Sensing the immediate danger looming above him, he quickly pointed ahead.
"Stop wasting time! Let's go. Ceano's real body should be that way."
Nine scoffed, and the three vanished in the direction the phoenix pointed. He muttered.
"Don't make any noise or fight. Kyle has engraved a concealing symbol on the back of my hand that will mask our presence. We are only here to determine the location of Ceano's real body and send the signal."
Asher nodded solemnly. Behind them, the phoenix's eyes sparkled with excitement.
He had never met Azazeal—the leader of the dark side—in person, but he was soon about to witness a true Celestial in combat! Even though Kyle wouldn't be as strong as Azazeal since he had recently attained that rank, he was still a Celestial nonetheless!
The dark phoenix had never felt so thrilled in his boring life! If only he had known that being a spy would be so exciting, he would have switched sides long ago!
'Hehe, Ceano isn't lucky enough to have the opportunity to curry favor with the Celestial. Now, he will die miserably, and I will watch! This will be my revenge for when he nearly beat me to death!'
Before long, the three discovered Ceano seated cross-legged atop a boulder near a calm lake, his eyes closed. A faint dark aura surrounded him, creating a striking contrast to the green forest surrounding him.
Nine cursed upon seeing another body of Ceano floating above the lake with its eyes tightly shut. Just how many fake bodies had this jerk created in such a short time?!
They couldn't fight one of Ceano's bodies, let alone two. Ceano hadn't even reached the Celestial rank yet, but he was already strong enough to battle so many supreme ranks with his fake bodies alone! What the hell was Azazeal feeding him??
Asher mirrored his worry. Unlike them, the phoenix reveled in the scene, a crazed look in his eyes that showed his true nature.
Nine and Asher's mouths dropped open in disbelief as they watched that freak, Ceano, conjure yet another fake body.
A small fragment of soul emerged from Ceano's body before their eyes, followed by a surge of dark energy mixed with spiritual energy that began to coalesce around that tiny glowing piece at a frightening speed.
The blend of energies initially crafted a skeletal structure, with the bones intricately weaving together. Next, veins emerged, and blood surged through them, pulsating with a sinister vitality. Finally, skin and muscles enveloped the frame, stretching taut over the newly formed frame.
Nine shut his eyes when the newly formed body before him suddenly snapped open its glowing golden eyes. His stomach churned badly at what he had just seen.
'This freak creature! Is he even someone from the mer race anymore? At this rate, he alone is enough to wipe us all out!'
Asher had already vanished from the spot when he felt like throwing up. Nine and the phoenix followed behind him, only to find the half-dragon seated beside a tree. He stared at them with a pale expression.
"I am traumatized by that bastard. Now, even if I had the ability, I wouldn't want to form another body for myself."
He stood up with a groan.
"What's next?"
Nine turned toward the spot where Ceano was seated. If possible, he wanted to fight him and eliminate him, but he knew that if he lost, it would jeopardize their plan.
"We leave and wait for the rest at the designated location that was agreed upon."
He grabbed Asher's hand and pressed the symbol Kyle had engraved on Asher's skin. The symbol glowed before detaching from the half-dragon's hand and quickly fading into the ground below them.
Then they both created a rift in space to leave. However, the dark phoenix refused to follow them. He wanted to stay back and watch the battle between Kyle and Ceano.
Nine frowned at his stubbornness.
"Know that we won't come to save you, even if you're dying. Do whatever you wish."
He and Asher left through the rift, while the dark phoenix shrank in size to that of a bird.
Then, he quickly found a good spot where he could observe the impending battle very clearly and concealed himself.
'This is going to be fun!'