Chapter 866
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[I should meet that friend too. Come to think of it, I don't recall ever having a proper conversation with your Phoenix after joining the alliance. It must be a great Immortal.]
"Understood, Ms. Ameris."
To summon Tess, they headed to the underground training grounds of the Tikan Palace. It was in this very training ground that Jin had first summoned Tess, back when the palace was a mansion.
"Suddenly it reminded me of the time when Lady Alisa used to beat me around. I lost 109 times and managed to win by summoning Tess in our final duel."
Murakan and Cuicantelle recalled the day when they had first seen the Tess Jin had summoned. They had been so shocked that the two dragons dropped their forks while celebrating at a party for Jin.
Whoosh—!
Blue flames spread throughout the training grounds as a summoning circle formed. Within it, Tess appeared, and Cuicantelle lowered her head immediately.
"Greetings, Ruler of the Flame World."
As always, Murakan stood still with his head stiffly held up for no reason and was pecked by Tess's beak.
"Oh, how long are you going to torment me like this! Still, I am Murakan, but this kind of treatment every time is a bit, Ouch! Stop cursing, it really hurts! You're really something!"
[Although I feel it every time... Jin, your guardian dragon seems to lack intelligence often. Could it be that he was born so strong that there were not enough opportunities to mature.]
"Even if Murakan had been born weak, he would have been the same, probably."
[Hmm, that's true. But, your eldest sister was strong from the moment she was born, and she lacks a bit of awareness, but she doesn't quite resemble Murakan.]
As Ameris approached, Tess, who had been giving Murakan a hard time, turned its head.
[Pleased to meet you, Tess. You seem like a very ancient immortal being. I am Ameris, entrusted with the duty of guarding the boundary of the worlds after the death of the Sun God.]
Murakan naturally expected Tess to flare up in anger. Among the gods he knew, there was no being who could address Tess so informally and escape unscathed.
Cuicantelle, who knew Tess's temperament, was slightly tense, but Tess surprisingly nodded its head and showed a friendly response.
"What! Pleased to meet you!? Listen here, Tess, she is much weaker than me! Besides, being respectful? Aren't you not that kind of person?"
[Please, Murakan, keep quiet while the adults are talking.]
While Jin couldn't hear the spiritual language Tess was speaking, he could roughly sense the flow of the conversation.
[Oh... Speaking of which, Jin can't hear this kind of spiritual conversation. Tess, have you never had a direct conversation with Jin until now? Was there always someone like Cuicantelle or this idiot acting as an interpreter?]
Tess nodded its head again.
[Even if the law of separation is stringent, an immortal of your caliber shouldn't be unable to even exchange a few words with a contractor. Valeria managed to restore part of my memories recently, so I have gained a few of my minor abilities. I'll be able to help you out a bit.]
Ameris began whispering in a language that Jin couldn't understand, as if casting a spell.
When the spell concluded, Jin could hear Tess's voice for the first time.
[Wow... Quite impressive, Ameris. The ability to convert spiritual language into human language like this.]
Jin was taken aback, and he could only stare at Tess. Murakan and Cuicantelle had similar reactions.
"Tess is speaking...!?"
[This is the first time we're directly communicating like this, Jin. Thanks to Ameris, it seems I am having a very rare experience.]
"We've been together since my reserve flagbearer days, but it feels awkward to have a conversation like this."
[You sound adorable.]
"No, even the kid speaks informally, why can't I?"
[This idiot Murakan is utterly hopeless. Despite being hit every time, you never learn. You are truly something. Are you acting like this because you are not in the Flame world? When you will come to Flame world next time, ah. I am going crazy. If I keep scolding like this, I might really kill you. If you were Murakan, so what? What's the big deal? Jin is my precious contractor, and you're just some dragon.]
Whack! Tess clenched its wing like a fist and punched Murakan. Just as Murakan used to say, "stop swearing", Tess was quite harsh.
While the image he had anticipated was a bit shattered, Jin felt happy thinking that he could now have conversations with Tess in the future.
[Well, thanks to this bastard I had lost my composure, Ameris. I've shown an unsightly side.]
[It is fine, in fact, I feel refreshed.]
"You must be quite burdened these days, Ameris. Zito is breaking the Order of Separation and causing havoc on the surface... He should quietly stay underground and live there. Why does he keep seeking the surface?]
[If all the most powerful immortals after the death of the Sun God were like you, this wouldn't have happened. That's probably why Jin summoned you. The Flame World, is your domain also located underground?]
[No, it isn't. If my domain were in the underworld, that blasted Zito wouldn't have been able to run rampant like this... Oh!?]
Unexpectedly, Tess showed a pleased expression.
[As I thought, a being who guarded the separation of worlds. Originally, even using an interpreter, it was impossible to accurately convey information about my domain to mortals.]
[I manage this Order, so such modifications are possible. When I had nine heads, I could modify even more content. I didn't do it because it wasn't necessary and because it was risky.]
Jin realized anew that Ameris was an even more high-ranking being among immortals. Even Tess, who had slain mid-ranking gods with a few breaths, couldn't break free from the Order of Separation using its own power.
[Right, so where is your domain, the Flame World?]
[It exists at the highest point in the sky.]
"Was the place we visited before the highest point in the sky? We just thought it was another dimension or some kind of subspace."
[End of the sky...? Oh, could it be? Are you an immortal in charge of reincarnation?]
At that, Tess nodded with a sigh.
Because it was information that mortals shouldn't know, but with only Jin, Murakan, and Cuicantelle present in the training ground, and the world was in chaos, it seemed fine to disclose this much.
[Yes, that's right. To be eternal, immortal, and to guard the cycle of reincarnation, that was the mission given to me after the death of Sun God. That's why I gained such immense power.]
Likewise, this information was originally beyond Tess's ability to share with mortals. Jin reverently listened to the greatest secret of the world.
[I've heard stories from Solderet and the Witch in the past that such an immortal existence existed. They said there's a place in the sky that even they can't climb, and it is filled with fire. So that was you... you were carrying a burden as heavy as mine.]
Tess and Zito.
They were beings responsible for the order called reincarnation or rebirth and hell, respectively. Every life, when they die, goes to one of the realms, Tess or Zito's.
Ameris explained this while looking at Jin.
"So, Tess and Zito are perfectly opposite beings."
[Yes, Jin. I spoke about him as if he were nothing, but that's only because I fought him with the power of my own body on my territory. If Zito invades the surface with all his power regained, you and your friends will not be able to handle it.]
"Then, can't Tess have more influence in the human world like Zito?"
[That's something I'll have to think about. Zito used a technique to ignore the order, so I might have a way too. However, it's impossible for both me and Zito to regain our full powers.]
[Even if Zito regains some of his ancient power, it'll be a huge problem. As you can see, I've lost many abilities, Tess. If you can help our alliance, it will be of great help.]
[I'll do my best to find a solution. One idea that comes to mind is to incarnate through Jin's physical body, like what happened in the old Oterium... But if I do that, Jin will die.]
[It is a beautiful thing to die while protecting the world, but that's an ending neither I nor others want. Furthermore, even if you incarnate through Jin, it won't be possible to defeat Zito, whose body itself has risen to the surface.]
[Likely so. I don't want to admit it, but fundamentally, I'm not that different from that guy. And one more idea comes to mind... Jin, have you met Sheenu recently?]
Jin nodded.
"Yes, I have."
[His and my fire are polar opposites. However, fundamentally, it's the same fire. So, perhaps, I might be able to manifest by using Sheenu's authority.]
"Sheenu's authority...?"
-Now, tell me what Sheenu and Kelliark want from me.
-Yes, Sir Jin. They hope that you will heal Sir Kelliark.
Jin remembered the conversation he had with the young fire dragon, Pyre, when Sheenu manifested in the past.
At that time, Jin learned about the Sun God religion sect and their intentions from Sheenu.
'Even though I refused to heal Kelliark, Sheenu provided me with various information because stopping the Sun God religion was necessary for him as well.'
If that's the case, depending on how he views the True Demon World and Zito, it is possible to make a deal with him.
It wasn't an issue that could be immediately solved. Sheenu and Kelliark's whereabouts remained uncertain.
"First, I'll gather information about Sheenu while preparing for war with the True Demon World, Tess. Sheenu once attempted to make a deal with me, so it might be possible to communicate with him."
Of course, the best outcome wouldn't be a deal but rather "subduing" Sheenu and creating a situation where he has no choice but to follow Jin's will.
If this was back when Kelliark was the leader of Zipfel, it might not have been possible, but now is not the case.
[So you're saying that the possibility of you manifesting isn't completely out of the question.]
[That's right, Ameris. Since I started making contracts with humans as a phoenix, not as an administrator of reincarnation. The contractor I am most satisfied with is Jin. I have no intention of letting Jin die by Zito's hands.]
Tess met Jin's gaze.
[Don't worry and continue moving forward, Jin. I'll keep protecting you in the future as well.]
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