Chapter 150

Chapter 150: 

Kouki's vision swam in a haze of golden and crimson light, his body trembling as the power surged through him. It wasn't just his flames anymore—it was something deeper. Something primal. It wasn't mana, wasn't magic, wasn't even his Phoenix Aura.

It was instinct. A force so absolute that it bypassed his mind entirely, guiding his every breath, his every thought. It whispered to him, threading its way through his bones, his muscles, his very soul.

"This is it."

He knew what it was.

A final attack.

A suicidal technique.

One that wouldn't just kill him—it would erase him.

His body would become a living volcano, one that didn't just burn, didn't just destroy—it would consume. The moment it activated, everything on his level would be annihilated, no matter how powerful.

Even the Hydra.

Even himself.

He should have been afraid. He should have hesitated.

But he didn't.

Because in that moment, one thought overpowered everything else.

"Meiyo is hurt."

"Akari is hurt."

"My friends are hurt."

And the one who caused it—this overgrown reptile—was still standing.

That wasn't acceptable.

Kouki turned his head, locking eyes with Meiyo. She was breathing heavily, her leg still bleeding despite the magic pulsing through her body. Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes—her sharp, calculating eyes—were screaming at him.

She knew something was wrong.

"Kouki…" her voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.

He smiled. A slow, tired smile.

"I'm about to die, Meiyo."

The words came out steady, calm—like he was just stating a fact.

Meiyo's entire body tensed, her breath catching in her throat. The others—Kaito, Rika, Duck, Hakashi—froze as his words settled over them like a curse.

The room felt heavier.

Akari was the first to react.

"What…?"

Her voice was small. Fragile. Her usual teasing, her usual arrogance—gone.

Kouki turned to her, his molten eyes softening for the first time. "I can kill him. I can win." His fists clenched, his nails digging into his palms, flames crackling at his fingertips. "But if I do this, I won't come back."

Akari's entire body shook.

"Don't." She took a step forward, her lips trembling. "Don't say that. Don't—don't talk like you're just… leaving us."

Kouki exhaled, tilting his head back. "I don't have a choice."

"Bullshit!"

Kaito's voice cut through the tension like a blade. He was shaking, his fists clenched so tightly that blood dripped between his fingers. "You bastard, I didn't want you to actually die!" His voice cracked at the end, anger and something else—fear—laced through it. "We were supposed to keep competing! You were supposed to keep pissing me off! You were supposed to—!"

He stopped, jaw tightening, his head dropping.

Kouki smirked. "Guess you'll just have to be the second-strongest then, huh?"

Kaito's breath hitched, his shoulders shaking. He didn't respond. He couldn't.

"Kouki," Meiyo's voice was barely above a whisper. Her hands trembled at her sides, her golden-blue eyes locked onto him with something raw. "Don't do this."

He turned to her.

For the first time in his life, his perfect sister—the one who always had the answers, the one who never lost control—was crying.

A single tear slid down her cheek, and she didn't even try to wipe it away.

"Kouki… please."

He wanted to say something comforting. He wanted to tell her it would be okay.

But it wouldn't.

Instead, he just smiled.

"You're the smart one," he said softly. "So you already know… this is the only way."

"I have one request... Make sure Akari doesn't get hurt. Meiyo please promise me you will protect her with everything you have."

Meiyo gritted her teeth, her entire body shaking.

"Don't Kouki.... Please don't act your gonna leave me." Meiyo said.

"Promise... me." 

Meiyo for the first time was silence.

For the first time she Meiyo Chikara the princess of the Phoenix kingdom did not have full control.

It wasn't fear if Noboru was here if they were on good terms she he would have saved all of them without a explosion but he wasn't.

He never was on their on this side.

For the first time she hated Noboru not cause of jealously and her parents guidance but because he wasn't here.

She didn't care if he was on bad terms he was still their older brother.

She didn't care if he was those beasts he still acted like he was their brother.

Meiyo knew he wasn't here to save Kouki but the least she can do is scream.

"NOBORU YOU BASTARD DO SOMETHING!" she yelled catching everyone attention.

NOTHING

She should have know heart was beating faster of anger and anxiousness.

But a soothing voice of her brother snapped her out.

"Mei. Mei. Meiyo calm down its gonna be okay." He said. "Please promise me."

"Fine I promise but you better come back." Meiyo yelled.

"NO! KOUKI-KUN DON'T" Akari yelled and moved.

She lunged toward him, her hand reaching out, desperate, reckless. "Kouki, don't—!"

And then—her body glowed.

A deep, brilliant gold surged through her veins, her very soul burning with something new—something ancient. It pulsed, twisting through her magic circles, spreading through her limbs, anchoring her to the ground.

Soul Bonding.

Her clan's ultimate technique.

She didn't activate it.

It activated on its own.

Her body was moving before she even realized it, her instincts screaming at her to pull Kouki back. To keep him here.

But—

Meiyo grabbed her.

And the Sky Hawk's barrier formed.

A perfect, impenetrable wall of wind erupted between them, locking Kouki away, keeping Akari from reaching him.

Akari screamed.

"MEIYO! LET ME GO!"

She fought. She thrashed against the barrier, her hands slamming into the wind, her magic flaring violently as her soul reached out for Kouki's—desperate to connect, to bind, to save.

But the barrier held.

Because Kouki had asked for it.

Meiyo's breath was uneven, tears streaming down her face, but her hands remained steady.

"I promised him," she choked out. "I promised him I'd do this."

"KOUKI—!!"

The Hydra's golden eyes widened.

Because he recognized it.

The power.

The technique Kouki was about to use—Volcanic Explosion.

The Lava Dire Wolf's final attack.

A skill so absolute that even he— a Boss-Class 12th Dimensional Hydra—could not survive it.

The Hydra moved.

He lunged, his massive form surging forward, his seven heads snapping toward Kouki, his claws slicing through the air—

Kouki smirked.

And then—

He froze time.

It wasn't magic.

It wasn't a spell.

It wasn't something he even understood.

It was instinct.

Pure Omni Energy.

The Hydra stopped mid-motion.

The world stood still.

For exactly one minute.

Kouki exhaled. His body burned, every cell in his being screaming in agony, but he ignored it. He could feel the core of his power reaching its limit, the eruption just seconds away.

His fingers curled.

His flames twisted.

This was it.

He turned, his eyes sweeping over his friends one last time.

Akari, screaming for him.

Meiyo, holding the barrier, her hands trembling.

Kaito, frozen in place, his fists clenched.

Rika, Duck, Hakashi—all staring.

He smirked.

Guess for the first time i be a hero. 

A true hero not.

Not just a hero because of being a prophecy kid.

"Guess this is goodbye."

Then—

Everything exploded.