The place smelled like burnt rubber, despite there nothing burning around us other than the flaming egg, protruding at the center of the altar. I haven't sensed anything ominous upon stepping foot in this place, rather, the warmth of the place was welcomingly pleasant. That's why we're already in front of the egg, staring at it up-close.
"How did you know it's sleeping, Tsuki? Have you gone here before?"
"If Tsuki enters another's spirit domain without permission, the spirit will surely attack her. I already scold her about it." Diana calmly explained it, but there was a hint of anger in her voice.
"What?! Master! Don't believe her! That egg was the one who told me about it! I'm innocent... Auuu~"
"There, there, it's okay. I believe in you."
Tsuki's eyes brighten. "Master!" She then rubs her face on my cheeks.
"Well... What are we going to do, now?" I said while holding my chin, as Tsuki continues rubbing her face.
"Perhaps... Nothing?" Diana added.
"We're already here... Do you think there's some sort of ritual to call the phoenix? Like this?" I wiggle my body around and flail my arms around. I expected some sort of response to the egg, but the response that I got was Diana burst out into laughter. "Hahahahaha!"
As soon I heard her laugh—I stopped. I stoop my head low to cover my face from the embarrassment. But after a while, I shook it off. Then hovers my hand over the egg which emitted a small glow. "It's reacting..."
"It is..."
Before touching, I coated my hand with my quintessence as a protective layer then the tip of my hand slightly touches the egg. But then my eyes caught the egg devouring my quintessence. "Whoa!" I pulled my hands away.
Soon after, the egg glows brightly like the reddish color of the sun over the horizon. A projection of a small phoenix gradually ascends at the tip of the egg and opens its eyes to us. It's a small bird composed of colorful and vibrant flames. It looks down on us as it floats above us.
(A descendant from the ancient celestial race, a human, and a...) The phoenix's eyes hover over Tsuki in my shoulder (... wanderer from the Ruined Realm. The Guider of Souls and the Arbiter of Souls are together in one body)
At first, I'm not sure whether it's smiling or not, but I get the feeling it's smiling to us. I glance to my right to see Diana's frown face then back to the phoenix. "Uh... May I ask for your name?" I said in a polite manner.
(I go by the name Ra. However, it's Blaze now. I'm pleased to meet you...)
"Claude."
(...Claude.)
"You're a god... Right?"
(Yes, indeed.)
"Then that means, the souls residing here are your follower of some sort?"
(Yes. They're the souls who will follow me throughout the cycle of my birth in the world.)
When I heard the phoenix identifying Tsuki and Diana was the indication of the phoenix being an old god from the past. No beings have known Tsuki or Diana's existence, especially their origin. Because of that, I became vigilant and being careful with my words.
"May I ask why did you call us here?"
The phoenix descends from the top to our eye level. (A proposal.)
"A proposal? What kind?"
(But before that, I sincerely apologize for causing trouble.)
"For what?"
(For calling you out of the blue.)
"Oh. But rather apologizing, care to tell me. Why the negative emotions of this world are being sent to Rosalyn and Albert's minds?"
(To create the epiphany of nirvana for my people, I created this world-like existence for them and washed away their sorrow along with their sins. This world is the—)
"Wow, you're direct too... The place that can be called Heaven? A paradise? You're causing problems to your spirit contractors."
(They wanted my heavenly power, hence I gave it. If they wanted to use it, they need to face the condition that I gave to them. Whether they wanted to use it for good or evil, I will not care.)
"I just don't get it. Staying in the spirit realm was probably the best thing for you, along with your people. Yet, why are you here?"
(The gates to the spirit realm forbid me from entering, as I need to abandon my people.)
"So you became a wandering spirit?"
(Yes, a wandering spirit, I feed off through devouring souls, jumping from one body to another just to suffice the mana that I needed. One day, the twin's ancestor found me and helped me by giving me their descendants to live, but no mortal has ever survived within a few years with me until the birth of the twins. Was that enough to answer all your questions?)
"Not yet... To maintain this world, you need a massive amount of mana."
(Yes.)
I narrow my eyes. "If you're not from the spirit realm then that means your soul is already implanted within your contractor's body?"
The phoenix answering my question rather too direct is bothering me.
(Sadly, yes.)
"Not even caring about the lives of those poor people. After a few years of their life, they'll be thrown away and moving to the next one? Treating people's lives as mere objects. How sickening. Especially if they're..." I said coldly
Then a pressuring quintessence erupted from my body to see the phoenix's initial reaction. I'm eyeing the phoenix with murderous intent that made it back away upon making eye contact. I disrupted the pressuring aura around me. "Haaa... Well, it's utterly useless. I should've expected it in the first place, but gods are not perfect beings like Diana told me before."
(You're a bizarre one.)
"I know, I know, you just need what you need to do for your people even if it means sacrifices... To live, you opted into using others' souls to feed, and instead of receiving those negative emotions, you dump off those negative emotions of your people to the other soul."
(...)
"You're twisted and a coward."
(I'm reminding you. I've been considerate towards you as my guest. So, watch your tone when you're talking to me. I control everything in here. Fret not, I'm a forgiving one.)
Diana and Tsuki's faces darkened and released murderous intent toward the phoenix. It's true. The phoenix controls everything in here, controlling the world in the palm of its hand. We entered a territory of some ancient spirit god. Yet, I don't feel threatened by its word. More than anything, I'm feeling that I can achieve anything right now.
"Forgive me then. What's the proposition?"
(I'm here to propose that could benefit the twins. That's your objective, right?)
"Not really. I'm just here to seek answers as to why I'm getting a crazy girl in my ass lately. Other than that, there's nothing. But since you said, I'm quite curious as to what you want to propose."
(Let's form a contract.)
"Spirit contract?"
(Indeed.)
"You!" Diana erupted from anger and almost initiated an attack which I stopped in time before things went south. I know where her anger comes from. Tsuki also feels the same. "Grr—!"
"What a clown. You just had a taste of my quintessence and you already made up your mind? Did it remind you of something?"
(You caught on real quick. I applaud you.)
"Thank you, but I shall decline your offer and will never."
(I see... I thought you were smarter, but you disappointed me.)
"You really think I would abandon my spirit for you? There's no room for you, sorry. Look somewhere else."
(Regardless of the benefits that I could bring for you? It's a win-win for both of us. Rosalyn and Albert wouldn't suffer unlike before and will live a normal life. And you're stuck here with me.)
"Liar. If they become spiritless. Death awaits them. Plus, I know my way out." I smile before calling. "Diana, come forth."
[Paradigm Ascension]
The phoenix got alerted by it and returns to the egg before the altar collapsed from the surging quintessence around the place. Debris of marbles and stones are falling from the sky, so I teleport in the empty sky and look down at the souls, living happily. An explosion came from the destroyed temple, and from it, the phoenix emerges. The symbol of the sun blazes through its wings and eyes.
"Wow, so this is your true form?"
I'm staring at the colossal of a bird, floating in the sky with me.
(Claude... What are you doing? I know that in our astral form, we're against an ancient spirit—Oh, I see. You're going to use them against it?) Diana said.
(Now you get it, Diana. Tsuki.)
(Yes, master?)
(How about saving thousands or even millions of souls? Isn't that exciting?)
(Really?! Yes! Yes!)
(Of course. They're calling for your help, right? Aren't they too pitiful? Innocent, sinless souls asking for help.)
(Yeees~!)
"You... I don't know what's going on with your brain." The Phoenix spoke.
"You don't need to know. I can only say that you piece me off. Ramnient." A big grin was plastered on my face.
[Forsaken Supermacy Ramnient]