Yuzui summoned both of her daggers as she looked down at the fire.
Yuzui: So, master of knowledge, what's the strategy?
Stella: Brute force is the only way to "kill" a phoenix. We gotta be quick and strong with this.
Yuzui: What about the En...the smoke thing.
Stella: It'll be weaker if we take care of the phoenix first.
Yuzui: Right...
She kept looking around in the ground for any sign of Ken and the others but saw nothing. Stella ran and jumped off of the roof, he grabbed the axe tightly and sent forward 3 clones which all did the same thing as him. They threw their axe at the Phoenix, they all landed on its neck which immediately decapitated it.
Yuzui: ...wh- HE DOESN'T NEED ME!
The phoenix burst into fiery feathers as it reappeared intact as if it was reborn. Stella created a protective bubble to not get hit by the feathers as his clones vanished from them.
Yuzui: Oh...
She felt a presence behind her, the smoke converged into a figure as she looked back.
Yuzui: This is where I'm useful I guess...
As the sky got darker from more clouds, Yuzui grabbed her daggers, ready to fight. A portal appeared next to her, Kenos walked through it. He grabbed her arm tightly.
Kenos: We gotta go!
He pulled Yuzui into the portal. Stella looked up to see the portal on the roof. He sighed as he heard multiple footsteps behind him. He created a translucent protective wall between him and the phoenix as he looked back. He sighed as he immediately created a portal and left the scene. A military platoon aimed at the phoenix.
__________________
Kenos: What were you doing?!
Yuzui: Umm...looking for you!
Nichi: I told you to leave a note.
Kenos: Do not get in between this convo.
Nichi turned a blind eye.
Yuzui: Why did you disappear like that!?
The sound of Elias crunching on something interrupted the two. Yuzui looked over at him and then looked back at Kenos.
Elias: These tacos do be bussin' though.
Yuzui: You took the kids to Mexico.
Kenos: haha...ole?
Yuzui: I...Ken...oh my god...
Kenos: Look, you were dead asleep, and they were hungry.
Yuzui: At least leave a warning next time!
Kenos: Okay, but why were you out?
Yuzui: LOOKING FOR YOU!
Kenos: Then why were you with him?
Yuzui: As I left to look for you, he appeared with the same goal. I had no choice but to side with him, or he was gonna kill me.
Kenos: Fair enough...just don't go out like that again.
Yuzui: Leave a note next time Stella.
Kenos: Ouch...
As she went to grab a door handle she stopped and looked back.
Yuzui: Where are we?
Kenos: I don't know, I just know it is isolated.
Yuzui looked out through the window, she saw a snowy small town that was falling apart, not by anyone around but by nature. Snow-covered mostly everything as the fog accompanied it. The clouds were thick and there was barely any light.
Yuzui: I'm gonna go rest...
She headed towards another room.
Kenos: sigh I'm...gonna go check something out.
He created a portal and left through it.
Elias: What did we get ourselves into.
Nichi: I don't know...
Elias: ...wanna go check out the other houses?
Nichi: I...don't think that's safe.
Elias: Come on, I can handle anything!
Nichi: Fine but...let's not stay too long out. I'm leaving a note for these two...I think Yuzui will personally kill us if we don't.
She was looking around for paper when she found a star-shaped emblem in a drawer. She liked how it looked and decided to take it.
Elias: Hey, over here.
Nichi looked back to see that Elias had found some paper and a pencil. He handed them to her and walked over to the door. Nichi quickly wrote the note and accompanied Elias. As the two left the house the snow falling from the sky got harsher. Elias moved his hand towards Nichi, she looked at him and smiled. When she grabbed his hand, Elias grabbed her up and carried her on his back. The two were covered in a translucent orange aura that protected them from the weather. Elias started walking towards another house with Nichi.
Nichi: What do you think happened here?
Elias: I don't know, it seems really familiar though...
Nichi: Yeah, something about a massive snowstorm.
They lingered in their thoughts for a second.
Elias: Holy shit! We're in Russia!
Nichi: Right! A few years ago this place was completely covered in snow, 98 percent of the population died.
Elias: It's so...quiet...it's kinda creepy, actually.
Nichi: You think the houses are haunted?
Elias: Wait, let's not go there...I don't want to think about that.
Nichi: What? You scared?
Elias: Shut up.
They got to another house and went inside. Nichi got off of Elias' back as he looked around. The house was in a great condition. As the orange aura disappeared, Nichi's pocket started glowing. She noticed it and grabbed what it was. The star shaped emblem resonated with the house.
Elias: What's that?
Nichi: I...I picked it up in the other house...I don't know what it's for though.
Elias: We can use it for light at least.
They walked towards the living room, there, the emblem gave a red light which then switched to a yellow one. Two spirits appeared, they seemed to be talking.
Elias: What the-
?: Hey Volk, why'd you stand still when Thor was using lightning against you?
Volk: Oh that...I'm immune to electricity, but I can't move when I get hit by it. That smoke you saw coming out of my mouth was also an after effect of that, I had to let out the harmful energy of that blast somehow.
The spirits disappeared as the emblem was back to a white light.
Nichi: What the hell?
A portal appeared near them.
Nichi: Ken-
Stella: So, that's where that thing was...glad you two found it and not him.
Elias moved in front of Nichi to protect her.
Stella: Here we go again