As the distant screams grew nearer, Germain sensed Phoenix's imminent arrival with his En and halted decisively.
The other three passed him and grasped his intent. Rather than risk attack while fleeing, they chose to halt and brace for a counterattack.
Thus, Bisky, Wing, and Shizuku also paused, readying themselves for battle.
Moments later, the Phoenix group stormed into Germain's vicinity, swooping in with roaring wings ablaze in dazzling sparks.
To a spectator, these magnificent creatures would be a sight to behold, but to their intended targets, the four men, the sight was far from pleasant.
The Phoenixes drew closer, yet refrained from immediate assault. Instead, they circled overhead, weaving intricate patterns to confound Germain and his allies.
"Their primary attack seems to be fire," Bisky remarked, standing back-to-back with the others, each watching a different direction. "There's no water nearby. If they ignite this area, we'll be in serious trouble."
But Germain had a plan. "Everyone, gather close to me. I'll shield us from most of the flames. Get ready to counterattack."
Before he could finish, the Phoenixes altered their tactic. They glided down, aiming directly at the four on the ground.
Bisky and the others didn't hesitate. They converged around Germain just as several Phoenixes led the charge, spewing long flames from their beaks!
As the menacing fire serpents approached, Germain calmly extended his hands, unfolding the Shield of Lord of Crows. The transformed shield spread its wings like a massive umbrella, shielding them all.
Previously, the Lord of Crow's wings blocked Germain's flamethrower flames. Logically, they should also withstand the Phoenix's fire beams, unless these beams were exceptionally powerful.
However, when the fire snakes touched the crow's shield, they were deflected violently, piercing the ground like inverted pistils. Germain confirmed his hypothesis.
Bisky reacted swiftly, "Get ready. Germain blocked most of the aerial attack. Now they can only swoop down and attack from the sides."
Almost immediately after Bisky's warning, several Phoenixes descended. They circled the group and spat flames from their beaks.
Germain turned sideways, using the Shield of Lord of Crows to block the onslaught of fire beams.
Shizuku quickly conjured "Blinky." She raised Blinky and aimed it at the Phoenixes within range. "Suck in the flames."
A powerful suction pulled in the flames from the nearer Phoenixes and their burning bodies, forming a vortex of fire swirling into the "Blinky".
The Phoenixes lost their flaming wings, revealing charred black skin. They resembled emaciated corpses and emitted mournful cries.
"Excellent!" Bisky cheered. She released accumulated palm wind, shattering the black birds into pieces with swift blows.
As the Phoenixes' bodies shattered, they swiftly turned to fine ashes, scattering on the ground.
Bisky noticed the fragility of their bodies.
"Their strengths lie in their speed and fire attacks."
Wing, upon hearing this, mirrored Bisky's stance. As an enhancer, he focused his aura into his right fist, which began to glow with a golden light.
A swarm of Phoenixes fired beams of fire towards Wing. Despite seeing the attack coming, Wing stood firm, his resolve unwavering.
Germain instinctively moved his Shield of Lord of Crows to protect Wing from the flames, but Bisky restrained him.
"Wait," Bisky smiled. "Don't worry. In this state, Wing won't suffer fatal injuries unless he exceeds a certain threshold."
Germain hesitated briefly, recalling their earlier discussion where everyone had shared their Nen abilities to prevent mishaps and misunderstandings.
Wing had explained his Nen ability, which suited him well.
As the fire beams touched Wing's body, instead of igniting his hair and clothes, they condensed into aura, circulating within him and gathering in his right fist.
His fist glowed brighter and brighter, resembling a miniature sun emitting dazzling golden light.
"Hah—!" Without further hesitation, Wing thrust his right fist forward.
Bang!
The accumulated golden aura burst out in all directions like a trumpet blast, obliterating a large area of the ground ahead. The Phoenixes, caught by surprise, were instantly reduced to dust before they could take flight.
Wing's "Deliberate Punch" required him to remain motionless for a brief period, absorbing damage below a certain threshold.
Once enough power was gathered, he unleashed it in a single blast, combining the destructive force and range of both the "enhancement system" and the "Emission system".
Germain recalled a game character whose skill was also named "Deliberate Punch", though there were significant differences between the two, reflecting Wing's unique personality.
After throwing a punch, Wing withdrew his right fist and performed a gesture of gratitude, demonstrating the Shingen-ryu martial arts.
Simultaneously, Germain noticed that his "Nen tank" had more than one full bar, enabling him to retaliate.
In an instant, the grid of his "Nen bar" emptied, and the Shield of Lord of Crows raised by Germain was suddenly enveloped in pure white light.
When the fire beams struck the Shield of Lord of Crows, they didn't simply bounce off as before; instead, they visibly sank into the shield.
Then, like a fully drawn slingshot, the shield rebounded all the fire beams into the air without letting a single one through!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Caught off guard, nearly ten Phoenixes were directly pierced by the fiery arrows. They cried out as the flames on their bodies slowly dissipated, turning into drifting ashes.
"Beautiful," Bisky praised briefly. She then released a palm wind that defeated the Phoenix whose flames had been absorbed by the droplet.
In an instant, most of the large group of Phoenixes that had arrived were destroyed. The remaining ones circled for a moment, chirped in fear, and ceased their attack.
"Let's go," Germain said, sensing the fear in the Phoenixes. It was the perfect moment to escape from the battle.
Shizuku glanced at the Phoenix ashes on the ground and abandoned the idea of swallowing them into the stomach of the "Blinky," realizing that the Phoenix did not regenerate from ashes as the legends claimed.
The four of them cautiously and swiftly departed from the battlefield, heading towards the World Tree.
The remaining Phoenix group collectively mourned over the ashes on the ground.
They were completely defeated in this battle and had developed a deep wariness towards this group of terrifying upright apes they had never encountered before.
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