Roaring in pain, Old Yan attempted to attack, but Fenix lunged from behind. With one last furious swing, he thrust both knives into Old Yan's back.
Flames erupted from the steel edges, searing flesh in an unholy heat. Old Yan became rigid, his mouth contorting in a mute scream. Poison and shadow flashed around him before dissipating.
Fenix drew a strained breath and ripped his blades free. Old Yan's body crumpled in a heap, with smoke curling from his deep wounds. For a minute, just the crackle of dispersing flames shattered the silence.
Fenix remained standing, but his eyes rolled back, and he dropped to one knee, swords clattering against the rocky ground.
The fiery wings of his rebirth faded out, like a snuffed candle. A ripping fatigue engulfed him, every muscle throbbing with exhaustion. He felt more vulnerable than ever, a direct result of Infernal Rebirth.
