VILLAIN'S RISING

“Phoenix!” From behind, Iroha cried out his name before activating her ability.

In a flash, Phoenix’s body blinked out of existence and appeared beside her.

“N…No!” Still in shock and unable to comprehend what had happened, Phoenix fell onto his knees.

“Phoenix, I need you to get up and use your full powers!” Iroha ordered. “I’ll hold him back, you remove your limiters!”

Limiters or Restraints is a process some ability holders go through to seal their abilities.

They do that for several reasons. Maybe their ability at full strength could be dangerous to themselves or the other. Or maybe they don’t trust themselves enough to be able to control their ability at full strength.

Whatever the case may be, it’s an undeniable fact that those who put Restraints or Limiters on themselves get a massive power up when they remove them. Like a beast breaking his chains.

“How is he still alive?!” Phoenix grabbed Iroha’s hand before questioning her. “Didn’t you swap his heart with one of your throwing knives?!”

“I did, and the fact that he got up from that must only mean he’s an immortal.” Iroha replied, her voice was calm and her demeanor was cool. “That’s why I need you to take off your limiter. We need to fight fire with fire and Immortal with Immortal.”

Phoenix could only grit his teeth at those words. Despite his young appearance that seemed to convey his age as no more than 25 years old, he was actually 81 years old.

The reason Phoenix put on a limiter on his ability was that he wanted to die. He wanted to experience his life to the fullest and grow old.

But now he had to remove his limiter. Once removed, a limiter could not be put again. That means if Phoenix were to remove his limiter, he would have to stay young forever.

“I’m sorry.” As if she knew what Phoenix was thinking, Iroha muttered those words before rushing directly at the monster of a man in front of her._.

Albert stood his ground and watched Iroha rushing at him. When she got into the striking range, Albert clenched his fist and threw a punch at her.

Before his fist could hit her, however, Iroha’s figure disappeared and appeared right behind Albert.

Without waiting for another second, she took out another one of her throwing knives and thrust her arm forward. Aiming to pierce his head in a flash.

But Albert’s reflexes were enhanced by folds when he was transformed into a Demon by Sam. He already saw that coming and angled his head to the side.

Iroha’s knife thrust met nothing but air before Albert grabbed her hand and flipped her body forward, slamming her onto the ground.

-Thwack!

“Aghuu!” Iroha’s mind blacked out for a second and she choked on air as soon as her body hit the ground.

But Albert didn’t stop there. He had no feeling of mercy to spare his opponent. He raised his leg and stomped it on Iroha’s abdomen with full force.

-Thwack!

“Arghhhh!” A loud scream escaped Iroha’s mouth. The force of the stomp was too much for her to bear.

Albert’s physique was naturally big. He was a big man with ripped muscles and a large frame. Combined with his towering height of 7’9 and a body strengthening ability, he was a force to be reckoned with.

But now that he has been turned into a Demon, he was more than dangerous. He was deadly.

Iroha instinctively knew that she wouldn’t be able to take any more blows like that. But Albert was in the exact position Iroha wanted him to be.

Iroha’s ability was [Teleportation] but it had two major flaws.

One, if she wanted to teleport someone or something from Point A to Point B, then she’ll need to calculate the coordinates of both points.

Two, she needs the target to remain unmoving till the time she finishes up her calculations to minimize the margin of error.

And right now, Albert was just above her. He was way too close to her. That means the chances for margin of error in her calculations would be practically nonexistent from this close if she were to use her ability.

Thus, she took out another throwing knife and activated her ability. The knife disappeared from her hand and reappeared struck in Albert’s head.

She pierced her head in the blink of an eye. And no matter how fast Albert was, even he was not able to react to the knife teleporting right into his head.

-Thud!

With a low thud sound, Albert’s body fell forward onto the ground. Iroha rolled sideways and avoided him from falling onto her.

“Is it over?” She questioned out loud as if she was asking that question to herself.

Immortals have weak points that, when destroyed, could end their immortal life. After all, they are immortal, not invincible or unkillable.

Most of the immortal’s weak points are their hearts and brains. Iroha had already tried the heart so now she went for the brain.

Although she hoped for him to not get up this time, deep down somewhere she knew that her wish would not come true.

And her wish indeed didn’t come true. Not even a few seconds passed when Albert’s body started moving. He stood up on his feet again as if nothing happened.

Iroha was shocked. Even if she did expect him to get up, she didn’t expect him to get up this soon!

Albert took out the knife from his head and dropped it on the ground. The wound on his head didn’t even bleed before his regeneration kicked in and it closed up.

Wide-eyed, Iroha tried to get up on her feet. Her stamina was exhausted and her endurance was about to break. But she had to fight. She had to survive!

“Die!” She cried before getting up on her feet. Without wasting another moment, she threw herself forward and touched Albert.

Now she didn’t have to calculate anything as she was literally touching him. Gritting her teeth, Iroha activated her ability.

She planned to teleport all of his organs out of his body. “Let’s see how you survive this!” She yelled.

However, she wasn’t fast enough. Before her ability could take effect, Albert’s eyes glowed in a bloody shade of red. He was activating his laser eyes but Iroha was too close to get away from him!

There was only one way. Iroha had to keep standing her ground. It all came down to whose ability would take effect first. What was fast? Iroha’s Teleportation or Albert’s Laser Eyes?

-SWOOSH!

However, before any of their abilities could come into effect, a blazing ball of fire hit Albert directly in the face before exploding.

-Boom!

Iroha took this chance and hopped a few steps back. She turned her vision to her right and saw Phoenix with his body engulfed in dazzling red flames.

This was Phoenix’s true ability. While some can manipulate or create fire, Phoenix had the ability to become one with the fire itself!

Now he wasn’t controlling fire but bending fire to his will! And in this form, he couldn’t even be killed. If you kill him then his body will burst into flames before extinguishing. But then the fire will spark again and he will come into existence once more.

“Come at me!” Phoenix yelled.

Albert, as if replying to his battle cry, started floating in the air. He eyed Phoenix for a second, as if giving him a chance to run, before flying at him at incredible speed like a bullet.

Phoenix opened his arms and awaited the incoming attack. Two fireballs materialized in both his hands. “FUCK YOU! I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!”

-Boom!

-Boom!

(I think he got this. Should we head to Lucas?) The voice in his head suggested but Sam stayed silent.

Seeing this, the voice in his head spoke again.

(Oi! Sam, what are you thinking?)

Hearing him being called out again, Sam finally spoke. “Phoenix will die today. My first experiment was also successfully performed today. Things are moving faster than I had planned them.”

(…)

The voice in Sam’s head was confused.

(Isn’t that a good thing? That things are moving faster?)

“No.” Sam curtly replied. “If things are not moving according to my plan then that means I’m not in control. That’s never a good thing.”

(Sigh, aren’t you just overthinking it?)

Hearing those words, Sam began to rethink the situation. Maybe there’s really nothing to be cautious of.

“Yeah… maybe I am overthinking it.” Sam nodded. “Besides, if I’m not in control then who is, right? I’m the God of this world! Sooner or later I will achieve my goals! If things are moving quicker than anticipated that means I’ll get to my goal faster than expected!”

(Yeah, man! You got this! Don’t doubt anything and certainly don’t doubt yourself!)

Nodding, Sam jumped down from the branch of the tree he was sitting on.

-Thud

“Let’s go save my Demon General.”