Reincarnated as a Phoenix

Chapter 183 – Graveyard

(Ikarus) “Yeah yeah Marcus. Just call it karma for inviting the entire settlement to our wedding or something”

“Wait, were you not happy with the wedding? We can always do another if it wasn’t up to your specifications”

(Petra) “Heh, don’t start playing dumb with us Marcus. We both were happy with it but was making it a national holiday necessary?”

Having just returned home straight to Marcus’s office, obviously two random women teleporting into his office is bound to give anyone a quick shock. I know it’s long delayed but I do feel like words need to be mentioned on the fact he’s partially the reason for my panic attack on our wedding day. Hey, I couldn’t even care that much about it now but this obsession with turning us into some sort of icons is becoming a little weird now.

“My apologies if you two really don’t being liked but I’ll die on this metaphorical sword. Having the two queens be this famous and likeable benefits everyone…”

‘Sighhh, no point even arguing with him on this. I could literally start murdering citizens at will and he’d probably find some way of smoothing it over’

“…Anyways, I presume you two are just getting back from your honeymoon? If you’re worrying about potential problems or anything like that, these last two months have been as peaceful as ever. People have been in tears about the queens being gone for this long again but obviously you two wouldn’t care about that. There was a suggestion about building a couple of statues made from pure gold, but even I’m refusing to give finances for something that wasteful”

Wait, is he using guilt treatment on us now? Have people seriously been crying we’ve been gone… I can see them doing it. Damn idiots man, we need to leave this settlement permanently someday because this is only going to get worse.

“Whatever Marcus, clearly you’re in a slight mood today so we’ll leave you shortly after this. Here, it’s pretend Christmas and I’m the one bringing gifts…”

Without giving any real warning, I empty out most of my inventory all over the place turning Marcus’s study into a complete mess. At least beforehand you could walk around but now, it’s a freaking book avalanche! He doesn’t seem all that pleased from my merry nature though.

“I’m not in a mood Queen Ikarus, just I can see why you two get annoyed so much by all the worshipping going around… what even is all this? You wanting to create library filled with foreign books?”

Marcus gets out of his seat, takes a quick look at one of the books and obviously would have a puzzled look on his face. Knew this language thing would prove a problem but they’ll learn it someday, right?

“Not completely, but it would make sense at this point. All these books and papers are from our world, which just so happens to be hundreds of years more advanced. Just, you may need to learn an entirely new language to harness said powers an-…”

While I’m trying to get the gravity of this situation through to Marcus who still seems a little confused by it all, a random knock on the door startles us all. Don’t tell me this is Eve skipping her work duties comes to ‘serve’ the politician next then? I already know those two were kinda an item but still.

“What perfect timing... You two are completely finished with your holiday then?”

“Of course, you’d fucking know when we return and to the exact location in question. *Sighhh*, I really can’t stand him Petra”

“Heh, same as well Ikarus but we’ll just have you get through it together”

The bastard demon Asmodeus, also known as Petra’s potential father comes through the door grinning madly like always. I know he knows way too much about the future and all but didn’t expect him to be this impatient.

“Heh, you’ll just have to put aside that hatred of me orange one until my inevitable death comes along. You two ready to head into the majin world yet?”

“Hey demon, you know I can’t TP right now? I’ve still got the daily cooldown thing to get through”

“No worries orange one, we can take the portal down in the mines, it’ll only take a few minutes to fix. I do warn you though, make sure you bring a gas mask, just in case…”

__________

“Remind me again why we’re doing this alone and not with any backup demon?”

“Ikarus has a point Asmodeus. You may not see them as much but even just Ariza or Zeki can prove really helpful… well, at least Ariza anyways”

Remember when that pitiful demon invasion tried to destroy our islands and we found one of the staging grounds deep within our gold mine? We’re now back here while Asmodeus is working his magic on the obelisk mirror we once used to enter hell for a brief amount of time. Not sure how it all works but apparently, we broke the transportation mechanism last time around.

Ah, should also mention the fact both priestess and the knight have returned to the empire. Can’t exact be expecting them to stay here for two whole months while me and Petra were away for two days back on Earth. Even they have their own lives to live and remembering a quick conversation from our wedding, they could even return to us married someday.

“For the first demon lord, it’s better if we do this with no extra risks of casualties since things are about to get… explosive. Frankly, the blue one probably has enough power to survive this but the red one has a fifty-fifty chance of dying from what you two are capable of. Heh, you’ll understand shortly”

Still injecting his wind magic into the obelisk, the demon has just said something strange. Ariza’s more powerful than Zeki? Her mind control is good and all but it’s heavily restricted, I wouldn’t say that makes her more powerful though. Last time I checked, her level would’ve been in the eighties or nineties I believe? She gained a load back in the Underground from those fury ‘fights’ we were involved in.

“Are you sure those numbers make sense demon? As much we all love Ariza, she isn’t stronger than Zeki, right?”

“Oh, do you two not know of the deal she made with Loki yet? Heh, that’s… a good sign. At least that confirms we’re definitely on the right path”

‘Sighhh, knowing the future stuff again’

“What deal demon? Give us more details already, damn it!”

This is the problem when dealing with someone who knows the future, information always is lacking for people they travel alongside. I honestly feel sorry for all the companions of those Korean manhwa heroes who go back in time to regress and beat the story that way, It’s freaking infuriating!

“Look orange one, it matters little to the overall context of things, but if you must know, Loki offered her a chance to become his incarnate and she reluctantly accepted. She’d probably have said if you two asked but it means little anyways… the portal is ready so let’s be going”

Wait, Ariza is actually now a God’s incarnate like how Charlotte is with Dionysus? Is this not a big deal?

Petra looks the same as me not really sure on what opinion to have. It sounds like a big thing but priestess makes it seem like nothing so maybe the added power she gets will just help out in the background? Does she also get the five hundred level counter thing as well then? Eh, will just have to ask her again sometime soon.

Anyways, the magic mirror standing inside the obelisk starts to gleam ever so slightly so Asmodeus steps first into the portal with us following shortly behind. It’s time to return to hell…

As soon as we enter the world known as the majin land, the never-ending brimstone can be seen all around remining me a bit of Tartarus to an extent, obviously excluding the fiery lava lakes. There is a huge difference with the purple fog lingering all around and the slight glimpses of demon corpses that can be seen scattered on the floor every ten steps or so. This place is a stinky graveyard…

“Yuck, since when does death smell that bad? It’s like a clogged-up sewer inside here!”

I can oddly speak from experience there. Me and that idiot brother of mine once found a way into an ol’sewer and the smell was just as bad as this. Really weird memory that, can’t even remember why we thought it would be a good idea but kids are idiots I suppose.

“Heh, that’ll be the poison orange one. Every inch of this world is covered in the burning fog. It’s beautiful, is it not?”

“This is gonna sound stupid, but just how dangerous is it? Normally, Aesa gives me the head up if I can’t breathe or something”

“It’s not particularly dangerous to you lot in low doses. The second it gets hard to breathe, like if we wonder into a condensed area for example, that’s what your masks are for… As for demon’s ourselves, this stuff burns the insides out like a fire consuming from within”

While finishing his statement, Asmodeus puts on his gasmask proving just how evil he is. Everything in this world, all the endless corpses are all on his shoulders alone and yet, he is only full of smiles. Their race must be truly despicable to get treatment like this or this guy is just a super villain bent on world destruction. Hopefully, it’s not the latter because this guy will be stealing my thing! Even if Petra’s the angel on my shoulders keeping me sane, she’s also the pervy devil as well at times.

Anyways, the demon starts taking the lead walking towards the only building in sight ahead of us in this baron wasteland. He points towards it and presumably keeps smiling under that mask of his.

“It’s time for the really fun part now. You see that large manor in the distance? That once upon a time used to be my home, now taken hostage by one of my horrible brothers. Orange one, please use your strongest attack to turn it into ash”

…

“Erm, that might be a little overkill if you already know what my strongest attack is”

He knows about my percentage-based supernova, right? If he does, then this is beyond stupid using it right now. Petra and him would both be incinerated.

“Heh, listen to my words orange one and know my conviction. The dark one’s barriers are strong enough to withstand that attack. This must be done and it’s debatable if this will even be enough to kill my brethren inside”

Bullshit! As if there’s a creature inside that manor capable of withstanding a full supernova. I mean, there’s no lies in what he says but still. And as if those two can withstand it as well! I thought this was supposed to win against everything!?

Before I even have the chance to question on just who’s inside, Petra looks just as distracted as me about the whole thing. Trust is a hard word to use but for something like this, we’ll both have to do it for him it seems.

“Look Asmodeus, you’re seriously underestimating Ikarus if you think we can survive it with a simple barrier. There’s a reason why they rarely get used, most don’t hold up to anything except dungeon ones”

“Heh, then you’ll just have to make sure you put enough backbone into it dark on, yours are basically on the dungeon level already. You have the backing of the God of wisdom, creating a little barrier strong enough for us two shouldn’t be that hard. It either we do this or we fly for weeks getting out of your lover’s range”

This explosion spreads out for a distance of weeks!? I really don’t want to use this now…

“Hmm… heh, fuck it. I’ll give it a try so you can activate it whenever you want Ikarus”

She’s already been convinced on this!? Okay, can never forget she has a reckless side to her and all but damn it Petra! Like father, like daughter I guess. Those hehs are horrible uncanny as well.

“Petra, I’m still not sure this is a grea-”

Before I even get the chance to say anything, Petra puts her finger up to my lips and stops my complaints. Have I turned into the only rational person here now or something?

“Heh, shh Ikarus. If the demon is lying and we can’t withstand it, I’ll just wait for you down in the Underworld, alright? I’m sure Hades and Persephone won’t mind keeping my soul safe and secure till you find me”

‘Stupid wife of mine being morbid as hell. Sighhh, looks like I’ve got no choice in this now… hey Aesa, prepare supernova at one hundred percent please’

[<Normally, Aesa would be dead against this but if wife decides otherwise, then Aesa and Ikarus must persist>]

‘Sighhh, I’ll let that one slide…’

“…All ready you two?”

As soon as I finish my question albeit as reluctant as I can, a dark purple barrier starts to surround both my wife and the masked demon getting stronger in colour by the second. I’ve seen Petra removing barriers before but never creating them, it’s weird since it looks like they’re surrounded by a barrier of purple glass now.

“Heh, all good Ikarus. Let’s see the display then”

“Have faith in me and the oracle orange one. It’ll be fine”

‘Right, let’s have faith in the two people both known for abusing my wife. Hopefully, Petra throws him out the barrier halfway through’

Anyways, now onto the final showdown or the ending of my wife. Grippin tightly against the orb and actually praying deep inside that this goes well, I make sure to get ready aiming myself and my arm towards the huge manor in question.

Steadying myself, slowing my breathing and pulling my arm back, I launch the orb flying towards the only building in sight and within seconds, that blasted thing makes contact…

Almost immediately, everything goes white and silent from the pure impact of the attack and I find myself dropping into the crater of my own creation, falling for what feels like a minute before opening up my wings.

Eventually, my sight and hearing returns not without that dreaded ringing in my ears. Even the nuke up close wasn’t this bad but guess the sheer amount of force has caused it.

“Petra?  Petra! Where are you?”

All around me, the beautiful radiant colours from the aftermath lights up everything within my sight causing me quick distress. How the fuck can I check if Petra’s okay if this is all that I can see?

‘Shit shit shit! Where are those two Aesa? I can’t see anything!’

[<Ikarus fell quite the distance, try looking up perhaps?>]

In the absolute mess of a colourful pit I’m in, I see just a purple speck of something still up high. Huh, maybe I should’ve thought about that.

Hurriedly flying up to try and find those two, Petra’s barrier seems to have a floor to it obviously being the reason why they didn’t fall as well. Considering the sheer impact of that explosion and the fact the barrier only has a slight crack in it, guess the demon really can be trusted… for now at least. I guess Gods really have the power to survive even things like that, I’d call bullshit if I wasn’t’;t happy Petra’s unharmed.

“Hahahahahahahahahaha…”

Laughing like a maniac not stopping even when my wings flap into view, the demon seems to be having a laughing fit underneath that mask of his. Is my attack really that funny?

“Petra… is he alright?”

“Unsure Ikarus, he’s been laughing ever since the supernova went off”

“…Hahahaha… it’s time for the really fun part you two. That definitely woke him up…”

While Asmodeus is still laughing, a noticeable shaking in the crater seems to be forming and a bloodcurdling roar beckons all around…