Capítulo 183: Mythical Bird
Matty slammed a fist into Jack's stomach, which didn't seem to do much to the masked man. However, his attacks were connecting and Jules was being given the time to recover. That was what mattered.
His own life was inconsequential. It didn't matter if his bones had shattered as long as Jules lived—as long as he helped her to victory. Jack was reeling back from the momentum, surprised more than anything. Matty already figured he wasn't doing damage and he was fine with that. There was no false hope in his heart telling him he was winning this.
"Okay, enough of that." Jack's declaration echoed as he steadied himself. Matty ran towards him anyway, bracing himself for his white fist.
"Huh—"
Matty stumbled and conveniently ducked under his attack. Jack followed up with a kick that was so clumsy that it instead kicked up rocks. Running head-first, Matty knocked the masked killer into the ground. With his one viable hand, he straddled him and punched his mask. Each strike carried the weight of frustration and anger.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
His fist pounded against the unyielding mask. He wasn't sure what it was made of and he didn't care.
'Break, break, break! Just break already!'
Crack!
He did it! The tiny crack had spread!
The two dotted eyes vibrated and an eerie aura enveloped its shape. Jack's mask seemed to come alive and in the instant Matty pulled his fist back an explosive energy burst out. Matty was sent hurtling through the black-charred battlefield. Time seemed to slow each time his shoulder slammed into the ground, his consciousness suspended in a moment of weightlessness.
Tumbling, the noise reverberating in his ears and rocked his skull. Eventually, he collided with the remains of a house wall, the impact sending shockwaves through his spine. The world was spinning despite his sudden stoppage.
Somehow, Matty was standing.
As he stood against the wall, the front of his body burned, his consciousness lay awake. A flicker of light was in the distance.
It was Jules.
She confronted Jack with the same stout confidence he knew her for. If his lips could move, he would have smiled.
"So, what's next?" Jack asked. "I will admit, your bodyguard had me surprised. I've never slipped up like that. I assume it was your doing."
"I don't understand it," Jules began. "I still don't understand it. The Mythical Beast Class is completely different from every other class, even the Animal Tamer Class. You don't get skills to help you tame. What happens is that you can summon beasts right then and there and have the chance to tame them."
Trembling, she dropped to one knee and pressed a hand on the ground. An orange magic circle formulated underneath her fingers.
"This one…I've tried but I just haven't been able to tame it. With untamed beasts, they don't listen to anything or anyone. They just do what their animal instincts tell them to do. In this case, it will be beating the thing responsible for all this death."
Life and life, such frugal things. With a snap, with a fall, with water and fire, it could cease.
From death, from ash, from human will, it could also arise.
From the magic circle, an orange light rose into the air, manifesting into a long scarlet bird that unfolded its wings wide as it reached the peak of its ascent. Its plumage was ablaze with hues of orange and gold. A creature of fire and near divine might, its size a mere shadow of its potential.
Jack stared up at the majestic bird of legend. His mask might have hidden his surprise but his voice did not. "A phoenix?"
"Good luck, Jack the Ripper. Out of all the beasts in the world, this one hates death the most."
The Phoenix lingered in the air as its gaze shifted from the many, many corpses. It let out a cry that was akin to a sorrowful scream. As the phoenix's cry echoed, its luminous plumage began to transform. The fiery hues intensified, the once vibrant red now deepening into a passionate scarlet.
"You crazy bitch, a phoenix? Here? Do you know how much you'll destroy? These bodies won't see the light of day. Some of these fools are pretending to be dead too. Are you really prepared to do that, woman?"
"It will be worth it as long as YOU die."
Jack stilled himself. The Phoenix dived right at the stench of death and he was forced to leap back far. Boom! The Phoenix's crash landing was like a C-4. Several explosions ensued as it chased after Jack, each peck of its flaming beak a detonation.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The Phoenix swooped back up into the air while Jack stood on top of Dublin City's outer walls, the upper half of his mask covered in soot.
The Ripper stared up at the retreating Phoenix and then turned his attention back down to Jules. "Allow me to give my sincerest apologies, Jules. You are no bitch. I recognize you as one that is worthy."
The Phoenix went higher, higher, and higher, until it seemed to cover the sun itself. Its transformation was a spectacle to behold. Its very being grew hotter, the flames dancing with a fervor that matched the rising temperature. The air shimmered with the heat, creating a distortion.
Jack stared at Jules, aware of the Phoenix's impending attack yet choosing to talk to her. She who was responsible for pushing him this far. He extended a hand and summoned the golden rapier. "Jules, you are a woman fit to have me and this blade as your opponent. That is the greatest honour I can give you in my current state."
With wings spread wide, the scarlet Phoenix dived down and quickly broke the sound barrier. Jack leaped into the air and met the mystical beast in kind. The penultimate clash between darkness and light—the final sight that Matty witnessed before his eyes closed.
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