Strongest Among the Heavens
Chapter 435: Feenie

Chapter 435: Feenie

On his back, he felt greenery. Soft petals of grass. Above him, he saw and felt red. Flaming, hot red that he smelled and tasted and could not move away from.

The red fell. It fell. It fell. It fell. He faded in and out of black.

Ah. He could feel his arms again. Just what...?

"—teardrops are working. That’s—"

His eyes flung open and he flipped to his feet. What stood in front of him was a seven-foot tall phoenix, trails of thick red running down its face. The moment Kazi rose, mana crackling, the phoenix snarled and pointed its beak at him.

"Relax, Feenie."

A dark hand appeared to comfort the bird. Matty alongside Jules who smiled at his awakening. "You’re okay! Thank goodness! We almost thought you died! Are your arms okay?"

Arms. Right. He stared at them, the black fabric usually protecting them torn apart. Flesh was exposed, albeit not black. Crackles of blue lining them, more than veins, almost like volcanic rocks. An overflow of mana that had miraculously healed.

Kazi looked behind him. Only grass stretched out. This was a meadow. This was a farming region. Looking up, he saw Feenie and her (?) teary, fiery head.

"Phoenix tears."

The miracle of a phoenix. Its tears were said to be capable of great healing. Miraculous did not suffice. What should have taken days of focused healing on Kazi’s part took less than an hour for Feenie. Overstraining the soul was healable and highly difficult. A certain Templar described the ability to mend the soul in any capacity as healing glass. Only with tempered, highly-tested and high-skilled heat was it possible and even then, it was a risk that could permanently burn and scar the soul.

Kazi could mildly touch the soul, but that was only in virtue of him understanding himself.

’To relax the soul, to make it soften or harden or fill in the cracks typically is impossible for an individual to do to themselves. They HAVE to have a healer do it. But, probably because I’m an Ascendant, I’m more comfortable healing my own soul than others.’

Following his battle with Princess Otohime, Kazi couldn’t sleep for three whole days. He had to keep Ultra Divine Healing Circulation active at all times.

’It was the worst—and Feenie was able to bring me back to eighty-percent with what? Four tears?’

"Oh, yes," Jules said. "I don’t think Feenie has ever had to use so many tears on someone."

"Each tear takes around fifteen minutes to make, although every time we’ve used it, we’ve never come to rely on the next. Considering what you did though..." Matty nodded. "I don’t know how you did it but you—"

"Time?" Kazi interjected. "How much time has passed since I passed out?" At this point, his left eye wasn’t working. His vision was normal. He could see where they were. These meadows and the dots of people in the far away distance.

’The north.’

They were in the north. They were standing along Aika River which connected to Lake Shinji. The Aika River itself was a thin strip of water really. Squinting, Kazi could make out the samurai and fishermen at the shore.

’This is Aikacho,’ Kazi analyzed, ’so the homes are already evacuated.’

Meaning, the first two steps of Operation Cinder were starting. Step one: lead the Bake-kujira to the north with the help of Jules, Matty, and Booker. Step two: throw metallic objects to throw off its magnetic sensors. Remmy will join with fighting off the monsters.

"Forty-seven minutes have passed," Matty replied. "Your water seal is holding up."

"Not for long. We have ten minutes, if that." Kazi rolled his shoulders and eyed Feenie the phoenix. He cracked a smile. "You sure she won’t eat me?"

Jules let out a small laugh. "Phoenixes don’t eat people. She’s a herbivore."

"Good to know. Would Feenie mind an additional seat?"

"You want to join?" Hopping onto Jules’ shoulder was a black cat. Had it been wandering? "Bringing Booker alone was a bit..."

"Speaking of, where is—"

"Behind you."

Woah. On the grass, sitting with a knee raised was Booker Davis Jr. The gunman looked up, unblinking. Kazi must have been in a really shitty condition or Booker was just that good. Probably a mix of both.

"We’re going to be launching off as soon as the scouts run over," Booker said. "Adding an injured folk like you is going to ruin the operation and, more importantly, my jam."

"Are you sure?"

"I work better when mission parameters aren’t messed up at the last second." Laid out on the grass were three spherical objects resembling a honeycomb although not quite. Blackened iron and glowing with cracks of molten orange light, tiny vents went along the surface and emitted faint wisps of ash and ember.

"Three and not four?" Kazi questioned

"Quality over quantity, my friend. Wildfire calls ’em the Ember Hive." Booker did not touch the bombs and merely stared until he tilted his head. "Kazi, you should take it easy. Recover your strength. Ideally...the phoenix should stay here."

"And you were talking about me changing mission parameters. What’s all this about?"

"I’ll ride one of Jules’ birds and set out as far as it can take me. I’ll grab its attention, throw weapons, and lead it here as we wanted."

"All by yourself?" Matty repeated. "Don’t be stupid. I’ll go with you."

"You’re not who matters here." Booker pointed directly at Jules. "Mrs. Updo, tell me, how far can your birds go without you?"

"I...I don’t know, I’ve never really tested it."

"You figure you can keep the phoenix here while also going out to fight?" Booker’s question was answered by her grimace. "Precisely. You can’t. There’s a limit in range. You go past that limit and the summon goes poof. I’ve heard stories of it at the Wild West. Unless you’re a master, you’re capped."

"So you want Jules to stay here," Matty said, "so Kazi can heal up?"

"The three of us witnessed this man split apart the lake and seal a giant five hundred foot whale monster within it. Can I do that? Hell no. Can you? Can Jules? Can anyone in this entire army? Can the phoenix?

Silence.

"They may believe it, they may not. It doesn’t matter, we don’t have time to tell everyone that Kazi is our trump card who we desperately have to protect above all others. If he had told everyone..." Booker inhaled sharply and stopped himself. Rather than rage, there was sympathy. Understanding. He picked himself up. "Fifteen minutes until the next Phoenix Drop, right? Fifteen minutes of me buying time and doing what I have to do."

"What we have to do," Matty added. "Jules won’t need protection but you will. You can’t do this yourself."

"Hey, quick question—can you fly?"

The sudden question caught Matty off-guard. "No."

"See, if my estimates are right, whatever bird Jules summons is going to be very weak due to the vast distance between them. No buffs, no connection, no loyalty to its rider. Once it’s gone, will you be able to fly?"

No answer.

"I can," Booker replied. "Which is why I’m going alone."