"Couldn't you have stayed put and lived? Did you have to break free and court death?"
Kuzan did not look back, his tone tinged with helplessness.
He had given the Centipede Sage a chance to live.
He had planned to capture it alive and leave it to the World Government, or perhaps Lord Imu would have taken an interest in it.
Now, it seemed he could only send it to the Underworld.
"Is it snowing?"
Kyros, who was hurrying toward Chinjao and Arbel, suddenly noticed snowflakes beginning to drift down from the sky, followed by a fierce, freezing wind.
But before he could think further—
A colossal creature crashed down from the thick dark clouds blanketing Z City's night sky.
At the same time, beams of icy blue light pierced through the clouds.
The Centipede Sage, which had stopped spinning, saw it most clearly.
Directly above its head was a winged bird made entirely of ice, its size no less immense than its own.
A falcon?
Or an eagle?
No. This was a phoenix!
An ice crystal phoenix born from Kuzan's former technique, Pheasant Beak!
Its appearance immediately unleashed a blizzard that blanketed all of Z City, along with parts of nearby Y City, B City, and D City.
At the same time, its exceptionally sharp and frigid talons seized the Centipede Sage's insectoid body.
The seemingly incomparably tough carapace was pierced as easily as paper.
Massive amounts of frost spread madly outward from the points of contact.
"Argh!"
"I am the incarnation of the earth, the divine punisher sent by the gods!"
The pained Centipede Sage flew into a rage. It immediately pulled its body from underground and, borrowing the Ice Crystal Phoenix's strength, lashed out violently.
"Centipede Grand March!"
In an instant, fierce winds surged and shockwaves roiled.