New World, Vaford.
At the center of the island stood a mysterious pale yellow beam of light that reached straight into the heavens. Ancient stone towers of varying heights rose around it, guarding the beam at their center. The arrangement resembled an ancient and mysterious grand altar.
Sephiroth stood atop a cliff, gazing over the island's layout.
Screech, screech, screech—!
Black Bats filled the sky as they split from his body and flew in every direction across the island, conducting a detailed survey of its terrain and architectural structure.
Buzz, buzz, buzz—!
As though it had sensed the disturbance here, a cylindrical stone statue roughly six meters tall flew over from afar. On its front was a relief resembling an eye, while crimson shields floated on either side of it.
Circular openings lined the top, bottom, and both sides of the statue, filled with viscous orange-red energy that radiated scorching heat.
Boom!
The statue crashed onto the ground beside Sephiroth. Centered on it, an orange-red fiery vortex of air burst outward in all directions.
The powerful blast of flames shook the cliff, sending many chunks of rock tumbling into the sea below.
Under Sephiroth's interested gaze, a fiery red head and a flaming halo emerged from the statue's top. Its face wore a yin-yang mask, black on the left and white on the right. It then used orange-red energy to form its legs, arms, and a red spear with flames burning at its tip.
The ground beneath the stone guardian was rapidly scorched into blackened earth by the intense heat, while the grass not far away quickly caught fire.
Looking at the stone guardian over nine meters tall, Sephiroth slowly drew the two blades at his waist and muttered:
"Interesting... It can actually turn energy elements into physical matter!
If